CHRIST's Forgiveneſs …
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CHRIST's Forgiveness Of True Christians, is a Preceptive Patern Of Christian Fraternal Forgiveness. A SERMON on Col. iii. 13. Preached upon a Solemn Occasion.

By Peter Thacher, A.M. Pastor of the Church of Christ in Milton, N.E.

Mat. vi. 14, 15. If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Mat, xviii. 32, 33. I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldst not thou also have compassion on thy fellow-Ser­vant, even as I had pitty on thee?

Boston: Printed by B. Green, for Eleazer Phillips at his Shop at the Sign of the Eagle in Newbury Street. 1712.

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Amicos diligere omnium est; Inimicos autem solorum Christianorum.

Tertullian.
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CHRIST's Forgiveness Excites to Christian Forgiveness.

COL. III. 13.

— Even as CHRIST forgave you, so also do ye.

THE Apostle having advi­sed the Colossians to put off the old man with his deeds, and to put on the new man, v. 9, 10. He exhorts them to put [...], as the Elect of God, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meek­ness, long-suffering; forbearing one another; and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any. He that hath put on the New man, ought to put on the singular member, [Page 2]of the New-man, and to be Cloath­ed with the Properties of it; but these Vertues are (as it were) the Members and Properties of the New man; and therefore you who have put on the New man, ought to ex­ercise and improve these Properties and Excellencies of the New-man. In this Verse in which our Text is, the Apostle doth shew the Use, and requires the Practice of the fore­mentioned Vertues, viz. Bowels of Mercies, Kindness, Humbleness of Mind, Meekness, Long-suffering: For what signifies it to have Vertues, and to neglect to Exercise them? In these words we have three things.

I. Two Requisite Actions. 1. For­bearing one another. And 2. Forgiving one another.

II. We have the Occasion of these Actions, viz. A just quarrel or com­plaint against any.

III. We have the Rule and Obli­ging [Page 3]Motive of these our Actions, viz, Christ's Example; even as Christ, forgave you, so also do ye.

1. Two requisite Actions: The One is, Forbearing one another; this is the first act of the fore mentioned Vertues: Now he is said to forbear another, who being hurt by another, either in words or deeds, doth not forthwith seek to revenge himself, or right himself; but endeavours in a spirit of lenity, love and tender­ness, to reduce the Offender to a right temper and disposition of Soul; and this is the most Christian and Noble way of overcoming Injuries; for in this way the true Christian overcomes and conquers himself. Prov. 16.32. He that is slow to anger, is better than the mighty; and he [...] that ruleth his Spirit, then he that taketh a City. Yea, in this way the true Christian overcomes the malice of his Adversary. We have a famous Example [...] in 1 Sam. 24.16, 17, [Page 4]18. Yea, in this way the true Chri­stian doth not only overcome, but he overcomes in the most legitimate way: He takes the method that God hath directed him to. Prov. 24.29. Say not, I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. Rom. 12.17. Recompence to no man evil for evil. v. 21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

[And forgiving one another] In this Action there is more contained than in the former: For there are some who sometimes tolerate Injuries, because they can't revenge them, or because they judge it not expedient: Yet Malice boils in their hearts, and a disposition of revenge: Now this the Apostle would have true Christi­ans guard against, according to Christ's Precept. Mat. 18.35. We must from our hearts forgive our bro­ther his trespasses. Luk. 6.27, 28. Love ye your Enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them [...] curse you, [Page 5]Pray for them that despitefully use you. Tertullian tells us, That this was Re­ligiously observed by the Primitive Church, Amicos diligere emnium est [...] Inimicos autem solorum Christianorum. It is the Property of all men to love friends, but it is the Property only of true Christians to love their Enemies, that is, their Personal Enemies.

2. We have the occasion on which these acts are to be exercised, viz. a just quarrel or complaint; If any man have a quarrel against any: Here is to be observed that all things are put in­definitely and therefore are to be un­derstood Universally; after this man­ner; If any man: that is, whosoever he shall be, whether Superiour or In­feriour; hath a quarrel: that is, what­soever just cause he shall have of com­plaining either in respect of Injury done him in words, or in deeds; a­gainst any: viz. Whether friend or foe; he must know that there is a necessity imposed upon him of For­bearing [...] [...]giving, according to Gospel Rule.

[Page 6] 3. We have the Coercive and Di­rective rule of these our actions: viz. CHRISTS Example; As Christ for­gave you, so also do ye forgive: CHRISTS Example ought to have with Christi­ans the force of an Argument, to Perswade, and of a Rule to Direct Christians in what appertains to for­bearance & forgiveness of Brethren.

DOCTRINE.
Christ's forgiving of true Christians, should have the force of an Argument to per­swade, and of a Rule to Direct them to forgive others.

They that are wronged by others, must forgive their wrongs. As it is the Duty of them that have wronged others to submit to them in the ac­knowledgment of it; so they that are wronged, ought to forgive and re­ceive them in that submission. We must forgive, as we took to be forgiven, Mat. 6.12. We cann [...] Pray belie­vingly, [Page 7]That God would forgive us the guilt of our Iniquity committed against Himself, or others, unless we forgive others the injury which they have done us.

I. PROP. CHRIST who is God and Man forgives true Christians their Sins and Offences. This is Express'd in our Text. Now forgiveness is an act of free Grace, whereby our offended God freely, and without any Merit of ours, remits the Sin, the Guilt, and Punishment. The Person offended is he only that can forgive: Mark 2.7. Who can forgive Sins but GOD only. And forgiveness is an act of most free Mercy; and there's nothing of Me­rit in the Person forgiven. Isa. 43.25 I even I am He, that blotteth out thy Transgressions for my own sake, and will not Remember thy Sins. Misery, which is the Effect of Sin, is the Object of Mercy; but it is not the Desert of it; especially when that very misery, un­der which we are brought by Sin, is [Page 8]a misery wilfully contracted by our selves; and not only so, but is still a Sinning-Misery; a Misery accom­panied with stupidity, and senseless­ness, with Aversion from, and Oppo­sition against GOD, and that very Mercy, that should deliver us. GOD commends the freeness and fulness of his Goodness to us, by taking the Season to be Merciful, when our con­dition is most Miserable, not because our Misery deserves His Pity. Ezek. 16.6. I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, live: Yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, Live. This forgiveness is thus brought about: Man, that was infinitely bound to love and obey the Author of his Be­ing, most ungratefully and unneces­sarily Sinned against Him, and there­by deservedly incurred the everlast­ing Curse of the most Just and True GOD, and forfeited his own Being: Yet, tho' Man had destroyed himself, this Compassionate GOD, of his own free Sovereign Will, and without any [Page 9]Motive, and by his own Infinite Wis­dom, contrived a Way, whereby his most exact Truth & Justice might be satisfyed, and yet his Creature saved, and his Mercy and Goodness there­by might be evidenced unto Men and Angels: By an Everlasting Covenant between the FATHER and the SON, the SON He must as­sume our Nature, and offer up One Great Sacrifice for Sin, Heb. 10.12. This was that Mystery hid from Ages and Generations; the Mystery that the glorious Angels desire to look in­to, 1 Pet. 1.12. The great Mystery of Godliness, is GOD manifested in the Flesh, &c. 1 Tim. 3.16. And this Sa­crifice thus freely given to our of­fended LORD, we have Redemption, and the Remission of our Sins, Eph. 1.7. Col. 1.14. And Pardon thus freely to us given by the FATHER and yet thus dearly bought by the SON, is with abundance of Love and Grace, proclaimed and tendred unto all, in all the World, that will bu [...] [Page 10]come in, and enter into Covenant with GOD in CHRIST. Jer. 31.34. I will forgive their Iniquity, and will Re­member their Sin no more. And this one Sacrifice of CHRIST, offered up once for all, is a full satisfaction for all the Sins of his Elect, to the end of the World, accepted by Eternal Con­tract; The Holy Spirit consenting to be Sent, (and certain Means appoin­ted) actually to apply it, and to make it effectual to us; And God gives us Faith to lay hold upon it. So that the true Original of forgiveness is the free love of God, which gave Christ, as the Sacrifice for Sin, and accepted that Sacrifice as the true price of our Pardon, Joh. 3.16. The Meritori­ous Cause of forgiveness is that Sacri­fice of Christ, whereby Pardon is im­petrated for as many as lay hold upon Him by Faith. The acts which that Eternal Counsel appointed to be the Means of the actual receiving of the Pardon thus offered are Prayer and Faith, Joh. 1.12. Faith in Christ is [Page 11]appointed to be the Instrument of an Actual or Effectual Application of forgiveness; and this faith is the gift of God, Joh 6.44. Eph. 2.8. Prayer for Pardon, by faith in the blood of Christ is a Means by Divine Institu­tion to obtain Pardon actually to be applyed to the Soul. Hence it is our Duty and our Privilege, and should be our Practice to apply by faith in Prayer to Christ for Pardon. If any man Sin we have an ADVOCATE with the FATHER, 1 Joh. 2.1. Now our Sins are many, and daily, even after we have given up our Names to CHRIST. 1 Joh. 1.8. If we say we have no Sin, we deceive our selves; therefore we must confess our Sins and repair to God in Christ for for­giveness. 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confess our Sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our Sins, &c. Isai. 55.7. Let the wicked man forsake his way, &c. Jer. 3.12. Return thou backsliding Israel, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you, &c. Only acknowledge thine Iniquity. Acts [Page 12]5.31. Christ the Mediator is Exalted to give Repentence and Forgiveness: Clearing us, upon our first Union to Him, in the Court of Vindictive Justice, from our Danger of Eternal Death; and upon our new acts of Faith and Repentance, also in the Court of Rectoral Holiness and Fa­therly Discipline.

II. PROP. The Consideration of this, should have the force of an Argument to Perswade, and of a Rule to Direct true Christians to forgive one another. There's Reason sufficient in Christ's forgiving us, and delivering us from the De­structions that we have Deserved, for our forgiving of men that injure us, and delivering them from our Anger and Revenge, which they might fear that they had provoked. CHRIST has Merited the Divine Pardon for us, and humane Pardons from us for our Brethren: His Examples both teach and move.

Here are two Conclusions.

[Page 13] 1. Conclusion. The Consideration of this should have the force of an Argument to perswade true Christi­ans to forgive others. If CHRIST hath forgiven them, then they should forgive those that have offended them; because the Members must be Con­formed to their Head: for it is very inconsistent to have a Proud and Wrathful Member under a humble Head crowned with Thornes and Pa­tience. Hence the Example of Christ is urged by Christ and his Apostles chiefly in those things which belong to Charity and Humility. If I have washed your feet, you ought to wash one a­nothers feet, for I have given you an Ex­ample, Joh. 13.14, 15, 16, 17.1 Pet. 2.21. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we should follow his steps, V. 22, 23. Who when he was reviled, re­viled not again: when he suffered, be threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously. 1 Joh. 2.6. He that saith he abideth in Christ, ought himself also so to walk, even as [Page 14]Christ walked. Christ having shewn most tender Respect to us, tho' we have been most faulty, 'twere a base and unworthy ingratitude as well as Dissimilitude to Him if we should not shew a very tender Respect to His Members, tho' faulty.

2. Conclusion. The Consideration of this should have the force of a Rule to Direct true Christians to forgive others. Christ's Example hath the force of a Rule in directing the true Christian in his Spiritual Life, as it contains a perfect Idea of Virtue. Hence said Bernard, What have you to do with Virtues, who are Ignorant of the Vertues of CHRIST? Where I pray you is true Prudence, unless in the Doctrine of CHRIST? Where is true Temperance, unless in the Life of CHRIST? Where is true Forti­tude, unless in the Passion of CHRIST? But let us shew this in acts of forbearing and forgiving: In Christ's acts we have a most perfect rule of Imitation, whether we behold [Page 15]what Christ did bear and forgive, or from whom, or lastly in what man­ner Christ did forbear and forgive.

1. In Christ's Example of forbea­rance and forgiveness we have a most perfect rule of Imitation, if we consi­der What CHRIST did bear and for­give. CHRIST was treated with most bitter and heavy Revilings; He was called a Glutton, and Wine-bib­ber, a friend of Publicans & Sinners, Mat. 11.19. Joh. 7.20. Luk. 11.18. They called him a Devil a Mad-man, a Blasphemer, an Impostor, and what not? Nay, they did not only treat him with ill Words, but with ill Deeds; they did spit upon him, they crowned him with thornes, they beat him with many stripes cruelly, they crucifyed him: Yet these so many and so great Injuries he bore Patiently and for­gave them. Luk. 23.34. Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.

2. In Christ's Example of forbearance & forgiveness, we have a most perfect [Page 16]rule of Imitation, if we consider the Persons from whom he received those Injuries, viz. From the Rulers of the People, from the People themselves, from those that were Ignorant, from those that were Malicious, from Strangers, from his Acquaintance, from Jews, from Gentiles; In a word, CHRIST received Injuries from all sorts of men, yet he bore them all Patiently, and forgave them all, Luk. 23.34. bearing no private Spleen against any.

3. In Christ's Example of forbea­rance and forgiveness, we have a most perfect rule of Imitation, if we consider the Manner of his forbea­rance and forgiveness. CHRIST did not do it thro' Infirmity, because he was not able to Resist; but he did it thro' humble and voluntary Obe­dience, because he was willing to suffer. Isa. 53.7. He was Oppressed, and he was Afflicted, yet be opened not his Mouth: he was brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter, & as a Sheep before her shearers [Page 17]is dumb, so be opened not his Mouth, Mat. 26.53. CHRIST did not do it with a Deceitful and Dissembling mind, Meditating and desiring future re­venge; but Christ did it with a pure heart, and an Inflamed Charity, Pray­ing Earnestly to his Father freely to forgive them, Luk. 23.34 Such hath been Christs most perfect forbearance and forgiveness of Injuries! Con­cerning which the Apostle saith, As Christ hath forgiven you, so do ye; there­fore we ought to write after this Copy, and tho' we cannot arrive at the Perfection of it, yet we should En­deavour after an Imitation of it, as far as we can.

