another so as one would think it impossible that ever in this world there should have been that distance between them that now there is How often have we prayed Oh that once we might be blessed with such a mercy as to worship God according to his own mind that we might be delivered from conscience oppression from spirituall bondage Oh that we might be delivered from the inventions of men in the service of God that the Saints might joyn and serve the Lord with one shoulder There were never such hopes that the Saints should enjoy their prayers so as of late there hath been and yet never were they so divided as now they are they now seek to bring one another in bondage If five or six years since when many of us were praying together making our moans to God for that oppression we were under God should have then presented as in a Map such times as these are to our view could we have beleeved that it were possible that there should be such a distance in our spirits as now there is Fourthly our Divisions are very dishonourable to Jesus Christ were it that they darkned our names onely it were not so much but that which darkens the glory of Jesus Christ should goe very neere unto us I have read of Alexander Severus seeing two Christians contending one with another commanded them that they should not presume to take the name of Christians upon themselves any longer For sayes he you dishonour your Master Christ whose Disciples you professe to be It is dishonour to a General to have his Army routed and run into confusion The Devill seems to prevaile against us in these our divisions so as to rout us John 17. 21. 23. is a notable Scripture to shew the sinfulnesse of our divisions in the dishonour they put upon Christ and it may be as strong an argument against them as any I know in the Book of God Christ praying to the Father for the union of his Saints uses this argument O Father let this be granted that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me And againe ver 23. Let them be perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me If they be not united one to another in love and peace but have a spirit of Division ruling amongst them what will the world thinke surely that thou didst not send me that I who am their head their teacher and Lord never came from thee for thou art wisdom holiness and love if I had come from thee then those who own me to be theirs and whom I own to be mine would hold forth in their conversations something of that spirit of holinesse wisdome and love there is in thee but when the world does not see this in them but the clean contrary they will never beleeve that I came from thee those truths that I came into the world to make known as from thee O Father will not be beleeved but rather persecuted if those who professe them by their divisions one from another and oppositions one against another shew forth a spirit of pride folly envy frowardnesse therefore O Father let them be one as thou and I am one if this Petition be not granted how shall I look the world in the face I shall be contemned in the world what am I come down from thee for such glorious ends as indeed those were for which I came into the world and when I should come to attaine those ends for which I came shall there be such a carriage in those who doe professe my Name that by it the world shall perswade themselves that thou didst never send me O what a sore evill would this be surely any Christian heart must needs tremble at the least thought of having a hand in so great an evill as this is Fifthly Divisions are sinfull because they grieve the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 30 31. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Surely there is no godly heart but will say O God forbid that I should doe any thing to grieve the good spirit of God it is the Spirit that hath enlightned me that hath revealed the great mysteries of God of Christ of eternall life unto me it is that Spirit that hath drawn my Soul to Jesus Christ that hath comforted it with those consolations that are more to me then ten thousand worlds the Spirit that hath strengthned me that helpes me against temptations that carries me through difficulties that enables me to rejoyce in tribulations the Spirit that is an earnest to assure me of Gods electing love the spirit thet hath sealed me up to the day of Redemption and now shall I be gâ—ily of so great a sinne as to grieve this blessed Spirit of the Lord If I did but know wherein I have grieved it it could not but make my soul to bleed within me that I should have such a wretched heart to grieve this holy Spirit by whom my soule hath enjoyed so much good I hope should for ever hereafter take heed of that thing I would rather suffer any griefe in the world to mine owne spirit then be any occasion of grief to that blessed Spirit of God But would you know what it is that hath grieved it and what it is that is like to grieve it further mark what followes ver 31. Let all bitternesse wrath anger clamour and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice And would you doe that which may rejoyce it Oh! God knowes it would be the greatest joy in the world for me to doe it then ver 32. Be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Sixthly these divisions doe grieve and offend our Brethren this should not be a light matter to us Christ accounts it a great evill to offend one of his little ones We may thinke it a little matter to give offence to some of Gods people who are poore and meane in the world so long as we have the bravery of it and the countenance of great men no matter for them But friend whatsoever slight thoughts thou hast of it Christ thinks it a great matter you may look upon them as under you the times favour you more then them but if you shall give them cause to goe to God to make their moanes to him of any ill usage they have had from you Lord thou knowest I was for peace to the uttermost that I could so farre as I was able to see thy Word for my guide but these who heretofore were as Brethren to me now their spirits are estranged their hearts are imbittered their words their carriages are very grievous and all because I cannot come up to what their opinions their ways are certainly this would prove very ill to you regard it as lightly as you will it may be when others carry themselves towards you
