PEACE AND LOVE, Recommended and Persuaded: IN TWO SERMONS, PREACHED At BRISTOL, January the 31. 167 4/ 5  
By Tho. Jekyll, A. M. and Vicar of Rowed in the County of Wilts.  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Milbourn, for Dorman Newman at the Kings-Arms in the Poultry, and the Ship and Anchor without the Bridg-Gate on Southwark-side, 1675.   

To the READER.  
Reader,  
IN Obedience to the Commands of a Person, to whom I am beholden for a very Liberal Education, and a great deal more too, it has been my Usual Custom ever since I lived in these Parts, to Preach twice every Year at Bristol; and being there lately, as at other times before upon the like Occasion, I was in a very rude manner Clamoured against, and both my Sermons Arraigned and Condemned before either of us came to a Trial: Nay, before I was out of the Church, it was earnestly pressed by one that Pretends to understand the Law, that I should be Secured; and so far did his Opinion, for the sake of his Gown, prevail, that I was sent for before the Mayor, and accused of such Crimes as (had they been true) would have taken away my Life in the most Ignominous manner, and affixed a perpetual Odium upon my Name and Memory; but thanks be to God, they are as much abhorred by me, as they were falsely charged against me; and therefore to Vindicate my Reputation (which ought to be as dear as Life itself to a Clergy man) I have ventured to put myself upon the Trial of my Country, by whom, though I may justly expect to be cast for weakness and insufficiency, yet I have Reason to hope that I shall be acquit from those Infamous Aspersions that were cast upon me by mine Accusers: And then (King Reader) for the former, I hearty beg thine and the World's Pardon, and have only this to say for myself, that nothing but the latter should have forced any thing of mine into the Press; upon which account I think I am rather to be Pitied then Condemned, there being but few Persons that would care to have their Private Studies and Discourses intended only for the Pulpit, exposed unto the public view, especially too, upon such an Occasion as this, when the Printing must not in the least differ from the Preaching of them, as I do assure thee these Sermons of mine do not. Farewell, and live Peaceably,  
T. Jekyll. Rowed, Feb. 18th. 167 4/5   

PEACE and LOVE; Recommended and Persuaded.  Heb. 12.14. 
Fellow Peace with all Men, and Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.  
OF all the Doctrines that were ever delivered unto the World, those that are comprehended within the compass of our Saviour's Sermons and Discourses, do without all Controversy, deserve the highest place in our esteem, and to be the first of all reduced into our Practice, being of such a Nature as afford the Obserservers of them not only the greatest satisfaction and delight from themselves, but do also render them accepted of God, and approved of Men; in that they tend not only to the making of us Good Men, and Good Christians, but also good Neighbours, good Magistrates, and good Subjects too; and therefore, whoever they are, that under the gay Pretences of Advancing the Glory of God, and the good of his Church, have learned to be Ill-natured and Troublesome, let them know that they have not so learned Christ, who not only sent, but came himself down from Heaven, that both by Precept and Example he might Teach us better Principles and Practices: And therefore whoever looks into the Gospel, that Perfect Law of Liberty, shall soon find that it was never intended to set men together by the Ears, to give them a Licence to fall foul upon, and to ruin one another; and that many times for Trifles and Circumstances, not fit to be mentioned the same year with our Christian Peace. It's true our Saviour tells us, Math. 10.34. That He came not to send Peace, but a Sword. But what Sword was it? Not the Sword of War or Persecution amongst Christians one against another; not the Sword of Friends, but of Enemies, viz. Those that were Enemies to Christianity itself; and such too, as no ties of Nature or Humanity could Reconcile: And therefore since these things are said to happen, not as the Design, but only as the Consequence of the Gospel; and that Non ex suâ naturâ sed aliorum vitio, Not of its own Malicious Nature, but rather from the depraved Dispositions of men: What may we hence conclude, but that we are strangely Degenerated from the true Gospel Temper, whilst we increase and foment those Differences and Animosities that are amongst us about matters of no weight or moment at all? As if our Saviour's Prophesying of these things were a sufficient Warrant for us to bring them to pass! No certainly, that which falls out per Accidens & praeter Intentionem Christi, can never become Decus & Officium Christiani; Those evils that he only Prophesied of, but never intended, can never become our Duty or Privilege to bring about. His Design and Endeavour was to Reconcile God and Man, Jew and Gentile and and to bring all the world too (if it were possible) into one Community: He was therefore Ushered into the World with a Proclamation of Peace; and when he left it, he Bequeathed a Legacy of Peace; nay all along through the whole course of his Life, in all the Circumstances of it, from his Cradle to his Grave, we shall find him so far from sowing any Seeds of Contention, that he would rather lose his Right, yea, and his Life too, then give the least Occasion of Offence to any. It's true, there was one sort of War and Contention that he Intended, and that was a War against ourselves, and not our Neighbours; against our Lusts, and not our Brethren; against our Sins and Corruptions, and not for our Fancies and Opinions: And in this warfare, he himself becomes our Captain; and whoever would be accounted a good Soldier of his, must deny himself, and take up his Cross; that is, he must Mortify all his Earthly members, be Crucified to the World, and get the World Crucified to him; and then, and not till then, shall he be able to follow him: And therefore, as the best security of our Christian Peace, we are required to Engage in this Holy War against our Lusts. Whence says St. James in the 4th. chap. of his Ep. & v. 1. Come Wars and Fightings amongst you? Come they not hence, even of your Lusts which War in your Members? Yes certainly, these blow the coals of all that fire of Contention which has hitherto flamed so high amongst us: So that were it not for the Covetousness of some, the Pride and Ambition of others, the Ignorance and Self-conceitedness of too too many more, all our Differences might easily be Reconciled: If the Pride and Conceitedness of men's minds were but changed into Meekness and Humility, and all their Heats and Passions cooled by Patience and Moderation; and if that necessary Duty of Love and Charity (the Badge and Glory of a Christian) were but more seen amongst us, we should never have so many Sects and Parties, or at leastwise, not so much Hatred and Emulation, since that would teach us to bear with one another's Infirmities; and if we cannot all agree in Judgement, to agree at least in Holiness of Life, which is the best Evidence of the Honesty of any man's Conscience in matters of Religion. And therefore the Apostle St. Paul (for I take him to be the Author of this Epistle to the Hebrews) knowing how destructive all sin and wickedness was to the Peace of the Church, and by consequence to the very Being of the Church itself, he does in several places of this, and the rest of his Epistles press Christians to an eager Pursuit after Holiness, as the chiefest Security of the Church's Peace, 1 Tim. 4.7, 8. Refuse profane and old Wives Fables, and Exercise thyself rather unto Godliness; for bodily Exercise profiteth little, but Godliness is profitable unto all things, having a promise of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come; And so 2 Tim. 2.22. Flee youthful Lusts, but follow Righteousness, Faith, Charity, Peace; they being the greatest hindrances of these; and so here in the Text, he adds both together in the same Exhortation, Fellow Peace with all men, and Holiness, without which, no man shall see the Lord. In which words we have an Exhortation, and a Motive to back that Exhortation.  
1. Here is an Exhortation to the pursuit of Peace, and to the practice of Holiness, two things that are of exceeding great worth and value, honoured and esteemed of all, though seen in, and practised but by few. What he here means by Peace, may be seen from the like expression elsewhere, Rom. 14.19. Let us therefore follow after the things that make for Peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. That is (as the Context fully proves) Let us not put a stumbling block, or an occasion to fall in our Brother's way, by wrangling over-eagerly for those things that may as well be let alone as used; but rather let us walk more according to Charity, and not for meats and drinks, or other trifles to destroy him for whom Christ died; for says he, v. 17. The Kingdom of God, is not Meat & Drink, but Righteousness and Peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, these being the things whereby we may best edify and profit one another. Therefore says he also, Rom. 12.18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men, i. e. not only avoid giving of offence, but taking of it too; therefore says he, v. 17. Recompense no man Evil for Evil: Though thy Christian Peace be struck at, yet let it not be broken; rather bear with an Injury then Revenge it, it's the second blow that begets the Quarrel; therefore be not, by any means overcome of Evil, but overcome Evil with Good, v. 21. And to this our Apostle adds Holiness, because of its near Relation to, and necessary dependence upon the former, it being impossible to enjoy perfect Peace without it: There is no peace, saith my God, unto the Wicked, Isa. 48.22.  
