2. Suppose thou canst not be satisfied in their godliness yet the gifts of the Spirit of God that are in them should cause some kind of closing common gifts are of a middle nature between nature and grace as the spirits of men are neither of the same nature with the soul nor of the body but between both and serve to unite the soul 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 useful one to another in what God hath given them The second joyning Consideration Let us consider how far we can agree WE differ thus and thus but what do we agree in do 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 heal them but rather to widen them You shall 〈◊〉 hear them speak of or meddle with their agreements their â—â—â—ength is not bent to heighten and strengthen them if at 〈◊〉 time they do take notice of their agreements it is to â—â—ke advantage of them to render their disagreements the â—ore odious or to strengthen themselves in what they â—â—ffer from them they desire to get in men and to get from â—â—em only to serve their own turns upon them this is an â—vil spirit No marvel therefore though some be so loth to â—iscover to them how near they can come to them 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 says Pliny came the invention first of concealing the defects and blemishes of the Visage But the Painters of our 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 lineaments 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 Beloved this ought not to be God doth not so with us he takes notice of the good of his Children but conceals their evil 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 evil and mentions only that reverend title sâ—â— gave to her Husband commending her for it Thus should we do had we peacable hearts thus we would do All the good of our Brethren we would improve to the uttermost and what is evil so far as with a good Concience we might and no farther we would 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 mans Temper Spirits Temptations Education Years 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 go thorough the fire and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go 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 faithful and useful 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 evil 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 wisdom 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 come from them came from a spirit of malignity You know the man and the manner of his communication pass by weaknesses accept of uprightness Some mens temptations 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 personal temptations that you are free from you do not know what you might do if you were under the like temptations Bless God that you are delivered from them but do not add 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 spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Consider their education some all their days have lived in wicked families they never were acquainted with the society of the Saints with that way of Godliness that have the most strictness and power in it You must not deal with them for all things you see amiss in them in the same way you would deal with such who have had godly education who have had acquaintance with the most strict and powerful wayes of godliness but now manifest a spirit against them Consider mens years old age looks for respect and justly especially such as have gone thorough the brunt and suffered much for your good though some infirmities should break forth that are incident to old age we must cover and pass by what we can not forgetting that reverent respect that is due to the heary head found in the way of godliness 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 ingrafted 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 far overcome thy passions
is one body and one spirit ye are called in one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all Here you have seven Ones together in two or three lines It is very much that the Spirit of God should joyn so close together seven Ones surely it is to be a strong argument for us to unite First one Body The meanest member yet it is in the body Is it comely for the body of Christ to be rent and torn any reference to Christ might perswade unity but union with Christ as the members with the body what heart can stand against the strength of this What can cause one member to tear and rend another but madness 2. One Spirit 1 Cor. 12.11 that one and the self same spirit he does not only say The same spirit but The self same spirit and as if that not enough he adds One to the self same and that yet not enough he says That one all this is in ss the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The repeating the Article hath a great elegancy in it And is not this one Spirit the Spirit of love and meekness What does a froward contentious spirit do in thee who professest thy self to be a Christian What says Cyprian does the fierceness of Wolves madness of Dogs the deadly poyson of Serpents the bloudy rage of Beasts in a Christians breast 3. Called in one hope Are not you heirs joynt heirs of the same Kingdom and do you contend as if one belonged to the kingdom of light and the other to the kingdom of darkness 4. One Lord. You serve the same Lord and Master Is it for the credit of a Master that his servants are always wrangling and fighting one with another Is it not a tedious thing in a family that the servants can never agree Mark how ill the Lord takes this Mat. 24.49 50 51. that evil servant who begins to smite his fellow-servants provokes his Lord against him so as to come upon him with such severity as to cut him asunder and to appoint his portion with the hypocrites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will dichotomize him divide him in two he by his smiting his fellow-servants makes divisions but his Lord will divide him It may be he pretends that his fellow-servants do not do their duty as they