One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 125
SERMON CXXV. Ʋnity among Chriſtians is part of that Glory Chriſt hath purchaſed for them.
JOH. 17.22.
That they may be one even as we are one.
THough this Unity of believers ſo earneſtly prayed for, hath been at large treated of, yet becauſe here again repeated, I ſhall conſider it relatively, as it ſtands with reſpect to the fore-going words, Chriſt giveth his glory, he received from the Father, to thoſe that believe in him, That they may be one. Now the particle foreign here, as in other places, may be taken either foreign, as the end of this glory, or foreign as ſpecifying what is part of that glory, which he giveth to them, for ſo ſome underſtand this, as deſcribing and determining what that glory is, he would give them, viz. the glory of unity and agreement, which as Chryſoſtom obſerveth was more admirable then that of ſignes and doctrines, which they abounded in: Their unity did more glorifie them, then their miracles. Others they underſtand it as the end and fruit of that glory they received, by Glory underſtanding all the heavenly benefits and priviledges vouchſafed unto them. From theſe Interpretations conjoyned, and the relative capacity the words ſtand in. I obſerve,
Obſerv. Unity among believers is part of that glory which Chriſt as Mediator hath obtained for them.That Ʋnity among Believers is part of that Glory, which Chriſt as Mediatour hath obtained for them. For Chriſt ſpeaks here as Mediatour, in whom, and by whom only the ſpiritual unity of believers can be obtained.
In this Doctrinal Propoſition three particulars are obſervable:
1. That Unity among believers is part of that ſpiritual glory Chriſt purchaſed for them.
2. That Chriſt as Mediatour purchaſed Unity as well as other priviledges.
3. That Believers cannot have Unity but from Chriſt, till he command theſe dry bones to come together, and be united, they lie ſcattered up and down. Let us conſider,Conſid. I. Unity is the Churches glory. Their glory actively and paſſively.
Firſt, That Ʋnity is part of the Churches glory. It's their Glory both actively and paſſively; Their glory actively, they may in an humble and holy manner rejoyce in it: Not indeed as the Papiſts, who confidently and falſly triumph in their Unity, but in a godly and ſober manner; for if ſchiſms and diviſions in the Church, did ſo greatly divide and rend Pauls heart, no doubt but their Unity and accord did as much rejoyce him: Therefore how emphatically doth he ſpeak, Phil. 2.1, 2. If any conſolation, if any bowels, fulfill ye my joy, that ye may be like minded, &c. It's then the Miniſters glory, and the Churches glory to walk in lovely accord, when in the Church, as in Solomons Temple, the voice of the hammer is not heard; whenas God promiſed in reſpect of temporal peace, The ſword ſhould be turned into plow-ſhares, ſo the controverſal and polemical part of Divinity ſhall be changed into the practical and affectionate part.
Again, It's the glory of the Church paſſively, in this ſenſe, that for it we are exceedingly to glorifie and praiſe God; We ſhould look upon the ſpiritual peace of the Church, as a greater mercy then all external mercies; What an heavy thing is it, when Jeruſalem ſhall be made a Babel, when the Church ſhall be like the chaos and confuſion that was made at firſt, when God ſhall bring ſuch a ſpiritual judgement on the Church, as ſometimes he did a temporal one upon the enemies thereof, Every mans weapon againſt his neighbour, till they had deſtroyed one another? When therefore we ſee God forming the hearts of believers to uniting terms, this we ought to praiſe God for, as being a ſpecial means to promote Chriſts Kingdom.
