Blessed UNIONS.  
An UNION With the SON of God by FAITH, And, an UNION In the CHURCH of God by LOVE, Importunately Pressed; in a DISCOURSE Which makes Divers Offers, for those Unions; Together wi●h A COPY of those Articles, where-upon a most Happy UNION, has been lately made between those two Eminent Parties in England, which have now Changed th● Names of PRESBYTERIANS, and CONGREGATIONALS, for that of UNITED BRETHREN.  
By COTTON madder.  
How long did our Fathers Sow in Tears for this Harv●st? God hath Reserved the Reaping-Time for us their Children: and therefore let us Joy before Him, according to the Joy in Harvest. Mr. M●ads Excellent Sermon, on, The Two Sticks made One. Pag. 19.  
BOSTON, Printed by B. Green, & J. Allen for Samuel Phillips. 1692.   

To the Brethren Of the Church in the North Part of BOSTON.  
IT was in a Weekl● C●u●se of Sermons on the Seventeenth Chapter of John, that You were Entertained wi h ●uch Though●s, as I do now again( but not without the Concurrent Encouragement of more than One, or two, Reverend Persons in the Neighbourhood) more publicly and more Durably lay before You. And that I now sand these Though●s abroad, is not with a Design of so much B●ldness, as to Address all the Neighbour Churches wi h my own Apprehensions about their Interests; I leave That unto Greater and Wiser P●rsons, which all of them are furnished wi●h; but it is more immediately to serve Your Edification. I shall shortly give up my Account of my Stewardship wi●h more[ and O that I may do it with much Peace and Joy, if I may say before my Glorious Master, That While I was wi●h the expense of all my Talents, to that end, Engaging You to accept the Duties and M rcies of the New Covenant, I was also c●r●f●l to Establish you in the Principles and Practices of such a Church-state as may maintain Your U●ion, with other Parts of our Lords V sible Kingdom in the World; and may Obtain for you the Singular Protection of God, in this Day of those Earthquakes which will Shake all things, to make way for those which Cannot be shaken. This, do I Endeavour, in the following Trea●ise, and by this Endeavour I woul'd ap●rove myself,  
Your solicitous Pastor, and Servant, madder.   

To the Very Reverend MATTHEW MEAD, JOHN HOW, AND INCREASE madder; Of whose Pious and Prudent Endeavours;( among others) the God of Heaven has made a very particular Use, in producing a most Blessed UNION among His People.  
Much Honoured,  
IT was a Conjecture, which I had almost called a prophesy, in the Sermon Preached by One of You, on the THANKSGIVING Lately Celebrated by The United Brethren, for the Signal Mercy and Presence of God, that has appeared in their becoming; Two Sticks Made One, You have done That in this Agreement that promises great Advantage unto our Brethren abroad; it is like the Beams of the Sun, which D●ffuse Light and Heat unto Thousands at once. I may humbly presume now to inform All of You, That there are I suppose Thousands of Saints no less than Thousands of Miles distant from you, who are like to rejoice in the Sacred Light and Heat, with which this Blessed Agreement of yours inspires them. When that Noble and Equally well timed and well framed Work of Accommodation, wherein You have so much Laboured, was once Prosecuted unto that Effect, which your eyes have seen, doubtless the Angels in the celestial Regions, were making their Joyful Acclamations thereupon; the Angels I say of whose Intimate Acquaintance with what is done among the People of God, we do not want Assurances; the News quickly reached Heaven, and the Shouts upon it were, Glory to God in the Highest, because there is on Earth Peace, and Good Will among men. But let me also suggest this further Joy unto, The counsellors of This Peace, That the Christians in the American Regions, who dwell in such an Haemisphaete that some think the Apostle means Us by, Things under the Earth, do now sand back the loud and long echoes of your UNION. As he that heard a Story of two very Faithful Friends, most passionately Exclaimed, Utinam Tertius ess●m! so the Churches of New-England are ambitious of a Room in all that Friendship into which they who are Studious of, A Reformation according to the Word of God, are by the Perfect Bond of Charity now Cemen●ing of themselves. But that which raises this Desire of these Churches into a sort of Demand, is, Their having now so long Professed and Practised Those very Principles upon which our european Brethren do now Uni●e, and Exhibited a standing Instance of that Union after which Your most Evangelical Souls have been Aspiring. Not only have those of the Scotch and the French Communions, been admitted unto a Transient Communion in these Churches, when they have come with due Testimonials for it; but also in our Stated Communion, the Name of PRESBYTERIAN and CONGREGATIONAL[ Yea, and EPISCOPAL too when Piety is otherwise visible] and I may add, the Name of, ANTIPEDO-BAPTIST, likewise, is of no Consideration; both, yea all together do, As one man carry on the Affairs of our Lords Ecclesiastical Kingdom; and the Substantials of Religion( perhaps Critically sometimes named only become the Terms of Sacred Fellowship. From the Constitution of a Little Zion, here, which has more than a little of Heaven in it, you have had that Invitation, Come up hither! and now that God is causing you, To come out of your Graves,( a thing that's doing when, The Two Sticks become One in the Hand of God.) I do most ardently solicit for your Prayers and Cares before the Lord, that we may not by any Effects of our Degeneracies, be put into Ours, or be made indeed, Things under the Earth. While the Authority of England has ( and may it ever have) Reason to aclowledge the New-Englanders among the most Loyal Subjects in the World; I hope You will not forget that here is a Country in a manner wholly consisting of your most Hearty Brethren; I know you cannot. It may be some Recommendation for us, That your Names and your Books are precious even to the furthest Nooks of these Colonies; We red you, prise you, Bless God for you; and with Yours, the Venerable Names of ADAMS, ALSOP, ANNESLY BARKER, BATES, BAXTER, BURGESS, coal, COLLINGES, CRADOCK, DOLITTLE, GILPIN, GRIFITH, HAMMOND, HURST, LEE, MAYO, SLATER STEEL, SYLVESTER, VEAL, VINCENT, WILLIAMS, WOODCOCK; wood, and others, ●et Surviving Men of God, besides ma●… y others now Asl●ep in the Lord, are ●… 'mong us, all of them, As an ointment cured f●r●h. When any of those Pilars in the Temple of God, happen to fall ●y the Stroke of Death, even the Ground ●… America shakes at the Fall: So did it Lately at the Translation of the most Excellent FLAVEL, who, as we hear stolen from you, that Week, that he had been Moderator in a General Meeting of Ministers at Exeter, where Solemn Thanks were directed unto You, as Three of those Worthies, who not by War but by Peace had signalized yourselves unto the English Israel. But it will more powerfully pled with you for us, if we let you understand, which I now do, That New-England is in a large part but just the very same that you would have your own particular Flocks to be, and that whoever attempts the ruin of these Churches, intends the very same for every one of yours. I● was a severe Persecution, that a while since driven the fi●st Planters of this Territory into the most Horrid and Squalid of all deserts, which with a vast expense of their own Treasure, Sweat and Blood, is now become somewhat Habitable. It can scarce enter into our●, or indeed into any Honest or human Heart, that any should now thro' the Sea, go to follow the poor Children of those First Planters here, with a Persecution for their Non-Conformity to such things as the Errand hither was a peaceable Secession from. Nevertheless I do again see cause to be your Petitioner, that you would not let this little Outcast, be cast out of your most useful Thoughts at the Throne of Grace. Tho' No man care, for us, Yet( Y●e blessed Sons of Peace!) You do; and One of you by a tedious Absence from your Interests among us, to attend an Agency, in the Courts of two KINGS now Successively on our behalf; have given a Memorable Demonstration of it. May, My God think upon all of you according to all that you have done for this People.  
But while I thus ask the Favour of your Intercessions for my Country, you will permit me to ask your Bless ng on myself; inasmuch as you that are, The Chariots of Israel, and the Horsemen thereof, are all of you Fathers unto me. One of you is Naturally so, and I reckon it among the choicest of my Advantages; the other. Two of you, are Spiritually so; for if ever I have g●… beyond, The Almost Christian, or if 〈…〉 ver● I have tried, The Good of Ear● Obedience; if ever I was inflamed fo● The Blessedness of the Righteousness, or ever I Learn d the Art of, Delighti●… in God; your Invaluable Writings ha● had their Influences thereupon.  
Wherefore, MY FATHERS, havi●… here withal brought you, some of 〈…〉 V●nison[ 'tis Plain, Mean, poor Ne●… England Venison] I pray you, Th●… your Souls may Bless me;  
Who am in all Duty Your Son and Servant, COTTON MATHE●…   

Blessed UNIONS.  Recommended, from John XVII. 21. 
That they all may be ONE, as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, That they also may be ONE in Us.  

SERMON I.  
IT was a very Just Remark and Applause once bestowed upon our Blessed Saviour, That He so spoken as ever man spake; and it is a Reflection to be no less Truly made, That He ●ray'd so as never man prayed. Our Lord ●… esus Christ, Ascending into the Third Heaven, where He ever lives to make ●… nterc●ssion for us, Left behind Him a ●… anding Monument and Counterpane of that Heavenly Intercession by whic●… His Oblation for us becomes Effectual and the Seventeenth Chapter of John i●… the Pot in which this very Caelestia●… Manna is Reserved. Though, A Scripture is Profitable, and is like th●… Gold, Precious; and like the Sk●… Sublime: Nevertheless there are peculiar Excellencies in some Scriptures, an●… this Chapter may be compared unto 〈…〉 Pearl in that Gold, a Star in that Sky tis, A Chapter of Degrees; & very trul●… A Superlative. The Evangelist Joh●… was of Old Resembled unto an Eagle behold, What this High Soaring Eag●… has fetched from Heaven for our Entertainment here! Tis a prayer 〈…〉 our Lord Jesus Christ; whereof I ma●… affirm, as the Great Melancthon befor●… me did, Nec Digniorem, nec Sanctiore●… nec Fructuosiorem, nec Magis Pathetica Vocem, in Caelo ac Terra unquam fui● auditam; Never was there such Voice heard in the World before. Th●… Words of a Dying Man, usually hav●… in them something that is more tha●… Ordinary; the Words of a Dying Sai●… are to be looked upon as yet more extraordinary; but methinks the words of a Dying Jesus, must be of all the most considerable. And such Words are those that are now before us! It is one of our Calamities, That we know not what we should pray for as we ought. And one would therefore be Inquisitive to know what it was that our Lord Jesus choose to pray for when He was wrestling with His Father on our behalf. Certainly That should be the very Desire and Request, which we should all choose to lay before our God for ourselves. When Almighty God makes us, as He Now and Ever does, the Proffer which He made unto Solomon, Ask, What I shall give thee! Surely, 'twould be our Interest for us to Ask, that He would give us, the very same Things which, A Greater than Solomon, has Asked for us: Our Context here will give us Information thereabout. In the verse before, we see For whom our Lord prayed; and in the Twenty First & the Twenty Fourth Verses, we see, For what He prayed. He prayed not only for all the Disciples in that Age, but also for all the Believers in every Future Age. He prayed, That they might all of them have a Comfortable State First, in This, and Then in another, and a better World. Now the Text in our Hands, does represent A Glorious Union, as the best Thing which our Lord Jesus Christ, had in His Wishes, for his People, upon Earth▪ and this Glorious Union, is here described, first, by the Fountain of it; next, by the Nature of it; and, thirdly, by the Pattern of it; On which we shall by the Help of that Grace, which This very Prayer( whereupon we are now Discoursing) has obtained for us, make our pertinent Observations.  

OBSERVATION I.  
There is a Blessed UNION, which Believers are to have with Christ, and by Him, with God.  
Says our Lord, That they may be On●●n Us. To penetrate into this, Deep Thing of God, we may be helped by two Praeliminaries.  

