Jesus Christ and their unity thereby 1 Cor 10.16 17. And therefore where the thing to be signified is in being which is communion in Christs body and blood there to deny the use and enjoyment of the meanes appointed by God to signifie it to wit communion in the Supper would be to crosse the very end of that ordinance If partners that have a joynt stock in trade and so a joynt interest in it should refuse to acknowledge and declare to each other their respective interests by such signes as are customary among men in such cases it would be accounted a great piece of injustice And is it any lesse then a piece of spirituall injustice for those that have a joynt interest in Christs body and blood to refuse to acknowledge and declare it to each other and before all by such a signe which the Lord hath appointed for that purpose 2. Because mens right to the signe proceeds from their right to the thing signified As those that have a right to such or such an estate in land have thereby a right to the deeds and evidences by which such a right is to be declared so those that have a right to the body and blood of Christ in their saving effects have thereby right to the Lords Supper as an evidence appointed by God by which such their right is to be declared and acknowledged And therefore as a detaining of such evidence from him who by having right to the Land hath right to the evidence would be an injury even so a detaining the Lords Supper from him who by having right to the body and blood of Christ hath right to the Lords Supper as an evidence and signe thereof would be an injury likewise And as spirituall things are of more value then temporall so an injury in them is greater then an injury in the other 3. It s against common reason and equity to grant them to have communion with us in the greater and better part and to deny it them in the lesse the greater still including the lesse But to be partakers of like precious faith with us and by that to eat of that flesh which is meat indeed and to drink of that blood which is drink indeed and to drink into one and the same Spirit as both sorts of godly ones doe is certainly to have hold and enjoy communion together in the greater better more spirituall and more substantiall part of it and therefore to deny it in the outside and letter of it which is farre lesse considerable seemes very incongruous and contradictious An exhortation to unity peace and concord HAving said this much by way of Argument touching the unlawfulnesse of Separation and the lawfulnesse of communion between Saints though of different perswasion I shall now adde a little more to quicken the brethren on both sides to unity concord and peace which have been too long divided and too much estranged one from another For this end let it be seriously considered 1. That the heart and soule of our Lord Jesus is exceedingly set upon the unity not onely of the Saints of this or that particular and different perswasion but of all those that believe through his Apostles word how different soever in opinion and perswasion they otherwise may be And this appeares 1. In that Christ made it matter of his solemne addresse unto his father that so it might be John 17.20 21. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one 2. In that it was the subject matter of one of his last requests to his father now he was about to leave the world Those things usually are most upon the heart which men bring forth at such a time when they are ready to die 3. And which is yet more among all the things which concerne the Saints here in this world he singles out this of their unity as that which was most upon his heart to form into a solemne request unto his father on their behalfe There are upon the matter but two things which he prayed for in the behalfe of all those that should believe contained in that part of his prayer which you have from v. 20. to the end of John 17. the one of which respecting their future condition in the other world and that is that they might be with him where he is to behold his glory and the other respecting their present condition in this world and that is that they all might be one So then although there be many other things wherein the comfort and welfare of the Saints in this world are concerned yet their unity and agreement is that which Christ singles out from among all the rest as being most upon his heart and as one would think should therefore be that thing wherein their peace and welfare is most concerned 4. It s further most worthy observation that among all the things which Christ prayed for in this prayer recorded in John 17. he does not insist so much upon any one thing as this of unity among the Saints And therefore you have him redoubling this petition againe and againe and mentioning it a third and a fourth time also as you may see in ver 11 21 22 23. As if his heart were so full of it as that it could not be all brought out at once but by degrees it was out of the abundance of his heart that he abounded so much in this one petition And is the heart of our dear Lord so much in it and shall not the heart of every one to whom he is dear be much in it too Can you follow a better pattern or write after a better copie It is without all doubt that the more you have of the same Spirit that dwelt in him the more it will enlarge your hearts this way in conformity to this heavenly temper that was so eminent in him And the more you shall finde your hearts run out to this thing as Christs did the more shall you be inriched with an assurance of your dwelling in him and he in you 1 John 4.13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit And what way is there in all the world for you to indeer your selves to Christ more then in being found according to his owne heart Doe not good disposition'd parents take most pleasure in those children that are most of their own temper and so does Christ in those that are most like him How great a praise was it to David to be said to be a man after Gods owne heart Acts 13.22 and I am sure it will be your glory in this to be men after Christs owne heart Did Christ pray and pray so earnestly for this thing that all that are believers should be one why then let those that would be like him and professe to be learners of him doe so too And not
