redoubled prayer, (when not a word was spoken for his own life,) or else l^e misplaced his zeal, and improved not his time with God, for the best ad- vantage of his people. Secondly, He would make divisions appear more scareful and dreadful things to his peojDle, by putting in so many requests to God for preventing them. Certainly, if Christ had known one evil worse than another like to come upon his people at his departure, he would have been so true and kind to his children, as to deprecate that above all, and keep that oft". He told his children what they must look for at the world's hand, — all manner of sufterings and torments, that their wit coidd help their malice to devise ; yet Christ prays, not so much ibr imuuniity from these, as from unbrotherly contentious among themselves ; he makes account, if they can agree together, and be in love, saint witli saint, church with church, they have a mercy that v/ill alleviate the other and make it tolerable, yea, joyous ; this heavenly fire of love among themselves will qu?nch the flames of their pei-secutors, at least the horror of them. In a word, Christ would so strengthen our faith to ask boldly for that which he hath bespoke for us, so also aggravate the sin of contention to such a height, that all who have any love to Christ, Vv'hen they shall see that they cannot live in strife, but they must sin against those prayers which Christ with strong cries put up for peace and rmity, they ma}' tremble at the thoughts of it.
Thirdly, The price that Christ gave for the obtaining of this peace and imity. As Christ went from preaching up peace to pulling down peace from lieaven by prayer ; so he went from praying to paying for it. Indeed, C'luist's prayers are not a beggar's prayers as ours are ; he prays his fatlier that he may only have what he pays for. He was now on tlie way to tlie place of payment, Calvary, where his blood was the coin he laid down for this peace. I confess peace with God was the chief pearl that this wise merchant, Christ, bought ujj for his people. But he had this in his eye also ; and, therefore, the sacrament of the Lord's supper, which is the commemoration feast of Christ's death, as it seals our peace with God, so it signifies oiu- love one with another-, 1 Cor. X. And need I now give you any account why our dear Lord pursued this design so close, of knitting his people in peace and unity together? Truly the church is intended by Christ to be his house, in which he means to take up his rest ; and what rest could he take in a house all on fire about him ? it is his kingdom; and how can liis laws be obeyed, if all his subjects be in a hubbub one against another ? inter anna silent leges. In a word, his church are a people that are called out of the world to be a praise to him in the siglit of the nations ; as Peter saith, ' God did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name,' Acts xv. 14; that is, a people for his honour; but a wrangling, divided people would be little credit to the name of Christ. Yea, such, where they are found, (and where, alas ! are ihey not to be found ?) they are to the name of Christ as smoke and dirt to a fair face, they dirty and dis- figure Clu-ist ; so that the world will not acknowledge him to be who lie saith he is ; tliey lead them even into temptation, to think basely of Christ and his gospel, John xvii. 23. Christ prays his people may be made perfect in one ; and mark his argument, ' that the world may know that thou hast sent me.' Wliose heart bleeds not to hear Christ blasphemed at this day by so many black mouths 1 and what hath opened them more than the saints' divisions ?
Section II. — Secondly, The second argument shall be taken from yourselves. For yoin- own sakes live in peace and unity. Consider your obligations to love and unity: your relations call for it. If believers, Paul tells you yo>n- kindred, Gal. iii. 27 : 'Ye are all the children of God, by faith in Clnist Jesus.' Not only cliildren of God, so are all by creation, l)nt by faitli in Jesus Clu-ist also. Christ, he is the foundation of a new brotherhood to believers, O Christians, consider how near you are set one to another ; you were conceived in the same womb of the church, begot by the same seed of the word, to this new creation, whereby, as one saith, you become brethren of the whole blood ; and, there- fore, there should be the more unity and dear aft'ection among you than any other. Joseph's heart went out more to Benjamin than any of the rest of his bretlu'en, because he was his brother, both by father and mother ; if you fall out, who shall agree ? What is it that can rationally break yoiu- jicace ? Those things which used to be bones of contention, and occasion squabbling
Q()g THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.