in duty, doth Chrift find in all his people?, notwithstanding which, he maintaineth union and communion with them; and if they, after his example, fhall do fo likewife with one another, God will be eminently glorified therein. This will evidence both the truth and excellency of the Christian religion, which fo firmly knits the hearts of its profeffors together.

(2.) The neceffity and defirablenefs of this unity farther appears, by the deep intereft that the comfort and benefit of our fouls have in it. A great example hereof we have in Acts. ii. 46, 47. Oh! what cheeriness, strength and pleasure, did the primitive Chriftians reap from the unity of their hearts in the ways and worship of God? Next unto the pleasure and delight of immediate communion with God himself, and the Thedding abroad of his love into our hearts by the Holy Ghoft; none like that which arifeth from the harmonious exercises of the graces of the faints, in their mutual duties and communions one with another. How are their fpirits dilated and refreshed by it? What a lively emblem is here of heaven! the courts of princes afford no fuch delights. Whereas on the other fide, when fchifms have rent churches afunder, they go away from each other exasperated, grieved, and wounded, crying out, Oh, that I had a cottage in the wilderness! or, Oh, that I had the wings of a dove, that I might flee away, and be at reft.

(3.) Lastly, The neceffity, and desirableness, of this union' further appears with respect unto the world, who are allured unto Chrift by it, and scared off from religion by the feuds and divifions of profeffors. To this the prayer of Chrift hath respect, John xvii. 23. "That they may be made perfect in one, that "the world may know that thou haft fent me," q. d. This, O Father, will be a convincing evidence to the world, of the divinity both of my person and doctrine, and a great ordinance for their converfion to me, when they fhall fee my people cleaving infeparably unto me by faith, and to one another by love. And, on the other fide, it will be a fatal ftumbling block in the way of their coverfion, to obferve my followers biting and devouring, rending and tearing one another.

A learned and judicious divine + commenting upon those words, Cant. ii. 7. "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerufa"lem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye ftir not up, nor awake my Love till he please;" gives the fenfe thus: By roes and hinds of the field (faith he) understand weak

↑ Mr. J. Cotton.

comers on towards Chrift, perfons under fome preparatory works towards converfion, who are as fhy and as timorous as roes and hinds of the field: and as they will be scared by the yelp of a dog, or found of a gun; fo will these at any offensive milcarriages in the churches of Chrift.

Alexander Severus, finding two Chriftians contending with one another, commanded them that they fhould not prefume to take the name of Chrift upon them any longer; for (faith he) you greatly dishonour your mafter, whose difciples you profefs yourselves to be. And thus briefly of the nature of church-unity, and the neceffity and defirablenefs thereof, among all that ftand in that relation.

Ufe. The only improvement I fhall make of this point, shall be for,

1. Exhortation to unity.

2. Directions for the maintaining of it.

The firft ufe, for exhortation.

Ufe 1. And firft, having briefly difcourfed of the nature, neceffity, and definableness of unity among all Christians, and especially of those in particular church-relation, I do in the bowels of Chrift, and in the words of his apoftie, Phil. ii. 1, 2. earnestly and humbly intreat all my brethren, "That if there "be any confolation in Chrift, if any comfort of love, if any "fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercy, fulfil ye my "joy; that ye be like-minded, having the fame love, being of one accord, of one mind." He fpeaketh not as one doubting, but as one difputing, when he faith, If there be any confolation in Chrift: And it is as if he had faid, I paffionately and earnestly intreat you by all that comfort and joy you have found in your mutual communion from Chrift, and his ordinances, wherein you have comfortably walked together, by all that comfort refulting from the mutual exercises and fruits of chriflian love; by the unfpeakable joys and delights the Spirit of God hath shed down upon you, whilft you walked in unity, in the ways of your duty; by all the bowels of compaffion and mercy you have for yourfelves, for your brethren, or for the poor carnal world, who are in hazard of being destroyed by your divifions: Or, for me, your minifter, whofe joy and comfort is bound up in your unity and ftability; "That ye be like-minded, having the fame love, "being of one accord, of one mind." What heart that hath one fpark of the love of Christ in it, yields not to fuch an exhortation as this, enforced by "the confolation of Christ, com"fort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, and bowels of mercy?" More particularly, fuffer ye this word of exhortation from the

confideration of the following arguments, or motives, what distances soever you are at from one another.

Motive 1. Reflect upon the late long and continued troubles you have been under, as the just rebukes of God for your former contentions and follies.

I need not tell you, you are but lately plucked as brands out of the burning, and that the smell of fire is yet upon you. The ime lately was, when you go: your bread with the perils of your lives; when God handed it to you behind your enemies backs; when your eyes did not, could not behold your former teachers, except in corners or prifons, when your fouls were forrowful for the folemn affemblies; when you mournfully confeffed before the Lord, that these were the juft and deserved punishments for your wantonnefs, barrenness, and provoking animofities. These things were not only the matter of your humble confeffions; but the reformation of thofe evils was what you folemnly promifed the Lord, when he should again restore you to your liberty. What! and is the rod no fooner off your backs, but you will to the old work again? Read Ezra ix. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and view the face of this fin in that glass. Have we been fo many years in the furnace, and our drofs not purged? Such fharp and long continued afflictions produce no better effects? It may be faid of our troubles, as of the fiege of Tyrus, Ezek. xxix. 18. "Every head was made bald, and every shoulder peeled." Some of us went young men into perfecution and trouble, and are come forth old; and, which is worst of all, we bring our old corruptions forth with us. Either we did confefs and bewail thefe fins in the days of our affliction, or we did not. If we did not, we were incorrigible, and defeated the defign of the rod. If we did, our confeffions and forrow were either fincere or hypocritical: If fincere, certainly they would effectually caution us, that we return not again to folly, Ezra ix. 13, 14. "After all that is come upon "us for our evil deeds, and for our great trefpafs, feeing that "thou, our God, haft punished us less than our iniquities de"ferve; and haft given us fuch a deliverance as this; should we again break thy commandment?"

