out from among them And whensoever thou dost occasionally fall among them abide there with fear not with pleasure and no longer than needs 3. By an unnecessary conversing with prophane men thou makest thy self accessary to their sins even to their Blasphemies Ribauldry and Prophaneness For by thy silence thou givest a secret consent to their wickedness and so makest them thine own 4. Intimate and needless society with the wicked will make thee liable to their punishments He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. that is whosoever partake with wicked men in their wicked ways and courses shall assuredly partake with them in their punishments Therefore S. Iohn as it is recorded of him going to the Bath at Ephesus there met Ebion and Cerinthus two blasphemous Hereticks belching out their blasphemies against Christ whereupon he made all the haste he could out of their company fearing some eminent Judgment from the Lord to fall upon them Who was no sooner departed but presently the house fell down and destroyed them with their Companions Ah Young Man know assuredly that if thou needlesly and frequently associatest thy self with wicked and prophane persons thou wilt partake of their Plagues If therefore thou art ingaged into evil company speedily withdraw thy self from them The Physitians rule in reference to persons infected with the Plague is good to be observed towards prophane company Cito Longe Tarde 1. Speedily flee from their company 2. Flee far away 3. Return slowly to them again Now Visited persons are not more infectious than lewd company therefore as thou regardest the health of thy Soul 1. Speedily flee from them 2. Flee far away 3. See them amend before thou returnest to them again Never expect to be one of Christs true Disciples till thou leave that accursed Fellowship Hadst not thou better say to them Depart from me I will know you no more than have Christ say to thee at the Great Day Depart from me into everlasting fire I know you not For one of these will certainly be if thou dost not here depart from thy lewd Companions leaving their Society thou must hereafter depart from Christ into Hell fire where instead of roaring and singing there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth But it is not only the company of dissolute scandalous persons as Drunkards Swearers and Scoffers of Religion that I would advise thee to shun but even persons meerly civil dead-hearted formal Professors of Religion Let not these be the Companions of thy choice or thy Bosom Friends who being unacquainted with the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Power of Godliness cannot minister any savoury profitable discourse to their hearers So that whosoever shall frequently associate himself with such neglecting the Communion of Saints he will soon find his zeal for God and the ways of godliness much cooled his fervency in holy duties much abated his love to God and his people much lessened yea and an universal decay of his Graces insensibly to grow upon him So that a Christian instead of proceeding forward in Religion and growing in Grace he will go backward and find a spiritual decay in himself Therefore O Young Man in the choice of Friends for thine intimate Acquaintance and familiar converse seriously think of this II. Desire and imbrace the company of the Godly who may further thee in the way to Heaven make them thy familiar Friends and Companions The more thou conversest with such the greater increase wilt thou find in thy self of Knowledge Faith Love Zeal Humility and other Graces The very presence of a Religious Person much more his gracious speeches his holy advice his seasonable reproofs and his godly Conversation will be a great help to thee in the way to Heaven There is a certain vertue in the words and behaviour of men indowed with Heavenly Wisdom which by the blessing of Gods holy Spirit doth work effectually on those who are conversant with them for the inlightning their minds with the knowledge of God and his Truths for the inflaming their hearts with a love to God and zeal for his glory O Young Man thou canst not imagine what spiritual advantage may be got by conversing with holy gracious persons especially if thou beest careful to treasure up those Christian experiences thou hearest from them and what else may make for thy spiritual good Thus will the Communion of Saints be improved to the edification of Saints Having done with the Directions which concern your selves in particular I now proceed to such which relate to others CHAP. XXVI Sheweth wherein a peaceable Disposition consisteth I. BE peaceable towards all Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Those two phrases if it â—…e possible and as much as lieth in you though they may seem limitations of the duty yet they are also amplifications thereof and shew that there must be nothing wanting in our endeavours but our utmost ability must be put forth in following after peace A peaceable Disposition consisteth in these eight things 1. In a backwardness to give offence unto others A man of a peaceable disposition will forbear all provoking language and carriage or whatsoever may stir up others unto wrath I confess too many Young Men are like unto the troubled Sea continually casting forth the foam of passion and fury but he who hath peace in his heart will shew it in his words and actions 2. In an unaptness to take offence when given well knowing that it is the sudden taking an offence that doth occasion strife and contention rather than the giving it as it is the second blow that makes the fray Many out of their pride think it a point of â—…aseness ignominy and disgrace to put up the least wrong But Solomon saith Prov. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to pass over an offence taking little notice thereof and putting the best interpretation on it If God were strict to mark what we do amiss what would became of us God indeed is strict to mark what we do well if there be any little good in the midst of manifold imperfections Gods way is to pass by the imperfections and take notice of the good O Young Man if thou wouldst behave thy self as a Child of God and a Son of Peace be not strict in observing every petty injury and offence done unto thee but rather pass them by taking no notice of them 3. In a forwardness to be reconciled unto those who have wronged thee I have read that there was sometime a variance between two Famous Philosophers Aristippus and Aeschines Aristippus at length goeth to Aeschines and seeks for Peace and Reconciliation and withal said Remember though I am the Elder yet I first sought for peace True said Aeschines and for this I will ever acknowledge you the Worthier Man for I began the strise but you the peace
free gift of God which he seldom bestoweth on those in their old age who have neglected it all the former part of their lives And he that refuseth to turn when God calleth him provoketh God to give him over to the hardness of his own heart so that he cannot turn 11. Another incouragement is taken from the Mercy of God God say they is merciful and gracious yea rich in mercy whose arms are ever open to receive all poor sinners who come unto him and therefore we hope to find mercy at last though we never sought it before A. 1. True it is God is merciful yea abundant in mercy but to whom will he extend his mercy surely to poor penitent sinners who in truth turn from their sins and devote themselves to him and his service but thou who delayest and puttest off thy repentance from time to time must not expect to partake one drop thereof Though the Lord be ready to imbrace all poor penitent sinners in the Arms of his Mercy yet will he wound the head of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses putting off his amendment from day to day Psal. 68. 21. 2. Know that as God is rich in Mercy so likewise abundant in truth and will shew no mercy to sinners in a way derogating from his truth Now as God hath promised in his Word to receive such into his favour who without delay will turn from their sins unto him and keep his Statutes Ezek. 18. 21. so in his Word hath he threatned destruction to such as put off their repentance when he calleth upon them to turn as Pro. 1. 24. Every Word of God will certainly have its accomplishment When therefore thou presumest on the Mercy of God remember withal that he is a God of Truth and as sure as God is true if thou continuest in thine ungodly course of life thou wilt perish for ever notwithstanding God is merciful For all the ways of the Lord are Mercy and Truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal. 25. 10. 3. Know that God is Iust as well as Merciful and will by no means clear the Guilty As he hath prepared Heaven for some so Hell for others and it is very just that such should be cast into Hell who will not accept of Heaven upon Gods terms by a speedy turning from their sins and giving up themselves unto him Thou therefore who blessest thy self with a false perswasion of Gods Mercy and thereupon runnest on in a course of sin know that thereby thou dost deceive thine own Soul for thou wilt at last find that the Lord is just as well as merciful just in executing his wrath upon obdurate and wilful sinners as well as merciful in receiving your penitent sinners into favour As God to shew the riches of his mercy converteth some in their elder years so to shew the glory of his Justice he leaveth others and those the greatest part to die in their sins 4. It is a mercy that sinners can never enough admire that upon repentance they may be received into favour but it is a wicked perverting this mercy of God if instead of leading us to repentance it should incourage us to defer the same from day to day Because God is merciful shall we be so ungrateful as thereupon to run on in a course of sinning against him presuming on his mercy to the last Because God is gracious shall we thereupon prove the more ungracious and rebellious against him and his Commandments That be far from us Yea rather seeing the Lord is merciful and gracious let us be the more ashamed to sin against so good and gracious a God Let not the mercy of God occasion us to take any incouragement to sin against him but rather let the consideration thereof be an effectual argument to prevail with us speedily to turn from our sins unto him and to walk in the ways of holiness Surely if there were any ingenuity in us his love to us would constrain us to love him again His mercy to us would work in us both a care to please him and a fear to offend him III. Another incouragement is taken by many from the patience and long-suffering of God because he long bears with them in their wicked and ungodly courses not executing his wrath upon them Eccl. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Because the Lord is slow in executing vengeance on wicked men therefore are their hearts exceedingly hardened in their sinful ways so that they go on impenitently therein abusing the long-suffering of God unto presumption which should have led them to repentance But know that though the Lord doth bear long with some sinners yet not with all How many have we known in our own experience have been suddenly surprized and cut off in the very act of sin not having so much time and strength as to say Lord have mercy upon me And assuredly the slower God is in striking the heavier will be his stroak tthe Curse and Wrath of God for thy going on still in thy trespasses will be more grievous on thee at the last IV. Another incouragement is taken by many from the example of the converted Thief on the Cross who had spent all the former part of his life in wickedness and profaneness A. 1. It is a single example of extraordinary mercy there being not one more in all the Bible It is the saying of S. Austin Unus misericordiam invenit hora ultima ne quis desperet unicus ne quis praesumat That one man was received to mercy at the last hour that none should despair and but one that none should presume For this one man that repented at the last many thousand instances might be brought of such who putting off their amendment from day to day have at last perished in their sins What folly then must it needs be in any to put himself in a way wherein so many have miscarried 2. Christ wrought this rare Miracle of Mercy upon an extraordinary occasion namely to honour the ignominy of his Cross. When his Humane Nature was lowest then would he manifest the power of his Divine Nature whereby Christ shewed what he could do not what ordinarily he would do And being an extraordinary act of Christs Mercy and Power it can make no general rule What ground of hope then can this afford to thee who wilfully spendest thy Youth and younger years in the service of sin and Satan in hope to find mercy at the last 3. Though the Thiefs repentance was late even at the close of his life yet it was so soon as he heard of Christ. For it doth not appear that he either saw or heard of him before whereas thou hast often heard of Christ in the Ministry of the Word yea been called and invited
Oh how sad a sight is it to see men making a Profession of Religion instead of adorning the same with a godly life disgracing it and denying the power thereof in their loose and carnal conversation Let such talk what they will of their Faith that they do believe in Jesus Christ and therefore doubt not their condition is as good as the best yet let them know that that Faith will not save them which brings not forth a godly life Though Faith alone justifies yet Faith which is alone not accompanied with good works doth not justifie nor save It is a dead Faith Jam. 2. 20. Wilt thou hope to live by that Faith which is dead Young men let it not content you to be only believing but be doing Christians be not professing only but be living Believers Hast thou Grace prove that thy Grace is true by this that thou hast not received the Grace of God in vain Let thy love prove thy Faith and thy labours of love prove thy love and the fruit of thy labours prove that thou hast not either believed or laboured in vain Be a Christian for action let Religion be not only thy Profession but thy business Let it not be the business of thy Sabbaths or of thy praying times but let it be the ordinary business of thy life let thy whole course evidence that Godliness is not an Airy or empty notion an insignificant and useless form or shew but that there is a spirit of life and power in it which worketh in thee mightily That thy actions and the way of thy life may be according to Godliness I shall give thee 1. Some general 2. Some particular Directions General Directions are these 1. Ingage thy self deeply in a design for Eternity Resolve for Heaven and the way that leads to it Be not longer a man for this world but for the Everlasting Kingdom and study out with plainness of heart what is the surest way to the blessedness to come and what ever thou findest it to be what ever Objections thou meetest with against it let that be thy way Studiously consider how thou mayst get into that way and contrive and cast about how thou mayst effectually make progress in it Godliness is the way to blessedness and therefore let that be thy great study how thou mayst live godly Till thou hast in good earnest taken up a godly design thou wilt never do any thing to purpose in it The most of men are so far from living a godly life that they have not yet designed any such thing Some good may be done at times by them but it is only as it falls in their way by accident rather than upon any serious good intent This God regards not at all nothing is acceptable to him no nor like to be profitable to us but what is done upon design upon this godly design When the series or course of our actions do as the several Links in a Chain all hang together and draw all one way then there 's like to be something done to purpose When there is only some little good scattered up and down here a Link of the Chain and there another but not joyned in a Chain together they will not help us on our way Let that therefore be your first care take up an heavenly design and therein let all your particular acts of Religion hang together 2. Let thy whole life be a prosecuting and serving thy godly design And that thou mayst the more effectually prosecute it and prosper in it 1. Let Faith and Love be the Root of thy life and the several actions of it 2. Let the Word and Will of God be the rule of thy actions 3. Let the glorifying and injoying God be the end of them 1. Let Faith and Love be the root of thy actions 1. Let Faith be the root of them 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Heb. 11. 