is delighted with the Agreement of others in SER M. our own Notions; and there is fomething in xxi. the weak Part of it, that cannot always bear with a Difference and Diversity of Opinion. This Difference often brings on Disputes and Difcourfe; and Argument often produces Heat and Violence; and fuch Flames are seen to break forth, as would not have been, had there been an Agreement. So that it must be owned, it would be an incredible Happiness to Human Society, as it is feen to be in any Family, for Men to be of one Mind, the fame Notions and Opinions. Not that I think there is any ground to hope for such an Happiness. In the past Ages, it never has been experienced, or feen; nor can it be much hoped for, or expected, by wife Men, in the later Ages of the World. I am fure, the Paffions of Men are at too great an Heighth, to give us any Foundation for any fuch Happiness in our Days. may be right for us to labour,

and to have

thinking of
But ftill, it
and do our

Part towards it, tho' we reap not all the Success, and fee not all the good Effects of it, we could wish. The little we can do, every one of us in our own Sphere, may ferve to compose the troubled Waters about us; and may prove, in time, a Foundation for a more general and univerfal Agreement. And there

fore,

SERM. fore, it is not the Improbability of effecting XXI. this that ought to affrighten us from attempting to bring all to the Acknowledgment of the fame Truths which we acknowledge and embrace; provided always that in doing this, and in the Methods we purfue in order to do it, we break in upon no moral Duty, and no Command of our holy Religion. If we do, we shall be sure to caft more Scandal upon it, and do more Mischief by our Practice, than any fuch Agreement, even in true Opinions, can do good; nay, we fhall rather be fure never to effect this Agreement, to any good Purpose, But,

Secondly, It is the Part of every good Man, amidst, and after, all his Endeavours to reconcile the Opinions of Men to one another, in what He thinks right, to love and bear with his Brethren, tho' they be not moved by his Arguments; tho' they cannot be perfuaded, by what He perhaps may judge to be the plaineft and moft convincing Reasons, to alter their Minds; nay, tho' they return him Reproaches and Abuses for his good Design towards them. For, until that happy Day comes that Men be all of one Mind, (which whether it will ever come, or no, God alone knows,) this is the only way to procure or preferve Peace and Quietness in the World; and, indeed,

indeed, seems to be a more glorious Inftance s E R M.
of Good-nature and Religion, than any that can XXI.
be practised without fuch a Difference in Opi-
nion. For to love Thofe who agree with us in
every thing; to embrace Those whofe Opinions
fall in with ours in every thing, is no confide-
rable Reach in Religion; nor any mighty Proof
of a Perfon's Candour or Humility. But to love,
and bear with, and make Allowances for, Those
who differ from us, and whofe Notions are
at a wide distance from ours; to be ready to
condefcend to Thefe, and to do them all Good
Offices, this is truly great and glorious. There
is fome Temptation to the contrary, fomething
in the Pride and Paffion of Human Nature
contradictory to this, which makes it much
more honourable, and a much higher Inftance
of Goodnefs.

And it is worthy of our most serious Notice,
that it is a Temper of Mind that resembles
Almighty God, and is an Imitation of that di-
vine Copy; and therefore must be most ac-
ceptable to Him. How wide are most of our
Notions from his, and at what a distance, too
often, do our Opinions of Good and Evil,
Right and Wrong, ftand from his; and how
oppofite are our Practices to his Will? And
He hath loved us, and borne with us, and made
Allowances for our Weakneffes and Infirmities:

yet,

and

6 E R M. and still invites us to all the Happiness we are XXI. capable of, notwithstanding this. And is it not fit that we should fhew Ourselves as placable, as willing to make Allowances, as loving, as condescending and good to Those who differ from us, as the great God of Heaven and Earth has fhewn himself to us? If you love those who agree with you in all things, and whose Opinions are the fame with your own; what praife have ye? Do not even the Publicans and Sinners do the fame? But if ye love, and bear with, Those who differ from you, and who contradict and oppose you in their Notions ; then it is, that your Love and Good-nature exceeds the Good-nature and Love of Men of other Profeffions; then it is, that you come up to the Perfection of Chriftian Love; and then it is, that you may expect a great Reward; because then it is that you are the Children of your Father which is in Heaven, who hath dealt with you exactly as he would have you deal with one another.

Nay, and befides the Obligation to this mutual Love and Forbearance, amidst our Differences, arifing from the Glory of the Practice, and the Example of God, one may say that nothing in the World could fo effectually, in the End, put an end to thefe Differences themfelves, as the Practice of this Love. For it is apparent

apparent that nothing puts fo great a stop to SER M. Agreement in Sentiments, as the Provocations xxI. given and received; the Paffions, and the Pride of Men, with regard to their feveral Opinions. And therefore, tho' we differ mightily at present, yet, could Men but be perfuaded to the Exercise of this mutual Candour and Forbearance; were there Confcience made of doing all good Offices to all Sorts; this Good-nature would have, without Doubt, a very vifible Effect; and the Tempers of Men would become disposed to think and wish for such an Agreement, as Paffion, and a lofty Behaviour makes them now averse to; and mutual Forbearance would very much difpofe things towards that univerfal Agreement in Matters of Concern, which is so agreeable to Human Nature, and fo conducive to the Peace of Human Society: there being nothing that hinders fuch an Agreement, fo much as Perfonal Prejudices; and nothing that removes Perfonal Prejudices fo much as the conftant Practice of this Love and Good-nature.

Thus much, about the Duty of every Chrif tian, in the midst of those Differences that diftract us. And the two Inftances I have mentioned, are fuch as lye within the Reach of every private Person, and what All Men may practise.

II. I come