A Motive to Peace and Love. Delivered in a SERMON At Paul's the first Lord's Day in June, Anno Dom. 1648. By Humphrey Chambers, D. D. and Pastor of Pewsy in the County of Wilts. Isaiah 32.17. The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. LONDON, Printed for John Wright at the King's Head in the old Bayley. 1649. To the Right Honourable, Philip Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, Lord Warden of the Stannaries, and Knight of the Noble Order of the Garter. My Lord: BEing pressed by the desire of the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen of the City of London, notified under the hand of the Clerk of that Court, to print a Sermon which I lately preached at Paul's; I was willing rather to deny mine own judgement, which prohibited, then theirs, who called for the publication of the same. Such as it is, I presume to offer it unto your Lordship, and under your name to the world's view, because I know that the Argument thereof suiteth with that noble disposition which your Lordship upon all occasions expresseth, to promote Peace, Love, and Christian unity in these distracted destroying times. Besides, I was glad to catch at any opportunity, to make some public Record, of those many great undeserved favours which your Lordship is pleased to heap upon me, and oblige me in the strongest bonds of thankfulness and duty, ever to be, and appear to the uttermost, Your Lordship's most humble Servant and Chaplain Humphrey Chambers. A Sermon Preached at PAUL'S the first Lord's Day in June, 1648. 5. Galatians, Ver. 15. But if ye by't and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another. THe words are an Apostolical Caveat to a dividing people, who being in the fire of contention either could not, or would not look forward to the ashes of confusion, which they were dissolving themselves into. The Galatians before the breaking out of the light of the Gospel upon them, were as other Gentiles in darkness, and in the shadow of death, They knew not God, Gal. 4.8 but then did service to those which by nature are no gods. But when the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ reported to them the glad tidings of everlasting salvation, and blessedness to be imparted in Jesus Christ, to all that believe in his Name, they did at first happily embrace that saving Doctrine, and did run well in the acknowledgement of the same, as the Apostle bore them witness in the beginning of the seventh Verse of this Chapter; You did run well saith the Apostle. But they were soon stopped, or staggered in their course by certain Teachers of errors, and such as brought in destroying divisions amongst them, of whom the Apostle collectively wrote as of one man, with admiration, and indignation, in the end of the seventh Verse, Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? And then in the sweet voice of a loving extenuation he did assure them in the eighth Verse, that this crosse-worke, this mis persuasion contrary to the Gospel (what ever the Authors thereof pretended) was not of God; This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you, the Apostle left them to make out his abrupt speech; and to conclude that it was from that great , the Prince of darkness, acting in his transformed Servants, against God, his truth, and people. These subtle Agents of the Prince of darkness, the troublers of the Galatians, however at first they were for number but contemptible, yet the Apostle shown, that not resisted, not ejected, they were likely, and might quickly prove sufficient to corrupt the whole Congregation with their pernicious error; A little leaven (saith the Apostle, using a Proverbial form of speech at the ninth Verse) leavens the whole lump, intending that a little Doctrine contrary to the Gospel, carried on by a few subtle Teachers, may soon sour, corrupt, and undo a whole Congregation. Howbeit, that those who were tender of heart (newly brought to the faith of the Gospel) might not be grieved at this speech, as if they had been in danger of being utterly corrupted, and soured with the false Doctrine which was brought in amongst them to their everlasting destruction; the Apostle comforted them in the beginning of the tenth Verse, and assured them confidently, that that God who had graciously called them to the saving knowledge of his truth, would powerfully confirm them therein unto the end; I have confidence in you (saith the Apostle) through the Lord, that you will be no otherwise minded; and he was as confident that the Achan, the troubler of the people of God, who ever he was, how high soever he looked, should be troubled by the God of Heaven, and should at last bear his deserved judgement, for so he expressed himself in the end of the tenth Verse; But he that troubleth you shall bear his judgement whosoever he be. These troublers of the Galatians (belike the more to induce them to entertain their Doctrine of the necessity of legal Circumcision, and the universal observation of the Law of Moses, for life and righteousness) did suggest that the Apostle Paul himself, whatever he did at Galatia, yet at other places did likewise preach even as they, the same Doctrine of Circumcision, and of the necessity of universal obedience to the Law of Moses, for righteousness unto justification and life; but the Apostle put this by, as a wicked false slander, really confuted by his constant continuance in the contrary Doctrine of the Gospel, even unto persecution; for had the Apostle declined the Doctrine of the Gospel in any place, why should he suffer for the same as he did in every place? Or, why should the Jews be enraged every where against him, if the Apostle had blemished so much the Cross of Christ in his Doctrine any where, as to have pieced up the saving virtue thereof with the additional supply of legal ordinances and obedience? Thus the Apostle confuted the slanderous suggestion of the false Teachers against him at the eleventh Verse; And I, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased; and thereupon (in a holy heat, and height of spirit, and zeal for God, and for the good of his people) the Apostle wished at the twelfth Verse, that these troublers of the Galatians were cut off, I would that they were cut off that trouble you; whither this cutting off were by the hand of Heaven, or by the hand of the Civil Magistrate, or by the hand of Church Censures I now dispute not, plain it is, that the Apostles holy heart could not brook an indifferent liberty, for those that were the Patrons of errors, contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to invenome and destroy the Church of God by them, he wished to them not a lawless freedom and toleration, but a speedy removal and abscision, he wished that they were cut off, that they might not be the corrupters, that they might not continue the troublers of the people of God: Belike these seducers to bring the Apostles Doctrine into contempt, suggested otherwhiles, that he did so preach up Justification by faith in the righteousness of Christ, that he taught Believers to lay aside the obedience of the Law of God, as to Sanctification; but the Apostle expressly testified in the thirteenth and fourteenth Verses of this Chapter, that so fare was he from laying aside the Law of God, or teaching Believers to neglect that holiness which was enjoined therein, that he did fully establish in his Doctrine every part and parcel of the holy everlasting Law of God, as it was summed up in that Epitome of love towards men, arising from the love of God; and howsoever he preached a liberty from the Law in point of Justification, yet he preached a liberty to the Law in point of Sanctification; and knew no other liberty but that suitable to a true Gospel call, as we may learn by his own words; Brethren, you have been called to liberty, only use not your liberty as an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another, for all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: And howsoever the Galatians, especially the false Teachers among them, were very apt to vaunt themselves as great Patrons of the Law, yet the Apostle shown that herein they did extremely fail of a due regard unto the Law of God, that they walked not according to the Law of love, according to that Law which in just comprehension doth include whatsoever the Law enjoined, but they were biting and devouring one of another, to the endangering of the utter ruin and destruction one of another, as it is expressed in the words now read; If you by't and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. The which words do fall into: 1 An accusing Supposition, and 2 A threatening Caveat. 