ought as if he were more careful of the honour of his Lord then others who are of a different way from him 5. One Faith What though we agree not together in some things of lesser moment yet we agree in one faith Why should we not then keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace The agreement in the faith one would think should swallow up all other disagreements We should rather bless God for keeping men sound in the faith then contend with them for lesser mistakes When the Pharisees Acts 23.9 understood that Paul agreed with them in that great doctrine of the Resurrection they presently overlook his other differences saying We find no evil in this man Master Calvin in his Epistle to our Countreymen at Frankford fled for their lives in witness to the truth yet miserably jarring and contending one against another there to the scandall of all the Churches of God in those Parts begins his Epistle thus This doth grievously torment me it is extremely absurd that dissentions should arise among brethren Exiles fled from their countrey for the same faith and for that cause which alone in this your scattering ought to be to you as a holy band to keep you fast bound together Their contentions were about Church-worship 6. One Baptism We are baptized into Christs death and is not that to shew that we should be dead to all those things in the world that cause strife and contention among men Our Baptism is our badg our livery it furthers somewhat the unity of servants that they wear all one livery 7. One God Though there be three Persons in the Divine Nature and every Person is God yet there is but one God here is an union infinitly beyond all unions that any creature can be capable of themystery of this union is revealed to us to make us in love with union Our interest in this one God is such a conjunction as nothing can be more Josephs brethren Gen. 50.17 looked upon this as having very great power in it to make up all breaches to heal all old grudges After their Father was dead their consciences misgave them for what they had done to Joseph they were afraid old matters would break forth and that Joseph would turn their enemy now how do they seek to unite Josephs heart to them We pray thee say they forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy Father and the Text says Joseph wept when they spake unto him Oh this was a heart-breaking speech to Joseph The servants of the God of my Father Shall my heart ever be estranged from the servants of the God of my Father The Lord forbid Their offence indeed was great but their God is my God and he was my Fathers God this argument had more in it to draw Josephs heart to them then if they had said We are your brethren we came from the same loyns you did True that is something but the servants of the God of thy Father is much more Let us look upon all the godly though thy have many weaknesses though they have not carried themselves towards us as they ought yet they are the servants yea the children of our God and of our fathers God let this draw our hearts to them If they be one with us in their interest in one God let them be one with us in the affections of our heart to love them delight in them and rejoyce in communion with them One God and Father Mal. 2.10 Have we not all one Father hath not one God Created us Is it seemly that one mans children should be always contending quarrelling and mischieving on another do you think this is pleasing to your Father It follows in that of Ephes 4. who is above all and through all and in you all You have enough in your Father to satisfie your souls for ever whatsoever you want other wayes he is above all he that is so glorious and blessed infinitly above all things hath put honour enough upon you that he is your Father why will you contend and quarrell about trifles He hath absolute authority to dispose of all things as he pleaseth let not the different administrations of his to some in one kind to some in another be matter for you to contend about And he worketh in all You will say If indeed we could see God in such if we could see grace and holiness in them our hearts would close with them but we see not this 1. Take heed thou dost not reject any from being thy brother whom Jesus Christ at the great day will own for his and God the Father will call Child
some weakness in it at that time if such a fair Interpretation may be made why should not an ingenuous candid spirit mke it This very exception I find was taken against Basilius Magnus and Nazianzen in one of his Orations in which he highly commends Basil answers it and justifies him It is hard to keep unity love and peace with men who are of exceptious carping dispositions if God were strict to mark what we do amiss what would become of us God is strict to mark what good there is in his Saints if there be any little good in the midst of much imperfection Gods way is to pass by the imperfection and take notice of the good but our way is often if there be a little bad though but through a very pardonable mistake in the midst of much good to pass by all the good and to seize upon the mistake to make it the seed of contention to brood over it and so beget the brats of Contention from it The third joyning prastice If you will needs be striving strive who shall do one another most good who shall engage one another in the most and greatest offices of love THis is a good combat such striving as this is God and his blessed Angels look upon and take much delight in I find a notable story in the life of Alexander the Great which may put on and encourage Christians in such a combat as this There was a great King in India his name was Taxiles who on a time came to salute Alexander and said unto him What should we need to fight and make Wars one with another if thou comest not to take away our water and our necessary commodity to live by for which things men of judgment must needs fight as for other goods If I be richer than thee I am ready to give thee of mine and if I have