Praeliminary 1.  
The whole Undivided Adorable Trinity is concerned in the Union which Believers have with the Lord Jesus Christ. This UNION is the Grand Scriptural Mystery; and( avoiding undue Images in our minds) it may be thus Illustrated.  
You may suppose God the Father as a Sacred Root; suppose the Lord Jesus Christ, as a Trunk issuing from it; suppose the Holy Spirit, as a Sap running thro' it; suppose ourselves to be,[ and O that we may be!] the Branches thereunto belonging; and suppose our Good Works to be the Fruits in this way produced. Here is a little Image of this Blessed UNION! Our Union is with God the Father; thus we red, in 1 Joh 4.16. He that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Our Union is with God the Spirit; so we red in Rom. 8.11. If the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead, dwell in you. And our Union is with the Lord Jesus Christ; hence 'tis said in Eph. 3.17. That Christ may dwell in your Hearts. The Term of Dwelling is that whereby the Scripture in those and more places, denotes this Union. In this Union we become Temples for the whole Trinity; there is an ineffable Concurrence of all the Three Persons in the Eternal God-head, therein to take possession of us. Briefly, It renders us Children to God the Father, Pupils to God the Spirit, and Members of the Lord Jesus Christ.   

Praeliminary 2.  
It is more peculiarly the Lord Jesus Christ with whom all Believers have their Union. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, as GOD-MAN; who is, The Head of the Church; and in that capacity we have our Union with Him. Indeed, the Personal Union of the Two Natures in our Lord, is that upon the account whereof He is an Object admirably Fitted for an Union with us. Hereby 'tis, that He becomes our Immanuel, or, God with us; and so poor, mean, vile Man, may become, One with Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ is Man; and the Kindred which by His Incarnation He comes to have unto us, does marvelously make way for our Union unto Him. It may now be said, as in Heb. 2.11. Both He that sanctifieth, and they that are Sanctified, are all of one. If therefore they become one, it will not be such a Monstrous Union as Nebuchadnezzars Idol showed, where the Head was of one Metal, and the Members of another. Our Lord Jesus Christ is God also; and the Infinite Perfections of His Divinity, do Infinitely furnish Him to bestow those Benefits for which His Union with us, is intended by God. We are  told in Col. 2.19. It pleased the Father, that in Him there should all fullness dwell. That fullness is needful to obtain and maintain the ends of this Union; we have now an Head that can supply all His Members, with whatever good they have occasion for.  
Wherefore, we have now an opportunity to inquire,  
What is that UNION which we are to have with our Lord Jesus Christ?  
I. There might many Things be N●…gatively spoken, to rectify our Appr●…hensions about our Union with our Lor●… But especially three such Things as the●…  
First, We must not propound unt●… ourselves an Union so Remote, as wha●… shall be Mental only. The Soul do●… in a manner Unite itself, with what i●… Looks, or Thinks upon; Contemplatio●… affords unto us a sort of Union wit●… what is laid before it. But our thought●… on the Lord Jesus Christ, are not th●… Things, wherein does consist our Unio●… with Him; tho' indeed the Union i●… cherished by those Holy Thoughts.  
Nor may we, Secondly, propoun●… unto ourselves an Union so confused as what shall arise to be Personal. Th●… Familist has counted himself so unite●… unto our Lord, as to be, Christed wit●… Christ; but our Union will afford no room for such Nonsensical and Blasphemous Gibberish. Our whole Persons ar●… to have an Union with the whole Person of our Lord Jesus Christ; and yet our Union will not make our persons to become One Person with Him.  
Let me add, Thirdly, That the Fundamental heresy of Quakerism receives no Countenance from our Union with our Lord. There is a certain, Inward Excusing or Condemning Principle, which men are Born withal: and the Quaker( if I can understand him) holds This Principle to be, The Man Christ, Or as their Jargon for it is, A measure of that Man. The Visible and the Tangible Flesh which hung upon the cross without the Gates of Jerusalem, the Quaker calls, The Bodily Garment of that Man, Christ: and what is now become of that Flesh, he is loath to say; While he will fallaciously grant you the Man to be Ascended into Glory. The Quaker does also Count his own Flesh to be such another Bodily Garment unto the Man Christ, and his having of that Man thus in Him, is that by which he Expounds, The Coming of Christ in the Flesh. You see what an Union this heretic pretends to have with our Lord Jesus Christ; He not only has, The Man Christ, within himself; but he does in effect make himself to be, That Man. We all of us have within us, a Conscience which is, The Candle of the Lord but an Enemy to fair Distinctions, wi●… have, The Candle, to be, The Lor●… Himself. Methinks, these people hel●… to fulfil the prophesy, That before th●… Coming of our Lord, Men shall say, Lo●… here is Christ, or there! and there shal●… arise, False Christs; and they shal●… say, Behold, He is in the desert! Bu●… what will they Reply to the Challeng●… which One Recovered out of Quakerism has lately given them, wherein he tells them, If this your Foundation stand sure, it would follow, That all honest Pagans, Jews, and Mahometans, are in Christ as well as you; and true Christians, Believers, Disciples, Followers of Christ( at least, as to the Mystery) & so your Brethren in Christ. And indeed! There is no Man ordinarily without a Principle which will Excuse him, when he thinks he does well, and will Condemn him when he thinks he does Ill; but is the M●n Christ so United unto every man? Sure I am▪ the Apostle affirms of some, what we may as well apply to most in the World; Eph. 2.12 ●… e were without Christ.  
Pardon me then, that I thus largely ●… nter this particular Caution, against ●… he Strong Delusion of the Quakers. This ●… ge and Place, wherein the Light of ●… he Gospel has been more Eminently ●… inn'd against, is most in danger to be ●… isited with that Spiritual Plague of Quakerism, which under the Notion of Light! Light! will decoy the Souls of ●… en into the most Horrible Pits of Darkness into which any Fools Fire can ●… educe ' em.  
II. But it may be now expected, that ●… ome things be more positively spoken, ●… 'bout our Union with our Lord.  
Wherefore you may take this Gene●… al idea of it.  
It is our Coalition with the Lord Je●… us Christ, or, the Conjunction of the ●… second Jesus Christ with us, as a Vital Principle unto us in the Enjoyment of God.  
I do ingenuously and sorrowfully ●… onfess, That I cannot fully Explain ●… hat great UNION which we have with ●… ur Lord Jesus Christ. For a full Delineation of it, I must adjourn you till w●… have [ And O our God, Give it unto us●… a Joyful meeting in the Kingdom of o●… God. Our Lord has  told us, in Jo●… 14.20. At that Day, ye shall know, th●… I am in my Father, and you in me, and I i●… you. Neighbours, At that Day, whe●… the Free Grace of God shall fetch awa●… the Spirits which now manage the●… Crazy Limbs, to the Gardens into whi●… the Lord Jesus has now with-dr●w●… Himself; At that Day, when the Ri●… Grace of God shall Raise these Bodies 〈…〉 our Humiliation out of our Graves, 〈…〉 make a vast Army whereof the Lord J●…sus is to be the Standard-bearer;( Allo●… me the Tears which now fall at t●… Hopes of That Day!) Then, if you a●… me, What it is to be United unto the Lor●… Jesus Christ? Some Rare, some Ne●… some adequate Things may Then be sa●… upon it. And yet in the mean Tim●… even, At this Day, it may be a litt●… Stammer'd at.  
Suffer me then a little to descant upon two Scriptures, which being Tog●…ther Considered, may set this Union 〈…〉 〈…〉 True Light before us. One is that in ●… Cor. 6.17. He that is joined unto the ●… second, is One Spirit. Another is that in ●… al. 2.20. I Live, yet not I, but Christ ●… iveth in me. In this Union, we are so ●… oyned unto the Lord, as that we are parts ●… f a Mystical Body which He has in the World; and He does by the Influences ●… f His own Spirit, make us all Resemble ●… ne another in our Living unto God. ●… reefly, there are two Things which ●… ill complete our Union with our Lord ●… esus Christ; and I do solemnly advice ●… ou, that while these Things are De●… laring, Your Hearts do with all manner ●… f Compliance and Agony accompany ●… hem. So may you at this Moment ●… ome into this Union, and this Day for ●… hat cause may be forever with you, Much to be remembered.!  
First, We are to Receive the Lord Je●… us Christ, as the Almighty God has Offered Him: and O that you would ●… o Receive Him! It was wished in Eph. ●… .17. That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith. In this Union, the Lord ●… esus Christ begins with us, by Infusing into us that Life, the first Act whereo●… is our Faith in Him. By this Faith i●… is, that we are to Receive the Lord Jesus Christ, wherein we become One wit●… Him, and so, have Power to be called th●… Children of God. A Matrimonial Contract, is that by which the Holy Ghos●… Expresses unto us our Union with ou●… Lord; it has much of a Marriage Union in it. Know then, that the Lor●… Jesus Christ employs His Proxies, Hi●… Agents, His Ministers, upon this mos●… Surprising Errand; His Ministers an●… His Angels, and with an ardour lik●… what is in Flaming Fire, they Wooe u●…to an Acceptance of the Lord Jesu●… Christ. These ambassadors of the Lord come and pled with us, That we woul●… be Married unto the Son of God, the Princ●… of Heaven, and the Lord of Glory. The●… set before us the Necessity of this Match that we cannot be, Happy if we abid●… thus un-married: They set before us th●… Utility of this Match; that if Christ b●… ours, All is Ours: They set before u●… the Amiableness of the Person who Condescends to make this most Astonishin●… Motion to us; that He is, Altogether Lovely; and can't we Love Him? that He is, The Desi●e of all Nations; and ●… an't we Desire Him? They lay before ●… s, the Terms of the Match; that if we do but cordially consent, we shall ●… ertainly Enjoy; and that if we are willing entirely to Live With, and For ●… he Lord Jesus Christ, and by Him to bring for●h Fruit unto God, we shall be made partakers of this Blessedness. Our Hearts must now be conquered; we must hearty say, Amen, and I will; Were it such a Day of Gods Pow●… r on our Souls, the Match were now made immediately. In short, we must now Renounce all other Lovers; and harken to the Lord Jesus, when He ●… ays unto us, Thou shalt be for me, and not for another. We must Renounce the Flesh; and Resolve, To Humour that shall never be my chief Interest any more. We must Renounce the World, and Resolve, To follow that shall never be my ●… ain Business any more. We must Renounce the Devil, and Resolve, He shall never more led me Captive at His Will. And we must now Embraoe the Lord Jesus Chrjst, in all His Offices. Even a whole Christ, both the Prince, who gives Repentance, and the Saviour who gives Remission of Sins. We must Embrace the Instruction of the Lord Jesus and profess, The Scripture and Spirit of Christ shall be my Guide. His Eye-salv●… shall Illu●inate me. We must Embrace the Atonement of the Lord Jesus and profess, The Righteousness of Chris●… shall be that in which only I will appear●… before the judgement Seat of God: Hi●… Holy Life, His Bitter Death, His Continual Intercession, shall purchase all of my Salvation. We must Embrace the Government of the Lord Jesus, and profess●… The Kingdom of Christ shall be set u●… within me; my Heart and Walk shall b●… by him d●rected; and by Him shall I b●… made a Conqu●ror over the Enemies of m●… Soul. And yet when we attempt thi●… Recept●on of our Lord, we must b●… sensible of our utter Inability to perform any part of it; we must Cry to Him, and Hope in Him, for the Assistance of our weak Endeavours.  
But, Secondly. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ will then marvelously maintain His Interest in our Souls: and I pray ask for that Spirit, of Him that says, He will give it unto them that ask it. It is said in 1 Cor. 15 45. The Last Adam is a quickening Spirit. The quickening Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, will now take possession of us, and keep the Holy Fire always alive upon the Altars of our Hearts. That Spirit will Inform us; He will cause us To know the Things that are Spiritually Discerned; He will cause us To Behold Wondrous Things out of Gods Law: He will give us right and clear Apprehensions of those Things which Eye hath not seen, Ear hath not h●ard, and Hear● not Conceived. That Spirit will In●line us; he will make us, Ready to every Good Work; he will dispose us to those things that are, Holy, and Just, and Good; he will cause us to like, Whatsoever thing●s are True, whatsoever things are Honest; whatsoever things are Just, whatsoever things are Pure, whatsoever things are Lovely, whatsoever things are of good Report. That Spirit will Defend us; He will Teach our Hands to War●… and our Fingers to Fight, in the Battel●… of the Lord; He will make us Fight th●… Good Fight, and keep the Faith, and Finis●… our Course; He will make us Conquerour●… and more than Conquerors over all our interior Adversaries. In a word, That Spirit will give us the same Affection●… and the same Experiences that are in th●… other Sheep of our Lord Jesus Christ; even such as we never saw, or knew, and such as are concealed at a thousand Leagues Distance from us. Yea, Tha●… Spirit will make us feel something o●… Heaven upon Earth; something of the same Loves, and the same joys, that replenish the Souls of the Saints Triumphant above, is now distilled in some measure into the Saints Militant here below●… And that Spirit will even Reserve an●… Renew such a Portion of the Dust, int●… which our Dissolution does incinerate us as that the Tabernacles wherein we now Lodge, at the Resurrection shall becom●… Temples unto. Himself World withou●… End. In fine, The Second Adam wit●… His quickening spirit, will give us relief against all the Death which is from the First Adam with Orignial sin derived unto us. This is that Union with our Lord Jesus Christ, which O that we were all come unto!  
And now you will easily discover two singular Properties in this Union.  
First, It is a Mysterious Union. There are Three most Wonderful Unions, which we are in our Creed acquainted with. We are all of us as Owls placed before the Sun, when we go to Compre●… end them. Mysterious is the Union of divers Persons in One Nature; such an Union there is in the Godhead; it is said ●… n 1 Joh. 5.7. The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, these three are One-Mysterious is the Union of Dive●se Na●… ures in One Person; such an Union there is in our Saviour; it is said in ●… Tim. 3.16. Great is the Mystery of Godlin●ss, God manifest in the Flesh. And ●… unto the most Mysterious Unions may ●… e annumerated that of two Distinct Natures, and of two Distinct Persons, by One Spirit. Hence the Apostle speaking of Adams Marriage( ' ti●… not every Marriage that is so) as 〈…〉 Type of this Union, makes that Not●… upon it, in Eph. 5●. 32. This 〈…〉 a great Mystery. And therefore, if yo●… mind it, this Union was one of the la●… Things in which our Lord Jesus Chri●… instructed His Disciples: when the●… Capacities were most improved, an●… when He was to leave the highest an●… hardest of all His Lessons with them●… this UNION was then insisted on.  
Secondly, It is a most Intimate Union●… It brings a Mutual In-being with it. B●… this Union, we are in Christ, as 'tis sai●… in 2. Cor. 5▪ 15▪ If any man be in Christ, there is a New Creature. And Christ i●… in us; as 'tis said in 2 Cor. 13▪ 5. Jesu●… Christ is in you, except you be D sapproved Let us a little Examine some of the Similitudes by which this Union is represented in the Word of God, and w●… shall see that it is most admirably Intimate. Our Union with our Lord; i●… like that of the Foundation and the Superstructure; thus 'tis said in Eph. 2▪ 21. In whom all the Building fitly framed together, groweth unto an Holy Temple in th●… Lord. And yet this Comparison fails, because there is no Communication of Life in this matter. Nearer then; our Union with our Lord; is like that of a Root and the Branches; thus 'tis said: ●… n Joh. 15.5. I am t●e Vine, ye are the Branche●; He that abideth in me, and I ●… n him, the same bringeth forth much Fruit. And yet this Comparison also fails, because a Gr●ff is oftentimes more Excel●… ent than the Stock. Nearer yet; our Union with our Lord, is like that of a Head and the Members; thus 'tis said, ●… n 1 Cor. 12.17. Ye are the Body of Christ, and members in particular. And yet this Comparison likewise fails, because there the parts are some of them closer to it, some of them furt●●r● from ●… t. All these be Real Comparisons. Let us look upon a Relative one. Our Union with our Lord is like that of a Wife to her Husband. Hence, 'tis a Nup ill Song, which we have to Cele●… rate it in the Canticles. Thus ●is said ●… n 2 Cor. 11.2. I have Espoused you to ●… ne Husband, that I may, present you, as a chast Virgin to Christ. It is what we have in our Baptism a Symbol of 'tis said in Act. 2.38. Be Bap●ised ever●…one of you in the Name of Jesus Chris●… As a Wife comes to wear the Name o●… her Husband, when she is once M●rrie●… unto him; so is the Name of Jesu●… Chr●st put upon them that are United unto Him. 'Tis INTO Him that the●… are baptized; and as in Circumcision o●… old, Zippora( whom we misrepresen●… as calling Moses, A Bloody Husband, 〈…〉 called her Infant, One Espoused by Bloo●… unto the Lord; so in Bapt●sm the Children of Men are visibly Espoused unto the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet thi●… Comparison too, is not sufficient, because the nearest Conjugal Union may be Dissolved by Death: Whereas our Union with our Lord, is Everlastingly Indissoluble. He says, I will betrothe th●… unto me for ever; and he says, We shal●… abide in him. It is a Knot that never shall be broken; I say, Never! Never! The very Heavens may perish; but thou; O Blessed UNION, shalt endure; they may all of them wax old like a Garment, but thy years never shall have an end ..    