2. Here is also a Motive to back that Exhortation: Without which no man shall see the Lord. Without which, that is, without either, nay without both; for though the Greek Particle seems to relate unto the latter only, viz. Holiness, yet they being both of absolute necessity, in order to the obtaining of Everlasting Salvation, though it be a strain upon Grammar, yet it may, I think, without any prejudice to sound Doctrine be applied also to the former, viz. Peace, especially since our Saviour has pronounced the same Blessedness unto both, Math. 5.8, 9 Blessed are the pure in Heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God. Where, though the Phrases vary, yet the sense is the same, the sight or enjoyment of God being only the Inheritance & Privilege of his Children.  
No Man shall see the Lord; that is, shall dwell in the sight and presence of God, shall ever enjoy his favour and love, and that either upon Earth in those duties of his Worship and Service, in which he is pleased to manifest much of his Divine Excellencies to holy and good men; or shall not enjoy his everlasting presence in Heaven, In whose presence there is fullness of joy, and at whose Right-hand there are pleasures for evermore: Such as are not only above others in their ravishing delights, but also infinitely beyond others in their Everlasting duration and continuance, being such as none can take away or interrupt. So that from hence, we may with the Apostle observe, That without true Love and Charity in our hearts towards one another, and without true Piety in our Lives towards God, its impossible for us ever to be truly happy. And since the Apostle has said it, it will not misbecome us to examine how far forth his assertion may be made good; now it will appear to be so, if we consider, 1. The nature of God himself, who is infinitely merciful and Holy, and delights in none but those that are so. 2. The nature of true happiness itself, which consists chief in these two things, viz. Peace and Holiness. 3. The nature of these excellent Duties themselves which are here pressed upon us in the Text, which are not only the Pre-requisite qualifications in order to the obtaining of true happiness, but are also a chief part of that happiness itself.  
The Proposition will appear to be true from the nature of God himself; And here if we do but consider the several circumstances of the humane nature, we shall soon find that the enjoyment of God is the only thing that can make it truly happy, and therefore whilst others are seeking for Good elsewhere, the good man's desire is always towards him. Psal. 4.6. There be many that say, who will show us any good? Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us; Now there's nothing can procure this happiness for any, but only the pursuit and practice of those things that please him; nor can any thing render us acceptable in his sight, but only those things that are agreeable to his Nature and Commands (for you know the only way of pleasing another is, by doing those things that are answerable to his Mind and Will.) Now there is nothing that God has more earnestly commanded, nor is there any thing that we can more nearly resemble him in. than Peace and Holiness. He has sufficiently Demonstrated his love too, and desire of Peace, in sending of his Son into the World, to be the Blessed Peacemaker betwixt himself and us. And the Prophet Hab. gives us this account of his Holiness, 
Hab. 1.13.  that he is of purer eyes then to behold the least sin: When Moses desired to see the Glory of God, to gratify his request, God Almighty promised him to make his goodness pass before him, which accordingly he made good by a Proclamation both of his Name and Nature; 
Exo. 33.19.  in which he is Represented as one so far from all Malice and desire of Strife and Contention, that he passes by infinitely more occasions, than ever he takes against any, and withal so Holy, that he will not approve of any wickedness in any body else; and therefore Moses justly styles him Glorious in Holiness, 
Exo. 15.11.  and upon all occasions makes use of the goodness of the nature of God, as an Argument to excite the Children of Israel to the like practices, when he would persuade them to Mercy and Gentleness unto others, he minds them of their Redemption out of Egypt, Deut. 26. at large, but more particularly, v. 18. Thou shalt remember that thou wast a Bondman in the Land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God Redeemed thee thence, therefore I command thee to do this thing: And when he would persuade them to be Holy, he draws an Argument too from the nature of God in this particular, Be ye Holy for I am Holy. 
Levit. 19.2.  And thus our Saviour too propounds the nature of God for our pattern and encouragement; he would have us love our Enemies and show kindness to them, because God doth so; and to be good ourselves, because he is so. Math. 5.44, 45, 48. But I say unto you, love your Enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you: And why so? That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven, for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth Rain on the just and the unjust; to which therefore he adds, v 48. Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. So that considering the essential goodness of the nature of God, we may soon see how acceptable a quarrelsome, furious and revengeful Christian is to him. For if he delight in Acts of kindness and mercy unto all, and is continually doing good unto his greatest Enemies; nay, and since too, he has commanded us to go and do likewise, he can never certainly approve of those, whose pride and passions hurry them on to those Actions that are so directly contrary unto his Nature and Commands. He has been pleased to compare himself unto a Shepherd, Isa. 40.11. Whose property is to gather the Lambs in his Arms, to carry them in his Bosom, and gently to lead those that are with young: and then certainly he will never approve of those who without any respect had to old or young, strong or weak, scatter and devour his little Flock. So on the other hand considering the essential Holiness of the Divine nature too, we may easily guests what welcome a wicked and ungodly Wretch shall find from him at last; For certainly, he that cannot with the least liking or approbation behold the least sin, will never suffer it to dwell with him for ever; Doubtless he that cannot give a Sinner, as such, a good look, will never give him a gracious Reception. Can two walk together, 
Amos 3.3.  says the Prophet Amos, except they be agreed? Light may as soon have fellowship with Darkness, as Christ with Belial or a merciful and holy God, with a malicious and profane man: Those that by their wickedness have made a Covenant with Death, and are at an Agreement with Hell, can never certainly be in League with Heaven too. St. John tells us, 
Rev. 21.27.  that the New Jerusalem will not suffer any unclean or abominable thing to enter into it; and if that place be of such a nature, what's He whose presence gives it that purity! Certainly God Almighty will never suffer any to dwell with him hereafter, that have not learned in some measure to be like him here. Nay, we are told that the happiness of another World consists in our Resemblance and likeness unto God. 1 John 3.2. We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him: therefore says he v. 3. He that hath this hope, purifieth himself as he is pure; He purgeth out the old Leaven of malice and wickedness, and endeavours to become a new Lump of Peace and Holiness: He strives to be like unto God in all manner of goodness here, that so he may be like him in glory hereafter; it being impossible without the one ever to obtain the other.  
Secondly, The proposition will farther appear to be true, if we consider the nature of true happiness itself: There is nothing can make any man truly happy, but that which can satisfy all his present desires, & secure him too against his future fears; For though he have all that heart can wish, yet if there be any thing he apprehends ever hereafter likely to disturb his joys, it doth very much abate the edge of his appetite, and sour the whole lump of his enjoyments; therefore says the wise man, Prov. 1.33. Who so hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil; now there is nothing settles the mind in such perfect Tranquillity, and secures it both from the sense and fear of evil, as a loving and peaceable disposition doth; 
1 Joh. 4.18.  perfect love casts out fear with all the Torment that attends it, and covers no less a multitude of Crosses and Afflictions, than it does of Sins. For certainly, as amidst the Delights of nature, we can never be truly happy, unless we think ourselves so; so amidst all the Crosses that we can be exercised withal, a heart well fraught with love, will so far calm and compose our spirits, that we can never think ourselves miserable; This will so turn every thing to the best, that all things shall work together for our good. Whilst on the other hand the passionate and revengeful man disturbs the present comforts of this life, and exposes himself to all the miseries of another, so that he does himself more hurt than any body else; nay all things considered, he is no bodies Foe but his own, since all the mischief he intended another, Rebounds back again with greater force against himself; so true is that of the Psalmist, Psal. 7▪ 16. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own Pate. For whilst I see another person maliciously bend to work my Ruin, what is this but a fair warning for me to stand upon my Guard and look to myself; by which means I shall have the Comfort, but he the Torment of finding no occasion against me, whilst thus too I shall heap fire on his head, and make him blow the Coals himself: For doubtless there cannot be a greater Torment to the mind than this, since wherever the man goes, and in whatsoever he does, this Ghost of envy and spleen so continually haunts him, that he can never be at rest. Whilst on the other hand the peaceable-minded Christian, who intends and does no evil, neither feels nor fears any, but in the well grounded hopes of another World freely enjoys this; nay takes all afflictions, not only patiently, but joyfully too, not biting, but rather kissing the Rod, because he knows there's Honey at the end of it, and that these light Afflictions work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory: So that doubtless, if there be any Heaven upon Earth it's this, especially too when the practice of Holiness accompanies the pursuit of Peace, and the man has learned to be good as well as kind; Then he lives and fares well, yea more Deliciously every day than the Rich Glutton himself; it's the good Conscience only that makes the merry heart keep a continual Feast. The good man, says Solomon, 
Pro. 14.14.  shall be satisfied from himself; the loving disposition of his mind, and the Innocence of his life, affording him all the satisfaction that his heart can wish. Nay, though the World frown, and Men and Devils rage and threaten, yet nothing can alter this happy state; This is a joy that no man takes away, any more than the Rattling of a storm upon the Tiles can put an end to the mirth that may be in the House. It was upon this account that Job resolved to hold fast his integrity, and not let it go; my heart, says he, Job. 27.6. shall not reproach me so long as I live. It's true, the wicked and ungodly wretch may please himself for a time with his wickedness, and be in love with his own Folly and Extravagance; but yet all his jollity is but like that of Witches in their Transportations, who feed upon nothing but Air and Fancy, and return from their Diabolical Entertainments, with tired Carcases and hungry Bellies; For even in the midst of all their Laughter the heart is sorrowful, and sure I am, the end of that mirth is heaviness: Whilst on the other hand, the good man is not beholden to his Imagination only for his Entertainment, but is really full and well liking; and has this advantage too beyond the other, that he is made happy with less trouble, and at an easier Rate than the other is made miserable: The one must pass through a cruel Purgatory of malice and wickedness before he can get to Hell, whilst the other in his search after Heaven, finds in the tranquillity of his mind a pleasant Paradise all the way.  
Thirdly, The proposition will more fully appear to be true, if we consider the nature of these excellent Duties in themselves; it's the privilege which the true Christian only enjoys above all other persons in the World, that those things that are his Duty, are both his Interest and his glory too, and at once contribute both to his present & future welfare. What therefore are all the Duties of Religion enjoined him here on Earth, but so many accomplishments to make him fit for Heaven? What are all the Graces of the Gospel, but so many Jewels to enrich and beautify a Crown of Glory? Why is he bid to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts, and to live Righteously, and soberly, and Godly in this present evil World, but only that thereby he may be capable of an Inheritance amongst those that are thus Sanctified? To what end are we Required to be Renewed in the Spirit of our minds after the Image of him that Created us, but that by our being thus like him, we may be able to see him as he is, and to enjoy him too? And indeed what is that happiness which the Saints enjoy in Heaven, but only a privilege of partaking of the Divine nature? What else is glory but only the highest perfection of Grace? And therefore, if we do but consider the nature and employment of just men made perfect in Heaven; we shall find them so exactly Transformed into the Image of God, as if their Converse with, and Resemblance unto him, made up the happiness and perfection of that place. It was this, that made the Garden of Eden a pleasant Paradise unto Adam; And it's this, that makes Heaven itself to be Heaven to the Saints, whilst they are here on Earth; their purest Gold has some Dross, but there it's throughly Refined, and purified from all; Here the exactest holiness, has somewhat in it that requires a pardon, but there it's so perfect, that it wants none; which Innocent, and therefore happy condition, must necessarily produce an everlasting Peace, and that not only with God, and their own Consciences, but with all the World besides. The chief part of our Religion, consists in acts of Piety unto God, and charity unto Men; nay, such stress has the Scripture laid upon the latter, as without it, wholly to exclude the former. By this, says our Saviour, John 13.35. shall all men know, that ye are my Disciples, if ye love one another. And St. John tells us expressly, 1 John 4.20. That if a man say I love God, and hateth his Brother, he is a Lyar. Now this excellent Grace, which is so much our Duty here, makes up the chiefest part of our happiness hereafter, and doth the most of any thing else improve our natures into an absolute perfection; And therefore that which is in St. Luke's Phrase, styled Mercy, is in St. Mathews styled Perfection; In the one it is, Be ye merciful, even as your Heavenly Father is merciful; in the other it is, Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect; as may be seen, by comparing Math. 5.48. with Luke 6.36. thereby teaching us, that we are made perfect only in Love; And indeed, if we do but consider what the employment of the Saints in Heaven is, we shall find it to consist wholly in the highest acts of love that can be, in which they are continually exercised; for there, they not only contemplate the excellencies of their Maker, and praise and magnify him, but also show some acts of love unto their fellow-creatures here below; for though they do not become Mediators and Intercessors for them (as some fond Dream) yet they Rejoice to meet them in Heaven, and would gladly welcome their greatest Enemies thither; For if there be joy in Heaven over one Sinner that Repenteth, that joy is doubled, when that Penitence is Crowned with perseverance and eternal life. So that it's not only Religion, but the end of it too; it's the way that leads to everlasting life, and it is that life itself. All which considered, our Apostle may well press Peace and Holiness upon us, above all other things in the World; For if these be the things that the nearest resemble the nature of God, and by consequence best please him; if these are the things that not only tend to, but make up and complete our happiness, what can be more necessary for us to believe and practice; and therefore certainly we must needs do ourselves an unspeakable deal of mischief, not to follow such excellent Council and Advice, especially too, since the enjoyments of this life, and our hopes of happiness in another, do so necessarily depend upon it; All which, since I have, I hope, clearly and fully proved, that which remains, is to excite you to, and direct you in the practice of this Duty.  
First, Then see here the excellency of the Christian Religion in general, it requires nothing at our hands, but what tends to the improving of our natures into an absolute Perfection; all its Laws are wholesome and good, and such as a wise man would choose to be guided by, Deut. 4.6. Moses tells the Children of Israel, that the Observation of those Laws that he taught them, would be their Wisdom, and their understanding in the sight of the Nations, who would be ready to give this Character of them, that they were above all others, a wise and understanding People; And if the Law of God were so excellent then, what is it now, since it has been improved by the Gospel, and illustrated by our Saviour's admirable exposition upon on it in the Mount? Certainly there is nothing in the World more sweet and taking, nothing that comes so near the Reason and the Interest of Mankind; nay, even the severest duties of it, which seem the most contrary to our natural Tempers and Constitutions, such as are Meekness and Humility, Repentance and self-denial, Mortification of our Lusts and passions, and the like, yet even this, if we look well into them, will appear not only reasonable in themselves, but upon several accounts very much for our interest and advantage, tending all along to the perfect quiet and settlement of our minds here, and to our everlasting happiness and peace hereafter; And as for that peculiar Law of Christianity, which forbids Revenge, and commands us to love our Enemies, and to forgive Injuries, though it may seem harsh and grievous at the first; yet no man can think it so, that compares the restless Torment, and continual slavery of a malicious and revengeful Spirit, with the delights and sweetness of Love, and the glorious victory of overcoming evil with good, whereby a man conquers both his Enemy and himself.  
2. See here the necessity of these two excellent Duties in particular, viz. peace and holiness.  
1. For that of peace, which the Apostle requires, should be universal; follow peace with all men; which precept of his, doth very well agree with the New Testament notion, of a Brother, which is indeed every man in the World, as appears from the parable of the man that fell among Thiefs, whereby not only our kindred and acquaintance, but even strangers, and our very Enemies too are brought into that Relation, upon which account this becomes as necessary a duty, as it is an excellent grace, and commends us unto God beyond all other duties of Religion; nay, it's that which gives being to Religion itself, and is the very Life and Soul of all true Devotion. For indeed what is Christianity itself, but the highest Demonstration of the greatest love that ever was? And why is it so clearly Revealed unto us, but only to excite us to the like practices one towards another? And therefore at the last day, this is the main thing that we shall be accountable for; so that if there be any thing more necessary than other, in order to the obtaining of everlasting Salvation, it must certainly be this, hatred and malice being of all other things the most odious in the sight of God, as being so directly contrary to the daily methods of his providence; yea to his very nature and commands, tearing in pieces not only his seamless Coat, but his Body, and rendering frustrate the very expense of his blood, in so much, that he will sooner pass by all our other Immortalities, than this; which therefore, that we may avoid, there be three things, which if they were Reduced into our practice, would very much contribute to our peace.  
1. Bearing with one another's Infirmities. 2. Dealing by others, as we would have others deal by us. 3. A sincere and earnest endeavour after holiness: all which, if they were but laid to heart and practised, would certainly restore our peace as at the first, and our prosperity as at the beginning.  