were the worst Minister in England not wishing himselfe worse then he was but all Ministers better The fourth dividing Distemper Passion PRov. 29. 23. An angry man stirreth up strife Passion is so opposite to Union that Prov. 22. 24. the holy Ghost would have us make no friendship with an angry man First this fire of anger burns asunder the bands of union the bands of relation as Nebudhadnezzars fire did the bands of the three Children A froward heart carâ—â— not for any relations What makes divisions between husband wife brother and brother servants and Masters and Mistresses neighbour and neighbour but passionate forwardnesse Secondly this fire burns asunder the bands by which mens lusts were tyed up and kept in it sets mens lusts at liberty The lusts of mens hearts are like a bed of snakes in the cold but the heat of passion warming them causes them to crawl and hisse What a stir would the Lions in the Tower makâ— and the Bears in Paris-garden if they were let loose Passion lets mens Lion-like lusts loose Philosophers say of the inferiour Orbes that were they not kept in restrained in their motion by the Primum mobile they would set all the world on â—ire If our lower affections especially this of Anger be not kept in and ordered by Reason and Religion they wil set all on â—ire Passion makes men and women to be lawlesse boundlesse carelesse Men know not what they doe in their anger this raises such a smoak that they cannot see their way the more corrupt the heart is the greater and the more noysome is the smoke raised by this fire in the heart Put fire to wet straw and filthy stuffe oh what a filthy smoke arises Lev. 13. 25. we read of a leprosie breaking out of a burning seldome doe mens passions burne but there is a leprosie breaking out of that burning and what union can there be with such It froward people were dealt withall like the Lepers shut up from others we should have more peace Some men when once their anger is got up they will never have done we can have no quiet with them this fire in them is like that of hel unquenchable The dog-dayes continue with them all the year long Seven devils can better agree in one Mary Magdalen then seven froward people in one family If one should set the Beakons on fire upon the landing of every Cock-boat what continuall combustions and tumults would there be in the Land Those men who upon every trifle are all on a fire by their passions and what in them lies set others on fire do exceedingly disturb the peace of those places where they live those societies of which they are Their hot passions cause the Climate where they live to be like the torrid Zone too hot for any to live near them Christ is the Prince of Peace and the Devil is the Prince of divisions Hence that expression of the holy Ghost Ephes 4. 27. Let not the sun goe down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil you are loth to give place to your brother you will say What shall I yield to him you will not yeeld to him but you will yeeld to him that is worse to the Devil So you doe when you yield to wrath There are divers other dividing distempers that we shall speak to but for the present let us make use of the great mercy of God towards us that yesterday we solemnized in a publick Thanksgiving let us see how we may improve this glorious work of God for the closing of our spirits the healing our divisions It cals to us aloud to joyn oh let your hearts joyn There are 12 Arguments in this great work of God to perswade us to union First there hath appeared much of Gods presence in this his great work I will praise thee O Lord for thou hast done it Ps 52. 9. The Lord hath appeared wonderfully his naked arm hath been revealed his right hand hath become glorious in power Those who were present saw much of God in this work They send to us to give God the glory and all the Countrey about sent still to tell us how much of God they have seen in this But how is this an argument for us to unite Suppose children or servants were wrangling one with another were not this an argument to make them be quiet Your Father is here your Mr. is come will not all be whist presently God is come amongst us wee may see the face of God in what he hath done for us and shall we be quarrelling before his face But 3. days before this great goodnesse of God by speciall Order from the House of Commons there was a day set apart to humble our souls before the Lord and to seek him for this mercy that now we rejoyce in in our Humiliation was not this one great sinne we did confess our divisions did we not then acknowledg that it were righteous with God because of our divisions to give us up as a prey to our adversarieâ— Now then have not our divisions overcom Gods goodnes lest Gods goodness overcome our divisions Suppose there had been a day of Humiliation set apart to mourn under the heavy hand of God against us in delivering us up into the hands of our enemies as through his mercy we have had a day of Thanksgiving to blesse him for our deliverance from them would not this sinn have been the matter of a great part of the comfession of all your Ministers Oh the divisions that are amongst us Thou hast dealt righteously with us Our wraths were up one against another and just it is with thee O Lord to let out the rage of the Adversary upon us shall we yet continue in that after a mercy which we have confessed might justly have prevented the mercy shall we stil be guilty of that which our consciences tell us would have been the burden of them as the just â—ause of our misery if the Lord had come against us in his sore displeasure God forbid Let not that evill now be found in us that would have galled our consciences if mercy had been denyed us 3. We are delivered from being devoured by our enemies shal we now devour one another oh unworthy we of such a deliverance as this It went ill with us in the beginning of the fight but God looked mercifully upon us his bowels wrought if I come not in for their help These ungodly men wil devour my servants howsoever they have been faire to some because yet they have not attained their own ends but if they prevail here they will account all their own and then they will begin to exercise that cruelty that yet hath not been heard of but it shall not be my heart cannot bear the cries of my servants under such cruelties as I foresee Do you think this was Gods end in delivering us from being devoured of our enemies that we
would not have them those whom they joyned with God told them should be thornes in their sides Upon this they wept and that so sore that the place received its name from their weeping But oh that the Lord would send his Angell yea his Spirit to us to convince us of our evill that we to this day have not joyned in sure league one with another but are thorns in the sides of one another and that after so many mercies such great deliverances from our bondage from the rage of ungodly men yea that we are so false one to another though the Lord hath never broke covenant with us which was the heart-breaking argument the Angell used ver 1. Yea the Lord hath done abundantly for us beyond our hopes desires thoughts and that after all this there should be nothing but breaches and divisions amongst us that we should be not only thornes but speares and swords in one anothers sides piercing to one anothers hearts Are we the children of Israel Let our hearts then break for the breaches of our hearts Let them break and melt and mourn and bleed and resolve that nothing shall comfort them but peace with our God and peace one wth another That one Text 1 Thes 4. 