Works, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. How Christians may exercise themselves to Godliness, in good Company; With a Good Wish about that Particular.
HAving dispatched the Christians carriage in evil, I proceed to his behaviour in good Company.
The Communion of Saints is the most desirable and delectable society that the whole creation affordeth. God himself is pleased to delight in the Assembles of his people; He loveth the gates of Zion (where they met together) above all the dwellings of Jacob, Psa. 87. 2. The evil spirit is for solitariness, he walketh in solitary places, seeking rest, Mat. 12. But God is for society, he dwelleth among his children, and bestoweth his choicest comforts upon the Congregations of his poor. The Father provideth the greatest cheer, and maketh the best feast when many of his Children come together to wait upon him, though each coming singly is welcome to his Table. The Spirit of God fell down in an extraordinary measure upon the Primitive Christians, when they were gathered together in one place, and with one consent, Act. 2. 1, 2. Naturalists tell us that strife and quarrelling among the Bees, is a sign that the Queen-Bee is about to leave the Hive and be gone. Its plain, that when the Disciples were scattered, every man to his ow… … the Lord …su… w…s leaving them… but when they were met together with one accord, then he came unto them and said, Peace be unto you, receive ye the Holy Ghost, Joh. 20.
God cannot affect contentious spirits; he would not appear in a blustring wind, or in an earthquak, but in a still low voice; when the difference between Abraham and Lot was over, then God appeared to Abraham, Gen. 13. 14.
As God delights in the company of his Children, Isa: 62. 4. Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, i.e. my delight is in her, so the Saints delight in communion with one another; things of like Nature, desire to be joyned together. Love the consequent of likeness, hath an attractive power, and covets the presence of the party beloved; Balm put into the Bee hives, causeth the Bees to come together, and others to come to them. Grace like fire, soders together those that before differed. Hence, Saints are like Doves, they flie in troops to their windows, Isa. 60. 8. Though the Pellicane be a melancholly Bird, and naturally inclineth to desarts, yet when they remove their places, they go in companies, and the first stay for the last, as they flie over the Mountains, Isa. 34. 11… Eph. 2. 14. Though Saints love sometimes to be solitary, as having secret business with their God, yet they do not forsake the assembling themselves together. That verse, Psa. 84. 7. which we read, they go from strength to strength, every one of them in Sion appearing before God, Iunius reads it, and so it is in the Hebrew, They go from Company to Company; as they went up to Jerusalem, they went in troopes and companies; Possibly we translate it strength, because much of our safety consisteth in good society. He that travails alone, is ea…ily made a prey, foreign, One man is no man; Even Counties that have been large, have drawn themselves into Associations, for mutual and common defence.
Hebron, which was a type of the Church, takes its name from Cabar, to accompany, and thence Chebron or Hebron, a pleasant or delectable society. The Saints are all (a)Gal. 6 10.One Family, One Houshold, (b)Ephes. 3.6.One Body, (c)Joh 10. 4 16.One Sheep-fold, (d)1 Pet. 2. 4, 5.One Brother-hood, (e)Ephes. 1. 20, 21, 22.One Building, one Vine-yard, one Army, one Spouse; to shew that oneness which ought to be in affection among them. Christ tells us of his Spouse, Cant. 6.9. My Dove is one, the onelyonly one of her Mother; Hence the Primitive Christians, though some thousands, are said to be of one heart, and of one soul; of one heart in unity of affection, and of one soul in unity of judgement, Act. 4. 32. In Tertullians time the Heathen admired the Christians for their love, saying, Look how the Christians love one another. Phil. 2. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 10.Jerusalem is a City compact together, at unity within it self, Psa. 122. 3. Babel was confounded by diversity of tongues; and the Citizens of Zion are confirmed by being of the same mind and mouth, by speaking all the same thing. O how many arguments doth the Spirit of God use to perswade them to oneness and unity. He tels them, they have one Father, Rom. 8. 14. One Mother, Gal. 4. 26. that they are begotten by the same immortal seed, 1 Pet. 1. 23. and nourished by the same milk, 1 Pet. 2. 2. He calls them co-workers in the same labours, co-heirs of the same life, Rom. 16. 3. and 8. 17. Stones of the same building, then which there cannot be a more firm connexion; and branches of the same Vine, then which there cannot be a more inherent inoculation. How Pathetically doth the loving Redeemer exhort his Disciples to love and oneness! He giveth them his precept; A new Commandement give I unto you, that ye love one another; not but that it was an old duty, but because envy and malice had prevailed so much among the Jews, that to love was a new thing. Again, This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as if there were nothing else that he required but this, or as if this of all the Commandments was that which Jesus loved best. He sets before them his own pattern, As I have loved you, so ought ye to love one another. The love of Christ should prevail with Christians to lay down their lives for him, and shall it not prevail to lay down their strifes among themselves? Further, How affectionately doth he pray to his Father to bestow this blessing upon them? That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me, i. e. Father, did we ever fall out? was there ever any discord between us? why then should they that are thine and mine, disagree! Ioh. 17. 21,22,23.