Now it's the glory of believers to be at Unity,
1. Becauſe this will exalt them in the very hearts and thoughts of their greatest enemies. What is glory, but the clara notitia, the famous acknowledging of the excellency of ſuch a thing? Now nothing will ſooner divulge the fame, and like the heavens, make the noiſe thereof to go through the Land, then unity and agreement: As Solomons wiſdom ſpread it ſelf over the world: Inſomuch that many came from afar to ſee and admire it: Thus it will be alſo for the Churches accord, therefore the Pſalmiſt put an Ecce upon it, Behold how good and comely it is for brethren to be of one accord, Pſal 133.1, 2. Thus you heard, The Heathens admired the love of primitive Chriſtians, Ecce quam ſe mu…uo diligenti, & fratres vocant, whereas now we may ſay, Behold how they hate and oppoſe one another, calling one another by all uncharitable names. It's unity then, that makes the Churches fame to be over the world
2. Ʋnity is the glory of the Church, becauſe it ariſeth from the beauty and pulchritude of it. The beauty of a thing is the glory of it; now beauty doth ariſe from the ſweet harmony and proportion of all the parts, and this is the unity of the Church, when every member thereof is harmoniouſly joyned unto another; when there is no diſſonancy or difference: Certainly, It's a better wiſh to ſee the Church in this glory, then that of Auſtins, to ſee Rome in all her temporal glory: If any member be deformed, or unproportionable to the other parts: How unlovely and uncomely doth it make that body? So it is here, if any make a rent, be proud, froward or oppoſite, the glory thereof is departed.
3. It's part of their glory, becauſe the happineſſe and bleſſedneſſe of a Church, is in their Communion-graces. A Church denoteth ſome ſociety and company; Now the advantage of ſuch improvements is by union, if one part of the body be divided from the other, there is no ſuppeditation of mutual help, therefore there are nerves and ligaments in the body, to unite each part to other: You ſee in a civil ſociety, if there be not union, the glory of it preſently dieth: diviſions, like moths, riſe from within, and do immediately conſume; If then the happineſſe of believers lie in their communion-graces and duties; What can be more glorious then unity, which is the only means to procure ſubſerviency to one another, as if ſeveral Cities were ſupplied by pipes of water one to another, if thoſe pipes be ſtopt or cut, it brings a neceſſary deſtruction.
The ſecond main particular is, That Chriſt purchaſed as Mediatour this priviledge as well as others. He did not onelyonly die to juſtifie them, to ſanctifie them,II. Chriſt purchaſed as Mediator this priviledge as well as others. but to unite them alſo: And this ſhould teach us ſeveral things. As
1. It ſhould not be accounted a ſlight and little ſinne to make any breaches or diviſions in Gods Church, to do any thing through ſtrife and vain-glory: Why? becauſe Chriſt died againſt this; he as Mediatour intended not onelyonly to ſave his people, but to bring them into one; Why then doſt thou by thy contentions, by thy heretical opinions thus ſinne againſt Chriſts death, his interceſſion and his prayer are for the ſame effects? Now you ſee in this Chapter, that his prayer for unity is ingeminated over and over again, and therefore Chriſt had this even in his thoughts, in his very death; hence it was that alſo at his death▪ he appointed the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, which though chiefly to ſeal Gods grace to us, yet it did alſo ſignifie the love we ought to have to one another, as the Apoſtle urgeth, 1 Cor. 10. that as the ſeveral corns make up one bread, thus do the godly make up one myſtical body: Diviſions then in the Church are againſt Chriſts death, and againſt the Sacrament of his death; Shall we therefore runne into ſuch ſinnes, that have ſuch an hainous aggravation?
2. That the people of God, where they ſee theſe diviſions, are to improve this Argument for Ʋnity: Even as when they groan under any corruption, and would gladly have the maſtery of it, they runne to the blood of Chriſt, praying, O Lord, Did not Chriſt die that theſe ſinnes might die? Was not Chriſt crucified, to crucifie theſe luſts? So it ought to be in matter of unity, Oh Lord, make all thy people of one heart, of one minde and ſpirit, becauſe Chriſt died for this alſo; let not his death be in vain: Thou wouldſt not ſuffer his bones to be broken, nor his garment divided, why then ſhall his Church be torn and divided? Do not think humane policies, and invented ſyncretiſms will be able to ſoder together? It muſt be this blood of Chriſt that obtaineth this.
