The Remonstrants in the Low Countries quite overturned their cause when they began to raise tumults and troubles everywhere ; so those under the conduct of Munster, in Germany, did but run themselves violently, like the Gadarenes' swine. Mat. viii. 32, upon their own ruin and destruction. Usually when Satan hath such great wrath, his time is but short, Eev. xii. 12. God delighteth mightily to ruin him by the violence of his own eudeavours.
Use 2, for exhortation. It serveth to exhort and press you to has- ten and set on these hopes. Promises do not exclude action, but engage to it. Hope keepeth up endeavours ; what you do in this kind will not be in vain in the Lord. The promises hold forth unity ; strive after it.
1. By prayers.
2. By endeavours.
1. By prayers. When things are otherwise irremediable, here is the last refuge : Ps. cxxii. 6, ' Pray for the peace of Jerusalem ; they shall prosper that love it.' If you love it, that is the least you can do, to mourn over the matter to God ; indeed sometimes it is all that we can do. Learned Perkins - said of his times, Non sunt ista litigandi tem-
1 ' Non sanguis sed causa facit martyrem.'
2 Perkinsius Epist. ad Leot. Haim. Bibl,
ZeCH. XIV, 9.] MEAT OUT OF THE EATER. 395
^ora, sed orandi — pra3-ers are fitter for these times than disputes. Carnal zeal may put us upon disputes ; it is true zeal that puts us upon prayer, when we are so tenderly afi'ected for God's glory as that, in that respect, we can go and mourn over the matter to him. When Luther thought to redress the evils of his times, one told him, Ahi in cellam et die, 3Iiserere nostri — go and cry, Lord, have mercy upon us. Truly things seem past help and cure : I but go and urge the matter to God ; that which is marvellous in our eyes, Zech. viii. 6, is not so in his ; a man goeth most cheerfully to the throne of grace when he hath the encouragement of a particular promise. Here is a promise not only to the case but to the times, ' In that day there shall be one Lord, and one name ; ' and that you may not think it a casual promise and com- fortable word that dropped, out of the mouth of God unawares, you shall see it is a blessing full in the eye of the general covenant ; for it is very observable that when the tenor of the covenant is expressed, unity is made one of the chief blessings of it : Jer. xsxii. 39, ' I will give them one heart and one way for the good of them, and of their children after them.' Mark, he saith in the former verse that he will be their God, and they shall be his people, which is the form of the covenant ; and then he undertaketh to give them one heart and one way, union in opinion and union in afl'ections : so Ezek. xix. 11, ' I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them.' It is a main branch of the covenant to give them one heart, a heart united to God, and so to one another. Urge God then with his own promise and covenant ; be instant and earnest with him : 2 Thes. iii. 16, ' The Lord of peace give you peace always, by all means ; ' the Lord of peace, God that loveth it, God that worketh it ; and the latter phrases, always and by all means, note the vehemency and intentness of his desires. One way or another, let God find out a means to ordain peace for you. For your encouragement consider, you do not only pray, but Christ prayeth with you ; Christ intercedeth with the Father for the same thing : John xvii. 21, ' That they may be all one, and that they may be perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent me.' That prayer is but the copy of his continual intercession. He knoweth what a scandal it is to his name, &c., and therefore he saith. Let them be one. Now, this is a great comfort when Christ prayeth for the same thing for which you pray ; he is worthy to be heard though you be not ; God will not refuse him that speaketh in heaven, however he dealeth with poor crawhng worms on earth.
2. By endeavours. Follow hard after it. I shall speak here to the people in general, then to the ministry, and then shall be bold to lay two or three considerations at the feet of this honourable assembly to help on this work.
First, To the people. Oh 1 that all of us would now mind the things of peace and holiness in these distracted times : ' The great house is smitten with clefts, and the little house with breaches,' Amos vi. 11. There are divisions in cities, divisions in famiUes, divisions in councils, divisions in the kingdom, and yet few healers of the breaches. We are already at a great distance, and yet we do in alia omnia ire, seek to go farther off trom one another. Some make it a