9. were enough alone to pierce our hearts through and through As touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you saith the Apostle for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another Oh Lord what are we in these dayes such kinde of Christians as these were Oh that it were so with us that we had no need to be wrote to to be preached to concerning this Does it appear by our carriages one towards another that we are taught of God to love one another But that God may teach us this day attend to what shall be said to you in his name which I shall cast into these five heads 2. Joyning Principles 2. Joyning Considerations 3. Joyning Graces 4. Joyning Practices 5. Conclude with Exhortation Wherein we shall endeavour to set before you the beauty and excellency there is in the heart union and mutuall love of Christians I shall not need to be long in these For take away Dividing Principles Dividing Distempers Dividing Practices and be thoroughly convinced of the evill of divisions and one would think our hearts should of themselves run into one another But that I may not seeme to leave our wounds open so that aire should get into them but endeavour the closing of them and so the healing I shall speak something to these five Heads The first joyning Principle In the middest of all differences of judgement and weaknesses of the Saints it is not impossible but that they may live in peace and love together IF notwithstanding the differences from Gods mind and many weaknesses there may be peace and love between God his Saints then surely notwithstanding these things the Saints may be at love and peace among themselves Let this be laid for a ground and let our hearts be much possessed with it we shall finde it very helpfull to our closing Away with that vain conceit which hath been the great disturber of Churches in all ages if men differ in their judgement and practice in matters of religion though it be in things that are but the weaknesse of godly men yet there must needs be heart-burning and division Let all peaceable men deny this consequence Let us not say it will be so and that our words may be made good afterwards indeed make it so certainly the connection of them if there be any is rather from the corruption of our hearts then from the nature of the things I have read of two Rivers in the East Sava and Danuby that run along in one channell threescore miles together without any noyse and yet they keep themselves distinct the colour of the waters remain distinct all along why should we not think it possible for us to go along close together in love and peace though in some things our judgements and practices be apparently different one from another I will give you who are Scholers a sentence to write upon your Study doores as needfull an one in these times as any it is this Opinionum varietas opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Variety of opinions and unity of those that hold them may stand together There hath been much ado to get us to agree we laboured to get our opinions into one but they will not come together It may be in our endevours for agreement we have begun at the wrong end Let us try what we can do at the other end it may be we shall have better successe there Let us labour to joyn our hearts to engage our affections one to another if we cannot be of one mind that we may agree let us agree that we may be of one minde Eusebius records a Letter that Constantine sent to Alexander and Arius before he apprehended the grossenesse of Arius his heresie conceiving them to differ but in smaller things he endevours to reconcile them For that sayes he the things wherein you differ concerneth not any waighty substance of our Religion there is no reason why it should breed at all any division in minde or discord in doctrine and this Isay not to compell you in this light question of what sort soever it be altogether to condescend unto the same sentence and though you dissent amongst your selves about a matter of small importance for neither truly are we all in all things like minded neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us neverthelesse for all that the sacred unity may be soundly and inviolably retained among you and one consent and fellowship conversed between all I have read of the like peaceable disposition in divers German Divines meeting to confer about matters of Religion in difference in Marpurg The conclusion of their Conference was this Although we see we cannot hitherto fully agree about the corporall presence of the body and bloud of Christ in the bread and wine yet both parts ought to declare Christian love one to another as farre as every one can with a good conscience Oh that this were the conclusion of all our debates and conference wherein we cannot come up fully to one anothers judgements If we stay for peace and love till we come to the unity of the faith in all things we must stay for it for ought I know till we come to another world Ephes 4. 11 12. He gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the worke of the Ministery till we all come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man The unity of the faith and the perfect man will be both together and when they are there will be no more need of any ministry there shall be no more preaching after we are all come to this unity when that
infinite scandall that comes by dissention Oh that there were such hearts in us Christ expects it from us all but especially from his Ministers for they are his Ambassadours for peace to beseech men in his stead to be reconciled to God reconciliation with God will reconcile us one to another If God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 4. 11. The faces of the Cherubims in the Temple looked one towards another which some think signified the agreement that should be amongst Ministers of the Gospel So the six branches in the Candlestick joyned all in one those who hold the light of truth before others should be united in peace in one amongst themselves The first thing Christs Ministers were to doe when they came to any place was to say Peace be to that place if any sons of peace were there they were to abide otherwise not Surely then it is expected that themselves should be sonnes of peace The contentions of private Christians are offensive but the contentions of Ministers is a scandall with a witnesse Yet in all Ages of the Church the corrupt Clergie have been the greatest causes of divisions they have been of the most cruell spirits against any that differed from them But let not such a spirit be in us we have enough to do to contend with the wicked of the world with the malice of Satan let us not contend one with another Luther writing to the Ministers of Norimberg brings in Christ saying to them Satis est vobis ob nomen meum malorum You are like to suffer evil enough for my name you need not be afflictions one to another It was barbarousnesse in the Priests of Baal to cut and slash themselves but it is worse for the Ministers of Jesus Christ to cut and slash one another 1 Kings 6. 23. The Cherubims were made of the Olive tree If you be typified by them as we hinted before let it appeare that you are olives not brambles yea and v. 31. For the entring of the Oracle the doores were of Olive-tree who will believe that you bring the Oracles of God with you when they see by your froward contentious carriage that you never entred in at these doores People cannot but think it a miserable thing to have a scratching tearing bramble to be over them Oh that God would set the beauty glory of peace friendship love before us That this precious pearle Vnion might be highly valued by us All men are taken in some degree or other with the excellency and sweetness of love and friendship Some men sayes Cicero despise riches others honours those things that by some are delighted in by others are vilified but all men of all sorts have a high esteem of friendship they think there can be no life without it Gen. 34. 21. The great commendation that Hamor and Shechem give of Jacob and his Sons as an argument to perswade the men of Shechem to joyn with them in the giving their daughters to them for wives and in taking theirs is These men are peaceable with us A peaceable disposition is very convincing Cant. 6. 6. My dove my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her What then followes The daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queenes and the Concubines and they praised her Who I se she that looketh forth as the morning faire as the moone cleare as the Sunne terrible as an Army of Banners Let the Saints be but one and then they will appeare beautifull and glorious indeed yea they will be terrible as an army of Baners Evagrius in his Ecclesiasticall History records an Epistle of Cyrill of Alexandria written to John of Antioch upon the occasion of a Pacificatory Epistle of John unto him his spirit was so taken with it that it breaks forth thus Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad the mid wall of rancour is battered downe the boyling choler which bereaved the mindes of quietnesse is purged from among us and all the occasion of discord and dissention is banished away for our Saviour Iesus Christ hath granted peace unto the Churches under heaven The Thebans made Harmonia a goddesse they accounted her the defender and patronesse of their City Harmonious peaceable uniting dispositions have much of God in them if not from sanctifying grace yet it is from a common work of the Spirit of God there is a noblenesse in such a heart By the Lawes of England Noblemen have this priviledge that none of them can be bound to the peace because it is supposed that a Noble disposition will never be engaged in brawles and contentions it is supposed that the peace is alwayes bound to him that of his own accord he will be carefull to preserve it It is the base Bramble that rends and teares Nazianzen reports of Alexander who having taken a City and consulting what to doe one Parmenius answered If he were King he would raze the City to the ground Alexander answers So would I too if I were what you are rigour may become you but gentlenesse becomes me Gentlenesse mercy goodnesse love tendernesse of others sufferings are the greatest ornaments to a noble spirit If this be sanctified the glory of God shines bright indeed in such a heart For God glories in this to be the God of peace and love 1 Thess 5. 23. The very God of peace 2 Thess 3. 16. The Lord of peace himselfe Jesus Christ in being the Prince of peace the holy Ghost in being like a Dove that hath no gall the Gospel is the Gospel of peace the Kingdome of God is peace as well as righteousnesse the legacy that Christ left is a legacy of peace the Apostolicall benediction is grace mercy and peace the glory of the Church is in this that it is a City compact at unity within it selfe Yea this will be the glory of that glorious Church that God is raising a new Jerusalem there shall be no more crying there Apoc. 21. 4. Ezech. 14. 9. The Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day there shall be one Lord and his name shall be one There is but one Lord now but he is called by different names but in that day his name shall be but one Zeph. 3. 9. Then will I turne to a people of pure language that they may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one consent The Hebrew word is with one shoulder now we shoulder one another but then all shall serve the Lord with one shoulder This love and peace is compared to the most delightfull and the most profitable things Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell at unity it is like the precious ointment upon the head that ranne downe upon the beard even Aarons beard that went downe to the skirts of his garment as the dew of
liberty now their division rose high some would to up to Jerusalem to worship others would not those that went up cryed out of those who went not and those who went not vilified those who went Now their hearts are thus divided now shall they be found guilty The desolating judgment must now come This is the time for their captivity Now he gives them up to the Enemie God was exceedingly provoked with their contentions one against another at this time What says God when I was in some way of favour towards them when I took off in great part the yoke of bondage that was upon them that sore oppression that was before none of them a while since dared goe to Jerusalem to worship and now their Governours are more moderate their oppressing Courts are downe there is more liberty in the Land for my true worship and do they now fall out contemn divide wrangle one with another let them goe into captivity let the enemy come in upon them my soule takes no delight in such a crooked perverse Generation as this is Our condition seems to parallel with theirs very much we lately were under sore and cruell bondage nothing was more dangerous then the worshipping God in his own way wee were under hard Task-masters oppressing undoing Courts The Lord hath in a great measure delivered us it is the unthankfulness the sinfull distemper of mens spirits that makes them say what is done it is as ill with us as ever it was No we have much ease such liberties as were our fore-fathers raised out of their graves to see they would admire Gods goodness and bless him with meltings of heart but we spend that strength in siding wrangling contending quarrelling vexing opposing one another that we should spend in magnifying blessing and praising the Name of God for that mercy we enjoy We are a divided people whose hearts are divided and heads too and hands too peace and unity seems to be flown from us and a spirit of contention and division is come upon us King Subjects are divided Parl. is divided Assembly is divided Armies are divided Church is divided State is divided City is divided Country is divided Towns are divided Families divided godly people are divided Ministers almost every where are divided yea and what heart almost is there at this time but is divided in it self the thoughts the counsels contrivances endeavours ways of men almost of all men how are they divided O blessed Saviour are these the times thou speakest of wherein five should be in one house divided three against two and two against three the father against the son and the son against the father the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother Oh woe to us wee find it so amongst us and yet there is found no healing we are broken and there is no binding up It is with us as it was with Ezek. 2. 6. Briars and thorns are with us and we dwell among Scorpions O Lord what is this thy curse at this time upon England Bryers and thornes shall it bring forth We are rending and tearing and devouring one another while the adversary stands before us ready to devour us Ephraim is against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim A fire is come out from Abimilech and devours the men of Sechem and fire comes from the men of Sechem and devours Abimilech yea there is a fire kindled in our owne bowels it rises from our selves Ezek. 19. 14. Fire is gone on t of a rod of her branches which hath devoured her fruit so that shee hath no strong rod to be a Seepter to rule this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation This is amongst us at this day and how long it shall continue God onely knows What this people were in their divided condition that we are and what does this threaten but that we should be as they a while after this were namely a people given up to the rage and fury of the Enemie which the Lord forbid There is a great out-cry of our divisions and while we cry out against them wee still encrease them we are angry with men rather because they are divided from our selves then because they are divided from the truth we are angry because every man is not of our own mind does not as we do There was a great deal of doe in Luthers time about the seamless coat of Christ Granvillian the Emperours Deputy in a Speech he made to the Citizens of Wormes beseeches them for the death of Christ and for all loves that they would amend our Lords coate which is rent and torn on every side When Luther laboured to bring Reformation to the Rule they bad him take heed that he did not rend the seamless coat of Christ and because they talked so much of the tunica inconsutilis they were called the Inconsutilistae the seamelesse men And what a stirre hath there been in out-cryes against men that would not yeeld to every thing that was enjoyned O they rent the seamlesse Coat of Christ I remember Musculus in a Tract he hath De Schismate hath a witty and pious note upon this The Souldiers saith he would not divide the seamelesse coat of Christ but what made them to be so carefull of it was it out of respect to Christ that they were so unwilling it should be divided No but out of respect to their owne advantage every one hoping it might fall to his share therefore say they Let us cast lots for it so saith he men would not have Christs coat divided they would have no division in the Church but what do they aime at their own advantage that they might enjoy quietly their owne ease honour and means that they might have none to contradict them but that the streame may run smoothly and wholly with them what a fine brave thing were this And because they see they cannot doe this while their ways are looked into and crossed therefore they make such an outcry against the dividing the seamlesse coat of Christ But certainly till our hearts be otherwise then yet they are all our out-cries wil not serve our ends the stilling our divisings Did we less divide between God and our own ends our own wayâ— we should not divide so much one from another Wherefore let us first turn our thoughts to consider a little of this division between God and other things and the evil of it CHAP. II. The evill of dividing between God and any thing else THis people would give God something and their idols something and so think to please both 2 King 7. 33. They feared the Lord and served their Idolls Thus Judah in the days of Josiah Zeph. 1. 5. sware by the Lord and by Malcham Swearing is a part of Gods worship therefore no humane instituted Religious ceremony ought to be joyned with it no more then with the Sacrament or any other divine worship no creature should share
may be devoured one of another We read Ezek. 5. 3 4. the Prophet was bid to bind up a few hairs in his skirt which was to signifie a few of the people which were preserved from that common calamity but after these were cast into the fire and fire came forth from these to all the house of Israel Polanus upon the place hath this note that grievous evils may come upon those who have been preserved from former common miseries and those who for a while have been preserved by their contentions and divisions may be the cause of woful evil to others God forbid that this Text should be fulfilled in us Let not a fire come from us who yet are so graciously preserved to devour the house of Israel 4ly God in this work of his hath joyned severall sorts of instruments men of severall opinions he hath made them one to do us good why should not we be one in the enjoyment of that good Let the one part and let the other part have their due honour under God in the mercy God hath made use of both and why may not both enjoy the fruit of this mercy together in the Land Fiftly We were not without some feares lest God should leave us in the work of Reformation begun but now God speaks aloud to encourage us he tels us he owns the worke Now what doth this require of us A little Logick will draw the consequence Hath God declared himself that he intends to go on in this work he hath begun Then let us all joyn together to further it to the uttermost we can let us not exasperate the spirits of one another in ways of strife and opposition but let every one set his hand and hand to this worke that he may be able to say Oh Lord God thou that knowesâ— the secrets of all hearts knowest that upon this great mercy of thine my heart was so moved that whatsoever I could possibly see to be thy will for the furtherance of this great work of Reformation and that I was able to doe I did set my selfe to doe it and am resolved to spend my strengâ—h and life in it If every one did thus oh what glory might God have from this mercy of his 6ly When the Lord comes to us with mercies and such great mercies he expects we should rejoyce in them and sing praise but how can we sing without Harmony Prayer requires an agreement Mat. 18. 19. If two of you shall agree on earth touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them Surely Praise requires agreement much more Psalms out of tune are harsh to the eare disagreement of heart is much more to the Spirit of God 7. Surely when God hath done so much for us it must be acknowledged to be our duty to study what sacrifice would be best pleasing to him some sacrifice we must offer If there be any more acceptable to him then other surely he deserves it no. If a friend had done some reall kindness for you you would be glad to know what might be most gratefull to him wherein you might testifie your thankfulness Is this in your hearts Do you now say Oh that we did but know what is the thing that would be most pleaâ—ing to God what sacrifice would smell sweetest in his nostrils The Lord knowes we would fain offer it whatsoever it be I will tell you That we would lay aside our divisions our frowardnesse that we would abandon our contentions and strife that we would put on the bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-suffering forbearing one another forgiving one another If any man hath a quarrell against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye Col. 3. 12. And 1. Pet. 3. 4. A meeâ—e and a quiet spirit is in the â—ight of God of great price it is much set by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 15. 17. The sacrifice of God that which is in stead of all sacrifices is a broken spirit Our hearts have been broken one from another in our unhappy divisions oh that now they could break one towards another in love and tenderness Here would be a sacrifice more esteemed of God then thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyle Loving mercy and walking humbly is preferred above such sacrifices Micah 6. 8. 