Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #82: Orthodoxy and Charity United by Isaac Watts ©2007

WATTS, ISAAC (1674-1748), English Nonconformist minister, regarded as the father of English hymnody, was born at Southampton on July 17, 1674. His father, also named Isaac Watts (1651-1736), was a schoolmaster who twice suffered imprisonment for Nonconformity. Isaac Watts the younger studied at the Dissenting Academy at Stoke Newington, London, which he left in 1694. In 1696, after a period at home, he became tutor to the family of Sir John Hartopp of Stoke Newington and of Freeby Leicestershire. He preached his first sermons in the family chapel at Freeby. In 1699 he was appointed assistant to Dr. Chauncy: minister of Mark Lane Independent (i.e., Congregational) Chapel, London; in March 1702 he became full pastor of this church which twice during the next ten years had to remove to larger premises to accommodate the expanding congregation. In 1712 a breakdown in health interrupted Watt's ministry. He went to stay, intending a week's visit, with Sir Thomas Abney at this home in Hertfordshire: he remained with the Abney's until the end of his life, making occasional appearances at the church of which he remained titular minister. He died at Stoke Newington on Nov. 25, 1748. During the latter part of his life he devoted much time to writing and engaged public controversy, especially against the Deists. (From the Encyclopedia Britannica)

f the Difficulties in Scripture
Expression in Prayers and Sermons, are mere accidental Matters, and not written in Scripture with so express a Pen. So whether the Person baptised must be sprinkled or immersed, and whether the Communicants at the Lord's Table must sit, or lean, stand, or kneel, are less-essential Considerations, and have been the Subjects of dubious Inquiry.

Again, in the Constitution, Order and Government of a Church, the same Distinctions may be made also. That Persons professing the Name of Christ should agree to walk and worship together at stated Seasons in the Fellowship of the Gospel, seems to be a Demand of the Law of Nature, and sufficiently confirmed by many Directions or Examples in positive Expressions of Scripture too; That every such Congregation of faithful People, or voluntary Society of Christians, is a Church of Christ; That they ought to seclude or put away from their Number, the grosly ignorant, the scandalous and the prophane, and to withdraw from those that walk disorderly; That there should be Persons appointed to minister to them in holy things, and that the Society should honour and maintain them; All these seem to be plain and undoubted Duty.

But whether this Society may receive and exclude Members without or against the Consent of their Pastor; Whether there must be any Elders in a Church distinct from and inferior to the Pastor or Bishop; Whether the Minister needs the Imposition of the Hands of several Presbyters, or the superior episcopal Consecration; or whether he be sufficiently ordained by the Choice of the Society, his solemn Acceptance, and his own and their devoting him to God in that Office by Fasting and Prayer; these things are not quite so evident in the Writings of the New-Testament. And while we are required to have no Fellowship with the openly Wicked, though they are pretended Professors of Religion, yet we are commanded to receive the Weak in the Faith, and to hold Communion with them in Common Christianity, though we may all differ in doubtful Disputations.

An Insurrection of contending Christians.
I am easily aware that the Men of Heat and Party, will lift up their Hands in Wonder, when they read this Catalogue and Distinction of the Affairs of Christianity. I see them already kindling into Rage against me; they incompass my Tent and proclaim War. And upon a Review of their Numbers, their Insurrection and their Zeal, I cannot find an Advocate wanting for any on Sect or Party, among the common Professors of the Religion of Christ in England. I see there Merges and his Neighbour Aspergio; I find Sedentius and Genicola both there; Piscopion, Classicus and Antipas are come thither also. Each of them a Prince of their Tribe, and either a Head or a very forward Member of the Family of their Fathers. Just so the Children of Israel began to denounce War against their Brethren Gad and Reuben, when they built an Altar of Witness to maintain their Communion with the rest of their Tribes, while they were Dissenters only in point of Habitation, and dwelt beyond Jordan: These Party-Men are full of Faith and Certainty in every Opinion; they embrace none as Brethren in Christ who do not wear their Garb and Livery, and talk not exactly in their Language and Phrases, nor will they hold Communion with those that dissent from them in the least Punctilio's of the Form or Worship of Christians. "If Men depart from the Truth, say they, they are in the Way of Error: and 'tis all one whether they depart little or much, since they have forsaken the Truth we ought to forsake them."

