it presently puts the People in uproar and no man is secure because Great is Diana of the Ephesians On the other side where Men live together in Unity every one trades freely according to his Talent and is not afraid of a Gaol whiles he lives justly and honestly every Man wisheth well to his Neighbour helps adviseth assisteth him reposeth mutual Confidence in him c. There is a Precept of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 24. than which there is none more useful to Mankind Let every man not seek his own but anothers wealth that is not his own only and where it is not put in practice a short time makes a City a Corporation of Beggars for there must be more than one to make one thrive where there is Discord Hatred Envy Malice seeking advantages against biting devouring of one another few or none grow rich but such as live by ill Arts upon the Spoils of others and those are such ill Plants in a Community as the justice of God seldom will allow to grow to any heighth where Men dwell together in this Vnity every Man is as a Journyman to his Neighbour and lending him his hands to be rich You see it in a small Society of Friends there always attendeth it a being kindly affectionated one to another a forbearing one another in love a serving one another So many true Friends as a Man hath so many Servants he hath Concordia parvae res crescunt little Estates grow great by it Discords nourish none but Birds of Prey that can digest the Blood and Flesh of others 2. A second Blessing consequent to this Brethrens dwelling together in Unity is comfortable Society and fellowship This is the life of Mens lives for Man is a sociable Creature and as it is not good for him to be alone so naturally he loves it not How miserable doth that Man judge himself who is shut up in a Prison where none must come at him Experience tells us how miserable the life of Persons in a Family is for want of Conjugal Parental and Filial love and if you go out of those Doors you will find it the same for want of Neighbourly love Two may walk together tho' they be not agreed but it will be no pleasant walk There is no Pleasure in a litigious snarling Society but how sweet is the Society of Persons kindly affectionated one toward another and ready upon all occasions to serve one another 3. A third more external Blessing is mutual and cordial assistance God hath created us in a Connexion with and a dependancy upon one another In my course of life in the World I have made this observation I never yet knew a Prince so great but at one time or other he hath found that he hath had need of his Peoples Hands and Purses nor private Person so sufficient to himself but he hath had need of his poorest Neighbours This requireth Vnity amongst Brethren Solomon tells us Eccles 4. 10. Two are better than one for if one falleth the other will lift him up but wo to him that is alone for if he falleth he hath none to lift him up If two lye together they shall have heat but how can one be warm that is alone and if one prevail against him two shall withstand him and a threefold Cord is not quickly broken The many Companies and Partnerships with which the World abounds in carrying on Business of Trades are a sufficient proof of this 4. A fourth more outward Blessing is Stability and Consistency The abiding of all compounded Bodies doth very much depend upon the union of their several parts one with another Thus it is in the Body Natural thus it is in Buildings thus it must be in all Compositions Thus it is in Bodies Politick Math. 12. 25. The house divided against it self cannot stand Let the condition of a State a Kingdom any Society be never so flourishing it cannot abide longer than the Union of the principal Parts of it do abide Vis unita fortior A firm Union of several things of the same kind makes all their Strength and Virtues one and many Eyes see more than one and many Hands can do more than one hence is the stability of the Prosperity of all such Societies which is a great Blessing I will add but one more 5. That shall be Success in Business Discord clogs the wheels of all publick Councels and Actions Let it be Business of War or Peace of what nature soever it be for a publick good it must move slowly and with small success whiles those concerned in it have divided Ends and Counsels and draw diverse ways I observe that when God promised Prosperity and Success to his ancient People in order to it he promised that the stick for the house of Judah and the stick for the house of Joseph should be made one stick Ezek. 37. 