1 The Apostle supposing did accuse the Galatians (at leastwise, many amongst them) of being bitterly bend one against another, of biting and devouring one another. And 2 In the Caveat, the Apostle threatened them with that which would certainly come upon them, if they went on in that unlovely, unlawful course, which was no other but an utter and common destruction, drawn both upon one another, and that by one another; they that would not join together in love according to duty, the Apostle threatened, that God would join them together in Judgement according to desert. In the supposition therefore you have the Galatians sin, biting and devouring one another; in the Caveat you have their danger of being consumed one by another; their sin great, and their danger great, and this great danger set by the Apostle over against this great sin, that from the consideration of the danger they might be deterred from that sin which drew it on, and never dare to continue biting and devouring one another, lest they should at last be consumed one by another; I purpose through God's assistance to speak unto the Supposition and Caveat severally, as to the explication of them, and then join them together in that one main Doctrine, which doth arise from them both conjointly considered; which Doctrine I shall make the subject of my present discourse. But first, in general you may observe very easily, that both the Supposition and the Caveat are conceived in words figurative, which are borrowed from the eating of meats for the nutriment of the body; for that meat may become nutrimental to the body, it must pass as it were under three degrees: 1 There must be biting, or chewing of it with the teeth 2 There must be eating, or swallowing down of it into the stomach And then, 3 There must be the concocting, which is as to the particular nature of the meat, the consuming of it, that so it may become proper aliment for the body being assimulated thereunto. Now two of these degrees are set down in the Supposition, there is biting one another, and there is (as we read it) devouring, but the truth is, the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is plainly eating one another; There is biting and eating, and then in the Caveat there is the consequent of biting and eating, the act (as it were) of concoction, whereby there is a consumption of the food as to the particular nature of the same, that it may become aliment to the body; Take heed that ye be not consumed one of another: When as meat is chewed with the teeth, and taken into the stomach, it is very near being consumed, it is very near the losing of its own nature, that it may be turned into the nature of the body which is to be nourished thereby; and even so, when they that are joined together in any near union upon the Earth, do by't and devour one another Morrally, they are very near being consumed one of another penally, they be very near to common ruin one with another, who through intestine divisions do meditate and promote the particular ruin one of another. But now to look particularly by way of explication. First upon the Supposition, If you by't and devour one another; And, 1 This biting is not that which is proper with the teeth which grow about the tongue, and as the Heathen wittily conceited it, Plut. De Garrul. are Vallum & praesidium linguae, the fence and guard of that unruly member, but this biting is with the teeth which grow out of the tongue, or rather in the tongue, tongue-teeths, bitter words, and sharp reproaches, such as the Prophet spoke of; Their teeth are spears and arrows, Psal. 57.4 and their tongue a sharp sword: Where we must know that tongue and teeth do not import two things, but they do both figuratively express the same thing, even cutting and piercing words, whereby men do in the metaphor of my Text, by't, and in the metaphor of the Prophet, wound and cut one another, at any distance, and thus the word biting is here to be understood; for as it is apprehended that the venom of those hurtful Creatures, Snakes and Adders, etc. are in their teeth, and that by them they do impoyson those men and other living Creatures which are wounded by them, so it is evident that when a man proveth pernicious to others, much of his venom whereby he is enabled to hurt lies in his tongue-teeths, The poison of Asps is under their lips, Rom. 3.13 saith the Apostle; you know what lies next under the lips, yet the Apostle did not mean that the teeth of men properly so taken were the seat of their poison, but their tongue-teeths, as he expressed it in the fourteenth Verse, Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; so that the teeth which convey the venom of the heart from one unto another, and wherewith men in the sense of my Text, by't one another, are wounding reproaches, and bitter piercing words, which are uttered by one against another, and these teeth by't hardest when such reproaches and hurtful speeches are not only uttered into the air, and unto the ears of men but when they are in writing, or in printing, made sharp to by't the reputation and the esteem of others publicly, and if it were possible perpetually unto all posterities; then these teeth are sharpened indeed, and then they by't home, when men by't not in present only, but take a course to by't and feed (as it were) as death doth upon others after they are in the Grave, and after they are cut off from the land of the living. In the next place, 2 The devouring or eating (for so the word doth properly signify) which is mentioned in the Supposition, may either import a farther degree of that mischief which is done with the tongue; biting being (as it were) a grieving reproach, and devouring, a ruining report; for so you shall find devouring ascribed to the tongue, Psal. 52.4 Thou hast loved all devouring words, O thou false tongue. Or else we may by this devouring understand a further acting by way of persecution, and oppressing opposition of others according to the use of the phrase, Psal. 14.4 Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge, which eat up my people as if they would eat bread; that is, which oppose, oppress, and with rage persecute them, and so devour them as a man would eat bread; put both together and you have the full sense of devouring in my Text; When as men do in height of enmity by bitter words devour (as it were) the name, esteem, and safety one of another, and when (which further degree of virulency usually goes along with this) there is according to man's power an open persecution, and oppressing opposition raised by one against another, than such men are fully come to that devouring one of another which my Text intendeth. Lastly, In the Caveat (Take heed lest ye be consumed one of another) these words are very plain, and very terrible, for they import an utter and a common destruction, ready to seize upon those who are mutually guilty of this sin of biting and devouring one another, and that by the means and hands one of another, for that the Apostle shown to be the dreadful judgement which usually follows at the heels of this sin of mutual biting and devouring one another, as the words of my Text plainly intimate, If ye by't one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another. Thus I come from surveying the sense unto the Doctrine which the words (being held together) hold out unto us, and this it is; That, They who are joined together in any near union, Doctr. when they rise up one against another in bitter raylings, and oppressing oppositions, they are in greatest danger of implunging one another in utter and common destruction. More briefly thus; Intestine division is a sad preface and preparation unto utter, common, and mutual destruction. For entrance to that which I shall now speak in prosecution of this Point: First, consider that the unions of men (which this Doctrine doth relate unto) are of two sorts, namely; 1 Civil or Politic. 2 Ecclesiastical or religious. 