X

be 'fitly framed together,' if you would have it 'grow into a holy temple' to the Lord. When there was most unity, there was greatest increase in the church; when they were "all of one accord,' of one heart,' and 'one soul,' then the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved '.' They that cause divisions and dissensions, do not serve the Lord Jesus; and therefore they cannot but hinder the progress of his gospel. As in the natural, so in the mystical body, 'solutio continui' tendeth to the paining and grieving of that spirit by which the body lives, and, by consequence, hinders the growth of it. Our growth is, by the apostle, distributed into growth in knowledge, and growth in grace": and divisions in the church are of themselves great hindrances unto both these; unto knowledge, because the most usual breaches in the church arise out of diversities of opinion, publicly asserted and insisted on by the authors and followers of them. And though accidentally, where truth is embraced, it is held with more care, and searched into with more accurateness, because of the errors that oppose it, (as the fire is hottest in the coldest weather;) yet corrupt doctrine being of the nature of a weed or canker, to spread, and eat further and further, it must needs consequently hinder the spreading, and, in that kind, the growth of knowledge. Nor doth it less hinder the growth of grace: for while the people of God are all of one heart, and of one way, then all their communion runs into this one design of mutually edifying, comforting, supporting, encouraging one another in their holy faith: but when they are divided and broken into faction by different judgements, if there be not a greater abundance of humility and spiritual wisdom, the spirits of men run out into heats and passions, and into perverse disputes, and mere notional contentions, which have ever been diminutions unto the power of godliness". When there are schisms in the body, the members will not have care one of another. Greatly, therefore, even for his

possidet caritas.-Et tanto eam reperiet ampliorem, quanto amplius ibi potuerit amare consortem; Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. 15. c. 5. 9 Ephes. ii. 21. Col. ii. 19. s Rom. xvi. 17, 18. * Folio-Edition, p. 571.

Acts ii. 46, 47.

2 Pet. iii. 18.

t Ephes. iv. 30, 31. y Non tulit Coelius assentSenec. de Ira, 3. lib.

tientem ; sed exclamavit, Dic aliquid contra, ut duo simus.'

c. 8. ed. Ruhkopf, vol. i. p. 106.

21 Cor. iii. 3, 4.

a 1 Cor. xii. 25.

own cause, are the sad and dangerous divisions of these times to be lamented, when men make use of civil troubles to disturb, yea, to tear asunder the unity of the church; when they set up, as in the times of the Donatists, altar against altar, and church against church, and make secessions from the common body, and then one from another, to the infinite content and advantage of the common enemies of our religion, and hazard of it. It were a blessed thing b if we were in a condition capable of the apostle's exhortation, "To speak all the same thing, to be perfectly joined in the same mind, and in the same judgement, to be of one mind, and to live in peace." But if that cannot be attained unto, let us yet all learn the apostle's other lesson, wherein we are otherwise minded, to depend upon God for revealing his will unto us, "and whereunto we have attained, to walk by the same rule, to mind the same thing;" to remember that every difference in opinion doth not, ought not to, dissipate or dissolve the unity of God's church. Even in Corinth, where the people were divided into several parties, yet they continued 'one church "."

The body thus constituted, and compacted for the increase thereof:

SECT. 19.-1. Here are members severally distinct from one another; some principal, others ministerial, all concurring differently unto the service of the whole. If the heart should be in the head, or the liver in the shoulder,—if there should be any unnatural dislocation of the vital or nutritive parts, the body could not grow, but perish. The way for the church to prosper and flourish, is for every member to keep in his own rank and order, to remember his own measure, to act in his own sphere, to manage his particular condition and relations with spiritual wisdom and humility; the eye to do the work of an eye, the hand of a hand. Say not as Absalom, "If i were a judge, I would do justice;"—but consider what state God hath set thee in; and in that walk with God, and adorn the profession of the gospel'. Remember Uzzah: it was a good work he did; but because he did

Unitas interior et unanimitas ipsam quoque multiplicitatem colligat et constringit caritatis glutino et vinculo pacis; Bernard. in Septuagesima, Serm. 2. e 1 Cor. i. 10. 2 Cor. xiii. 11. d1 Cor. xi. 18. e 2 Sam. xv. 4. f Rom. xii. 3. 1 Cor. xii. 8. 11, 29, 30. 2 Cor. x. 13, 14. Ephes. iv. 7.

it out of orders, having no call, God smote him for his error". There are excellent works which, being done without the call of God, do not edify but disturb the body. Every man must walk in the church, as God hath distributed and called; and every man must in the calling, wherein he was called, 'abide with God *.

2. Here are joints and ligaments so fastening these members together, that each one may be serviceable to the increase of the whole'. There are bands which join the body to the head, without which it can neither grow nor live, namely, the Spirit of Christ,' and faith' in him. And there are bands which join the parts of the body unto one another; as, namely, the same holy Spirit";' which Spirit of grace stirreth up every member to seek the growth and benefit of the whole. The same sincere love and truth which each member beareth unto all the rest, this is called 'a bond of perfectness P,' and 'the bond of peace. Now love is a most communicative grace; it will plant, and water, and feed, and spend itself for the good of the whole; it will deny itself to serve the body,-as Christ did '.

3. Here is a measure belonging unto every part: some are in one office, others in another; some have one gift, others another; and all this for the perfecting of the saints". One is able to teach, another to comfort, a third to convince, a fourth to exhort, a fifth to counsel; and every one of these is to be directed unto the edification and growth of the whole". The apostle saith, that we are fellow-citizens with the saints' Now as, amongst fellow-citizens, there useth to be an intercourse of mutual negotiation, one man hath one commodity, and another another, and these they usually barter withal;--so amongst the saints, one man is eminent in one grace, another in another; and according to their mutual indigencies or abilities, they do interchangeably minister to one another towards the growth of the whole.

h 2 Sam.

Ut flus, Palladium ex incendio eripiens, dum arderet templum Minervæ, luminibus privatus est; Plutarch. Xylandr. vol. i. p. 309. E. vi. 6, 7. i Rom. x. 15. Heb. v. 4. k 1 Cor vii. 17, 20, 24. 1 1 Cor. ii. 19. 1 Cor. vi. 17. Rom. viii. 9. Ephes. iii. 17.

o 1 Cor.

1 Cor. xii. 13.

9 Ephes. iv. 3.

t Folic-Edition, p. 572. Ephes. ii. 19.

r Gal. v. 13. u Rom. y Vid. Aristot. Ethic.

Ephes. iv. 11, 12. 1 Cor. xii. 4, 11.

xii. 3, 8. Ephes. iv. 7.

1. 5. c. 8.

And this is that which is here further requisite to the increase of the body, called,

4. 'Exopnyia, the 'supply of service,' and the supply of nourishment, which one part affords unto another, and so to the whole. This is principally from the head to the members, called by the apostle, 'the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" of whose fulness we receive grace for grace *;' into whose image we are transformed from glory to glory. But it is proportionably between the members amongst themselves for as several particular ingredients make up one cordial,-and several instruments concur to the perfecting of one άоτéλμa, or consummate work, and the beauty of every thing ariseth out of the variety, and order, and mutual serviceableness that the parts thereof have unto one another; so is it in the church too, which Christ hath so tempered together, that they might all stand mutually in need of one another. Therefore we find the Saints, in Scripture, communicating to one another their experiences, temptations, deliverances, comforts, for their mutual edification . And God's dealings with saints, in particular, are therefore registered in Scriptured; both that we might learn that way of building up one another, and that, by their examples, we might support our faith, and through patience and experience of the Scripture have hope: because what hath been done unto one, is, in the like condition, applicable unto every other.

5. After all this there is évépyeia, an effectual working,' a vis wλaotixǹ, or a vis жTIXÒ, a faculty to form, and to concoct the matter, which hath been subministered unto life and nourishment: which is the work of faith, and of the Spirit of Christ, whereby the soul of a believer, being sensible of want, desirous of supply, and pressing forward unto perfection, doth sweetly close with whatsoever the measure of any other part hath communicated unto it, converting it into growth and nourishment to itself, which the apostle calls the mixing of the Word with faith. Now

a John i. 16.

b2 Cor. iii. 18.

Psalm

2 Phil. i. 19. xxxiv. 3, 6. John i. 41, 45. iv. 29. 2 Cor. i. 4, 6. Phil. i. 12, 13, 14. Col. ii. 1. 2. d Specialiter pronunciata generaliter sapiunt. Cum Deus Israelitas admonet disciplinæ, vel objurgat, utique ad omnes habet: Tert. de Spectac. c. 3. e James v. 10, 11, 17. Rom. xv. 4. 1 Cor. x. 6. Heb. xiii. 5. f Heb. iv. 2.

SECT. 20. Fourthly, He promiseth, That the beauty of his church shall be as the olive-tree;' that as she should have the glory of the lily, the strength and extension of the cedar, so this spreading should not be a vain ostentation, but should have, joined with it, the flourishing and fruitfulness of the olive. Now the honour of the olive-tree standeth in two things: perpetual greenness, and most profitable fruit, which serveth both for light to cause the lamp to burn, and for nourishment to be eaten in the one respect, it is an emblem of peace; it maketh the face shine1;—and in the other, it is an emblem of grace, and spiritual gifts. These are the two most excellent benefits, which God promiseth unto his people. "He will speak peace unto them;" and he will give them grace and glory ","

m"

66

And as he promiseth, so should we practise these things, and learn to beautify the gospel of Christ, first, with our good works, as the fruits of his grace";-secondly, with our spiritual joy and comfort, as the fruits of his peace: that others, seeing the light and shining forth of a serene, calm, and peaceable conscience in our conversation, may thereby be brought in love with the ways of God. These two do mutually cherish and increase one another. The more conscience we make of fruitfulness, the more way do we make for peace; when the waters of lust are sunk, the dove will quickly bring an olive-branch in:-and the more the peace of God rules in the heart, the more will it strengthen the conscience and care of obedience, out of these considerations: First, Out of thankfulness for so great a blessing. Secondly, Out of fear to forfeit it. Thirdly, Out of wisdom to improve and increase it.

SECT. 21. Fifthly, He promiseth, That his church shall be as the smell of Lebanon,' and that the scent of it' shall be as the 'wine of Lebanon,' as elsewhere we find her compared to a garden of spices ;-she shall be filled with the

Exod. xxvii. 20.

1 John ii. 20.

h Lev. vi. 15, 16.

i Psalm civ. 15. 1 Psalm lxxxv. 8. Isai. xxxii. 17. m Psalm lxxxiv. 11. ■ John xv. 8. ο Εστι δέ τις οἶνος, ὃν δὴ σαπρίαν καλέουσι Οὗ καὶ ἀπὸ στόματος στάμνων ἀνοιγομενάων Όζει ἴων, ὄξει δὲ ῥόδων, ὄξει δ ̓ ὑακίνθου, &c. Hermippus apud Athenæum, 1. 1. c. 23.-Casaub. p. 29.-Convivia, Ludi, Pocula crebra. Unguenta, Coronæ, Serta parantur. Lucret. 1. 4. 1125.

iv. 12, 14.

P Cant.