6. without Faith it is impossible to please God Our persons must be accepted first before our actions and neither the one nor the other will be accepted without Faith in Christ Heb. 11. 4. A godly life and a life of Faith are the same A life of Faith hath its Original from above is fetch'd down from Christ and is maintained and carried on by a continual supply of fresh influences from him without whom we can do nothing If thou wilt live godly thou must look to Christ and lean on Christ and go to Christ for all thy strength and motion A Christian is beholding to Christ for every good motion he moves for every Grace he hath and for every good duty he doth Carnal Professors are beholding only to their Books or their Teachers or their Acquaintance or their Parts their Understanding their Memories c. Nay it may be to their Flesh and their Lusts for all their Religion they would not pray as they do nor take such pains to hear as they do nor profess as they do did not their pride or their covetousness or their company prompt and press them to it But the Religion of a sincere Christian whatever advantage it may have from Books or Teachers or good Society yet it springs and rises all from Christ. That Faith which is their Root uniting them to Christ doth also as their root suck such spirits and sap and strength from Christ and convey it to their Souls that they are thereby furnished for and quickned to every good 〈◊〉 Let it be thus with thee O Soul let thy Faith iâ—… Christ be the root from whence all thy actions and 〈◊〉 strength for action comes 2. Let Love be the root of thy life Let thy duties be the works of Faith and labours of Love The love of Christ constraineth us 2 Cor. 5. 14. Christians love Christ both his Person and holy ways and thence 't is they follow him so fast They love to be holy and therefore follow Holiness they love to pray and love to hear and love to labour for Christ and to watch with Christ and walk with him and therefore 't is they live a Praying Hearing Labouring Watchful life Love quickens them to duty and love sweetens every duty Young Man thou wilt never bear through the hard services and great severities of a godly life thou wilt never â—…old out in that constant care labour watchfulness self-denial which Religion will put thee upon unless thy love to Christ do quicken thee on and sweeten all to thee Carnal Professors whatever they do they do all for fear or from force or fashion they would be bad enough or do little enough if they did dare if they were not afraid or ashamed or were it not from the influence of some things external upon them Though thou also must make use of fear and all manner of Arguments and helps to lead and press on thy backward heart yet see to it that thy love
unprofitable yielding little profit to those who have most of them Matth. 16. 26. What will it profit a man though he gain the whole World and lose his Soul As he assuredly will who sets his heart more upon gold than upon Grace and Godliness and seeketh more earnestly after worldly things than after an interest in Christ after the light of Gods Countenance and the assurance of his loving favour Suppose a man have an affluency of this Worlds goods yet what profit or priviledge hath he above him that enjoyeth but a competency A little will be enough to a prudent mind and enough is a feast When thou hast the most what wilt thou have more than for Food and Rayment out of all thy store For what 's over and above thou must be Accountant to thy Lord and Master at the Great Day how and where thou hast bestowed it for him Obj. It may be thou wilt reply that the rich may have daintier Diet and more costly Apparel than the poorer sort of people A. To which I answer That the rich have no greater priviledge or profit thereby because the pleasure of eating and drinking consisteth not so much in the daintiness of the fare as in the goodness of the stomack He who feedeth on his course fare with an hungry appetite taketh more delight in his Meat than he who is glutted with often feeding on his delicious fare Neither hath the rich man any more benefit by his costly Apparel than the poor man by his plain habit which keeps him as warm as the finer and richer But how many rich Misers are there who though they have abundance of this Worlds goods yet have not the heart to use them but spare from their own backs and pinch their own Bellies to fill their Purses What profit or benefit have such by their riches but only the beholding them with their eyes Besides no outward riches can make us better in the best things They cannot make us more acceptable to God neither can they make us more rich in Spiritual Grace more Vertuous or Religious they cannot assure us of Gods love nor of our future happiness they will not profit us at the day of death being then like Iob's Friends miserable Comforters adding to our grief neither will they benefit at the day of Judgment but rather increase our Bills of account how we have gotten how we have used and spent them Thus you see how unprofitable riches are to the owners and possessors of them 5. Consider how riches are not only unprofitable but also hurtful and pernicious to those who setting their hearts upon them do inordinately seek after the same Hurtful they are not in themselves and in their own nature but through our corruption whereby we are apt to abuse them unto evil 1. The immoderate seeking after riches will both keep us from the performance of Holy and Religious Duties and distract us therein 2. It will expose us to manifold temptations as 1 Tim. 6. 