These warm Zealots are not used to admit of any Doubt in the smallest Circumstantials of Religion, and because they have learnt of their Teachers to affirm all their Tenets with equal Confidence, they believe that the Scripture reveals them all with equal Evidence. A Metaphor smiling upon their Practice, is an express Command. They can read their indispensable Duty in a single and dubious Example. A remote Conclusion of their own drawing, at the End of a long Chain of Consequences, gives them resistless Conviction, and appears in their Eye as bright, though distant, as the Morning-Star. A Circumstance or two of matter of Fact determines their Judgement unchangeable, for or against an Opinion, which at most is but feebly favoured by those very Circumstances; a little Criticism on a single Greek Word in some single Text of Scripture, becomes a firm Foundation for their Faith: They force some Text or other to prove every thing which they say, and when they have imposed their Sense on the Words of the holy Writers, they are sure the Evangelists and the Apostles are of their Mind. Each of them have pickt up some Scraps of the Arguments of their Party, and they fancy themselves well equiped and furnish for the Defence of the Truth.

Merges, a very honest Man in the main, is newly come out of the Water, and glows all over with Zeal and Assurance, that there can be no Baptism without plunging: He makes a mere Jest of Baby-Sprinkling, and declares that if we are not covered with Water, we are not buried with Christ: No honest Man, says he, could ever doubt that John's Disciples were immerst at Enon, for the Scriptures say, there was much Water there, John iii. 23.

Aspergio, a bold Talker, is as confident that sprinkling, or pouring Water on the Head, is a true Method of Baptism, and is ready to say severe things against the Practice of Immersion, as if it were not only needless, but, as they are ready to call it, foolish and sinful.

"Tis plain, saith he, in the Word of God, that the Apostles were baptised with the Spirit, which can never mean that they were dipt or plunged into the Spirit, but only that the Spirit was poured out upon them; And when the Israelites were baptised into Moses, 'tis plain they were only sprinkled with the Cloud and the Sea, Matt. iii. II. Compared with Acts ii. 3, 17. And I Cor. x.2. and therefore, says he, I wonder that any Man should be so weak as to give himself the trouble of Dipping when he has such Texts as these to prove Sprinkling.

Sedentius, a weak and warm Dissenter, is just come from St. Paul's Cathedral: Being urged by great Curiosity, with much ado he obtained Leave of his Conscience to go thither and see Men receive the Lord's Supper kneeling: As he returns he is almost ready to pronounce Damnation against the Organs and Singing-Men, for they are all, saith he, the Limbs of Antichrist: He whispers Damnation against these Idolaters that bow before a Piece of Bread; for they look as though they worshipped the Host, and belonged to Rome. He is very positive that sitting is a Posture of absolute Necessity in that Ordinance, for Jesus and his Disciples did sit and eat, Mark xiv. 8. I Cor. xi. 20 and since it is called the Supper of the Lord, we must sit down while we partake of it, for every Child knows that Men are never wont to kneel at Supper.

On the other hand, Genicola hates the Presbyterians for their scandalous Irreverence at the Sacrament: "What, saith he, dare any Man use so clownish and so rude a Gesture as sitting, when he receives the Seal of the Pardon of his Sins, and the Emblems of the Body and Blood of Christ?" and he forbids all such Worshippers from his Communion with this Sentence, Procul, O procul este, profani; i.e. hence ye profane Creatures, though he can hardly pretend to bring one Text of Scripture for his own Practice: He is sure also that the Surplice, a Sign or Token of Purity, and as our Reformers teach, ought to be worn at Prayer, for we must lift up Hands of Purity and Innocence when we come before God; and he finds the long white Garment in these Words, Let all things be done decently and in order, I Cor xiv. 40.

To me, saith Piscopion, 'tis as clear as the Light, that no Man can be a Minister of Christ unless the Hands of a superior Man, even a Diocesan Bishop, have been upon his Head; and all the Preachings and Ministrings of such a presumptuous Wretch, who was not thus ordained, are but vain Babblings, empty Tribles, and impudent Usurpations in the Name of the Lord: For thus saith the Common Prayer Book, which was made by Saints and Martyrs, It is evident unto all Men, diligently reading holy Scripture and ancient Authors, that from the Apostles time there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church; Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. Thus he proceeds triumphant where the Civil Government is on his Side, and will yield to no Man in Argument or Dispute.

Classicus arises in warm Opposition to Prelacy, and asserts it an indisputable Truth, that no Minister of Christ is superior to another: "I read, saith he, in my Bible, no Distinction between Bishops and Presbyters; they are the same Officers in Scripture: An the Power of Synods is so plainly instituted at the Council of Jerusalem, Acts xv. That I am amazed this should be esteemed a matter of Doubt or Difficulty; and I am well assured of this, because Timothy had the Hands of the Presbytery laid upon him, I Tim. I iv. 14. there is no Man above or below a Presbyter has any thing to do in ordaining Ministers since the Apostles are dead.

Antipas grows impatient at these bold Assertions; and asserts with as much Boldness, that the Power of ordaining all Sorts of Officers in the Church belongs properly to the Brethren of a single Congregation, and none besides have any Authority to meddle with it, since the Race of inspired Men are dead and gone. The Brethren have all the Power in their Hands, and 'tis the Church or Congregation alone that has any Manner of Right to chase and approve and establish its own Pastors, Elders, Overseers and Deacons: For is it not said, Acts vi. 3 Look you out among you seven Men, &c. And if this be done at the Choice of Deacons, why not of Elders too? The Learned say, that the Word is Greek, which is used for ordaining of Elders, signifies the Choice of lifting up the Hands of the Brethren to vote for them. Whatsoever Particulars are disputed in Church Government, the Power of the People must be ever acknowledged and received as a fundamental and immoveable Truth.

Among all these Combatants there is not one but is so positive in his own Sentiments, that one would think they had received all their Opinions by Inspiration, or that Christ and his Apostles had been precisely of their Party, and had written their Opinions down in express Letters and Syllables. And not only are they so assured of the Truth of their Tenets, but the vast Importance of them too: And each of them grows angry that his own particular Opinion should be reckoned among the less-evident or the less-important Points of Religion: Their Fury boils high, and their mistaken Zeal and warm Ferment of their Passion swells every Punctilio to a Mountain, and makes every Particle of their Opinions fundamental: They don't observe how their swift Career and Violence carries each of them besides or beyond their Text, and thus they are sometimes hurried on beside the Goal of Truth, and I am perswaded their Assurance always runs too fast for their Evidence, and reaches far beyond it.

They commend and practise Vehemence as a Virtue, and so far forget their Bible as to believe all Moderation to be a mere Spirit of Indifference, and unworthy of a good Christian. They all maintain opposite Notions, yet by their Temper and Conduct they all seem to approve each other's Zeal for his own Party, and with one Consent they vote me a mere Latitudinarian, a lukewarm Professor, a Citizen of Laodicea, who has not a Spark of Zeal for the Gospel of Christ, the Worship or the Discipline of his Church.

My dear zealous Friends, be calm a little, and let me speak before I'm condemned. I do not deny many of these Things which I call less-important to be some Way discovered in the New Testament, though not in so express and plain Language as you suppose. The chief Concerns of the Christian Church are so far prescribed by positive Rules, by Examples or just Inferences, that a serious Reader, who is attentive and unbyassed, and who will exercise his reasoning Powers, may find sufficient Notices of all necessary Truth and Duty: According to my Measure of Light I humbly hope I have found it, and thereby regulate my Practice.

