SERMON V.

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."-PSALM CXXXII. 1.

In this short Psalm we may see the excellency of the saint's communion, fellowship, and brotherly agreement.

It is described and commended.

First, Described from the fountain of it, from God as a Father, and therefore he says, " How good and how pleasant it is for brethren."

Secondly, Described, also, from the act and exercise thereof, which is, " to dwell together in unity."

Thirdly, It is commended from the goodness, and profitableness, and pleasantness of it. It is a good thing, a profitable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity; behold how good it is in the eyes of men; behold how pleasant it is beyond expression "for brethren to dwell together in unity." And the goodness and pleasantness of it is expressed by two similitudes. It is compared to the precious ointment upon the head of Aaron: verse 2, "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that run down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that went down to the skirts of his garment."

It is compared, also, to the dew that fell upon Hermon and the hills of Zion: verse 3, "As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion." &c. Thus, you see, the design of this Psalm is to declare the goodness and profitableness of unity between brethren, from whence, then, I take up this observation:

That a loving agreement between the saints, among themselves, is exceeding pleasant and very profitable.

Some things are pleasant but not profitable, and some things are profitable and not pleasant, as physic, &c.; but communion and fellowship, and a loving agreement among the saints is both pleasant and profitable.

It is a pleasant thing for the saints and people of God to agree together; for the same word which is used here for pleasant, is used also in the Hebrew for a harmony of music, such as when they rise to the highest strains of the viol, when the strings are all put in order to make up a harmony,

so pleasant is it, such pleasantness is there in the saints' agreement.

The same word is used also in the Hebrew for the pleasantness of a corn field. When a field is clothed with corn, though it be cut down, yet it is very pleasant, oh, how pleasant is it ; and such is the saints' agreement.

The same word in the Psalmist is used also for the sweetness of honey, and of sweet things in opposition to bitter things. And thus you see the pleasantness of it, by its being compared to the harmony of music, to the corn field, to the sweetness of honey, to the precious ointment that ran down Aaron's beard, and to the dew that fell upon Hermon and the hills of Zion: and all this is to discover the pleasantness, profitableness and sweetness of the saints' agreement: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is," &c. It is a pleasant thing to behold the sun, but it is much more pleasant to behold the saints' agreement and unity among themselves.

There are many times breakings and losings in the love of the saints, and therefore when they come to an agreement and union among themselves again, it must needs be very pleasant and profitable and sweet, for things once lost and found again are very sweet. And upon this account it is, that the commandment of love is called " a new commandment," because it is broken so often, and so often renewed again. And the Psalmist speaks here of the sweetness and pleasantness of unity, because there is no sweetness in division; but unity is a good way and means to keep out trouble and evil division from among the people. And,

Further, the more difficulty any mercy is obtained with, the sweeter it is when obtained. There are many things which are hard to come by, but when they are obtained they are sweet; and so there are many difficulties in the way of love and sweet agreement, and the people of God are encumbered with many difficulties, they have many things to put them out of the way of love and of sweet agreement among themselves, and therefore saith the apostle, Phil. i. 27, “Only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of Christ; that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one Spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." Again. The more suitable any thing is to our condition,

the more pleasant and sweet it is. Now this brotherly love and union is a conjunction of suitable things, and is suitable to our condition, and suitable things are delightful unto men, and the more suitable any thing is, the more we delight in it. And this agreement, this union, is every way suitable to our own condition as we are men; and is also suitable to all the creatures, for they run together and agree together. And it is suitable to us also as we are christians, it is suitable to Christ's command: "A new command (saith he) I give unto you, that you love one another." It is suitable to Christ's own example, who hath loved us; and suitable also to the gospel, which is a gospel of peace: "Let your conversation be as becometh the gospel, that you be of one spirit and of one mind." So, I say, this holy agreement is every way suitable, and therefore the more pleasant and delightful, and so it ought to be unto us.