1 There is a Civil union of men in relation to temporal preservation and happiness. And 2 There is an Ecclesiastical union of men in relation to everlasting salvation and blessedness; and the Doctrine of my Text holds of both, and of both expressly; but the Apostle had especially in his eye, those raylings and contentions, those bitings and devourings which are amongst Christian brethren, whom Christian Religion doth or should nearly unite; first therefore to speak unto the point in hand. In relation unto men that are joined together in Civil unions, when they by't and devour one another, they are in great danger to be consumed one by another. We cannot learn this better than from the mouth of our blessed Saviour, Mat. 12.25 A Kingdom (saith he) divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every City or house divided against itself cannot stand; that is, it is impossible it should stand long, when there is a division and a contention raised within the bowels thereof: It is well and generally known that all Civil unions begin in a family, in a house, in those three combinations of Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Governors and Servants; by the union of Houses, Cities, and Townships are constituted; by the union of Cities, Kingdoms are composed; and so upwards out of the union of Kingdoms arise large and comprehensive Empires, or States of the earth, under whatsoever denomination of unity; Now our Saviour shown, that if we begin at the lowest Civil union, a House, and so rise to a City, and then come to a Kingdom, and by proportion if we thence ascend whither we can, to any superior Civil union, still it is true that such a union divided in itself against itself cannot stand, divided in itself against itself; it comes to desolation; When the Lord would express the utter ruin of the people of Judah (in the immediate occasion thereof) he shown, that it should be effected by intestine division and dissension. Isay 3.5 The people shall be oppressed every one by another, and every one by his Neighbour, and the child shall behave himself unseemly against the aged, and the base against the honourable; which words declare, that innate divisions, and contentions in the State of Judah should breed confusion, and that bring forth utter destruction in any of the same. And accordingly, how homebred divisions were the immediate occasion of the last and great destruction of Jerusalem, when the hand of Divine Justice drew out the Roman Sword against it; I need not speak, it is so famously known in Story, nor indeed is there any cause why to speak much, either for the expressing or asserting of this truth in regard of Civil States, that fretting divisions, and contentions in the bowels are a disease that brings a Consumption upon them; all the Kingdoms of the world have known thus much by experience, who never flourished but under concord, and were ever in a consuming temper when blasted with embowelled and embittered contention. No wonder therefore that all the deep-working Politicians of the world lay it for a maxim, Divide & Impera; once raise divisions in any State, how mighty soever, and you may rule and ruin it at pleasure. A State divided in itself needs no enemy, it is enemy enough unto itself, and will do an enemies work against itself, although it hath no other wages but self destruction and utter overthrow: but of Civil unions, and the mischief which comes by them I shall Doctrinally say no more, but proceed to that which the Apostle doth especially eye in this Text, which is; Biting, and devouring amongst those that are or should be nearly joined together by the bond of Christian religion. When persons are joined in the faith of the same saving Christian truths, and in the Worship of the same God, and through vicinity of habitation and civil union, either have or should have mutual love and care one of another, when amongst such persons this wickedness prevails of unchristian biting and devouring one another, they are then in the right course to be consumed not only one with another, but one by another, to be the most effectual bloody instruments of each others ruin; for this I shall briefly give you four Scripture grounds; the first is this. Because by mutual bitter rail, Reas. 1 and oppositions amongst Christian Brethren thus united, there is a deep and common guilt of sin contracted, for whilst cursed railing and bitter opposition mutually prevaileth amongst those, who have (in profession at least) One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, Ephes. 4.4, 5, 6. one God and Father of all, to unite and cement together in love and tenderness, they do not only disobey but trample under foot that new Commandment which the Lord Jesus Christ hath ratified for ever in his Church; A new Commandment give I unto you, Jo. 13.34 that ye love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. And again, This is my Commandment, Jo. 15.12 that ye love one another as I have loved you. There is not any man that is truly taught of God to life, but one part of his lesson is love; this impaled love of Christ's Disciples, which our Saviour hath commanded. The Apostle saith, Thess. 1.4.9 Concerning brotherly love you need not that I writ unto you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another; taught, not only to know but practice it as a duty, for so it followeth in the tenth verse; And indeed ye do it towards all the Saints which are in all Macedonia. We see then, that the Saints are practically taught of God the lesson of mutual love, and we find the Apostle in the Ephesians, laying out one branch of the duty of this love in these words, Ephes. 4.31, 32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. When therefore there is a course directly contradictory unto this rule of the Apostle, taken amongst Christian brethren, when bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, and malice prevaileth amongst them, and that mutually to the outfacing and treading down of Christian: love, they contract that high and common guilt of sin which cannot but endanger the running of them headlong into a deep and common gulf of destruction; however men may please themselves with their own deceive, this is certain, if God be not pleased to purge out this spirit of bitterness and enmity from amongst Christian brethren, and to teach them living together, to walk according to the rule of love towards each other, nothing can be looked for as the fruit of the great guilt, of biting and devouring one another, but the implunging one of another in utter and common destruction, dispensed towards Hypocrites in God's hand of wrath, and towards Believers in the hand of fatherly displeasure. Consider, that these sins of bitter railing and opposition amongst Christian brethren, do in themselves, and in their own nature work to a common ruin: for what do these sins but make the Servants of God to lay open the nakedness one of another, to destroy the good name one of another, to weaken the hands one of another, to stop and enfeeble their prayers one for another; to encourage the hearts, open the mouths, and strengthen the hands of enemies to them both, to triumph in the common ruin both of one and other, promoted by the lovelesse insurrections of one against another; and therefore as the eating of a moth must needs destroy the garment, and the eating of the rust destroy the metal in which it is bred; so the actings, or eatings rather of these courses of mutual revile and oppositions amongst brethren, must needs work to bring a common and utter destruction upon them. In the third place; We may consider, that bitter rail and oppositions do draw the sluice, and let in a world of wickedness into the world; Mat. 24.12 Our Saviour saith, That because iniquity should abound, the love of many should wax cold. And it is as true on the other side, that because the love of many doth wax cold, therefore iniquity doth abound; It is hard to name the door at which more wickedness enters into the world then at that of contention, and I believe you will be of the same mind when you have weighed the Apostles words; namely, Jam. 3.16. Where there is contention and strife, there is confusion and every evil work; whilst men are wrangling and contending with brethren, the Devil is at liberty, and hath great opportunity to come in with much evil, and to spread the same to the corrupting of the contentious persons: Seeing therefore that contention nourisheth transgression amongst brethren, it must needs let in destruction upon brethren, and expose both one and other unto a common ruin. Consider one thing more, namely, That bitter rail, and opposition amongst Christian brethren, do bring forth and nourish strong enmity between them almost invincible; Prov. 15.1 Grievous words (saith the Holy Ghost) stir up anger; and anger amongst brethren once