But still it must be granted, that Things less necessary are not so plainly described as the bigger and more substantial Parts of Religion, nor graven in Characters so large and obvious that every one must needs discern them. Christ Jesus hath been as faithful in his House as Moses was, and has delineated the Form, Pattern and Order of it, so far as infinite Wisdom thought necessary to carry on the grand Designs of Grace and the Gospel: But some of the lesser Pins in this spiritual Tabernacle are not so graphically decyphered, as that every Child may tell whether they must be round or square. There is nothing of so much Weight depends upon them, and therefore there was no need for them to be so expresly described under the New Testament, wherein bodily Exercise profits little, but Worship and Religion consist more in what is spiritual and invisible.

Upon the whole then, since there are different Degrees of Evidence and Clearness, wherewith some of the Doctrines of Faith, and the Rules of Worship and Order in the New Testament are exprest, there ought also to be found in us different Degrees of Assent or Assurance, wherewith we should receive these Doctrines or these Rules of Duty: For it is a certain and eternal Rule of Logic or Reason, that our Assent to any Proposition ought to be firm or feeble, just in Proportion to the different Degrees of Evidence, whether they be brighter or more obscure

Here then is a plain and pretty general Rule given us, whereby we may judge whether any particular Opinion or Practice be more of less important, and consequently whether our Zeal for it should be warmer or cooler, viz. Is the Evidence of this Practice, or this Truth in Scripture more bright or cloudy? According to the Light of Evidence, such generally should our Zeal be. Violence and fierce Contention among Christians, especially about Matters of lesser Moment, or of doubtful Dispute, are infinitely scandalous to the Christian Name; and as they tend to ruin and destroy the Churches of Christ, so in all Ages they have greatly grieved the Souls of those who love the Interests of Christianity, and wish well to Sion.

Some Reasons why these Differences are permitted to arise among Christians.
If it would not offend my Readers, I would here come to an ingenuous Confession, that the different Sentiments and dreadful Quarrels of Christians about some of the lesser Things of Religion, and the dark and dubious Expressions in Scripture, wherein some Parts of our Religion are revealed, have sometimes been a sore Temptation and Sorrow to my Heart, so that I have wish'd these doubtful Disputables had been more clearly determined there. I have been plunged into the Briars of this Perplexity, when I have seen Persons of devout Soul, serious and humble, dissent so widely from each other, both in Opinion and Practice, and that in Matters of some Moment too, and even after long and honest Enquiries into the Meaning of God in his Word.

Under these Difficulties I have said in my Heart, "Why did not the God of Wisdom and of Love express every Article of Belief and Duty in Words of plainest Revelation and Precept, that we might have all read the same Sense, and been all of one Mind? Why did he leave the least Point of our Religion dubious or obscure, when, with a long Foresight, he surveyed all the Quarrels and Rage, the infinite Scandal, the Cruelty and the Blood that in future Ages would be the Consequences of Religious Disputes?"

I have been pain'd at my Soul, and felt an inward afflicting Heaviness in such a Mediation as this, nor could I ever satisfy myself with that prophane Answer which some witty Men have given, viz. "That God, who might have made the Rules of our Duty plain and undisputed, chose to express them in Words capable of several Interpretations, that Christians might be liable to be led into many different Opinions, that hereby God might please himself with the Variety of Devotions that, were paid him, and that how different soever their Sentiments and Practices might be, yet that his Commands are equally obey'd by all the various Kinds of Worship and Service, which the Consciences of Men sincerely conceive themselves bound to offer." This notion inclines to that wild Opinion, which supposes that any Forms or Methods of Worship are all equally acceptable to God, and that there are more true Religions than one: This favours so much of the Deist and the Libertine, and the Disciples of the Leviathan, that I could never admit it into my Assent.

