help assistance and comfort And so the meaning of the Prophet is that such persons as were so full of hatred before our Saviour's coming that they did not only contend and quarrel but also worry and devour one another should in the days of Christ become new Creatures and laying aside their Enmities and Oppositions their Variance and Emulation their Bloody Strife and Contention live in such Love and Peace together as they are wont to do who dwell in the same House that is as Brethren and Sisters or who lie in the same Bed that is as Husband and Wife between whom there is the strongest and dearest league of Friendship This I doubt not is the general sense of the words If there be any particular rank of persons designed by these several sorts of Creatures I can make no more of them than this That by Lions in the better sense of the word as in the Blessing of Judah may be meant Princely persons as Epiphanius himself interprets that place * Haeres 77. numb 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Fatlings their Wealthy and Happy Subjects by the Wolf and the Leopard the Strong and the Mighty and by the Lambs and Kids the Weak and Infirm by the Bear such as are fierce rough and warlike and by the Cow the gentle tame and peaceable People and lastly by the Asp and the Cockatrice which are mentioned in the Verses following my Text the angry and envenomed Spirits and by the sucking Children all meek and good-natur'd persons And so the meaning may be that Christ shall come to make the World so happy that Princes and People the mighty and the meaner sort the violent and they that have no power or no will to resist the Soldier and the peaceable Country-man the Waspish people and they that are of a sweet Disposition shall all be brought under the same Discipline and submit to the same Laws not to hurt or molest one another but to promote the Common Good of the whole body to which they belong For they shall be conducted by the most tender-hearted peaceable and gentle Guides who perhaps are meant in the latter end of my Text and a little child shall lead them By this name of his Children our Lord calls his Apostles whom he sent to gather and feed his Flock and both they and their Successors are called in the Holy Language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Leaders of his People to Guide and Conduct them into the way of truth and peace Thus far none can make any difficulty to yield their Assent but will easily grant this Prophecy sets forth the happy days under Christ's Kingdom and Government in such words as the very Heathen Poets or Prophets as they called them 1. Tit. 12. were wont to use when they would represent the like peace and prosperity under their Kings and Princes For Virgil congratulates to Pollio the Birth of his Son and pretends to presage the Happiness which should be in his time in words as like to these of Isaiah as if he had borrow'd them from his Writings And to ingratiate himself with Augustus he speaks in the same Stile concerning Julius Caesar as all know who are acquainted with his Poems †Erlog IV. V. The Greatest Difficulty will be to show the Truth of what the Prophet here writes and to make his Words applicable to our Blessed Saviour For when were there such Happy Times may some say Did we ever yet see the Enmities of Mankind laid aside or so much as laid asleep Hath not even the Christian World been ever full of Strife and Contention of Hatred and bitter Opposition of Violence and Oppression nay of Wars and Bloodshed which besmears the Face of Christ's Flock as well as other people Do not our Eyes still see men devouring and destroying one another Are not our Ears filled with the doleful Complaints and Lamentations of miserable wretches The Mighty in many places even in neighbouring Countries not far off from us roaring like Lions for their prey and poor harmless people trembling before them like so many Lambs that have no helper Nay are not the meaner sort engaged in perpetual brawls and endless janglings Are they not fraught with envy wrath and malice Do they not sting one another and perhaps their betters with bitter words as if the poison of Asps were under their lips And more than this are they not ready to sheath their Swords in one another's Bowels with such a furious zeal as if to kill their opposites were to do our Lord good service How can all this be denied and if it cannot what appearance of truth is there that Jesus is that Christ under whose Government the Prophet saith there shall be a most blessed accord I answer all this is true and yet it is as true that our Lord Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and the Saviour of the World. Which is the Second and the principal part of my Discourse wherein I undertook to demonstrate That this Prophecy was exactly fulfilled in him as will be confessed if I make good these three things II. First That it was the apparent design of our Saviour's coming to make such an happy accord among men as the Prophet here describes Secondly That the nature of his Religion is such as is apt to produce this effect which he designed Thirdly That this effect was actually produced in those that heartily embraced his Religion I. The first of these is so unquestionable that I may be excused if I wholly omit it for fear of being tedious Or it may be sufficient to say that as he was called by this Prophet ch IX v. 6. the Prince of peace long before he was born so at his birth the Angels tell us plainly enough what his business was when they welcom'd him into the World with this joyful Hymn Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good-will towards or among men Luke II. 14. And when he was to enter upon his Office John Baptist was sent before him to prepare his way by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children so the same Angel describes his Commission i. e. to make them all of one mind and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just Luke I. 17. Which Wisdom you know is pure and peaceable gentle and easy to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality without hypocrisie as it is described by one of the Apostles of our Lord Jam. III. 17. Whose whole Conversation in the world was such a rare Pattern of meekness and peacebleness that he did not strive nor cry neither did any man hear his voice in the streets as St. Matthew observes ch XII 19. out of this Prophet that is he would not contend with those that opposed and provoked him nor make a clamorous noise when he was abused nor move the smallest disturbance how ill soever he was treated No not so much as break
a bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax i. e. dishearten or utterly deject those of whom there was any hope tho for the present they were his Enemies and sought to destroy him But he persuaded all in the most gracious manner to become new Creatures and sent his Apostles abroad also upon this errand with peace in their mouths unto every House into which they entred And if you would know what kind of Creatures he intended to make them you may learn that even from the names he commonly bestows upon his Disciples whom he calls his Sheep and his Lambs and little Children the very terms wherein the Prophet here speaks unto whom he gave this new Commandment That they should love one another even as he had loved them that is with the most ardent love and sincerest affection Which his beloved Apostle repeats so often and in the very same language calling those to whom he writes My little Cheldren as if he thought this was the whole business of Christianity That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment 1 John III. 23. But I 'll spend no more time in this nor stay to give an account of one place in the Gospel which seems to contradict it Mat. X. 34. 35. because whatsoever the Event was by accident in the attempt of so great a Change as our Saviour came to make the Nature and Genius of the Religion which he taught is such that as he could have no other design so it is apt in it self to make Men the most peaceable Creatures though never so disagreeing in their Natural Tempers and Dispositions That 's the next thing to be considered in this matter II. Which will be evident to every ones Satisfaction who will seriously weigh these three Things First The Principles of his Religion or the Doctrines he taught Men to believe together with the way and means whereby these Principles were established in Mens Minds Secondly The Precepts of his Religion or the Things he taught them to practise Thirdly The Obligations he laid upon Men to receive these Principles and observe these Precepts All of which are very powerful to make Men of a loving gracious Disposition and perfectly to reconcile them one to another First As to the Principles of his Religion and the Means he used to settle them in Mens Minds He 1. Taught them first of all that there is but one God. The Disbelief of which as it had set the World at such enmities one with another as they confessed was among their Deities so the planting this Faith in Mens Hearts any one may discern at the first sight must needs be an apt means to breed such Love among Men as is between the Children of one and the same common Parent of them all 2. And that 's very considerable as he declared one God to Men so he revealed him as his and their Father full of Kindness and Goodwill to all his Children having a tender and affectionate Care of their Immortal Happiness Which St. Paul thought a Bond so strong and a Motive so very efficacious that it concludes the great heap of Arguments whereby he perswades Christians to Unity of Spirit and Peace Ephes iv 6. There is one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all that is is the Supream Lord of us all diffusing his careful and paternal Providence through the whole Body of this vast Empire and more particularly resides among Christian People 3. Who are taught which is the next thing to worship this one God by one Mediator alone which is both another Bond of Union as the Apostle there teaches when he saith there is one Lord V. 4. and likewise gives very great assurance of God's tender Love to all Mankind as he discourses in another Epistle 1 Tim. ii 4 5. where he proves that God would have all Men to be saved and to come to the knowledg of the Truth from this Principle for there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all 4. Which appears by this further care he hath taken of us all that he sent his Apostles to baptize all Nations into one simple Faith for next to one Lord the Apostle mentions one Faith and one Baptism which is this That there is one God the Creator of all who is to be worshipped and served by one Mediator his only begotten Son Jesus Christ who offered one Sacrifice that is himself for the Sins of the whole World rose again from the Dead ascended into Heaven and from thence sent the Holy Ghost to testify that he is Lord of all and will come again in Glory to judg the Quick and the Dead This was easily and quickly learn'd and this they taught every where that Christians might be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment 1 Cor. 1. 10. 5. In order to which they further declared the whole World should be govern'd and judged by one common Law and that not the Law of Moses but the plain Rules of Righteousness Sobriety and Godliness For our Blessed Saviour being made Lord of all abolished by his Authority the Ordinances of Moses and thereby took away the Distinction which had continued for a great many Ages between the Gentiles and the Jews whose Law was in the very Intention of it a Law of Division and Separation whereby God design'd to sever them from the familiar Society and Conversation of the rest of the Nations in the World Who while that Law remained in force were kept at a distance from the Jews but by the removal of it were no longer Strangers and Foreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God Ephes ii 19. Upon which account the Apostle tells the Ephesians a little before v. 14. that Christ was their Peace who had made both one by breaking down the middle Wall of Partition which was between them and the Jews that is as he explains himself in the next Verse The Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances i. e. the Ritual Constitutions of Moses which he calls the Enmity because they had been the cause of Enmity and Hatred between Jews and Gentiles and were therefore abolished by the Death of Christ for to make in himself of twain one new Man so making Peace That they he means who had stood divided by vastly different nay opposite Rites of Worship and other Customs might meet and joyn together in his Religion and so becoming one new Body or Society under the Government of his Laws there might be an happy Accord and Agreement between them as Members of one and the same holy Catholick Church the Jews no longer looking upon the Gentiles as prophane nor the Gentiles looking upon the Jews as an unsociable People 6. Now for the settling this Belief in Mens Minds that they were all
