slanders of the Witnesses yet he manifests his concern for Peter by his compassionate looks testify'd his sorrow for his Sin and drew not his Eyes away till he had look'd him into Repentance Nay tho' our Head be now in Heaven yet he hath a compassionate sense of the Extremities of his Members and accounts all the Affronts Persecutions and Reproaches offer'd to them as done to himself Thus when Saul then a Persecutor breath'd out nothing but Blood and Slaughter against the Churches He cries from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. He is a merciful faithful High-Priest that is touch'd with a feeling of our Infirmities and bears a compassionate Love to all his Members in Misery And the same mind ought to be in us that was in him we ought to sympathize with our Fellow Members in distress and remember the afflicted as being our selves in the Body Heb. 13. 2. liable to the same Tryals and Parts of the same Mystical Body of Christ. If any Member be in pain all the rest are discompos'd and when some of the Members of Christ are discompos'd 't is natural for the rest to sympathize with them and be compassionately sensible of their trouble Thus we are commanded to weep with them that weep Rom. 12. 15. To bear one anothers Burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. 7. Our Love must be constant and abiding as Christ's love was Christ's love to us was not for a small space of time but lasting and uninterrupted He loved his own and he loved them to the end John 13. 1. And the nearer his end appeared the higher marks of his Love did he give them the failings and miscarriages of his Disciples did not remove his Love or cause him to withdraw his affection their ignorance and unbelief after all his Teachings and Instructions their fiery unseasonable Rage against the Samaritans their Pride and Ambition Rashness and Cowardise and the base Perfidiousness of Peter did not incline him to lay aside his Thoughts of Love or leave the work of our Redemption unfinished but he still loved them to the Death Thus must we love our Brethren overlook their Failings pass by their Infirmities admire what is lovely and neglect what may cool our Affections This new Commandment must be every day renewed by us this is a Lesson we must be always Learning and a Duty we must be always imploying our selves about We must still be abiding in our Love till we enter among that happy Society where all Sins and unlovely Imperfections shall be done away and we shall always solace our selves with pleasing views of the Divine Purity and Holiness and the numerous Pictures and Representations of it among Angels and Glorified Saints 2. Our Love to one another must resemble Christ's Love to us in the outward Expressions of it 1. In the intimacies of our Friendship and Familiarity one with another Christ so loves all true Christians as to enter into the strictest bands of amity with them he is nearly united to them as their Head and Husband and calls them his Friends and his Spouse he is the Head and they are the Members the Vine and they are the Branches the Foundation and they are the Building the Root and they are the Fruit. The Communications of his Grace the quickening assistances and influences of his Spirit are imparted to them he writes his Law in their Hearts and causeth them to run in the way of his Commandments sanctifies their Natures pardons their Sins prevailingly intercedes for them and prepares them by Grace for Glory He hath communion with them in his Ordinances familiarly converseth with them in his Sacraments and is continually sitting them for that happy Fellowship with Father Son and Holy Spirit which glorified Saints injoy While he was on Earth he selected some few Persons prepared them by Grace for his Society and then made them his familiar Friends To them he clearly revealed the Mind and Will of God to them he unfolded the Mysteries of his Love and Commands of his Father to them he explained what was spoken to others in Parables these he blessed with his Heavenly Discourses and Pious Instructions with the special tokens of his Love and familiar Expressions of his Friendship Indeed he did entertertain a Iudas in his Family but he made a strict Profession as well as the other Disciples and was not known to be Hypocritical by any but Christ himself and had not the wisdom of God designed by his means to bring about the great work of our Redemption no doubt but this Son of Perdition would have been discarded and disown'd He did indeed eat with Publicans and Sinners but though for this he was falsly accused as their Friend and Companion yet he was not so he eat with them as their Physician and not as their Companion did not own them for his Friends but sought by his holy Discourse and obliging Carriage to make them so And the same Mind ought to be in us that was also in him Though Christianity allows not moroseness and incivility towards others yet all needless familiarity with Wicked Men is forbidden Our Eyes with Davids ought to be upon the Faithful in the Land Psal. 101. 