Mark these three particulars about this prayer.
1. The Petitioner, that is Christ, who was the wisdom of the Father, in him dwelt the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: He fully understood what request would be most advantagious for his people. Besides, he was the Head and Husband of his Church, naturally caring for her welfare as his own, and so his love would prompt him to desire what his wisdom saw most conducing to her happiness.
2. The repetition of his petition; He begs the same boon of his Father four times in three verses; He had the Spirit without measure, and so could not be guilty of vain ta…tologies. Surely then that which Christ (whose wisdom was unsearchable, and whose love to his beyond all compare) doth press with so much earnestness and instance, must needs be of very great weight and consequence.
3. The particular season of this petition, for unity, or the subject of it. He had in the former part of his prayer confined himself within the narrow compass of the Apostles; but in the 20. v. having made a perfect transition from them to all believers, to all that should believe on him through their word … he is importunate with his Father for their union and unity. When the dearest Redeemer puts the whole company of believers together both Jews and Gentiles, that were at that present, or ever should be in the world, he pitcheth upon this as the most eminent petition he could put up for them. It is not That they all may be enriched, or honoured upon earth; nay it is not That they all may be adopted, sanctified and saved; but, That they all may be one as we are one; as if the whole Kingdom of Grace and Glory did consist in this, and as if this once obtained, all were done that was needful for them. Besides, he makes this the visible character of their Christianity, that badge which would publish to all they met their relation to Christ; By this shall all men know ye are my Disciples, if ye love one another; this is the livery which will speak to what Master ye belong. By this, not by casting out Devils, but by casting out Discord; not by releiving one another occasionally, but by loving each other fervently, shall all men know ye are my Disciples.
The differences amongst Christians can never be sufficiently lamented; That they who are all near to God, should behold one another afar off; and they who are all acquainted with Christ, should be unacquainted among themselves. Iob laments this fault in his three friends, These ten times have ye reproached me; are ye not ashamed that ye have made your selves strange unto me? Job. 19.3. That they who are brethren, begotten of the same Father, born of the same Mother, fed at the same Table, educated under the same Tutor, attended with the same Servants, arrayed with the same Garments, and heirs of the same Inheritance, should be strange to one another, is a great, a gross shame. Many hundred Devils can agree together in one man, and yet in some parts not ten Christians can agree together in one house. One of the Fathers was so much affected with the divisions of Christians that he profest himself ready to let out his heart blood to cement them together. Both the honour of Religion and our own interest do both command us to unite. It was no small reflection on Christians that Mahomets great champion should have cause to say, I shall sooner see my fingers all of a length, then Christians all of a mind. Tis true, till we have all one eye, we shall never in all things be of one judgement; but must a small difference in opinion cause such a distance in affection? Must we make the Devils and enemies of Christ musick by our discords? when the foes of God and our own souls are in sight of us, shall we be fighting to make them sport, and to give them an opportunity to destroy us? The wicked of the world warm themselves by that fire of division which the heats of some weak Christians kindle. It is observable that the Spirit of God, mentioning the contention between the herdsmen of Abrahams cattel, and the herdsmen of Lots cattel, immediately subjoyns in the same verse, And the Canaanite and the Perezite dwelt then in the land, Gen. 13.7. Some think to shew the occasion of the difference betwixt them, their cattel increasing so much, and those Nations dwelling among them, they had not sufficient room and therefore wrangled. Others think that latter clause is inserted, to shew the hainous aggravation of their sin: It had been bad enough to have quarrelled where none but Saint… had been in company and spectators of their strife; but its much worse to fall out in the midst of their enemies; hereby they expose their profession to derision, and their persons to destruction. Plutarch observes that Dion calmed the boisterous spirits of his mutinous Souldiers, by saying Your enemies yonder (pointing to the Castle of Syracusa, which he then besieged) behold your mutinous behaviour: And shall neither the eyes of men nor Angels, nor of God himself, which always observes the strifes and contentions amongst his children, prevail with them to put a way envying, and variance, and emulation, and wrath, and perswade them to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace! The foolish Cranes by fighting beat down one another, and so are taken: Civil dissentions make Christians a prey. Neither men nor devils (which God hath used as his Officers and Constables to punish them) had ever had such power over them, had they but kept the King of Heavens peace. Surely, for the divisions of Sion there ought to be great searchings of heart. O when shall we see the day that those glorious Gospel-promises and Prophesies shall be accomplished! The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid, the Calf, and the young Lion, and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. And the Cow and the Bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw with the Ox; And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the Asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand to the Cockatrice den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord, Isa. 11.6,7,8,9. Isa. 65. ult. One would think that heart-sprung pathetical exhortation of the Apostle should sound a retreat, and call Christians off from their violent and virulent pursuit of each other; If there be ther…fore any consolation in Christ, if …ny comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one minde, Phil. 3. 1. 2.
Reader, I shall give thee two or three Motives to quicken thee to mind and frequent the Company of good men; then acquaint thee wherein the exercising thy self to godliness in such Company consisteth.