The USE is of EXHORTATION. Let us all apply to CHRIST for Pardon and Forgiveness; and then let us forgive One another, as Christ hath forgiven us.

1. Branch of the EXHORTATI­ON. Let us all be Exhorted to repair to Christ for Pardon and Forgiveness. Every [Page 18]one should labour to get his Sins Par­doned; This is the peculiar concern of every Person in this Congregati­on, that hath not obtained a Pardon. You must have forgiving Grace or you are Undone thro' Eternal Ages. You stand in an absolute indispensa­ble necessity of forgiveness! Else what will you do in time of Danger? In Sickness? In Death? In Judg­ment? Oh! whether will you cause your shame to go? What unspeaka­ble Misery will fall upon you? How will you bear that last and dreadful Sentence, Depart from Me ye Cursed in­to everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels? Doth not inlightned Conscience tell you that you must be Pardoned or you must inevitably Perish? Doth not awakened Con­science inform you, That your Sins are grown over your head, as an hea­vy burthen they are too heavy for you to bear? And that the Wages of Sin is Death, Eternal Death? Rom. 6.23. And that the least Sin being [Page 19]against an Infinite God, deserves this Death and Condemnation.

Oh then!

Consider 1. That there are Terms of Peace and Pardon tendred to you: For­giveness is offered to such as you; Not to fallen Angels, not to those that never had the Gospel, not to such under the Gospel as have Sinned the Sin unto Death; nor to such as are already past out of this World in their Sins: But to you is the word of this Salvation sent. Acts 13 38. Be it known unto you therefore, Men & Brethren, that through this Man is Preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. v. 47. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for Salvation unto the ends of the earth. So, Luk. 24.47. Repentance and Remission of Sins must be Preached in Christs Name among all Nations. It is part of the work of the Gospel-Mini­stry to offer the Terms of forgiveness to Sinners that live under the Prea­ching of the Word. 2 Cor. 6.1, 2. We [Page 20]then as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye Receive this Grace of God not in vain: Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of Salvation. Come to Christ, Unite with Him and take your Pardon of Free Gift.

Consider 2. By whom these Terms of Peace and Pardon are Propounded unto you. Even by the Great GOD Him­self. 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19, 20. —God hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the Ministry of Re­conciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the World unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, &c. It is by Christ, that He calls Sinners to repair to Him. Joh. 7. 37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cryed, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and Drink. And Christ incourageth poor Distressed Souls to come, by promising to en­tertain them kindly upon their co­ming to Him. Joh. 6.37. All that the Father giveth Me, shall come to Me, and him that Cometh to Me, I will in no wise [Page 21]cast out. Yea, CHRIST ingageth Rest to them in this Way. Mat. 11.28, 29. Come unto Me all ye that Labour, and are heavy laden, and I will Give you Rest.

It is also by the HOLY GHOST that those Terms of Peace and Par­don are propounded to Sinners. Rev. 22.17. The Spirit and the Bride say, come, &c. And the Gospel Mi­nistry are to Assure Sinners, That GOD the FATHER, SON, and HO­LY GHOST are in good earnest in this matter. 2 Cor. 5.20. Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ, as tho' God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Ezek. 18. 30, 31, 32. Repent and Turn your selves from all your Transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your Ruine. Cast away from you all your Transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit: for why will you dy, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dyeth, saith the Lord God: where­fore turn your selves, and Live ye.

[Page 22] Consider 3. How and by Whom this Peace and Pardon is procured, even by the Son of God Himself: It is by hi [...] Humiliation and Obedience unto Death; Christ shed his most precious blood to procure this forgiveness Heb. 9.12.14. & 10.10. He offered up Himself an offering once for all. It is by his stripes that we are healed, Isai. 53.5. Yea, Christ lives to make intercession for all that come unto God by Him, Heb. 7.25.

Consider 4. For whom this Peace and Pardon are provided, and to whom this Peace & Pardon are offered: It is to Sin­ners to the chiefest of Sinners, that live under the dispensation of the Gospel, and have not Sinned the Sin unto death: There is yet a door of hope set open unto them; in that there is a Saviour born, whose Office­work it is to Save his People from their Sins: And this Saviour tenders himself & forgiving-Grace to them, which is matter of great encourage­ment and hope, Luk. 2.10,11. Paul [Page 23]accounted it so. 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a Faithful saying, and worthy of all Accep­tation, that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners, of whom I am chief. When Sinners feel indeed that they have nothing to pay, and so fly to Christ alone by Faith, whether the debts be more or less, then is Christs special season frankly to forgive them, Luk. 7.41, 42. Here I must resolve a great Case of Conscience. viz.

Question: How shall I know that my Sins are forgiven me?

Answer: Sincere love to Christ is an infallible Evidence that the Sins of that person in whom it is are forgiven, how many so ever they have been, Luke 7.47,48. Her Sins which are many are forgiven her, for she loved much.

Let me here shew,

1. What an Evidence is and the sorts of them?

2. What this sincere love to Christ is, that is an Evidence of forgive­ness?

3. Whereby it will appear, That [Page 24]this love is an infallible Evidence of this forgiveness?

4. Whence it is that this love is such an Infallible Evidence of for­giveness?

Quest. 1. What an Evidence of for­giveness is? Answ. An Evidence of forgiveness is something that is fit to make it known to, and convince the judgment of it, That such an one's Sins are forgiven; unto whom it was a secret before, & a doubt or question. As here, Her love to Christ was fit to prove her forgiveness by Christ.

Now for the sorts of Evidences. Evidences are either Probable or Ne­cessary and Infallible.

1. A Probable Evidence draws an Assent of the Understanding unto it, only as an Opinion that such an One's Sins are forgiven, which is therefore call'd the judgment of Cha­rity, if it concerneth others, as distin­guished from the judgment of Cer­tainty; Now there are Arguments that bind us to this judgment of Cha­rity [Page 25]that anothers Sins are forgiven: As Profession of the true faith, and a Subjection to the order of the Gospel, when there is nothing against it in the Life; these are outward acts which ordinarily proceed from gracious Ha­bits; and yet do not necessarily con­clude Saving Grace and the forgive­ness of Sin, because they are Argu­ments only probable, they do only infallibly Evidence common Grace, not saving Grace: A visible Saint in certainty, is a real Saint in charity, not always in certainty; many of which fell away in the days of the A­postles, and do also in these our days.

2. A necessary or infallible Evi­dence, is when there is a necessary connection between the forgiveness of Sin, and that which doth argue it [...] so that the one cannot be without the other. And of these infallible Evi­dences there are two sorts.

(1.) That which is inherent in the Pardoned Sinner, and that is, a graci­ous qualification wrought in the heart, [Page 26]which brings forth fruit in the Life: which the Apostle calls something ac­companying Salvation; such is Love, Heb. 6.9, 10.

(2.) That which is Adherent, and consequent, and that is a Divine Testi­mony. Thus Christ Testifies & saith, Her Sins which are many are forgiven; so Mat 9.3. Son, be of good chear, thy Sins are forgiven thee: Both these are infallible Evidences, and the Witness of the SPIRIT is never without the Evidence of some saving work in the heart, but always follows it in order of Nature.

Qu. 2. The Nature of Sincere Love, what it is? I shall lay it down in these five Particulars.

1. The Object of this Sincere love which infallibly evidences forgive­ness, is Christ, considered in the Excel­lency of his Person, and of his Rela­tion, and of his Office, and Work. Christ is the special Object of this Evidencing love, He lyes next the Soul in this love; And it is the Ex­cellency [Page 27]of his Person, that draws forth this love of the Soul to Christ; he see's Christ altogether lovely, Cant. 5.10. — 16. He beholds all created and increated Excellency in Christ. Yea, the Excellency of Christs Relation, and of his Office where-with he is invested, as personally united to our Nature, and call'd of God, to be the great high Priest of our Profession, and that One only Mediator between God and us, this moves the Soul to love Christ, 1 Tim. 2.5. Heb. 5.5, 6. The Soul looks not only on Christ as able, nor only as willing, but also as obliged and ingaged by His Fathers call, and his own voluntary ingagement, to save to the utmost all that come unto God by Him, Heb. 7.25. And the Ex­cellency of Christs work for Sinners, in his double State of Humiliation & Exaltation moves him to love Christ.

2. The Act of this sincere love to Christ is a deliberate free full & earnest choice of Christ as the most Excellent and Desirable One, Josh. 24.15. Deut. [Page 28]30.15—20. [Please to turn to the place.] The heart is set upon getting Christ as the Principle thing, Prov. 4.7. The Soul is willing to suffer the loss of all, to part with all for Christ, Phil. 3 7, 8, 9.

3. The inward Principle & Spiritual virtue whence this sincere love flows, is the New Creature, or a gracious frame: Love is a Grace that in its frame comprehends all Graces; and therefore is a gracious frame set on work by Faith, created together with it, by the Holy Ghost: For love is the fulfilling of the whole Law, Rom. 13.10. Love to God, and to Man, and to God-Man, M [...]t. 22.37. Love, again, is the Image of God, for God is Love, 1 Joh. 4 7, 8. Therefore love fits and prepares the Spirit of a Christian to the whole work of practical Christi­anity; and therefore contains in it, a body of gracious qualifications, dis­posing & inclining the Soul effectually to be for Christ alone, Psal. 73.25.

4. The End this sincere love aims at, and which it is carryed out after, [Page 29]is Union to, and Communion with CHRIST, and with GOD in Christ by the HOLY GHOST, and that it may glorify Christ in all the privi­ledges & duties of the New Covenant.

5. The seat & subject of this love, it is the whole Soul, yea the whole Man. This holy frame animates the whole man, & carries it out to Christ, and for Christ; not only the Head to know him, and the Heart to make out after him, and take up its full content­ment in him, but the whole man to be his for ever, Body & Soul. Hence the Spouse so often Expresseth her love thus, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine.

Qu. 3. Whereby may it appear, Tha [...] ­sincere love to Christ is an infallible Evi­dence of forgiveness?

Answ. 1 In that the Scripture fre­quently refers to it as such, Eph. 6.24 Job. 14.21, 23.1 Cor. 8. [...]. Especially in that our Lord Christ Himself, the true and faithful witness, [...]th posi­tively declared it, in using it to de­monstrate [Page 30]forgiveness, Luk. 7.47, 48.

2. In that this love is proper unto the New creature, and therefore to those that are forgiven. This sincere love to Christ is an inseperable pro­perty of the New-Creature; It be­longs to all forgiven ones, only to forgiven Persons, and always to those that are forgiven.

3. In that, love distinguisheth a living and a dead Christian, a living and a dead Faith, 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3. Jam. 2.5, 8.

Qu. 4. Whence it is that love is such [...] infallible Evidence of forgiveness?

Answ. 1. Because it is an infallible Evidence of our calling according to the Divine purpose, Rom. 8.28. and therefore it demonstrates that we are predeslinated & chosen; for we are chosen unto love, Eph. 1.4. Now whom he hath called he hath also justifyed, Rom. 8, 29, 30. Those that are justify­ed have their Sins pardoned, and are eternally freed from condemnation, Rom. 8.1.

[Page 31] 2. Because sincere love to Christ, is one of those better things than common gifts, even those things that accompany Salvation, Heb. 6.9, 10, 11.

3. Because hereby infallibly ap­pears their saving Interest in the Co­venant of Grace, Deut. 30.6. Heb. 10.16, 17. Would we then know whe­ther our Sins are forgiven? Let us Examine whether we love our Lord Christ in Sincerity? Many are de­ceived with such Evidences as are not infallible, but may deceive them: so there is a false and hypocritical love that will not Evidence Pardon, but deceive those that conclude their Pardon from it; and no evidence will secure us that we are forgiven, without sincere love to Christ. Let us therefore Examine, whether our love to Christ be sincere?

Now sincere love to Christ springs from the Souls thro'-conviction of its own utterly lost condition, by reason of its own Sin, and Gods Wrath re­vealed in the Curse, and also from a [Page 32]due sense of the ability and willing­ness of Christ to Save to the Utmos [...] all such as come unto Him. Thus it was with the poor Woman of whom Christ said in, Luk. 7.47, 48. Her Sins which are many are forgiven her, for sh [...] loved much: The Israelites, their be­ing stung with the fiery Serpent in­deared unto them the brazen Ser­pent, Numb. 21.8, 9. Let us then ask our own Souls, Whether we have been Evangelically sensible of our Spiritu­al Sicknesses, and Soul-maladies, and of Christs Ability and Willingness to heal our Sin sick Souls? Oh then [...] Christ the Physitian of Souls is excee­ding dear to us. Mat. 9.12, 13. The whole have no need of the Physitian but the Sick.

Also if we have sincere love to Christ, our love is grounded also up­on some sight of the Personal Excel­lencies of Christ. Thus it was with Thomas which made him say, My Lord and my God! Joh. 20.28. This love to Christ is laid as the foundation of all Obedience, Exod. 20.2. Mat. 22.37, 38. [Page 33]Do our Sou [...]s chuse Him and God in Him, as our chief good and last end, and take Him as our only way unto the FATHER? Is Christ our All, and most precious to us above all preci­ousness? 1 Pet. 2.7. Yea, do we chuse Him, because of those Excel­lencies that are in Him? in his Per­son, Office, Work, and Benefits, as the only Mediator between God and us, as One that being Equal with God, humbled Himself for us? Phil. 2.5, 6, 7.

If we are sincere lovers of Christ, Then we imbrace Christ, and Exalt Christ in all his Offices, Of Prophet, Priest, and King, and Subject our selves unto Him in respect to each of them.

Do we then Exalt Christ, and Sub­ject to Him in the Office of a Pro­phet? Do we love to learn of Him, and to be His Disciples? Are we sen­sible of our own Ignorance & Folly, & our extream necessity to be taught by Him, that we may [...]n the truth as it is in Jesus? Eph. 4.21.