APPLICATION.  
And now, that so these Faithful Say●… gs may not be Lost upon us.  
I. Let every person among you all, ●… e overcome and persuaded this Day, ●… o give such an Entertainment unto the ●… second Jesus, in your Hearts, as may ●… roduce your Union with Him. I pray, ●… ache Room for a precious Jesus in your ●… ouls; that so, He may say concerning ●… ou, I am in Them? This is, The Thing, which will settle an Eternal Union be ween Him and You; without This, ●… ou remain without Christ, and so with●… ut Hope for ever.  
You must imagine me this Day to be ●… ne of the Disciples, that come to Demand a R●om( as they did of old, in Mark 14.14) for the Entertainment of the Blessed Jesus. I pray, where is ●… he Room? Let your Anfwer be, Lord, ●… n this poor Heart of mine; Come to dwell ●… here by the Spirit of Faith f●r-ever! Reply thus; and O do not shut him out of Doors. It is the sweet voice of our Lord Jesus, in Rev. 3.20. Behold, stand at the Door and Knock. And i●…deed, how many Knocks has He be making at the Doors of your Souls 〈…〉 is said, Is not my Word an Hamme●… Why, That Hammer has been Knocki●… at your Hearts for many a Day; ye●… the Golden Rod of your Enioymen●… and the Iron Rod of your Affl●ctio●… has also been loudly Rapping the●… That you would give Admission to t●… Spiritual Efficacies of the Lord Jesus your Souls; And will you still keep H●… out of Doors? Why, Sinners, the Ho●… is his own, as Paul says of the Chur●… for he hath both Made it, and Boug●… it; it is by the Right both of Crea●…on and of Redemption, HIS; and w●… you still Bar him out of his own? Gi●… me leave then to make that Cry fou●… in and tbro ' this great Congregatio●… Psal. 24.7. Lift up your Heads, O 〈…〉 Gates, and be ye lift up ye Everlasti●… Doors, and the King of Glory shall co●… in. So I say, and could I speak 〈…〉 powerfully as the Last Trumpet shall, would choose This to say among you and unto all the World. Give way ye ●… lted Gates, in the hearts of miserable ●… inners; Fly open, ye Doors of Never-●… king Souls, for the King of Glory de●… ands an Entrance at you, that so he ●… ay have an Union with us all. But ●… hat shall I say, that may further ●… ove you thereunto?  
Consider 1. How infinitely worthy ●… f a Room in your Hearts, the Lord ●… s●s is! Look upon his Dignity, and ●… ee whether it be fit for you to put ●… ights upon him! When the Angels ●… ehold him,( for 'tis him they beholded) ●… 1 Isa. 6.3. they cry out, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, yea, the whole Earth is full of his Glory. And will ●… ay of you be loth to have An hear●●… il●'d with the Glory of that holy Lord. When he first came to Heaven after ●… s being made Flesh, O had you seen what a Welcome all the Inhabitants of the Heavenly Regions gave unto Him there! Doubtless, the whole City of God was presently moved at the Report of his Arrival, and they all ●… ast themselves down before him, with most Joyful Adorations owning, 〈…〉 Our Lord, our Lord, Thou hast mad●… New Heaven for us by thy coming●…ther. Alas, those Hearts are nothi●… but mere Hells, which do not give like Welcome to this Matchless Lo●… Again, Look upon his Relation, a●… see whether it be congruous for h●… to be slighted with you. He spea●… to us in that Language, Cant. 5, 〈…〉 Open to me my Sister, my Love, 〈…〉 Dove. Is it according to the Ru●… of Civility or Behaviour, for a Sis●… to bid her Brother be gone, or 〈…〉 Wife her Husband, or a Child 〈…〉 Father? Truly, far worse manners a●… used in the Contempt that you thr●… upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It w●… most abominably Insolent for the Po●… to make his Emperour wait three da●… in the could abroad, before he wou●… give him Audience; but methinks ' ●… more abominable for us to serve o●… SAVIOUR so. And that which a●…gravates the miscarriage, is, The E●…nestness, the Vehemence, the Imporuni●… with which our Lord presses for 〈…〉 Room in our Hearts. We find Him saying, in Prov. 1.22. How long! and in Mat. 23.37. How oft! He has been Long and Oft, Entreating that we would once take Him in; and O how can you refuse him still! We find that at our Importunity he opens his Doors to us; and it will be hard indeed if at his Importunity we do not open ours to him. Importunity! did I say? Lord, that ever thou shouldst be so solicitous for so mean a Room as these Hearts of ours! But he would once have a vile▪ Stable, and will still have an Unclean Heart, the Room, in which he will magnify his Grace  
Consider, 2. What Vast, what Rich Advantages you will have by giving to the Lord Jesus a Room in those Hearts of yours. To receive a Prophet, has been sometimes represented and experienced, as a very gainful thing; but what is it then, To receive a Jesus, think you? While the Lord Jesus is ca ling at your Doors, He says as in Rev. 22 12. Behold, I come, and my reward is with me. I may tell you, That you'l be well Rewarded for giving Room to such a Guest as he: he never comes Empty-handed into any Soul. What will be the Reward? It will b●… a Feast; he will Feast you with such Dainties as an Ignorant and Besotted World is not concerned about; fo●… says he, If any man hear my Voice, an●… open to me, I will come in to Him, an●… Sup with him, and he with me. ' Ti●… a most Refreshing, Reviving, Satisfying Fellowship, which the Lord Jesu●… will now give you with himself: and he will replenish you with, fullness of Joy. When the Ark, which was bu●… a Shadow of our Lord Jesus Christ●… was in the House of Obed-Edom, it i●… said, The Lord blessed him, and all tha●… he had. How much more if the Lor●… Jesus Christ, himself were in you●… Hearts, would it then be said, Th●… Lord has blessed that poor Sinner in all hi●… Interests! If Z●cheus once open hi●… Doors to the Lord Jesus Christ, wha●… follows? even that Assurance in Luk●… 19.9. This Day Salvation is come 〈…〉 this house. I say then, open the Door●… of your Souls to the Son of God; and the next News will be, Salvation is ●ome to this poor Soul; This undone Soul, is now made partaker of Grace, of Glory, of all that is Good. Whatever Wisdom, whatever Righteousness, whatever San●tification, and what Redemption soever, you have wanted all this while it shall come along with that Jesus, whom you now give a Room unto. But,  
Consider 3. If you do now keep the Lord Jesus out of your Hearts, What will be the Consequence? Truly, There is Danger that he will never come into your Hearts at all, if they be not now opened for him: Inasmuch as according to that in 2 Cor. 6.2. Behold, Now is the Acceptable Time, Behold, Now is the Day of Salvation! And if you should Never be thus wrought upon, alas, what an horrible issue does then abide those Desolate Souls of yours? We red in Col. 1.27. Christ in you the hope of GLORY. O There is no Hope of your ever coming to GLORY, if you be not thus United unto the Lord Jesus Christ. If the Lord be not now in you, how can you Dy in Him at last? but wo to you, if you do not so! And, mark what I say, every Denial that you give to the Lord Jesus, of a Lodging in your hearts, does but confirm the Devil in his possession of those forlorn, doleful, woeful Hearts; and more incurably fix you in the State of them of whom 'tis complained, How long shall vain Thoughts lodge within you? 'Tis probable that the House in which I am now speaking, is full of Devils; and they Rage, they Storm, they Tremble, at the Things which I am Delivering, lest any of your Souls be now prevailed with, to Entertain the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a most Exact Notice taken whether any of you do still continue Obstinate in Refusing, or, which is all one, Delaying, to, Receive Ch●ist the Lord. If you Do, 'tis a thousand to one, but the Devils get some such dreadful Permission from the Lord Jesus Christ, as this, Go; since they won't have me, do you enter into them, as you did into the Swine of old. So the Devils which are called, The Power[ or Army] of the Air, will Enter into your Souls, as Insensibly as you suck in, The poison of the Air, when Epidemical Contagions are about you; and for your Destruction, as Efficaciously. The Consequence of This, is now like to be your Penal and Final Impenitency in your Unbelief. Thus, I am afraid, And, O Lord, thou knowest I mourn when I think of this! That every Knock which I am giving in the Name of the Lord Jesus at many of your Hearts from Day to Day, does but Ripen some of you apace for the Fiery Vengeance which must Overtake them, That Obey not the Gospel of God. But O take a seasonable Warning of the Thing which then will come upon you? It is foretold, in Luk. 13.25. When the Master hath shut the Doors, and ye begin to Knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, He shall answer, I know you no●. Why, This is what it will at last come unto; you'l one Day beg with Tears of Blood, Lord, Lord, open the Doors of thy Heavens for me! But you must expect no Replies but such Thunders as those, No, Remember, you would not o●ce open the Doors of your Hearts for me; As I cried and you would not Hear, so you shall Cry, and I will no●… Hear; Depart, I know you not.  
Come then, Come to a better Temper. Think what Answer to make unto the Demands of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, I pray, what Answer is it? He demands, Wilt thou consent that I take possession of thy Soul for myself? Let your Answer be, Come in, thou blessed Lord, why standest thou without? Come in, and Influence this Heart of mine, and work all thy Works in me and for me. Be Hearty in this Answer; and the Lord Jesus Christ will presently so Unite you to Himself, that you shall say, My Beloved is mine▪ and I am His for ever.  
II. And now, if you are thus come unto an Union with the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, give an Entertainment also unto the Duty and Comfort which belongs unto such Believers. To speak distinctly,  
1. It is your Duty to beware of Sinning against God, with a Caution beyond what is in other men. Your Sins have Aggravations in them above the sins of others in the World; for, as tis said, in 1 Cor. 6.15. Know ye not, that your Bodies are the Members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the Members of an Harlot? God forbid: Even so, Know you not that you are United unto the Lord Jesus Christ? And shall that very Head which is United unto the Lord Jesus, become, A Shop of Wickedness? Or, shall that very Tongue, which is United unto the Lord Jesus, become, A Fire-brand of Hell? Or, shall those Hands, and those Feet, which are United unto the Lord Jesus become, The Weapons of Unrighteousness! I say, God forbid! The Repenting David reckoned it an Aggravation of his Offences,( as 'tis carried by some Great Interpreters) That in the Hidden part, God had made him to know Wisdom; and if God have Raised us to an hidden Union with His own Son, it makes our Off●nces to have some singular Exasperations in them. The, Provocations of Sons and of Daughters, are more than Ordinary Provocations in the Resentments of our God; His Holy Spirit, is more than Ordinarily Grieved at them; and He is in this World usually most severe and most speedy in the Chastising of those Provocations; however, as to what concerns the future World, He will forgive their Iniquities. O then, whosoever shall by Sin Dishonour the Lord Jesus Christ, let Him not have cause to say concerning You, as in Psal. 55.12, 13. It was not an Enemy; then I could have born it; but it was thou, a man, mine Acquaintance,[ and one United unto myself!] A Wound from a Friend, how grievous is it!  
2. And that you may be the more fortified against all Temptations to sin, Let your Comfort be set before you. But what is it? In short, All of CHRIST is yours: and you know who says, Christ is ALL! You may Cheerfully lay that Claim in Cant. 2.16. My Beloved is Mine. And if so, the Richest, the Fairest Person imaginable▪ and One before whom the very Sun in the Firmament is black, has bestowed Himself upon you; and with Him, you have all sorts of sure Mercies for a Portion, albeit you do yourselves bring nothing but Wretchedness and Raggedness unto Him. If this be not enough, I'l add, All of GOD is Yours; for indeed, Christ is God. It may be said unto you, as in Isai. 54.5. Thy Maker is thy Husband; The Lord of Hosts is His Name. Are there no Afflicted widows here, to lay a very Particular Hold upon such a Word as that! The Immortal God now tells you, My Power is yours to relieve you; and, My Wisdom is yours to Direct you; and, My Goodness is yours, to Pitty, Pardon, Succour you! O Transcendent Consola●ions!  
But Perhaps, While you live in This World, you won't be Comforted, unless you may have something of This World among the rest of your Conveniencies. Well then, I am to advertise you, That all the Good of the Whole World is yours; for Christ is, The Lord of all. What says the Apostle, in 1 Cor. 3.21, 22, 23. All Things are yours, and ye are Christs? and what a full Inventory is there of your Goods! If there be any thing, that God shall see Good for you[ an●… O for shane, leave to Him the judgement of That!] you shall certainl●… have it conferred upon you. Med●tat●… now on these things, and let Him th●… has this Union with you; now have a●… Glory from you for ever.  
III. But your Union with the Lord Jesus Christ may strike Terror into th●… Hearts of your Adversaries; and I pray let Them give a due Entertainment unt●… this, Terror of the Lord. There is 〈…〉 certain People in the World, and New England, as well as Old, is Considerabl●… for having such a People in it; a People which are Evidently acted by a Spirit of Respect unto the Rules of Universal godliness, Righteousness, and Sobriety●… a People in whom there is a Spiri●… which inclines them to Live a●… those who seek an Heavenly Country 'Tis that Spirit which hinders them from comforming not only to the Vic●… which their Neighbours are insecte●… with, but also to whatever parts o●… means of Worship for which they are no●… satisfied, that they have a sufficien●… Warrant in the Word of God; 'twould ●… e well if men would awaken themselves to see what Shiboleths the Devil does invent in every Age, for the Discovery of this people; and then what Instruments he has for the Destroying of them. But let me now make an Appeal to the Consciences of all those that are the Malicious Enemies of such a people; Do not you in your Consciences, thi●k, Th●t an Holy People have an Union with an Holy Jesus? How dare you then to malign, molest, and oppress, any whom you do in your Consciences judge to be, An Holy people? Be it known unto them, That such a People have an Head in Heaven, who feels all the Blows and Wrongs that these give unto them here. Insectantur Nos, & in Nobis Deum, said Salvian very truly of old. Ha●k to the Thunderclaps that Rumble in Heaven upon every one of their unreasonable Persecutio●s; they are those, in Act. 9.5. The Lord said; I am Jesus, whom thou Persecutest! and let them look for hot Thunder-bolts to be thence discharged at last upon them, if that they shall Impenitently go on to Persecute; perhaps while they are Eating up the People of God, as they Eat Bread[ they can Eat 'em without Salt!] they Dissemble the Fear which their Consciences do secretly give them, That God i●… in the Generation of those righteous ones; albeit also their standing without Fea●… before them, is to them, An Eviden●… Token of Perdition; yet they shall one Day Feel more than they now can Fear. Fool hardy Creatures, Do they know where they strike? The Lord of Heaven says unto his people in zech●… 2.8. He who touches you, touches the Apple of his Eye. It seems, they had as good go to tear out the very Eyes o●… the Omnipotent God, who Beholds al●… their villainies; and that God wil●… make them find that they are but pul●ing and cutting out their own Ey●s in all they do. There was a King of Scotland once called, The poor mans King; But much more such an one the King of Heaven is; and He has moreover most nearly United Himself unto that poor people whom He is a King unto. Can you then Dream, That He will suffer the Injuries done unto a people thus Interested in Himself, to pass Unrevenged? In the Dreadful Day of God, the Fearful Doom of these Men of the Earth, from the Mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ will be, You have done to Me, what you have done; Depart with your Master, into Everlasting Fire. And in the mean time they are pulling down upon themselves, that Great ston, which always breaks the Bones of those unhappy M●screants that it falls upon. I say, Consider of this, lest you be Torn to pieces, and there be None to Deliver you.    

