would put away their strange wives, and separate themselves from the people of the land. (Ezra x. 3—11, 12—19) This is a genuine work of true hope in mercy, when it makes us purify ourselves. (1 John iii. 3) No man can hope for glory, who is an enemy to grace; for glory is grace perfected ;—— and we can hope for nothing when we hate: he that hates grace, doth not love glory. 3. We note, that, in solemn humiliations, there is a great emphasis in these words, As it is this day. It is a circumstance greatly considerable, the time wherein we have sinned and escaped. Time greatly aggravates sin; (Exod. viii. 32. Luke xix. 42) time greatly commends mercy, that God kept touch with his people to a very day. (Exod. xii. 41, 42) Therefore we should learn wisdom to improve time unto duty as it is said of the children of Issachar, that "they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do." (1 Chron. xii. 32) "Who knoweth," saith Mordecai to Esther, "whether thou be come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther iv. 14. Let us therefore wisely consider the condition of the times, which God hath brought upon us times of great and universal sickness and infirmity, after he had, not many months since, upon prayer, removed such distempers in good part. Surely his anger is not turned away, his hand is stretched out still, because we have not unfeignedly turned unto him that smiteth us. 4. Times of wonderful changes and unsettledness; many preparations and attempts to heal the breaches amongst us, and many abortions and miscarriages in those attempts; honourable persons, raised up by God to serve the interest of the nations, and, by his providence, laid down again. It is good to study the meaning of God in these things. 1. That we should bewail our carnal confidence, and learn to look up and to trust more in him, and less in man. 2. To labour for hearts established by his grace, that we may the more comfortably look for an outward establishment in order and peace; for our settlement must begin in our hearts :—so long as our hearts are unsteadfast with God, his dealings may be still in fluctuation and uncertainty towards us. 3. To acknowledge, notwithstanding these sad changes and concussions, this great mercy, That we remain yet escaped, that the Lord hath not yet said unto us, that he would cast us off; hath not exposed us to those flames and commotions which our sins have deserved; but that yet we sit under our vines and fig-trees, and none make us afraid. Lastly, To cast anchor on the rock of ages, and keep close to the throne of grace; to secure his love and care of us, his presence and throne amongst us, who never dies, in whom there is everlasting strength; to get firm holdfast of those comforts, which have nothing of mortality, nothing of lubri city in them; which will stay with us while we remain here, to sweeten all the passages of our pilgrimage, and accompany us unto the presence of the Lord; in whose presence there is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore. THE SUBSTANCE OF TWO SERMONS: ONE TOUCHING COMPOSING OF CONTROVERSIES; ANOTHER TOUCHING UNITY OF JUDGEMENT AND LOVE AMONGST BRETHREN. Preached in two Honourable Conventions of Parliament. 27, 1657. The other, Feb. 4, 1658. The former, Jan. PHIL. iii. 15, 16. Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. THE * head and the members, Christ and his people, make up but one Christ, and one church; and this church like Jerusalem, a city compacted within itself, wanting neither comeliness to allure the love of those that behold it, nor strength to subdue the power of those that resist it. And in this building by how much the more curious the compacture is, by so much the greater is the deformity and danger of any breach therein, whether by heresy, which untieth the bond of faith; or by schism, which breaketh the bond of love. Christ is a Prince of Peace, and his church a kingdom of peace. When he came into the world, he brought peace with him; and when he departed, he left it behind him. There is nothing more contrary to the nature of the church, nothing more advantageous to the enemies of it, nothing doth more tempt hypocrites to forsake it, or strangers to despise it, than the distractions and differences which are fomented within it. What sad breaches are crept into the church of God in these nations, no man but he that is a stranger in Israel, that dwelleth at the antipodes, can be ignorant of. What great reason there is to have sad and mournful thoughts of heart for the divisions of Reuben, for the differences and distractions which are amongst us, every good man doth easily apprehend. How much it is incumbent upon those whom the • Caput et eorpus unus est Christus, Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. 17. cap. 18. et 83. quæst. 69. et de unitat. Eccles. c. 4. b Psalm cxxii. 3. Ephes. iv. 16. d Luke ii. 14 . 1 Cor. xii. 12. • John xiv. 27. Isai. ix. 6. Heb. vii. 2. f Δέδοικα μὴ ὁ ̓Αντίχριστος καιρὸν λάβῃ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πλαίσματά τε καὶ αῤῥωστήματα-κωμῳδία γὰρ τοῖς ἐχε δυναστείας͵ τὰ ἡμέτερα prophet calleth healers, (Isai. iii. 7) to put their helping hand to prevent further ruins, and to close up the breaches of Sion again, it is needless for me to prove. Since, therefore, so long as we know but in part, and prophesy but in part, it cannot be but that there will be variety of judgements in the church; I have deemed it not incongruous or unbeseeming this present service, to open unto you, out of these words of the apostle, such a heavenly way of calming and pacifying differences, as that no common adversary of our religion or prosperity may make any use of them against us. The apostle having (verse 3) warned the Philippians to take heed of dogs,' and evil workers,' who endeavoured to corrupt the doctrine of the gospel, by mingling circumcision and other legal observances therewith; shewing that though he had as many legal privileges to rejoice in as any of them, yet he cast them all away, and esteemed them loss and dung,' for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ,' and his interest in him and his righteousness; and the communion he had with him in his death and resurrection;-he then proceeded to exhort the church to imitate his example, to prefer Christ above all, to press forward unto more holiness and perfection; and, in case of differences of judgement, to wait in the use of means upon God by his word and spirit, to reveal his counsel further unto them; and by their holy lives, loving affections, and united ends, to prevent the danger, which otherwise their different opinions might expose them unto. part, shall be done away. "Oro our TÉXII, "As many as be perfect."] There is a double perfection, 'Perfectio Viæ,' and 'Perfectio Patriæ ;' perfection attainable in our way to heaven, and perfection expected in our heavenly country itself; opposed unto the other, as the whole to the part. When that which is perfect, is come, then that which is in (1 Cor. xiii. 10) Perfection in the way,' is two-fold: 1. Created perfection; that habit of original justice, whereby Adam was enabled exactly to perform that obedience, which in the law written in his heart, God required of him and thus no man, Christ only excepted, hath since the fall been a perfect man. (Eccles. xii. 29) 2. Restored and evangelical a : • Perfectio quæ nostræ competit fragilitati. Hieron. contra Pelag. 1. 1. |