1. Bearing with one another's Infirmities; Though it be the design of the Christian Religion, to make us holier than others, and to improve our minds and practices beyond the common Rate of Men, yet it was never intended to make us therefore keep our distance, and to stand off from all that are not arrived to as high a pitch as ourselves; no, the higher the true Christian is in God's account, the lower he is always in his own; The more experience he has had of God's goodness unto him, the more pitiful and courteous he is to others. It was this that made St. Paul, become all things to all men, that is, so far to condescend to the weakness, but not the wickedness of any, as to deny himself that Christian liberty, which otherwise he might have taken, which was doutless that holy guile wherewith he caught so many, upon which account, he recommends the same practice unto us, Rom. 15.1. we then that are strong, aught to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves; which advice of his, is as necessary, as it is excellent, and would well become all Christians in general, but more especially the Ministers of the Gospel, who should be men of gentle and peaceable Dispositions, rather composing differences, than fomenting of them. Therefore says the Apostle, 2 Tim. 2.24, 25. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patiented, in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves; by which proceed he shall obtain that which the same Apostle requires in a good Bishop, 1 Tim. 4.7. A good report of them that are without; by which means not only more Credit, and Reputation, but more Proselytes and Converts too are to be gained, than by all the unnatural Methods of force and violence. For I know not what it is in men's natures, that so inclines them; but certainly most have this principle in them, that they hate to be forced though it be even to goodness and virtue, and will discard piety itself, and Heaven too, rather than be threatened thither; whereas on the other hand the most refractory and stubborn Spirits, whom force cannot prevail upon, will be supple and pliant, when reproofs and zeal come clothed with love, when they see Tears shed for them, and their own interest more looked after by others, than themselves; when they see they are rather pitied than hated, and are notwithstanding all their obstinacy and wilfulness, wooed both by God and Men to accept of happiness, and an Heaven. Besides, let us remember the best of men, whilst they are here on Earth, need a great many Grains of allowance; The Education, Tempers and Constitutions of men are to be considered, from whence the greatest part both of their Actions and Opinions flow. Nay, I am verily persuaded, that many times the Religion of men (at least their ways of exercising of it) does very much follow the Tempers and Constitutions of their Bodies. He that is of a melancholy Disposition, and inclined to thoughtfulness, dreads God's justice, and is therefore all for mortification, and the severer duties of Religion, and is doubtless accepted of God; Another, that is of a more lively Complexion, admires the goodness and love of God, and from the Influence of that keeps himself innocent and cheerful too, is sociable and courteous, and by his active stirring, may as much promote God's glory as the other, and I doubt not is as well accepted of him; And therefore for us to be angry with our Brethren for not acting or thinking just as we do, is as unreasonable, as if we should quarrel with every man that is not of the same Age and Complexion with ourselves; Alas, the minds of men differ many times as much as their faces, and it often happens, that they may as well fall out about the one, as about the other; and yet we have lived to see men divided both in Opinions and Affections too, in so much that Christianity now (the more's our sorrow) is known by nothing more than differences and jars, and our profession is not more adorned by virtues, than branded by parties, each one stiffly defending his own opinion, though many times it be so trifling, that it matters not at all whether it be true or false; nay, though we agree in Fundamentals, yet many times a few Circumstances make Christians worse Enemies to one another, than they would be to a Turk or a Jew; and from these arise private grudges against men's persons also, and when our passions are up, we will look back Twenty or Thirty years to find Crimes to upbraid them withal; Certainly my Brethren, these things ought not to be so. Christianity is a more mild and good-natured thing, and was never intended to make us ishmael's, to set every man's hand against his Brother. What, because we differ in our Opinions, must we therefore bait and worry one another out of our lives? Doubtless, no Opinion that does not thwart the Fundamentals of Religion should make a separation, and destroy our Love and Charity; and that, because we have only probable Arguments for our Opinions, but we have an express command for our Love; one excellent property of which, is, that it Beareth all things, 
2 Cor. 13.4, 7.  suffers long, and is kind: And indeed, if we do but consider the long suffering of God towards us, how much he bears with us every day, we have all the reason in the World to make that excellent Character and Property ours, and as much as may be, to bear with one another; to support, and not devour the Weak; to strengthen, and not confound the Feeble knees; to raise up, and not to trample upon those that are down; and by this means we may do more good, than by all the Violence we can use, since a gentle persuasion accompanied with kindness, will reach farther than the strongest Argument urged with Hatred and Ill Nature. Christianity should appear with all the Ornaments of a meek and quiet Spirit, and show a Love mixed with Sorrow, towards those that are Strangers or Enemies to it; and this will make them esteem the Love that's showed them, the Persons that show it, and praise the Religion that moves them to it, and sooner than any thing else, persuade them to be of it.  
2. Another Expedient for Peace, is dealing by others as we would have others deal by us. When our Saviour Christ came into the World and dwelled amongst us, his design was not only by suffering in our Natures to satisfy God's justice for us, but also by his Life and Doctrine to teach us how to live ourselves, how to do our Duty to God and Man too: And therefore for the help of our memories, and the information of our Understandings, he Epitomizes the whole Moral Law, and reduces it to this one Duty of Love to God, and to our Neighbour; and lest any difference should arise concerning our manner of performing this, he contracts it into this single Precept, namely, Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thyself: And lest this too should be mistaken, he explains it by that which is absolutely the most natural and reasonable principle in the World, which is, to do as we would be done by, Matth. 6.12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do you even so unto them; for this is the Law and the Prophets: And indeed this alone is of Universal Influence in the whole life of a Christian, and will fully direct him, when all other things fail him. It is not every man that can tell what's Justice or Right in all cases, but there's no man but can tell how he would have others deal by him at all times: Therefore we ought to lay aside the bias of Self-love and Interest, and the rest of our Passions, and put ourselves in the same condition with other men, and then judge if we would be so dealt withal ourselves as we now deal by them; certainly there's no man in the world but would find an alteration in himself and all his affairs.  
If this golden Rule were but observed amongst us, it would secure Peace to the World, and make all men as happy as it is possible for them to be here; we should be full of mutual Goodness and Pity, a World of Benefactors, a Society of Saints and Angels; and instead of becoming Wolves and Beasts of Prey, we should be as so many Gods to one another. Let us therefore be persuaded to lay aside our Pride and Arrogance, to attribute no more unto ourselves then what's our due; and withal to Render to all men what belongs to them, to place ourselves in their Circumstances, and then act accordingly; and by this means all our Differences would be easily Reconciled, at leastwife we should be more moderate in our Censures, and less violent in our Actions. It was for the sake of this excellent Precept that Severus the Emperor did much Reverence our Saviour & Christianity itself, and endeavoured as much as he could to reduce it into his own practice, and for the sake of it favoured the Christians to whom at first he was somewhat harsh and rigid; nay, and had built a Temple for them, if Ulpian the Lawyer, and some others, for some Reasons of State had not diverted him from it. Let not us then by the Violation of it, disturb our own Peace and the Churches too, since thus we not only break the Laws of Humane Society, wound our own Consciences, but cast Dishonour upon Christianity itself too; but let us rather, as much as in us lies, live by this Rule, and upon all occasions, ask ourselves, Would we that others should deal thus by us? Would we be contented to be slandered and abused, to be railed at and affronted, to be cheated and cozened, to be robbed of our good Names, and the comforts of our Lives? Would we be contented to be driven up and down, from post to pillar, and to have all advantages taken against us? No certainly, we would not: Let us not then act any longer so directly contrary to the Reason of Mankind, and to the design of the Gospel too, lest hereby we be esteemed the common Pests of the world, Enemies both to God and Man too; & so at last find from the Judge of all men, the same measure that we have meeted out to others, which is to be proceeded against with all the violence and severities of justice and wrath. But  
3. A sincere and earnest Endeavour after Holiness, would very much contribute unto our Peace. Whilst Man continued in that happy state in which he was Created, there was a perfect Peace in Paradise, and this flowed from that perfect Innocence of his Life and Nature before his Fall; but as soon as ever he had eaten of the Forbidden Fruit, Sin, the great  of the World, set him at Variance both with God and himself; sowed Division between the Man and his Wife, made mortal Enemies of Natural Brothers, and taught the whole Greation Rebellion against their lawful Prince, and has ever since taught Men all those Devilish arts of Malice and Revenge, which they are so perfect in at this day. It's this cursed Root of bitterness in our Natures, that brings forth all that damnable fruit of Hatred and Emulation in our lives. 
Gen. 4.2 Sam. 11.1 King. 21. Esth. 3.3 John.  It was the envy of Cain that made him first Hate, and then Murder his Brother. It was David's Lust that cost Vriah his life: The Covetousness of Ahab that made him Murder Naboth: The Pride of Haman that made him thirst after the blood of the Jews; The Ambition of Diotrephes that disturbed the Churches of Asia; and if we would but lay our hands upon our hearts, we should find that 'tis one Lust or another at the bottom that arms us so unnaturally against one another; While there is envying, & strife, & divisions amongst you, says the Apostle, 1 Cor. 3.3. Are ye not Carnal, and walk as Men? The Man all the while getting the better of the Christian; whereas were we but holy and upright, just and good, we should be more moderate and calm: Did we in our hearts truly fear God, we should by necessary consequence also love our Brethren; were we truly sensible of his love and kindness unto us, it would make us more charitable and loving unto others. Sure I am, if we would but look nearer home, the best of us may find employment enough for our utmost Malice and Revenge against our own Lusts; we need not be so severe upon other men, whilst we have so many worse Enemies in our own Bosoms, against which it would better become us first to wage war; else as our Saviour says, Math. 7.4, 5. How wilt thou say to thy Brother, let me pull out the Mote out of thine Eye, when behold a Beam is in thine own Eye. Thou Hypocrite, first cast out the Beam out of thine own Eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the Mote out of thy Brother's Eye. It is upon this account therefore, that our Apostle adds this Duty of Holiness to that of Peace, which is the second thing to be considered here as necessary in order to the obtaining of everlasting Salvation.  