SERMON II  
THere are now a few Thoughts more to be spent by way of Appendix to those which have already been spread before you. Christians, I am to do my part, that becoming One, with the Lord Jesus Christ, you may also, and therefore, become, One among yourselves.  

OBSERVATION 2.  
There is a Blessed UNION which Believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, are Thro Him, to have with One Another.  
In Chrysostoms Dayes, 'twas, I think, an usual and ungodly Superstition among many people, to make, The Seventeenth Chapter of John, a sort of Spell whereby Evil Spirits were Exorcis'd among them. It will be but agreeable to the best Religion, if One Verse in that Chapter may now prove a Strong Charm,[ it is a piece of Gods Spell!] to lay those Evil Spirits of Contention and Confusion, which have sometimes too much obtained among the People of God.  
I am therefore now to mind you, That the same Spirit which Unites Believers unto the Lord Jesus Christ, as members to their Head, is also to Unite the Membe●s unto each other in the Lord. I am to Address you in the Words of the. Apostle, Phil. 2.1, 2. If there be any Fellowship of the Spirit, be like-minded, having the same Love, being of one Accord, of one Mind. Let us prove our Union with the Lord Jesus Christ, by our having of that Spirit which He does Inspire all Believers with; and let us prove our hav●ng of that Spirit by our Union with all Believers. Our Lord here says, That they all may be ONE. The Greek Word is of the Neuter Gender; and Luther thinks that the Work, Soma, or Body, is the Sub●tantive to be understood. And indeed we are to be in our Union, as one Body of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not enough that we have an Invisible Union with all the Saints of God; but we must have a visible Union too, or such an one as our Context mentions, That the World may Believe, at the Contemplation and Invitation of it. If then it be the  
Question;  
Wherein should the People of God be all United?  
The Answer is,  
Fi●st, We are to be United in o●… profession. And this must be a true Pr●…fession too; or else our Union is bu●… Faction, and no better than that of Jew●… or Turks. What says the Apostle, i●… 1 Cor. 1.10. I beseech you Brethren, b●… the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, tha●… ye all speak the same thing, and that ther●… be no Divisions among you; but that y●… be perfectly joined together, in the sam●… Mind, and in the same judgement. As far as we can, we should be of the same Opinion, and hold the same Doctrine o●… Christianity; be sure we must concu●… in all the Fundamental Ones, or els●… we cut off ourselves from the, Communion of Saints; an● as he that had th●… Plague in his head, we are shut out from the Camp and Church of God. The Pagans counted, Harmonia, to be a Deity; and an, Harmony of Confessions among all Christians, is a Divine sor●… of a Thing. Yet Speciosum quidem es●… Nomen pacis, & pulchra Opinio Unitatis●… said quis ambigat eam solam unicam Ecclesiae pacem esse quae Christi est?  
Secondly, We are to be United in our affection. Tis possible that we cannot come up, or go down to the persuasions, of some Godly Brethren; Yet we are still to Love them all, as Brethren. It should be with us▪ as it was said in Act. 4.32. The Multitude of them that believed, were of one Heart, and of one Soul. We must m●k● no Schism, in the Church of ou● Lord Jesus Christ: All the Church catholic, that is, all that speak and live according to the Main things in the Gospel of God; must have our Charity, although they. be not in all things of our mind. Every Saint must have our Hearts knit unto them, as Jonathans was to David; and we must not confine Sain●-ship to every thing in our way. Moreover, Having with Gods leave joined ourselves to that Particular Church which we Judge most fully answering, The Pattern in t●e● Mount, we must with a most Holy and Humble Carriage Endeavour the Peace of it, as well as of any other Societies with which it walks in a Total Communion; and at the same time, if there be any other Particular Church with which in its Constitutions or Observances we cannot mentain an Entire Communion, yet ever there also we should beware of Hasty Censuring, and while we Walk wherein we have Attained, we must with all Charitable Friendliness and Patience leave unto God, Those that are otherwise-minded, until God shall Reveal even This unto them. It is a Rule as Good as Old, Necessa●jis Unitas, in Adiaphoris Libertas, in U●risque Charitas.  
Thirdly, We are to be United by our Sympathy. We should all have the same joys and the same Griefs, on the same Occasions for them. We should be able to speak after the Apostle, in 2 Cor. 11.28, 29. That which cometh upon me daily, is the C●re of all the Churches; Who is weak? and I am not weak? Who is Offended? and I burn not? All our Envy should be laid aside. When any Saint is in Prosperity, we should be glad of it; when any Saint is in A●v●rsity, we should be sad at it; and inquiring after Newe● like Pious Nehemiahs, rather than curious Athenians, we should count the news abroad, either Good or Bad, as it fares with the Church of God. We should have most Compassionate Resentments of whatever Condition, our God may bring any of His own into; counting ourselves( as Paul speaks) also. In the Body; and this, even( as Paul had) For such as have not seen us in the Flesh, and perhaps are never like to see us.  
But Fourthly, our Union with one another must carry a Resemblance to the Union between the Father and the Son in the eternal God-head: This is the pattern for our Union given here, As thou, Father, are in me, and I in thee: We must not grossly conceive that this, As, notes Equality, but we are to account it a Note of Similitude. There are other Scriptures enough to confute that Arianism, wherein we shall be Entangled, if we allow that gross conceit. There is an Ineffable Union between the Father and the Son in God. But what Union? 'Tis not an Unity of Person. Our Lord says not, He is the Father, but He is IN the Father; nor, the Father is He, but The Father is I● Him. In opposi●ion to the ancient S●bellianism, and the modern Quakerism we must assert more than One Person i● God. It is affirmed, in Heb. 1.3. That the Father is a Pe●son, ●t is affirmed, in 2 Cor. 2.10. That the Son is a Person. Hence the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. And surely, He that affirms it must be a Person too; since all Actions are of Supposites, or Persons: now that Affirmer is the Holy Ghost. But it is an Unity of ●ssence, which is here to be Adored. Thus 'tis affirm d, in Joh 10.30. I & my Father are one: Mind the Neuter Gender and you'l see 'tis not, One Person. 'Tis One Essence which all the Three Persons of the God-head IS. It is not for us to fathom so profound an Abyss; but we may cry out, O Luminos●ssin ae Tenebrae● Our God, he dwells in Light, for his Excellency, and yet in Darkness for his Incomprehensibleness. What we know of this Mystery is by Scriptural Revelation. From thence, if one should attempt,[ tho I should scarce approve the A●tempt!] a Rational Demonstration or Illustration of the Trinity, one would say, There being but one God, who also is Immeasureably Perfect, we must not admit any Multiplicity in Him, except what is for the Discovery of his Perfection; nor yet Reject any Multiplicity, which does make for that Consummate Perfection; all consistent still with the Unity of the Divine Substance. One would then sa●, That God cannot be Infinitely and Absolutely Perfect, without the Perception of Himself, and an Immense Joy and Love resulting therefrom, in finding Himself, The all-sufficient Good; and this Perception, and this Joy and Love must also be of the most perfect Kind. One would now say, That Essential Perception, and Essential Joy and Love is far more Excellent than that which is Modal, such as Creatures have: whose Perceptions and Operations are with Images, which are not the Soul itself. This is the Prerogative of the Deity; God has a Substantial Representation of Himself within Himself, and a Substantial Satisfaction thereupon. The Father is the Fountain of the Deity; The S●n is the Express Image of the Fathers Person, or God Essentially Representing of God, or the Eraediation of His Glorious Riches and fullness; therefore also from all Eternity containing in Him the Idea of all that was to be made in Time; The Holy Ghost is that wonderful Joy and Love, which God has in Himself by the Grateful Perception which the Father and Son Eternally have of one another. I say, A Working Head might reach after some such Conceptions; but I think one should rather chide a Daring Heart into a silent, and Quiet, Adoration, than go to Exercise ones self in Things too high for the very Angels in the Highest. I therefore hasten to say, That our Union with one another must have some Resemblance to this. But how far? Why, It must be a Spiritual Union; & not be founded in Civil or natural matters only. Again, It must be an Orderly Union; there must be the Distinctions of all Persons preserved Entire. Once more, It must be a Constant Union; we we must always be together never Straggling from one another. Furthermore, It must be an Holy Union; our Unity with men must be no further than will stand with Purity. We must not Renounce Truth for Pea●e, nor so have Peace with one another, as to have no S●lt in ourselves: Our Union must not be a mere Compliance; nor should it quench our Zeal. Tis not Herods and Pilates Agreement in Evil, that is to be our Union: while we Follow Peace with all men, we must not come to say or to do, any thing Inconsistent with, Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord; nor Purchase our Peace with man, by a War with God. Finall●, The Intimacy of our Union is by this Resemblance intimated unto us; Our Unity must give us a near Perception of one anothers Cases; a●d our Unity must fill us with Joy in, and Love to one another. We must after a sort find in one another our very selves, and call and count each other another self. We must be concerned for one another, as if our very self were bound up in one another.  
But, There are two PROPOSALS which I am now to make you.  

