Book 11. of J E s U S C H B I s T. 85-

mendation to a Man, and more Benefit to rhofe with whom he conveiTes^ than Wit^ or Learning, or any of thofe other fo much admired Accompiifhmenrs. And, as every thing is ['ct off by its Contrary, To here, the Mifchief of a Contentious Difpoikion is uncon- ceivable. For nothing can be fo innocent, nothing fo well or kindly meant, but fuch a Man will be fure to fix fome ill Interpretation upon it : But the good Tem- per will be as careful on the other hand, to take every thing in the befl: Senfe it is capable of. For a peace- able A4an is not apt to fufped 111 of any ; but the Peevifli and Difcontented are rackt and tormented with a thoufand jealous Whim.fies, and neither are qui- et themfelves, nor content to let other People be fo. They are very liberal in faying what they fhould not ,• and as backward in doing what they fhould. Dili- gent obfervers of their Neighbour's Duty, and fcan- daloully negligent of their own. Whereas in truth, our Saviour's Rule fiiculd always be our Meafure ; for no Man is fit to Cenfure or Correct his Brother, by pulling the Mote out of his Eye^ till he have firft ex- ercifed a due Severity upon himfelf, and be eiFedu- ally reformed, by rj/?/?;^ the Beam cut of his cvjn Eye, And oh ! how happy fhould we be, how eafed of De- tradion, and Calumny, and Cenforioufnefs, if none would take upon them to Condemn or Cenfure c- thers, till they were firft qualify 'd for the Authority they ufurp, by a thorough Amendment of their own Manners, and being Proof againil any jult Repre- henfion themfelves :
Who can forbear -the obferving,how manifeflly un- equal we are in our Deahngs ^ Every one is ingenious at framing Excufes, and making large Allowances for what he doth himfelf, and yet fcarce any Body ad- mits the Apologies alledged. by others in their ovvn Vindication. How much moie ju(t and reafonable were our Proceedings, would we but pafs a favours^
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86 ^f file limttatiotT Bookii.
ble Confirudion upon the A6rions of ethers^ and turn the Severity of cur Cenfure upon our own? If you evpe with your Brethren^ and exercife the good Nature you cxpecfl, as oft as Occafion offers. For Men arebeft taught by Examples^ and the Meafure Vv^e mete gives us a Right to receive the fame again. But is this Cha- rity ? Is this Humility ? nothing more diftant from it. For thefe difpofe us to condemn and be angry with no body but our felves. To keep up a good Under- ftanding with Men of Goodnefs and Temper^ is but a very vulgar Virtue. This is eafy and delightful, for eve- ry Man naturally deHres C:uiet and good Ufage, and cannot help being well affected to Perfons who love^ and pleafe, and are like him. The Difficulty is^ to car- ry Matters fmooth and inofFenfively with Men of rug- ged, intradable^ and fierce Difpo/itions ; with thofe who make little Confcience of v^hat they do or fay^ and ftick at nothing unjuft or unfair in their Dealings. And he who can do this, is a truly great Soul^ and fets a noble and commendable Pattern of Phiiofophical^ or, which is more, of Chrifiian Fortitude.
Tiiere are a fort of Men, who cherifli Peace and Quiet, with themfelves and all the World ; and Ano- ther very vile fort of Wretches, the very Reverfe of thefe, who delight tofifliin Troubled Waters, and are neither eafy, nor will fuffer any body elfe to be fo ^ eternally troublefome to others, but much more tor- menting and vexatious to themfelves. And there are yet a Third fort^ who are not fatisfy'd with giving no Offence, but m.^ where it hath been given ; and to reftore that Peace^ which they were never infirumental in diftuibing. But when all is done, our Life here is expofed to perpetual Mifcry and Contention ; and the utmofl Degree of Peace we mud expecrl to arrive at, doesli not confift in being free from Injuries and Croffes, |^;
but