9. and put us upon the committing of any sin for the obtaining a little worldly wealth 3. It will hinder us from attaining unto Heavenly Happiness and like the Camels bunch keep us from entring into the strait Gate These considerations seriously weighed will be a special means to take off thine heart from an immoderate seeking after worldly riches CHAP. XXV Sheweth the danger of bad Company and the advantage of good Company IV. BE careful of thy Company especially whom thou makest thy bosom and familiar friends for that is a matter of exceeding great concernment to thy Spiritual Welfare This I shall branch into two Heads 1. Avoid the Society of wicked and prophane persons 2. Desire and imbrace the Company of the Godly I. Avoid the Society of wicked men which hath been the bane and ruine of thousands of Young Men. I do not say that all manner of Society with graceless and prophane persons is sinful and unlawful and that thou oughts not to come at all into their company nor to have any intercourse and commerce with them in buying selling and the like But thy care must be to avoid all intimate society and familiarity yea and all needless and unnecessary conversing with them 1. For first It is exceeding dangerous without a just Warrant and Calling to be much in the company of wicked and prophane men especially such as are Scoffers of Religion and Traducers of good men who by their loose Conversation and continual railing against Religion and the Professors thereof will take off thine heart from all love and delight in holy and Religious exercises and work in thee a distast and contempt of the ways of Godliness There is a secret and bewitching power in prophane company to impoyson and pervert even the best disposition sin being of a contagious nature more infectious than the Plague and the Soul much more catching of the contagion of sin than the body of any infectious disease It is a thing of great difficulty ordinarily and intimately to converse with wicked men and not to be tainted with their sins For besides that they are apt to infect others we are very apt to receive the infection having the seeds of all sins remaining in us Ioseph though he were a Vertuous Young Man yet living in the Kings Court soon learned to swear ordinarily by the Life of Pharaoh Gen. 42. 13 14. Common experience telleth us how many hopeful Young Men who have blossomed fairly and brought forth some good fruit yet by frequenting the company of wicked and lewd persons have proved very prophane and debauch'd The Philosophers do well observe that all waters both in colour and taste do participate of the nature and disposition of those grounds through which they pass In like manner men do participate of the disposition and manners of those with whom they frequently and familiarly converse 2. It is not for the honour of Gods Children to hold intimate society and 〈◊〉 with wicked men men being generally reputed to be of their temper and disposition with whom they ordinarily and intimately converse according to that old Proverb Birds of a feather will flock together The company in which thou delightest sheweth what courses thou lovest and what spirit thou art of If therefore thou delightest in the company of lewd and prophane persons thou hast cause to suspect that thine heart is not right The beloved Disciple Iohn makes it a sign That we are passed from Death to Life if we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3. 14. And 't is Love that makes their company delightful And what sign is it in thee that lovest and associatest with the haters of the Brethren Search and consider if this do not mark thee out for one whose Soul abideth in death Therefore O Young Man as thou desirest to keep up the credit of Religion thine own Reputation with the godly and the hopes of thine own uprightness with God beware of evil workers and as much as possible keep
But O Young Men how many of you come far short of Aristippus though an Heathen Philosopher in this particular thinking it no disgrace to break the Peace but a disgrace to seek it Forgetting how Abraham humbled himself so far as to go to Lot for Peace and Reconciliation the Superiour to the Inferiour though the injury done was on Lot's part and not on Abraham's Surely whosoever will be the Children of Abraham must sollow the steps of their Father Abraham and though elder in years and greater in place yet go first to their Brothers for peace and reconciliation Yea herein we shall imitate God and thereby shew our selves the Children of our Heavenly Father who first seeks unto us who have grievously sinned and trespassed against him Alas if God had not began with us when should we have sought to him we should have stood out with him to all Eternity Now is it the honour of God to begin with us poor Creatures And is it not the honour of a Creature to begin reconciliation with his Fellow-creature 4. In a willingness to part with thy right for peace sake When men stand upon terms of extream right there peace is usually broken and contentions are ingendred The World may count this an Effeminate softness but it is the truest prudence I deny not but a man of a peaceable disposition may with a good Conscience seek to recover his own by Law provided that it be not for every small trifling matter and without all private revenge and inward hatred and after all amicable means and remedies have been used For the Law is to be used only as Physick for those diseases which cannot otherwise be cured 5. In a patient bearing the wrongs and injuries of others done unto thee Matth. 