AN ARGUMENT FOR UNIVERSAL HOLINESS. 159
glory, — that Christ hath not conquered thee, — that thou hast hardened thyself against him?
But passing them, let us inquire, whether the mind of Christ hath, in these dispensations, been answered in a due manner by the saints themselves? — -have they made it their business to meet him "in all holy conversation and godliness?" Indeed, to me the contrary ap- pears, upon these considerations: — (1.) Their great differences among themselves about lesser things ; (2.) Their little difference from the world in great things; (3.) The general miscarriage of them all in things prejudicial to the progress of the gospel ; (-i.) The particular deviation of some into ways of scandal and offence; (5.) The back- sliding of most if not of all of them.
(1.) Consider their great differences among themselves about lesser things. I cannot insist on the weight that is laid by our Saviour on the union of his disciples, with the condescension and love which he requires of them to that purpose, — the motives and exhortations given by the Holy Ghost unto them on that account, — the provision of principles and means made in the gospel for it, — the necessity of it to the promotion of the interest of Christ in the world, — the benefit and advantage of it to the saints themselves, — the testimony given by it to the power of Christ and truth of his word, — the blas- phemies and woful, soul-ruining offences that ensue on the contrary frame, — the weakening of faith, hinderance of prayer, quenching of zeal, strengthening of the men of the world, that attend the neglect of it; — I must not, I say, insist on these things; but see John xvii. 21-28, and Phil. ii. 1-3, of a hundred places that might be mentioned. How little the mind of Christ, and his expectation at his coming, hath been answered by his saints in this particular, is evident unto all.
[1.] Who is there, almost, who, having got any private opinion, true or false, wherein he differs from all or any of his brethren, who is not ready to proclaim it, without due regard to scandal and division, and even to quarrel with and divide from all that will not think as he thinks, and speak as he speaks? Now, the pride, self-fulness, vanity of mind, unlikeness to Christ, folly, want of faith and love, that is in such a frame, can never be expressed, nor sufficiently la- mented. Christ abhors such a frame of spirit as he doth the pollu- tion of the world.
[2.] Neither is this all; but men will lay more weight on their mint and cummin, on the lesser things wherein they differ from their brethren, — spend more time about them, write more books of them, labour more in their prosecution, — than they will do in and about the weighty things of law and gospel ;— all which will appear at length to have been but the laying of hay and stubble on the foundation that must -be consumed.
i GO PROVIDENTIAL CHANGES,
[3.] And farther; — men fall to judging and censuring each other as to their interest in Christ, or their eternal condition. By what rule ? — the everlasting gospel? — the covenant of grace? No; hut of the disciples : " Master, they follow not with us." They that helieve not our opinion, we are apt to think helieve not in Jesus Christ; and hecause we delight not in them, that Christ does not delight in them. This digs up the roots of love, weakens prayer, increases evil sur- mises (which are of the works of the flesh), genders strife and con- tempt ; — things that the soul of Christ ahhors.
[4.] The abomination of this wickedness ends not here; persecu- tion, banishment, the blood of one another, hath on this account lain in the hearts and minds of some of the saints themselves. Not only have expressions to that purpose broken out from particular men, but it is to be feared that designs for it have been managed by parties and combinations. And are they not ready to dress up one another with such names and titles as may fit them for ruin? Sectaries, here- tics, schismatics, on the one side; — priests, antichristian dogs, on the other: and all this while Christ is in the midst of us! And doth this answer the expectation of Christ? is this a preparation to meet him " in all holy conversation and godliness?" Can we render ourselves more unlike him, more unmeet for communion with him? Are not saints ready to join with the world against saints? — to take the vilest men into their bosom that will close with them in defaming, de- riding, or, it may be, destroying their brethren? Doth Christ look for this usage in the house of his friends?
(2.) Consider their little difference from the world in great things. The great separation that Christ requires and commands of his saints is, from the world. He died to redeem them from it and out of it, — to deliver them from the present evil world, — the ways, works, fel- lowship, and ends of it ; so providing that, in all holy conversation, his people should dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations.