a singular and eminent Blessing of God thereunto God made man at the first after his own Image so that as the Lord is wholly one and undivided in himself no dissonancy between any of his Attributes Decrees or Counsels so in man as he came out of Gods hands there was an exact harmony and agreement his Affections consonant unto his Will his Will to his Reason and his Reason to God And being thus perfectly One with himself he could not but be one likewise with others who were perfectly like himself as finding nothing more in them from the which to differ then in himself But when sin came into the world it brake the bond of Union between God and man making us enemies unto him by wicked works and so separating between him and us and hiding hie face from us It brake the bond of Union between a man and himself the Will rebelling against the Mind the Sensitive part against the rational one lust warring against another and all against the Soul It brake the bond of Union between man and man between one wicked man and another upon the ground of different Interests hateful and hating of one another between wicked men and good men upon the ground of contrary seeds the the Lord having put enmity between the Seed of the woman and the Seed of the Serpent Because God hath chosen his Church out of the world therefore the world hateth them When he had his Church only in one single people the Jews who dwelt alone and were not reckoned among the Nations we find not only in the Scriptures but also in prophane Writers how great scorn and contempt was cast upon chem by those of other Nations And when Christian Religion began to obtain in the world the like horrible Reproaches were cast upon Christians as we read of Thyestaea convivia Oedipi incestus in Tertullian Eusebius and others So true is that of Solomon He that is upright in the way is an abomination unto the wicked This Enmity Christ came to heal and to remove by preaching and by giving peace unto men working the hearts of his people to be at unity and peace one with another in which respect Christ saith of his Church My Dove my undefiled is but one Cant 6. 9. Now a thing may be said to be one two manner of ways there is unum per unitatem when a thing is so one as that it doth not any way consist of many as God is one by the absolute simplicity of his Nature without any diversity of part and part power and act matter and form subject and accident being and not being There is likewise unum per unionem when one thing is constituted and made up of many things united and joyned together and thus the Church is One We being many saith the Apostle are one bread and one body And again as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ. In this respect it is compared sometimes to an Army made up of many Souldiers ordered into Companies and Regiments under the Command of one General called the Captain of the Host of the Lord and the Captain of our Salvation Sometimes to a City compacted together and accurately proportioned in all the parts and measures thereof Sometimes to the Tabernacle of the Congregation wherein divers Curtains were coupled and joyned together by loops and taches into one Sanctuary Sometimes to the Temple wherein many goodly stones were framed and fitted into a Magnificent Structure in which respect the Church is called the House of God the Houshold of Faith the whole Family of Heaven and Earth a building fitly framed together and growing unto a holy Temple in the Lord Sometimes to a Vine consisting of one root and many branches and to a body wherein many members are conjoyned under one Head and animated by one Soul Thus the Church is One. And albeit we frequently read in the plural of the Churches of the Saints the Churches of Asia of Macedonia of Galatia of Syria and Cilicia yet all these are members of one and the same Catholick Church as many Cities of one Kingdome and many houses of one City For all the persons all the Assemblies and Associations in the world who acknowledge and worship one true God and one Mediator between God and Man the Lord Jesus walking by one and the same rule of Faith and Love in the Gospel do all make up but one Catholick Church And the former Resemblances and Similitudes whereby it is expressed lead us to the consideration of a threefold Unity in the Church 1. An Unity by way of Disposition and Order as in an Army or Building 2. An Unity by way of Composition or integral Completion as between the parts of the body unto the perfection of the whole 3. An Unity by way of Constitution or Essential Concurrence of Soul and Body unto one man or of the Subject and vital principles whereby it is animated There is then in the Church 1. An Unity of Order as the Apostle rejoyced when he beheld the Order of the Church at Colosse And this consisteth 1. In Variety of Offices and in the due and regular Subordination of those one unto another and of the body unto them all as the Apostle telleth us that God hath set in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers c. And that Christ when he ascended up on high gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ and these the Apostle requireth the rest of the Body to Esteem very highly in love to obey them and submit themselves unto them because they watch for their Souls 2. In Variety of Ordinances in the which Christ is set forth before the eyes of his people Such are Reading the Scripture for as in that Church of the Jews Moses and the Prophets were read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So the Apostle directeth the Reading of his Epistlâ—s in the Christian Church Preaching of the Word how shall they hear saith the Apostle without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Prayer as the Temple is called an house of Prayer for all people and Peter and John went up to the Temple at the hour of Prayer Baptism Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Supper of the Lord The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ 3. In variety of Gifts which the