[Page 34] Do we Exalt Christ & Subject to Him as our great High Priest, de­pending upon Him for our Atone­ment and Acceptation with the Fa­ther? Heb. 7.25. Do we apply to Christ as our Advocate with the Fa­ther? 1 Job. 2.1, 2.

Do we Entertain Christ in his Kingly Office, and delight to Obey Him? Do we seek the inlargement of his Kingdom in the World, and in our own hearts? Do we love to know his Will, that we may obey Him; do we love to obey, that we may please & honour Him? Do we cry to Christ for more Grace, & de­light in the Multiplication of Christs Subjects, and the inlargement of his Kingdom? Are we grieved for the Rebellion we see against Christ, and long for his glorious Appearance? Do we say, Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly, Rev. 22.20.

If we have sincere love to Christ, we make Christ's Interest our own; yea, more than our own; be it Joy [Page 35]or Sorrow, Honour or Dishonour. Are we then heartily grieved at the dishonour put upon Christ, by our selves, by Saints, and by Sinners, es­pecially by the Oppression of the Truth, and by the Persecution of the Faithful People of God? Do we take singular contentment in Christ's Exaltation, and in his Coming in Glory? And in the mean time do we grieve especially for our own unsuitableness of Spirit to Christ, & of our carriage towards Him?

If we have sincere love to Christ, we are heartily willing to conde­scend to the meanest Services for his sake, whereby we may glorify him, or promote the comfort of his Peo­ple, Psal. 84.10. Are we willing to be door keepers, in the House of God, so that thereby we may Serve God? Are we willing to wash the Saints Feet, so that we may Glorify Christ thereby? Joh. 13.14, 15.

If we love Christ in sincerity, we take observation of our Happiness or [Page 36]Misery, of our Joy or Sorrow, by the nearness of Christ to our Souls, or his departure from us. Psal. 30.7. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

If we love Christ in sincerity, our love to Christ is extended to all that are his, & that belong to Him. This is the indearing Argument, they be­long to Christ, 1 Joh. 4.20, 21.1 Joh. [...].1, 2.

If we love Christ we love his Pre­sence, Company, and Communion in all the ways and means thereof, in Holy Duties, and Holy Ordinances, & in Holy Fellowship with his Peo­ple in both, 1 Joh. 1.3.4. Sincere love to Christ is earnestly solicitous about his love, and most fearful of being deceived, Comt. 8 [...]6. The Soul cannot bear (without heart-trouble) any Eclipse of his Face, Psal. 30.7.

If we are sincere lovers of Christ, we hate heart-wandrings from Christ, Psal. 119.104, 113. Rom. 7. last part.

[Page 37] Sincere love to Christ is delibe­rately willing, and glad to do, to suffer, & to part with any thing for Christ, and his Truth sake, that it may cleave to him, enjoy him, and glorify him.

In a word, This sincere love is im­partial in his care to walk with Christ, and to keep all his Commandments. Joh. 14.15. If ye love me keep my Com­mandments. Thus we have this great Case of Conscience resolved, how we may know that our Sins are for­given us.

II. I now proceed to the Second Branch of the EXHORTATION. Let us forgive one another, as Christ bath forgiven us. Our Forgiveness of o­thers deserves not Gods forgiveness of us: Nor can it make God a Deb­tor unto us: But God hath been pleased in Christ, in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen, by his own free promise to ingage himself unto his Creature. Psal. 18, 25. With [Page 38]the merciful, he will shew himself merci­ful. We should evidence our merci­fulness by our forgiveness of those that have injured us. Mat. 6.14. If ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heaven [...] ly Father will also forgive you.

Here I shall resolve that Case of Conscience:

Quest. Whether this forgiveness of my Brother be not inconsistent with my deal­ing with him in a Church-way, when be has given me just Offence?

Answ. I answer, No, in no wise; the one ought to be done, the other ought not to be left undone, both are incumbent Duty, being Com­manded by the Lord of Life & Glo­ry, in whose Commands there is no contradiction: As for our forgiving others, it has been already proved to be a Duty: And as for Church dealing with a Brother that has just­ly offended us; it will appear to be a Duty, if we consider, That Church dealing is a duty of Brotherly Love and Charity; therefore it is said, If [Page 39]thy Brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone, Mat. 18.15. The neglect of this Church Dealing involves us in the guilt of other mens sins, and of their perishing in them. 1 Tim. 5 22. Eph. 5.7, 11. Here take a few Rules.

Rule 1. Church Dealing is not only a Duty of Obedience unto God, and Sub­jection unto Christ, but of Righteousness to­wards man. Hence it is set down a­mongst Duties which we Owe to man. Lev. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour, and not suffer Sin upon him. And thus it is Commanded in the Fifth Command­ment.

Rule 2. Though it be a Duty of Righ­teousness towards man, yet it is limited unto men standing under Church Relati­on one unto another. Because it is a Church Duty, & we owe it to all in Church Relation, both hypocritical and sincere; yea, we owe it to them as Church-Members; for it is a [Page 40]Church Ordinance to be managed in a Church way.

Rule 3. Hence it is a Duty of Church Love and Charity. It is to be perfor­med towards all with Church Love and Charity; that is, that Charity which ariseth from, and is grounded upon Church Relation. 1 Pet. 2.17. Love the Brotherbood.

Rule 4. There is a peculiar exercise of this Church Love and Charity, between those that are truly gracious, and in that Relation each unto other, arising from their Invisible-Church-Relation to Christ, & one to another. This Church Love and Charity ought to be regu­lar; there are standing Rules of this Church Love and Charity, whereby it is to be regulated; and by those Rules we are to judge of Repentance or Impenitency; those Rules must be Conscienciously observed, & up­on the right improvement of this Judgment of Church Charity, accor­ding unto the right Rules of it, de­pends much of the regular and or­derly [Page 41]improvement of Church Deal­ing: We must shun both Extreams, either being too remiss, or too strict, &c.

Rule 5. We are to proceed unto and throughout the whole course of Church Dealing, by this Church Love and Chari­ty, in the sincere, fervent, and religious improvement of it from first to last. That is, we ought to exercise it with ut­most sincerity, both towards God, & one toward another, for God's Glo­ry, and one anothers Good and Sal­vation; and with utmost fervency, that is, of Holy Zeal of God's Glo­ry, and man's Salvation, and that with a religious respect of Duty un­to God, and one towards another. Indeed, the life and spirit of Disci­pline, it is from the Exercise of this Spiritual Gracious Love and Chari­ty; because this Spiritual Love and Charity is that spiritual and gracious Principle, whereby the Duty is per­formed. There is indeed need of the Exercise of Faith, Humility, Self [Page 42]denial, Zeal, Meekness & Patience, and all Grace, unto the right perfor­mance of this Duty; but Love and Charity is the most proper Principle, which sets and keeps all other Gra­ces on work; & therefore we should not intermeddle in Church Deal­ing without true Christian Love and Charity. It is true, that it is our duty to intermeddle with Church Dealing, and we cannot without great sin omit it; but it is as true, that we shall greatly profane Holy Discipline, if we want this Love & Charity. Oh then! let us take heed that we do not intermeddle with Church-Dealing, with a contrary Spirit unto Christian Love and Cha­rity; that is, with a spirit of Preju­dice, Envy, Malice, Anger, Wrath, Bitterness, or with a spirit of carnal Self-love.

Rule 6. and last. This true Christian Love and Charity, will move and dispose those in whom it is, to Desire to forgive Others, as Christ hath forgiven them. It [Page 43]will teach them to recompence to no man Evil for Evil, nor to be overcome of evil, but to endeavour to overcome evil with good, Rom. 12.17, 21. It will reach them, to love their Enemies, to do good to them that hate them, to bless them that curse them, and to Pray for them that despitefully use them, Luk. 6.27, 28. And therefore it will move them to use all suitable & pro­per Means [Church dealing is one agreeable Means and Method to be used] to recover their Souls from the Errour of their way; and thereby to Evidence their sincere love to the glory of God, and the Spiritual and Eternal good of the Soul of their of­fending Brother. Now it will Ap­pear to be our duty to forgive those that have injured us, as Christ hath forgiven us If we consider,

1. That there should be a conformity in our Nature to the Nature of Christ our Head. He is slow to Anger, and of great Mercy, Psal. 145.8. Mic. 7.18. And Christ is come in the flesh to re­new [Page 44]the broken Image of GOD i [...] man, and to renew him after the I­mage of HIM that created him, and Christ doth injoyn and imprint this part of the Divine. Image upon all that by faith receive him: Luk 6.36. Be merciful as your Heavenly Father [...] merciful: and Mercy in the heart is that Excellent habit whence forgive­ness doth proceed; and hence it is, that where the Spirit of Christ comes, He assimilates their Nature to that disposition, Gal. 5.22.

2. Consider, That that great Com­mand injoyned by GOD in the Moral Law, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self, Obligeth true Christians to this forgiveness. And that this is much more inforced under the New-cove­nant, Even to the love of our Enemies [...] Mat. 5.44. and consequently to for­give our Enemies; for love is that affection that produceth Pardon, and this injunction lyes upon us under the same Obligation whereby we are bound to love our Brethren: for the [Page 45] [...]ve we owe to God in Christ is that [...]and Obligation t [...]at binds to what­soever he commands, Job. 14.15. Therefore if ye love me, love & pitty [...]nd pardon your Enemies, for my [...]ake.

The consideration of the proporti­on of Gods and Christ's dealing with us doth in Equity & Reason oblige us to forgive others. Ma [...] 18.32. I forgave thee all that debt, because thou de­siredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow Servant, even as I had pitty on thee. Therefore thus Reason with thy self; God freely forgave me, when there was nothing in me to enjoyn, enforce, or deserve, or so much as to seek it, and is it not reasonable that I should forgive my Brother, that (it may be) Seeks my pardon? But, if he doth not, our common Lord & Master enjoyns it?

3. Consequently upon the former, the not observing of this Duty, doth most justly & reasonably deserve that such should not be forgiven. If I can so boldly and un­thankfully encounter a command of [Page 46]GOD, standing upon such just and reasonable grounds; with what face can I expect a Pardon from Him a [...] my request, when I refuse to Pardon my Brother at Christ's command [...] New Pardons are not given to Sinning Saints from their Fathers Court for a time, on this Account.

4. The forgiveness of my Brother is no Meritorious cause of Christ's forgiving me. The breach of any command is a Me­ritorious cause of Punishment; but the observation of one duty cannot deserve the Pardon of the violation of another. Christ requires me to for­give my Brother; and when I have done so, I have done but my duty; and have not deserved my pardon; and therefore when I say, Forgive me, for I forgive others; I make not the Pardon I ask, the wages for the Par­don I gave: for as my Brothers offence against me holds not proportion with my offence against GOD; so neither doth my forgiveness of him, hold pro­portion with Christs forgiveness of me.

[Page 47] 5. Nor consequently is my forgiveness of O­thers the Measure of that forgiveness I beg of GOD. The offences committed by my Brother against me are not in truth so much offences committed against me, as against God. My offence against God is against an infinite Obligation, and against an in­finite Glorious Being; but my Brothers of­fence against me, as it relates to me, is but of finite Relation & Obligation, & against a finite Person; and therefore the Measure of the thing forgiven by me is too short, and too narrow to fit and suit commensurably with that whereof I beg my forgiveness at the hands of CHRIST.

6. Yet this noble Exercise of Grace in forg [...] ­ving Injurious Brethren for Christ's sake is an Evangelical Qualification which the Lord is w [...]nt to crown, in His Saints, by giving them fresh hopes & joys on account of it, of their being out of Danger of Eternal Damnation, and being in a state of Justification in Christ Jesus; and by vouchsafing to them New Par­dons for their New committed & repented Sins, and New Peace with their offended Father's Rectoral Holiness; the fruits whereof are a sweet freedom from such hardness of heart & plagues of Conscience, and falls, & buffettings, & with-drawments of Divine Influences, & hazzards of falling [Page 48]short of the higher Degrees of Glory, and from such Stings of outward Affliction [...] Churlish Revengeful Christians guiltily expose themselves unto.

II. USE is a Word of Consolation to your selves, Dear Brethren! that have a [...] cording to CHRIST's Patern & Precep [...] forgiven one another those offences that in an hour of Temptation have been given and taken by you. As we have desired to Mourn for, & to be bumbled under the due sense of the Sins that have been committed in this time of Division, amongst you; so we rejoyce with you, & give thanks to God for you, and for the Grace of God in you & with you, whereby you have been ina [...] bled from the heart to forgive one another as Christ hath forgiven you: Our dear Sa­viour now Seal to your Souls the Scripture. Evidence of his forgiving of you, in this Mark of it, [viz. your forgiveness of you [...] Brethren,] according to his good Promi [...] Oh! Remember His Words, in Mat. 6.14, 15. For if ye forgive men their Trespasses, you [...] Heavenly Father will also forgive you; But [...] ye forgive not men their Trespasses, neither wi [...] your Father forgive your Trespasses.

THE END.
HOLY STRIVING Againſ …
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HOLY STRIVING Against Sinful STRIFE The Indispensable Duty of Godly Brethren. Evidenced by the Holy SCRIPTURES. Also Love and Unity Encouraged, and Contention and Division Disswaded, in a POEM.

By JOHN DANFORTH, A.M. Pastor of the Church in Dorchester.

Boston: Printed for Eleazer Phillips. 1712.

[Page]

The Priests—Shall keep My Charge, & shall Teach My People the Difference between the Holy and the Profane, and cause Men to Discern between the Unclean, and the Clean,

Ezek. 44.15, 16, 23.
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Holy Striving against Sinful STRIFE.

GENESIS XIII. 8.

And ABRAM said unto LOT, Let there be NO STRIFE, I Pray Thee, Between ME, and THEE, and between My Herdmen and Thy Herdmen; For We are Brethren.

DIVINE is the Record, Inspired & Renowned the Person, and most Gracious and Exemplary the Speech not Presented unto you; and by you to our Joy & to the great Glory of the God of Peace, practically Re­peated, and graciously Exemplified [Page 52]giving a blessed Demonstration that you are the Genuine Children of Abram.