2. Therefore Secondly, and to conclude; See here the necessity of Holiness, Without which, says the Apostle, no man shall see the Lord, than which there cannot be a more powerful motive in the World. Whoever considers the Nature of the Christian Religion, how suitable all the Precepts of it are to the Reason and Interest of Man kind; what excellent Promises it makes to excite our hopes in case of Obedience; what amazing threats it lays down to a waken our fears in case of Disobedience; whoever, I say, considers these things, cannot but conclude it the most excellent Religion in the World, and such, as no man in his Wits but would readily embrace and practise: And yet if we do but look into the Lives and Conversations of those that have embraced it, we shall find the generality of them as great Strangers to the practice of it, as those that never heard of it. What Atheism and Profaneness, what Cursing and Swearing, what Lying and Perjury, what Drunkenness and Uncleanness; in short, what plenty of all manner of Wickedness is there every where to be seen, even amongst those that call themselves Christians? As if the Grace of God, that brings Salvation, had never appeared; or rather, as if the appearance of it were only to teach us not to deny, but to own and practise all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts; for certainly had some amongst us a Dispensation from Heaven, and leave to be as bad as they would, they could not well be much worse than they are. And yet ask these Persons in their more serious Intervals, what they think of God, and of another World, and their hopes of Happiness seem to be as strong as the best, flattering themselves with I know not what presumptuous thoughts of God's mercy; as if he were obliged to bestow it upon them  they would vouchsafe to call for it, or to accept of it. But let these Men know, the Christian Religion gives no encouragement to any such flattering Hopes and corrupt Practices. It's true, it promises Eternal Life, but its only unto them that Believe. It offers Heaven and Happiness, but its only unto them that practice Holiness: It assures of Peace and Comfort in another Life, but then its only unto them that follow Peace and Righteousness in this. Since without these, the Apostle assures us, no Man shall see God, shall ever behold his Face with joy and comfort, shall ever have the least place in his Favour here, or in his Glory hereafter. It's true in one sense, the most Wicked and Ungodly, who have neither Peace nor Holiness, nor any other good quality besides, shall see God; but it shall be only to increase their Misery, and add unto their Torment, when they shall see God, as the Devils do, with fear and horror, and behold him as so far from Pitying and Relieving of them, that he will rather Laugh at their Calamity, and mock when their fear comes. Which sole consideration is enough, one would think, to calm the most Furious and Revengful, to sweeten the most Sour and Bitter Disposition, to curb and restrain the utmost fury of all our Lusts; for I am much mistaken, if it would not daunt the proudest Sinner that ever breathed, to look upon Death, and to see nothing but Hell beyond it; to behold the great God of Heaven and Earth clothed in all the Robes of Fury and Vengeance; to behold him unto others a Merciful Father, and Compassionate Redeemer; but unto himself a Revengeful Judge, a Consuming Fire. Let therefore the time passed of our Lives suffice that we have lived so directly contrary to our Interest and Duty: Let the Wicked for sake his way, and the Unrighteous man his thoughts: Let all sin and wickedness be banished, both our hearts and lives: Let us lay aside our former corrupt Conversations; and let those Vices that do at this day rule and reign in our Nation, for the future, not be so much as once named amongst us, as becometh Saints; since whoever Indulges himself in the least sin, shall never, whilst he does so, Inherit the Kingdom of Christ, or of God; and may the God of all Grace so sanctify our hearts and lives in the ways of his Laws, and in the works of his Commandments, that we, being cleansed from all filthiness, and pollution both of Flesh and Spirit, may so perfect Holiness. in the fear of God, that at last we may enjoy the happiness of his fight and presence for ever.   
1 John 4.20, 21. 
If a Man say, I Love God, and Hateth his Brother, he is a Liar; for he that Loveth not his Brother, whom he hath seen, how can he Love God whom he hath not seen? And this Commandment have we from him, that he who Loveth God, Loves his Brother also.  
WHoever considers the Nature of that New Commandment which our Saviour gave of Loving one another, shall find it to be a Duty so rational and convenient, that there cannot be any thing more becoming the Nature of a Man, and more likely to win upon, and prevail with him; and therefore the Prophet calls the Cords of Love, the Bands of a Man. 
Hos. 11.4.  This Law of Love being so naturally fitted to the tempers and constitutions of men (who will sooner be allured and drawn, then forced and driven) that even the most rude and savage tempers will be calmed and mollified by it, and made fit for Society and good Order. But now when we come to consider it in its highest abstraction, and take a prospect of it from that Influence it has not only upon all the actions of our Lives one towards another, but even those towards God too, we shall find the excellency of it to be far greater. For, if before it made us men, it now makes us christian's, and teacheth us to love our Brethren, not for their own, but God's sake too; since it has this excellent qualification also, that hereby we are assured of the Truth of our Religion, and the sincerity of our hearts towards God, our Love to our Brethren being the mark and sigh of our love to him, without which, all our Religious pretences are but vain and foolish, and at the best but Hypocritical and a Lye. For if a Man say I love God, and hateth his Brother, he is a Liar, etc.  
In which words we have a Proposition laid down, and two Arguments to prove that Proposition.  
1. A proposition which consists of a supposition: If a man say I love God, and hateth his Brother, and a conclusion deduced from thence, he is a Liar, the very thing itself carrying a contradiction in its terms; for he that says he loves God with all his heart, and with all his soul (as every Good man ought to do) and yet in the mean time hates his Brother, or doth not love him so well as he should, however he may persuade himself to the contrary, yet all his Love is but false and counterfeit, and he himself, without mincing the matter, is no better than a Liar, which the Apostle does not only say, but prove from the two following Arguments; the one drawn from the Nature of Love itself, the other from the effects and consequences of it.  
1. From the Nature of Love itself; For if he doth not Love his Brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? It being more Natural to us, to love those things we see and converse with, than those things we only hear of and believe, in that Nature is before Grace, and takes the first place in us; and we are more apt to love those things that are visible and affect our senses, than those things that are invisible and affect only our understandings. And therefore, if to men, with whom we converse every day, and meet with such opportunities, we do not express any Love; what reason is there to imagine we sincerely love God, when of our love to him, and the sincerity of it, we were never able to make those Trials? because we never saw him, nor had any opportunities offered us of showing any real acts of love to him. Besides, something may be judged from the difficulty of the thing; for he that will not do a thing that's easy, will hardly be supposed to do a thing that's more difficult: Now it's harder to love one we never saw, than one that we see every day; in that fight and conversation is one Motive of Love: Now we see our Brethren daily, but we never saw God at any time; and therefore, where there is one advantage to allure our love to our Brethren, which there is not to invite and oblige us to the love of God; if a man fail in the one that is so Natural, how can it be imagined that he will perform the other which is less Natural? But  
2. The Apostles second Argument is drawn from the effects and consequence of Love, which is Obedience to the commands and will of any person whom we Love; And this Commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, loves his Brother also: So that its evident by the command of God, that we are as really obliged to love one another, as to love him himself; and therefore if we would show any love to him, we cannot do it any better way than by Obedience to his commands. And thus the notion of loving God in Scripture, but more especially in the New Testament, seems to be taken most fitly for one most eminent act of love amongst all men, viz. that of doing those things that are most acceptable and wellpleasing to the Beloved, either as tending most to his good, or any other way desirable unto him; for this indeed is the only way of expressing our love to another, all others being but the effects of love unto ourselves. But because God wants no Contribution of ours, either to the promoting of his good, or the advancing of his glory; and so our only way of doing grateful things to him, is our performing what he commands: It necessarily follows, that our Obedience to the mind and will of God in the highest and most perfect manner, is styled the loving of him, this being indeed the prime, if not the only way of demonstrating our Love to him; and therefore it's the greatest contradiction and absurdity in the world, for a man to say he loves God, when he contemns and despises his Will and Commands, and is, as if a man should pretend to be a Loving and Loyal Subject to his Prince, when his daily practice is to break all the Laws that ever he made: And therefore hence is it that our Saviour says, Ye are my Friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you: A readiness and willingness to perform another's will and pleasure being the truest sign of Love and Friendship that can be; so that the Apostle may very well charge that man with an Untruth, who pretends to love God, and yet takes no care to Oblige and Gratify him, especially to, when he has but one only way of doing it, viz. by Obedience too his Commands, amongst all which, I know none pressed more earnestly upon us, than this of Loving one another. And thus I have at large, and in as plain terms as I could, given you the meaning of the words, so that I suppose, by this time, we may from hence conclude, That where there is no true Love to our Brother, there can be no true Religion towards God. In the prosecution of which, I shall endeavour 1. To prove that it is so. 2. Show you some hindrances of our Love to our Brethren, and so consequently of our Religion towards God. 3. I shall show you how we ought to Love our Brethren. And 4. Draw an Inference or two by way of Application.  