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Motive 2. Confider the common imminent danger that now threatens us, both from enemies upon our borders, and within our own bowels. The Canaanites are in the land, let there be no ftrife therefore betwixt brethren; our natural, civil, and Ipiritual comforts are all shaking and trembling about us. If wanton children fall out and quarrel at a full table, our ene 4 VOL. IV.

mies ftand ready to take away the cloth. They are not fo far from us, and out of fight, but God can call them in a few hours to end the ftrife amongst us. We act not only beneath the rules of religion, but of reafon alfo. Brute creatures will depofe their antipathies in a common danger. Mr. Thomas Fuller, in his Hiflory of the Worthies of England, tells us, That when the Severn fea overflowed the lower grounds of Somerlet fhire, it was obferved, that dogs, and hares, and cats, and rats, fwimming to the burroughs and hills to preferve their lives, flood quiet during the flood; not offering the leaft injury one to another. 'Tis pity that fenfe fhould do more with beafts, than reafon and religion with men.

Motive 3. Reflect upon the fcandal your divifions give to the world; how it hardens and prejudices them against religion and reformation. And thus the fouls of men are eternally ha zarded by the follies of profeffors: They are ready enough to take occafions against religion, where none are given, and much more to improve them where occafions are given. "Woe "unto the world (faith Chrift) because of offences: for it muft "needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom "the offence cometh," Matth. xviii. 7. The woe is not only denounced against the taker, but the giver of the offence. It fixes fuch prejudices in the hearts of carnal men, that fome of them will never have good thoughts of religion any more: but utterly .diftafte and naufeate thofe affemblies and ordinances from which their conversion may, with greatest probability, be expected.

How long, and how anxiously have we prayed, and waited for fuch a day of gofpel-liberty as we now enjoy? It hath been one of the foreft afflictions we have grappled with in the days of our restraint, that we could not speak unto the carnal world. If we had opportunity to speak at all, it was for the most part to fuch as flood in need of edification more than of converfion. God hath now, beyond the thoughts of moft hearts, opened to us a door of liberty to preach, and for all, that will, to hear. Some fruits we have already feen, and more we expect. The children are as it were coming to the birth, and will you obfruct it? Will you give the gospel a mifcarrying womb? Be inftruments at once, by your contentions, to deftroy the fouls of men, and break the very hearts of your minifters, whole greatest comfort is bound up in the fuccefs of their labours? Brethren, I beseech you read thefe words as if they were delivered to you upon my bended knees; I befeèch you for the Lord Jefus Chriit's fake, and for the hope's fake of faving the precious immortal fouls of men; and for your poor ministers

fake, who have fcarce any thing befides the fruits of their labours, to recompence their long continued and grievous sufferings, depofe your animofities, maintain the unity of the fpirit in the bond of peace; help us, but do not hinder us in our hard labours. What good will our lives do us, if we must labour in vain, and spend our strength for nought? We find it difficult enough to perfuade finners to come unto Christ, when no fuch ftumbling-blocks are laid in the way; the counter-pleas of Satan, the unbelief and fenfuality of unfanctified nature, are difficulties too great for us to grapple with; but if to thefe must be added prejudices against religion, from your dividing lufts, and fcandalous breaches, what hope then remains? If you have no pity for yourselves, pity perifhing fouls, and pity your poor discouraged minifters; have a care you make us not to groan to God against you; or if that be a small thing in your eyes, have a care left the blood of fouls be charged to your account in the great day. Are there none in the towns or neighbourhoods where you live? Are you fure there are none that have hopeful inclinations towards religion? Defires and purposes to attend on the fame means of grace you fit under, who will charge the occafion of their damnation upon you at the bar of Chrift, and fay, Lord, we had fome weak convictions upon our confciences, that we needed a rouzing and fearching minifter; we were convinced that the profane and carnal world, among whom we had our conversation, were not in the right path that leadeth to falvation! We felt in ourselves inclinations to caft off our old companions, and associate with thofe that profeffed more strictness and holiness, and place our felves under the most fruitful and advantageous miniftry, and accordingly improved opportunities to get acquaintance with them; but when we came nearer to them, we found fuch wrath and envy, fuch wranglings and divifions, fuch undermining and fupplanting each others reputations; fuch whisperings and tale-bearings, fuch malicious aggravations and improvements of common failings and infirmities, fuch covetoufness and worldlinefs, fuch pride and vanity, as gave us fuch a disgust and offence at the ways of reformation, that we could never more be reconciled to them. Beware, I fay, how you incur the guilt of fuch a dreadful charge as this, by giving liberty to fuch lufts and paffions, under a profeffion of religion, and pretence to reformation.

Motive 4. Confider the contrariety of fuch practices to that folemn and fervent prayer of Jefus Chrift, recorded in John xvii.