onely pray but earnestly endeavour by use of meanes to bring that to passe which we earnestly pray for If men were but as willing and desirous to please Christ Jesus and to gratifie the desire of his soule in this as they seeme to be in some other things towards which he hath given no such apparent manifestation of his affection we should certainly have things at another passe among the people of God then now they are And I pray you why should we not be most for that in which he most delights 2. And therefore consider further that love and kindnesse and cleaving of heart and affection of Saints to Saints is that which Christ among other things most desires as being that grace wherein he hath most abounded towards them and by which they will be most Christ-like and so most Christian As the greatnesse of his affection to union among the Saints was expressed by his praying for it againe and againe in the same prayer so does his great longing after love among all his Disciples manifestly appeare by his fervent and importunate pressing and enjoyning it againe and againe and againe in one and the same speech or Sermon and in that also which was his farewell Sermon when he was now leaving them and the world wherein to be sure he would insist most upon that which lay most at his heart And this he did with a note or signe of speciall appropriation fixed upon it my commandement as if that were more especially his and had more of his heart in it then others John 15.12 This is my commandement that ye love one another as I have loved you John 13.34 A new commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another John 15.17 These things I command you that ye love one another And if Christs heart ran most upon this they are in no wise like to please him that by contending for some particular point which hath not it may be the tenth if any of the evidence of his minde will and affection in it which this hath doe make a breach upon and hinder this It was said Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the Lord 1 Sam 15.22 And may be said hath Christ Jesus any such delight in your sacrificing a great part of the peace charity and comfort of the Saints upon some controverted order or doctrine in the Church as he hath in obeying him in this great command of his that carries so much of his heart in it For them that think so let them againe hearken to what he saith Mat 9.13 Goe ye and learne what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice And to love him with all the heart and to love his neighbour as himselfe is more then all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices Mark 12.33 And yet sacrifice was more expressely commanded then most of those things that are the bone of contention among the people of God at this day Love mercy and judgement are the weightier matters of the Law and therefore may by no meanes be thrust out by those that are lesse as too commonly they are What ever goes up to be sure Religion and Christianity goes downe when charity goes downe Therefore above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectnesse Col 3.14 3. Adde hereto another very weighty consideration which is That what ever knowledge you have of the minde of God and what ever zeale you expresse for any truth of God either concerning faith or practice yet if while you hold fast other things you let goe charity your knowledge your zeale though it were to the losing of your life for truth will profit you nothing 1 Cor 13.2 3. Though I understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have not charity I am nothing And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing And left you should think it meant of that charity which consists in relieving of the poore and not of that which consists in cleaving to and delighting in Saints as Saints brethren as brethren he saith also Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poore and have not charity it profiteth me nothing 1 Cor 13.3 All which neerly concernes such to minde that are more carefull and tender lest some other controverted truth should suffer then charity brotherly love and concord should suffer and care not what rents and divisions they make among the people of God so that they may but propagate their particular opinion If there be bitter zeale as the Dutch translation hath it glory not of thy knowledge and lie not against the truth as if thou wert the Gospels friend when by such a carriage thou art an enemy to it James 3.14 4. Your contentions and divisions if you maintaine them they will destroy you in your spirituall trade and keep you from thriving by the means and opportunities of grace you enjoy It was a sad thing wherewith the Apostle charged the Corinthian Christians that when they came together to exercise themselves in the holy ordinances of the Lord it proved to be not for the better but for the worse 1 Cor 11.17 But upon what doth he charge this dreadfull miscarriage of their going backward in their trade and of growing worse and worse by what was provided for their welfare Verily it was their divisions that was the cause of all this mischiefe Ver. 18. Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not that you come together not for the better but for the worse How does that appeare For first of all when ye come together in the Church I hear that there be divisions among you Concluding that so it must be that their divisions would occasion their decay and losse under the richest enjoyments otherwise for they abounded exceedingly with spirituall gifts Chap 1.5 7. Chap. 14. The truth is they eat out the very heart of Religion men may grow rich in a form of knowledge and expresse a great deal of zeal for the out-side of Religion and in the mean while be languishing in the very vitalls of Christianity while they live in division and strife For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evill worke James 3.16 This will be as a worme at the root of your tree that will keep it from prospering what ever cost you otherwise bestow upon it If then you have any minde to keep up Religion in heart among you and not to have your wine to become as water having lost its heart and spirit If you would have the Gospel ordinances to yeild you their increase and all your Religion not to degenerate into form If you would yeild God an acceptable and pleasant fruit of all his cost and not such as is starvie harsh and unsavory If you would not turn the fruit of righteousnesse into hemlock If you
great breach upon a Christians comfort 10. The more you are for union and reconciliation and making of peace the more you will be like God whose infinite goodnesse and grace inclines him to seeke after those that are at a farre greater distance from him then any of the Saints are from one another He is in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2 Cor 5.19 Yea this is that good pleasure which he hath purposed in himselfe that in the dispensation of the fulnesse of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him Eph 1.9 10. Sin had divided and scattered his creatures in their affections as well from one another as from him but the soule of the Almighty was so set upon their reconciliation and re-union that he sends his Son Jesus Christ in due time to gather them together into one in Christ as their common head And for that end also he appointed the ministry and from time to time furnisheth them with gifts First to perswade men to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor 5.19 and then to bring them all to unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God Ephes 4.11 12 13. This God hath done to procure reconciliation and peace And therefore blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Mat 5.9 They whose hearts and heads and hands are in it that labour