may seem fome Security from being harm'd by others.

By the first of which all Occafion of Anger, Difpleasure, and Ill-will, is prevented. By the fecond Love and Good-will from others is attracted.

By the third Reverence and high Esteem from them is gained.

I. The firft fort of Virtues,which take away the Occafions of Ill-will, and whereby the Anger and Difpleasure of others at us is well provided againft, are thefe:

1. Abftaining from Injury our felves.
2. Paffing by light Injuries from others.
3. Plain Dealing.

4. Minding our own Bufinefs.
5. Refpectful Behaviour. And,
6. A quiet Submiffion to Authority.

Thefe are the Virtues of the first Kind, which fecure us from Harm, as far as they prevent all Occafion of Displeasure and Illwill. And,

1. The first of the Inftances of this fort of Wisdom is, Abstaining our felves from doing the leaft Injury to others. For this cuts off a very great Part of thofe Pretences upon which Men use to juftify their Animofities and Spite, that is, that they were ill us'd first, or else they had used others better. An ill Turn is as often done in Revenge, as upon all other Reasons of Anger put together; and therefore to administer

no

no Occafion to others of Revenge, must go a great way to fave a Man harmlefs. And it is very feldom feen that a Man who gives to every one his own, who never overreaches his Neighbour by a Trick, but deals above-board, who provokes no Man by Contempt or ill Language, nor ever lies in wait against the good Name of his Neighbour, nor wrongs him in his Perfon, or in his Family, or in any Intereft, which he ought to value, it is feldom feen, I fay, that a Man of this Temper is at any time embroil'd in Quarrels, or vex'd with the Illnature of other Men, and of neceffity fuch a one must enjoy more Peace, and live in more Security, than if he were fly and treacherous, a Scorner, or a Railer, and an Enemy to the Peace of other Men; for as the World goes, it is a

Liberty of doing thing to take the

Ill to, or

Ill of others, and not to expect to be served in cur own Kind.

2. To pass by light and ordinary Offences, which do not touch a Man in any confiderable Intereft, this alfo prevents a great deal of Anger and Trouble. If a Man will not be captious, and easily made angry, he fhall be able to disappoint many Occafions of Quarrel and Mischief, which other Men lay in his way; and there is very great need of this good Temper in our Converfation; for moft Men do frequently offend against

againft their Neighbours in little Things, fometimes in Heat and Paffion, fometimes ignorantly, for the most part foolishly, and he fhall have his Hands full while he lives, that repeats and aggravates fuch Things; but he that flides them over is wife for himself many ways, especially in this, that he is fure he has as many Friends, and no more Enemies than he had before.

3. Plain Dealing alfo excufes a Man from much Harm, especially in making others to expect no more from him than he is willing and able to perform; for he that raises an Expectation in another, which he doth not anfwer, probably makes an Enemy, as fays the Son of Sirach, or lofes a Friend for nothing; but Fidelity in keeping Promises, and performing rather more than was undertaken than lefs, keeps old Friendships, and fometimes makes new ones, to his greater Security and Strength.

4. To mind ones own Business, and to keep within the Circle of our Profeffion and Circumftances, is another Way to secure our felves from Trouble. Indeed we are not made for our felves only, but to ferve one another, but then we can ftill beft do it in the Way of our own Education and Calling, and for the most part he that steps out of that Way to fhew what he can do in another, is reckon❜d a kind of Ufurper, and for want of fufficient Authority fhall be fure to

have his Skill feverely examin'd, and his Mistakes unmercifully cenfur'd. Even by doing well in another's Province, a Man fhall get more Envy than Praise or Thanks, and therefore the Occafion, as well as his own Skill, had need be extraordinary when he interposes out of his Way.

5. Refpectful Behaviour fhuts the Door against a very common Occafion of Anger and Disturbance. Difcourteous, Proud and Scornful Carriage, and denying Honour where it is due, is contrary to Religion and Morality, both because it argues a very bad Temper, and because it creates Anger and Animofities, fince all Men expect to be hu manly us'd, according to their Condition in the World. And tho' it be no great Matter for a Man to be affable to his Inferiors, lowly to his Betters, courteous to his Equals, and never rude to his familiar Friends, yet a very great Matter depends upon it, and that is the maintaining of Friendship or Good-will, or at least not to make a Man an Enemy. And altho' a greater Man than my felf is the more dangerous Enemy, yet none is to be contemn'd.

6. Submiffion to the Supreme Authority is likewife a Means of preventing a World of Trouble and Mischief from falling upon us. For not to mention the utter Deftruction that is ventur'd by Confpiracies and Rebellions, what Trouble do Men commonly

bring upon themselves, by breaking the Laws, by fpeaking irreverently of the Supreme Magiftrate, and his Minifters, and by trying to make others uneafy under the Government? If we would be protected by Authority, we muft behave our felves well under it; and the way to lead a quiet and peaceable Life, is to be quiet and peaceable our felves. Therefore the wife Man gives good Advice, My Son, fear thou the Lord, and the King: and meddle not with them that are given to change. For their Calamity fball rife fuddenly, Prov. 24. 21.

Now all thefe Ways of keeping off Harm from our felves, are fo many Duties of Religion, and Kinds of well-doing, and altho' they are not the higheft Inftances of Virtue, but fuch as the middle fort of prudent and good Men do eafily attain, yet they are moftly effectual Means, under the Provi dence of God, to prevent the greatest Vexations and Troubles that may happen to us from the Displeasure of other Men.

For have we often obferv'd any Man to be embroil'd in Quarrels, to lofe his Friends, to fink in his Reputation, to fuffer in his Eftate, his Family, or his Perfon, by the Paffions of other Men, but when it was eafy to obferve withal, that he had brought Trouble upon himself, either by beginning to do Injuries to others, or by a captious froward Humour, or by making light of