The 'l3eneftts of Concord. , 739 Lo~e G.od himfcff in others, with a reverent, admiring, and tranfcendent Love, when others it the befi, c:m Love them but as men. Concord is the womb and foil of Love, although it be firfi itSpro: geny. ,In quiemefs and peace the voice of peace is moll regarded. ..........-::: 9· 52· 4· Vni.ty and Con,ord is the Churches Brallly: It maketh us amiable even to the eye of na. ~ turc, and venerable and terrible even to the eye of malice•. A concord in fin is no more honour, than j(is for conquered men to go together in multitudes to pn£on or captivity : or for beatls to go by droves unto the 11aughter. But tO fee the Churches of Chrill: with one heart and foul acknow– kdg'mg their Maker ar.d Redeemer, and finging his Praifc as ,with one voice, and living together in Love and Concord, as thofe that have one Principle, one Rule,one natttre, one work._, one Interejl and Hope, and Ertd 1 this is the .truly beauteous fymmerry, and delcCta_bie h~rmony.. P.f-11. 133• B~bold h~w good and bow pleafa»t it u, for brethren to dwell even together m unoy 1 It u .... lzJte the pretiOJlf oynt~ mmt upon the head, that r:m d.1rnt upon the bearc/ 1 tvcn Auom beard, tb~tt wcm dow;: to the Jk.._irts of hM g_11rmem: AI the dew of H~rmon, and ar .the de:'? that drfcended ttp:m the mottnt.ziJu o[Zion: far there the Lord commaudedthe bleffing, even life fir evermore. The Tranfluors wdl put th1s M the Cmtentt of this Pfalm [1be bemftt of the communion of Sainn]. ~ 53· 5· 'the concord of Erlirom d,tb ~rwly conduce to Jhe fowjfer of the Miniftery, and propa· j!ation of tbeGojfrrl, ll-Hd the convjl1io1z of unbelievers, and the converfion. and falvJtion of zmgadly foul!. when Chrifi praynh for the Vnity of his DJfciples, he redoublerh th1s argument from rhe ejfetl or .end, [tbat the world .-~Jay believe tbat thou haft {ent me:] and .[that the world may_""'fow that thou haft [till me,and hajlloved them, &c. Joh. '7· 2r, 23·] Would tlus make the world beheve that Chrift was fent of God > ·y cs, undoubtedly if all Chrillians were reduced to a Holy Concord, it would do more to win the Heathen world, rh1n all other means can do without ir. It is the Diviji1m1 and the wick,sdnrfi of profdfcd·Chrifiians, that maketh Chriilianity fo contemned by the Mahomctar:c:s, and other lntidels of the world : And it is the Huly Concord of Chrifiians that would convince and draw them home to Chritl. Love and PtJce and concord are fuch vertues, as all the world is forced to ~pplaud, notwithfianding natures enmity to good. When the fir{\: Chrifiian Church were aU with one accard in oNe place, and conti11ued daily with om accord in the Temple, and brea"Jng bread frm: houfe to hou[e pmoob,. of food with gladnefj and finglmrfj of heart, and when the multitude of belie- ~m were of one heart and of'"' foul, &c. A&. 2. 1, 46. & 4· 32. then did God fend upon them ACI.1. ''· the Holy Gholl, and then were three thoufand convtrrcd at a Sermon ; And with great power gave Aa:. 4· 3J· the Ap'njlluwitneji of the RefurreWon of the LordJrfiu, and gre:Jt grace W<H upo1t them aU. "' Our Concord in Religion hath all thcfe advantages for the cOnverting of unbelievers and ungodly How out ~en. 1· It is a fign chat there is~ a co?ftraining _cvi~ence of truth in t~at Gofpel whi~h doth con~ ~~~l:';rovmce [o many: A concurrent fattsfact10n and yteldmg to the truth, ts a powel"ful teftunony for it. mote rhe 2. They fee then that Religion is not a matter of worldly Policy and defign, when fo many men Converfton of o( contrary intercfis do embrace it. 3• And they fee it is not rhe fruit of .a Melancholy confiitu~ Infidels. tions, when fo many men of various temperatures entertain it. 4• They may ree tha.r.the Gcfpel hath Power toconquer that filf·love and folfinterejC which is .the mofi potent rhing ill vitiated na· ture : Otherwifc it could never m.tke fo many unite in God as-their common ioterefi and end. 5· They may fee that the Gofpel and fpirit of Chri£1, is llronger than the devil and all the allurementsof the A.e{h and world, when it can m1ke fo many agree in the renouncing of all earthly va· n>ties, for the hopes of everlafling life. 6. They will fee that the o,fign and dochine of Chrillianity is Good and ~'Xcellcn5, befeemirtg God, and ddirable to man ; whtn they fee that it dgth pro· duce fo good dftCl:s, as the Love ~nd Vnity and Concord of_ mu~kind. 7· And it is .an exceeding great and powerful help to the Convrrfion of the World m this refpect, becaure it IS a thing fo cotifPicuo/16 in their fighr, and fo inttlligible to them, and fo approvedby them. They <ore little wrought on by thedoftrim of Chrifi alont, becaufe it is vifible or audible but to few, ~nd undcrftood by f;wer and conraineth m:1ny things which nature dothdillafie: But the holy Concord of Believers ls a ~hing that they are more able to di{ccrnand judge of, and do more generally approve. The H 0 L y C 0 N C 0 RD of Chrillians, mull be the C0 N V ERSI 0 N of the unbelieving world, if God have fo great a mercy fo,r the world: which is a confidcration that Chould not only deter us from ~ Divifiom, but make us zcaloufly fiudy and labour with all our interefi and might, for the healing of t~e lamcnrable Divifions among Chrifiians, if we have rhe: hc:arts of Chrillians, and any fenfe of rhe intcrdl of Chrifi. 1· 54· 6. The Concord of Chrifiians doth greatly conduce to the eafe and peace of particular "Believers. The very exerC!fc of Loi!e to one another doth iwec:ten all our Jivts and dutits: We fail towards Hc1ven_in a pleaf.mt Calm, with ~·ind and tide, when we live in Love and peace together: How eafie doth tt make the work of Godlmefs ? How light aburden cloth Religion feem, when we arc all as of one heart and foul? · ~·55· 7· bflly, Confider whether this be notthe likcft flare to Heaven, and therefore have not in it !he mofi. ?f Ch:i~ian cxcellc~cy and pe~f,ction? In_ Hcaven.rhcre is no difcord, but a perfect confort of glonlled fpam, h:urnomoul1y lovmg and pratfing their Creator. And if Heaven be de· fin.blr, holy Concotd on eanh is next ddirab!e. §.56. Ill. On the contrary, confider wc11 of <~e Mifchiefs of DiviGons. 1· It is the I(!Yi 11 g of The llifchiefs ~h~ Church (as much as lyct~ ~~ .rhe_d,viders ) ~r the woundmg it at leaO:. Chrifis Body is One, and ofD1VIfion. !t iS fenfible; and therefore DJvJdtng It tendeth d!let!!y to the dell:roying it, and at leaf\ will caufe "' fmut and p•in. To Rrform the Church by Dividing it, is no wifer than to cut out the Liver ot Spleen
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