The famous Patriarch Shem was yet alive, (who was Abrams Great Grand-fathers Great Grand-fathers Great Grand-father) When Abram (the Tenth from Shem) was Called forth to be both Priest and Prophet of the most High GOD, and was Owned and Blessed by Melchizedeck as Heaven's Special Favourite; and acknowledged by the Hittites to be a Mighty Prince, Itinerant among them, having no less than three hun­dred Train'd Soldiers (Victorious Warriours) in his Princely House­hold; having also a plentiful Herd for the Sustenance of his Numerous Family.

In Abram, we see that a man may have much of the World, and yet not be a Worldly man; He may be Loaden, for Wealth, and yet Wing'd for Heaven; he may be a mighty Prince among men, and yet be a [Page 53]mighty Prince with GOD. God lost nothing by the Honourable Main­tenance he bestowed upon his Prophet-Eliezer was not a more faithful Stew­erd to Abram, than Abram was unto GOD: Abram's Purse was full, yet his Heart was free; he was not poor in the World, yet was he rich in Faith: and, Whosoever has an Abraham's bur­den of Wealth upon him, he has need of an Abraham's Faith to support him from sinking and breaking under it. Abram's Heart was not lean, by Faith conti­nually feasting on the Promises; al­though his Herds were fat, being put to Forage upon the Commons of the Canaanites; who were not so Churlish (as too many now-a-days) to deny a Prophet of God (differing from them in Religion) what they could spare from themselves; for their Iniquities were not yet full.

Abram had his Crosses as well as his Comforts. The God and Father of the Fatherless had made Abraham a Father unto Fatherless Lot, and for [Page 54]many years they had much solace one in another. Satan envy'd this Comfort to Abraham, and the Boun­tiful God design'd him a greater: Lot must be Dis [...]is'd (he not being in the Line of the Promised LORD MESSIAH) and must not be Abra­ [...]ms Heir. That so Isaac (the Son of the Promise) might be Embraced. Abrahams and Lots Herdmen quarrel about Pasturage: This was a dan­gerous Trap for their Godly Masters; Abraham was aware of it, and dread­ed to be taken in it; he would not fall into a Sinful Strife with his God­ly Ne [...]hew for all the World; it went very near his heart to think of parting with his dear Kinsman and Companion, but the ODIOUSNESS of Strife, and the abhorrence and horrour which he had of it, put him upon it. Farewel Lot, rather than farewel Love & Peace; He & Lot had better Separate than Altercate, better part asunder, than quarrel together; far better live and love at a distance, than live together at Sinful Variance.

[Page 55] In our Text Abraham manifests his dear Respect unto Lot, & his dread­ful Aversion unto Strife. He Ushers in his Treaty with Intreaty; [I pray [...]e,] He introduces his motion for parting (which immediately follows) with that which was the only rea­son for his making of it, viz. His An­ [...]pathy to Strife, and Resolution a­gainst it: All Sinful Strife was abo­minable to him; he could endure none of it; [Let there be NO Strife between me and thee, &c.] And he justifies his Reason by alledging their mutual Relation, (which ought to be preserved inviolate, and not be profaned by Strife) [For we are Brethren] We are near in Blood, & nearer in Religion: If we live in Strife, as Carnal Idolaters do, our Sin will be much greater than theirs; we shall dishonour God more than any others, and disparage our Holy Religion; and shall do greater mis­chief by the perniciousness of our wicked Example: Sinful Strife is [Page 56]bad in all men, but will be most vile, odious, and atrocious in us: Surely we ought in a most holy manner to strive and endeavour a­gainst this most sinful Strife of God­ly Brethren.

DOCTRINE.
Sinful STRIFE of Godly Brethren is a very Odious Thing, and the Saints have and ought to have an extream Dread of it, and Antipathy to it, and to be holily striving against it.

Three things we shall here endea­vour as the Lord shall help us, viz.

1. To shew what Sinful Strife is.

2. To Open and Demonstrate the Odi­ousness of it, on the account whereof it ought to be dreaded by the Children of God. And,

3. How they may and ought to be striving against it in an holy manner.

I. To shew what Sinful. Strife is. [Page 57]And forasmuch as there is an Holy Strife and Contention; see Jude v. 3. Where we are Commanded to Contend earnestly for the Faith; and for [...]smuch as Rectum est index sui et Obliqui: That which is strait is the Ind [...] whereby we discover what is Straight, and [...] is Crooked [...] and forasmuch as whatsoever is Sinful, is morally Defective, Know there­fore, that Strife is Sinful, if it be de­fective, if it want any of the choice Ingredients that go to the making of Godly Strife; and there are no less than Eight of them, viz. Good Prin­ciples, Good Ends, Good Frames, a Good Cause, a Good Call, a Good Time, a Good Manner and Degree, and Good Instruments, When all these are Good, then Strife is Good, but if any one is Evil, the Strife is Depraved thereby and made Evil.

I. Strife in an Evil Cause is Sinful. How Good soever it is to be zealously af­fected always (even unto an holy [Page 58]striving) in a thing that is Good, Gal. 4.18. It is as wicked to stand in an Evil Thing, and much more with both hands to strive for it, Eccles. 8.3. Mic. 7.3. Thus to have a mans Bow bent for lies, (to strive for Errors, Will worship, Idolatry) and not to be valiant for the Truth (but a­gainst the Truth, and against God's Holy Ways and Ordinances) is ve­ry sinful, Jer. 9.3. Thus also to strive for an Office & Imployment which God has (by with-holding due Qua­lifications and Abilities to Capaci­tate a man for it) forbidden a man to meddle with, is Sinful, and an unlawful Tempting of God, Mat. 4. Rom. 12.3. 'Tis also sinful and directly against our Lord's Di­rection, in Luk 14.8, 9. to affect a Superiour Seat, and to Contend for it; and yet how many Congrega­tions and Assemblies of Sion have been in Convulsions for this Cause! 'Tis also a Sinful Strife, when a man contends to have his Will & Humour, [Page 59]in the Management of Affairs, a­gainst Order, Rule and Counsel. 'Tis a Wilfulness and Headiness of an horrid Character and Heinous­ness, 1 Tim. 3.4.1 Cor. 6.3, 4. Acts 15.1—6.23,—29.2 Sam. 20.18. And inasmuch as the Glory of God, and Good of Mankind make it necessary, that Con­victed Criminals should not escape without meet Discipline and Punish­ment, Exod. 21.24, 27. Lev. 24.20. Deut. 19.21. Josh. 6.13.—15. Therefore' tis a Sinful Strife when men, thro' Partiality and forbidden Pity, strive to rescue either themselves or others, when scandalous Offenders, from due Do­mestical, Ecclesiastical or Civil Dis­cipline; nor is it the less flagicious, because frequent and common, to the great obstruction of Good Go­vernment and Reformation. Also when a man is lawfully under Go­vernment in Family, School, Church, Province or Kingdom, then against right to strive to cast off the Yoke, tis a sinful Strife for Liberty & an atro­cious Rebellion, Rom. 13.2.

[Page 60] It's also very Sinful to strive a­gainst the Payment of Just Taxes & Tributes, Rom. 13.6, 7. Mat. 22.21.

Strife to Get or to Hold what be­longs to another, and to with hold from the Right Owner his Goods & Possessions is sinful and unrighteous Strife, Judg. 11.23.1 Joh. 5.17.

Sinful also is a Strife of Tenaci­ousness of what is a man's own; when a man will struggle and contend to the last, before he will part with, or relinquish his private legal Claim & Right in any thing, although his holding of it hazard the Peace and Safety of the Com­munity, wound the Spirits of Godly Brethren, and directly expose some Neighbours to commit Sin, and to ruin their Souls. See Rom. 14.15, 20, 22. Rom. 15.2.1 Cor. 8.13. And foras­much as our Lord has shewn us, that a blow or two ought to be patiently born and put up, and a Suit at Law, (Commenced against us) also over­look'd, and a Coat and Cloak too be [Page 61]readily Resign'd and Sacrificed for the prevention and remedy of grie­vous Strife, Mat. 5.39. Therefore for a man (when in little things his pro­per demands and demonstrations of his Right prove unsuccessful) to pur­sue and vex his Neighbour with hot Strife for small Trifles unto the Con­tracting to himself, and inflicting on his. Neighbour great vexation of Spirit, and to the hazarding of the committing of much Sin, is wicked­ly to violate the Laws and Rules of Holiness and Charity: That man is not only a Transgressor, but also a lover of Transgression, who so far love Strife, Prov. 17.19.

Strife is also Sinful when a man fears that perhaps his Neighbour is in the right, and he himself in the wrong: His Strife then not being of Faith, (but waged with a doubt­ing, fearing Conscience) is Sin, Rom. 14.23.

II. Strife is Sinful, when its Prin­ciple [Page 62] and End are not Gracious, but Carnal. A Godly man is two men; he has two contrary Principles in him, viz. Grace and Sin, continually at War, one with another. Now if a mans Strife is, in a Good Cause from an Evil Principle, and for Vi­cious Ends: His Strife is Ungodly, and makes work for Repentance.

So, to strive for Religion, and for the Defence of the Truth, and Con­futation and Suppression of Error, from a Principle of Vain Glory; (a mans Aim and End being to make to himself a great Name) it is ex­ceeding loathsome in the sight of God: God requires that we bring no strange Fire for his Holy Altar, but that our strivings for him, and all our actings before him, be fired with the Heavenly Flames of pure Zeal for his Glory, and not our own Vain-glory, 1 Cor. 10.31. Gal. 5.26. Phil 2.3.

To strive for Victory over our Antagonists, for Victories sake, and [Page 63]not for the sake of an higher End, and a better Good than Victory, is culpable of Impiety.

Also because a man is like to be out-shone by his Neighbour, there­fore to Wage Strife with him, to pre­vent or eclipse his envied Felicity or Glory, is to commit Iniquity, & shamefully to violate the Divine Law, that injoins us to desire, pursue and rejoice in our Neigh­bours Good, as really and constant­ly as our own, without Envyings, 1 Pet. 2.1. 1 Cor. 13.4. Jam. 3.14, 16. Gal. 5.26.

And forasmuch as not the misery of the Offender, but his reclaiming, not his shame, but the Glory of God, not his ruine, but the Publick Safety, and the warning of, & prevention of the Sin of others, are to be aimed at in the Punishment inflicted upon him, according to the Rules of Chri­stianity, & of Humanity; & for a man to hate his offending and punishable Neighbour in his Heart, is absolutely [Page 64]forbidden: (Prov. 17 5. & 24.17. Lev. 19.17. Gal 5.20.) therefore to Strive against a man to bring Mischief on him for Mischiefs sake, and to Strive for his Punishment (tho' he has in­jured us) to gratifie our Passion, & to manifest and give vent to our own vexation and rage, (a thing too too common among Christians, in their Prosecuting of Offenders in Courts & Churches,) is to strive sin­fully, spitefully, barbarously. Veri­ly not to inform against, and prose­cute and punish Scandalous Offen­ders, is a Cruelty to all Societies, & traiterous against the Publick Weal, and highly provoking to God; and so also never to inform against them, but when (on account of personal Injuries) a man has a mind to shew his anger and resentment, and to vent the same spitefully by revenge, is to commit Iniquity in seeking to punish it, and to testifie against Scan­dal, with a greater Scandal.

Again, To Strive against a Neigh­bour, [Page 65]from a love to Strife, and be­cause a man delights in Contend­ing, is wicked with a witness; for he loveth Transgression that loveth Strife, Prov. 17.19. And the more delight there is in Strife, there's the more Sin in it.

To strive against a man, without being heartily grieved, that a man has cause, and is necessitated so to do, and without heartily wishing, Oh that it were otherwise! & with­out endeavouring to put an end to Strife, as soon as may be; and to strive from a lust after, and pleasure in Quarrelling, is not God-like and Saint-like, but Diabolical, Psal, 68.30. Prov. 2.14.

Again, If the lust of inordinate Worldliness be the Principle that a­nimates a mans Strife with his Neigh­bour; and if his secret end in stri­ving for a temporal supposed Right, be to gratifie that Lust, although no illegal course be used in the manage­ment of the Strife, yet is the strife [Page 66]vicious; and the Holy GOD, who [...] looks into the inmost thoughts, abo­minates the wicked mind (as well as the wicked hand) and Dete [...] whatsoever is produced from i [...] 1 King. 8.39. Prov. 21.27.

III. Strife is Sinful when 'tis mana­ged in a sinful manner. And thus a man may strive in a Good Cause, from a good Principle, upon a good Call, and for a good End; and yet his Strife be very Evil, culpable and unjustifiable: An Error in the Man­ner, once cost the meekest man up­on Earth, an Exclusion from the Land of Promise, (though not from Heaven) for he spake unadvisedly with his lips, (Psal. 106 33) at unawares, and said, Hear [...]e Rebels, Numb 20.10. and struck the Rock that he should have spoken to: giving an Admonition to the best of meer men on earth to fear greatly, when they must engage in Strife, and to fly to Heaven for guardance, where they are in such [Page 67] [...]tream danger of missing it in the [...]nner and measure, to the great [...]ischief both of themselves and of [...]thers. Now the Manner of Strife is [...]inful, and the Strife sinful, when in [...]e strife, near Relations and dear fellow-members miss of, and are robb'd of that singular Tenderness [...]nd Kindness and Respect that is [...]ue unto them, and which to with­draw from them, is horrible Iniquity, Mic. 7.6. Isa. 9.19 Rom. 1.31.2 Tim. 3.3. Deut. 15.9. As also when, in Strife, Superiours in Family, Town, School, Church, Province and Realm, are any of them treated irreverently, saucily, malapertly, or rebelliously, without due Respect and Obsequi­ousness, contrary to the Fifth Com­ [...]andment, Exod. 20.12. Lev. 19.32. Rom. 13.7.1 Pet. 2.17. Eph. 5.33. So also when Strife is managed in a way of Insolency towards E­quals, and of Imperiousness towards Inferiours, with a slighting or despi­sing of them, Luk. 18.9. Contrary to the great Gospel Rules, in 1 Pet. 5.5. [Page 68] Rom. 12.10. Phil. 2.3. of esteeming each other better than our selves, & of being subject one to another, i [...] honour, preferring one another; and for­asmuch as Christians are command­ed to be courteous, 1 Pet. 3.8 there­fore to be uncourteous in Carriag [...] or Language in Strife, incurs guilt and if a defectiveness of Decency & Civility therein are intollerable, wha [...] shall we think of Scurrility and Re­viling? (calling bad Names, &c. These shut a man out of Heaven and run him into Hell-fire, Mat. 5.22.1 Cor. 6.10.