As it is pleasant and delightful, so it is a profitable good: "Behold how good a thing it is," it is very profitable. For is it not profitable for the "dew to fall upon Hermon, and upon the hills of Zion, to make them fruitful?" Why such is the dew of holy agreement, when it falls upon the hearts of men: and this doth make men increase and multiply in the church, and to be fruitful in good works; the Psalmist saith," God commandeth his blessing;" and when God blesseth, we shall certainly increase and multiply; and this I say doth increase the church, and hereby are the saints both increased and delighted by the blessing of God on them, they do increase in things that are good and profitable; and this was the thing which Christ prayed for, yea prayed for again and again; yea as I said it is the great thing which Christ hath commanded : a new command &c. Is it not therefore good and profitable to love one another?

Again, This is the mercy and the grace that is promised, specially in the latter times glorious things are spoken of, and and promised to the last days; and this is one of those things which are promised, and if so, it is then certainly good and profitable.

Again, This is the legacy which Christ left with his disciples and people; saith he, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you,"

John xiv. 27, and therefore surely this agreement among brethren is very good and profitable.

Again, Certainly it is good and profitable to walk worthy of the high calling to which Christ hath called us, as the apostle speaks, Eph. iv. 1, 2, 3, “ I beseech you to walk worthy of the vocation, wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," &c.

Again, Is it not good and profitable that our prayers should be heard, that God should hear and grant our requests and prayers? Why, look into the Scriptures, and you will find that our love is a help to our prayers; it is a help unto us, whereby to have our prayers heard and answered.

Again, Is it not good and profitable for a man to know that he is a child of God, and that he hath an interest in Christ? Why, look into 1 John iii. 14, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren:" there is a day of death, of natural death, whereby man shall pass from life to death; and there is likewise a time of spiritual life; when a man passeth from death to life. Now how shall I know whether I am" passed from death to life?" Why, if I love the brethren. Yea, saith Christ," Hereby shall all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" not only yourselves shall know it, but others shall know it also; and is it not then very good and profitable? For hereby you shall know that your prayers are heard; and by this also you shall know that you are passed from death to life; and hereby you shall not only know yourselves to be Christ's disciples, but others shall know it also; and if it be so, then certainly it must be good and profitable.

Again, This will give a relish and a savour to all your enjoyments; it is the salt of all your comforts: "Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."

Although our condition be never so prosperous. yet if we cannot agree among ourselves, if love and peace be wanting, that sours all the rest; and though the ordinances be never so sweet, and our privileges never so many, yet if we be not united together in love, all is made sour; this is that which sours all our enjoyments, the want of love and agreement, for that gives a relish to all our enjoyments when we have it.

Again, This is that which will make all things easy unto you, though they be never so hard in themselves; whereas the contrary will make all things hard though never so easy: if I am to do a work or service for one: why, though the work be never so hard of itself, yet love will make it easy; many complain and say they cannot profit by the ordinances: why, what is the reason? It is for want of love to them; there are jars and contentions between friend and friend, between this man and the other man; why, it is for want of love: love would make all things easy for you, though never so hard. Now put all these things together, and then you may see, what a pleasant and profitable thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, to love, to unite, to live in unity one with another.

Well then if this be so, why should we not all abound in it? Why do not we love and agree one with another, if it be so good and profitable as we have heard, then let us all agree together.

But it may be some will say, we do live together in love and unity, and we are united one to another, but

Yet give me leave to mind you of what the apostle saith, 1 Thess. iv. 9, “But as touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you; for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another, and indeed ye do it towards all the brethren which are in all Macedonia; but we beseech you brethren that you increase more and more." Though you do it, yet we beseech you to increase it more and more, and so I say to you: yea and Christ hath commanded it also, and you

must do it in obedience to his command.

If our love be right as it should be, then we shall love others also, even our neighbours and friends and brethren; we shall love them as ourselves. "The second commandment (saith our Saviour) is like unto it, that you love your neighbour as yourself." Pray for yourselves, do all the good you can for yourselves, avoid all iniquity that may come upon yourselves, and to prove your love to be right do all this for your neighbours also, and love them as yourselves.

If our love be as it should be, we shall then love others, because they are godly, let them be of this opinion, or of the other opinion, yet that matters not; though they be not of my opinion, yet if my love be right, I love them because they