SER M. nefs;) Here he would have us to mind our own affairs; XVIII. otherwhere he prefcribeth, that we should not look every man to his own things, but every man also to the

Phil. ii. 4 things of others.

According to the general drift of Scripture, and the tenor of our religion, we are in charity obliged to concern ourselves heartily for the good of our neighbour, and to ftrive earneftly in promoting it; we are enjoined fo far to interpofe and meddle in the affairs of others, as to watch over them for their good; to inftruct and advise them, to admonish and excite them, to check and reprove them upon occafion; to offer and yield them fuccour, to compose differences between them; to promote their edification and peace: Let us, faith the Apostle to the Hebrews, confider one another, to provoke unto love, and Rom. xiv. to good works. Let us, faith St. Paul to the Romans, 1 Theff. v. follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another; and, comfort yourJelves together, and edify one another; warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, fupport the weak, faith he to the Theffalonians in this Epiftle.

ἀλλήλες. Heb..x. 24.

19. XV. 2.

11,14.

To be zealous and earneft in the maintenance and propagation of truth, of virtue, of piety, is a duty incumbent on us, which implieth care and activity concerning others; that we offer to inftruct them, Tit. i. 11. that we enter into contest with them, that we examine their words and actions, that we prefume to tax and oppose them.

In fine: our religion doth feem by the bands of mutual relation, and obligations of charity, fo to unite us together, fo to endear us to one another, and to all men, that all things belonging to our brethren do nearly touch us, and fhould answerably affect us; fo that, by intermeddling with any thing relating to their welfare, we can hardly be faid to meddle with what doth not concern us.

The condition of things alfo may seem to require, that we so intermeddle; for the duties and affairs of

men

men are so entangled or interwoven, that we cans E R M. hardly prosecute any concernments of our own, XVIII. without being engaged in the matters of others : in discharging all offices of fociety, in pursuance of any traffic or commerce, in all intercourfe and converfation, while we tranfact our own business, we cannot avoid the furthering or obftructing the bufinefs of others, who are engaged in the fame, or contrary designs. Society doth fubfift by combinations of care and pain, regarding common interefts, fo that it seemeth impoffible fo to mind our own business, as not to meddle with the business of others.

Yet nowithstanding St. Paul enjoineth us fo to affect quiet, as fimply to mind our own bufinefs, or not to be meddlefome in the concernments of others; for that doing our own business is meant exclufively to meddling with the affairs of others, is plain enough by the importance of radia, which is emphatical, and fignifieth only our own, or our proper business; and because it is joined with being quiet, which respecteth others, and importeth not stirring beyond our own bounds; to be fo meddlefome, being alfo a practice exprefsly condemned by St. Peter, in that prohibition, But let none of you fuffer as a murderer, Pet. iv.15. or as a thief, or as a malefactor, or as a bufy-body in other men's matters: where pragmaticalnefs is, we fee, not only forbidden, but is coupled with the most heinous offences.

How then shall we reconcile these things? How fhall we in the cafe fever between the bounds of duty and blame? It is indeed fomewhat difficult to do it precisely, and with diftinctions which fhall reach all cafes. But fomewhat I fhall endeavour toward it, by propounding fome rules and directions, which fhould commonly be obferved in our dealing and intercourfe with others but first let us a little reflect upon the terms in which the precept is Couched.

Study to be quiet; Study; the word is pradinio dai,

SER M. which fignifieth to be ambitious, that is, to affect XVIII. quiet with the like vehemency of defire and care, as men are wont to purfue reputation, dignity, and power, the objects of ambition: the expreffion containeth a remarkable emphafis, or a grave acumen; for whereas ambition commonly doth prompt men to be reftlefsly bufy, and engageth them in the concernments proper to others, St. Paul biddeth them to be ambitious the contrary way, in affecting quiet, and abftinence from other affairs befide their own.

To be quiet: This doth fignify not a phyfical, but a moral reft; not a total forbearance of action; not a fastidious or drowsy liftleffness to do any thing; not a fenfelets indifferency concerning the matters of others; not an abfolute fequeftering ourselves from common affairs: this is not quiet or tranquillity, the rò nouxaa here, but a naughty floth, ftupidity, or favageness: the quiet here meant is opposed to diforderly motion, to turbulency, to contention, to pragmatical curiofity, to all fuch exorbitant behaviour, whereby the right of others is infringed, their peace difturbed, their just interest or welfare anywise prejudiced. This quiet is a calm, fteady, regular way of proceeding, within the bounds and measures prefcribed by reafon, juftice and charity, modefty and fobriety fuch a motion as the heavenly bodies do keep, which fo move that they feem ever to ftand still, and never disturb one another: in fine, what a quiet is meant, the fubfequent words and the context do fhew: it followeth,