6. To delight in wicked Company may justly fill us with doubts of our own sincerity we may know we are passed from Death to Life if we love the Brethren 1 John 3. 14. And we have just reason to fear we are yet in a state of Death if we delight in the Ungodly Common civilities may be paid to Wicked Men but special friendship is to be reserved only for those who we hope are the Friends of God If we love God above all surely we shall associate most with them that may warm our Hearts and raise our Affections and provoke us by their Example to an holy imitation We ought to imitate the Royal Psalmist who was a Companion of all them that feared God Psal. 119. 63. The Poverty and Meanness of such did not lessen his delight he priz'd a Saint in Rags beyond a Wicked Man though cloathed in Princely Robes or Imperial Purple We ought to have a friendly regard to all true Christians and though some because of their eminency in Grace suitableness to our Temper Neighbourhood and the like reasons may be our more intimate Friends Yet must not we despise any because of their meanness but as we have opportunity give them the special tokens of our Friendship too Vile Persons must be contemned and Scandalous Professors must especially be avoided but our intimate Acquaintance ought to be the Servants of God and the more Holy any are the more ambitious should we be of their Friendship and Converse 2. In our hearty Prayers one for another Christ was very earnest in his Prayers for true Believers they were the peculiar objects of his Love and purchase of his Death and therefore he prays for them in a peculiar
ungovernable Lusts are the great Makebates and Dividers he that hath not attained a Government over his Passions is unprepared for Peace Selfishness and Pride Covetousness and Ambition Envy and Malice and Revenge are the bitter Fruits that grow upon the stock of our Ill Natures and are the sad occasion of all the disturbances in Church and State and have rendered Christendom a Field of Blood 'Till these Lusts are therefore subdued and we have gained a victory within outward Peace is impossible he that cannot rule his own Spirit will never long live at Peace with others An Angry Man will stir up Strife Prov. 29. 22. Be ye therefore angry and Sin not Eph. 4. 26. Let not your Anger boyl up to any sinful Excesses 2. Peace implies hearty Love 't is very hard and difficult long to maintain Peace with those we do not heartily love and utterly impossible to keep it up with those we hate Peace without Love is is no better than politick Dissembling and Peace with Hatred an insidious cover of Enmity Love is the only sure and lasting Bond of Peace and Hatred the Fountain of Discord and Violence If we would therefore forbear and forgive one another and let the Peace of God rule in our Hearts we must above all things put on Charity as a Rich Robe our best Ornament and the proper Livery of Christians This is indeed the distinguishing badg of Christ's true Disciples whereas the Disciples of the Pharisees were known by the broadness of their Phylacteries and enlarging the Borders of their Garments and of Iohn Baptist's by their Leanness contracted by Austerities much Fasting and Abstinence Christ would have â— known by their undissembled Love unfeigned Kindness and obliging Condescensions for each others good 3. Peace implies a diligent performance of all Offices of Justice and Humanity we must not love in word and Tongue only but in deed and in truth 1 John 3. 18. Justice is the Guardian and Humanity the Nurse of Peace the only Sovereign Remedy to prevent Disorders and put an end to Strife Punctual observance of Contracts truth in our Words and sincerity in our Promises injuring none in their Estates by fraudulent Incroachments or in their good Names by slanderous Reports is a great conserver of Peace and keeps off those Contentions which otherwise will unavoidably arise A tender Compassion to those in Want and hearty readiness to advice and assist relieve and comfort one another according to our particular Exigencies and Wants is also very necessary in order to the advancing Peace among Brethren 4. Peace implies courtesie and respectfulness this is not only an argument of a generous Education and good Reading but also a great ornament of Religion and required of every Christian Christ indeed came into the World to sweeten our Passions calm our Natures abate the sourness and polish the roughness of our Humours A sour Look sullen Spirit and scornful Carriage is very unbecoming a Christian is the indication of a Mind averse from Peace and provokes disdain in others But on the contrary respectful Gestures courteous Language civil Salutations and an affable Behaviour are accompanied with such winning Charms as few can resist And when a Mans ways thus please the Lord they will please men too and our very Enemies will be at Peace with us Prov. 16. 7. 