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. 'Charity never faileth: but—whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away' (1 Cor 13:8). 'And now abideth faith, hope, charity—but the greatest of these is charity' (v 13). 'Above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness' (Col 3:14). Because charity is 'the end of the commandment' (1 Tim 1:5). Charity is therefore called the royal law; and 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, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins' (1 Peter 4:8). Let us, therefore, live in unity and peace, and the God of love and peace will be with us.

That you may so do, let me remember you, in the words of a learned man, that the unity of the church is a unity of love and affection, and not a bare uniformity of practice and opinion.

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 is 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 is pleasing to God, and rejoiceth his Spirit, so it rejoiceth the hearts and spirits of God's people—unity and peace brings 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 makes 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 is, 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 is, 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:—