PROPOSAL. I.  
Let us now pursue and maintai●… a Blessed UNION with one another i●… the Lord. 'Tis an Invaluable Jewel, a●… UNION, which I am now fallen int●… the Commendation of; but, Quis Vituperat? I suppose there is not one of u●… all, but what will readily subscribe to every Clause of the Hundred and Thirty Third Psalm; and I could wish tha●… those melodious Notes of Davids Harp might cause the Evil Spirits of Division to depart from us. O that from this Day, we might all agree to lay aside, All Expressions of a Groundless o●… Boundless Displeasure against any of ou●… Neighbours! and especially, that all Saint●… would concur to give each other, Th●… Right-hand of Fellowship, in those mor●… Important Th●ngs wherein they are indeed Unanimous, and walk together wherein they are Agreed; and that in the lesser th ngs wherein their Apprehensions are yet various, they may indulge one another, without all Unchristian Persecutions or Animosities, and not Revile one another as vile schismatics, for every Modest Separation. God forbid, that opinionum Varietas, and opinan●iam Unitas, must become Inconsistent! As for Strife, no Ink of mine is Black enough to describe the Prodigious Abominations, the Abominable Consequences of it, All that ever the most Eloquent Ancients Thundered against Schism, you may apply to the Sin of Strife in the Churches of God; for indeed Schism is but That? Let me add, Never did the Almighty God use more Omnipotent Arguments to command and caution men against any sin, than he has to still all strife among his People; and shall we Quarrel after all? The Son of God is a Lamb; for us to Quarrel, is to be so unlike Him, that even the Pagan Emperour Severus, when he saw two Christians engaged in a Scuffle, gave Order they should never be called Christians any more. Our Jesus, like Joseph with his Brethren, has with an Ungainsayable Importunity besought, That we fall not out. This Prince of Peace, It was not only His Dying Prayer, but also his Dying Charge, That we Love one another; and common Honesty requires us to fulfil, The Will of the Dead. The Spirit of God is a Dove: to Quarrel is to show such an overflowing of gull, as does no less Dislike him, than it is Unlike Him; & it is to Disrest him of his Lockets. He strives with us, that we would not become Vultures nor Harpies, nor strive with one another; this Work of the Flesh must needs be distasteful to that Spirit. When we don't put away all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Anger, we do fearfully Grieve Him, and shamefully put Him away. Cloven and Fiery Tongues were things in which he once Exhibited himself; but Cloven and Furious Hearts he is ever Banished from. Strife, 'tis a Sin that stirs up all other sorts of Distempers and Corruptions in us; the Lusts in our Souls, like so many chilled▪ Snakes, do horribly Crawl, and Hiss, and Sting, when this Fire has once Envigorated ' em. The Devil has a Lodging where men do not Ring a Curfe u● Bell. We are as Bottles; if we take and shake one another, a world of dirty S●uff will be Raised from the Bottom in us. The Aggressor, and the defendant will be to each other, what Solomon speaks, As Coals to Burning Coals. Strife, 'tis a Sin which hardens our Hearts against all the Means of Grace and Good; we shall receive no Admonitions; but like Angry Jonas, misbehave ourselves, and say, I do well in all. And thus all the Spectators too do come to be prejudiced at the ways of God; as the Jews are at this Day so scandalised by our Dissensions, that they pled, The Eleventh Chapter of Isaiah is not fulfilled, and so the Messiah can't be come! Thus, there was a Town in this Land, where an uncomfortable rapture happened in the Church; and there a young man was left unto an horrid Murder of himself; but he left behind him a Writing directed unto his Father, wherein he approved himself a Wanner to us all; some of his words were, Father, my ruin was the Stubborness and unfaithfulness of my Younger Years; Evil counsel, and Evil Company, and, The Differences in the Church, by reason whereof I grow proud, and did not carry it in my place as I ought, which is the wide way to ruin. You see what sad work, the Contentions of Churches do make for the Rising Generations! Oh Consider of it! Strife, In fine, 'tis that which brings all manner of Wounds upon us. Our Prayers, they cannot be without Doubting, when they are not without Wrath. Our Fastings, they cannot be such as the Lord has Chosen, while we are Biting one another. Our Sacraments do lose their Efficacies, if such a strange Fire do accompany them. Who are those that must at last perish without? Why, The Dogs, that are ever a snappish and a snarling sort of Creature? Who are those that God will pour down Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguish upon? They are, The Contentious: to whom all that is, True or Just, is usually disagreeable. What Society will not quickly moulder away when once it has Breaches in its Walls? All Ages have confirmed that standing Oracle of our Lord, An House Divided cannot stand. O that such Thoughts as these might now promote the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace, among the People of God! But if the People of God, like little silly Birds, will still be pecking at one another, they may fear that some Ravenous Kites may have a permission to make a prey of all. Alas, must Blessed Ridley, and Hooper, be sent into a Prison to Unite them. They say, None of the Marian Martyrs were tortured with such Exquisite Fires as they? Shall we bicker about Black and White, until God make us meet in read? When the Primitive Christians had the Feuds among them, for which they were Exposed as Ridiculous and Contemptible upon the Heathen theatres, what commonly followed, but such Storms of Blood and Fire upon them from their Adversaries, as driven them Nearer in their Unions one unto another, God prevent the Repetitions of that Fate upon His People Now; though within the Memory of man, I can tell you, they have in several parts of the World, had a Repetition of it. But, There are two or three most Humble Petitions, which I am now ready to Address you with. Only, do me the Justice, to Remember, That I do not Pretend in any Wise to meddle with any Civil affairs among the People of God; all manner of Loyal Submission and Obedience to the Higher Powers for the Common Good, is what I wish all unto; In the mean time, they are not Civil, but Sacred UNIONS, which I am now Prosecuting of; and the Concerns wherein I would appear to persuade my Neighbours unto an Oneness of Mind; or at least where the first cannot be had, an Oneness of Heart, are purely Ecclesiastical. Now,  
First, Where we can Unite in the END, There let us do it; and not Contend about the WAY leading thereunto. To see an Oneness in the Judgments of all Good men, upon every Particular in Christianity, is as much to he despaired of, as to see an Exact Likeness of all the Faces and Features in the World. But where we are all set for what is, Holy, and Just and Good, we should shake hands with one another, saying as in Gen. 13 8. Let there be no Strife, I pray thee, between Me, and Thee, for we are Brithren. 'Tis in Pursuance of this Golden Rule, that I would further say,  
Where we can Unite in Practices, let us do it; although Perhaps we cannot Unite in the Principles whereupon we proceed in those Practices. The same Conclusions may by divers Intellects be formed out of divers Premises. I say then, let them not only Hold the Conclusions, but Gladly Hold together in them; and never Vex one another about the Media which they Raise them on. Particularly, In many matters of Church Order, there are two Considerations which may be a Balm to heal many Contentions. One is, That the Foundation of all Church-Societies, is laid in the Light and Law of Nature itself, A Church is a Society of human Race; and hath its Particularities wherein i● Conforms to the Common Rules of all S●cieties. There needs no New Express Command for what the Law and Light of Nature do's require in all Societies Combining for the Worship of God. Another is this▪ That the First Commandment has cut out much Business for Church-Societies, which 'tis possible the Second Commandment may not so plainly reach unto; yea, such a Society has many things to do, which not the First, but the Second of the Tables in the Divine Law, has enjoined the doing of. I say then; if Saints that see not all with the same Eyes, can do the same things, though not on the same grounds, there is no Thing to be a Ground for quarreling. Pardon me, if I touch upon two or three Instances, which are, I think, the Only ones, wherein our Churches have their( not Contentions, blessed be God, but) Varieties. I will mention them, though I should meet with the Parters Portion for it; or find Livies observation true, Media via neque Amicos parit, nec Inimicos tollit.  
Our Churches do Ordinarily Expect from those whom they Admit unto Constant and complete Communion with them, some few savoury Expressions[ Written, if not, Oral] of what Regenerating Influences the Ordinances, or the Providences of God, have had upon their Souls. There are some, who demand. This as a Thing required by the Word of God, When, A confession with the Mouth, and, A Profession of Repentance as well as Faith, and, A Giving a Reason of the Hope that is in us, is required; And they look upon this as a Justifying Circumstance, which a reasonable Charity is to seek, before it pronounce upon the Credibility of that Confession and Profession, whereupon men lay Claim to privileges. Others can't see through this; they rather decry it as, An human Invention. Yet rather than Church-Work should be at any Stay, both sides may Grant, That it is but a piece of Reasonable Civility; for any that would be accepted as Members of any Society whatsoever, to Address that Society for that Acceptance; and that whoever does Address a Church of the Lord Jesus for their Fellowship, should Endeavour to do it with such Language and Matter as may be like that of, One Returning to God. If there be any further Contest, whether the Brethren, of Right are to have any Acquaintance with, or Interest in, the management of this matter, I am Confident, That as the Pastors who are the Porters to the House of our God, will generally Examine what Experiences their Communicants have attained unto, so the Pastors will as generally grant, it is not Unlawful for them to Communicate unto the Brethren of the Church, the taste▪ which they have had of the Graces in such as they now propound unto them, to be received as Brethren: Yea, That it is many ways Comfortable and Profitable, if not altogether Necessary. Behold then, a Temper, wherein we may, as hitherto we do, in this thing Unite! I have been concerned with some Godly People of the Scotch Nation, who have at first shown much and hot Antipathy against This Way of our Church, and yet asked Admittance to the Table of the Lord. These have Consented unto me, That I should put what Questions I pleased in my Trials of them; That I should herewithal take in Writing what Minutes I pleased of their Answers to me; That being myself now satisfied Concerning them, I might if I pleased Offer that Satisfaction unto any or all of the Church who looked for it, at our usual Opportunity. These Concessions immediately opened Their way, in Ours, unto the Table of the Lord, without any D fficulty unto either of us. But let it all this while be remembered; That I am not proving what must be done; I am only showing what may be done, to prevent Fires, when they may be like to follow other-wise.  
Again, Our Churches are some of them furnished, with Elders, whose whole Office tis[ God help 'em to Do it Well] To Watch over the Conversation of the Church-Members with Authority. It is pleaded, That nothing is Plainer in Scripture, Than Elders, who Rule well, and are Worthy of Double Honour, though they do not Labour in Word and Doctrine▪ whereas if there were any Teaching Elders, who do not Labour in Word and Doctrine, they would be so far fron being Worthy of Double Honour, that they would not be Worthy of any Honour, at all. On the other side, some cannot see any such thing as what we call a Ruling Elder directed and appointed in the Word of God; yea, some do still mention the Thing with such exorbitant and Vilifying Terms, as are far from decent in any thing which themselves own to be so Disputable. And what shall now be done in this case? I would modestly offer thus much. Let it be first recognised, That all the other Church-Officers are the assistants of the Past●r; who was himself( as you find, even about what the Deacon has now to do) Entrusted with the Whole Care of all, until the further pitty and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, joined other Officers unto him, for his assistance in it. I suppose, None will be so Absurd as to Deny This at least; That all the Church-Officers are to take the Advice of their Pastor with them. Upon which, I subjoin, That a man may be a Distinct Officer from his Pastor, and yet not have a Distinct Office from him; the Pastor may be the Ruling Elder, and yet he may have Elders to assist him in Ruling and in the actual Discharge of some Things, which They are Able and Proper to be serviceable unto him in. This Consideration being laid in, I will persuade myself, every Pastor among us, will allow me, That there is much Work to be done for God, in preparing what belongs to the Admission and Exclusion of Church-Members; in carefully inspecting the Way and Walk, of them all, and the first Appearance of Evil with them; in preventing the very Beginnings of Ill-Blood among them; and Instructing of all from H●use to House, more privately, and Warning of all persons, unto the Things more peculi●●ly incumbent on them; in Visiting all the Afflicted, and informing of and consulting with the Ministers for the welfare of the Whole Flock. And They must allow me, That This Work is too heavy for any one man; and that more than one man, yea, no less than all our Churches do suffer beyond measure, because no more of This Work is thorougly performed. Moreover, they will aclowledge to me, That it is an usual Thing with a Prudent and a Faithful Pastor, Himself to single out some of the more grave, solid, aged Brethren in his Congregation, to Assist him in many parts of this work, on many occasions in a year; nor will such a Pastor ordinarily do any important thing in his Government, without having first heard the Counsel of such Brethren. In short, There are few discreet Pastors, but what make many occasional Ruling Elders, every year. I say then, suppose, the Church by a Vote Recommend some such Brethren( the fittest they have, and always more than one) unto the more Stated assistance of their Pastors, in the Church Rule wherein they may be Helps unto him?[ I do not propose, that they should be Biennial or Triennial onely; though I know very famous Churches throughout Europe have them so!] Yea, and what if they should by Solemn Fasting and Prayer, be Commended unto the Benediction of God, in what Service they have to do? What Objection can be made against the Lawfulness? I think, None can be made against the Usefulness of such a thing? Truly, for my part, if the Fifth Chapter of the first Epistle to Timothy would not bear me out, when Conscience both of my Duty and my Weakness made me to desire such Assistences, I would see whether the First Chapter of Deuteronomy would not. Only, let it all this while also be remembered, That a total want of Men, is the sad case of some Churches, which cannot be thus provided for.  