stirred is very strong, and hardly removed: Prov. 18.19 A brother offended is more hardly to be won then a strong City, and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. If the world had never known this before, it is more than sufficiently evidenced in our time, and before our eyes, who see Christian brethren differing upon smallest matters, through angry words, and provoking carriage, hurried on to that height and strength of mutual enmity, which is hardly if possibly to be subdued and removed: Now, when as strong enmity beareth sway betwixt those that should be joined together for the mutual support and comfort one of another, especially when they are in a world that loves them so well, that (if the God of Heaven did not tenderly love them, and he that bounds the Sea did not bound the rage of men against them) it were impossible for them to be and not to be destroyed; when as I say they who should lay out themselves for the strengthening one of another, grow to bitter invincible enmity one against another; the end of brethren embroiled in such unbrotherly contention is likely to be that which was the end of the mixed multitude of the Moabites and Ammonites and men of Seir, 2 Cor. 20.23. when they came up against Jehosaphat, It is said that the Children of Moab and Ammon stood up against the men of Seir utterly to destroy them, and when they had made an end of the Inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. We may therefore from this and the foregoing considerations, with assurance conclude, that if bitter enmities and contests be nourished and strengthened amongst those that are nearly joined together in the bond of Christian religion, (and should be so likewise in the truth of Christian love,) they be in greatest danger of what is expressed in my Text, That by biting and devouring one another they shall come at last to be consumed one of another. And thus much be spoken to the Doctrine of my Text: Now I come to the Application of this point. Use 1 And first, I should desire all men to consider whether the present Doctrine doth not look sadly upon us at this day, whether this Doctrine doth not speak terror more than all the Armies and conspiracies in the world unto this City, and all the Cities of the Kingdom, unto this State singly considered and complexedly together, with the annexed Kingdoms? unto our Church and almost every branch and parcel thereof? I see not so terrible an indication of common ruin approaching unto us as this, that men are left so generally, so sottishly, with malicious despite, to by't and devour one another, not laying it to heart, that they are ready to be consumed one of another. First. Inprosecution of this use, I suppose to speak first to civil contentions and divisions, and whilst we have them only in our eye, this Doctrine is like to Ezekiel's role that was written within and without, & it was written lamentation, & mourning, and woe: For is there not such a spirit of intestine rage and bitter enmities gone out, not only into this City but into the whole Land, that it is (as it were) the very meat and drink of many, to be biting and devouring one another, both publicly and in secret, in word and print; And whilst it is thus, is it not lamentable to consider how we stand upon the brink (but that the God of Heaven doth work beyond thought in miracles of power for our preservation) how we stand, I say, every moment upon the brink of common destruction? I shall not adventure (it belongs not to me) to speak a word as a Statist concerning either the causes or remedies of this misery; but as a poor servant of Jesus Christ, I desire to speak a little of both from Scripture information. And first; If any man demand what is the cause that England is wholly given up to savage felf-crueltie, and all the Cities thereof to rejoice in the plucking out of their own Blood and Bowels, and the Inhabitants thereof to sport themselves in mutually biting and devouring one another; surely the multitude doth much mistake the cause of this mischief, every man almost thinks he sees the reason hereof, here and there without himself in the folly, falseshood, and politic miscarriages of others, and very few look into their own souls, and unto heaven to see the true cause of this growing misery; but it is certain that whoever are the instruments, the root of this our misery lies in our own breasts and lives: There is (shall I say) a shameful, I think it may be better called a shameless practice of notorious wickedness, in several kinds amongst us continued to this day, we have talked of a reformation, and I believe that the hearts of many have groaned after it. And further, I believe that the desire of it hath been acceptable to the God of Heaven, and let me say one thing more, I do yet believe that we or our posterities shall live to see a happy reformation, and that all this which hath been done and suffered in relation thereunto shall not be in vain. But in the present state of affairs amongst us, when we look for a reformation, we cannot but see abundance of corruption prevailing in the Land, yea, those that stand upon the watch-Tower, being required to speak the truth, can say no more nor less of us then what you find in the Prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 6.28.29. They are all grievous revolters, they go about with slanders, they are all corrupters, the bellows are burnt, the lead is consumed in the fire, the melter melts but in vain, for the wicked are not plucked away, and therefore what can the conclusion be, (without the incomprehensible actings of mercy,) but as it follows Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them. I cannot but speak, and yet the truth is, there is no need of speaking in a case so notorious, and universally acknowledged before hand concerning some, yet but a very little parcel of those sins that do outface (as it were) God and men amongst us at this time: There is that abominable pride and wantonness to be read in the faces of men and women in their gates, gestures ' and attires; There is that heavy oppression and hateful profaneness yet remaining in our land; There is that gross hypocrisy under several liveries, walking in our streets, for the body of hypocrisy is now adays worn upon a great many kinds of Cloth and Colour by men who have learned the abominable art of making God and religion to serve turns: There is that unjust partiality, that manifest contradiction to divine truths, that lewd and loud lying, both in word and print abounding amongst us, that in regard of these and many more sins, the messengers of God may truly speak of us, as the Prophet wrote of old concerning the Jews; The show of their countenance witnesseth against them, they have declared their sins as Sodom, they hid them not; For there is no hiding nor concealing of these and many the like notorious sins, they are to be seen without secret search upon the faces of the multitude: And can we then wonder that there should be an evil spirit of contention from God, when there is such an evil spirit of contention against God maintained in the midst of us? Can it seem strange that when we quarrel with, and fight against the God of Heaven, the God of Heaven should leave us in judgement to quarrel with, and fight against one another. God is the same to a Nation as to a man, when the ways of a man please him, he makes his enemies to be at peace with him, but when as the ways of a man are contrary to the Lord, the Lord walks contrary to him, and usually leaves very friends to walk in a way of contrariety towards such a person: And so it is with nations, when the ways of a nation please the Lord, he will make their enemies to be at peace with them, but when the ways of a nation are contrary to God, God will walk contrary to them, and make their very friends their Enemies, nay make them to themselves their greatest Enemies, that they shall need no Enemy, whilst they cruelly meditate and act their own ruin, according to that in the Prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 13.14 I will dash them (saith the Lord) one against another, the fathers against the children, I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but I will destroy them: I desire to leave one Scripture with you, that you may seriously look upon it, and consider whither we have not cause to be greatly humbled, and to acknowledge where the root lies of all our embittered inbred contentions, it is in the Prophet Isaiah, Isai. 9.18, 