at it with desire to effect it to bring men especially the Saints to termes of peace and good agreement they tread in their fathers steps follow the same work designe affect and labour at the same thing and therefore well may they be called his children and followers of God as deare children Ephes 5.1 And being his children come under a great blessednesse indeed having such a father whose affection and power for their advancement hath no bounds but what an infinite wisdome sets And truely if this will not set our hearts on fire to be at this worke I know not what will If then you desire to make good unto your owne soules the evidence of your Son-ship and relation to God upon the best termes it will not be enough for you to be your selves perswaded to reconciliation and agreement with your dissenting brethren but to be active and busie in procuring it in others where its wanting For otherwise though you may be peace-keepers yet you will have little to denominate you peace-makers 11. It s the way to have God with you and delight in you He is so great a lover of peace and concord that he will alwayes make one at this work you shall be sure to have his company and presence both whilst you abide in it and when you lift up your heart hand and tongue to promote it Live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you 2 Cor 13.11 Such shall have God with them as a God of peace speaking peace to them evidencing himselfe to be at peace with them I appeal to their consciences who have knowne the difference of living in a divided state and of living in unity with all Saints and of making themselves servants to so good a worke as to reconcile Saints whether they have not more inward peace from God and a richer testimony of his love in the time of their reconciliation union and professed conjunction with all Saints then they had in the time of their distance from many of them It s most true that he that dwells most in love dwells most with God and God with him 1 Joh 4.12 16. And how they can expect peace from God that doe not live in peace with all those with whom God is at peace I know not Especially considering that Christ hath told them that if they from their heart doe not forgive their brothers trespasses that then neither will their heavenly father forgive theirs Mat. 6.14 18.35 And what kinde of forgivenesse that is that can stand with punishing their brethren for involuntary misprisions with rejecting them from their communion and carrying themselves towards them as if they were none of the same house but children of another father I desire may be deeply pondered by those whom it concernes The Apostle exhorting the Ephesians to this very duty backs it with no lesse then seven motives or reason Eph 4.3 4 5 6. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace For 1. There is one body and 2. one Spirit even as 3. ye are called in one hope of your calling 4. One Lord 5. one faith 6. one Baptisme 7. one God and father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Each of which have very much in them to prevaile with the divided hearts and unpeaceable spirits of professors to lay aside their warres and contentions which are but the off-spring of their owne lusts James 4.1 3.15 1 Cor 3.3 Gal 5.20 But I would not be tedious and therefore shall not inlarge upon them hoping that what hath been already said cannot but come home to the conscience of all those whose uncharitablenesse hath not exceedingly hardened their heart Neither doe I doubt but that every one will be ready to acknowledge this which I have been exhorting to to be every Christians duty and will professe their great affection to unity and peace But alas experience shewes that it is too commonly with this proviso or inward reserve viz. so as that they may have unity and peace upon their owne termes unity in the truth as they call it and that truth their particular opinion upon which division is built The meaning of which is that they would maintaine peace with all provided that none would oppose them in their opinion but say as they say having that in their mouthes Jer 15.19 Let them returne to thee but return not thou unto them which they wofully abuse whiles they apply it to lesser differences But if unity and peace and communion too were not to be had and held but upon such termes what use would there be in relation to different opinions in lesser matters of those many exhortations of bearing the infirmities of the weake of long-suffering and forbearing one another in love of bearing one anothers burdens of not looking every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others Rom 15.1 Ephes 4.2 Col 3.13 Gal 6.2 Phil 2.4 A cordiall and peaceable communion and forbearance are not inconsistent Union communion and peace must be kept and maintained upon Christians agreement in fundamentalls of faith and holinesse when in the meane while bearing and forbearing must be exercised in relation to those things wherein they otherwise differ Which being the plain Scripture-road it s much to be lamented that so many who seeme zealous of the Scripture-pattern should misse it Therefore I beseech all those that love the Lord Jesus and that love to doe that which pleaseth him that you suffer not those few and lesser things wherein you differ to prevaile more with you to keep at a distance and to deny your communion to one another then those many great and precious things wherein you are agreed to bring and binde you close together and freely to afford your Christian communion one to another Is it reasonable or hath such a thing been heard of in other cases that the minor vote should carry it against the major Lay aside then all prejudice stiffnesse and selfe-will'dnesse and count it your glory that you can seeke to others to receive you into closer communion before they seeke to you And in your prosecution of this work of reconciling distant brethren doe not be beaten off by others hanging off but reckon it so choice a piece of generation-work in these dividing times as that you can hardly lift up your heart your tongue your hand to such another And you that are Ministers of Christ who is the Prince of peace and of the Gospel which is the Gospel of peace and whose work is to guide mens feet into the way of peace and the end of whose calling is to bring all to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God be intreated Reverend and beloved to take heed of making the breach wider and by any undue representations or aggravations to frighten Saints of different perswasions from coming neere one another but to perswade to christian moderation and forbearance to a treating one another with a spirit of meeknesse and an over-coming of one another with love and herein to approve your selves as patterns And in so doing you shall finde more peace in your owne soules and procure more in the Churches and finde a greater successe in your Ministry make better tempered Christians and set a more glorious Crowne upon the head of the Gospel then otherwise you are ever like to doe FINIS