NEver did men prosecute their Designs, Opinions, and Passions, with more uncharitable ardors then we do in this our Age; but our blessed A­postle doth quench such unchristian antiscriptu­ral heats, he doth as it were throw water on this Fire, in the Words of my Text, Let your Moderation be known unto all men, &c. In which you may be pleased to observe, 1. A duty, and that is Moderation, Let your Moderation be known; 2. The Universality and extent of this duty, and that both as in reference to persons and things, for the word in the original runs thus, [...]. 3. An inforcing reason, for the Lord is at hand. Beloved, you see your duty, and that is Moderation, Let your Moderation; or you may take it other­wise thus, Christians should be sober moderate men. In the prosecution of it, I shall use this Method, 1. Shew you what Moderation is. 2. Why we are to use it. 3. The principal Objects about which it is versant, or those things in which we are to be moderate 4. Make application. And, 1. This mo­deration in my Text, it may be defined thus: it is a modest, in­different, patient, frame of soul, a constant equal temper of Spirit, free from all exuberances and inordinations of extremes rigorous exactions of what peradventure may be due; The word in the Original is [...] your equity, which is nothing else [Page 2] properly but an abating or remission of the rigour of some pu­nishment that is due, a weaker persuing of injuries upon some reasonable grounds. Then may we be said to be moderate, when we are not over credulous in our opinions, impatient in our af­flictions, fiery in our passions, peremptory in our desires, gar­rulous in our discourses, prodigal in our expences; but when we have a due government of our selves, according to the principles of reason and Religion, in all those objects about which this moderation is exercised. When we have our opinions, but are not wedded to them; when we have our passions, but have them subject to reason and Religion; when we enjoy the Creature, but do not make an Idol of it; when we are sorrowful, but not as men without hope; when we are angry, and sin not; when we resent an injury, but not to revenge it; then we may be said to be moderate: so much may suffice for the definition of Mo­deration. I proceed in the second place to shew the reasons why we are to practice Moderation, which are these;

1. Our understandings are cloudy, and fallible, we know little, and therefore should be modest, and not too too confi­dent in our opinions; the more ignorant we are, the less con­fident we should be; nothing is more ridiculous then to see a man extremely ignorant and extremely confident: Socrates his ignorance taught him modesty, says he Hoc unum scio me nihil scire; this one thing I know, that I know nothing. Man in­deed in his innocency was of sparkling intellectuals; the eye of his Soul was quick and clear; he had cognitionem lucidam & plenam, claram & fixam contemplationem intelligibilium; a clear and plenary knowledge, a strong and fixed contemplation of all things intelligible; as the School-men speak. Adam no sooner saw a thing, but saw into the very essence of it: but our understandings are so dark, that they can neither see themselves nor any thing else as they should do. Adam's Candle flamed, but ever since it hath aspired to be a Sun, it burnt the more dim­ly: Adam's understanding that Tree of knowledge, was as a tall Cedar reaching up to heaven, but ours are but as so many humiles myricae, so many groveling shrubs. What are those monstrous opinions both in Philosophy and Divinity? but so many sad monuments of a cloudy ruined intellect. Gassendus [Page 3] tells us that he never knew any opinion so probable, but its con­trary opinion was as probable; and the Scepticks held that all Propositions were in equilibri [...], the scales were even, and did encline neither to the one side nor other. Lactantius tells us, that Philosophy is nothing else but opinion; may we not say the like of most of our Divinity; especially our Controversial and Scholastical Divinity. What do we know? but a few fun­damentals which God hath discovered to us, as it were with a Torch from heaven. There is an ingenious Tract come out not long ago, Intituled The Vanity of Dogmatizing: or laying down determinations too confidently. To believe nothing, and to believe every thing, though upon never so weak grounds, is equally cul­pable; there are [...] things hard to be understood, not on­ly in Philosophy, but also in Divinity; and though Scepticisme in Essentialls be pernicious, yet in things dubious and not so clearly revealed, it is not only tollerable but commendable. Whether the Pope be [...], the Antichrist or no, is very disputable: it is a question which hath exercised the greatest wits of the World for many years together; now how ridiculous a thing would it be for a man to write positively that the Pope were Antichrist, and then it may be a year or two after upon maturer deliberation, and clearer conviction, to write that he were not. We are not infallible, we may be deceived in our opinions, therefore we should not prosecute them with so much fierceness and uncharitableness.

