Third, having shown you wherein this unity consists, I now come to the third general thing propounded, and that is, to show you the fruits and benefits of unity and peace, together with the
mischiefs and inconveniences that attend those churches where unity and peace
are wanting.
1. Unity and peace are a duty
well-pleasing to God, who is styled the author of peace, and not of confusion,
in all the churches. God's Spirit rejoiceth in the unity of our spirits; but,
on the other hand, where strife and divisions are, there the Spirit of God is
grieved. Hence is it that the apostle no sooner calls upon the Ephesians not to
grieve the Spirit of God, but he presently subjoins us a remedy against that
evil: that they put away bitterness and evil speaking, 'and be ye kind one to
another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you' (Eph 4:32).
2. As unity and peace are pleasing to God, and rejoice his Spirit, so it rejoiceth the hearts and spirits of God's people—unity and peace bring heaven down upon earth among us. Hence it is that
the apostle tells us (Rom 14:17) that 'the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Where unity
and peace is, there is heaven upon earth; by this we taste the first fruits of
that blessed estate we shall one day live in the fruition of, when we shall
come 'to the general assembly and church of the first-born,' whose names are
written in heaven, 'and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of just
men made perfect' (Heb 12:23).
This outward peace of the church, as
a learned man observes, distils into peace of conscience and turns writings
and readings of controversy into treatises of mortification and devotion.
And the psalmist tells us, that it
is not only good, but pleasant 'for brethren to dwell together in unity' (Psa
133), but where unity and peace is wanting, there are storms and troubles;
'where envy and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work' (James
3:16). It is the outward peace of the church that increaseth our inward joy,
and the peace of God's house gives us occasion to eat our meat with gladness in
our houses (Acts 2:46).
3. The unity and peace of the church
make communion of saints desirable. What is it that embitters
church-communion, and makes it burdensome, but divisions? Have you not heard
many complain that they are weary of church-communion, because of church
contention? But now, where unity and peace are, there Christians long for
communion.
David saith that he was glad when
they said unto him, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord' (Psa 122:1). Why was
this, but because, as the third verse tells us, Jerusalem was a city compact
together, where the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, to give thanks to
his name. And David, speaking of the man that was once his friend, doth thereby
let us know the benefit of peace and unity (Psa 55:14): 'We,' saith he, 'took
sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.' Where
unity is strongest, communion is sweetest and most desirable. You see, then,
that peace and union fill the people of God with desires after communion; but,
on the other hand, hear how David complains (Psa 120:5), 'Woe is me that I
sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!' The psalmist here is
thought to allude to a sort of men that dwelt in the deserts of Arabia, that
got their livings by contention; and, therefore, he adds (v 6), that his soul
had long dwelt with them that hated peace: this was that which made him long
for the courts of God, and esteem one day in his house better than a thousand.
This made his soul even faint for the house of God, because of the peace of it;
'Blessed are they,' saith he, 'that dwell in thy house: they will be still
praising thee' (Psa 84:4). There is a certain note of concord, as appears (Acts
2) where we read of primitive Christians, meeting with one accord, praising
God.
4. Where unity and peace are, there
many mischiefs and inconveniences are prevented which attend those people where
peace and unity are wanting; and of those many that might be mentioned, I shall
briefly insist upon these nine:—
(1.) Where unity and peace are
wanting, there is much precious time spent to no purpose. How many days are
spent, and how many fruitless journeys made to no profit, where the people are
not at peace! How often have many redeemed time, even in seed-time and harvest,
when they could scarce afford it to go to church, and by reason of their
divisions, come home worse than they went, repenting they have spent so much
precious time to so little benefit! How sad is it to see men spend their
precious time, in which they should work out their salvation, by labouring, as
in the fire, to prove an uncertain and doubtful proposition, and to trifle away
their time, in which they should make their calling and election sure, to make
sure of an opinion which, when they have done all, they are not infallibly sure
whether it be true or no; because all things necessary to salvation and church-communion
are plainly laid down in Scripture, in which we may be infallibly sure of the
truth of them; but for other things that we have no plain texts for, but the
truth of them depends upon our interpretations, here we must be cautioned that
we do not spend much time in imposing those upon others, or venting those among
others, unless we can assume infallibility—otherwise, we spend time upon
uncertainty; and whoever casts their eyes abroad, and doth open their ears to
intelligence, shall both see, and, to their sorrow, hear that many churches
spend most of their time in jangling and contending about those things which
are neither essential to salvation or church-communion, and that which is
worse, about such doubtful questions which they are never able to give an
infallible solution of; but now, where unity and peace is, there our time is
spent in praising God, and in those great questions—what we should do to be
saved? and how we may be more holy and more humble towards God, and more
charitable and more serviceable to one another?