16 17 18. This is enough to shew you what external Blessings God commands where Brethren dwell together in the Unity I have described But yet the flood of Spiritual Blessings commanded and brought by this dwelling together in Vnity is much greater and much more valuable Let me open this in a few particulars 1. It is the only Christian life A life of Unity is not only the life of a Man who is endued with a reasonable Soul and should walk under the conduct and government of it but it is the life of a Christian who by his Name is obliged to fulfil the Law of Christ and not to walk after the flesh but after the spirit No Man or Woman can live up to the Law of Christ but he or she that dwells with their Brethren in Unity The Apostle speaking of himself and others whiles they were in a state of unregeneracy describeth their life thus Tit. 3. 3. We our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another The Law of God is a Law of Love and Unity and further extensive than to those that follow us Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self said the old Law Levit. 19. and the Law of Christ is the Royal Law of Love. This is my Commandment saith our Saviour Joh. 15. that you love one another The Apostle Gal. 5. reckoneth up the fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit he tells you the works of the flesh are v. 20. Hatred Variance Wrath Strife v. 22. the fruit of the Spirit is Love Peace If it be the Happiness of any People to have recovered the Image of God and to be arrived at the life of Christians this Happiness they are arrived at that dwell together in Vnity 2. It is a life in which a world of Sins and those the blackest of Sins are avoided No People live with less guilt of Sin upon their Souls than those that are so far reconciled to the whole Creation as to be kindly affectionated one to another in
love and ready in love to serve one another in love By this Pride is avoided by which alone cometh contention saith Solomon Love argues that a Man thinks of himself as he ought to think as a poor fallible Person that may be mistaken as well as his Neighbour and therefore can love his Neighbour tho' he be not in all things of his Mind and doth not in all things follow him Envy malice hatred thinking evil of and wishing evil to his Neighbour are all avoided by this dwelling together in Unity Since we in England have broke loose from this Rule observe into what Exorbitances we have fallen and debauched our selves to a degree hardly to be believed of Christians from hence have come our new phrased Healths to the Damnation Confusion of others Blessed God! were ever such things heard of before amongst a People that ever owned Christ or his Gospel But it is no wonder that Men who have not so far learned Christ as to love one another but think every little difference in an Opinion or Practice a sufficient ground to hate another should be so far taught by the Devil as to hate one another and wish the worst of Evils to them contrary to all Rules of Humanity as well as Christianity Let me further add these are not only Sins but of all Sins the blackest next to Blasphemy against God and his Holy Spirit Our Saviour Math. 5. hath taught us that they fall under the Prohibition of that Precept Thou shalt do no Murther and his beloved Disciple tells us after him That he who hateth his Brother is a Murtherer and no Murtherer hath Eternal life 3. By this life much advantage is taken away from our grand Adversary The Apostle tells us 1 Pet. 5. 8. Our Adversary the Devil goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour He is a cruel Adversary therefore compared to a Lion a roaring Lion one seeking whom he may devour He is a diligent Adversary not like a Lion in his Den that needs one to rouse him up he is up going about and seeking for his Prey yea he is also a subtil Adversary that hath Wiles Methods Devices nor doth he take a greater advantage of any thing than the coilings of our Passions The Apostle was jealous of his taking advantage of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 2. 11. upon this account he there adviseth the 2 Cor. 2. 11. restoring the incestuous Person upon his Repentance If you ask me what Advantages the Devil is spoiled of by this life of Unity I answer all the Advantages that he hath from hatred to move us to do unto others what we would not be willing they should do us whether by Word or Deed. It is the Precept of the Apostle 1 Tim. 5. 14. Give no occasion to the Adversary The 1 Tim. 5. 14. Evil Spirits discerning the want of love in us giveth him a fair advantage to tempt us to revile nickname him wound his Reputation to rejoice in Evil betiding him to spoil him of his Goods his Life c. Fourthly 4. This living together in Unity opens a door for great spiritual advantage one to another I will open this but in Four things 1. It is the nearest way to bring us to Vnion in Judgment and Opinion and so to a perfect communion each with other We have been these many years complaining of Separation calling for Peace and Vnion But what courses have we taken to bring it about Each Party hath been disputing for his differing Notion and where this hath been done nervously and calmly the most rational means hath been used but we have seen little good effect of it by reason of Mens Pride and Prejudice we have rather contended for Mastery than