2. The mutability and unconstancy of all sublunary things, should move us to use Moderation. There is nothing under the Sun, but hath Mortality engraven'd upon it; — Perpetu­um toto restat in orbe nihil — All things here below are brittle and changeable; and therefore we should not be transported with our present condition, or over rigorous in our deportment to­wards others. As is the object, so should our affections be con­versant about it; as Objects are transitory and flitting, so should our affections be; as God is the most permanent good; so [...]our affections and passions should be most fixed upon him. Pretty was the story of Sesostres the Egyptian, & the four captive Kings; Such was the pride of Sesostres, that he would be carried in a Cha­riot of Gold drawn by four Kings; on a time one of the Kings [Page 4] fixed his eye upon the Wheel that was next to him, and so much that the King perceived him, and asked him what he meant by it; Me thinks, saith he, the motion of this Wheel is a lively Emblem of our condition; for that part which is but even now uppermost, is presently the lowest of all. Neither have King­doms any Immunity from this fate, for though a Government be never so good in it self, both in Church and State, yet God may change it for the sins and immoderations of the Governours and Governed; (which should induce us to use Moderation) of this we have had sad experience in the time of our confusions: We may be at the Zenith of happiness to day, and cast down to the very Nadix of misery to morrow; therefore we should be moderate, and pity those that are in misery.

3. We should use Moderation, because it is the only way to to win upon men, the Tradesman would win upon his Customer; the Oratour would win upon his Auditory; now the only way to win upon the affections, is by moderation: gutta cavat la­pidem, a few leisurely drops doe that which the violent inun­dations of an Ocean cannot. The Sun thaws those congealed Mountains of Ice and Snow, which are unmalleable by any hu­mane Art. Though the boisterous storm could not make the Traveller put of his Cloake, yet the warmer Beams of the Sun did. Though a Flint will not break upon a piece of Iron or Stone, yet it will upon a featherbed or Cushion: he that would break a flinty heart, must do it with soft, downy, and as it were featherbed-expressions. Many times we see that an ill timned too too tart reproof makes us more and more in love with our sin, and hug our iniquity with a closer imbrace. When a man hath nothing else but fire in his looks, and thunder in his speeches, when he would rail me out of my sin; I am apt to think it is not my good, but his own interest, that makes him Iohu-like to drive so furiously; that in stead of Reason and Religion, he ob­trudes nothing upon me but his own peccant, luxuriant passions: that there is too much of man in it to have any thing of God; neither is it impossible for a good truth to fare the worse for an injudicious indiscreet Deliverer.

4. There is no form of Church Government in the New-Testament; therefore we should not pursue our opinions with [Page 5] so much vehemency; and so little Charity, as oftentimes we do; but humbly submit to the prudence of our Superiours, and patiently acquiesce in that Government, which the steering Au­thority of the Nation judgeth to be most for the advantage of Gods Worship, and our good; as also most consistent with and suiting to the constitution thereof. This was the opinion of the late King Charles of blessed Memory, Sir Francis Bacon, Bishop Sanderson, and divers others. How irrational a thing is it for any one to endeavour to maintain an opinion with bitterness and virulency, which is not justifiable either by Scripture or reason; though it may be he may erroniously imagine that it is by both, but really and truly by neither. That there is no Platform of Church-Government in Scripture is most evident; for if there had, all the Churches in the World must ipso facto have truckled under it, and acquiesced in it: for what is expresly in Scripture is not to be disputed but obeyed: and it would have been the same all over the World; but there are not three Churches in all the World that have the same Government as to all Circumstantials and Ceremonies: which is an undenyable Argument that there is no perticular determinate Standard of Church Discipline in Scripture. Neither doth this argue any in­sufficiency in it, as some would on this ground infer; it hath an instrumental Relative sufficiency, as the divine and incompara­ble Mr. Hooker hath very well observed; and though it be not expressed as to the circumstantials yet it is as to the substantial of Religion, for it is sufficient to make us wise unto Salvation; which is all that is requisite. I must confess that Reverend and gray headed Episcopacy bids fairest, and is most countenanced of any opinion by Scripture and Antiquity; but though it may be granted that it is in Scripture fundamentally, radically, vir­tually, yet it is not there formally, expresly, and as to all its Appendants Grandezzaes and Splendors. It is there as to the Substance, but not as to all its Circumstances and Ceremonies. I humbly conceive that all Church Government is grounded upon such places of Scripture as these, 1 Cor. 14.40. 1 Tit. 5. ‘Let all things be done decently and in Order. And I left thee in Creet to ordain Elders, and to set in order the things that are wanting’; this is the Charter for the Churches power; it reacheth only to generals, but not to [Page 6] particulars, which are determinable by the prudence and Autho­rity of any Church. Which Truth if men were fully convin­ced of and would but acquiesce in, it would be an excellent means to compose all our differences which proceed mostly from a wresting and mis-interpreting of Scripture.