less I will not think scorn to thank thee if thou wilt give me some of thine Alexander being pleased to hear him speak thus wisely embraced him and said unto him Thinkest thou that this meeting of ours can be without fight for all these goodly fair words No no thou hast won nothing by them for I will fight and contend with thee in honesty and courtesie because thou shalt not exceed me in bounty and liberality So Alexander took divers gifts of him but gave more to him Oh that our contentions were turned into such contentions as these are Let us rejoyce in any opportunity of doing any Office of love to those we differ from yea to those who have wronged us It was wont to be said of Archbishop Cranmer If you would be sure to have Cranmer do you a good turn you must do him some ill one for though he loved to do good to all yet especially he would watch for opportunities to do good to such as had wronged him Had we but a few leading men of such spirits among us how great a blessing of Peace might we yet enjoy Lastly pray much PLiny sayes of the Pearles they call Unions though they be engendred in the Sea yet they participate more of the Heavens than of the Sea Certainly this precious Union though it be amongst men yet it hath its lustre and beauty yea its very being from the Heavens You must look up to Heaven therefore for Peace for the preservation increase lustre beauty of it if you would have it Job 25.2 God maketh peace in his high places the Lord can make peace between high and low Let us carry mens rugged crooked perverse hearts to God in Prayer who is the great joyner of hearts it is he that makes men to be of one mind in a house he maketh the wars to cease Psal 122.6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem In your prayers for the Church this must be mentioned as a special blessing If praying prevail not fighting will not Those are the most peaceable men in Church and Common-wealth that pray most for the peace of them God hath more prayers for the peace of this Church and State upon the file of theirs whom some of you beloved account hinderers of it than of yours You complain much for want of peace you inveigh much against those whom you are pleased to mark out as hinderers of the peace but do you pray as much You have these means presented unto you for the furtherance of peace what other you may meet with any way make use of 2 Thess 3.16 The Lord of peace give you peace alwaies by all means And that all may be the better improved let the exhortation of the Apostle 1 Thess 4.11 sink into you Study to be quiet the words are Love the honour of being quiet There is great excellency in it CAP. V. Exhortation to peaceable and brotherly Vnion shewing the excellency of it AND now my brethren as the Eunuch said to Philip concerning his Baptism Here is water what lets but I may be baptized I shall say concerning our uniting in peace and love one with another Here are Joining Principles Joining Considerations Joining Graces Joining Practices what now le ts but that we may join in love and peace one with another surely nothing can let but extream corrupt perverse hearts of our own The Apostle Paul is mighty earnest in his desires in his exhortations for this 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment The word translated perfectly joined signifies such a joining as when a bone is out of joint is perfectly set right again So Philip. 2.1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind let nothing be done through strife c. The Apostle pours forth his Soul in this exhortation it is a heart-breaking exhortation Luther though a man of a stirring hot spirit yet writing to the Pastors of the Church of Stratsburg hath these words I pray you be perswaded that I shall alwaies be as desirous to embrace concord as I am desirous to have the Lord Jesus to be propitious to me I find also in a Letter that Martin Bucer writes to a godly Minister a very high expression of that high esteem he had of and earnest desires after the curing of divisions Who would not sayes he purchase with his life the removing that infinite scandal 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 Ambassadors 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 Joh. 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 do 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 sons of peace The contentions of private Christians are offensive but the contentions of Ministers is a scandal with a witness 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 only one of her Mother she is the choice one of her that bare her What then follows The Daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queens and the Concubines and they praised her Who is she that looketh forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun terrible as an army of Banners Let the Saints be but one and then they will appear beautiful and glorious indeed yea they will be terrible as an Army of Banners Euagrius in his Ecclesiastical 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 down the boyling choler which bereaved the minds of quietnesse is purged from among us and all the occasion of discord and dissention is banished away for our Saviour Jesus Christ hath granted peace unto the Churches under Heaven Lastly the Saints enjoyment of the sweetness of love peace and unity among themselves what is it but heaven upon earth Heaven is above all storms tempests troubles the happiness of it is perfect rest We pray that the will of God might be done on earth as it is done in heaven why may not we have a heaven upon earth this would sweeten all our comforts yea all our afflictions But the Devil envies us this happiness Come Lord Jesus come quickly FINIS
