SERM. fions, of studying truth, of devotion and intercourse with XXI. his God, of contriving and carrying on in any wife the welfare of his own foul. Why doth he retire, but to fhun diverfion, or that he may be mafter of his time and thoughts? Why then are we so unkind, or so unjust, as to deprive him of those contents and advantages?

14. We should not pry or peep into men's fecrets; it is a practice upon many accounts blameable.

It is commonly impertinent curiofity; for men hide things, because they do not think others concerned to know them; the concealment argueth their opinion to be fuch, and confequently that he is fondly curious who would fearch into them: Why, faid he well to one, who, feeing him carry a basket covered, did afk what was in it, doft thou feek to know, when thou feeft it covered, that thou mayeft not know d?

It is foully discourteous, because offenfively depriving men of the fatisfaction they take in concealing their matters; encroaching upon the innocent freedoms which they would enjoy, without rendering account to any; trespassing upon their bashfulness, or fruftrating their difcretion; for therefore men choose to keep things clofe, because they like not, or judge it not expedient, to declare them. Ecclef. vii. Take no heed unto all words that are spoken, left thou hear thy fervant curfe thee.

21.

It is also grofsly injurious to deal thus; for it is a robbery of what is most dear to men; which they with more care referve and guard, than they do their gold or their jewels: fo that to break open the closet of a man's breaft, to ranfack his mind, to pilfer away his thoughts, his affections, his purposes, may well be deemed a worse fort of burglary or theft, than to break open doors, to rifle trunks, or to pick pockets.

It is a practice in the common opinion of men worthily esteemed very difhoneft and treacherous; for men generally do fuppofe each other to be under a tacit, but well

« Τὸ τοῦ Αἰγυπτία χάριεν πρὸς τὸν ἐρωτῶντα τὶ φέρει συγκεκαλυμμένον, διὰ τοῦτο συγκεκάλυπται. Ρlut. περὶ πολυπρ.

understood compact, obliged mutually (as they tender SERM. greatly the retaining their own fecrets, fo) to abftain from XXI. attempting to discover the fecrets of others; to do otherwife is therefore taken for an act of perfidious enmity, and a violation of mutual confidence.

In fine, to peep into chinks, to liften at doors or windows, to mind whispers, to dive into letters and papers, and the like practices, are the practices of infidious evesdroppers, fpies, and fycophants, which common humanity will not endure.

Yea, if the knowledge of what our neighbour would conceal doth casually arrive to us, it is advisable to smother it, it is inhumanity to reveal it to his prejudice. To reveal fecrets, is a practice condemned in Scripture as odious and bafe. He that goeth about as a tale-bearer, Prov. xx. revealeth fecrets. A tale-bearer revealeth fecrets; but he Prov.xi. 13. that is of a faithful fpirit concealeth the matter.

19.

Not to take up, or scatter reports prejudicial. Ecclus. Mediers xix. 7, 10.

δευτερώσης

λόγου

γους συναπο

A wife man would not willingly anywife know the fe- Axxos crets of others, but gladly would fhun them, although Savira 01. offering themselves to his knowledge; that he may be freed from the burden of keeping them, and the danger of venting them, to the distaste, wrong, or prejudice of others and he is commended for his difcretion, who, to a prince asking him, What of his he should impart to him? replied, Whatever you pleafe, except your fecrets. Them he well thought unsafe to keep, and dangerous to utter. How foolish then is it voluntarily to intrude, or carefully to fearch into them!

:

15. We should not lie in wait to surprise or catch any man at advantage, to overthrow him when he trips, to infult upon his mistake or his difafter; to do thus is always ill manners, it is fometimes barbarous inhumanity. Goodness in fuch cafes would difpofe a man to fupport, relieve, and comfort another, if he demandeth, or his cafe needeth fuch meddling.

Philippides apud Plut. in Apoph. ad Lyfimach. Tivos aoi, sixey, täy iμāv μεταδῶ; κακεῖνος, Οὗ βάλει πλὴν τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων.

SERM. 16. Lastly; we should never, at least with much earnestXXI. nefs, meddle with affairs more properly belonging to others, and which we do not, or may not handsomely pretend to understand fo well as others: fuch are affairs befide our profeffion, which if we understand not, it is a folly, in a peremptory manner, to treat of them; if we do understand them, it is yet undecent to contest or dictate about them, in the presence at least of those who profess them: thus fhould private men beware, at least in that magisterial or eager way, to meddle with political affairs, illiterate men with fcholaftical, laymen with theological, unexperienced men with any fuch matters, the comprehenfion whereof dependeth upon skill and exercise: no man fhould be forward to meddle with things extraneous to his way and calling: doing fo is wont to create much offence, it hath usually much immodesty and much folly in it; often it containeth much injuftice.

These are some more general rules concerning the mat ter in hand: I fhould now, if time did permit, infift upon fome particular kinds of meddling, advice, reproof, interpofing in contests; but, in regard to your patience, I shall proceed no farther at present.

SERMON XXII.

OF QUIETNESS, AND DOING OUR OWN
BUSINESS.

I THESS. iv. 11.

And that ye ftudy to be quiet, and to do your own business.

IN a former difcourfe upon these words, I have already SERM.

fhewed,

I. In what cafes it is allowable or commendable to meddle with the affairs of others.

II. Next, I propounded fome general rules concerning this matter, according to which we may difcern in what cafes meddling with the affairs of others is commonly blameable. Thus far I have proceeded.

III. I shall now give some directions concerning particular kinds of meddling. And because they are many, I shall at present only infift upon three; (referring others to other occafions :) they are, advice, reproof, interpofing in contefts, and contentions.

I. As to meddling in advice, we may do well to obferve thefe directions.

1. Advise not (except upon call) a fuperior, or one more eminent than thyself in authority, in dignity, or in age: for he that offereth to advise, doth thereby claim to himself a kind of fuperiority, or excellence, above another; and it is not well confiftent with the reverence and respect due to our betters to feem to do fo. They should

XXII.

SERM. be wiser than we; at least it becometh us not to declare XXII. we think they are not. If they ask advice, we may without prefumption give it, fuppofing it to be not fo much their defect of knowledge as prudent caution, which maketh them willing to hear what any man can say to the cafe but to obtrude it on them argueth we think them to need it, and ourselves able to direct them; which is prefumption, and will pafs for arrogance.

2. We should not indeed, with any violence or importunity, thruft advice upon our equals, or upon any man not fubject to our charge, who is unwilling to receive it; for this is alfo an exalting ourselves in fkill and wisdom above him, and implieth a contemptuous opinion concerning his knowledge; that he is fo weak as to need advice, and yet more weak in not feeking it when needful from us; which practice confifteth not with modefty, and needs muft breed offence: it is indeed unjuft; for every man of right is to be allowed to act by his own advice, and to choose his own counsellors.

3. Be not obftinate in preffing advice: if he that asketh thy counfel do not like it, defift from urging farther, and reft content. If thou haft performed the part of a faithful friend, of a good man, of a charitable Christian, in advifing what seemeth beft to thee, that may abundantly fatisfy thee; for the reft, ipfe viderit, it is his concernment more than thine: if thou pretendeft that he must follow thy advice, or art difpleafed because he doth not fo, thou makest thyfelf a commander, not a counsellor ; the which to appoint thee was befide his intention; he meant to seek thy help, not to forfeit his own liberty; and thou art not just in pretending to fo much.

4. Affect not to be a counfellor, nor let any confiderations, except of friendship, humanity, or charity, eafily difpofe thee to accept the office: it is not worth the while to undertake it as a matter of reputation, or because it feemeth to argue a good opinion concerning thy skill and ability; for it is a critical and dangerous thing to advife, because if the bufinefs fucceedeth well according to thy advice, the principal usually carrieth away the profit