Yet it must be granted that his Wisdom had some very valuable Ends to attain in the Way of Providence, by permitting so many Differences amongst Christians; and if we had been Secretaries to the King of Heaven when he form'd his Decrees, we might have known perhaps some of these awful Arcana of his Government; but who has been his Counsellor, or to whom has he given an Account of these Matters? His Paths are in the great Deep, and his Providences are trackless through the mighty Waters; how unsearchable are his Ways, and his Judgments past finding out ! I dare not pretend to write a compleat Rationale on all his infinite and impenetrable Designs; yet my Faith assures me that they have all the highest and divine Reason in them. And I will take the Freedom here to mention some of those Considerations that have silenced my clamorous Thoughts, pleased my Enquiry, satisfied my Conscience, and vanquished the dark Temptation.

First, By these doubtful Disputables among the accidental Things of Religion, God tries our Sincerity, whether we will hold fast the Substantials. The Constancy and Courage of a Soul devoted to God is exercised and proved amidst the Clamours and noisy Contests of the Men of Party and angry Zeal ; and when it persevereth in a Course of Christianity, notwithstanding all these Stumbling Blocks, it approves itself to God, its Judge and Rewarder. The Differences of true Christians in some Parts of their Faith and Worship, have frighted and scandalised the Hypocrite and the giddy Professor ; their Heads have been turned round with every Wind of Doctrine, because their Hearts have not been established in the Way of Holiness; they have cast off all the Articles and Practices of Religion, because they find so many Sects divided by their little Particularities, and cannot precisely determine every Circumstance of Truth and Duty.

There were Divisions and Parties, Schisms and Sects in the Corinthian Church, and they must be, saith the Apostle, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you, I Cor. xi. 19. Our Lord Jesus forewarns his Disciples, that Offences will come and 'tis not possible that it should be otherwise; there shall be Variance and Strife in a Man's own Household: But blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me: be that persevereth to the end the same shall be saved, Luke xvii. I. Matt. xi. 6. There are many things in the Christian Religion that become Stones of stumbling, and Rocks of Offence; blessed are the upright that hold on their Course and Resolution for Heaven, and whose Feet stumble not upon these dark Mountains, because of their Neglect to search out the Truth, or their wilful Obstinacy in dangerous Errors.

Secondly, Not only our Sincerity towards God, but our Charity towards fellow-Christians is hereby put to the Trial, and Charity is the very Livery of the Disciples of Christ. Hereby shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another, John xiii 35. The Lord hath commanded all his Sheep to wear this Mark of Distinction from the World, how different soever their lesser Opinions are among themselves. Where I behold the Image of Christ my Lord stampt in legible Characters upon my Neighbour, can I love him with warm Affection, though he never frequents the same Place of Worship with me, though he wears a Garment of another Shape and Colour, prays in a sett Form of Words which I cannot perfectly approve, and subscribes a Creed of different Expressions, though the same in Sense and Meaning? Can I receive this good Man into my very Soul, who eats nothing but Herbs, and will not sit down at my Table because Flesh is eaten there ? Can I love him at my Heart that loves Jesus, the Lord, though he will not religiously observe the Festival of his Birth or Ascension ? Or do those little Words Christmas and Holy Thursday set my Heart at a Distance from him, and make him forfeit all my Charity? Such Queries as these may be a Touch-Stone of our Graces, and the Test of true Love to Christ and his Saints.

There seems to be something of this Design in our Lord Jesus Christ, when he ordered his Servant Paul to write the fourteenth Chapter to the Romans, where the Apostle, though he gives a Hint of his own Opinion and Liberty in the Gospel, with regard to Meats and Days, yet he doth not impose the same Observations and Abstinences on other Christians ; and though he was inspired, yet he leaves these things still indifferent and calls them doubtful Disputations. Now as the Trial of our Faith, through manifold Temptations is much more precious than that of Gold that perishes, so the Trial of our Love passing through the smoaky Fires of Contention and Dispute, and not mingling therewith, is discovered to be a pure divine Flame, and shall be found to Praise, Honour and Glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen we love, I Pet. i. 7.