And verily it is a crying Crime t [...] strive with a Neighbour vexatiously exasperatingly, and with unjust pro­vocations to his Spirit, 1 Sam. 1.6, 7 & 2.3.9. Gal. 5.26. Eph. 6.4. Exo [...] 22.21. Lev. 19.33. There is also certain excessive stiffness, pertinaci­ousness and obstinacy that is forbid­den, Psal. 75.5. Moreover the Strife forbidden and sinful, that is carrie on without due meekness and mo­deration, [Page 69]and push'd forward with­out gentleness and Christian forbea­rance, Gal. 5 23. Col. 3.12. But undue and violent heats, passionateness and furiousness render the strife abo­minable, Jam. 1.20. Prov. 21.24. and 14.29. & 22.24. & 29.22. So also do D [...]eg-like uncandid suspiciousnessess, and hard, wrong, & false insinuations in Strife, 1 Sam. 22.8, 9, 10. Psal. 55.3. & 52.1, 2, 5.1 Cor. 13.5. Yet very rarely is there any great strife without them, to the unspeakable prejudice of ho­ly Brethren, not to be recovered a­gain, for many years, if ever in this World. Very faulty also is Strife, by reason of its being managed and carried on by Tatling, Talebearing, Whispering, Reporting, Repeating, Aggravating, what Brotherly Chari­ty binds a man to overlook, & con­ceal, Rom. 1.29. Prov. 18.8. & 11, 13. & 17.9. & 26.20. & 20.19. Lev. 19.16.2 Cor. 12.20. Deut. 19.15. Thus as frequently, as wickedly, are divu [...] ­ged, all the secret faults, that in their [Page 70]whole lives, men have espied, in their Neighbours, to lessen their Re­putation, weaken their Interest, and disable them from managing their Cause, to Effect and Success. That Strife also is not free from Sin that runs into Schism; as when a man having Strife with a Brother, will not Sit down with him at the Lord's Table, rending away from the Com­munion of the Church on that ac­count unduly, Heb 10.25.1 Cor. 11.18 & 12.25. Or in a passion turning over to another Sect. And, that Strife abounds with Transgression, that is managed by undue Party-ma­kings, and Party-taking, Sidings, Di­visions, Factions; Effects and Evi­dences of too far prevailing Carnali­ty in Spiritual men, Hab. 1.3.1 Cor. 3.3, 4. And the bane of Churches. Striving is catching, and it aggravates the Sin of some that they labour to inflame others, (as the little angry Dogs do set on the great Mastiffs) and make themselves guilty of other [Page 71]mens Sins, and Ruines. All injurious striving is sinful because injurious: If a man strive in a very good cause, yet [...]s his strife sinful if he wrong his Neighbours by striving in a wrong manner, Col. 3, 25. Again, inasmuch as Christians ought to act reasonably and so as to convince and satisfy rea­sonable men, therefore Strife is sinful when 'tis managed without pro­ducing solid arguments and sufficient Reasons, Proofs and Evidences, Mat. 18.16. Deut. 19.15. Also a mans strife is sinful, if in it he act Discompos­edly and with too great a ruffling of mind, such as makes him unfit for Prayer, and other Duties, and Ordi­nances, and for Communion with the LORD in them, Luk. 21.19. As also [...] a man has no Patience but act un­treatably, 1 Tim. 6.11. Prov. 14.29. Eccl. 7.9.1 Thes. 5.14. And also if he strive with a sinful Alienation of Spirit from his Neighbour, not loving him with a pure heart fervently, nor heartily Praying for him, for his good, [Page 72]nor readily forgiving him, 1 Pet. 1.22. Mat. 5.44. & 6.14. Also Disorderliness and Unruliness and Confusion mani­fested in the manner of striving render the strife Sinful and Displeasing to the GOD of Order, Jam. 3.8, 16, 1 Cor. 14.33, 40.1 Thes. 5.14.2 Thes. 3.6. So doth also Partiality shewn and acted in strife, Jam. 2 9. & 3.17. Mat. 7.12. Luk. 6.31. And ve­ry highly Provoking to GOD is all Subdolousness and Unfairness, all Falsehood, Treachery, and base Un­der-hand-Dealing, when strife is really and dreadfully continued and acted yet under false shews of Cour­tesy, Amity, and Peaceableness, Lev. 19.11. Prov. 27.6, & 11, 18. Psal. 51.21. Moreover the strife is sinful that is managed with verbosity, with too many words; For in the Multi­tude of Words there wants not Sin, Prov. 10.19. It's yet more sinful if mana­ged Brawlingly and with Clamour, Eph. 4.31. Titus. 3.2. It's yet more sinful if managed with such fierce [Page 73]Threatnings as may produce terrible fears and uneasinesses in the hearts of Neighbours, Eph 6.9.1 Pet. 2.23. Or if attended with evil Wishings, and Cursings, Job 31.30. Psal. 40.14 Rom 12.14. And Invocations of the Devil? But how dreadfully sinful is it, when it comes to Blows & Murder! Then 'tis unmerciful indeed & horrible. Rom. 1.30. And yet strife has fill'd Christen­dome with not only most bloody Wars, but also most barbarous Massacres.

Again if strife of Neighbours be carry'd on irreconcilably perpetually, endlessly, it is very sinful and abomi­nable, Prov. 17.14.2 Sam. 20.18. Yet furthermore there is a sportful Strife in Wrestling, Running, handling a Weapon, &c. which grows sinful when too Intensely managed, and when it takes away the heart from it's in­tenseness in matters of Religion and Virtue; and instead of moderately Recreating of mens spirits, to fit them for serious business, doth really dull them and unfit them, and when it [Page 74]needlessly hazzards life or limb, and wastes time, and estate, unprofitably, and perniciously, Eccl. 11.9, 10.1 Cor. 10.7. Hos. 4.11. Eph. 5.16. Col. 4.5. Isa 46.6. And as too great eagerness in Ludicrous-strife is suffi­cient alone (tho' there were not (as there often are) other evil ingredients causes and circumstances,) to make that strife sinful, so too great indiffe­rence and carelessness in strife about serious matters, and the using of light­ness and slightness in striving for the Truths of GOD, the Ordinances of GOD, the Cause of GOD, the Glo­ry of GOD, and the Kingdom of CHRIST, striving for them in a vain and profane manner, without awful seriousness and heavenly zealousness, will render a mans strife sinful and condemnable, Gal. 4.18.1 Tim. 6.20.2 Tim 2.16.2 Cor. 1.17 Col. 2.18. Such a manner of striving for Religion becomes not GOD's wit­nesses, and Truths Champions. Thus strife is sinful when 'tis managed in a sinful MANNER.

[Page 75] IV. The strife is sinful if a man want a good Call to an engaging in strife; (if the strife no ways belongs to him, Prov. 26.17. If he has no Divine warrant, to guard and fortify his Conscience, to justify his Action, to encourage him to Pray over his Strife, and to believe and hope in the LORD for the divine acceptance of it, and assistance in it, 1 Tim. 4.5.) Or if he go beyond his call and line in the degree of his strife, whether he be an Aggressor or a Defendant, an Origi­nal Party, or a Second, and do con­tend for Spirituals or Temporals, Pub­lick interest, or Particular, (such a going beyond a mans call and war­rant, being a sinful presumption and tempting of GOD) Or if his striving be out of season and irregular as to the time, if it be on the Lords-Day, when men are called to Actions of a­nother nature, if it be at a time when 'tis evident that Satan will be much more gratify'd directly by the strife, than GOD glorify'd, and apparent [Page 76]that Religion and the Souls of men will lose and suffer much more than there's any likelihood of their gaining thereby, Luk. 6.29. Or if unlawful instruments are made use of in the strife to the prophanation of it, and Infidels engaged against Brethren. 1 Chron 12.19. Isa. 8.12.2 Chron. 25.7—9. & 19.2. Thus we have seen what sinful strife is.

II. We are now to open and de­monstrate the Odiousness & Horrid­ness of this sinful strife, whence it deserves to be greatly dreaded and abhorred by the Godly Brethren.

1. Strife has most odious Causes. Now that cannot but be it self odious, that is the natural issue of that which is loathsome and odious. Evil strife is from evil lusts, Jam. 4.1.11. Whence come Fightings (Quarrellings) come they not from lusts that war in you. Indwelling sin in the Godly spawns forth many odious lusts, and these lusts spawn forth strife.

[Page 77] 1. Pride is an odious Lust, a most loath­some Thing; Prov 6.16. It's an abomi­nation to the LORD. Prov. 8.13. Pride and Arrogancy the Lord hates. Now sinful strife is from pride, Prov. 13 10. Only by pride comes Contention. So that all other causes of contention are beholden unto pride for their Efficacy, for without the prime opera­tion of pride, they could not produce it, Prov. 28.25. He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife: but the wisdom which is from above, which is pure and peaceable, Jam. 3.17. Is with the lowly, Prov. 11.2. Who do in lowliness of mind esteem each other better than themselves, Phil 2.3. And are yielding and submissive to one another, Eph. 5.21. Which prevents strife: but 'tis odious Pride that boiles up in the scalding caldron of strife.

2. Inordinate self love and love of the World are odious lusts; There's most detestable Idolatry in them, Col. 3.5. And the Lord abhors them, Psal. 10 3. [Page 78]Now sinful Stri [...]e is from inordi­nate Self-love, and love of the World. The Times are Quarrel­some and Perilous, and men are dan­gerous and hurtful one to another, when men are lovers of themselves and of the World, 2 Tim 3.2. when all seek their own things, Phil. 2.21. And when one tries to draw to his own side, what another Strives to draw to his; & none will deny himself. or lay down his Worldly Interest. A Worldly Interest is a dividing Interest: Self and World are Idols where Brethren are set for Cyphers, to be incroach­ed upon, and striven with.

3. Envy is an Odious Lust. Tis not of the Spirit, but of the Flesh, of Cor­ruption; Gal. 5.21. And of the Devil, Jam. 3.15, 16. Where Envy is, there is every evil work, Jam. 3.16. Such as are Judicially forsaken and abhorred of God are filled with it, Rom. 1.28, 29. full of Envy, Acts 5.17. & 13.45. Now Sinful Strife is produced by Envy. When the Philistines envied [Page 79] Isaac, they strove with him, Gen. 26.14, 15, 20. They that are full of En­vy, are full of strife and debate, Rom. 1.29. Jam. 3.14. Such as grudge and are grieved that a Neighbour is too happy, and out-shines themselves in Honour, Wealth, Wisdom, or any other good thing; their Envy puts them upon a striving against him to deprive him, Mat. 27.18. Acts 7.9. Ecl. 4.4. How odious and contrary to God is this! Mat. 20.15. Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

4. Inordinate Angriness and Wrath­fulness is an Odious Thing. 'Tis con­trary to the Meekness and Merciful­ness Commanded in the Gospel; 'tis irrational and bruitish, Eccl. 7.9. Prov. 14.29. 'Tis Outragious, Cruel, Murderous, and Diabolical, and Ac­cursed, Gen. 49.6, 7. Prov. 27.4. & 21, 24. 'Tis contrary to the Spirit of God, and to Holiness, Gal. 5.20.1 Tim. 2.8. Now Sinful Strife is produced by fin­ful Wrathfulness, Prov. 15.18. The wrathful man stirreth up strife, Prov. [Page 80]30.33. The forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife, even a strife full of Un­righteousness, Jam. 1.20. An odious Daughter of an odious Mother.

5. Hatred is an Odious Evil. It is joyned with Witchcraft, as a fruit of the flesh, that is, of Original In [...]dwel­ling Sin, Gal. 5.20. 'Tis contrary to love, which is the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13.10. and contrary to the new Command of the Gospel, & to the Character of a Christian, Joh. 13.34.35. Now Sinful Strife is produced by Hatred, Prov. 10.12. Hatred stir­reth up strifes. They who hate their Neighbours are murderers in their hearts, 1 Joh. 3.15. and will deal hate­fully, and strive wickedly, Ezek. 23.29. Isa. 66.5.

6. Impatience, Injuriousness, Implac [...] ­bleness, Spitefulness, Revengefulness are Odious Things: (What are the men who are of a spiteful, mischievous, irreconcileable Spirit, that will put up no Injuries, & that have no Con­science of Righteousness, but the ve­ry [Page 81] Children of Belial, 2 Sam. 23.6, 7. The man that shall touch them has need to be fenced with Iron) Now those Odious Evils ingender strife; for Injuriousness to others, provokes them, and begins a Quarrel; and the other Evils mentioned, seek & have their first vent in Strife to bring Af­fliction, and to execute vengeance (yet contrary to the Gospel) upon ones Neighbour, who is mistaken for an Enemy: Thus the Scorpion Maggots of Strife are bred of the Fruit that is forbidden, Rom. 12.19. Prov. 24.17. & 25.21. & 20.22. Gal. 5.26. Prov. 3.29. Luk. 6.37.1 Thes. 5.14.

