Exhortation to saints to maintain and promote peace 3/8

           But we are not yet at the last link of this golden chain of Christ’s discourse.  When he hath put some more warmth into their affections to this duty, by exposing his own love to them in the deepest expression of it, even to die for them, ver. 13, then he comes on more boldly, and tells them he will own them for his friends, as they are careful to observe what he had left in charge with them, ver. 14, ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’  And now taking it for granted that he had prevailed upon them, and that they would walk in unity and love as he had com­manded them, he cannot conceal the pleasure he takes therein, yea and in them for it.  He opens his heart to them, and locks no secret from them, yea bids them go and open their heart to God and be free to him, as he is to them.  And mark from what bless­ed hour all this familiarity that they are admitted to, bears date.  ‘From henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth,’ ver. 15, that is from the time you walk dutiful to me and lovingly to one another.  One would think he had now said enough; but he thinks not so.  In the very next words he is at it again.  ‘These things I command you, that ye love one another,’ ver. 17, as if all he had left else in charge with them had been subservient to this.

           (2.) A second thing that speaks Christ’s heart deeply engaged in the promoting of love and unity among Christians, is his fervent prayer for this. Should you hear a preacher with abundance of vehe­mency press a grace or duty upon the people in his pulpit, and as soon as sermon is done, you should go under his closet window, and hear him as earnestly wrestling with God that he would give his people what he had so zealously pressed upon them; you would easily believe the man was in earnest.  Our blessed Saviour hath taught us ministers whither to go when we come out of the pulpit, and what to do.  No soon­er hath he done his sermon to them, but he is at pray­er with God for them.  And what he insisted on most in preaching he enlargeth most upon in prayer.  Unity and peace was the legacy he desired so much to leave with them, and this is the boon he puts in strongly with God to bestow on them: ‘Father, keep through thine own power those whom thou hast given me,’ John 17:11.  And why all this care?—‘that they may be one, as we are.’  As if he had said, ‘Father, did we ever fall out? was there ever discord betwixt us? why then should they, who are thine and mine, disagree?’  So, ver. 21, and again, ver. 23, he is pleading hard for the same mercy.  And why so oft? is it so hardly wrung from God, that Christ himself must tug so often for it?  No, sure; but as Christ said of the voice that came from heaven, ‘This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes;’ John 12:30, so may I say here.  This ingeminated^[12] zeal of Christ for his people’s unity and love was for their sakes.

           (a) He would by this raise the price of this mercy in their thoughts.  That is sure worth their care which he counted.  Worth his redoubled prayer—when not a word was spoken for his own life—or else he misplaced his zeal, and improved not his time with God for the best advantage of his people.

           (b) He would make divisions appear more scareful and dreadful things to his people, by putting in so many requests to God for preventing them. Certainly if Christ had known one evil worse than another like to come upon his people at his departure, he would have been so true and kind to his children as to deprecate that above all, and keep that off.  He told his children what they must look for at the world’s hand—all manner of sufferings and tor­ments that their wit could help their malice to devise —yet he prays not so much for immunity from these, as from unbrotherly contentions among themselves. He makes account, if they can agree together, and be in love, saint with saint, church with church, that they have a mercy that will alleviate the other, and make it tolerable, yea joyous.  This heavenly fire of love among themselves will quench the flames of the per­secutor’s fire, at least the horror of them.

           (c) In a word, Christ would, as strengthen our faith to ask boldly for that which he hath bespoke for us, so also aggravate the sin of contention to such a height, that all who have any love to him, when they shall see they cannot live in strife, but they must sin against those prayers which Christ with strong cries put up for peace and unity, may tremble at the thoughts of it.