And weσca τà dia, to do our own business, or to act things proper and pertinent to us; things which suit to our condition, our station, our vocation; whereby we may discharge our own duties, and supply our own needs; may work benefit to others, or however avoid being anywife burthenfome or troublesome to them; an inftance of which practice is immediately fubjoined; to work with our own hands — that we may have lack of nothing; in another place St. Paul calleth it

μετα

perà nouxías igyáceo dan, to work with quiet, oppofing s E R M. it to spiega oda, being over-bufy, or pragmatically xvII. curious, and to walking diforderly; that is, beyond

12.

the bounds of our calling, or the rules of our duty; 2 Theff. iii. fo as to encroach upon the rights, or moleft the' quiet of others.

The words then, as they do imply an obligation lying upon us to be induftrious in our own business, fo they chiefly defign to prohibit our meddling with the concernments of others: but how to fettle the limits between this quiet minding our own bufinefs, and a culpable neglect of the duties concerning others; how to diftinguish between meddling innocently, from being blameably meddlefome, hic labor, boc opus eft, this is that hard task which I am to undertake, but I cannot hope thoroughly to perform. However, the method toward it, which I fhall obferve, is this: First, I shall touch some cases, in which it is allowable or commendable to meddle with the affairs of others; then I thall propound fome general rules, according to which fuch meddlesomeness is commonly blameable in the next place, I fhall affign fome directions proper to fome chief and moft obvious kinds of meddling and lastly, offer fome confiderations to diffuade men from this pragmatical humour.

1. Superiors may intermeddle with the business of their inferiors, (that is, of such as are subject to their care and charge) in all matters relating to the needful execution of their office. Magiftrates may infpect the carriage, may examine the doings, may reprehend and punish the offences of their fubjects: parents may advise, rebuke, and correct their children: fpiritual guides and pastors may admonish and reprove their flock. These things while (with due prudence, equity, and moderation) they perform, they do indeed parcev Ta dia, do their own business; it is their proper work, to which God hath defigned them, and which reafon exacteth of them; they are appointed

SER M.appointed (to use St. Paul's expreffion) to attend contiXVIII. nually upon this very thing; their proceedings therefore are not to be charged with culpable pragmaticalness.

Rom.xiii.6.

2. In any cafe, wherein the honour and intereft of God is much concerned, we may interpofe in vindication and maintenance of them. If any man dareth to blafpheme God's name, we may and ought to ftand up in its defence; if any man difparageth religion, we fhould ftrive to clear its repute; if any man impugneth any divine truth of moment, we fhould endeavour to affert it; if any man notoriously tranfgreffeth God's law, we may difcountenance his prefumption, and reprove him for it: every man in fuch cafes, as God's fubject, hath not only a commiffion, but an obligation; is indeed by his allegiance bound to ferve God, in maintaining the honour and intereft of his empire; it is foul difloyalty, it is pitiful bafenefs to forbear meddling in fuch cafes a Thus have good men, without fear or fhame, defended religion and truth, against the mightieft powers and moft dangerous oppofitions Pf. cvi. 30. that could be: thus food up Phineas, and executed judgment, not only checking, but avenging that heinous fcandal: thus Elias maintained the true worship of God, against all the corrupters of it, the kings and whole nation of Ifrael: thus the Prophets did not forbear to tax the wicked manners of the princes, the priests and the people in their times: thus St. John Baptift did not stick to reprove king Herod for his unlawful practice: fo our Saviour cenfured the fuperftitious and hypocritical fcribes, and he chaftifed the profaners of God's houfe: fo,

4 Κοινόν ἐσι τὸ ἔγκλημα, δημόσιον τὸ ἀδίκημα· ἔξεσιν ἑκάσῳ τῶν βελομίν των καληγορεῖν. Chryf. ̓Ανδρ. ά.

Καν ἀκώσης τινὸς ἐν ἀμφόδῳ, ἢ ἐν ἀγορᾷ μέση βλασφημένο. τ θεόν, πρόσελθε, ἐπιτίμησον κἂν πληγὰς ἐπιθεῖναι δέη, μὴ παραλήσῃ, βάπισον αὐτὰ τὴν ὄψιν, σύντριψον αὐτῷ τὸ τόμα, ἁγίασον σὲ τὴν χεῖρα διὰ τῆς wanys. &c. Chryf. ibid.