7. Vain Credulity, Jealousie, & Evil­surmisings, Rashness, Headiness, Disorder­liness, and the ungovernable Disposition in Christians especially, are Odious Evils, full of folly, Prov. 14.15.1 Tim. 6.4. full of Uncharitableness, 1 Cor. 13.5. & most contrary to God, who is the God of Order, 1 Cor. 14.33. and contrary to the Weal of humane Societies, 2 Tim. 3.1, 4 & tending to their Ruine. Now these Evils beget [Page 82]Strife, and the Peace of Brethren is broken by them. When the Backbi­ting Slanderous Tongue meets with an over-credulous Ear, and an Uncha­ritable Mind entertains Evil Jealousies of Neighbours, then all their words, and actions are look'd upon with an evil Eye, and taken in the worst sence, and then Men will quickly suppose that they have found ground enough of Displeasure and Debate, and their Spirits will be disposed to fall out with their Neighbours, especially if Rash­ness, and want of due Consideration be added to their evil Jealousy; and if their Headiness hinder them from hearkning to good Counsel, offer'd them by the Wise & Peaceable; and if they refuse to observe the Rules of Order; then Peace will certainly fly away; and Discord and Contention will come in its stead. Peace & Qui­etness are the Genuine Product and Issue of Good Government and Order well observed, 1 Tim. 2.2. Judg. 21.25. & 20.14, and Strife and Broils of the contrary. Thus in Seven particulars [Page 83]we have shewn, that the most Odious and Loathsome Corruptions & Causes have their foul issue & effect in Strife; They spawn forth strife, they have their vile Activity in strife, they smite on the Anvil of strife, the Coals of Sinful strife of Brethren are conti­nually blown up by the loathsome Breath of most Noisome and Noxious Lusts; And Belial Lusts are very Ram­pant, and have a glorious time of it when they have produced strife among Brethren. But the steams that issue out from a multitude of putrified carcasses are not more odious and abominable to humane nature, than the steams of sinful strife are unto Grace, that fume up from so many most loathsome Car­casses, & horrendous Vulcano's of Lust.

So much for the First Demonstra­tion.

II. That which has a most Sinful Nature and most Heinous Aggravati­ons, and is very Contagious, and causes Men to commit a Multitude of vile Transgressions, is an Odious & Horren­dous [Page 84]Evil, earnestly & zealously to be Striven against by the Saints of God: But Sinful Strife of Brethren has a most Sinful Nature and most Heinous Ag­gravations; It is very Contagious, and causes men to commit a Multitude of vile Transgressions: It is therefore an Odious and Horrendous Evil. The sweetness & excellency of the Divine Law of Peaceableness shews the Odi­ousness of the Nature of the Unpeace­able Lust of strife. Strife is very sin­ful & vile, if the Will of GOD be very Good & Holy; For 'tis the Will of GOD that we meddle not with Con­tention; Prov. 17.14. That the Servants of the LORD strive not; 2 Tim. 2.24. That Christians walk not in strife; Rom. 13.13. But that they live Peaceably with all Men, Rom. 12.18. Especially, That they be at Peace among themselves; 1 Thes. 5.13, And that they follow Peace with them that Call upon the LORD; 2 Tim. 2.22. And Follow after the things that make for Peace: Rom. 12.18. Yea that, as much as in them lieth they live [Page 85]Peaceably. We see then that the Vice of Strife and the Will of GOD are contrary. Now to Contradict the Perfect & Acceptable Will of GOD is Odious Again, That's Odious that is most Different from, and Unlike to the most Lovely Nature of GOD; Now Strife is most Unlike to the Na­ture of GOD; and most Different from the most Pacifick Perfections of GOD, most Different from the Love, Sweetness & Goodness of GOD, from His Radiant Philanthropy, Benignity, Fidelity, Equity, Compassion, Conde­scention, Clemency, Patience, For­bearance, Long-suffering, and Indul­gence, Qualities that demonstrate Him to be the God of Peace, and not of a Contentious Nature. Again, That's Odious that's contrary to a Man's Glo­rifying GOD, as GOD; now 'tis contrary to a Mans Glorifying GOD, as GOD, by Sinful Strife to be Un­christianly Quarrelling with, and dis­couraging, Grieving, Vexing & Hur­ting of the Children of GOD, who bear [Page 86]the Image of their Heavenly Father. Again, that's Odious to a Saint that se­parates him from the Lord; Now sin­ful Strife doth so; For as when a Man carries it Litigiously & Abusive­ly to a Neighbours Child, he scarce knows how to look his Father in the Face; so a Christian by reason of his Rebellious, Abusive, Injurious, and ve­ry Guilty Strife doth grow Shy & Ti­morous, and is Staggered in his Hope and Boldness, and has not his wonted Freedom in the Presence of GOD. Again, that's an Odious Evil, and may well strike the Saints with some degree of horrour, in which they find them­selves Rebels against the Light, and Covenant-Breakers with God & Bre­thren, and acted by the Devil & Vilest Lusts, and Practically justifying of the Ungodly in their Sins against the Bre­thren, and hardning them therein; Now in their Sinful Strife with the Brethren they find themselves Rebels against Light, Covenant-breakers, Sin­ridden, Devil-driven, and on the side [Page 87]of those that Hate the LORD, with blistered & bleeding Consciences, a Tattered & Sullied Livery, and a Blot­ted Character; Aggravations, (One would think) sufficient to startle them, and to Terrify them from Medling any more with Strife against the Brethren. Verily the Nearer and more Frequent Communion a man has with GOD, the less he has to do with this Iniquity, and the more he doth and will abhor and eschue it. Again, If an evil be Contagious, Spreading, and Infectious, it is the more Odious & Horrid: Now the Plague of Sinful Strife is Conta­gious & Infectious: It spreads quick­ly and over-spreads whole Streets, Towns, Churches, Realms: It fer­ments like Leaven, Diffuses it self like Volatile Spirits, Runs like the Light­ning, and carries all before it like the Devouring Fire. A few Strangers a­mong the Israelites fall a lusting, and strait way all the Congregation of Israel lust also, Numb. 11.4. And Corah strives with Moses and Aaron, and presently [Page 88]the Chieftains, Dathan & Abiram and their Companies take part in the Strife: and that man (Corah) Perished not alone in his Iniquity, Numb. 16.1. Psal. 106.17. One Righteous Man (in his Error) blows the Trumpet of Strife against another Righteous Man, and bids him Defiance; and perhaps at first a Duel only of Words is in­tended; yet presently great Multi­tudes take the Alarm, and are Muster­ed in Strong Parties, into the Partner­ship of their Errour, Engaging in Fierce Battle; and among them, Many that are not Saints but carnal; and tho' the Saints are Recovered of their Wounds, by Soveraign Grace; yet Others dye and perish for ever, Psal. 34.21. filling up the Measure of their Sins, by their Opposition to the Righteous, in which they manifest their Spite & Hatred a­gainst them, and against CHRIST in them. Now the irrecoverable Perish­ing of Carnal Persons thro' the In­fection of the Example of Good Mens Strife, it renders the Sinful Strife of [Page 89]Good Men very Odious in the eyes of such as desire Mens Salvation, and abhor to have a Sinful hand in their Eternal Ruine. Again, That's an O­dious & Formidable Evil to the Chil­dren of GOD, that Seduceth them to Commit, and Involves them in the Guilt & Filth of a Multitude of Great Transgressions; Now Sinful Strife doth thus seduce & involve them: Strife opens the Catarracts & Sluces of Sin to make an Universal Deluge: Prov. 17.14. Where this Strife is, there is Confusion and every evil Work: James 3.16. Therefore he Loveth Transgres­sion that Loveth Strife, Prov. 17.19. O­dious Omissions & Neglects of Known Duty, Odious Obstructions of that which is Good, and Oppositions to it, and Odious Perpetrations of Evil are from Sinful Strife. To Exercise De­votion towards GOD, and to Worship GOD inwardly and externally are Great Duties, Sweet & Precious Du­ties; But this Odious Strife is a Foe, and a Bar to the Well-doing of 'em. [Page 90]The fumes of Adust Choller and the Pest [...]ferous Vapours that Spring from Crudities & Indigestions do not more Obstruct & Annoy Nature than the feculent & pestiferous Fumes of Strife do Obstruct & Annoy Grace; mightily helping the bad Principle in acting of Evil, & hi [...]dring the better Principle in a Saint that would be doing of good: For as an Odious Cancer by drawing that which should be for the Nutri­ment of the Natural Flesh, unto its Self, doth consume the Flesh and weaken the Body; so sinful Strife by Imploying & Spending the very Life and Strength of the Soul in its own Service, it leaves the Soul Listless and Unapt to Acts of Religion; it depau­perates it so far, that it becomes too feeble & infirm to Engage in, and Go [...] thorow with the Exercises of Intense Meditation, Fervent and Importunate Prayer, Seraphic Thanksgiving, Right, Diligent Hearing and Improving of the Holy Word of GOD, and Recei­ving of Sacraments, and Cuts off all Freedom of Spirit in Communion [Page 91]with GOD; It so creeples the Soul, that it can't raise it self up Heaven­ward, as it was wont before, and it causes that the Saint shall have but Little Time and less Heart for Acts of Religion, (that require the whole Heart, and sufficient Time,) and too little Life, Power, and Vigour therein. The Ini­quity of Strife must be Suppressed or the Religion of Prayer will be Hindred, 1 Pet. 3.4, 7, 9.

Many of the Dear Children of God can give evidence to this heavy charge against Strife from their own dear experience. Thus Devotion & Religion may say to wicked Strife; Host thou found me O mine Enemy! and verily Justice and Charity may each of them say so also; for this Strife is an odious Foe to them both. This Strife will not allow a man to be his Brothers Keeper; nor permit him to think worthily of his Brother, or speak peaceably to him, and re­spectfully of him, much less to act profitably for him; but as to the [Page 92] Admonishing of him for his good, with pity, kindness, meekness, sweetness and wisdom, this cursed Strife most powerfully prevents & obstructs that. And as for the Exercise of the Duty of Brotherly Forgiveness, Strife is like the made Horse in the Chariot that pulls backward, and the sinful Stri­ver must be forc'd to say the Fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer back­ward, or else he will Curse himself; for if God should no otherwise For­give him then he Forgives his Of­fending Brother, he were undone. Yea, this Odious Strife will neither do good it self, (and never did good for good's sake) nor will let others do it; hence when one Party pro­poses and engages in any Enterprize tending to much Publick Good, the Evil Spirit of Strife stirs up the other Party to manifest an Antipathy a­gainst it; and from Emulation, and through Jealousies and Misprisions, and by Misrepresentations and other ill Practices to be putting of insupe­rable [Page 93]blocks in the way, so that most excellent attempts, through the ma­lignant influences of Strife are ren­dred fruitless. Nor is Strife only faulty for neglecting and obstructing that which is Good, but also for po­sitive direct Acts of Evil: For Mul­tifarious and very Nefarious Perpe­trations of Iniquity are justly charge­able upon it: To profane God's Or­dinances, (such as Praying, Preach­ing, Fasting, &c.) is an Odious I­niquity: Yet this is done by Strife: Christ saith, Pray for Enemies much more for Brethren; Strife profanely saith, Pray against them: Christ saith, Bless them; but Strife Curses them: and they that fast for Strife, do Fast to smite with the Fist of Wickedness; and they that Preach Christ of Contention, pollute their Offerings in God's Temple with Sul­phur and Wild-fire, which God has forbidden, Phil. 1.15 Such Strange Fire is loathsome to GOD. But tho' Strife carries on Religion and Tem­ple [Page 94]Work with odious & provoking Carnality, yet it impudently saith (with Je [...]u) Come see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts; which is not zeal but a tainted Passion, most abominable to the Lord of Hosts. No man is fit to offer any Gift on God's Altar in Sinful Strife; he had better leave it not offered; Mat. 5.23. Leave thy Gift, &c. Also Strife makes men most scandalous even in their Exercising of Discipline towards the Scanda­lous. Again, To profane Gods Pro­vidences, is an Odious Iniquity; yet Strife doth this also: Are Provi­dences prosperous to the Striver, the Spirit of Strife in him impiously pro­claims a justication from Heaven, & that Almighty GOD is of its Party, yea, its Patron, when as He abhor [...] it. Are Providences Calamitous to the Opposite Party; The Spirit of Strife is glad at the Calamities (which yet is a provocation to God, Prov 17.5.) and profanely saith, that its hard thoughts of, & wicked Censures it has [Page 95]pass'd upon Brethren and Antago­nists, are allowed and owned in Hea­ven. But if the Divine providence work not for the Striver, and against his Opposite, as the Spirit of Strife would have had it, the man is ready to treat Providence it self, & the Lord of Providence, Sacrilegiously and a­busively; and to charge the Lord foolishly, and wickedly; Yea, to take grievous offence at Him, so as to fall out with Him, and to fall off from him, and not easily to be Pacified & Reconciled. Again, To profane and abuse God's Saints and Servants, is an Odious Iniquity; for they bear the Divine Image, and they cannot be profaned and abused without scanda­lous violations of the Great and Glo­ [...]ous Commandments, in the Second Table of the Law, and of the preci­ous Precepts of the Gospel, and of the Grace thereof: But this Sinning and Sinful Strife doth profane and abuse God's Saints and Servants, vio­lating both Law and Gospel. But to [Page 96]vilifie the Saints, to blacken 'em, dis­courage 'em, sadden 'em, weaken 'em, tempt 'em to Evil and to treat 'em sordidly and unworthily, and to dis­own, and deny the Grace that is in them, and the Good that is done by them; & to turn that Light where­by they should shine before men, & Glorify their Heavenly Father, into Darkness, is to profane & abuse Gods Holy Ones: Now Sinful Strife is wont to do all this; violating the Divine Precepts, as well as hurting the Bre­thren, by odious misp [...]ons, suspici­ons, alienations hatreds, ill-wishings, revilings, jearings, scornings, irreve­rend carriage, disorderliness, discour­teousness, unkindnesses, clamours, affronts, injuries, & acts of Revenge, Slandrous Defamations, Deceits, O­ver-reachings, (all of them works of the Flesh forbidden) and by mani­fold unjust provocations of the Bre­thren; and scandalous Miscarriages, odious to God and man: Not to mention Man-slaughters, sometimes [Page 97]committed in Strife; nor the bloo­dy, barbarous Wars of Christian Na­tions. Oh thou Odious Strife! how dost thou cause the Name of the E­ternal God to be blasphemed, and the Names, and Spirits, and Vertues of his Children to be blasted; and how amazingly dost thou multiply Transgressions among men!