8ly God might have sodeâ—'d us together by the fire of his wrath he might have made our blood to have been our cement to have joyned our stinty hearts together but it is otherwise God seeks to draw us to himselfe and one to another by the cords of love the allurings of his mercy Ninthly what can have that power to take off the sowrnesse of mens spirits like mercy the mercy of a God surely if any thing possibly can sweeten them that must needs do it We read 1 Sam. 11. 11 12 13. a notable experiment of the efficacy of mercy to sweeten mens hearts After Saul had slain the Ammonites some of the bosterous spirits would have had him to have slain those who formerly had rejected him but mark Sauls answer ver 13. There shall not a man be put to death this day Why For this day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel Though Saul at another time was a man of a harsh and cruell spirit yet now mercy sweetens him that which he was one day by the sense of mercy that should we be not only in the day of our Thanksgiving but in the course of our lives When salvation came to the house of Zacheus O what a sweet temper was he in Behold halfe of my goods I give to the poore and if I have wronged any one I restore foure-fold Salvation is this day come to the Kingdome O that all we had hearts to say If wee have wronged any wee will restore if wee have wronged any in their names by word or writing any way we will restore Mercy and love calls for mercy and love if we were in a right tune there would be a sympathy between the bowels of God and ours as in two Lures if the string in one be wound up to be answerable to the other if you then strike one string the other will move though lying at a distance Now Gods love Gods bowels move let our love our bowels move answerably 10. God shewes that he can owne us notwithstanding all our infirmities Was ever Kingdome in a more distempered condition then ours hath been of late and yet the Lord hath owned us Why should not we own our Brethren notwithstanding their infirmities Why should our divisions cause uâ— to call off one another seeing our divisions from God hath not provoked him to cast us off 11. Is it not in our desires that this great Victory might be pursued that it might not be lost as others in great part have been Surely it cannot be pursued better then to take this advantage of it to unite our selves more together then ever we have done
in the wilderness in an afflicted condition we are fiery serpents one to another The Hebrew word that signifies afflicted signifies meeke to note that afflicted ones should be meek ones When the storm is comming the Bees flock together to the hive Ier. 50. 4. In those dayes saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come and the children of Judah together going and weeping they shall goe and seek the Lord their God Judah and Israel could not agree at other times but when they are in a weeping condition then they shall come together Secondly it is a time of Fasting and Prayer England never knew what such Fasting and Prayer meant as it hath knowne of late No nation in the world that we know of ever knew the like and shall we in such times as these when we are casting downe our selves before Almighty God when we are judging our selves before him in the pride and frowardness of our hearts contend against one another Esay 58 4. Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to fight with the fist of wickednesse It is a fist of wickedness indeed that fights in times of Fasts Is it such a Fast that I have chosen How doe we in the dayes of our Fasts acknowledge our vileness our unworthyness of the least mercy our pride our self-love our envy our passions all those distempers that are dividing distempers yet still we continue in them and they break forth into dividing practices Surely our Fasts will rise up in judgement against us to make the sin of our divisions out of measure sinfull Thirdly It is a time also of great mercies We are afflicted but not forsaken and mercies should sweeten our spirits This Summer hath been a continued miracle of mercies if our agreeing together our love to one another were now beyond the expectation of all men as Gods mercies to us have been beyond and above all expectation even such a fruit of mercies would be the greatest mercy of all But if instead of being sweetned by mercies we are the more imbittered one against another how great is this sinne If we shall take occasion from our victories at Nazeby Taunton Bridgewater Sherburne Bristol to seek to drive out of the Kingdome thousands of godly men whom God used as instruments of so great mercy to us will not this be sin unto us God brought us indeed into a wildernesse but he hath there spoke comfortably to us our wildernesse is our way to Canaan It was the charge of Joseph to his brethren Gen. 45. 24. when they were going from Egypt to Canaan See that ye fall not out by the way We hope God is leading us to Canaan oh that we could see Christ looking upon us and charging us saying See that you fall not out by the way do not grudg one against another let not one say You are the cause of our trouble and another say Nay but you are the cause of our trouble let every one charge his own heart let every man fall out with his own sin as much as he will but let not brethren fall out by the way Fourthly it is a time of Service God never put such opportunities of service into our hands as now he hath How many holy men who were furnished with large abilities and enlarged hearts to have done service for God and his people in former times lived privately onely enjoyed sweet communion between God and their owne soules but oh how did they prize opportunities of service how did they thirst after and greedily embrace advantages for publique work they were willing to submit to any thing to the uttermost their consciences would suffer them that they might be employed in work for God and his Saints Though their encouragement from men was small yet their work was wages to them but in those times almost all places of publique imployment were in the hands or at the dispose of evill men could they have foreseen that within a few yeers there should be a doore open for all godly men to full opportunities for the imployment of their gifts and graces to the uttermost How would they have rejoyced and longed to have seen those times and blessed those who should live in them I am confident it cannot be shewn that ever there was a time since the world began that so many godly people in a Kingdome have had such a large opportunity of publike service as for these last five yeers hath been in England and shall this opportunity be lost with our wranglings and contendings Oh how unworthy are we to live in such times as these are When a Master sets his servants to work and that in such a peece of work as is of great concernment the opportunity of which if lost will be a great losse to him if these servants shall trifle away this opportunity with wrangling one with another about their work one opposing another in it will this be a good account to their Master So much time was spent in work but so much in quarelling whereby there is little of the work done We read of Nehemiah cap. 6. 