19, 20, 21. (I confess is is a very terrible Scripture, unto all those that do not know how to look beyond the Kingdom of England for their comfort, nor do know how to look upon the God of Heaven for their refuge and refreshment in the worst of times,) the Lord saith thus at the eighteenth verse, Wickedness burns as the fire, it shall devour the brieres and threnes, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke; through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of fire; no man shall spare his Brother, and he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry, and he shall eat on the left hand and shall not be satisfied, they shall eat every one the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh Ephraim, Ephraim Manasseh, and they both shall be against Judah, for all this his anger is not turned away, but his wrath is stretched out still: Oh that we might in this our day lay this to heart and learn, that whilst manifold wickedness remaineth in height amongst us, the fire is kindled which (if infinite mercy prevent not) will burn us up, with all our multitudes and glory, and cause us cruelly to consume one another in the heat of intestine contentions; yea though the Lord by many and mighty deliverances seem willing (as hitherto he hath done) to pluck us as a firebrand out of the fire, yet if our wickedness still prevails, we shall have cause to fear, that for all this his anger will not be turned away, but that his hand will be stretched out still. A second cause of this division which the Scripture pointeth out, is abundance of Pride, the holy Ghost chargeth all contention upon that account; Only by Pride cometh contention. Prov. 13.10. When men are of that temper, that every man will go highest, there can be no other fruit of it expected but sharp and sudden contentions; When the Inhabitants of a City are contented to walk the same streets, and every man to take or give the wall as his place is, or as it casually falls out, all is quiet, and all at Peace; But should they pitch upon this resolution, every one to take the wall, and no man to give it, the issue would soon be justling, quarrelling and mutual violence, threatening the speedy ruin of the place. I desire to leave it upon your consciences in the sight of God, whether you may not in this see much of the cause of our contentions, of our civil uncivil contentions at this time: Great height and haughtiness of spirit reigneth in the land, every man almost would be first and uppermost, and when that cannot be, then comes the quarrel charged indeed upon other causes, but flowing really from the spring of pride, which if it still rise and run as at present, will never cease to fill up the measure of our state contentions. Another ground of our miserable contentions (which the Scripture pointeth at) is Selfseeking. It is very sad with a State, when (as the Apostle said of the Philipians) All seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's. I add, nor those things which conduce to public welfare; when it is true of any State or Kingdom, that the members thereof grow so selfish, that they look upon all public transactions through the spectacles of private interests; It is not possible, but that such a State must be miserably rend, if not speedily ruined with manifold contentions: State-Hipocrisie is a chief and known nurse of State-Enmity; whilst men under the hood of public pretensions, carry on designs steered merely by private intentions and interests, and professing to mind public good, make public goods their common prey: no marvel though they quarrel and fight on with another about parting. I shall leave this likewise to all your consciences in the sight of God to consider, whether this hath not been, and is not still a great cause of the bitterness and civil enmity that prevails in the land! let me say this (as in the presence of God) if there be any (which is greatly to be feared) who have the heart blood of Ireland, and the bowels of England, lying at the bottom of their full Bags, and Chests, or fair Houses, and Manors, which they have gained in these losing times, (under what glorious pretence soever, of a regard to the public, they shroud themselves) God will find them out, and their sin shall find them out, and a time shall come wherein those men shall know that they can never wash lemma ourself hands in innocence, from being guilty of continuing that bitter destroying Enmity, that doth now prevail in our land. Questionless, abominable selfseeking is one of our great Staterending evils at this day. One thing more by the Scripture we may learn; That sinful lusts maintained in regency, are a great cause of the quarrels which abound in the world. Who seethe not that finfull lusts impatient of suppression or restraint either legal or religious, began our public quarrels which stand upon the same ground unto this day; finfull lusts ruling in men (who are resolved not to be tamed nor tied up from accomplishing of them) make them highly to act in the way of civil contentions and enmity, against every one of what rank soever, who acts against their lusts. The Apostle James doth expressly lay down this root of contentions amongst men, Whence comes Wars and Fightings amongst you? Wars amongst you, intestine, Wars and Fight, whence come they? come they not hence (saith the Apostle) even from your lusts that war in your members? Jam. 4.1. When as men have unruly lusts fight within them, than they prove unruly and ready to fight against all those that would restrain them in their evil ways; They pretend so many causes of their discontent, and enmity against those with whom they are at variance, but when it comes to the trial, the reason why they are so much displeased and enraged against others appeareth to be this, Because they seek to restrain them from their living by the rule of their unruly lusts: There be many men at this day that would make the world believe, that an endeavour to set up Presbyterial Discipline for the purging of the Church from scandalous offence, is a great cause of those quarrels and contentions that are amongst us, but I believe that to one man that takes distaste at the Presbyterial Discipline out of conscience, or any grounded pretence of conscience, there be an hundred (shall I say) nay many hundreds that do hate it and oppose it and all those that are friends to it, upon no other account but this, Of their lusts because they be afraid to be restrained thereby in those wicked lusts which War within them against the law of God. The multitudes of men lie under a wicked fear of having the yoke of Jesus Christ put upon them, and if the truth were spoken out, what it is that makes many so much discontented and enraged against Presbyterial Discipline, it is clearly this, Because they be afraid that if that should prevail, they should not hold the name and outward privileges of Christianity together with their sinful lusts, with so much freedom as formerly they have done: It is a matter of just and great lamentation at this day to see how the most struggle with their heads, tongues, and hands, to make good a liberty for their lusts, and in that regard rise up in an hostile enmity against all those that are any ways active or instrumental for their restraint. And this is doubtless a head spring of our civil embroilments at this time; Thus we have learned from the Scripture four several causes of our present contention viz. The open practice of notorious wickedness, proud ambition, selfseeking, and sinful lusts maintained in their regency. I come now to speak something of the course which is to be taken for remedy of our sore malady of civil contention, but I must do that very briefly, that I may reserve some time (in the second place) to bewail our irreligious contentions in matter of religion: That we may by the mercy of God attain deliverance from this civil bitterness and enmity, I shall direct you to the means which may be of force to remove the forementioned causes of this our present misery, remove the cause, you cure the disease, and might the causes of our contentions, which I have before pointed at be taken away, I doubt not but our enmity would soon be changed into amity, and our bloody contention into sweet affection. That these evil causes of our civil contentions may be removed, the servants of God ought to mourn over them in private in their addresses to the Lord, according to that of the Prophet Jeremiah, If you will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride: Mourn all ye that are Gods hidden ones, mourn in secret for the open wickedness, the pride, the selfishness, the sinful lusts which prevail in the land: Who can tell whether children's tears shed in secret may not prevail with the Father of mercy, for the removing of those public sins with which their righteous souls are grieved from day to day. The servants of God ought to mourn over these sins in special confessions when they appear in days of solemn humiliation before the Lord At such times the servants of God should with Ezra, take shame to themselves and lie in the dust for these notorious sins, this pride, this selfishness, these lusts which work our ruin; Ezras 9.6.7. Ezra. 10.22. When Ezra bewailed the sin of the people God poured out a spirit of reformation upon the people; were our public mournings serious, we might find the Lord in his returns equally gracious. Thirdly, the servants of God are earnestly to pray for a removal of these sins, both in a way of remission and reformation; Turn to the Lord (saith the Prophet) take ye words unto you and turn to the Lord, Hos. 14 2. and say, take away iniquity, and receive us graciously, and we will offer to thee the fruit of our lips. God taketh away iniquity only for this his mercy sake, yet will for this mercy be sought unto by his servants that he may afford it; and therefore God's people should fix their eyes on the Lord Christ, as that mediator by whom their prayers are made effectual with their God and Father, and then bend themselves to pray down, as much as may be in themselves and others, these crying sins which are the causes of our public miseries. The servants of God should endeavour the removal of these sins, first in themselves, and then in others: It is a preposterous course to be tampering with the reformation of every one before a man gins with himself. It concerns the people of God, first of all to labour against these corruptions in themselves and then in others; according to the Apostles rule, Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. First, a Christian is to look that he hath no fellowship with works of darkness himself, and then as occasion is offered to reprove them in others, unto all which duties believers are made sufficient, not through their own power, Phil. 4.13. but as being able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth them, and were this course taken for the removing of these corruptions which are the occasion of our miserable contentions, I cannot but believe, that we might with abundance of comfort expect to have the spirit of virulency cast out of the land, at least wise so fare cast out, as that it might not work so desperately as at present, to the working of our ruin: And now though I know that there are but too too many contentions in the land, yet give me leave to press one contention more upon you, a new one; New things take, Oh that this new motion might find assent and acceptance according as it deserves. I hope a contention might be named which could like Aaron's rod swallow up all those other contentions which the infernal Master of Magicians hath thrown in amongst us; The contention, I speak of and move for, is this, that every man would contend to go before each other in the example of a real reformation, in regard of the forementioned and the like hateful and hurtful evils which lie at the root of our contentions, and of all the miseries which do prevail in the land. This Christian contention (might it once take,) would take up our unchristian contentions at the roots, and bring us after all our toss to that fair Haven of civil rest where we would be. And now I would gladly speak two words more to carry on yet further an endeavour for the removal of our contentions, and for the promoting of an happy civil peace amongst us. The first is this; Let every one that can pray to the Father in the name of his Son, pray for this blessing: I know many talk of prayer that know not how to go to God by Christ to lay a prayer at his feet, I forbidden not such to pray, not knowing how fare the voice of nature groaning under pressures may prevail with a faithful and gracious Creator, but let every one that can pray in the name of our prevailing Mediator, who hath a promise of gracious audience, pray for the peace of our ferusalem, pray for the peace of the land of our Nativity and habitation, pray for the peace of the Kingdom, and pray in faith. despondency of heart deadeth prayer, Jam. 5.15 faith in God's power and faithfulness animates prayer. The prayer of faith shall save (saith the Apostle) in the way of instrumental efficacy, that is; effectually serve Gods saving mercy for the good of his people: pray therefore earnestly all ye that can pray unto the God of Heaven, and pray in faith, for this needed mercy of a civil peace to be afforded to our land; though I do not say that such should pray in an absolute assurance of the particular mercy presently to be enjoyed, yet they may and should pray in a faithful dependence upon the power, goodness, and faithfulness of the God of Heaven; hoping that the Lord who hath done so much for us already, will at the length answer the prayers of his servants, and crown their desires with that peace and civil union which they groan to see established in the land, and in the Kingdoms annexed unto it. One word more that this peace may be premoted. Fellow peace with all men, (with that cautionary addition) and holiness'. Universal peace is to be pressed after as fare as possibly may stand with due regard to holiness, Heb. 12.14. Fellow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: This holiness here pointed at by the Apostle, I take to be the just bound of that, (if it be possible) in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. If it ●e possible as much as in you is, Ro. 12.18 live peaceably with all men. There aught to be in God's servants (as fare as respect to holiness will bear) all possible endeavour to obtain and maintain peace with all men. I press not this to interrupt the course of judgement according to righteousness, Amos 5.24 may it ever flow, out like a stream in the land, and overflow all malicious unreconcilable enemies to the peace and union both of this land and the Kingdoms annexed whoever they be; but with this proviso, that the stream of judgement according to righteousness may run in the channel of safe and saving mercy as much as may be, Zac. 7.9. considering that there shall be judgement without mercy, to him that shows no mercy and mercy rejoices against judgement; As fare as a due respect to holiness, jam. 2.13 and judgement according to righteousness doth admit, there ought to be in all a conscionable pursuance of peace with all men, and I suppose that a civil peace can never be well expected in a Scripture way in this Kingdom, unless the holy Ghosts counsel be followed herein; Now then for you that are the Inhabitants of this great City (not to reproach you by ripping up any of those flaming contentions which appear amongst you, the Lord avert the evil which they threaten for his mercy's sake) let me speak unto you as one that desires seriously the peace and welfare of this place, be exhorted to pray for, and to pursue peace with all those who are together with yourselves Members of this City, as far as a due regard to righteousness and holiness may possibly bear. Do not you see that a sweeping destruction is ready to invade you at the wide gate of your divisions? and let the Inhabitants of this land be persuaded with due respect to righteousness and holiness to follow peace, with all those that are together with themselves Members of this State. Let every man in his place study to bring the Parliament, the Army, the City, the several Counties, and if it be possible the King and Kingdom, the head and Members of our State, into a bond of peace and love, that there may be a sweet joining of all together for the mutual defence, security, and benefit one of another, and for the good of the whole. And for those that are the Inhabitants of the three Kingdoms, let them all be persuaded to pray for, and pursue a stable peace betwixt the nations, that these three Lands may be as a threefold Cord twisted together in the hand of God's mercy, to such a strength as shall not need to fear the force or fury of any public or common Enemy. It were very happy if this speech of the Apostle in my text might generally ring throughout the Kingdom yea throughout the