III. A third and last Argument for Demonstration of its horrid Odious­ness, (on account whereof the Saints ought to hate and dread it, & strive against it) is to be taken from the Consideration of the dreadful Punish­ments that it is by the Holy Anger of God Recompensed with; and of the distressing, destroying Woes and Plagues that it is the procuring cause of. That Evil which brings down the Wrath of God, and dreadful Spi­ritual and Temporal Plagues is Odi­ous & Horrendous: But Sinful Strife is an Evil that brings down the Wrath of God, and dreadful Spiritual and [Page 98]Temporal Plagues: Therefore Sin­ful Strife is Odious and Horrendous. Sinful Strivers, and men of Conten­tion are often punished for a time, as the Experience of Saints and Chur­ches doth testify, with some degrees of Blindness of Mind, and Hardness of Heart, and Searedness of Consci­ence, and Withdrawments of the Spi­rit of God, with sad fears, with want of Restraining Grace, with molestations from Satan, with decay of their Gifts, with disability to near Approaches to God, and to Intimate Communion with Him; with loss of the sense of the Love of God in Christ, with Di­minutions of Confidence of being Pardoned, and with Abdication unto vile Lusts; they find want of Joy in God, little success of their Labours in Religion, little progress Heaven­ward, little light of Gods Counte­nance, no sealings of Divine Accep­tance of their Persons and Works; they suffer under Blemishings of their good Name, and Frowns in their Fa­milies [Page 99]and Estates; & for this cause many are sick, and some are snatch­ed away by Death. We judge not the Eternal Estate of all that joined with Corah, in striving against M [...]ses, nor of the whole Congregation that strove with him as well as Aaron and Miriam; yet tho' many of them we hope went to Heaven, yet they suf­fered signally and dreadfully for their strife on Earth, being Condemned as to Men in the Flesh. Fierce Con­tentions of Brethren have been pu­nished with terrible Persecutions from Heretical and Antichristian Powers; and with the Sword of Barbarous Na­tions. And when Brethren will not leave off their strife, but keep biting one another; God sometimes gives them over to that fearful Judgment of being consumed one of another, Gal. 5.15. How Odious and Horren­dous is this Strife then that runs men into danger of all this.

III. But I pass to the Third Thing [Page 100]that was proposed, viz. To shew how the Saints may be striving against this sinful Strife in an holy manner; which may serve for an Use of Direction, and with it I shall Conclude.

And here,

1. They will do well to make sure that they strive for Hol, Peace, and against Sinful Sirife; they being in an Holy and Peaceful State, a state of Union with Christ the Prince of Peace; a state of Peace with God through Jesus Christ; a New-Covenant state, a state wherein they have Right and Title to the Promised and Purchased Blessing of mutual fraternal Peace, as a means of their Edification in Holiness & Com­fort in their Communion with God, and one with another.

God may say to the man that strives for this Peace, without a Title, (as Jehu once said, 2 King. 19.22.) What hast thou to do with Peace? Get thee be­hind me.

Peace with God & Peace with Bre­thren are to be held by the same Title and Tenure.

[Page 101] We should therefore pursue our Peace with Brethren, by assuring our Peace with God in Christ. Let a man's heart be fervently engaged and imployed in clearing up, and renew­ing and confirming his Peace with God, and he will willingly and easily drop his strife with his Brethren. May he but obtain the sense of the Divine Love to himself, & a good assurance that his Sins are forgiven him, he will with marvellous meekness, calmness, and sweetness, forgive and receive offending Brethren.

2. The Saints should strive against Sinful Strife, from holy Principles, and for holy Ends, and with holy Frames and Dispositions of Soul. He that finds in himself that he is two men thorow­out, may conclude assuredly, that he is a Saint of God; if he is two in his mind, two in his wi [...], two in his Con­science, and Affections, &c. If he is still warring with himself, his good principles against his bad principles, his good ends against his bad ends, [Page 102] &c. then is he Renewed in part, in every part, & a partaker of Spiritual Life, Rom. 7.22, 23. Now in his striving for Peace and against Sinful Strife, he must labour to suppress all carnal principles, frames and aims, and awa­ken up, and strengthen, and actuate, and make use of only those which are Spiritual & Holy; would he strive holily, as a Saint, he must strive against Unbrotherly Fraternal Strife as it is a Sin, a Contrariety to, a Rebellion a­gainst the Great Jehovah, against the Father, who is the God of Peace, Love and Unity; against the Son, who is the Prince, Purchaser & Do­nor of Peace, Love and Unity, and has Interceeded with God for them; & most strictly injoyn'd and Required them in the Saints; and against the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Love and Peace and Comfort, and seals them to the Saints, and is the Band of their Unity together in Christ. Hence he must strive against it from gracious Principles of Faith in God, [Page 103]Love to God, Fear of God, and hatred of Sin, and Holy Self-love, and Love to Saints, with holy aims at the Glorifying and Pleasing of God, and preventing the Dishonour of his Glo­rious Name, the disparagement of the Gospel, the provocation of his Wrath, and the defeatment of the Saints of their full enjoyment of the sweet fruits of Divine Grace. If a Child of God strive against the strife of Bre­thren, under the Influence of Carnal Principles and Dispositions; as his strivings will not be very pleasing to the Lord, so they will prove lame, feeble, inconstant, and will carry him but a little way towards the conquer­ing of sinful Strife: but if he act un­der the influence of holy Principles and Dispositions; his strivings against sinful strife will be most conscienti­ous, & spiritual, lively, vigorous, con­stant, indefatigable, abundant and mighty through God. (For as a mans Principles, Ends, & Dispositions are, so will his actings be;) The Saint [Page 104]warring against sinful strife, under the power and influence of his best principles, will firmly resolve & say, By the help of God, I'l have no strife with my Brethren, but the strife of Love; I'l plainly and kindly rebuke 'em, and not suffer Sin upon 'em; but yet I'l embrace 'em, and not en­dure any strife with 'em; I'l bear Contradiction from 'em, without ma­king any irritating Retortions upon 'em; I'l for peace sake, & on Christs account, put up many lesser injuries at their hands, since he has put up many greater at mine; I'l have no hand in leading them or my self in­to Temptation & Transgression; I'l not injuriously offend & grieve 'em, left I grieve the Holy Spirit of God in them; I'l heap coals of kindness to warm their cold Charity; the more they whom my dearest Lord has dearly bought, and dearly loves, are besides themselves, I'l pity 'em the more, and not be bitter against 'em; I'l not beat up the Drum, nor [Page 105]fire the Beacon of my Soul at the noise of every Pot-gun; I'll bear many a Squib, and to him that has struck the one Cheek, I'l meekly of­fer the other, and send the Cloak af­ter the Coat, and deny my self, and blow away the loose corns of a little Money, rather than by waging a wrathful strife with my Brother, to procure the dishonour, and incur the wrath of the Immortal God; I'l not repay affronts and injuries with re­venge; and I'l venture my being call'd a Coward for't; In the Name of God, I'l not be overcome of Evil, but I'l overcome Evil with Good; I'l even leave my Gift at the Altar, that I may go to quench the unhallowed flames of strife, if they have broken out; my Eyes shall be Water-spouts, and my heart Rivers, to quench those Flames: I'l ply the Throne of Grace day and night, and give the Lord no rest, and I'l ply mine own heart, and my Brethrens, and give them no rest till the Pestilence of sinful strife be [Page 106]taken away, and the Glory and Fa­vour of God in Christ, and the Edi­fication and comfort of his Children be restored and secured. Hereof ho­ly Paul was an eminent Instance and Example, who laboured and strove a­gainst strife, under the mighty influ­ence of holy Principles and Ends, in­vigorated by the Almighty Influen­ces of the Eternal Spirit.

3. In a special manner the Saints should strive against sinful Strife one with another in the Exercise of mutual Holy Love, Meekness, Humility For­bearance, and Condescention. The Holy wise Soveraign Providence of our LORD JESUS CHRIST has so dis­posed that some Christians shall have more outward Means of light, more abundant Instructions, more inlarged natural capacities and abilities of understanding and conception of things, greater degrees of Know­ledge and Wisdom, and more of the divine Illuminations and Irradiations than others; tho' all true Saints have [Page 107]sufficient to Bottom them upon the only saving Foundation, viz. Christ Jesus, and God in Him, and 'tis the duty of all to improve their outward helps and their inward abilities, with dependance on the divine Grace and Aids, unto an increase in Wisdom and Knowledge, and unto a guiding of their Thoughts, Affections, Words and Actions in all their duties towards God and Man. But inasmuch as some have less Light and less Capacity of understanding, and more Darkness and Weakness than others, it naturally follows, that they should have a diffe­rence in their Apprehensions and Con­ceptions of things; and their union in main Fundamentals being secured, their diversity of Opinions in other matters may be permitted, nor has GOD promised never to permit the same; only to secure their Peace and Union, he has given special order and charge for their mutual Tolera­tion, and Forbearance, in the things wherein they Differ; and for an [Page 108]uniformity in Practice, so far as they have attained an unity of Apprehensi­on; and for a Patient Waiting 'till GOD shall reveal more to them, in order to their better unanimity in o­ther things, Phil. 3.15, 16. And also for their constant exercise and ex­pression of Honourable Respect, Profound Submission, and Affectio­nate Love one to another, in the Bowels of CHRIST JESUS, all their difference in Opinions, and in their Practises, concientiously agreable with their Opinions, notwithstanding, Rom. 12.10. Eph. 5.21. And finally for their setting up of men of Wisdom, by their Advice and Arbitriment to end Disputes, to keep good Order a­mong them, Acts 15.2.1 Cor. 6.4—7. By applying the General Rules, given in the Holy Word of GOD, unto par­ticular Persons, and Cases, according to their best Understanding; and for their Submission to 'em in the LORD; All which by the Blessing of CHRSIT and Influences of the Blessed SPIRIT [Page 109]on such as duly should attend the same, might sufficiently guard 'em against the fatal Eruptions of Strife & Divisi­on, and Preserve their Unity & Peace. Therefore among those who own and desire Conscientiously to adhere and conform unto the main Fundamentals of Saving Truths, according to the holy Scriptures, the Prime Rules of Religion and Christian Practice, and of Righteousness and Equity; the grand & main Principles of Prudence, and the Essentials of good Order; Strife is to be kept down, by keeping up good Charity; Which passeth over Transgressions, Prov. 19.11. And Co­vers a multitude of Sins, Prov. 10.12. & 17.9. And delights not to discover mens Nakedness, (to expose them to shame, and provoke them to indigna­tion, Gen. 9.21. — 25. Mat. 18.5, 15. Prov. 17 9. Which Charity also Wat­ches not for Iniquity, not makes a man an Offender for a Word, (Isai. 29.21, 22. And takes not up Prejudices rash­ly, believes not ill reports easily, Hates [Page 110]the Tale-bearer, & Back-biter, & judges not Censoriously, Psal. 101.5. & 15.1, 2. Prov. 11.13. & 16.28. & 18.8. Mat. 7.1. James 4.11, 12. But believes and hopes the best, 1 Cor. 13.4.—7. And is ready and easy to accept of just Apologies, Josh 22.10—20. Defers Anger, Prov. 19.11. James 1.19, 20. And lets not the Sun go down upon Wrath; Puts away all Spite & Malice; Col. 3.8. Works no ill to ones Neighbour, Rom. 13.10. Suffereth long, beareth, and endureth all things. 1 Cor. 13.4—7. Puts on bowels of Mercy and long-Suffering, and Gentleness and Goodness, Gal. 5.15, 22, 23, 26. Eph. 4.1, 2, 32. Col. 3.8, 12, 13. Banishes away all Bitterness, Clamour, and Evil Speaking; Eph. 4.3—6, 31.1 Pet. 2.1. Dreads to give any just cause of offence and provo­cation; Avoids, (not Evil only, but also) All Appearance of Evil, lest a­ny should be Scandalized thereat. 1 Thes. 5.22. And Renders not Evil for Evil, and Railing for Railing, but contrary-wise, Blessing for Cursing, [Page 111]1 Pet. 3.9. And if such as do Injury, were by Name never particularly Pray'd for, before they shew'd their distemperature in Opposing and Per­secuting; yet now it Prays for 'em heartily & fervently by Name; Mat. 5.44. And they are according to their folly dealt withal, not by an Acting like unto 'em, but the contrary, Prov. 26.4. Not by being overcome of Evil, but by overcoming of Evil with good, Rom. 12.21. Not by committing Tres­passes against them in a way of Reta­liation, but by forgiving them their Trespasses, in a way of Liberality, Mat. 6 14, 15. & 18 35. both freely & fre­quently; and that for CHRIST's Sake only who has deserved it, when men have not deserved that they should be forgiven for their own sakes, Luk. 17.3, 4. Eph 4.1, 2, 32. Col. 3.8, 12, 13.