Church to enjoy it the World a Tenement for his Creatures to dwell in the Church a Palace for himself to dwell in he hath desired it for his Habitation it is his Rest for ever Above all Excellencies Holiness is the Beauty of a Creature and therefore the Angels who excell in all created perfection are above all other Appellations honoured with the name of Saints Deut. 33. 2. they differ not in nature from Devils in Holinesse they do Derived Holiness consisteth in conformity to primitive holiness The Lord is most holy in himself and our holiness standeth in his Image and Likeness so far forth as he hath by an holy Law made his Holiness a pattern for ours And when we threw away that Image of God wherein our created Holiness consisted and the Lord was pleased in any of us to renew it again he did it by the pattern of his beloved Son who is the Image of the invisible God and the Character of his person full of Grace and Truth Now then according to the Excellency of the pattern we are to measure and take an estimate of that Beauty wherein we are conformable unto that pattern and what pattern more glorious then the blessed God and the Holy Son of God the chiefest of ten thousand unto whom therefore the conformity of a Creature must be its chief and principal Beauty There are several Attributes or Properties whereby the Excellency of this Beauty may be further discovered 1. Light and Luster for as a great part of the Corporal Beauty is in the life and vigour of the eye so of spiritual Beauty in the clarity and brightness of the mind when the Lord who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness shineth in our Hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as the Sun is the greatest Beauty of the visible world so Christ as a Sun of Righteousness by the Excellency of his knowledge is the glory and beauty of the invisible 2. Rectitude Straitness the wise man thus expresseth our primitive Beauty that God made man perfect and we do then recover this Beauty when we are without guil and perverseness of Spirit when we make strait paths for our feet to walk in and do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 go evenly according to the Truth of the Gospel 3. Integrity and Compleatness when all the parts and members of the new man are formed in us and we do partake of the fulness of Christ Grace for Grace as the Child of his parent member for member The Lord in the Law would not accept of a maimed Offering Levit. 22 21 22. And when we offer up our selves a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God we must be sanctified throughout and our whole Spirit Soul and Body must be preserved blameless for wherever Christ is formed though it be but in measure as to the degrees of Grace yet that measure must be the measure of every part so that there is at once both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks a measure in regard of the Imperfection of every Grace and yet a fulnesse in regard of the perfection of every part or member of the new man 4. Symmetry and an exact proportion of parts and equal temperament of humours one with another which in regard of Spiritual Beauty is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exactnesse of Obedience when there is such a due temper of Piety to God Sobriety to our selves and Righteousness to others that none of these do obstruct the other but that there is an equal respect to all Gods Commandments and such a supply and accurate distribution of vital influence unto every member of the new man that no part doth either swell or wither that Zeal is not blind nor Knowledge unfruitful nor Faith without Love nor the Duties of one Table without those of another but that we gâ—ow up unto Christ in all things and have an effectual working in the measure of every part 5. Growth and Progress in these proportions for while we are in this world we are still in our Minority and therefore must still be contending towards perfection To be a man in years and a child in stature is an unbeautiful thing Christ hath no Dwarfs in his body though one man attain greater degrees of perfection then another yet all are in a growing condition the life of Christ in us being a life that abounds and his Grace like the waters of the Sanctuary rising up higher and higher Lastly Indeficiency wherein spiritual Beauty surpasseth all other for bodily favour is deceitful and Beauty vain it runneth all at last into wrinkles and deformity but as Christ himself never saw Corruption no more doth the Beauty that he brings to the Soul with him They who are planted in the Lords house do flourish in his Courts and are fat and fruitfull in their old age As we may truly say of sin in a wicked man Concupiscentiâ— non senescit though nature wax old and infirm yet Lust doth not so we may say of Grace in a good man Charitas non senescit it is not apta nata of it self to decay but proceeds from strength to strength The ends of the Ordinances do likewise further evidence this Beauty of theirs unto us For they are by Christ intended for such purposes as these 1. To Quicken us and to fashion him in us By nature we are dead in trespasses and sins and death ever induceth deformity but by the holy Spirit of Christ working in and by his Ordinances we are restored unto his life and likeness and conformed unto the Image of him who is altogether lovely 2. To clense and purifie us from all Defilements for the fear of the Lord is clean and his Commandment pure both in it self and in its operations his precious promises by our faith in them and by our hope and expectation of them do clense us from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and cause us to purifie our Selves even as he is pure that we may offer unto the Lord an Offering in Righteousnesse that our Offerings may be pleasant unto him 3. To heal us of all our spiritual distempers whereby the Beauty of the Soul is dimmed or impaired As many of Christs Miracles were shewed in making the blind see the deaf hear the lame leap and in curing of all manner of sickness and disease so the spiritual vertue of his holy Ordinances is seen in spiritual Operations consonant unto those in which respect he is called a Physician to bind up the broken hearted and to heal the stroke of the wound of his people He is the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the Nations 4. To comfort us to wipe away all