5. 19. saith our Saviour Resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right Cheek turn to him the other also c. which words are not to be understood simply and litterally but comparatively as if he had said Rather than revenge thy self by rising up against him that hath smitten thee on the right Cheek turn to him the other also that is be more ready to receive another wrong than retaliate the former raâ—…her than thou shouldst revenge thy self of a small injury be ready to receive a greater Neither is this exposition of our Saviour to be applied only to real blows to smiting by the hand but also by the tongue to the suffering of reproaches as if he had said If a man shall speak disgracefully and reproachfully of thee be so far from casting dirt in his face by reproaching and reviling him again as rather be ready to receive and bear greater reproaches and disgraces 6. In a willingness to forgive the wrongs and injuries of others offered unto us wherein we are like unto God in one of those Excellencies whereof himself glorieth For in Exod. 34. 7. where we have an enumeration of the Names of God wherein he glorieth this is one Forgiving iniquities transgressions and sins They therefore that forgive the wrongs and trespasses of others done unto them shew themselves like unto God in this his Excellency Besides our forgiving the trespasses of our Neighbours committed against us is made the condition of Gods forgiving of us Forgive and ye shall be forgiven Luk. 6. 37. And if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses A dreadful word to all such who are of implacable spirits who will revenge their wrongs but will not remit them Wouldst thou not be forgiven wouldst thou not that God should revenge upon thee the wrongs thou hast done him O tremble he will certainly do it he will not forgive thee unless thou forgive thy Brother Take heed what thou dost man retain not revenge no nor ill will in thine heart for 't is a vain thing to say I forgive whilest thou malignest in thy heart and retainest a grudge within thee Thou never forgivest till thou forget also so far forth as never to remember thy Brothers wronging of thee to his prejudice This is the forgiveness thou wouldst have from God that he remember thy sins no more And this is the forgiveness that God expects from thee to thy Brother and so he expects it that thou art at this point either forgive or thou shalt never be forgiven either forget thy Brothers trespasses or God will remember thine 7. In a readiness to do what good Offices of love and kindness we can unto those who have wronged us For which we have the Command of Christ Matth. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them who hate you It is not sufficient to speak friendly and peaceably but we must shew our peaceable disposition by doing good unto those who have wronged us To requite good for good is civil courtesie to requite evil for evil is malicious policy to requite evil for good is hateful ingratitude but to requite good for evil is true Christian Charity which goeth beyond all the Heathenish love in the World This is a Lesson hard to flesh and blood but the more difficult it is to nature the more earnest should be our endeavour and the more comfortable will be our practice 8. In a forwardness to make peace between others who are at variance This is accounted by many worldly Politicians a thankless Office because they may incur the displeasure and lose the friendship of both Parties But what if thou shouldst lose the frendship of one or two men yet by doing thy duty to thy Neighbour thou shalt gain the favour of God which will abundantly recompence the loss of any mans Friendship Besides though it should prove a thankless work yet there is a blessing promised thereunto Mat. 5. 9. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God that is they shall attain to this Priviledge and Prerogative to be the Children of God And saith the Apostle James 3. 18. The fruit of Righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace that is such as make peace between others do sow the seeds which afterwards will yield sheaves of comfort into their bosoms Yea by labouring to make peace they sow the seed of everlasting reward which afterwards they shall receive So that the glorious rewards which follow this duty do abundantly recompence the inconveniencies and mischiefs which sometimes accompany the same CHAP. XXVII Sheweth how to carry our selves towards others II. ANother Duty incumbent on thee which relateth to others is this Be affable and courteous unto all avoiding all morose and supercilious behaviour Religion requires Courtesie as well as Piety Good Manners together with Good Consciences Many Moral men who have no saving grace yet herein carry themselves like Christians What a shame is it then for Christians who have truth of Grace in them not to carry themselves like Moral Men This will exceedingly grace your carriage and make your