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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A33963 The happiness of brethrens dwelling together in unity discoursed upon Psalm 133, vers. 1, on occasion of the late thanksgiving, Feb. 14, 1688/9 / by John Collinges. Collinges, John, 1623-1690. 1689 (1689) Wing C5318; ESTC R26035 25,331 41

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occasion Composed it saith not It is not improbably guessed that the occasion of the Penning was the Vnion of all the Tribes in David their King of which you read 2 Sam. 5. 3. After 2 Sam. 5. 3. the Death of Saul David reigned some years over Judah alone but you read there that after he had reigned seven Years and three Months in Hebron over Judah alone all the Elders of Israel came to him in Hebron and made a league with him and anointed him King over Israel and thus now the twelve Tribes were become Gens una one Nation David might very probably upon this occasion Pen this Psalm commending to them the keeping of this Knot which God's Providence had made Thus it excellently suteth our present occasion we being at this Day in such an opportunity of uniting all that profess the Reformed Religion as possibly our Forefathers for more than an Hundred years till within our memory have wanted whether God will yet please to hide from us the things which concern our Peace time must shew However I could not but take the advantage of it to commend to you the Vnion of Brethren The words I have read to you is the Proposition of the whole Psalm the Proof of it lyes in the last words the other Verses are made up of two Similitudes illustrating the general Proposition The Proposition of the Psalm is that which my design is to make the Subject of my Discourse which I shall prove only by opening the last Clause There God commands the Blessings The other Passages of the Psalm I shall no further concern my self in than they will naturally fall under the proof of the Proposition Prop. It is a very good and pleasant thing for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity The Notion of Brethren in Scripture is of as great a Latitude as that of Neighbour It signifies those that agree in uno aliquo tertio in any third thing whether it be Blood in a more general Notion and thus all Men are Brethren each to other or in a more restrained Notion thus all of the same Family are Brethren or in the same more immediate Parents thus Esau is called Jacob's Brother or in the same Nation thus Paul calls the Jews his Brethren or in the same Religion or finally in the same Faith or hope of calling as the Apostle phraseth it thus we are called to Love the Brethren As to the particular sense of it in this Text it doubtless signifies those that were Members of the same Nation and United in the main things with respect to Religion It may be a more valuable Question what Vnion this is predicated of The Heb. saith no more than in One. I find some would have it only to respect Place But besides that this was sufficiently exprest before by the words dwell together Nor doth this always appear Productive of any Happiness or Pleasantness And if it did it would speak the Psalmist only here commending the Happiness of those who live in Towns and Cities contiguous one to another above theirs who live in the Country or places where Mens Habitations are at greater distances which is too mean a Notion to suit David's design in this Text. We must therefore find out some other Unity here intended Vnity refers certainly to the Mind and so there is a double Vnity The one referring to the Vnderstanding the other to the Will and Affections Unity so far as respecteth the understanding is a Oneness in Apprehension and Judgment which is consequent to it for every Man must judge of the truth or falshood the goodness or badness of a Notion as he apprehends it Now this is an Vnity which is not to be expected we may as soon look to see an Oneness in the likeness of all mens faces their features and complexions as in their apprehensions there must and will be while the World lasts different abilities in Men to discourse Conclusions from Principles as differences also in their Educations and improvements of their Reasons from whence Men and Womens apprehensions and judgments are formed I doubt whether any such thing may be pray'd for for what were it but to pray God to unmake the World and to Cast all mens Souls in the same Mould or to work some such miraculous change upon all for neither of which I know of any Warrant Besides supposing that the will must follow the dictate of the understanding it would with a witness too destroy all liberty of the will which some so contend for Nor do I know whether this would produce any such Happiness Indeed there is an Vnity of Faith that is desirable But that is secured by Mens rightly apprehending and Judging in all things necessary to be believed and done in order to Salvation But when shall we be agreed what those are I do not think that Unity is at all concerned in my Text. It must therefore be the Vnity of the Will and Affections And this either respects 1. Designs and Councels Or 2. Offices of Love and Charity 1. Tho' Men as to particular Notions may have different apprehensions and Judgments yet they may have a oneness of Will and Design for the promotion of some general good let it be the Glory of God or the common good of the City or Community in which we are involved Now there are two things which give a liberty for this under different Apprehensions 1. That a Man may practice according to or contrary to many particular Notions and yet glorifie God if he lives up to the Dictate of his own Conscience This the Apostle abundantly determines Rom. 14. in the case of the Jewish Holy days and Meats v. 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord that is to the Glory of God and be that regardeth it not to the Lord he doth not regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord and giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks Thus it is in all things which God's Word hath left indifferent God's Glory is neither concerned in the doing or not doing of them Those who think a Superiour's command afters the case should do well to consider whether Saint Paul might at that time have by his command made it necessary for any Jew turn'd to the Christian Faith to have kept the Jewish days or to have for born the Meats there spoken of What shall he say saith Solomon that comes after the King even the same thing that hath been said before What shall God's Vicegerent say or do who in any thing cometh after the King of Kings surely nothing but what hath been said before him in the things of God commanding things necessary and leaving things indifferent as God hath left them I never read but that the good Kings of God's ancient People and Paul and the rest of the Apostles did so not pretending to a Wisdom paramount to that of God. 2. A second thing is