5. We should be moderate, because the Lord is at hand; This is the Apostles own Argument; the time will shortly come when all our opinions, desires, passions, will vanish, and be swallowed up in Eternity: when we must not wrangle about them, but come and give an account of them. We should be moderate in our desires as to the World, because the Lord is at hand to satisfie us with his Alsufficiency; why should we prefer a Beam before the Sun; a drop before the Ocean; a trivial petty fading, before an Eternal all-satisfying good? We should be moderate in our Afflictions, because the Lord is at hand in his due time to release us, to comfort and support us, in them, and under them; and as to give us a burden, so also a shoulder to bear it: Such is the transcendent goodness of God that he doth adapt the burden to the shoulder; he will not suffer us to be tempted above mea­sure. We should be moderate in our passions, such as anger and revenge, because the Lord is at hand to right us, and we are not competent Judges in our own cause; We are apt also to be too partial, for a man to revenge himself, it is as it were to unscepter the Almighty, and to take some of the Jewells out of the Crown Royal; Vengeance is mine and I will repay it, saith the Lord. So much may suffice for the reasons, I proceed in the next place to shew you the Objects about which it is versant, or the things in which we should be moderate, they are princi­pally reduced to these heads, Moderation in our opinions, de­sires, passions, afflictions, recreations, discourses, and expen­ces.

Moderation in our opinions; our opinions are versant either about the essentials or the circumstantials of Religion; the Main Castle or the outworks, the City or the [...]uburbs, the Vineyard it self or the Hedge▪ Though Moderation in essentials be perni­cious, yet in things adiaphorous and of a middle nature it is both peaceable and Christian like. Though we are to be Martyrs for an Article of our Faith, as St. Polycarp and St. Ignatius, and di­vers [Page 7] others were; yet not for a Ceremony or circumstantial, which God doth not call us to suffer for: We are so to have and to hold our opinions, as not to lose our Charity; if we do not do so, we are like to prove great losers by it. It was not ill spoken of by Mr. Calvin, when the unhappy Controversie betwixt Episcopacy and Presbytery was on foot in England; Ego in Con­troversia Anglicana moderationem semper tenui cujus me non pe­nituit; In the English Controversies I was always very mode­rate, and do not repent of it that I was so. It was well said of one, Unity in things necessary, Moderation in things indifferent, and Charity in all. Neither do I speak this as if I would plead for, or countenance an Exemption from the decent harmless Ceremonies of the Church of England. But rather because I would have men shew their Moderation in yeilding obedience to them: for when we submit to things that are not in themselves Antiscriptural, or unlawful, though we had never such an a­versation from them before; then we may be said also to be Mo­derate, for Moderation as I defined it is betwixt both extremes, and equidistant: A man may be immoderate as well in under­as in over-valluing the Ceremonies. Concerning the Ceremo­nies of the Church of Ehgland, give me leave to present you with the opinion of that Jewel of the Church of England Bishop Iewel; where in his Apology for the Church of England he gives this account of the Ceremonies: ‘Retinemus tamen & co­limus non tantum ea quae scimus tradita fuisse ab Apostolis, sed etiam alia quaedam quae nobis videbantur sine Ecclesiae incommodo ferre posse. Ea vero omnia quae aut valde Superstitiosa, aut fri­gida, aut spurca, aut ridicula, aut cum sacris literis pugnantia, aut sobriis hominibus indigna esse videbamus; prorsus sine ulla exceptione repudiavimus.’ We retain and respect not only those Ceremonies which we know were delivered from the Apostles, but also others which we thought might be very well born with, without any prejudice to the Church: but all those that were su­perstitious, or ridiculous, or contrary to the Word, or offen­sive to sober men, we have without any exception cast off. The Church of England is moderate, both as to her Doctrine and Ceremonies, and he that speaks against Moderation will be convinced not to understand its Doctrine. I do rather approve [Page 8] of those Moderate men, Grotius, Erasmus, George Cassan­der, and others, who endevoured to throw water on the fire of Christendome; then of any turbulent hot spirited men, such as Arrius, Apollinaris, and others.