Lord doth severally divide as it pleaseth him for the profit and good of the whole body In the Administration of which Ordinances Offices and Gifts such Decency and Order is to be observed as that it may appear that in all the Churches of the Saints God is a God of Peace and not of Confusion ordaining in all of them that as God hath distributed to every man called every man so he should abide with God within the Precincts of his own Calling not running before he be sent but serving the Lord in that rank station wherein he hath set him 2. An Integral Vnity as between all the parts of an intire body joyned in due order together unto the compleating of the whole and this Unity presupposeth a double Vnion the one of the body to the head the other of the members to one another of both which the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4. 15 16. 1. There is a bond of Vnion between Christ and his body the Church He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit and this Bond is on Christs part his Spirit whereby he joyneth himself unto his Body we are an habitation of God through the Spirit and on a Believers part his Fatth whereby he joyneth himself to Christ and appointeth him for his Head by which means Christ dwelleth in the hearts of his people Both which the Apostle putteth together calling it the Spirit of Faith 2 There is a Bond of Vnion between the members of the body amongst themselves viz. The mutual Love of Believers unto one another called the Band of perfectness whereby they are knit together for this Grace is that Cement which joyneth the Stones of this spiritual building into one Temple being shed abroad into their hearts by the holy Spirit and is therefore called the Love of the Spirit Rom. 15. 30. as elsewhere the Vnity the Supply and the Fellowship of the Spirit For where this Unity of Spirit and Love is every member doth make a Supply according to the measure which it self hath for the increasing and edifying of the body walking together in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 3. An Essential Vnity or as St. Hilary calls it Naturalis Vnitas as the body and the soul being joyned together maketh one man and thus Christ is said to make in himself of twain one new man by the participation of that one Spirit which was without measure poured out upon Christ the Head and from his Fulness shed abroad in such proportion upon his Members as he is variously pleased to dispence unto them by which means Christ is formed in us liveth in us and is a quickning Spirit unto us for the Spirit of Christ is that divine seed whereby we are regenerated unto his life and likeness and as St. Peter expresseth it are partakers of the Divine Nature 4. Consequent upon this Essential Vnity whereby all the mystical members of Christ are animated and enlivened by one and the same quickning Spirit doth follow a Moral unity of hearts and minds between all of them as it is said of the Primitive Christians that the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. And this Moral unity is four-fold 1. An Vnity of Faith in the great and necessary Doctrines of Salvation or in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ called by the Apostle the Foundation the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ the form of sound words the proportion or Analogy of Faith the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him Crucified the doctrine and truth which is after godliness the Faith of the Gospel the Faith of Jesus the Mystery of Godliness the Rule by which we should walk called by the Ancients the Seed of Doctrine the Character of the Church the Rule which is common to small and great in one word whatever Doctrine there is the knowledge whereof and assent where-unto is simply necessary unto Salvation in this all who shall be saved do first or last most unanimously agree Differences there may be and usually are in less necessary points which are matters quaestionum non fidei as S. Austin speaks for we know but in part and are not yet come to be perfect men and till the members have attained unto their full stature there cannot be expected an universal consent and harmony of judgements in all points even among the best and most learned men in which case notwithstanding we should receive one another in love and Brotherly Communion because God himself receiveth even those who thus differ into his favour but the Spirit of God doth never fail to lead all that shall be saved into all necessary truths and to preserve them from any damnable and pernicious doctrines 2. Vnity in obedience wherein all holy men do agree albeit some may much exceed others in their progress and degrees of holiness as we may see by comparing the Testimony given unto Asa and unto Josiah such are Repentance from dead works without which we cannot be saved Reliance upon Christ alone by a sincere and unfeigned faith for Life and Salvation A true love of the Lord Jesus and of all that are his A sincere regard unto all Gods Commandments and an hatred of every false way A desire to fear Gods Name and a purpose of heart to cleave unto him and follow him fully Lastly Self-denial submitting our Will and Reason in all things to the Word and Will of God There may be great differences in the spiritual growth and degrees of holiness between one Christian and another some sick others healthy some strong others weak some little children others young men some bruised reeds and smoaking flax others bold as a Lyon But this is obedientia parvis magnisque communis 3. Unity in Worship For though different Churches may have different observances in the External forms and modes of Divine Service yet in the Substantials of Worship they all agree viz. that God is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth and to be sanctified in all those that draw nigh unto him That we are to call upon God only in the Name of Christ as our alone Advocate and Mediator giving thanks unto God the Father by him That we are not to worship Creatures who cannot know our hearts nor answer our prayers nor supply our wants in whom we are not required to believe but are to hold the head to keep our selves from Idols 4. Unity in Ends and Designs for being Brethren in the same Family fellow Citizens with one another and of the houshold of Faith having one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all the same Enemies to oppose the same interests and common Salvation to
