O it is the devil that is practising his black art upon their lusts, which yet are so uninortitied as gives hiin too great an advantage of raising many times sad storms of division and strife among them. Paul and Barnabas set out in a calm together, but the devil sends a storm after them, such a storm as parted them in the midst of their voj'age, Acts xv. 39 : ' And the contention was so sharp betwixt them, that they departed asunder one from the other.' There is nothing (next to Cln-ist and heaven) that the devil grudges believers more than their peace and nuitual love : if lie cannot rend them from Christ, stop them from getting heaven, yet he takes some pleasure to see them go thither in a storm, like a shattered fleet severed one from another, that they may have no assistance from, nor comfort of each other's company all the way ; though where he can divide, he hopes to ruin also, well knowing this to be the most probable means to efi'ect it ; one ship is easier taken than a squadron. A town, if it can be but set on fire, the enemy may hope to take it with more ease ; let it therefore be your great care to keep the devil's spark from your powder. Certainly peace among Christians is no small mercy, that the devil's arrows fly so thick at its breast. Something I would fain s])eak to endear this mercy to the people of God. I love, I confess, a clear and still air, but above all in the church among believers ; and I am made the more sensible what a mercy this would ])e, by the dismal consequence of these divisions and differences that have for some years together troubled our air, and filled us with such horror and confusion, that we have not been much milike that land called Terra del Fo()o, the Land of Smoke, because of the frequent flashings of light- nings and abundance of smoke found there. What can I compare error to better than smoke ? and contention to than fire ? a kind of emblem of hell itself, where the flames and darkness meet together to increase the horror of the place. But to press the exhortation a little closer, give me leave to provoke you by three arguments to peace and unity.
Section I. — First, For Christ's sake. And methinks, when begging for his sake I should have no nay. When you pray to God, and do but use his name in the business, you are sure to speed. And why should not an ex- hortation, that woos you for Christ's sake, move your hearts to duty, as a prayer put up by you in his name moves God's heart to mercy? Indeed, how canst thou in faith use Christ's name as an argument to unlock God's heart to thee, which hath not so much credit with thyself as to o])en thy own heait into a compliance with a duty which is so strongly set on his heart to promote among his people ? As appears,
First, By the solenm charge he gave his disciples in this particulai-, John xiii. 34 : ' A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' I pray observe, how he prepares their hearts to open readilj', and bid this commandment kindly welcome : he sets his own name upon it. ' A new commandment I give unto you.' As if he had said, let this command, though as old as any other. Lev. xix. 18, yet go under my name in an especial manner: when I am gone, and the fire of strife begins at any time among you, remember what particvdar charge I now give you, and let it (piench it presently. Again, observe how he delivers this precept, and that is by way of gift and privilege; ' A new commandment I give unto you.' Indt>ed this was Christ's farewell sermon, the very strokings of that milk wliich he Kad fed them withal ; never dropped a sweeter discourse from his blessed lips ; he saved his best wine till the last. He was now making his will, and amongst other things that he bequeaths his disciples, he takes this commandment, as a father woidd do his seal-ring ofl'his finger, and gives it to them. Again, thirdly, he doth not barely lay the command before them, but to make it the more effectual, he annexeth in a few words the most powerful argument why they should, as also the most clear and full direction how they might do this, that is possible to be given: 'As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' O Christians! what may not the love of Christ command you ? If it were to lay down your lives for him that loved you to death, would you deny them ? and shall net this his love persuade you to lay down your strifes and divisions? This speaks enough how much weight he laid upon this connnandment ; but then again observe, how Christ, in the same sermon, over and over again reminds
g9G "^^^^ GOSPEL OF PEACE.