Once more, There has been a Controversy, What is the Watch which our Churches owe to the Adult Children, that were in their Infancy baptized among us? Or, indeed, whether any at all? Some do conceive, That the Church Membership which any have in their Infancy does not cease when they come to years of Discretion, until Censurable Evils ar●… found upon them; and that therefor●… the Churches are so to watch over them, as to use the Process prescribed in the eighteen Chapter of Matthew upon them, when they fall into Scandals. Others cannot be of that persuasion▪ but judge that the Church-Membership of Infancy is not Personal and Immediate, and that it so vanishes when they come to the Age of acting for themselves, as to dismiss them from any proper Watch of the Churches about them. How shall these two parties now come together? Perhaps hardly enough; Nevertheless, Let it be Considered, Whether some cannot come to do that as a point of pure Morality, which others choose to do as a point of Institution. If one that feeds and sleeps in my Family do commit any gross Iniquity, I would Admonish him for it, in the hearing of those that have heard of his Offence; and if he don't Reform, I would openly fix upon him the Character of, One that walks Disorderly. This would I do, as a a piece of Righteous Charity, although there were never a Text in Matthew, or although there were nothing after the Fourth of Genesis, to warrant this proceeding. Why then may not Churches count the Common Law of Reproving, to be Warrant enough, in thus dealing with such as have been baptized in their bosoms, although the Statute-Law of Discipline should be silent in it? Another thing that may be Considered is, Whether both sides might not agree in Reviving the Ancient Ordinance of CONFIRMATION; I mean, For the Elders of the Churches to sand for, their Children as they come to Mens and Womens Estate, and Examine them strictly about their Conversion to God, and their Inclinations to Renew and Observe their Baptismal Covenant. Upon this Examination, They that are found Fit for it, may be Regularly Confirmed in church-privileges. They that are not so, may with suitable Instructions and Awakenings, be Detained, for a while from some sp●cial Ordinances. Both sides can do This, and if this were well done, it would go far towards the Removing of many Differences.  
I am not unsensible of the further Noises that have been in the Rearing of our Temple, about the Subjects which Baptism is to be Extended unto. Not only those that Restrain it unto the Limits of the Lords Supper do vary from the most of their Neighbours; but, even those which Enlarge it unto the Children of some that are not in Full Communion, do it not exactly in the same Notion; some do baptize them, as being only in a catholic Church-state, and others as being also in a Particular. And yet they mostly, Accord in this, That the Administrator of Baptism is generally to be an Officer some way concerned with a Particular Church, and the baptized should be under the Laws of our Lord Jesus as they are administered in such a Church. I wish matters could be brought unto a Good Issue here; all that at present I can Contribute unto it, is to do what Elihu Resolved, I also will show mine Opinion. 'Tis this;  
That our Lord Jesus Christ has in the World a catholic Church of Elect-called ones, which becomes in Various Degrees Visible unto us; and according to the Degrees of its Visibility becomes Capable of a Visible Communion with i●s Glorious Head:  
That when men Profess the Faith of the Gospel, or their consent unto the Covenant of Grace, and overthrow not that Profession by a Scandalous Conversation, they are to be looked upon, as belonging to the Visible catholic Church of our Lord; they are to be treated as Christians; to call them or count them Heathen, is to do them a Grievous injury.  
That when such Professors Regularly Combine into a Society for the Evangelical Worship and Service of our Lord Jesus Christ, and furnish themselves with Officers of His Appointment; they then become a part of the catholic Church, so Visible, as to be a Body politic Entrusted with all the Special Ordinances of the New Testament.  
That a Particular Church, thus in their Officers betrusted with the Institutions of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to be concerned for Applying some of those Institutions, unto Subjects that have not yet arrived so far in Visible Christianity as to be the Constituent Parts of that Holy Society.  
That Baptism is One Ordinance to be administered, unto them that are in the Visible catholic Church, while the said Christians have not yet Joined themselves to a Particular Church, but are only in a state of Initiation and Preparation for it. In the Scripture, we do not red( at least, I have not yet found) of any that were baptized after their Joining to full Communion in a Particular Church; but many that were so Before. Wherefore, if any Person of a blameless Conversation, come to us, Professing his belief of the Christian Religion, and Seriously Enter into Covenant with God in Christ, Submitting therewith to the Ecclesiastical Government of our Lord Jesus, & Engaging to labour Continually for those more Positive Evidences of Regeneration, which may Embolden him shortly to seek an Admission unto the Table of the Lord; surely such a Person may say, as the Eunuch did, What do's hinder me( and Mine) to be baptized? Persons may be Disciples, while they are not yet Risen to the more Experienced state of Brethren; and there may be Subj●cts in the Kingdom, which have not yet all the privileges that the Members of the Corporations lay claim unto: now Baptism should belong sure, to all the Disciples and Subj●cts of our Lord. From a Nursery thus Watered with Baptism, our Churches may be supplied, from time to time, and multitudes of well-disposed People who by Doubts and Fears are for a while discouraged from the Lords Table, may thus be kept under Engagements to be the Lords.  
I beseech you to Forgive this my Freedom with you; I cannot but be concerned, because I find, as Optatus once, Inter Licet Vestrum, et Non Licet Nostrum, nutant ainae Populorum: but if Union may be thereby furthered, there will be no such Forgiveness to be asked for.  
We shall be more brief in what remains. Wherefore,  
Secondly, Where we can Unite, neither in the WAY nor in the END, Yet let us not Contend so as to b●eak the Law of Brotherly Kindness among the Children of God. Our Behaviour towards the most Wicked and Bloody Persecutors, is to be full of a Christ-like Sweetness, Meekness, and Long-suffering, But much more, if any, of whom it may be hoped that they have, The Root of the Matter, in them, should ever differ from us; Yea, and so far differ too; as that our Commu ion with them in Special Ordinances, comes to be broken up; still there is a World of Mutual Forbearance, which we must accommodate one another with. Still that of the Apostle is to take place, Rom. 12.10. Be Kindly Aff●ction'd one to another in Love. We must first, Forbear to Impose one upon another. It is impossible for any but, God who forms the Spirit of man within him, to form the understandings of men, into a belief of every Christian D●ctri●e. If we shall Violently and forcibly compel all about us, to take in all our Schemes, we shall be as inhuman as that Giant, who cut or stretched all his Lodgers, to the Exact length of the Bed, he had provided for them. Austin was very Zealous in Writing against the Errors of the Donatists; and yet he said, he had rather be Slain by them himself, than be an Occasion that any should Persecute them to Death, for holding of those Errors. And much more, when we have confessed a thing to be in itself, Indifferent, it is a most Uncharitable thing for us to Command it as Necessary, and then assert that our Command has made it Necessary. Could I speak to the most Swol'n Church governor in the World, I would Ask him, First, Whether Paul were not a Church governor, of as Great Authority as any of them all, or all of them together? Next, Whether in Pauls Days there was not a Grievous Dissension about the use of several Things that were merely Adiaphorus? Then, Whether an Uninspir'd Command of Paul would have so taken away the Indifferency of those things, as to make them no longer matters of Disputation, but matters of Observation among all Believers? And then, whether if it were so, Paul would not have been the most Uncharitable of Men, to have left those things, as he still did, he sti●l does, Undetermined? Or, certainly, others must be so, when they do Determine such things as those.  
But as we should Forbear all Impositions of one upon another, so should we Forbear all Prejudices of one against another. Though Calvin could not come to the Lords Table with Luther, yet says he, I will ever call him an Eminent Servant of God, yea, though he should call me a Devil. I do not see, That Christians not joining with others in all the same Rites and Modes of Worship, must be understood as, Declaring all others to be n●t in a State of Salvation. Those Angry Men, which fall into a Rage at all D●ssenters, as if they did indeed so Declare, do indeed therein Declare only that as their own Opinion of those D ssenters. Nor will any man that sufficiently ponders, I hat in Rom. 14.6. where God is glorified by two opposite parties, think there is any Divinity in that Assertion of those Angry Men. I must join myself, where the Ordinances are so administered as that my Conscience tells me, Gods Word and my Good is therein most attended unto. But a man may Locally separate from very many polluting Defects and Failures in Church-Administrations, while he does not hearty separate from his Obligations to Love and Serve those whom he does not now meet withal. Briefly, every Difference in Religion, does not make a Different Religion. And if we think our own Understandings to be a Standard for all the Rest of Mankind, we do certainly, Think of ourselves above what we ought. But what must our Deportment then towards Conscientious Dissenters be? I say, All made up of Charity. We are still to be Theirs, Usque ad arras; and be ashamed if our Conduct unto them, should not be able to stand before the Thirteenth Chapter in the first Epistle to the Corinthians. We should make the fairest constructions of all Actions, and Lovingly take every thing by the Best Handle. We should, if we knock with Hard Reasons, yet stroke them with Soft Answers; and let them find us of the Tribe, which, Giveth Goodly Words. A Samaritan sort of crabbedness, churlishness, frowardness, towards all that are not in every thing just Jumping with us, and,— Non Monstrare vias eadem nisi sacra Colenti. 'Tis not the Spirit of the Gospel. In short, we should conclude as the famous African Synod, upon the Subject of Baptism did, Neminem Judicamus si Diversum in hac Re Senserit. We must beware how we monopolise all Godliness to our own Little Party; in the same Decalogue, the same Law-giver that says, Thou shalt not worship a graved Image, also says, Thou shalt no●… bear false Witness against thy Neighbour. wherever we can see, Aliquid Christ●… any thing of Christ, let it be dear to us. A Moses may pay for an undue Heat against his Erring Brethrens and the case may be so, that an Erroneus Cyprian may deserve better than an Orthodox Stephen, in the Charitable Resentments of Godly Men. If nothing will satisfy us, but the Extirpation of all that are not of our party, God has  told us what will follow, Ye shall be Consumed one of another. I may argue as Lactantius did of old; your Oppofites are either Wise or Fools: If they be Wise, you should Follow them; if they be Fools, you should Pitty them; there is no place for any Malicious Prosecutions. Let me, in a word say, as the Apostle once, Why dost thou set at nought thy Brother? Let us follow after the things that make for Peace: and let me beg, That the Fourteenth Chapter to the Romans mayn't become apocrypha.  
Thirdly, Let Mortality Affect us, and Humility Adorn us, and both together will soon Unite us. Be affencted with Mortality. They say, Dust thrown on Fighting Bees, will presently make 'em give over the Fight. If we are prove to Sting one another, Let us cast a little of our Grave-Dust upon us, b● our Devout, Gracious, Antedating Meditations. If we would not be Wranglers; Let us not forget that we are Mortals. Especially, when it comes to stabbing of one another with Pens, Let us Remember our, Sand runs faster than our Ink, and we are as Brittle as the Glasses which we now use instead of Ink-horns. How near are we to that State, Ubi Luthero cum Zuinglio optime jam Convenit? A Luther and a Zuinglius will be less eager one against another, if they think, How soon they are to meet! But, be also Adorned with Humility. It is that upon which I may Employ the Panegyric of Tertullus, O thou most Noble virtue, By thee we Enjoy great Quietness. We know, Lowliness, and Long-suffering do go together. We have long since been  told,( and it has been Descanted on by the Quill of one among us, who by his Treatise called, A Little Peace-maker, has been Earning a Name among, The Children of God.) Only by Pride comes Contention; 'tis That which is the Grand Barretor and Boutefeu of the Universe. 'Tis said, The proud man is as he that Transgresseth by Wine; that is, he is very Quarrelsome. What needs be said more? Only, What the Wise man said, Cast out the Scorner, and Contention shall go out. If every Sheaf must always bow to Yours and Mine, when shall we be quiet? Were we all so Humble as we should be, it would hinder our making that Insolent Syllogism, A Person who is never Liable to Mistake, is one whom no man can sincerely or christianly Differ from. But I am a Person who am Liable to no Mistakes; therefore whoever Differs from me, is an intolerable Creature. And if such a Syllogism were never shaped in our conceits, the World would not be so full of Tempest as it is I  
In fine, That I may Repeat nothing, which I have said for the pressing of Union among the Children of my People, in four several Discourses formerly Published,— I now take the Leave only to Add, a few Ejaculations on the behalf of my Beloved Neighbours.  
First, May none of our Churches be called, Esek, and Sitna, because of any Strife among us At present, I hope, our Lord looks upon this part of America, saying, My Dove is One! and I pray, that it may ever be so. The Oldest of the Churches in this Colony, is at Salem; God Grant they may All of them, always dwell in, Peace. Concord is the Name on one of our Towns; may it be a Frame in all the Rest. And may the rebuk that was given to the Litigious Corinthians, never come to be ours, Whereas there are among you Divisions, are ye not Carnal? May we, as far as we can, Anticipate the Dayes of the New-Jerusalem, which are quickly, The Things to be looked for, by Banishing all War from the midst of us. May we keep a Perpetual Sabbath, which may resemble the, Rest Remaining for the People of God, by Kindling no Fires within our Gates. We are Sheep; no room I beseech you, for the Rage of Dogs and Wolves in our Hearts.  
Secondly, May our Pastors all of them forego all Strife but that of Love and Good Works, and, Kiss each other in the Mount of God! We are advised, Envy is Rottenness in the Bones; and it may be, we know the Name of that Old Interpreter, who by Bones there understands, Men of chief Place among the People of God. It was a madness in the Priests of Baal, to cut and slash themselves; t'will be as mad for us to serve one another so. Our very Name Reminds us, that we are Under-Rowers to our Lord Jesus Christ; if we don't all of us, pull the same way, What will become of our Little Boat? The Scriptures speaks about, The Mouth of all the Prophets, as if they all had but One Mouth. If we can't have but One Mouth, yet let us have but One Heart; and let not the Lion ever find any one of the Four oxen alone by himself. What came of the Ominous Paroxysms, between Chrysostom and Epiphanius? What a woeful Discord was that of Peter and Meletius in the Gaol? Or that of those two Great Persons who being sent into the Mines made a Wall between their Works, and would not meet until the Stake tied them together?  
To have done, Let all manner of Strife, be avoided by all manner of men, all manner of ways. Take that Counsel, that Command, in Rom. 12.18. If it be Possible, as much as Lies in You, Live Peaceably with all men. You have been warned, That if you be not as Little Children, you shall not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; and, That the Extinction of all Malice is the thing wherein you are to be as Little Children. If there are any Personal pikes among you, ●et 'em all immediately Evaporate. Two Pagans from Contending once, came to Compounding, and one ingeniously owned unto the other that had given him cause to own it; You are the more Worthy man; for I began the Stife, and you began the Peace. Behold, Christians, a way for you to get the Better of your Adversaries; the Almighty God Himself, by first Beseeching us to be reconciled unto Himself, hath lead you the Way.  
Thus, Live in Peace, and the God of Love and Peace will be with You!   

