SERM.

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Laftly, Another Circumftance that is common to us with Jofeph's Brethren, and which fhould equally induce us to comply with the Exhortation he gave them is, that we are all travelling to the fame Home: That whatever different fubordinate Views we may each of us have here, our main and general View is the fame. We are all tending to the fame Place, the heavenly Jerufalem; and the bleffed Hope of what we all expect to meet when we arrive fafely at home, should effectually prevent us from falling out by the Way.

it's

Heaven is a Place that knows nothing of thofe jarring Discords, Feuds and Confufions which infeft this earthly World. That is the Abode of Peace, and Joy, and everlafting Love. No rankled Temper, no ruffled Paffion, no diffonant or unfriendly Thought, fhall ever be found among bleffed Inhabitants. But Felicity and Truth, Amity and Love, Complacency and Peace, Delight and Concord, will be the invariable Temper of all the Sons of Glory. How does it become us then to cultivate the Temper of Heaven here on Earth! How is it poffible for a malicious and unforgiving

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Mind to enter thofe peaceful Regions, or SERM. be happy there if it could! No, in that blessed Society above, where we hope for an Eternity of Exiftence, there will be nothing like to this; but all Harmony, Goodnefs, Unanimity and Joy. And if the Temper or Behaviour of any of our Fellow travellers give us Vexation and Concern now, let us call in this Thought to our relief; that if we ever meet them in Heaven, we fhall meet them there fo intirely reformed, that we shall readily embrace them as our most cordial Friends; and eternally forget the little Uneafineffes, which the Infelicity of their Temper excited in us here on Earth. Let us then remember the Home toward which we are all profeffedly travelling, and it will be a good Expedient to prevent our falling out by the Way.

I have now done with the Motives I propofed to lay before you. I might have mentioned many more of equal weight; but I thought it beft, with a View to the Text, to confine myfelf to those which are com→ mon to us with Jofeph's Brethren, and equally proper to enforce upon us the Advice he gave to them.

SERM.

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The third Thing I propofed was,

III. To conclude with fome fuitable Directions to the Duty that has now been explained and urged.

The Exhortation that hath been given us is, that we ought not to give way to unbrotherly Contentions, but do all we can to promote a Spirit of Benevolence and Peace, both in ourselves and others; or in other Terms, to live in love.

Now there are two Things which have a direct Tendency to foment an unfriendly Spirit, and prompt Men to a Violation of the great Christian Law of Charity: And they are unruly Paffions and unreasonable Prejudices. When these are indulged fo far as to break through all the Restraints of Conscience and Honour, it is no wonder at all to see Perfons, under the Government of them, to have frequent Quarrels with the best Men and the best Things. Hence arose that implacable Enmity which the Jews fhewed to our Saviour's Perfon, and the violent Oppofition they made to his Doctrine; and which the bigotted and profane Part of Mankind have, in fome degree,

fhewn

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fhewn to his true Cause and Servants ever SERM. fince. And even good Men, fo far as they are under the unhappy Influence of them, always discover either a very unlovely Temper, or very erroneous Principles. I cannot therefore better direct you in the Practice of this important Duty of Chriftian Concord, than by intreating you to be on your Guard against these two Things which are it's greatest Bane.

1. Then, would we preserve and cultivate a Spirit of Unanimity and Peace; let us guard against intemperate Paffions: And especially those which are most apt to predominate. Paffion is always a blind and furious Guide and if not fanctified by Grace, or fubdued by Reafon, proves exceedingly detrimental to a Man's Peace and Interest. It was defigned to be the Servant of Reafon, and to follow after it; but if instead of being obfequious to it, it once gains the Mastery and Lead of it (call it by whatever false Name you will, Zeal, high Spirit, or Patriotifm) it hurries a Man into the wildeft Extremes, and renders him either a very contemptible or a very dangerous Enemy: and like an unbridled, head-ftrong Horfe,

SERM. Over-leaps all the Bounds of Religion, ReaI. fon, Humanity, common Senfe, or com

mon Decency, that stand in the Way of it's mad Career.

2. Another Thing, equally fatal to the Interest of Peace and Love, is unreasonable Prejudice. Prejudice is a precipitant Determination of the Mind to or against any particular Object, previous to a proper Enquiry into it's Nature: Or (as the Word itfelf imports) to judge before we examine. That is, to judge by the Paffions rather than the Underftanding. Hence we often fee Perfons of the warmest Paffions to be most subject to this Foible. And Opinions thus rafhly taken up without Evidence are called Prejudices. They are often imbibed in Education; fometimes received by intimate Acquaintance with Perfons, whofe Understanding and Judgment we much efteem; but most frequently are the Effect of Ignorance and Vanity united; and moft incident to Perfons of quick and confident Spirits, who have not patience to examine the Premifes before they draw the Conclufion: And then through a weak mistaken Notion, that it is dishonourable to be convinced of an Error, refolve,