for Truth Another parcel of Men have fell to railing and reviling calling Men Schismaticks Hereticks Papists Formalists now this hath been just as proper a means to bring Men to dwell together in Vnity as it would be to persuade others to live in the same House with us to call them Knaves and give them all the brutish Language we could Of late we have thought nothing would do it but Violence and accordingly we have been filling Gaols rifling Houses c. Thus the Spaniard hath got an Unity where he hath to do by depopulating his Country Had we in stead of these fiery counsels but agreed in this That whether we agreed in every Notion or no or met at the same place to worship God by the same Rites yea or no we would unite in Counsels for the Glory of God and the good of the Community in which we are involved and be ready to do all offices of love one to another we might by this time have better understood one another and all that truly agreed in the same end of glorifying God would probably long ere this time have agreed in the directest means in order thereunto I am sure we have hitherto took the wrong way to peace 2. It would open a great Door for the conversion of others I do not mean Conversion to an Opinion that 's a lamentable thing but conversion from Sin unto God. Upon this Argument the great Apostle of the Gentiles persuades the believing Wife to abide with the unbelieving 1 Cor. 3. 16. Husband and the believing Husband to abide with the unbelieving Wife What knowst thou O Wife but that thou may'st save thy Husband c. God is love and so much the God of love and the worst Men have so right a Notion of God in this case That they cannot believe God is amongst a Society of Men where is nothing but fighting and scratching railing at and reviling of one another who yet are in Religion Brethren It maketh some so Mad that they will rather choose to go to Hell than to Heaven with such Company as they say the Indian did rather than to keep the Spaniard company to Heaven Offices of Love are a great part of those good Works to which the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2. 12. exhorts that others may see them and glorifie God in the day of their Visitation The Papists who have as little reason as any to boast of it make Vnity the note of a true Church The truth is they have no Vnity but what is the product of Tyranny I doubt not but there is many a Soul in Heaven to whom the ancient brotherly love amongst Christians was a great means to bring them thither and many a Soul in Hell to whom the discords and violences of Christians one against another hath been a great occasion of their keeping in that broad Way that leads to that bottomless pit 3. It opens a Door for all those mutual spiritual assistances by which one Christian may be advantaged by another whether they be Instructions Counsels Admonitions Reproofs c. That they are our Duty appears from Colos 3. 16. Gal. 6. 1. 2 Thess 3. 15. Now where Men dwell not together in that Vnity I
eagerness we shall observe in some to propagate an Opinion wherein they differ from others and what a stress they lay upon it as if no Salvation were to be had without their Faith no Communion to be kept with any otherwise minded to them this will perpetuate division to the Worlds end 5. A 5th Error of Men hath been caused by a deviation of men from that Rule which Solomon gives us Prov. 3. 5. Prov. 3. 5. Lean not too much to thine own understanding Humility will teach us to think that others may have the Spirit of God as well as we and nothing but Pride can prompt us to think that we are the only Persons that cannot be deceived It is true every one must so far lean upon his own understanding as to live and walk according to the dictate of his own Conscience and speak and act as he believeth but he is not so far to lean upon it as to censure and condemn all those that are not of his mind 6. A sixth Error which hath broken our Unity hath been our contending for truth but not in love This is Eph. 4. 15. also contrary to the Apostles Precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truthing in love that is maintaining the Truth or practising what you judge Truth in Love. Some Men indeed are so fond of their Notion that they will not indure a word to be said against them this is an over-fondness but there are many that cannot bear a deriding them or reviling them for maintaining such a Notion or being of such a Party If a man strive saith the Apostle he is not Crowned except he strive lawfully To gain a truth with the loss of love is a very ill Victory if the Notion of Truth be not such as Salvation and Damnation depends upon an assent to or a dissent from it Nor is there more need of quarrels in these strivings than there is of Mens Enmity one to another because they are enforced to try a title at Law one with another whiles one Man thinks an Estate is his right which the other judgeth his which would make all going to Law a very