2. Moderation in our desires; Desires are either Spiritual or Worldly; as to Spiritual desires, we seldome are immoderate; but it is our great excellency to moderate our desires as to the World: There is a triplicity of worldly desires, according to the triplicity of the Object about which they are conversant: they are conversant either about profit, pleasure, or honour, in all which our desires should be moderate: as to profit, we are not to desire profit so much as to disprofit our Souls. For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole World and lose his own Soul? As to pleasures, it should be our Spiritual prudence to see that they do not enervate and emasculate the Spirit; that we be not so far Immersed in the muddy feculent pleasures of this World, as to lose the rivers of pleasures which are at Gods right hand for evermore; Carnal pleasures do not become a good Philosopher much lesse a good Christian. As to honour, our desires should be modest and sober; we should not eagerly pur­sue it, but let it find us out; and stay till Gods providence and and our own merit prefer us: remembring that Honour is but a brittle, airy trifle, that it is not in the honoured, but depends upon the honourers Mouth, who as he gave it, so may take it away when he pleaseth: we should esteem it our only honour to be honourable in Gods Account. And if we look on the whole World, there is no object that is extremely desireable: the face of it is not so beautiful that we should dote on it, it is but a Ionah Gourd, and though it seem for a time to yeild a com­fortable shade, yet it soon withers; there is a Worm in it;

God and God alone is the most amiable and desirable object; therefore it is but reason that we should desire him above all things; and say with holy David, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee; and with St. Paul, I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ.

[Page 9]3. Moderation in our passions; Passions are admirable things, the Flower of the Soul, the cream as it were of the Spirit, if they be placed on right objects, if they do not prove inor­dinate, peccant, straying: A wise man is not without (as the Stoicks foolishly imagin'd) but above his passions: he subjects his passions to his reason, his reason to his religion, and all to God. He gives Laws to his passions, and saith to them, as the Centurion said to his Servants, Goe, and they goe; Come, and they come. O how lovely a thing is a prudent Decorum! a correspondent Moderation in our passions; when they are car­ried towards their Objects according to the Dictates of reason and religion. Passions according to the Philosophers, are either concupiscible, or irrascible: Concupiscible, such as love, de­sire, joy, hope; Irrascible, such as anger, sorrow, hatred, and the rest: the first are carried toward their object re­spectively, as we consider it, as either present, future, or pos­sible, they do as it were twine about and embrace their object: The second do as it were run away from it, as distastful, harsh, grating and unacceptable. Now in both these kinds of passions there is a great deal of Moderation to be exercised; we may love the Creature but must not adore it, we may not love the Creature more then the Creator; we may desire, but not all things equally, not earth as much as heaven; our desires should be intended and remitted according to the dignity, excellency, and usefulnesse of the Object desired; We should desire those things most that are most desireable▪ We may rejoyce, but we may not be transported with any thing, or be in an e [...]tacy, like him that being long out of his Princes favour, and having by some admirable exploit regained it, at the hearing of the news died for joy, Our joy must be well timed, sober, spiritual, correspondent to the Object we rejoyce in. We may hope but not for impossibilities; Our hopes must be rational and religi­ous. And as we are to use Moderation in the first sort of pas­sions; so also in the other; we may be angry, but it must be without sin, Be angry but sin not; we may mourn but not as men without hope; moderate sorrow like moderate rain is sea­sonable, but violent inundations of sorrow drown the Soul, and untune it for action: we may weep but not bitterly, unless it [Page 10] be when we sin hainously; we may fear, but it must not be with­out cause, there were they in fear where no fear was; a good Chri­stian can properly fear nothing but God and sin, we may hate, but it must not be the man but his sin; we may have honourable resentments of an injury, that we may beware of the injurer, and suck hony out of his poyson; but we must not remember it to revenge it; this were as it were to unking the Almighty; and to intrench upon the prerogative Royal; who said, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it: Besides, it is more noble and Christian-like to forgive, then revenge an injury; when an uncultivated low spirited man does me an injury; if I revenge it I make my self but his equall, I do only as he did; but if I forgive him, I am his Superiour. Passion is as it were the fire of the Soul, this fire is good, when it only heats but not burns it: Igno quid utilius, &c.