love of God and his truth and the good of the publick enabling them to undergo what they do all things in Church and State would be ready to fall into confusion to be nothing but a heap of Rubbish but this Love enables to bear all things But if they have no encouragement but see that thô they hazard themselves never so much be of never so great use do the greatest Services that can be expected from men yet when mens turns are served they are little regarded but envyed and narrowly watched 4. Spy out any thing that may have some shew of excepting against them and left to shift for themselves as well as they can when they might justly expect a greater reward of their Services yet are disappointed their hearts are grieved but yet because they are acted by a principle of Love to God his cause the publick they therefore still hold out go on in their way labour to be as instrumental as they can for good commit themselves and all their endeavours to God expecting encouragement from him and so they endure all things such men are worth their weight in gold here is a heart that hath much of the Spirit of God in it God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him No marvel though these men act so swiftly in their way no marvel though their motion in publique service be so speedy for their Charet is like that Charet of Solomons Cant. 3.10 The middle thereof is paved with love and this is for the daughters of Jerusalem Now the love of God be for ever with these his servants the blessing of the Almighty and all his Saints be with them upon them in them and theirs for ever These with other uniting graces that might be mentioned are the graces that God expects should be in a special manner acted in these times and this is in a holy manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to serve the time as some Copies have it Rom. 12.11 This is the most suitable work for the times wherein we live What is more seasonable for divided times than uniting graces and that union that comes from the acting of these graces is a spiritual holy truly Christian union a raised union to a far higher pitch than any natural excellencies can raise unto It is an excellent saying of Clemens Alexandrinus If the spiritual man be in us our humanity is fraternity What then is our fraternity it is raised to that which hath no name to express it The union of the Saints in heaven is beyond the union of fraternity this which is of grace is of the same nature CHAP. IV. Joyning Practices The first the practice of the Tongue Gentle Language A Soft answer turneth away wrath Prov. 15.1 In your disputes let your arguments be as hard as you will but let your words be soft Soft words and hard arguments make a good dispute Gentle language gains much upon the hearts of men 1 Chron. 28.2 Hear me my Brethren and my People sayes David This was better and tended more to union between King and People than the ruggid churlish answer of Rehoboam My Father made your yoak heavy and I will add to your yoak But what came on it Ten Tribes were rent from him as good a man as he could say Hear me my Brethren and my People Good words are as cheap as bad gentle courteous language is as easie as rough and bitter Gen. 49.21 Napthali is said to give goodly words sayings of goodliness or fairness so the Hebrew hath it that is fair pleasing words this Tribe were fair spoken men Now compare this with Deut. 33.23 There Napthali is said to be satisfied with favour and full with the blessing of the Lord Fair courteous language hath an acceptation among men and the blessing of God is with it The second joyning Practice Be ingenuous 1. Do not lye at the catch to take advantages 2. Make the best interpretation of things you can IF God should catch advantages against us what would become of us This is most unseemly when men are seeking to find out truth if then they shall piddle about words catch at phrases get hold of Expressions and seek to make their advantages out of them and in this shall be the greatest strength of their answer though this may have a specious shew before men who are willing to receive any thing which makes against what they would have crushed yet this will 〈◊〉 abide before the throne of Christ We read Matth. 4. Christ had a great dispute with the Devil in which he had him at great advantage in his quotation of a Scripture ver 6. He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone This was quoted out of the 91. Psal ver 11. there it is He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes Yet Christ did not catch this advantage he did not so much as upbraid him for leaving out that passage which he might justly have done but he answers to the thing Yea Christ might have taken a further advantage against the Devil for the words following in the Psalm are a Prophesie of Christ destroying the power of the Devil Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet Christ did not take the advantage of this neither and upbraid him with it he had enough against him in the thing it self he brought It is a sign that men have less advantage in the matter when they seek so much to catch at all the advantages they can in the manner of the expressions of those whom they oppose 2. Make the best interpretation of things you can 1 Cor. 13.5 Love thinks no evil It may be if you meet with a man in the streets if he stayes not to talk with you if he takes not special notice of you you presently think it is his pride his sleighting disregarding you this is the worst interpretation that can be Why is it not possible that it may be thorough multitude of business in his head that you know not of May it not be that his eyes and thoughts were another way he did not take notice of your passing by him is it not thus often with your self in respect of others Again perhaps such a man you find not in his behaviour towards you when you are with him looking so smilingly upon you carrying himself in that familiar affable way as you expected you presently think and say Surely it is his pride and surliness whereas it may be it is because his head is fuller than yours which may afterwards be for your good if you would be but patient a while it may be it is from some trouble of his Spirit at that time it may be it is from the temper of his body his constitution or