tears from our eyes all sorrow from our hearts and thereby to make our faces shine for as Moses by extraordinary Converse with God on the Mount had a lustre on his face so in some proportion all Communion with him doth by the spiritual comfort bring a Beaury upon holy men filling them with the peace of God which passeth understanding and with Joy which is unspeakable and glorious 5. To fit and prepare us for the Lord himself to delight in that his Image in us may attract the eye and heart the love and delight of the Lord of Glory unto us the Lord hath set apart the man that is godly for himself hath chosen Israel for his peculiar Treasure hath formed them for himself to shew forth his praise and purified them unto himself for a peculiar people and because the Church is in this special manner Gods own therefore he will in special manner put his Comliness upon her and will beautifie the place of his Sanctuary as he is called the Glory of his people Israel so he hath hononred his people Israel with this high dignity to be called His Glory Lastly The manner of Christs Governing his Church by his Ordinances is full of Beauty and Sweetness with a still voice with the cords of a man with the bands of Love he gathereth the Lambs in his arm and carryeth them in his Bosome as one whom his Mother comforteth so doth he comfort them he doth not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax he deals with perswasions and entreaties by his Ambassadors beseeching us to be reconciled unto God he leads his Flock by still waters and into green pastures through ways of pleasantnesse and paths of peace he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men In the midst of wrath he remembreth Mercy when he causeth grief he sheweth compassion and when he speaks against Ephraim he earnestly remembreth him still he hath set up a sweet order in his Church both in Doctrine and Policy managing both with meeknesse and gentlenesse preaching peace proclaiming Liberty erecting over his people a Banner of Love and though he have an iron Rod for his enemies yet he holdeth forth a golden Scepter to his people ruling in their hearts by a spirit of Adoption and by a Law of Love Thus he feedeth his Church by his Staff called Beauty Great therefore is the Indignity which they offer unto Christ who despise the sweetness of this his Government the waters of Shiloah which go softly refusing to submit to his easie yoake being offended at the severity and Sanctity of his Doctrine saying in their hearts like those in the Gospel Luke 19. 14. We will not have this man to rule over us disdainfully undervaluing that great salvation which he by his pretious blood purchased for them and by the word of his Grace doth continually tender unto them Spretae injuria formae is no small dishonour done to him who is the Lord of Glory Great the Thankfulness we owe unto him for the fruit of this his Beautiful and amiable Government that we who were enemies unto him by wicked works and were well pleased with that our misery should by the power of his Spirit be translated from the Tyranny of Satan into the kingdom of Grace and be made a willing people beautified with his Salvation Great the value we ought to set upon the Ordinances of the Gospel the Staff of Beauty by which he governeth his Flock the Ornaments and Bracelets the Chain and Jewels which he sendeth unto his Spouse to adorn her withal No man cometh unto Christ till he seeth Beauty in him and vain men who love their Lusts better then their life are naturally prejudiced against his holy ways He is to the Disobedient a stone of stumbling a rock of Offence a sign to be spoken against Now by the Light and Majesty of the Ordinances this prejudice is removed and we all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Great the Duty which we owe to the Gospel to bear witness unto the Beauty thereof by our holy Conversation To think on those things which are venerable just pure lovely and of a good report which adorn and become the Gospel and are worthy of that high Calling wherewith we are called to remember that we are vessels of Honour to be purged and sanctified that we may be meet for our Masters use that we are Temples of the Holy Ghost separated unto his special service and presence And if any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy That we are a redeemed and a peculiar people whom Christ hath purified unto himself That without Holiness our prayers and Sacrifices are but an abomination For as without Holiness no man can see God so without Holiness no man can serve him What hath my Beloved to do in my house saith the Lord seeing she hath wrought lewdness The Lord will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him We should thereforeall in our several places especially those unto whom the Pastoral Dignity and Trust doth appertain use our utmost care to preserve the Church of God amongst us in that honour and beauty which belongs thereunto not corrupting the Doctrine thereof or obtruding any meer problematical much less false and unsound positions of our own upon the faith of our Hearers not corrupting the Worship thereof either with superstition or irreverence not suffering either the meer Form of Godliness to swallow up the power or the pretence of power to shut out the Form but to give the Lord both that inward and outward Honour which is due to his holy name in all our solemn Attendances upon him not corrupting the sanctity thereof either with Hypocrisie or Prophaness with meer specious Pretences of Holiness on the one hand or with open and downright Contempt thereof on the other Lastly Not corrupting the Decency and Order thereof either by burthening Gods Service with an excessive number of needless Observances or on the other side censuring and deserting the Communion of a Sound and Orthodox Church because the Order thereof doth not in every particular please us Thus is the Church to be fed and Ruled with the former of our Prophets Staves The Staff Beauty Secondly Christ as the chief Shepherd by his Spirit and Power and his Under-Officers by their Ministery and Service do feed and rule his Church by his Staffe called Bands procuring and advancing the Unity thereof and gathering together into one all the members belonging thereunto that the whole body may be fitly joyned together and compacted without Schisms and Divisions which is