not?

3.  Unity and peace consists in all as with one shoulder practising and putting in execution the things we do know; Phil. iii. 16.  “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, and mind the same thing.”  How sad is it to see our zeal consume us and our precious time in things doubtful and disputable, while we are not concerned nor affected with the practice of those indisputable things we all agree in!  We all know charity to be the great command, and yet how few agree to practise it?  We all know they that labour in the word and doctrine are worthy of double honour; and that God hath ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.  These duties, however others have cavilled at them, I know you agree in them, and are persuaded of your duty therein: but where is your zeal to practise?  O how well would it be with churches, if they were but half as zealous for the great, and plain, and indisputable things, and the more chargeable and costly things of religion, as they are for things doubtful or less necessary, or for things that are no charge to them, and cost them nothing but the breath of contention, though that may be too great a price for the small things they purchase with it!

But further, Do we not all agree, that men that preach the gospel should do it like workmen that need not be ashamed? and yet how little is this considered by many preachers, who never consider before they speak of what they say, or whereof they affirm!  How few give themselves to study that they may be approved!  How few meditate and give themselves to these things, that their profiting may appear to all!

For the Lord’s sake let us unite to practise those things we know; and if we would have more talents, let us all agree to improve those we have.

See the spirit that was among the primitive professors, that knowing and believing how much it concerned them in the propagating of Christianity, to shew forth love to one another (that so all might know them to be Christ’s disciples), rather than there should be any complainings among them, they sold all they had.  O how zealous were these to practise, and as with one shoulder to do that that was upon their hearts for God!  I might further add, how often have we agreed in our judgment? and hath it not been upon our hearts, that this and the other thing is good to be done, to enlighten the dark world, and to repair the breaches of churches, and to raise up those churches that now lie gasping, and among whom the soul of religion is expiring?  But what do we more than talk of them?  Do not most decline these things, when they either call for their purses or their persons to help in this and such like works as these?  Let us then, in what we know, unite, that we may put it in practice, remembering, that if we know these things, we shall be happy if we do them.

4.  This unity and peace consists in our joining and agreeing to pray for, and to press after, those truths we do not know.  The disciples in the primitive times were conscious of their imperfections, and therefore they with one accord continued in prayer and supplications.  If we were more in the sense of our ignorance and imperfections, we should carry it better towards those that differ from us: then we should abound more in the spirit of meekness and forbearance, that thereby we might bring others (or be brought by others) to the knowledge of the truth: this would make us go to God, and say with Elihu, Job xxxiv. 32, “That which we know not, teach thou us.”  Brethren, did we but all agree that we were erring in many things, we should soon agree to go to God, and pray for more wisdom and revelation of his mind and will concerning us.

But here is our misery, that we no sooner receive any thing for truth, but we presently ascend the chair of infallibility with it, as though in this we could not err: hence it is we are impatient of contradiction, and become uncharitable to those that are not of the same mind; but now a consciousness that we may mistake, or that if my brother err in one thing, I may err in another; this will unite us in affection, and engage us to press after perfection, according to that of the apostle; Phil. iii. 13–15, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”  O then that we could but unite and agree to go to God for one another, in confidence that he will teach us; and that if any one of us want wisdom (as who of us does not), we might agree to ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth no man!  Let us, like those people spoken of in the 2d of Isaiah, say to one another, “Come, let us go to the Lord, for he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”

5.  This unity and peace mainly consists in unity of love and affection: this is the great and indispensable duty of all Christians; by this they are declared Christ’s disciples; And hence it is that love is called “the great commandment,” “the old commandment,” and “the new commandment;” that which was commanded in the beginning, and will remain to the end, yea, and after the end. 1 Cor. xiii. 8, “Charity never faileth; but whether there be tongues, they shall cease; or whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”  And ver. 13, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity; but the greatest of these is charity.”  And Col. iii. 14, “Above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness;” because charity is the end of the commandment, 1 Tim. i. 5.  Charity is therefore called “the royal law;” as though it had a superintendency over other laws, and doubtless is a law to which other laws must give place, when they come in competition with it; “above all things, therefore, have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins;” 1 Pet. iv. 8.  Let us therefore live in unity and peace, and the God of love and peace will be with us.

That you may so do, let me remind you (in the words of a learned man), that the unity of the church is a unity of love and affection, and not a bare uniformity of practice and opinion.

III.  Having shewn you wherein this unity consists, I now come to the third general thing propounded: and that is, to shew you the fruits and benefits of unity and peace, together with the mischiefs and inconveniences that attend those churches where unity and peace are wanting.

1.  Unity and peace is a duty well-pleasing to God, who is styled the author of peace and not of confusion.  In all the churches God’s Spirit rejoiceth in the unity of our spirits; but on the other hand, where strife and divisions are, there the Spirit of God is grieved.  Hence it is that the apostle no sooner calls upon the Ephesians not to grieve the Spirit of God, but he presently subjoins us a remedy against that evil, that they put away bitterness and evil-speaking, and be kind one to another, and tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven them; Eph. iv. 30, 32.

2.  As unity and peace is pleasing to God, and rejoiceth his Spirit, so it rejoiceth the hearts and spirits of God’s people.  Unity and peace brings heaven down upon earth among us: hence it is that the apostle tells us, Rom. iv. 17, that “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”  Where unity and peace is, there is heaven upon earth; by this we taste the first fruits of that blessed estate we shall one day live in the fruition of; when we shall come “to the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect;” Heb. xii. 23.

This outward peace of