Thus to keep up good Charity ac­cording to the Divine Command­ments is the Way to keep down Sin­ful Strife. Be not then over-rigid & severe in your Resentments of the [Page 112]Actions or Words of fellow Christians that are grievous to you; but make the best Construction of them, that a reasonable Charity can Allow; Im­pute much to their Ignorance, Mis­taken Apprehensions, Misinformations, Temptations and meer humane Infir­mities; Damn 'em not prefently as Persons of Profligate Consciences; but treat 'em rather with meekness & gentleness, patience & compassion as Persons hopefully Reclaimable; and suffer not the Exercise of Private Spi­ritual Fraternal. Communion in Pray­ing together & conferring about the things of God to Cool or Fail by any means; Be often with them, and Ex­press your most hearty Love to them, in the bowels of CHRIST. All Dis­position in you & them unto Sinful Strife will be proportionably Weak­ned, as your Mutual Love is Strength­ned, and your Spirits sweetned by your Conjoyned Exercises of Religi­on & Communion with God. Make [Page 113]Conscience then of Approving your selves one to another as most Sincere in Brotherly Love, as well as most Up­right & Steady in the Essentials of true Godliness, Righteousness, Prudence, & Order, that you may get an Heart-Interest One in Another; and then tho' your Minds are invincibly pos­sessed with different Opinions leading to some diversity in Practice, Yet considering that the things wherein you agree are vastly more and greater than the things wherein you differ, and that under Variety of Apprehension you Retain Unity of Affection, Tis not impossible for you, by the Gift and Help of the Holy SPIRIT, so to ma­nage Matters with Wisdom, Forbear­ance and Condescention, as not to Contract the Guilt of being disturbers of Mutual Peace: Those Incendiaries, Pride & Self Conceitedness, Magiste­rial Impositions on one another, Im­patience of Contradiction, Envy, Self-Interest, Intrusions of New Opinions [Page 114]against fundamental Truths, Invasi­ons of Long Possessed Rights, Blind and Furious Zeal for lesser Points of Truth, Order or Right, and all Gra­vaminous Mutual Reflections, being utterly Abandoned and Abhorred by you. For then will you Discourse & Argue all things with Sedate Minds; then will you be able to Hear Scrip­ture & found Reason, as well as Speak it; and to give Soft Words, & Sweet Arguments; then you'l take to heart your Neighbours Cases & Interests as well as your Own; & where Consci­ence will suffer it, You'l be ready to meet 'em half way; Yea, so great will your Self Denial be, that you'l be In­clined to say as Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 19.26. Even let 'em Take all: Yea, you'l not Assume to be your own judges, but will willingly Submit to the Arbitration, Advice, or Judgment of Others; and Ask at Abel, that so you may End your Matters? 2 Sam. 20 18. And you'l not grudge to part with a little inconsiderable [Page 115]Pelf, to purchase the very precious & invaluable Jewel of Peace: Then you'l humbly Resolve that that shall never be gotten by strife that can be gotten by Peace: Then also 'twil do your hearts good to behold the Good and Prosperity & Comforts of other men, and more good to be the In­struments to procure'em: Then you'l carefully avoid all undue siding and Party-taking; but if you belong to [...] strong and difficult Party, and have a Party strong and difficult a­gainst you and the Matter of Right contended about, be very considera­ble, and Arbitrators and Judges are [...]ivided in their Opinions, and other [...]rdinary means of issuing fail of [...]uccess, then after much Prayer to [...]eaven; you'l submit to a sacred [...]ot, and by that Ordinance be De­ [...]rmined, Prov. 18.18, 19. & 16.32, 33. [...] 17.1. Moreover you'l count eve­ [...]y new injury done unto you to be a [...]ew Probation that you are put upon [...]y the Divine Permissive and Over­ruling [Page 116]Providence, and will be more concern'd to acquit your selves well in Piety & Meekness & Charity un­der the Trial, than to bring trouble on him that did you the injury; and you'l account every new injury to be a new call to some new act of Bene­ficence to the injurious person. You'l count that when you provoke any Fellow Christians and Fellow Mem­bers, and hurt them, that you hurt your selves, and you will your selves feel and be in pain for every stroke and hurt that you inflict on others, which will make you wary of dealing sharply with 'em; you'l offer any thing for Peace, but to Sin against God; you'l not put by any really good motion out of prejudice to him that makes it, thro' Indignation that he complies not with your Sentiments o [...] outward Interest: You'l speak of o­thers, as you would be spoken of your selves, and speak to them as you your selves would be spoken to, & will do as you would be done by; you will sanctifie the Name of God, [Page 117]when he permits your Brethrens falls, (when they sinfully fall upon you) and be more heartily concerned in deep pity to them to obtain their Pardon and Recovery, than to get any Revenge upon them for your selves; and praising God, that you yet stand, you'l be warned thereby to take heed lest you fall also. If any one be overtaken in a Fault, you'l en­deavour to restore him in the Spirit of meekness; considering your selves, lest you also be Tempted, Gal. 6.1. Also knowing that Fructus liberat arborem, the Husbandman will not fell the Tree that is loaden with choice Fruit; you'l labour that your Fra­ternal Peace be not exposed to be cut down for its Laodicean barrenness; you'l see that it be fruitfully impro­ved, as the Primitive Church's was; who having peace and rest, were edified in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost, and multiplied, Acts 9.31. You'l walk in, and work by the light of it, and not forfeit it by Security, Sensuality, [Page 118]Worldliness, neglect of Ordinances, and Disobedience to the Commands of Redeeming the Time, and working out your Salvation with fear, and watch­ing and preparing for the Coming of your Lord, and Exhorting one another daily, while it is called to day, lest any be har­dened through the deceitfulness of Sin.

And you'll dread to dance after the Devil in the Inchanted Ring of Sinful Strife, to the fatal hazard of all your best Interests for Time and Eternity. Now the God of Peace help you to follow these Directions of His Holy Word, in an Holy Striving against Sinful Strife; and give you Peace always by all means, through Christ Josus, by His Holy Spirit; to whom be Glory for ever. Amen.

[Page 119]

LOVE and UNITY ENCOURAGED, AND Contention and Division DISSWADED, in a POEM.

THe Costly Nard, on Jesus Feet,
Was dutifully Plac'd:
Light finger'd Judas vilely Cry'd,
What meaneth all this Waste?
His Discontent at mild Reproof.
Shot forth in Wrath and Strife,
And Consultations of Revenge
Against the Lord of Life.
By Giving of the Pascal Sop,
The Traitor was detected,
The Supper of the Lord came on;
He being first Ejected.
Christ's Sufferings hastened on apace,
And He Prepar'd to Die:
[Page 120] His Will and Testament Declar'd,
And His last Legacie:
And thus Began; The Son of Man
Is Glorify'd Hereby;
And in Him, God is Glorify'd,
And shall Him Glorify.
My Children Dear! Saith He, I go
Where yet you cannot Come,
(By Whom much Work is to be done,
Before your Martyrdome.)
Know All Me [...], Ye are Mine: Let All
My NEW Commandment View,
That Ye must One Another Love,
As I have Loved you.
This New Command is Mine; This Test
If you Endure, when Try'd,
And keep my Law, you in my Love,
And Favour shall Abide.
This Precept I'l Repeat, and say
My Love, that's wondrous Great
Unto you all, you labour shall
By Love, to Imitate.
Yea to my Friends, I'l say't again,
(Lest you Forgetful prove;)
I strictly do Command, That you
Shall One Another Love.
My Loves sweet Fruits, The Comfor [...]er
Shall then to you Impart,
A Life of Fruitfulness shall shew
Your Heav'nly Joyful Heart.
[Page 121] Abundantly when you shall Ask
The Father in My Name,
By all Our Truth, and Love, and Power,
We will Perform the same.
Much more He Spake, Ending at length,
His Farewel Exhortation;
Then to His Father turn'd, and made
His Fervent Supplication.
O FATHER! Glorify thy SON;
WHO Glorifys Thee still,
And Gives to Men Eternal Life
According to Thy Will.
My Taught Apostles Sanctify;
From Evil keep them Free:
As Holy, FATHER! We are ONE,
ONE also Let Them be.
Not or the World, But Them I Pray,
And Such as shall Believe
On Me, by vertue of the Word,
They shall of Them receive,
As Thou [...]t in Me, & I in Thee,
In Glorious Unitie,
One in the Father and the Son,
That They may also be;
In Truth & Faith & Amitie
That ever [...] Christian Brother
Be Joyned unto Me and Thee,
And All to One Another.
The World doth Hate 'em, & will Strive
To Rob their outward Rest;
[Page 122] With God, with Conscience, & with Saints
My Peace shall make them Bless'd.
My Peace to them I therefore give;
My Peace I with them leave;
May they Enjoy 't, till I shall them
Unto My Self Receive
To Purchase Love and Ʋnity,
Dear Saviour! Thou hast bled.
And to pursue 'em, all thy Saints
Under strong bands hast laid.
That these thy precious Legacies,
They surely may Inherit,
Inherent and Assisting Grace
Are offer'd, by Thy Spirit.
How is it then (since Thou hast made
Such plentiful Provision,
For Love and Ʋnity) we find
Contention and Division!
Those Blessings, if we don't enjoy,
The Fault and Blame's our own:
We've shut up Heav'n, if they descend
Not from that Glorious Throne.
The Means and End lie close Conjoyn'd
In the Divine Decree:
Thou wait'st but till we use the means,
And well prepared be:
Thy Laws neglected, lose their Force;
Thy Promise is not Heeded;
Judgment on Murmurers takes Place;
So Grace is Superseded.
[Page] Our Meribabs are Multiply'd,
As if we were Possess'd;
Our Loose Affections soon Divide;
For Trifles, we Contest.
Our Honour's trampled under foot;
Our Crown is made Profane;
To many Souls, while Strife is rife,
The Means of Grace are vain.
The Storms grow long, the hopeful seeds.
Under the Clods grow rotten;
The Blasted Years of strife do make
The plenteous years forgotten;
By Hot Contention's Thunderbolts
Are Temples rent in twain;
Armies of Abels too, Advance,
Arm'd with the Clubs of Cain.
Batter'd and Shatter'd by such Storms,
Are best mens Reputations;
In vain they talk, while strife is loud,
of working Reformations.
And by strife's means, much Pray'r is stop'd
And much is turn'd to Sin:
It breaks all Dams; so Hells black Waves
Amain come tumbling in.
Setting aside the Fear of God,
And violently mov'd
By Instigation of the Devil,
Thousands of times (it's prov'd)
This wicked strife has broke the Peace
In Christian Families,
[Page 124] In Kingdoms, Provinces and Towns,
Churches and Colonies;
It has Eclips'd, to great Degree,
Each Radiant Quality,
That gave 'em greatest likeness to
Th' Eternal Deity.
Their Wisdom, Justice, Holiness,
Long suffering, Clemency,
Their Meekness and Indulgence too,
Love and Benignity,
God's Great and Glorious Name also
Strife vilely doth Despise,
And what God's Soul Abominates
Doth to Him Sacrifice.
The Halt and Sick and Mutilated
(Which God doth not desire)
It doth upon His Altar burn,
All with Ʋnballowed Fire.
An Enemy to the Vitals 'tis;
Seiz'ng both Heart and Head;
Many that seem'd Alive before,
It's Poysonous Breath strikes Dead.
To slay this fiery Dragon strife,
Where's the Effectual Dart?
O Saints! God's Word's the pow'rful sword
That Stabs it to the Heart:
Let Faith God's Promises improve,
And Fear His Threatnings Weild,
And Conscience stand by His Command,
And Strife will soon be Kill'd.
[Page 125] And is't a Plague, then call for Pray'r;
Our Churches often prove it;
No Hand but what inflicted it
Is able to Remove it.
Then set His Hand on work by Pray'r,
Add Faith and Fasting to it;
If 't's possible to cast it out,
This Heav'nly Course will do it.
Cutting Rebukes for to forbear
No such Forbearance is
As Christ will own, when milder means
Encourage the Disease.
Yet when Constrain'd to Cut and Lance,
Be sure you mourn and weep,
And tremble, lest by any means,
Your Lancet pierce too deep.
For things, in Notion, Disputable,
Not inconsistent with
Faith, Love, and New-Obedience,
Do not Strifes Sword Unsheath.
If you must needs come to Debate,
You greatly ought to fear it:
And for such Trial of Self-denial,
Bring a submitting Spirit,
Knowing your weakness, come (I say)
With some degree of terrour,
Lest truth and right you would assert,
Should suffer by your Errour.
Be not of Evil Overcome;
Be good invincibly;
[Page 126] That ill men by your goodness great,
At length may vanquish't be.
Do Churlish Neighbours not deserve,
Your Pardons Peace and Kindness,
Yet Christ deserves; if you can't see't
'Tis owing to your Blindness.
Whoso desires that He himself,
And others live at Rest,
Must Hear and See, with Charity,
And wisely say the best.
Be deaf to Tatling Tale-bearers;
Credit not all Reports;
Avoid the Charms of whisperers;
Forbear all sharp Retorts;
Would you not have the Sun seem Red,
Put by the Heliotrope;
If you'd not hear the Clapper strike,
Then do not pull the Rope;
If you'd not have the Blood burst forth,
The nose then do not wring;
Do not disturb the wasps or bees,
If you'd avoid their sting;
Would you not have your Glass-house broke,
Then throwing stones forbear;
Would you prevent a Powder blast,
Then let no Coals come near;
Remove the Leaven you see laid
Before it be fermented;
Occasions of Disturbance, let
Be Carefully Prevented;
[Page 127] Forbear when Censures you receive,
Like Censures to return;
Of Fire-balls make no Foot balls, lest
You Towns and Churches burn.
Are Spirits roil'd and blood inflam'd
With Feavour to Convulsion;
Purge sharp and peccant humours well,
And make a quick Revulsion.
From he hot Caldron pluck the brands,
If you'd not have it boil;
VVould you not have the swelling burst,
Then supple it with Oyl.
Although for outward quietness,
POWERS are and LOTS ordain'd,
Yet Lotts, and Law-suits rarely use,
Lest they and Peace be stain'd.
Common Received Customs Good
R solve, not to oppose;
Nor violently to impose
What e're you shall propose.
In Doubtful Things and Difficult,
Be not too Peremptory;
Suspect, suspend your judgment then,
And be not Refractory.
Would you've good Peace and Unity
And Friendship with a Brother,
In Lawful Things let ev'ry one
Both serve and please each other.
Offences neither give nor take;
Pray God to make you Wise;
[Page 128] Let Patience have its perfect work;
Meekness it's Exercise;
All Envy and Vexatious Wrath,
Well mortify you must;
Contention comes by Pride, this Pride
It must be ground to Dust;
Lastly, break not your Peace with God;
His Laws keep as your Life,
If you'l secure your mutual Peace
And not be plagu'd with Strife.
Prov. 16.7.
FINIS.

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