5. Peace implies candid and favourable Opinions rash Censures uncharitable Surmises severe Reprehensions and unkind Misconstruction of our Neighbours Actions tend mightily to provoke Wrath and stir up Strife whereas equity in our Censures mildness in our Reproofs putting the best Construction upon and making the most favourable interpretation of our Neighbours Carriage and Behaviour is the surest way to conciliate Peace and promote it Christianity indeed teacheth us to be very severe in observing our own Sins but very favourable in reflecting on the Miscarriages of our Neighbours Let others usurp God's Prerogative that they may do the Devils Work turn Searchers of Hearts that they may become Accusers of the Brethren The true Christian hath so much to do at Home that he hath very little leisure to look abroad is so imployed in covering his own Deformities that he hath not time to gaze on the nakedness of others hides his Neighbours Faults with the Mantle of Love and makes all possible allowances that the nature of the action will bear will not conclude a Sin from an inevident sign as Eli from Hannah's Fervency concluded her Drunkenness If our Neighbour be overtaken with a Fault the Peaceable Christian will not from one particular act conclude an Habit nor call that a Mortal Plague which may be only one of the Spots of God's Children Nor will he pre-judge a Scandalous Sinners future State but pity and pray for him and seek to win him to Repentance 6. Peace implies restraint of Pragmaticalness if we would be quiet and at Peace we must mind our own Business 1 Thes. 4. 11. Those that impertinently meddle with things beyond their Sphere of Activity are disorderly Walkers 2 Thes. 3. 11. out of their proper rank and station are like him that taketh a Dog by the Ears Prov. 26. 17. may only irritate the anger of others and cause them to turn upon them and bite them He is therefore no Peaceable Minded Man that plays the Bishop in another Diocess 1 Pet. 4. 15. 2 General The advantages of Peace in Christian Churches 1. This renders the Church most like to God he is the God of Peace the Father of Mercies and not only full of Love but love it self 1 Iohn 4. 16. He is all that is good in the most eminent degree but he is love in a more especial and peculiar manner though all his Attributes be infinite yet his Love and Goodness is peculiarly Sovereign The best description we can frame of him in our Minds or whereby we can represent him to others is that he is Omnipotent Alwise Immutable Goodness under the old Testament a dispensation of Terror when the Riches of Divine Love were not displayed yet even then he accounts his Goodness as his greatest Glory and the most charming Beauty of his Nature And now what better way is there for his Church to be like him than to be at Peace and abound in all mutual Offices of Kindness and Love 2. Peace is the Churches greatest Beauty and Ornament 't was this commended Christianity of old hence Christian were called not Christiani but Chrestiani from a Greek Word signifying their benignity and sweetness of Disposition and Seâ— how the Christians love one another was a common Proverb in thâ— Mouths of Heathens themselves What can be more glorious than to behold the most harmoniouâ— Union and Communion of Saintâ— in the pleasant ways of true Wisdom and Goodness Rage and Fury may be the excellencies oâ— Beasts but Peace and Love is thâ— ornament of Men. How calm is the Mind how serene the
Countenance how chearful the Discourse how sweet the Sleep and how full of Content is the whole Life of the Peaceable Minded Man How lovely a melody in the Ears of God and Men doth an Assembly of such Christians make when united together in acts of Religious Worship How much more pleasant are the smooth and even ways of Peace than the rugged Paths of Discord and Contention Is it not much more delightful to behold the Heavens smiling upon us with a serene and chearful Countenance than frowning with Clouds or big with Storms and Thunder Is it not much more sweet to sail in a quiet and calm Sea than to be tost about with a Tempest and be continually in fear of every rolling unruly Wave to hear Harmonious Sounds than grating Janglings and to dwell in a well Governed City than in a wild and savage Wilderness Peace is the way to the truest Pleasure and indeed is itself the greatest Felicity Hence the Angels in their holy Anthem when they wished the greatest Happiness to Men knew not how better to express their Sense than by saying On Earth Peace Good Will to Men Luke 2. 14. 