3. when Sanballat and Tobiah those quarelsome companions sent to him to meet them intending to quarrell with him he answered them I am doing a worke so that I cannot come why should the worke cease If we see men set upon strife and contention we should not meddle with them to spend our time in answering what comes from them our case were miserable if we were at the mercy of every quarreller bound to answer whatsoever he pleases to put forth But let us tend our work these opportunities of service that now we have are too pretious to give away to them to be spent to be lost upon them How just were it with God to take these opportunities from us to bring us againe into such a condition as we should be glad of a dayes imployment in publick service and then oh how would our consciences wring us and grate upon us for such ill improvement of them for such unworthy losse of them when we had them 5. This time is the time of the tryall of our spirits We never had such a time to try what spirit of love what principles of union are in us as now we have and shall we now miscarry May it not be justly thought that all our seeming love one to closing one with another formerly was only for our own ends Before we were all under oppression or at least the fears of it when we looked upon our selves as in the same condition then the trial was not so much but now there is some difference made in the condition of godly men Some have the times smiling upon them more then others now is the time of tryal The time of the triall of the spirit of Pharaâ—hs Butler towards Joseph was when he was out of prison injoying his preferment at the Court Joseph remained stil in prison Perhaps while they were fellow-prisoners
he might tell Joseph that his heart did close much with him and if he had any opportunity to be useful to him oh what a happinesse should he think it to himselfe Surely it should be improved for the good of Joseph to the uttermost But when he was preferred when he had respect amongst great ones and Joseph still was kept low then he is not the same man that he was when he was Josephs fellow-sufferer Now he hath other things in his head Joseph is forgotten by him Where this evill is be sure God will find it out for it is an evill very grievous to his Spirit Put these together and it will appeare that it is no time now to contend whatsoever we doe at other times I remember I have read of Sir Francis Drake having a dear friend of his slaine by a bullet as he sate with him at supper Ah sayes he I could grieve for thee but now is no time for me to let down my spirits So when any shal do such things as might cause contention do you speak to your own heart Ah I find my anger stirred I could contend but now is no time for me to let my spirits rise in a contending way these times call for peace and union not for strife and debate This is the 11. aggravation we are divided in such a time as this The twelfth is we are divided notwithstanding we are all convinced of the evill of divisions We cry out exceedingly against them we tell one another that of all the tokens of Gods displeasure amongst us these are the greatest Yet scarce a man does any thing or leaves any thing undone towards any help against divisions or furtherance of our union Every man cries out of the Theefe but who stops him We all say we would have peace oh peace is an excellent thing But where is the man who is willing to be at any cost for it either in putting up any wrong which he conceives is done to himself or bearing with his brother in any thing differing from himself The Lord may justly judge us out of our own mouths 13. We have complained of others who are in place of power to be of harsh cruel dispositions We have sayd if they had been of gentle loving peaceable dispositions tendring the glory of God dearly the good of their brethren as their own what abundance of good might they have done We have thought in those times Oh if such men were in place who were then our dear brethren whom we conceived to be of holy humble sweet peaceable spirits very tender-hearted towards any they saw godlinesse in had they power in their hands what safety peace rest would the Saints have How comfortably should they goe on in their work How would they be edified praysing the Lord What a heaven upon earth should we have And yet we finde it otherwise We may say we looked for light and behold I will not say darknesse but behold dimnesse even from them for brightnesse but behold obscurity Oh how doe the carriages of these men in some degree justifie the harshnesse sowernesse domineering and cruelty of some of the Prelates We hope nothing shall ever befall us as to be such a temptation to us as to justifie their places But some of their persons are so farre justified as there is occasion given to think they were not such vile men as heretofore we thought they were For now we see what a temptation there is in having the times shine upon me in having power put into mens hands We see now that men who have other manner of principles then ever they had yet how sadly they miscarry when they come under the like temptations How can we answer Christ Jesus for these things 14. We are still divided though we have seen the wofull evils that divisions have brought upon others yet we cannot be warned by other mens harmes Those who are acquainted with Ecclesiasticall Histories may furnish themselves with Volumes in this kind Who can read that short but sowre History of the troubles at Frankford but his heart must needs bleed within him And of late what evills have almost all the Protestant party in Germany and through the Christian world suffered by divisions And yet we engage our selves in them and are every day engaging our selves more and more How deep we shall sink the Lord knowes 15. In our very labouring for union we are divided in our endeavours for peace we are at variance Nazianzen in his 12. Oration rebuking this strange miscarriage of men hath this notable expression While we would have charity we study hatred while we seek to set up the corner stone which unites the sides together we are loosned our selves we are for peace and yet we fight one with another Our wayes of late have been little else but doing and undoing yea we crosse our selves in what we would do by doing what we doe We are all full of contradictions in our own spirits and actions and we cry out of others that they are not consistent to their own principles Lastly the sin of our divisions is the greater because we make Religion to patronize them We divide from one another and all under a pretence of Religion Surely this Virgin is forced for there is nothing more contrary to the name or nature of Religion then to cause or further divisions The name carryes union strong union with it Religio à Religando from binding us againe to God and to one another after we were divided by our sin To father our wicked divisions upon Religion is no other then to bring down the Holy Ghost in the likenesse of a Dove to be like a Vultur or a Raven What spirit is it that we professe our selves to be acted by when we are working for Religion is it not the Spirit of God and is not that a Dove-like spirit although we dishonour our selves by discovering the basenesse of our own spirits by our divisions yet let us not put dishonour upon the blessed Spirit of God this makes the sin to be abhominable Nazianzen in his fore-named Oration inveighs against this in those in his time In our pleadings for the truth we sayes he belye one another as if this were the way to maintain truth CHAP. XXIX The wofull miseries that our divisions bring upon us THey are themselves fruits of the curse therefore there can come no other but cursed fruits from them except God contrary to their nature be pleased to over-rule them which he only is able to do It was the curse of God upon the ground Briars and thorns shall it bring forth It is no lesse curse of God upon mens hearts that they bring forth such briars and thorns by which they tear one another First our divisions provoke the wrath of God against us though the wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteousnesse of God yet it may accomplish the wrath of God Esay 9. 21. Manasseh against