sinful thing But there is no need of any such Enmity while both are or should consent to this That they desire the Estate may be his whose the Legal right is whiles in this case all Christians desire that the Truth of God might prevail What is their arguing and disputing but a Tryal at the Bar of Scripture and Reason what is Truth in the case what needs any breach of Charity for this If which all will pretend to Men did sincerely desire that what is truth might obtain but the mischief is bottomed in Mens insincerity in those pretences and unwillingness to be convinced 7. A seventh deviation from the Divine Rule which hath caused our breaches Is a not bearing one anothers Infirmities directly contrary to the Apostles determination Rom. 15. 1. We then that are strong ought to bear Rom. 15. 1. the Infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves All Men have their infirmities some in their understanding some in their Passions every one cannot apprehend things that are true with that clearness as others can contrary to the judgment of their own Consciences in the things of God they cannot act What then must we therefore hate them and malign them and seek their ruin is this a bearing with their Infirmities Besides there are many Propositions of Truth the Truth of which will not be evident till the Day of Judgment and that day will determine in such cases who are the strong and who the weak But Men are so for pleasing themselves that they can bear no Contradictions no Disputings of their Sentiments Hence are the breaches of this Unity which produce so much unhappiness to a People as the maintaining of it would produce happiness 8. I shall add but one thing more That is A not marking those who unnecessarily make divisions and avoiding them This is also contrary to the Apostles rule Rom. 16. 17. Mark them which make divisions amongst Rom. 16. 17. you contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them Those make unnecessary divisions that divide where no Law of God obligeth them to divide to secure the peace of their own Consciences A Man is obliged to follow the dictate of his own Conscience and to do what that tells him God's Word obligeth him to do and to avoid what that tells him would be Sin unto him All other Divisions are unnecessary Now all these ought to be marked and avoided as the common Enemies of Humane Society a returning to those Rules which God's Word hath left us is the only way I know to bring us to that Happiness which the Vnion of Brethren will bring us to I will add but 4 things more which shall be more extensive for the avoiding of breaches upon civil accounts and so conclude my Discourse 1. Those that would dispose themselves to live in Vnity one with another must prepossess themselves with this That there is none but must have their allowances Nemo sine crimine vivit saith the Poet Optimus ille qui minimis urgetur He is not the best Man who hath no Faults but he that hath fewest He will hardly be able to keep a Friend in the World who hath not learn'd this but resolves to quarrel with him upon every offence Hence it is that the forbearance of one another is in Scripture pressed so often upon Christians as their duty Eph. 4. 2. Colos 3. 13. where forgiving one another is also added He that cannot both forbear and forgive will not long keep in Vnity with any 2. Study Humility and a mean opinion of your selves The humble Man is commonly reconciled to the world Solomon tells us That only by pride cometh contention He that must exalt himself and his own Sentiments above all other Mens will hardly find any but Flatterers long agreeing with him 3. Avoid Self seeking It is an admirable direction of the Apostle Let no man seek his own but anothers wealth 1 Cor. 10. 24. He that only seeketh himself loveth himself alone and must be contented to be loved by himself alone 4. Above all Hatred Malice Envy and all peevish Passions must be mortified The Apostle speaks of these as things which he supposeth all good Christians to have put off and mortified Indeed they are all works of the Flesh directly opposite to this work and fruit of the Spirit I shall now conclude Begging of God to bring us to such a temper that we may arrive at such an Happiness FINIS A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be Sold by Edw. Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-Place SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence A Word in Season Defenswe Armour against four of Satan's most fiery Darts Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapter of the Canticles Thirteen Sermons upon several useful Subjects all Published by John Collins D. D. of Norwich The way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ set forth with the necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Thomas Allen late Pastor of a Church at Norwich Enoch's Walk with God and Christ a Christian's Gain by Mr. Timothy Armitage late Minister at Norwich A Discourse of the preciousness of Christ and of the preciousness of Faith. Precious Promises the Portion of Overcomers Sermons on five several useful Subjects all by Mr. John Lâ—â—gher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ehenezer by Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saint speaking being a Sermon preached upon the Death of Mr. Neâ—comb of Dedham in Essex The English Presbyterian The Miracles of Christ The ordinary matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises the first Rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all Cases and Conditions The second Of a Christian's Hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended in a Sermon preached September the 9th 1683. being the Thanksgiving Day for His Majesties Deliverance by Jonathan Clapham Rector of Wramplingham in Norfolk A Present for Youth and an Example for the Aged Two Discourses one of Spiritual Blessings the other That God hath an high account of the least Grace in the Saints by Mr. John Cromwell late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Infant Baptism of Christ's Appointment by Mr. Samuel Petto Minister of the Gospel in Sudbury in Suffolk Of the Conversion of Sinners to God in Christ the necessity nature means and signs of it with a concluding Speech to the Unconverted by Martin Finch a Servant of Christ in the Work of the Gospel in the City of Norwich Sincerity or the upright Man's Walk to Heaven delivered in several Sermons in the Parish Church of St. Michael in Long-stratton in Norfolk by James-Oldfield late Minister there Alexipharmacon Spirituale Being a Defensative against the Poison and Sting of Death Or The great Expedient how to make the Bed of the Grave so easie that we may lye down in Peace and take our Rest By S. Snowden
That in all Civil things a man in Obedience to the higher Powers may and ought to act contrary to his own Opinion and Judgment The Reasons for this are obvious 1. He transgresseth no Law of God in doing it 2. Nay he obeyeth the Law of God in it Tho' the Law of God in Religious Matters obligeth every Man to follow the dictate of his own Conscience judging a thing lawful or unlawful and in things indifferent judging a thing more or less expedient because in all such things next after God a Man's practical Conscience is the Supream Judge as to his actions Yet in Civil Matters the Higher Powers of States and Kingdoms are plainly Judges betwixt God and our practical Judgments God hath clothed them with Power to make Laws and determine of things necessary or not necessary expedient or not expedient for the better managery of their particular Governments That text Deut. 17. is to be restrained to such things it is restrained v. 8. to matters betwixt blood and blood plea and plea stroke and stroke matters of Judgment c. and most impertinently urged further Now suppose a Thousand Men half of which judge such a Law for a Tax or a Custom necessary or expedient the other half judge it unnecessary and inexpedient they are none of them Judges of the publick Good of a Nation or City but the chief Magistrate is by God left Judge in the case What should hinder but that all these Men should Unite in their Designs Councels and Practice for the Publick Good. And this is the unquestionable Duty of them all 2. A second Union referring to the Will I call'd the Vnion of Love and Charity That is when all persons in any community are agreed in what they may to do all Offices of Love each to other I see nothing can hinder this but Mens passions and lusts Pride Envy Malice Hatred of one another c. I hear some pleading for another Vnion which they call an Vnity of Communion and expound by a resorting to the same Church to offer up united Prayers and Praises and together to receive the Sacrament and telling us That an Vnion in Love Charity and mutual forbearance is very difficult when Men divide Communion and why I pray because Mens not joining in Communion one with other is in effect a declaring them with whom we do not join Heathens and Publicans Now I must confess this is a Doctrine I cannot understand 1. Is there then any Church to be found so large as to hold all Christians who are obliged to live together in Unity But it will be said tho' they meet in several places yet they are one in their worship 2. Very well but what is meant by Worship only the specifical tho' not their individual acts of Worship Or one in all the Rites and Modes of their Worship If the first only be intended all good Christians are in Unity I know of none but worship God by Prayer Praises receiving the Sacraments c. Must it needs be an Union in all the Rites and Modes of Worship 3. In the first place There was never such an Vnity either in the Primitive Churches or betwixt the Reformed Churches Could they not therefore love another 2. If there must be such an Vnity for which I see no reason What Church shall be the Standard to which all others shall Unite Why should the