1. I shall endeavour to prove the Proposition, and that 1. From the natural dependence of all Religion upon Love. 2. From the Pernicious Nature of Envy and Hatred, which is destructive to all Religion. And 3. From the good Providence of God, who has made the Love of our Brother to be the mark and sign of our Love to him.  
1. From the Natural Dependence of all Religion upon Love. If we do but consider the Nature of Religion, we shall find it so necessarily built upon the foundations of Love, that it's impossible for it to stand upon any other Basis; nay, it is so natural to it, that all pretences whatsoever without it, will soon vanish into air and nothing. For as that which is not of God, can never stand, so that Religion which does not abound in Love, can never be from God, and so can neither assure its present Truth, nor its long continuance, in that God is Love, and that which comes naturally from him (as all true Religion does) must partake of his Nature, and abide in him, and there's no dwelling in God, without a dwelling in Love. And therefore our Saviour Christ answering that subtle Question of the Lawyer, touching the first and great Commandment, makes this one duty of Love to be the fulfilling of the whole Law, 
Math. 20. ●0.  On these two Commandments, viz. Love to God and to our Neighbour hang all the Law and the Prophets: That is, whatsoever is commanded in the Old Testament by Moses, or any of the rest of the Prophets, is reducible hereunto, and falls as so many lines into this one Centre of Love. 
Luk. 10.  Nay, St. Luke relating this Discourse between our Saviour and the Lawyer, makes it not only the fulfilling of the Law, but even the only way of obtaining the Reward annexed unto such an Obedience; for the Question is not here set down as propounded concerning the greatness of the command, but the obtaining of everlasting Salvation; Master, what shall I do to Inherit Eternal Life? Where the Answer is the same, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, 
v. 25, 27.  with all thy Soul, with all thy Mind, and with all thy Strength; and thy Neighbour as thyself, which is indeed the sum and substance of all Religion: And therefore it's this which makes the Christian Law so perfectly a Law of Liberty, and recommends it to us above all other Doctrines in the World; in that this does endeavour (as all Religion should) to make man's Nature perfect, and to restore that Image of God which was at first so unhappily defaced; for there is nothing that a man can Answer and Resemble God in, so much as Love; all his other Attributes of Power and Majesty, Justice and Equity, Purity and Holiness, and whatever the Divine Nature is perfect in besides, being infinitely above us; but this now is, as it were, exactly fitted unto us; for as it's Love in him which makes his Sun and Rain to shine and fall upon the Good and Bad, so it's that too which makes us Love and Pray for our Enemies, and do them all the good we can: By this God forgives us, and we forgive one another; and as this makes him give what ever we ask of him, so it makes us give whatever is asked of us: If we are desired to go a Mile, this makes us go twain; if to give a Coat, this gives a Cloak also; if to forgive one Injury, this makes us to forgive even till 70 times 7 are offered; and even then too, to be still ready to forgive. Nay, there is not a Duty which the Gospel obliges unto, but it's founded upon Love: Baptism is a Covenant of Love; the Lords Supper is a Feast of Love, Faith must work by Love; and to that and all other Graces, must be added this Grace of Love, as that which seasons all, and is therefore called the very Bond of Perfection, Col 3.14. But  
2. The Truth of the Proposition will farther appear from the Pernicious Nature of Envy and Hatred, which are destructive unto all Religion. As there is nothing in the World more excellent and necessary than this Grace of Love, so there is nothing more hurtful and dangerous than its contrary Passions of Envy and Hatred; for as the one strives to make men perfectly happy, so the other doth all it can to make them eternally miserable, and fights neither with small nor great, but with the all of man's felicity; for by mixing and twining itself into our hearts, it quite stifles our Religion, and doth as the Old Serpent did by our first Parents, Betrays us even in the midst of Paradise: For whilst we pretend to be Religious, and do not bridle this unruly Passion, our Religion is not only vain, but will be our Ruin too; there being no greater affront to God in the World, nor any thing more destructive to ourselves, than thus Presumptuously to sin both against him and our own souls, by presenting ourselves before him so directly contrary to his Nature and Commands; for he has taken such care that his worship should be free from all such impure mixtures of Hatred and Malice, that he will rather for a time dispense with his Worship itself, and have it deferred, then endure that it should be thus unduly performed: 
Math. 5.23, 24.  For if thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remember that thy Brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the Altar, first, be Reconciled unto thy Brother, and then come and offer thy gift: Whereby it appears that the Performance of any outward Service unto God, without Love to our Brother, is very displeasing unto him, who requires Mercy rather than Sacrifice at our hands: For if the gift, when brought to the Altar, must rather be lest there then offered up, sure there can be no Acceptance or Reconciliation with God, unless we be also Reconciled unto our Brother, because that this must be done before the other can be begun. How many than have offered not only Fruitless, but Abominable Sacrifices unto him, and instead of pacifying, have but the rather provoked him, nay, and have with all earnestness, even besought him to Ruin and Destroy them? And therefore, whilst they so constantly repeat that blessed form of Prayer which our Saviour taught his Disciples without this Grace of Love in their hearts, they do even challenge the Power of God unto their own Damnation: For, whilst they Proportion the Absoluteness of that forgiveness which they beg of God, unto that which they give to others, and yet all that while are ready to do all the Mischief they can unto them; what is this but to beg of God to do his worst against them, and to exercise the utmost of his Power in their Everlasting Destruction; and sure men, in such a condition are very far from all Religion. For besides the Destructive Nature of Envy and Hatred unto all humane Societies, which can no longer stand where these Reign, than an House divided against itself can, (as may be seen in many fatal instances both at home and abroad) it is so contrary unto all Religion too, that wherever, it's entertained like a little Leaven, it sours the whole lump, and renders all our performances fruitless and vain. And then, I hope, there's no man will think St John either Uncivil or Uncharitable in thus plainly giving the Lie to all pretenders to Religion towards God, without Love to their Brethren too; for, he that says he Loves God, and Hates his Brother, is a Lyar. But  
3. The Proposition will yet farther appear to be True, from the Providence of God who has made the Love of our Brother to be the mark and sign of our Love to him. If we do but consider the Nature of that Relation which we stand in one towards another, we shall easily perceive that this piece of God's providence, in making the Love of our Brother to be the mark and sign of our Love to him, is grounded and bottomed upon as great Reason as any is in the World; for we are all Members of that Mystical Body, whereof Christ is the Head: Now where there is no true Love to the Fellow-members, there can be no true Love to the Head, because in the same Body, the Head and Members share alike: If therefore the Members fall out, and be at Enmity one with another, they can never agree and be at peace with the Head. Besides, there can be no other way of showing our Love to God than this; for as our Capacities are now, all others are either above us, or below us; we cannot be said to Love God properly, and as he is, because he is a Spirit and Invisible, and so does infinitely transcend our highest conceptions of him; and therefore that which we call Love to him, is not properly such, but rather Adoration and Devotion: And then seeing the Divine Nature is so far beyond the expressions of our Love, we must look out some other way, by which we may more clearly evidence it, and that must be by somewhat of our own Nature and Condition. Angels are therefore above us, and all others Creatures are below us, and not capable either of receiving or returning of our Love, so that there is nothing else that can be the object of it, but our Brethren or ourselves: Now self love is too narrow and scanty to have any thing of this Divine Quality in it, which is of a more extensive and universal Nature. Besides, it's so far from testifying of our Love to God, that it may as well be in a Devil as a Man, as may be seen in the Case of Dives, whose request to Abraham, of sending Lazarus to warn his Brethren, 
Luk● 16.  did not proceed from any love to, or care of their souls, but only out of respect unto his own, lest by their coming into that Place, now his torments should be increased; so that its only the Love of our Brethren that can testify the reality of our ●ove to God, because that can only prove that we do not Love in Word and in Name only, but in Deed and in Truth. In that, in the immediate expressions of our Love to God, there may be nothing more than a Complimental Hypocrisy; and for that which we show unto ourselves, there is too much of Interest in it to bear witness for us, for self-denial is the great Principle of Love: Besides, can there be a better way of showing our Love to God, than this which he himself hath taught us? 
