An Exhortation to Peace and Unity | Page 8

would have more talents, let us all agree to improve those we have.
See the spirit that was among the primitive professors, that knowing
and believing how much it concerned them in the propagating of
Christianity, to shew forth love to one another (that so all might know
them to be Christ's disciples), rather than there should be any
complainings among them, they sold all they had. O how zealous were
these to practise, and as with one shoulder to do that that was upon
their hearts for God! I might further add, how often have we agreed in
our judgment? and hath it not been upon our hearts, that this and the
other thing is good to be done, to enlighten the dark world, and to
repair the breaches of churches, and to raise up those churches that now
lie gasping, and among whom the soul of religion is expiring? But what
do we more than talk of them? Do not most decline these things, when
they either call for their purses or their persons to help in this and such
like works as these? Let us then, in what we know, unite, that we may
put it in practice, remembering, that if we know these things, we shall
be happy if we do them.
4. This unity and peace consists in our joining and agreeing to pray for,
and to press after, those truths we do not know. The disciples in the
primitive times were conscious of their imperfections, and therefore
they with one accord continued in prayer and supplications. If we were
more in the sense of our ignorance and imperfections, we should carry
it better towards those that differ from us: then we should abound more
in the spirit of meekness and forbearance, that thereby we might bring
others (or be brought by others) to the knowledge of the truth: this
would make us go to God, and say with Elihu, Job xxxiv. 32, "That
which we know not, teach thou us." Brethren, did we but all agree that
we were erring in many things, we should soon agree to go to God, and
pray for more wisdom and revelation of his mind and will concerning
us.
But here is our misery, that we no sooner receive any thing for truth,
but we presently ascend the chair of infallibility with it, as though in
this we could not err: hence it is we are impatient of contradiction, and

become uncharitable to those that are not of the same mind; but now a
consciousness that we may mistake, or that if my brother err in one
thing, I may err in another; this will unite us in affection, and engage us
to press after perfection, according to that of the apostle; Phil. iii. 13-15,
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: But this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And if in any thing ye be
otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." O then that we
could but unite and agree to go to God for one another, in confidence
that he will teach us; and that if any one of us want wisdom (as who of
us does not), we might agree to ask of God, who giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth no man! Let us, like those people spoken of in
the 2d of Isaiah, say to one another, "Come, let us go to the Lord, for he
will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths."
5. This unity and peace mainly consists in unity of love and affection:
this is the great and indispensable duty of all Christians; by this they
are declared Christ's disciples; And hence it is that love is called "the
great commandment," "the old commandment," and "the new
commandment;" that which was commanded in the beginning, and will
remain to the end, yea, and after the end. 1 Cor. xiii. 8, "Charity never
faileth; but whether there be tongues, they shall cease; or whether there
be knowledge, it shall vanish away." And ver. 13, "And now abideth
faith, hope, charity; but the greatest of these is charity." And Col. iii. 14,
"Above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness;" because charity is the end of the commandment, 1 Tim. i.
5. Charity is therefore called "the royal law;" as though it had a
superintendency over other laws, and doubtless is a law to which other
laws must give place, when they come in competition with it; "above
all things, therefore, have fervent charity among yourselves;