Church of God in Scotland more Unite to that in England than that in England to that in Scotland Shall the Word of God over-rule Then all are bound to Unite to that Church which performs all its Acts of Worship most conformably to the Divine Rule To this I know no Dissenter but will willingly say Amen 4. But it is yet much more un-intelligible how Christians not joyning with others in the same Modes and Rites of Worship should be in effect a declaring them to be as Heathens and Publicans and Persons out of a state of Salvation This 1. In the first place proclaims to the World that those that are of this Mind not joyning with Nonconformists in publick Prayers and Praises and in the Sacraments is in effect a declaring them Heathens and Publicans and not in a state of Salvation 2. I cannot understand the Divinity of this Assertion May not Christians chuse to joyn in Communion with one Congregation and adhere to that alone and yet think others Christians and in a state of Salvation this is certainly both a new and false Notion It is not enough for to justifie me to joyn with other Christians that Salvation may be had amongst them I am further obliged to joyn my self with such where the Ordinances are so administred as my Conscience tells me will be most to my comfort and Edification and as I judge is nearest to the Divine Rule I know that in all cases a Christian is not always obliged to do what is best but that in the Worship of God he is not so obliged is more than I or I suppose any thinking Divine will assert But I have dwelt upon this too long He who doth not think himself and his Church Infallible may easily allow others to be Christians and in a state of Salvation that do not in some Rites and Modes of which the Word of God saith nothing follow him and those with whom he chuseth to walk If any do think themselves infallible and fit to make a Standard to the World they certainly think of themselves above what they ought to think or can think with any degree of Humility I conclude That it is the Duty of all Christians agreed in things necessary to Salvation to be at Vnity one with another so far as mutually to Unite all their Councels and Studies and Practices in things which concern the Glory of God and the common good of the place wherein they dwell together tho' they may differ in some private Opinions and such differences may oblige them not to walk together in those things wherein they are not agreed and to be ready to do all good offices one to another both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maintaining what they apprehend tho' differently to be Truth in Love and serving one another in love Nor is there a greater difficulty in this than what attends all Self Denial without which we cannot be the Disciples of Christ who so can deny himself in malice and hatred against such as he judgeth stricter than himself and in Pride thinking that it is possible he may be mistaken may easily overcome this difficulty which is no more than every one must meet with that will come in Heaven Though Calvin would not joyn in Communion with Luther yet he not only loved him but own'd him as an eminent Servant of God and profess'd he would so acknowledge him though he should call him a Devil such was the Sweetness and Evangelicalness of that excellent Man's temper This I say is our Duty to be as the Apostle phraseth it Rom.
12. 10. Kindly affectioned one to another in love But it is not my Business to demonstrate this tho' it were very easie but my work is to shew you the Happiness of such a dwelling together The Text saith it is happy and pleasant About the latter I shall not labour The pleasantness of such a dwelling together is obvious to sence to see any Society of Men and Women ready to spend and be spent for one another to serve one another in love in all mutual Offices is pleasant to every Eye but that which is envious which nothing pleaseth that is another's good I shall make it my only business to demonstrate the Happiness of such a Life which I shall do in several Particulars 1. It is the only Humane Life A Life of discord and division biting and devouring one another continual Feuds and Quarrels is a Brutal Life Amongst living Creatures some are under the meer conduct of Sense and Appetite such are the Beasts of the Field Others such is Man are under the conduct of reason and government of that which God hath planted in Man to rule and govern his sensitive appetite and restrain it in those Exorbitancies to which since the Fall it is very prone and to reduce the Soul to its Primitive order hence you see that divers Beasts can hardly be one with another or meet one with another but they are grinning each at other biting or devouring or pushing one another but with Men it is otherwise and amongst Men railing and reviling fighting and quarrelling are generally found in the meaner sort of Men not cultivated by Education or ill-bred The only Humane Life is a Life of Amity and