John 3.16.  And herein was the Love of God manifest to us in that he laid down his life for us, thereby doing that for us which we stood in the greatest need of; and herein also should we manifest our Love to him in doing what we can, even to the hazarding and laying down of our lives for him, which we can never better do, then in Laying of them down for the Brethren, this being the only way he expects a return from us: And therefore the Apostle well Argues from the Reasonableness of the thing, Beloved, if God so Loved us, he doth not say we ought also to Love him; but we ought also to Love one another; our Love to one another being the best Argument of our Love to him, because he which loveth him that begat, loveth them also that are begotten of him; 
Cap. 5. v. 1.  there being a kind of Contradiction in the thing, for a man to say he truly loves another person, when he hates whatsoever belongs to him, or is like him: And I am sure there is nothing Resembles God so much, as that which he set his own Image upon at first, viz. Mankind, in respect of which we being all his Offspring, aught to Love as Brethren. But  
2. I come now to consider the hindrances of our love to our Brethren, and so consequently of our Religion towards God, and they are amongst too too many, others these three: 1. Taking up, and divulging evil Reports of them, whether they be True or False. 2. Harsh and unkind censuring of them and their Actions. And 3. Confining of our love only to some particular persons.  
1. Taking up, and divulging evil Reports of them, whether they be True or False; 
1 Cor. 13.7.  when the Apostle tells us, that Charity believeth all things; his meaning is not, that it's ready to take up every flying Report, and Story that passeth up and down the World for Currant, but that it's so kind and good natured, as to assent and give credit only to those things that are good and commendable; and if it hears any thing that is otherwise, not to believe it without great care and Caution, nor even then to spread it farther, but as much as may be (unless it be too notorious indeed) to conceal it, because Charity beareth all things, before it believeth them; and when it cannot choose but believe them, yet even than it hopes better, and therefore it endureth all things too. You know what mischief the evil Report that was brought upon Canaan did, how it shut both them that raised, 
Numb. 14.29, 30, 31.  and them that entertained it too out of the Land; and instead thereof, led them a tedious march through a troublesome Wilderness; nor shall they far better, who are thus guilty in this matter amongst us; A Tale-bearer, and a busybody, being no small troubler of this our Israel too, and therefore such as these the Apostle justly condemns, as having cast off their first love, 
2 Tim. 5.12, 13.  by making contrary to their Duty and Faith given to the Church, such Rents and Divisions in it, as they by such unchristian carriage did; where you may farther observe, that the Apostle doth not call them Slanderers, but Tatlers and busy bodies, such as do not invent, but divulge Stories; which things indeed differ but very little, and no more than the Receiver doth from the Thief: For, let the Report be either true or false, the spreading of it may very justly be condemned; for if it be False, than thou hast made a wound in thy Neighbour's Credit; and if it be True, than thou hast made the wound wider; both which are very prejudicial to Christianity. And indeed this unchristian Temper, is a very great cause of that general uncharitableness that is amongst us; for if we hear any thing against a Friend, a clear Demonstration will hardly convince us, nay, and even then we'll do all we can to smother it; whereas if we can but get a story by the end against one we care not for, how ready are we to declare and divulge it, nay, and even rejoice and make sport at the relating of it too; and if this partiality be not vile and Abominable, and contrary to the Rules of Charity, I know not what is. Is this to help an Enemy's Ox or Ass out of a Pit, when we endeavour all we can to plunge him into a Deeper? Is this to do like that good Samaritan, whom our Saviour has propounded for our Pattern and example, when instead of Relieving, we wound our Neighbour; and instead of Wine and Oil, we pour Vinegar and Gall into the wounds of his Reputation? No sure, this is so gross a piece of ill nature, that it looks rather like a maxim of Hell, than a precept of Christianity, since none but the Devils rejoice at the falls and miscarriages of Men; And therefore for men to deal thus unnaturally with one another, is to list themselves amongst that Infernal Crew before their time, and to turn Devils before they can get to Hell; you know whose work it is to be the Accuser of the Brethren; but to Accuse them falsely, and to add Perjury to Lying, is of all other things highly uncharitable.  
2. Another hindrance of our Christian Peace is, harsh and unkind censuring of men and their Actions. And indeed this is such an ill nature Temper, that were there no such thing in the World as Christianity to be disturbed by it, yet common Reason, and an ordinary Ingenuity might (one would think) make any Rational man loath and detest it; and yet there is nothing more frequently acted amongst us, to the shame of our natures, and scandal of our Religion; for this will oftentimes put the worst Constructions upon the best Actions, and condemn a man the severest for those things, for which he deserves the highest commendation and Reward; This makes a man that's Devout and Zealous towards his God, to be looked upon as an Hypocrite before men, and altogether to want the power of Godliness, because he makes use of a Devouter form of it; And can there be a greater hindrance of our love than this, when we shall thus rashly deprive one another of our nearest and dearest concern? This is to have an evil eye of our own, because our Brother has a good one; and not only to rob God of his Honour, but of those that Honour him too, whilst thereby we many times make Devils even of his best Saints. This is to lay the greatest matter oftentimes to the charge of God's Elect, whom he has justified, and to condemn those for whom Christ has died, yea rather for whom upon that very account he is risen again; and sure he that's guilty of this, can pretend to but very little of Brotherly love, Censoriousness, and that being as contrary as Light and Darkness; And therefore Charity accounts every man honest till he be disproven, and will not so much as think evil against any, whereas censure and worldly policy deals with every man, as if he were a Knave, nay, and will endeavour to make a man bad, before he be so; and will sooner take notice of one bad Action, than an Hundred good ones. He that loves another will wink at his faults, and endeavour to hid them from others too, whereas envy and hatred will pass censure upon Virtues, and Arraign even a man's best Actions; And here I would not be understood, as if I did condemn all Admonitions and Reproofs, all observation of other men's Actions, (for then I should be at present silent myself) no I mean only such as pass unkind Interpretations upon them, when there is as fair a way made for a good Construction, as for a bad one; when men tell a man's faults not privately to himself, but to others too, if not to every body that knows or has but heard of him; and that not with a design to admonish and reclaim him, but to expose and upbraid him: It's such only that I here speak of, for it's the greatest piece of love and kindness that can be, kindly to admonish and advise; and therefore to have a Friend that's always flattering, and is either afraid or unwilling to Reprove or chide, when there is cause, is to meet with such a Friend as wounds deeper than an Enemy, and is such a piece of Friendship, as I pray God send I may never meet with: It's therefore unkind Censuring, and not Counselling and advising that I here speak of, as the great hindrance of our Christian love; and indeed, if we did but consider the faults we have of our own, and did but as clearly see the Beam in our eye, as we do the mote in our Brothers, and withal how unable we are to judge of ourselves, and how often we have been deceived and cheated in both, we should quickly have enough of this unnatural Temper; how our own goodness has had a mixture of the Leaven of Hypocrisy, our Charity a Tincture of vain glory, and a desire to be seen of Men, our Repentance only a melancholy fit, and lost in the next merry and jovial Company, and our other Graces stamped with Lukewarmness and Formality; and withal, how we may be as bad deceived in others, how we have thought, that to be a sullen Moroseness, which has only been a Retir'dness for Meditation, that to be Pride and Haughtiness, which has been a brave Generosity and Nobleness of Spirit, that to be folly, which has been the greatest Wisdom; All which, and many others may convince us of our weakness and want of skill in judging, unless like God we could search the Heart, and pry unto the secret Recesses of the Soul, and may also inform us of the mischief we hereby do unto our Profession, and Christian Love, by our Ignorant indiscretion, and ill-nature. But  
3. Another hindrance of our Christian Love is, confining of our Love, only to some particular Persons. Love is of a Diffusive and spreading nature, and extends itself like the influence of Heaven both far and wide; and therefore when it teacheth us to be kind unto our Brethren, it also makes every man our Brother, nay, and brings our very Enemies too into that Relation, since it commands us to do good to them that hate us, and Persecute us; and therefore the Brother, that the New Testament says we must Love, is every man in the World, as appears from that Parable of the man that fell among Thiefs: 
Luke 10.  Indeed we may, and might sometimes, to put a difference between one Brother and another in the measures and degrees of our Love, according to the different degrees of their deserts, and the nearness of their Relation unto us; but yet we must look upon all as Brethren, and must not, to give one a Benjamins' Portion, Rob all the rest of theirs. Thus David loved Jonathan as his own Soul; and our Saviour showed more affection unto John, then to any of the rest of his Disciples; and there's no Reasonable Man will deny, but that we may show more Kindness to our Kindred and Countrymen, than to mere Strangers; more to just and good men, then to the Profane and Wicked; 