PROPOSAL. II.  
But let us at the same Time, Give our Thanks to our God, for the Blessed UNION, which He has lately been disposing a Considerable part of His People abroad unto. It is to be Remarked how often the Evangelist Luke, records the, ONE ACCORD, which the Primitive Believers were famous for; that, ONE ACCORD, seems to be Celebrated as one of the most Memorable things that could be mentioned. We have heard, That our Brethren beyond the Seas, are hopefully curing the Gangraenes of which heretofore they have Complained, and coming to ONE ACCORD, in those Things which formerly have been, apple of Strife, among them. We have heard, That the Body of our Brethren is no more like the Monster once born in Scotland,( as we red) which was born with two Heads, that were still arguing, opposing, and in Eager Disputes assaulting one another. The Tidings have been, As could Waters to our Thirsty Souls; and I bespeak your Praises on that behalf, to the God, who Maketh Peace in His High Places. It is not for me to Prognosticate upon this Transaction; though I know that when Abraham had proposed overtures of Peace unto his Kinsman, God immediately showed him the Land of Promise, and said, All this Land, unto thee will I give it! But I'l quote you a few words of the Reverend MEADS, in the Sermon Preached upon Occasion of it. Says he,  
Brethren, Lift up your Heads; and look for Great Things to Result from this Work of making, The two Sticks One. I am well persuaded That God has a Great Design in this Thing, and that it will have a further Extent, than you can foresee. How far it may reach to hasten the Removal of all Made Things, who can tell? This is plain in Scripture; That Zions Building, and Babylons ruin, the Lambs Marrying, and the Whores Burning, do go together. The Church Militant and Malignant are like a pair of balances, or the Buckets of a Well; as one goes up, the other goes down:  
But whatever the Effect of this Dispensation of God be without, I am persuaded, it will be great within; and therefore Look for some glorious Appearance of Christ in your Churches, as the Blessed Fruit of it, Thus he.  
But, while I thus Raise the Notes of your Praises to God for this Dispensation, Let me also obtain your Prayers to be mingled therewith; Your Prayers, That this UNION and the Interest of Gods Word, and Holiness and Religion in it, may, Run and be glorified; for Satan will doubtless endeavour to undermine it.  
A certain King of England holding a Treaty of Peace with a French King, in an old chapel that lay between their Two Armies, both came to a good Agreement; but as they were coming out of the chapel, a Snake suddenly crept out of the old Wall, which they seeing Drew their Swords, and their Servants at the Door Drew likewise. Upon this the whole Armies no less furiously than ignorantly, advanced upon one another, and commenced a battle, wherein a most horrid Slaughter was made, before the Mistake was rectified. Alas, It often thus comes to pass; when the Servants of God, have been just finishing a Reconciliation, the Old Serpent will interpose and interrupt it all: But let us pray for the Arrival of the Day, when that Old Serpent shall be Bound; & this, the more hopefully, inasmuch as you now see a further Symptom of its Approaches; When the, Two Sticks are made one, it soon follows, David my Servant shall be King over them.  
But while I thus Excite your Prayers, I shall gratify your Expectations with a Copy of what, I know you very much Desire to see.      