of closing common gifts are of a middle nature between nature and grace as the spirits of a man are neither of the same nature with the soule nor of the body but between both and serve to unite the soule and body together which otherwise are of natures very different The common gifts that men who are not yet sanctified have may and should cause some union between the godly and them while they live in this world so far as to be usefull one to another in what God hath given them The second joyning Consideration Let us consider how farre we can agree VVE differ thus and thus but what doe we agree in doe we not agree in things enough wherein we may all the dayes of our lives spend all the strength we have in glorifying God together Many men are of such spirits as they love to be altogether busied about their brethrens differences their discourse their pens and all their wayes are about these and that not to heale them but rather to widen them You shall not hear them speak of or meddle with their agreements their strength is not bent to heighten and strengthen them if at any time they do take notice of their agreements it is to make advantage of them to render their disagreements the more odious or to strengthen themselves in what they differ from them they desire to get in men and to get from them only to serve their owne turnes upon them this is an evill spirit No marvaile therefore though some be so loath to discover to them how near they can come to him Pliny tells us of Apelles that drawing the face of Antiochus the King who had but one eye that he might hide this deformity he devised to paint him turning his visage a little away so he shewed but the one side of his face and from him sayes Pliny came the invention first of concealing the defects and blemishes of the visage But the Painters of 〈◊〉 time are quite in another way if there be any deformity or defect on any side they will be sure to paint that side in all the linâ—â—ments of it that must be set forth fully to the view of all men yea if it may be made to look more ugly and monstrous then it is all the skill they have shall be improved to do it But my brethren this ought not to be God doth not so with us he takes notice of the good of his children but conceals their evill There was but one good word in Sarahs speech to Abraham Gen. 18. 12. she called him Lord the speech otherwise was a speech of unbelief yet the holy Ghost speaking afterwards of her in reference to that speech 1 Pet. 3. 6. conceals all the evill in it and mentions only that reverend title she gave to her husband commending her for it Thus should we do had we peceable hearts thus we would do all the good of our brethren we would improve to the uttermost and what is evill so far as with a good conscience we might we could conceal When I shall see this temper in mens spirits I shall hope there will be peace The third joyning Consideration Let us consider of mens tempers spirits temptations education yeeres gifts THere must be a due consideration of all these and we must indulge something to them all This would allay much strife as we read Numb 31. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire ye shall make it goe thorough the fire and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make goe thorough the water We must deal with every man according to his temper Some men are by their complexions of a more harsh and rugged temper then others Consider what is the best way of dealing with such in the main they are faithfull and usefull they will joyn with you there and spend their lives for you if the harshness of their natures cause some excrescencies unpleasing carriages consider their tempers though no evill in them is to be justified yet deal tenderly with them indulge them what lawfully you may Some mens spirits though upright to God and you yet they have a fervor in them that is not qualified with that wisdome meekness humility as they ought do not presently take these advantages against them that they in their heat may perhaps give you do not fly upon them as if those unjustifiable expressions that com from them came from a spirit of malignity You know the man and the manner of his communication pass by weaknesses accept of uprightnesse Some mens temptation are very strong it may be their hearts are pressed with disappointments it may be they are pricked with the want of many comforts you have they have family-temptations and personall temptations that you are freed from you do not know what you might doe if you were under the like temptations Blesse God that you are delivered from them but do not adde to your brethrens affliction by taking advantages against them but according to the rule of the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Consider their education Some men have been brought up altogether amongst Prelaticall men perhaps among Papists some all their dayes have lived in wicked families they never were acquainted with the society of the Saints with that way of godlinesse that hath the most strictnesse and power in it You must not deale with them for all things you see amisse in them in the same way you would deale with such who have had godly education who have had acquaintance with the most strict and powerfull wayes of godlinesse but now manifest a spirit against them Consider mens yeares old age looks for respect and justly especially such as have gone through the brunt and suffered much for your good though some infirmities should break forth that are incident to old age we must cover and passe by what we can not forgetting that reverent respect that is due to the hoary head found in the way of godlinesse Consider mens gifts it may be they are not able to rise to your height to understand what you do thank God for your strength but be not angry with your brother because he is weaker This was one of the arguments for peace that Constantine in that forementioned Letter of his to Alexander and Arius used we are not in all things like minded neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us The fourth joyning Consideration What we get by contention will never quit cost A Merchant thinks it an ill venture if when he casts up his accounts he finds the charge of his voyage rises to more then his incomes If thou hast so much command of thy spirit if thou canst so farre overcome thy passions as to get a time in coole