CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

First, That Unity is part of the Churches glory. It's their Glory both actively and passively; Their glory actively, they may in an humble and holy manner rejoice in it: Not indeed as the Papists, who confidently and falsely triumph in their Unity, but in a godly and sober manner; for if schisms and divisions in the Church, did so greatly divide and rend Pauls heart, no doubt but their Unity and accord did as much rejoice him: Therefore how emphatically doth he speak, Phil. 2.1, 2. If any consolation, if any bowels, fulfil ye my joy, that ye may be like minded, &c. It's then the Ministers glory, and the Churches glory to walk in lovely accord, when in the Church, as in Solomons Temple, the voice of the hammer is not heard; whenas God promised in respect of temporal peace, The sword should be turned into plough-shares, so the controversial and polemical part of Divinity shall be changed into the practical and affectionate part.

First, That Ʋnity is part of the Churches glory. It's their Glory both actively and passively; Their glory actively, they may in an humble and holy manner rejoyce in it: Not indeed as the Papists, who confidently and falsly triumph in their Unity, but in a godly and sober manner; for if schisms and divisions in the Church, did so greatly divide and rend Pauls heart, no doubt but their Unity and accord did as much rejoyce him: Therefore how emphatically doth he speak, Phil. 2.1, 2. If any consolation, if any bowels, fulfill ye my joy, that ye may be like minded, &c. It's then the Ministers glory, and the Churches glory to walk in lovely accord, when in the Church, as in Solomons Temple, the voice of the hammer is not heard; whenas God promised in respect of temporal peace, The sword should be turned into plow-shares, so the controversal and polemical part of Divinity shall be changed into the practical and affectionate part.

Again, It's the glory of the Church passively, in this sense, that for it we are exceedingly to glorify and praise God; We should look upon the spiritual peace of the Church, as a greater mercy then all external mercies; What an heavy thing is it, when Jerusalem shall be made a Babel, when the Church shall be like the chaos and confusion that was made at first, when God shall bring such a spiritual judgement on the Church, as sometimes he did a temporal one upon the enemies thereof, Every mans weapon against his neighbour, till they had destroyed one another? When therefore we see God forming the hearts of believers to uniting terms, this we ought to praise God for, as being a special means to promote Christs Kingdom.