Gal. 6.10.  for though we must do Good to all, yet there's an Especially added to those that are of the Household of Faith: But now here is that Partiality that we must take heed of, when we confine and limit our Love to these only, and show it to none but those that are of the same Society with us in the Church, who think as we do, and are of the same Profession with ourselves; when we will not be Civil and Courteous to those that differ from us in Opinion, nor Relieve those Poor (let their Necessitys be never so great) that are not of the same Faith as we are: This indeed has been the very Bane of the Church's Unity and Peace, and has been the Cause of those many Divisions under which we groan at this very day; insomuch that there cannot be a greater stumbling block to the Conversion of the Gentiles than this, when it will be a harder task to persuade them what kind of Christians to be, then to be Christians at all; nay, for my own part, had I not something greater than the Examples of Christians (yea, even of those who pretend to be the best amongst us) I would this very moment Renounce my Christianity; for I am sure that this kind of Love can never come from God, for he makes his Sun to shine upon the Evil and upon the Good, 
Math. 5.45.  and causeth his Rain to fall upon the Just and : So far is he (who has greater Reason to distinguish than thou hast) from making any difference, and then I wonder who made thee a Judge? If the Master will have the Wheat and the Tares both grow together, and receive the same common influence of Sun and Rain, I wonder who set thee to work before the Harvest begin! Sure I am, had Christ himself taken this course, I know not how we had come by our Christianity: Had he come only, as well as first and chief to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel, I know not how we Gentiles had come in; no, its true, he came first unto his own People the Jews, but yet he never Rejected any Gentiles that believed on him; and therefore the Commission which he gave unto his Apostles was to Teach all Nations; and to that end, after his Ascension, to confirm their Commission, he bestowed upon them the Gift of Tongues, by which he poured out his Spirit upon all Flesh: 
Math. 28.19.  So that now a Turk, or a Heathen, as he is a Man, has a Right to Justice and Charitable Offices, as well as a Christian; nay, and more Right too, than those that deny them, since every denial makes a forfeiture, because that what every man has, was bestowed on him with this Condition, that as he did freely Receive, so he should freely Give. And again, our Saviour tells us, that this Universal Love, is the only sign that we belong to him; By this shall all Men know, 
Joh. 13.35.  that you are my Disciples; not if you love this or that Person or Society, but if in General you Love one another; 
Math. 5.46.  for if you Love them that Love you, what Reward have you? Do not even the Publicans the same? But  
3. I come in the next place to show how we ought to Love our Brethren? And here the Love that we must bear them, must not be of an ordinary or common Nature; for our Saviour tells us, we ought to Love our Neighbour, and sure then, much more a Brother as ourselves; Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thyself, 
Math. 22. 39  and then we may soon see how we ought to Love our Brother, since every man knows how he Loves himself: But yet our Saviour does not mean there a Love of the same Equality, with that which we have for ourselves, which would sometime or other reduce a man to a Natural Absurdity, as in case of Famine, and the greatest danger, where without doubt, I am to prefer myself first: No, he means only such a Love which has the nearest resemblance, and likeness to that which we have for ourselves; which is in short, To Love others, as we would have others to Love us: And indeed this Golden Rule of Justice, in doing as we would be done by, has a natural influence upon the whole life of a Christian, and will fully direct him in the whole course of his Duty towards his Neighbour; for there are many things in which I cannot so fully tell how I ought to do by others; yet I can resolve them all, by considering how I would have others deal by me: And therefore, here, as you would not have others to raise and spread evil Reports concerning you, so do not you do so by them; as you would not have others to censure your Actions, so do not you censure theirs: And as you would be fed and clothed, when you are Hungry and Naked, so do you do the like by them that are in such a Condition: And as in Distress you would receive Help and Assistance, even from an Heathen, or a wicked man, or from one that differs never so much from you in Opinion, so let not that divert your Love and Assistance when they are in Distress. And since (the greater is our misery) most of our unhappy differences arise from that which should be the greatest Bond of Peace amongst us, viz. Religion, Let us but for a time suspend our strife and jars about disputable matters, and lay hold of this certain Truth, To do as we would be done by, and we should be easily reconciled. We must not carry ourselves innocently towards others, and endeavour to impose our Opinions on them whether they will or not, nor declare any Hatred and Contempt of theirs; not but that we may confute a false Religion, and strive by all lawful means to convince a Turk or a Jew, or an Erroneous Christian; but then we must not Reproach another man's Religion, and cast Dirt both upon him and his Profession, and upbraid when we should reprove, and the Reason is, because we would not willingly be thus dealt withal ourselves; we would not have any man Contemn and Despise us, and our Religion, and therefore if we would have others to consider us, we must not neglect them. And if this short Rule were but observed, we should be better Men and better Christians, our Present lives would be more comfortable, and our Eternal ones more happy; for I can never be brought to understand how biting and devouring one another in this life can conduce any thing to our Eternal Peace and Quiet in another life. But  
4. The Inferences from all, are these two:  
1. See here the Excellency of this Grace of Love; It's that which gives the relish unto all our other Duties of Religion, by which we are known to be Christians, and to Love God, by which we approve ourselves to be Obedient unto him, and without which, it is impossible to please him; for though we have the gift of Tongues, and could speak with the Eloquence of an Angel; though we had all knowledge, and understood all that was possible for a man to know; nay, though we had all Faith, and could do more than is possible for a Natural Man to do, yet all would profit us nothing without this Grace of Love; for we should be as empty and vain as sounding brass, and make no better Harmony than a tinkling Cymbal. It's this too which reaches not only quite through, but even beyond all the enjoyments of this life, and is greater than either Faith or Hope; since this is part of that Happiness which the one looks for, and of that Assurance which the other desires, which can only be esteemed by the experimental knowledge of it; for like those things that are truly excellent in themselves, the more it's known, the better it's liked, and which nothing but the everlasting experience of it can describe.  
2. See here the sad condition of those that want it; as it is the Excellency as well as Duty of a Christian to abound in Love, so it's the greatest unhappiness for any man to want it, since not only all his pretences to happiness in this world are vain and nothing, but all his hopes in another (if ever he had any) shall perish; for if the great evidence of our Love to God, be our Love to our Brother, by which we shall be tried at the last day, how miserable then shall they be, whose chief and only Plea shall be found a Lie? When the refusing to cherish and comfort the least of Christ's Servants, shall be looked upon as denied unto himself; with what face can these men ask an Heaven of him, who would not give so much as a cup of cold water unto his? How can they lay claim to his Everlasting Love, that used all the Cruelty and Spite imaginable against his Members? Can they who would not forgive a Penny, look to be forgiven a Talon? No certainly, they shall have but one Petition of all their Prayers Answered, which shall be to be forgiven, as they themselves have forgiven others: And they that did delight to live here in the flames of Contention, shall then try how they can dwell with everlasting burn, and their punishment shall be what themselves have chosen: For as they have all along, by their want of Love, lived as without God in the World, so their Condemnation shall be to live without him for ever. And now tell me poor Soul, whom thou hast injured all the while thou didst prosecute thy Hatred and Revenge? Thou hast hated thy Brother, and hast thereby sinned against thine own soul: Thou hast unjustly Condemned him, and hast signed a Bill against thine own Life; thou hast laid a Trap for him, and art taken in a worse thyself: Thou wert unmerciful unto him, and now thou art delivered over unto the Tormentors: Consider but this, and then tell me what thou hast got by all thy Hatred and Revenge which was once so sweet! And if this be the end of all, notwithstanding all thy vast pretences, Sit anima mea inter Philosophos, O my Soul, come not thou into their Secrets, for I had rather, at the last day, be found in the place of a peaceable, sober, and loving Heathen, then of a persecuting, quarrelsome, and envious Christian: Let me therefore exhort you all to live like Men and Christians; consider you have all the Obligations that can be to Love one another; you own all to God, and this is all the Payment he expects from you, nay, which he will again Reward you for all at last: The comforts of this present life call for it, and the Everlasting happiness of the next command it. Live therefore in peace with one another, that so you may die in Peace with God, and have a care of any thing that may break the Peace either with your Brother or your God, for it's no easy matter to make it up again; for the Wise man tells us, that A Brother offended is harder to be won than a strong City, 
Prov. 18, 19  and their Contentions are like the Bars of a Castle: And I am sure it's no easy matter to appease God's Anger when it's once Provoked, whilst on the contrary, where this happy Union is once made, there is nothing in the World that can divide it. Let therefore nothing separate you from the Love of one another, that so nothing may be able to separate you from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, to whom with the Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, and only Wise God, be all Honour, Glory, and Praise, both now, and for evermore. Amen.   
FINIS.