Unity It speaketh such Men to have most recovered the Image of God in Man so far as it concerns Reason And if it be any Happiness to Men to have recovered this and to have attained to an ability to live like Persons possest of reasonable Souls This Happiness those Brethren have who have learn't so far to deny their Lusts and Passions as to live together in Vnity 2. Secondly It is the only good that extendeth it self to many We say in Philosophy that all Good is diffusive and by how much any thing is more common or more communicative the better it is There is no such thing in nature as a clung hide-bound Good that only feedeth upon it self or if you will It is the only good that is productive of Goodness For if Dives fareth deliciously every day if he hath not a bit of Meat or a piece of Money to give a Lazarus his Riches are no good truly so call'd at least they are productive of no goodness at all Now take all other things we call Good they only serve single Persons without this dwelling together in Unity being kindly affectionated to and freely serving one another in love This is such a Good as is a fruitful Mother which many call Blessed because it gives a Portion to six and also to seven This is one thing by which the Psalmist demonstrates the excellency of Vnity when he compareth it to the precious Ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard and did not wet Aaron's head alone but ran down to the skirts of his Garment Take all other things which we call good Riches Honour Learning they only give single Persons an Happiness and that very imperfect this living together in an Union of Councels and Designs for one anothers welfare and a being kindly affectionated one to another and ready to serve one another in love is a common Good to all that live in such an Union 3. The Third and greatest demonstration is in the last words of the Psalm There God commandeth the blessing That is an happy Society upon which God commandeth the Blessing but on these Societies it is that God commandeth his Blessings The next Question is what Blessings they are which God commandeth upon Societies of Persons dwelling together in such an Unity as I have been describing to you and here Inopem me copia fecit I shall more easily know where to begin than where to end All Blessings that Mankind is capable of refer either to the outward or to the inward Man I shall discourse both apart beginning with those that refer to the outward Man. 1. And the first in Riches and all outward Prosperity This I take to be hinted by our Psalmist in that Similitude It is like the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the Mountains of Zion the Dew made the Mountains full of Grass Corn Wine and Oyl We may apply to this dwelling together in Vnity what Solomon Prov. 3. 16. saith of Wisdom Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand Riches and Honour The Health of the Body Natural depends upon the Unity of the Humours and the Health of the Body Politick equally depends upon the Union of the Members of it It hath been observed that where the Popish Inquisition hath come it hath spoiled all the Wealth and Trade of the place the reason is because it hath spoiled the Unity of the whole for the Unity of a part On the contrary where a Liberty hath been granted for Mens various Opinions in Religion and Practice suitably those places have abounded in Riches of which our Brethren in the Low Countries is a demonstration very near us And for this a great deal of reason is to be given 1. From the Will of God. Places where People live together in Unity are places where God hath declared he will command the Blessing now those whom he blesseth shall be blessed Solomon saith in one place The diligent hand maketh rich in another Prov. 10. 22. The blessing of God maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow therewith The curse of God may make Rich but Sorrow will be added to those Riches God in the ordinary course of his Providence doth not bless a People with Riches that live in Discord and perpetually biting and devouring of one another 2. A second Reason may be The Contribution which Vnity makes to Riches Riches ordinarily are gotten by some Trade and Dealing with others now no Man tradeth alone there is as I think Cicero calls it quaedam connexio rationum a connexion of several Mens ways of living which must make up a Trade and this to become profitable requires so much Boldness and mutual Confidence as can be in no place where Men do not dwell together in Unity and this must be true as to all that part of Trade which is at home Besides where Men live together in Discord and Enmity all their Studies are to ruin and devour one another without Pity we have had too late an Experience of it for some years and it is the keener and more edged where one Party can be perswaded that in what they do they do God Service and the mad cry can be raised for the Holy house as it is in some Popish Countries