I may well compare a passion to fire, for it is a good Servant, but a bad Master. A Passion is as it were the edge of the Spirit; now this edge must not be either too blunt or too keen; if too blunt it doth not at all affect it, it hath no influence on it; if too keen, it doth [...], divide the Soul assunder.

4. Moderation in afflictions; many are immoderately grie­ved at them, they are always poreing on them, they dwell too much on them, they do as it were keep house with their infeli­cities: they write Gods judgements in Marble, and his mercies in the dust; they are so sensible of the one, that they are insen­sible of the other: But beloved, sense of misery, should not take away sense of mercy; a wise man and a Christian should compose himself thus; he strikes me that made me, he that moderates the World, am I a fool or a rebell? A fool, if I know not whence my Affliction proceeds; a Rebell if I know it, and yet am discontented. We should look upon God as our Fa­ther; now a Father protects, provides for, cares for, loves, and sometimes corrects his Children; and as St. Ierome speaks, Happy is the man that is beaten, when the stroke is a stroke of love: Such are Gods strokes to his Children, [...] Gods Corrections are but as so many fatherly instructions. Though God sometimes seems to frown upon them, yet in that very frown you may discern a smile; and though his rod doth [Page 11] chastise them; yet all the self-same time his Staff doth support them. When God casts his Children into the fiery furnace, it is that they may come forth like gold seven times purified▪ When God brays his Spices in the mortar of Affliction, it is, that they may smell the more fragrantly; when God strikes his Viols it is that they may make the more heavenly Musick: Gods Stars ne­ver twinckle more brightly then in the frosty night of Affliction.

When God throws his Balls to the ground, it is that they may re­bound the more heavenward: Many times the sickness of the Body proves the health of the Soul, the weakness of the out­ward, the strength of the Inward man. True it is that a Child of God may sometimes be cast into the fiery furnace of Affliction, and (it may by the malice of the Divel and his Pú­pils) be heated as it were seven times hotter; but not so much as a hair of his head is singed. He may like Ionah be in the Whales belly three days and three nights, but he shall be sure at length to come to shore; though he be tossed to and fro long in the tempestuous sea of this World; yet at length he lands safe at the haven of happiness: (which should be a sufficient compensa­tion for all his sufferings) as the Apostle speaks, our light afflictions which are but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. He may say of his Afflictions as great Athanasius said of his banishment; Nubecula est & cito transibit, it is but a little cloud, and it will soon vanish. What though the way be rough yet it leads to heaven? and who would not run through a Wildernesse for obtaining of a Crown of glory.

5. Moderation in pleasures and recreations; it was Alexan­ders glory that he conquered the World, but his shame that he was conquered by his Lust. The soft and silken effeminacy of Capua, did but emasculate the victorious Armies of the daring Ironsided Hanniball. How many are there, that Cleopatra-like spends whole Kingdomes on their pleasures and recreations? Oh how many are there that are so given to play, that they play away [Page 12] not only their friends, estates, and credits, but even their souls! But it is a bad game when the soul lyes at stake: but it should be our great care, to see that we be not so plunged over head and ears in sensual pleasures, as to lose those Rivers of pure soul-sa­t [...]sfying, suitable, and eternal pleasures which are at Gods right hand for ever more: To see that we be not so given to ju­cundum, as to forg [...]t utile & honestum. Though Religion be not so severe as to forbid all manner of pleasures, yet it should be our prudence to make choice of those that are most innocent, and least wasting of time; of all pleasures they are best that are that are most abstracted from sense; intellectual pleasures are better then sensual, and spiritual are better then intellectual; sensual pleasures are like the crackling of a few Thorns under a Pot, they blaze for a while, and then they vanish: but Spiri­tual pleasures are like a Lute, which though it sounds lowest, yet makes the sweetest Musick, they have heavenly thoughts for their Objects, and fill the soul with that ravishing Peace of Conscience which passes all understanding.