3. Peace is the Churches strength Peace is the sinew of Society as Mony is of War the Cement that holds the parts together and distinguishes the Congresses of Men from Herds of Beasts or which is as bad the tumultuous Confusions of the Rabble Christian Churches might be immortal did they not kill themselves by Divisions the deepest Wounds have been given to Christianity in the Houses of its pretended Friends by Heresies and Schisms rending and tearing the unity of the Body He must be a great Stranger in the History of the Church who knows not that it flourished while it walk'd in love and injoyed Peace among its Children but the adding to the Foundation the Wood and Hay and Stubble of their own Inventions and dividing thereupon gave occasion to the rise of Turk and Pope and all the dismal consequences thereof Divisions stop'd the progress and cramp'd the growth of Christianity and hath so of Reformed Christianity to this day The most successful policy of our Enemies whereby they have done us the greatest mischief of all hath been by fomenting incouraging and cursedly improving our intestine Feuds We have foolishly put Weapons into their Hands or rather been destroying our selves while they have look'd on with Scorn and Laughter Were we but peacefully united among our selves we should quickly dishearten our Enemies and laugh at all the attempts of Rome and France and Hell for our ruin and Destruction Peace would be a mighty Bulwark to defend us and would better prevent the Invasions of our Foes than all our Wooden Walls on the Sea or Fortresses and Castles by Land 4. Peace tends to the comfort of the Church there can be no comfortable communion of Saints no bearing each others burdens no communicating the experiences of the workings of Gods Spirit in one anothers Souls of the answer of our several Prayers and various methods of God's dealings with us in his different ways of Discipline and Comfort so long as we are at variance among our selves When Souls groan under the burden of Sin and Guilt never was Drink so welcom to the Thirsty Traveller as the converse of truly Spiritual Christians to restore such in the Spirit of Meekness and speak Peace unto them from the Scripture and their own Experience But where Divisions are this cannot be had or if it be in some measure is often confined to an inconsiderable Party and each particular division wants the assistance of the rest so that the breach of their Catholick Love and Communion necessarily makes a breach in their comfort and hinders the mutual sympathizing assisting and comforting one another 5. Peace tends to the increase of the Church when our Lord repeated his Petitions for Unity he twice alledgeth one and the same reason that the World might know that God had sent him John 17. 21 23 As if the union and love of his Followers were the strongest proof of the Divinity of their Master and the powerfullest perswasive to Jews and Heathens to acknowledge and receive him for their Lord and Saviour as if his excellent Doctrin admirable Precepts and extraordinary Miracles would not do without it and indeed though Instruction be necessary and People perish for want of Knowledge yet Instruction without Example will do little good and no Example is more open to observation than that of Peace and Love and the want thereof in the Preachers of Truth makes the best Doctrin in their Mouths suspected hardens the Wicked in their sin and tempts many to Atheism If you speak with disagreeing Tongues Unbelievers will say you are Mad and sit down in the Seat of the Scorner to allude to 1 Cor. 14. 23. 6. Peace is a great means of Edifying by the means of Grace The Apostle in Eph. 4. 16. speaks of the close and intimate Union of the Body of Christ as a necessary means to receiving increase from Christ and edifying it self in love and Col. 2. 2. being knit together in love is laid down as a means to the full assurance of understanding to the full practical perswasion of the Truth and excellency of the Gospel and the want of this render'd the solemn Assemblies of the Corinthians fruitless and barren 1 Cor. 11. 17. St. Paul chargeth them with a sad miscarriage in their Spiritual Traffick growing worse in the use of what should have made them better the Holy Supper of the Lord and the reason is given Ver. 18. I hear there be Divisions among you Divisions abate the fervency of our Prayers blunt the edge of our Devotions seize on the vitals of Christianity evaporate the life and power of Religion in impertinent squabble and unless Almighty Grace prevent will quickly spread like a Gangrene so as to eat out the heart thereof 7. Peace in Christian Churches is an Emblem of Heaven the more that part of the Church which is Militant here below doth abound in Love and Peace the more it resembles that part which is triumphant above This is indeed the great difference between Angels and Devils Heaven and Hell the Devils have great degrees of Power and Knowledge perhaps not much below what Angels have but Angels and Glorified Saints abound in Love Sweetness Benignity and live in the joyful uninterrupted exercise of mutual Endearments whereas a Spirit of Malice and Envy Hatred and Revenge is the very complexion of Satan and temper of Hell But O how happy will it be to dwell in that Society where there 's no Mistake or Envy Ignorance or Prejudice or carnal Interest to occasion the least Jar or Discord but all pure Peace Seraphick Love and perfect Harmony as with God so also between themselves where the strange Fire of misguided Zeal is extinguished by the more powerful Flames of Heavenly Love and the unhappy names of dividing Sects are no more known where