3. Chriſt did not onelyonly meritoriouſly purchaſe this Ʋnity by his death, but in him exemplarily and formally we are made one: So that Chriſt is both the moral cauſe of this unity, and the exemplar alſo; for he by being both God and man in one Perſon, made God and man one, when there was ſuch an infinite diſtance before, there is made the moſt intimate union that can be, even an hypoſtatical union between God and man: Now though we cannot attain to ſuch an union, yet by reaſon of this, all believers are made one with God, and amongſt themſelves: Hence is that often expreſſion of our being in him, of ingraffing in him, of living in him, all which do denote our intimate union with him; ſo that as Chriſt is not divided in himſelf: The Divine Nature doth not will one thing, and the humane Nature the contrary, but they have the ſame will; thus it ought to be here, one believer ſhould not judge one thing, and another the contrary, one love one thing, and another the contrary, but as Chriſt and the Father were one, ſo ought they to be.
The laſt particular is, That God in Chriſt is the onelyonly cauſe of unity amongst believers. Chriſt as Mediatour procureth it, and God through his merits vouchſafeth it, and this comprehends theſe particulars:
1. That ſuch is the corruption of every man regenerate and unregenerate, that they would no more unite, then crums of ſand, did not God bring it about. Take men by nature, and they are wolves and devils one to another: Inſomuch that the preſerving of Commonwealths and civil Societies, is made a demonſtration of a God; for if ye conſider what every man is by nature, it's a wonder that the whole world is not full of Cains, and a meer Aceldama, like thoſe Cadmaan brethren the Poet ſpeaks of. God therefore who keeps the ſea within its bounds that it overfloweth not, doth alſo reſtrain and chain up the corruptions of men, that all be not in a confuſion; and although in regenerate men corruption is in a great meaſure ſubdued, yet that is not like Daniel's root of the Tree, that had a chain upon it never to grow, for this would be ſprouting out in ſtrifes and contentions, did not God put bounds to it, and therefore not onelyonly Hiſtories that are prophane, but Eccleſiaſticall alſo doe abundantly witneſſe, That diviſions and differences have been the ruine of moſt Churches: So truly may we apply that of Job to the Church, If he commands peace, Who can forbid it? And if he bring warre, Who can withſtand it? Job 24.39. It's in godly mens natures to be ſo many Phaetons ſetting the Church on fire, if God by mercy did not prevent.
2. God through Chriſt doth onelyonly procure ſpiritual concord, becauſe hereby God is pleaſed with his Church, and reconciled. Now Gods anger for ſinne, is that which turneth Churches and States upſide down; even as you ſee the tempeſtuous windes doe fill the Sea with waves and unquietneſſe, Tranquillus Deus, tranquillat omnia. When God was angry with Abimelech, he ſent an evil ſpirit between him and the men of Sichem, Judg. 9.23. and this, like a fire, conſumed them: So when Solomon had diſpleaſed God by his Idolatries, then he ſtirreth up his adverſary, and that againſt him, and at laſt divides the Kingdom from him. So that you ſee, it's Gods anger for ſinne that makes diſcord and implacable contentions to break forth. And thus it is alſo in the Church, When God is angry, then he ſuffers Heretiques and Schiſmaticks to ariſe, who divide it into as many pieces, as the Levites wife was: And till Gods anger be pacified, there can never be any ſetling or uniting, but as the two paſſengers in a ſhip at deadly feud one with another, did earneſtly look to ſee which would be drowned firſt, and not at all indeavour to ſave the ſhip. Thus private emulations have undone the publique; ſo that the Heathens may riſe up againſt the Church of God, for the Romans before they entred into the Senate-houſe to conſult for the publique, did firſt go and worſhip in a Temple dedicated to Jovi depoſitorio, becauſe there they did deponere inimicitias; but we go to prayer, to Sacraments, and offer our gift at the Altar, though we remember men have juſtly many things againſt us.
Ʋſe. Is peace and unity amongſt the godly their glory? Did Chriſt die for it? Doth God only give it? Then under all our breaches and differences, let us apply our ſelves to him, who hath this ſoveraign power over mens hearts: It's but his ſpeaking, and the windes and the waves will preſently ceaſe; he can quickly remove the bitter ſpirit of contradiction, and cauſe all to be of one minde; and certainly our ſins have highly diſpleaſed God, that yet he ſuffers his Church to wallow in her blood, that yet her wounds are not healed.