6. Moderation in discourses; many are immoderately given to verbosity; their tongues are like the perpetual Motion, al­ways a wagging; though they speak much, yet they speak lit­tle; but it is better to speak much in a little, then little in much: Some speak words without things, some speak things without words, some neither things nor words: but there is the excel­lency of it when we can speak good things and good words. When the babes of our Intellects are not only handsome but well cloathed; many they do as the incomparable Bishop Andrews speaks [...] pratle, but they do not [...] speak apothegms, wise Sentences; they are like Anaximines, of whom it was said, that he had an Ocean of words, but scarce a drop of reason; but it was good Councel of the Antients, that men should either not speak at all, or speak somevvhat that is admirable, excel­lent. The Wise-man tells us, that the Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, even words of truth; that is, he did not vent out rude, indigested, unpremeditated notions, but vvhat he studied for, it did olere lucernam; it did savour of Industry. It is observable vve have tvvo eats and but one Tongue, vvhich should teach us to hear tvvice as much as vve speak. Our vvords [Page 13] should be seasonable, profitable, and agreeable to the Word of God: Whence it is that Holy David prays, Set a watch before my Mouth, and keep thou the Dore of my Lips. Many and signal are the benefits of Taciturnity, vvhen a Word is unspoken it is in a mans own power, at his own dispose; but when it is out, it is at the mercy of the Audience, who may choose whether they may give it a candid construction or no.

7. Moderation in expences, many are immoderate in their expences, both as to Diet and Apparrell; how many are there that carry whole Parks on their backs: Their bellies are as it were the living Sepulchers of their Fortunes; but it is our wis­dom to cut our Coat according to our Cloth; to frame our minds to our condition, if we cannot frame our conditions to our minds, it is our prudence to frame our minds to condition. Having food and raiment let us therewith be content, for we brought no­thing with us into this world, neither shall we carry any thing a­way, the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the Name of the Lord. Contentment doth not consist in having of more, but in framing and suiting our selves to what we have already; it lodgeth as oftentimes in a poor mans Cottage, as in the Kings Pallace: The body is nothing else but as it were the Prison of the Soul, as Plato saith, While we pamper our bo­dies, we do as it were make the Prison stronger; and how great imprudence is this? and as we are not to be over-costly in our Diet, so neither in our Apparrel; Most men are for the Cloa­thing of the body but care not how naked their Souls are; but by how much the Soul is better then the body, by so much the more we should be careful for the Clothing of it. So much may suffice for the objects about which our Moderation is ver­sant; I proceed in the last place to make Application.

1. This may be for the just reproof of all immoderations and transports on all hands and parties. Oh with what vehemen­cy and intention of Spirit do some men hug their opinions, to the loss of their Charity, and disturbance of the publick peace! [Page 14] Many a one had rather be the head of a Faction, then the head of a Kingdome, his parts, friends, interests, and all truckles under his opinion; such were Aerius, Photinus, Euytches, those Erostratuses that make it their delight to fire the Temple. Oh how immoderately does others love the World and its gilded Vanity! All their projects and designs are for it, so that they can have earth enough they care not who hath heaven: They are like the Turkish Emperor, that refused the Artificial and Cele­stial Globe presented by the Emperor of Germany, whith this Answer, that he did not intend to busy himself so much in the Contemplation of the Heavens, and lose earth, as the Emperors of Germany did daily. But such desires as these are a sufficient pu­nishment to themselves; the very satisfaction of them is their greatest punishment. Oh how immoderately are some men gi­ven to their passions! their passions are too strong for them, they are like fire in a City, they scorch them up; they are like No­ah's flood, they drown them. Some men love, but not those things most that are most lovely, their love is not rightly quali­fied as to the measure nor object. Some men desire, but not those things most that are most desireable; some men rejoyce, but their joy is neither rational, nor even, they are in an Ex­tacy. Some men hope, but it is for impossibilities, things that will never be, whether we have reference to the nature of the things, or the intanglements or incapacities of the person. Some men mourn, but it is as men without hope. Some men are angry, but for that time they are mad; so little wit or grace have they in their Anger. Some men hate, but it is not the sin but the person; they have a private grudge against the man. Some men fear, but neither fear God nor honour the King. Some men are so much given to that which is pleasurable, that they forget that which is profitable and honest. Some men speak much, but it is not much that they speak. Some men are more solici­tous to diet and dresse their bodies then their Souls; but these are all immoderations, and they must be rectified, the practi­se [...]s of them are far enough from the golden mean.

[Page 15]2. Should Christians use Moderation? then let me as in the presence of God and his holy Angells beseech you to practice this excellent Christian Duty of Moderation: give me leave to say to you as the Apostle to the Phillipians, Let your Mode­ration be known unto all men in all things, for the Lord is at hand: Strive to be humble and self denying in your opinions, sober and modest in your desires, rational and religious in your passions, patient and contented in your afflictions, discreet and inoffensive in your recreations, pithy and mild in your discourses, Mode­rate but yet correspondent in your expences; strive to govern your selves with moderation in your opinions, desires, passions, afflictions, recreations, discourses, expences, and all other Ob­jects of Moderation: It is no lesse commendable for a man to govern himself then a City, there is as much of a man to be seen in the one as in the other, Moderation is the Silken string that runs through the Perle Chain of graces, it is as it were the Ballast of the Soul that keeps it indifferent and even in all emer­gencies. And that you may be the more in love with it give me leave to present you with some few motives & consider it is most rationall, most peaceable, most sutable, and most Christian.

1. It is most rationall; there is all the reason in the world for Moderation, we are all not Angels but men, subject to the like frailties and infirmities, and we stand in need of the same reciprocall Charities and Indulgence; Alteri me feceris quod tibi fieri non vis, is an excellent good rule, thou shalt not do to another what thou would not have done to thy self; as we do not love that others should be rigorous in their deportment to­wards us, so neither should we towards others: he that would be pitied himself in misery, must pity others in misery: he that would be forgiven himself, must forgive others; and Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespasse against us.

2. As it is most rational so most peaceable; this is the only salve in all probability to heal our wounds, to close our breaches to compose our Differences, to settle our Distractions.

[Page 16]Moderation is as it were the Sodder of a divided and unce­mented Nation; it is the Mother of Peace.

Many spirits break when they are bowed too much and too sud­denly; neither can I impute our late unparrallel distractions to any one cause more rationally, then to our want of Moderation on all hands. How imprudently and uncharitably did we pur­sue our opinions, desires, passions, and interests to the over­throwing of all Government both in Church and State? Some of us were immoderately conceited of our own great Abilities, and delighted in nothing more then to be the Coriphaei of a Fiction: Oh how did we Peacock like Pride our selves in our intellectual Feathers? some of us were immoderately ambitious to rule, & knew not how to obey, nec jam ferre potest Caesarve pri­orem Pompiusve parem. Some of us were immoderately covetous, desired to fish in none but troubled waters: and oh how did our immoderations trouble them? how did they rend in pieces three goodly Kingdoms? but I could wish that our former miseries would at length teach us more Religion towards our God, more Loyalty towards our King, and more Charity and Moderation one towards another: Behold, now we are made whole let us sin no more lest a worse thing come unto us.

It is most suitable; the Wise man tells us, That a word in season is like Apples of gold in pictures of Silver; and surely such is Moderation; as is fair weather in harvest; Physick to the sick; Balsam to the wounded; a Calm to the almost Ship­wrackt Marriner; so is Peace, a Moderation to this Kingdome that hath been so long harassed with a bloody, wasting, and un­natural War. There have been too too many that have unseaso­nably applied Corrosives, but this Nation stands more in need of Cordials. There have been too too many that have poured in too much Wine, but this Nation stands more in need of Oyl: There hath been too too many who have shewed themselves Bo­anarges, Sons of Thunder; whereas they should rather have ap­proved [Page 17] themselves Barnabasses, Sons of Consolation: For I take Peace and Moderation to be the most natural and genuine work of a Minister of the Gospel, who is not to hale, but to woe and beseech men to their Religion. We beseech you as in Gods stead.

4. It is most Christian; Christianity teacheth us to cloath our selves with meakeness and humility; A moderate temper is the most Christian and Evangelical temper: A Christian should not be Lion-like but Lamb-like, in imitation of the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the World, Christianity is [...] a soft and silken institution: The great design of it is to soften the Asperitys of a ruder world; it com­mands us to deny our selves, our peccant wandring opinions, passions, interests, and to sacrifice them all to Gods glory, and the good of our Brethren, This is the Language of the Scrip­ture, bear you one anothers burdens; be pitiful, be courteous, love as Brethren; forgive one another, as you would have your heavenly Father forgive you. Now if we are Brethren, why should we endevour to devour one another? Nothing is more unnatural then Contention amongst the Brethren; Nature and Grace teacheth Brethren to love one another, in imitation of our elder Brother Christ. Psal. 133.1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity. I may say to all dissenting persons as Abraham to Lot, Let there be no dis­sentions betwixt us, for we are Brethren.