exceeding evil It is to be imputed in great part to the Corruption of Christian Doctrine and the Imposition of new Articles of Faith or to the over zealous espousal of such Opinions as are no essential parts of it whereby mens minds have been diverted from the study of serious Piety and Vertue about which most of the Heats and Quarrels in Christendom have arose and not about the Substance of Christianity it self But it is to be hoped that the time is coming apace when Christianity will end as it began in abundance of Truth and Peace by a right understanding of the Will of God and an hearty Submission thereunto in zealous Love unto God our Saviour and unto one another Or to speak in the Prophets Language the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord in the highest and largest sense of those words as the Waters cover the Sea. I have not room to lay before you the grounds of this Hope out of the holy Oracles but that wonderful Work which God hath wrought in our days and before our Eyes by that great Prince whose Spirit he hath stirred up to undertake our Deliverance from Popish Tyranny and whose Proceedings he hath blessed with amazing Success may well awaken the minds of considering Persons to expect greater things he is about to do in the World which groaneth as the Apostle says the whole Creation did in their days to be delivered into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. Here at least in these Kingdoms and Churches it would be very strange if we should defeat the design of Gods gracious Providence by continuing our old differences and enmities our unchristian roughness and severities frowardly refusing to close together in such an happy settlement as may give security to our Religion and safety to all our other concerns This would set an Eternal brand of infamy upon us if having all agreed so far with a common consent as once more to shake off the Roman Yoke which was about to be put upon our Necks and to preserve the liberty of our Country and of our Religion in its purity and simplicity we should now fall out about other matters And suffer the few things wherein we differ to have a greater power to divide us than the many nay the most things wherein we agree have to unite us God forbid we should prove so ungrateful unto Him and unto the blessed Instrument of his Providence Which hath given us a New opportunity after our shameful abuse of a former to make our selves happy by being like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Not looking every Man on his own things but every Man also on the things of others as the Apostle Writes II Philip. 2. 4. Unto this let every one who loves the Lord Jesus in sincerity who hath any love to his Religion and its Honour or loves his country that is his own ease and safety and the wellfare of his Posterity bend his serious study and most earnest endeavours Let every Soul of us do his part that the place where he lives may be in peace And not only wish but labour that the blessed times which we look for when our Lord shall take to himself his great power and shall Reign XI Rev. 17. may begin here in these Churches and Kingdoms Where there never was greater need nor greater reason for Unity than at this present Princes and Governours should study this by making just reasonable and merciful Laws and the people should study it by a humble submission to them and careful observance of them The Ministers of the Gospel should seek this by being the Embassadors of Peace and Love by speaking all the same thing that is Preaching only the undoubted Truths of the Gospel That so they may be one according to Christ's Prayer for his Apostles even as the Father and our Saviour were one and thereby perswade Men more effectually of the certainty of their Doctrine And all their hearers should study to Adorn this Gospel of Peace by learning of them in humility and receiving the ingrafted Word with meekness By setting themselves to the serious practice of plain and unquestionable Precepts and not quarrelling about Doctrines that are uncertain and obscure They who are in Office should indeavour this by faithful execution of the known Laws by maintaining good Order by taking up petty differences among Neighbours which should be the Work of every honest Man as far as it lies in his power The Great and the Rich should labour to bring on these happy days by countenancing True Piety by comforting the poor and indigent by all other Acts of Mercy and kindness unto those who are below them that they may not be tempted to envy their prosperity or murmur at their fullness and abundance but be the better contented in their poor condition In like manner all other Estates and Conditions of Men are obliged to discharge their several Duties conscientiously that they may contribute to the peace and quietness the Prosperity and Happiness of the Society whereof they are Members For as there is no greater Scandal than this among Christians nothing more destructive to Religion among our selves or a greater hindrance to its propagation among Strangers than the perpetual differences and feuds hatreds and enmities of which Christians themselves are the Authors So there is nothing more pernicious and deadly unto those who are embroiled in them If they have no greater respect to the credit of their Religion than to continue still such animosities they shall have this just punishment from God that they shall thereby make one another so much the more miserable For when Religion according to its Nature and design doth not unite and bind Men fast together it makes them so much the sorer enemies one to another No differences so sharp as those among Men of the same profession None so cruel and outragious as those whom Religion sets a quarrelling And therefore let us heartily apply our selves to the diligent study of that Universal Christian Piety which will make us as innocent as Lambs as gentle as the young Kids as humble void of Malice Covetousness ambition or worldly designs as the little sucking Children For this is the very intention of it The Kingdom of God i. e. the Christian Religion is not meat and drink doth not consist in those things about which Men quarrel but Righteousness and Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost And therefore let us as the Apostle there exhorts XIV Rom. 17 19. follow after the things which make for Peace and things wherewith one may edifie another Unto which give me leave to propound a few Motives not of my own but out of one of the Greek Fathers who presses this upon the people of Constantinople when miserably divided Greg. Nazianz O. rat 12. p. 108. c. with equal Zeal and Eloquence First says he look up unto Almighty God the highest and most