Kingdoms, If ye by't and devour one another, take heed that ye he not consumed one of another. There is a very great danger of a common consumption, whilst men go on in so much particular bitterness, fomenting civil divisions and contentions amongst themselves; It was the Prophet Habakkuks' complaint. There are that bring in strife and contention: Hab. 1.3. And are there not such amongst us? are there not such in the the Kingdom? in the Kingdoms at this day? who like bellows filled with the arie of Hell, do continually breathe out lying suggestions, and studied intimations of grounds of jealousy amongst brethren, for no other end but to blow up an everlasting contention in the land and between the Kingdoms, that they whom God hath greatly blessed, may at the length be sadly ruined together? shall such men be so diligent to divide and to de stroy, and shall not every man that soves God and loves the Kingdom be awakened to press on, and pray for a peaceful union of Parlialiament, City, Army, Country, Magistracy, Ministry? and (if God have such a mercy in store for us) of him with all, whom we would be glad to enjoy as head of all, in faithfulness and righteousness, that there may be an union of all in the fear of God almighty, to be really assistant one to another as fellow-members of the same State, for the mutual good and benefit one of another. I shall say no more to this point but what you find in the epistle of James, namely That the wisdom which is from above, Jam. 3.17. (heavenly wisdom) it is, First pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of those that make peace. Mat. 5.9. And blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God. Therefore let all with a due respect unto the glory of the God of Heaven, in maintenance of holiness and righteousness, (which I lay still as the foundation and boundstone of our peace) be ever careful to promote and maintain an universal civil peace in this and the annexed Kingdoms, which may be the foundation of comfort and safety to us and our posterities. Thus I come to speak Unto the second kind of biting and devouring, which the Apostle had a special eye unto in my Text. And now I am to enter upon a very sad argument, to mourn over the bitter rail and oppositions which mutually prevail amongst many brethren, joining together in the confession of the same faith, and worship of the same God: But before I begin because I desire to speak plainly, I shall endeavour to prevent all mistakes by laying down in the entrance; First that I do not bewail the zeal of any brethren, who in a way of love and faithfulness do give testimony to the truth of Jesus, against those wicked, damnable, blasphemies, and heresies, and other notorious, errors which like a smoke out of the bottomless pit, are ready overshadow our land; I know it is the duty of believers and ministers in special to contend for the faith which was once given to the Saints. jude 3. Nor Do I bewail the Christian zeal of any, who with Christian moderation, fervency, and sincerity, do publicly rebuke those public sins which carry with them a direct opposition against truth and holiness, and stand condemned by the good word of God. I know it is the duty of the Ministers of God so to do, they have a command for it, 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. Neither do I bewail the six'd steadfastness of the hearts of those who do hold close unto truths, those truths which they have formerly received and learned from the word of truth, against all that contradict and oppose the same: for it is not for Christians to child it (as the Apostles speaks) in matters of religion, Ephes: 4.14. And to be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine: Stability of judgement becometh those that have received truths from the mouth of God Nor Do I bewail the endeavours of those who desire and labour to see Church-Discipline, according to the word of God, established with vigour and activity in our land, for the purging out of old leaven, that we may be a new lump according to the certain will and appointment of Jesus Christ by his Apostles: 1 Cor. 5.7. Purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump. I would not be mistaken, as if I did glance in the least at any such practices which are according to God, and which are according to the rule and direction of the word of God. But that which I intent to speak of, I look upon as a sorrowful subject, and such as no tears are sufficient to bewail; For there is beyond all this, that insufferable rage and violent strife of tongues, that railing and bitterness appearing in our land, amongst those who have good grounds to build Christian love and union upon, that we have cause to blush, if not to tremble, at the mention of it. I hope no man will say that this should be concealed, I would it could be concealed, but the truth is, it is too late to talk of concealing that folly which is openly laid before the eyes of the world, by many of those, of all sides, whom yet I dare not give up as men wholly destitute of unfeigned regard unto the living God: I will not discuss how fare grace may lie at the root of that zeal which fleshly corruption may transport unto such a distemper as bringeth forth bitter railing against brethren, that would be to long too speak of; But this I say, That whether it be from grace in part, and corruption overcarrying it, or whether it be from corruption only working under a pretence of grace, evident it is, that there is a palpable and gross miscarriage in this kind amongst us at this day, to the dishonour of God and to the reproach of the Gospel, and I doubt not but much to the weakening of the hands and hearts of those that fear the Lord I shall not adventure to press farther into this point, than I am sure you will or may easily go along with me, in testifying the truth of what I shall speak: And in this which I shall now bewail, I'll speak impartially, I do not know on either hand which of the differing parties amongst us is more or less guilty, in regard of the miscarriage so notorious in this kind: do not our streets ring, and are not our stalls filled from day to day, with * Certain it is that some books which had truth for their centre, yet because they have wanted temperance, modesty, and urbanity for their circumference, have (to the great prejudice of the truth) hardened the adversary in their errors; and by their bitter invectives whetted them not only to defend themselves and to offend in the like, but many times (being thereby urged to write) to defend the error itself to the hurt of many which otherwise might have vanished away without any contradiction. books written with ink steeped in the gall of Hell, and printed in the most unlovely Characters of bitterness and despite, it is so plain, posterities will read the folly and madness of men amongst us. In this kind of men, I say on all sides, who do in all their differences unhappily agree with might and main to slander one another; For whereas charity should cover a multitude of sins, charity itself is covered, and many as if they were strongly engaged thereunto, studiously lay out the offences of brethren in print, with some advantages, yea lay on offences upon brethren with boldness, which no eye (but that which is dazzled with envious jea lousy) no heart (but that which is braced with malicious partiality) could ever have seen or adjudged them guilty of. The miscarriage of many in this kind, at this time is such, that charity itself is put oftentimes to the stress, to be charitable towards such men as do please themselves in such uncharitable practices: of this the servants of God may justly say that it is a la●●●●tation, I wish it may not be added, and shall be for a lamentation: Nor will recrimination serve to justify any man in this kind. If one man be before another in bitter reproachings, that will never justify the injured person in paying the railer again in his own coin, and rebanding those scoffs and scorns which cannot without shame appear, or be made mention of amongst Christian Brethren. The rule of Christianity will never ply to this practice: If one man be so mad as to fire his tongue at Hell (for so the Apostle saith of a wicked tongue that it is a fire kindled at Hell) and then spit he cares not whom in the face with scorching reproaches, Sir Ed. Cook 5. pt. ● of his reports ad Lector. in this case a Christian man is bound so far to tender his own esteem, yea Gods honour, as in the words of meekness and of truth to quench, if possible, the slander, that it may not blast his reputation and profession: But no man is warranted to answer this spit-fire just in his own hellish language, and to strain again to raise such reproaches against him, as are likely to expose both to common scorn. The rule for Christians is this, Rom. 12.17.21 Render to no man evil for evil. Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. A man will say, why they provoke me? provoke thee! and was not the Lord Christ provoked? he left his own example for us to imitate, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that Judgeth righteously. 1 Pet. 2.21 It were an happy and glorious victory worthy of a Christian indeed, to tread such base revile under foot, and scorn to meet any miscarrying brother upon such a field, as they have cause to be ashamed once to appear in who are the servants of that blessed master, who being reviled reviled not again. Howsoever therefore I deny not, but that the servants of God may have their several apprehensions in some Doctrinal or Practical points of Religion, and in their difference not be able to meet, and in that distance be enforced one to adhere to one, and another to another, judgement, and practice too, in some circumstantials of religion; may not all this be done in love, without railing-bitternesse, without biting and devouring one another? Must teeth of necessity come into the tongue-combate? Cannot it possibly be that Christian men may argue either in word, or writing by the Scriptures of God, what is in difference between them, but they must need turn unchristian railers, and expose each other, and religion to boot unto common scorn? Great cause we have in our saddest thoughts to bewail this in the presence of God, and to look upon it as a hateful evil that doth at this time strangely prevail in this land. Many great pretenders to religion; there be now adays, the main of whose religion standeth in slighting and reviling all those as utterly irreligious, who do not keep peace with them in what they call religion; and hence it is, that so many religious persons (in their own esteem at least) do most irreligiously break out into this wicked course of biting and devouring such, whom a little love would teach them to call brethren: How glad would any Minister of Jesus Christ be, might, he apply a remedy to this malady? I dare not adventure upon any long discourse about this necessary subject, the time will not admit it, but that I may briesly draw to an end, I shall tender to you some Scripture prescriptions, and I would be glad that they may be said unto mine own, and all our hearts, that this miferable distemper which is among brethren may be removed. The rules are these Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved,) bowels of mercy, kindness humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, Col. 3.12 if any man have a quarrel one against another, even as Christ forgave you, so also do you, and above all these things put ye on charity which is the bond of perfectness, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are also called in one body and be ye thankful. Oh be thankful, let every one that knows the Lord Jesus as his head, be thankful that he is called into one body, with every one who is by the faith of the truth of the Gospel joined to the Lord jesus. It may be that differing apprehensions, concerning some truths or practices of religion, may arise beteewne him and some other persons, who do notwithstaning (together with himself) hold fast the faith of the truth of the Gospel. Let him yet be thankful, that he is brought together with them into the same body, and then consider how peacefully and under what a strict law of love, it becometh those to live that are fellow members of Jesus Christ and of one another in his mystical body. Let nothing be done through strife and vain glory, 2 Rule. Phil. 2.3.4. but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves, look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others: Were self-love and selfseeking once brought to the grave, brotherly love would soon receive life and a glorious resurrection amongst us. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, 3 Rule. Gal. 5.26 provoking one another, envying one another. Might, Ambitions, Envyings, and Provocations (which are the very soul of Church-Contentions) be laid aside amongst brethren; Brethren I mean who have a good right to that name amongst Christians, by holding to the form of sound Christian Doctrine, and to the Worship and Ordinances of God taught in the Scriptures, (might, I say, ambitions, envyings, and bitter provocations be laid aside) it would be a blessed root of brotherly love, and Christian sweetness amongst us. Let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works, 4 Rule. Heb. 10.24, 25. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. Might unhappy separations be avoided, and might wicked railing contentions, which tend unto wrath and enmity be laid down, and on the contrary side, the Servants of God be induced instead of provoking to wrath, to provoke one another to love and good works, we might no doubt expect a sudden change of the face of the Church of God in our Land, no less glorious than of midnight's darkness into a noon-days brightness. Me thinks an answer might be taken from this place to that Apology, which many are apt to make for their virulency against Brethren, why say they; they provoke us to anger by words and actions, and can we possibly live in love and peace with them? Grant all that these pretend, say that brethren be so vile, so forgetful of their duty as to provoke others greatly unto wrath, yet should not this put other Christian Brethren from a serious endeavour according to their duty, to provoke even those who provoke them to wrath to love, and to good works: And were this carriage to be found amongst Christian Brethren, certainly we should see a blessed and happy union of Believers effected in our Land, yea we should see the Church of God amongst us to look out, as the expression is in the Song of Solomon, Beautiful as Tirz●h, comely as Jerusalem, Cant. 6.4. terrible as an Army with banners. If an Army be at variance in itself, no Child needs fear them, but if they keep to their Banners, and march in order and unity, an Army is terrible to the stoutest of men: So would the Church of God amongst us be, if the Servants of God did according to duty, keep up unto a blessed union and unity of love, affection, and tender regard one to another, conscionably provoking each other to love, and to good works; This would make the Church of God amongst us, Look forth as the Moon, clear as the Sun, Cant. 6.10 and terrible as an Army with banners. I'll go no further, but leave all this to God's blessing upon your further consideration, desiring that there may be some fruit of love, Civil love, and Spiritual love arising unto you from what hath been spoken this day: Consider of it seriously I beseech you in regard of both unions, Civil, and that which is Religious, that division threatens destruction, and emboweled contention utter ruin; I'll now therefore only borrow the Apostles Incitation, you may call it his Adjuration for the earnestness of it to the Philippians, and apply it to you according to the present necessity; Phil. 2.12 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort in love, if any fellowship in the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind; If there be any thing of Christ, any thing of the Spirit, any thing of love dear unto you, for these things sake I beseech you, that you would study to have the same love, to be of the same mind, that you may be of one accord, and may preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and now end all with that valedictory advice of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians; 2 Cor. 2.13. Finally brethren farewell, be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and pea●e shall be with you. FINIS. Warner Major. Martis vicesim. die Junij, 1648. Annoque regni Regis Caroli Angliae etc. XXIV. IT is Ordered by this Court, that Mr. Goodwin, Dr. Chambers, Mr. Cadworth, and Mr. Herle, be desired by Mr. Hind from this Court to print their Sermons of late made in Paul's Church respectively upon the Lord's Day before the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and others there assembled: the same being very well approved of, and thought fit to be published. Michael.