HEADS of AGREEMENT Assented to by the United Ministers, formerly called, PRESBYTERIAN and CONGREGATIONAL.  

I. Of CHURCHES and CHURCH-MEMBERS.  
1. WE aclowledge our Lord Jesus Christ to have One catholic Church, or Kingdom, comprehending all that are United to Him, whether in Heaven or Earth. And do conceive the whole multitude of Visible Believers, and their Infant-Seed( commonly called the catholic Visible Church) to belong to Christ's Spiritual Kingdom in this World. But for the notion of a catholic Visible Church here, as it signifies its ●aving been collected into any formed Society, under a Visible human Head on Earth, whether one Person singly, or many collectively, We, with the rest of Protestants, Unanimously disclaim it.  
2. We agree, That particular Societies of Visible Saints, who under Christ their Head, are statedly joined together for ordinary Communion with one another, in all the Ordinances of Christ, are particular Churches, and are to be owned by each other, as Instituted Churches of Christ, tho differing in apprehensions and practise in some lesser things.  
3. That none shall be admitted as Members, in order to Communion in all the special Ordinances of the Gospel but such persons as are knowing and sound in the fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Riligion, without Scandal in their Lives; & to a judgement regulated by the Word of God, are persons of visible Godliness & Honesty; credibly professing cordial subjection to Jesus Christ.  
4. A competent Number of such visible Saints( as before described) do become the capable Subjects of stated Communion in all the special Ordina●ces of Christ, upon their mutual declared consent and agreement to walk together therein according to Gospel Rule. In which declaration, d ff●rent degrees of Expliciteness, shall no way hinder such Churches from owning each other, as Instituted Churches.  
5. Tho Parochial Bounds be not of Divine Right, yet for common Edification, the Members of a particular Church ought( as much as conveniently may be) to live near one another.  
6. That each particular Church hath R●ght to choose their own Officers; & being furnished with such as are duly qualified and ordained according to the Gospel Rule, hath Authority from Christ for exercising Government, & of enjoying all the ordinances of Worship within itself.  
7. In the Administration of Church Power, it belongs to the Pastors & other Elders of every particular Church( if such there be) to Rule and Govern: and to the Brotherhood to Consent according to the Rule of the Gospel.  
8. That all Professors as before described, are bound in duty, as they have opportunity, to join themselves as fixed Members of some particular Church; their thus joining, being part of their professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ, & an instituted means of their Establishment & Edification; whereby they are under the Pastoral Care, and in case of scandalous or offensive walking, may be Authoritatively Admonished or Censured for their recovery, & for vindication of the Truth, & the Church professing it.  
9. That a visible Professor thus joined to a particular Church, ought to continue steadfastly with the said Church; & not forsake the Ministry & Ordinances there dispersed, without an ord●rly seeking a recommendation unto another Church. Which ought to be given, when the case of the person apparently requires it.   

II. Of the Ministry.  
1. WE agree, That the Ministerial Office is instituted by Jesus Christ, for the Gathering, Guiding▪ Edifying Governing of his Church; and to continue to the end of the world.  
2. They who are called to this Office, ought to be endowed with competent Learning, & Ministerial Gifts, as also with the Grace of God, sound in judgement, not Novices in the Faith & Knowledge of the Gospel; without scandal, of holy Conversation, & such as devote themselves to the Work & Service thereof.  
3. That Ordinarily none shall be Ordained to the wo●k of this Ministry, but such as are called and chosen thereunto by a particular Church.  
4. That in so great & weighty a matter, as the calling & choosing a Past●r, ws judge it ordinarily requisite, That every such Church consult & advice with the Pastors of Neighbouring Congregations.  
5. That after such Advice, the Person consulted about, being chosen by the Brotherhood of that particular Church over which he is to be set, & he accepting, be duly ordained, & set apart to his office over them; wherein t●s ordinarily requisite, That the Pastors of Neighbou●ing C●ngrega jons concur with the Preaching-Elder, or Elders, if such there be.  
6. That whereas such Ordina●ion is only intended for such as never before had been ordained to the Ministerial Office; If any judge, that in the case also of the removal of one formerly ordained, to a new Station or Pastoral Charge, there ought to be alike solemn recommending him & his Labours to the Grace & Blessing of God; no different Sentiments or P●actice herein, shall be any occasion of Contention or B●each of Communion among us.  
7. It is expedient, that they who enter on the wo●k of ●reachi●g the Gospel, be not only qualified for Communion of Saints; but also that, except in cases extra●rdinary, they give proof of their Gifts & fitness for the said work, unto the Pastors of Churches of known abilities to discern & judge of their qualifications; That they may be sent forth with Solemn Approbation & Prayer; which we judge needful, that no doubt may remain concerning their being Called to the work; and for preventing( as much as in us lieth) Ignorant and rash Intruders.   

III. Of Censures.  
1. AS it cannot be avoided, but that in the Purest Churches on Earth, there will sometimes Offences & Scandals arise by reason of hypocrisy & prevailing corruption; so Christ hath made it the Duty of every Church, to reform itself by Spiritual Remedies, appointed by him to be applied in all such cases; viz. Admonition and Excommunication.  
2. Admonition, being the rebuking of an Offending Member in order to conviction, is in case of private ●ffences to be performed according to the Rule in Mat. 18. v. 15, 16, 17. & in case of public offences, openly before the Church, as the Honour of the Gospel, & nature of the Scandal shall ●equire: And if either of the Admonitions take place for the recovery of the fallen Person, all further proceedings in a way of censure, are thereon to cease, and satisfaction to be declared accordingly.  
3. When all due means are used, according to the Order of the Gospel, for the restoring an offending & scandalous Brother; & he notwithstanding remains Impenitent, the Censure of Excommunication is to be proceeded unto; Wherein the Pastor & other Elders( if there be such) are to led, and go before the Church; & the Brotherhood to give their consent, in a way of obedience unto Christ, and unto the Elders, as over them in the Lord.  
4. It may sometimes come to pass, that a Church-Member, not otherwise Scandalous, may sinfully withdraw, and divide himself from the Communion of the Church to which he belongeth: In which case, when all due means for the reducing him, prove ineffectual, he having hereby cut himself off from that Churches Communion; the Church may justly esteem & declare itself discharged of any further inspection over him.   

IV Of Communion of Churches.  
1. WE Agree, that Particular Churches ought not to walk so distinct & separate from each other, as not to have care & tenderness towards one another. But their Pastors ought to have freq●ent meetings together, that by mutual Advice, Support, Encouragement, and Brotherly intercourse, they may strengthen the hearts and hands of each other in the ways of the Lord.  
2. That none of our Particular Churches shall be subordinate to one another; each being endowed with equality of Power from Jesus Christ. And that none of the said particular Churches, their Officer, or Officers, shall exercise any Power, or have any Superiority over any other Church, or their Officers.  
3. That known Members of particular Churches, constituted as aforesaid, may have occasional Communion with one another in the Ordinances of the Gospel, viz. the Word, Prayer, Sacraments, Singing Psalms, dispensed according to the mind of Christ: Unless that Church with which they desire Communion, hath any just exception against them.  
4 That we ought not to admit any one to be a Member of our respective Congregations, that hath joined himself to another, without endeavours of mutual Satisfaction of the Congregations concerned.  
5. That one Church ought not to blame the Proceedings of another, until it hath heard what that Church charged, its Elders, or Messengers, can say in vindication of themselves from any charge of i●regular or injurious Proceedings.  
6. That we are most willing & ready to give an account of our Church Proceedings to each other, when desired; for preventing or removing any offences that may arise among us. Likewise we shall be ready to give the right hand of fellowship, & walk together according to the Gospel Rules of Communion of Churches.   

V. Of Deacons & Ruling Elders.  
WE agree, The Office of a Deacon is of Divine Appointment, & that it belongs to their Office to receive, lay out, & distribute the Churches Stock to its proper uses, by the direction of the Pastor, & the Brethren if need be. And whereas divers are of opinion, That there is also the Office of Ruling Elders, who labour not in word & doctrine; & others think otherwise; We agree, That this d fference make no breach among us.   

VI. Of Occasional Meeting of Ministers. &c  
1. WE agree, That in order to concord, & in any other weighty & difficult cases, it is needful, & acc●rding to the mind of Christ, that the Ministers of several Churches be consulted & advised with about such matters.  
2. That such Meetings may consist of smaller or greater Numbers, as the matter shall require.  
3. That particular Churches, their respective Elders, & Members, ought to have a reverential regard to their judgement so given, & not dissent therefrom, without apparent grounds from the word of God.   

VII. Of our Demeanour towards the Civil MAGISTRATE.  
1. WE do reckon ourselves obliged continually to pray for God's Protection, Guidance, and Blessing upon the Rule●s set over us.  
2. That we ought to yield unto them not only subject●o● in the Lord, but support, according to our station & abilities.  
3. That if at any time it shall be their pleasure to call together any Number of us, or require any account of our Affairs, & the state of our Congregations, we shall most readily express all dutiful regard to them herein.   

VIII. Of a Confession of Faith.  
AS to what appertains to soundness of judgement in matters of Faith, we esteem it sufficient, That a Church ack●owledge the Scriptures to be the word of God, the perfect & only Rule of Faith and Practi e; & own either the Doctrinal part of those commonly called the Articles of the Church of England, or the Confession, or Catechisms, Shorter or Larger, compiled by the Assembly at Westminster, or the Confession agreed on at the Savoy, to be agreeable to the said Rule.   

IX Of our Duty & Deportment towards them that are not in Communion with us.  
1. WE judge it our duty to bear a Christian Respect to all Christians, according to their several Ranks and Stations, that are not of our Persuasion or Communion.  
2. As for such as may be ignorant of the Principles of the Christian Religion, or of vicious conversation, we shall in our respective Places, as they give opportunity, endeavour to explain to them the Doctrine of Life and Salvation, and to our uttermost persuade them to be reconciled to God.  
3. That such who appear to have the Essential Requisites to Church-Communion, we shall willingly receive them in the Lord, not troubling them with Disputes about lesser matters.  
As we Assent to the forementioned HEADS of AGREEMENT; so we Unanimously Resolve, as the Lord shall enable us, to practise according to them.   
FINIS.   

ERRATA. In the Dedication, Pag. 4. l. 13. for named, red examined. In the Book, pag 44. l. 11. r. In Necessarijs.