Thirdly, Perhaps our Lord might leave some lesser Points of Religion more obscurely expressed in his Word, because he designed to continue a Ministry in his church to the End of the World, or till he came again. While other Christians have their House and Thoughts engrossed by the Cares of this Life, and want Leisure and Skill and Means to acquaint themselves with all the difficult and more abstruse Parts of Religion, 'tis the Business of the Men that are honoured and employed in the sacred Office to give themselves to Reading, to search into the hidden Things of God, and explain the more doubtful Paragraphs of his Word unto Men.

I grant that the first and grand Design of their Studies and public Labours should be to preach the Gospel of the Grace of God and Reconciliation by Jesus Christ, and to make the necessary Articles of Faith and Practice plain to the meanest Soul : But a Minister is also required to converse not only with those Scriptures which will make him wise to final Salvation, but with those also which may throughly furnish him to every good Word and Work, 2 Tim. iii. 17. That he may know how to speak a Word in Season to every weary Soul, and to draw Consciences out of Perplexity which are vexed with Scruples of less important Things ; to instruct them in the Mind and Will of Christ about the Methods of his Worship, and the Order of his Church, to shew them the Pattern and Fashion of the House of God, and all the Ordinances, and the Forms and the Laws thereof: And that is a Part of his Duty, at proper Seasons, in some of his public Ministrations ; for he must conceal nothing of the Counsel of God from them, that may be useful or profitable to Men : The Methods of his Worship, and Institutions of his Gospel, should be treasured up in his Heart: and upon proper Occasions, of private Visit and Conference, the Lips of the Priest should make it appear that they keep Knowledge, that the Law may be sought at his Mouth, for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts, Mal. ii. 7.

Not that every Man is bound to pay an implicit Faith and blind Obedience to the Opinion and Dictates of his Bishop or Presbyter. This is Popish Slavery wheresoever it is practised, and Popish Tyranny where it is commanded : But Christians ought to give due Attention to the Advice and Counsel of such as are set over them in the Lord, Heb. Xiii. 17. I Cor. xvi. 15, 16. Such as are solemnly devoted to the Ministry of the Gospel, and have addicted themselves to the Study and Search of the Scriptures, and are chosen by the People to be their Teachers, and set apart for that Office in the Way they best approve; and so far as their Advice is conformable to the written Word, they are to receive it as from some of the Messengers of Christ.

We may humbly suppose a fourth Design which God had in his Eye when the sacred Penmen wrote so many Verse of Holy Scripture, which God knew were so difficult to be interpreted; and that is, that no Christian might put the Bible out of his own Hands, or neglect to read and meditate and study the Word of God; and that together with their Reading they might constantly implore the Preference of the Spirit, the Enlightner and the Comforter, to lead them into all Truth. It is the Duty of every Man, so far as his Capacity and Opportunities of Life will admit, to study the holy Scriptures himself, and to see with his own Eyes what he must believe, and what he must practice.

We should imitate the Example of the noble Bereans, Acts xvii. II, who searched the Scriptures with Diligence, and brought the Sermons of Paul himself unto that sacred Touch-stone, to see if the Things which he spoke were true or no: And after all our Study, we shall find such Difficulties that will convince us of the Necessity of depending upon a higher Teacher, even the Holy Spirit. Our blessed Savior commands that we search the Scriptures, and pray for the Spirit too, John v. 39. Luke xi. 9,13. And St Paul prays unto God that he would give to the Saints which were at Ephesus, that Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to enlighten the Eyes of their Understanding, Ephes. I. 17. this Unction which true Believers have from the Holy One, makes known to them all Things necessary to Salvation, I John ii. 20. And though we have no Ground to expect that he will unfold to us every lesser Difficulty, while we live in this World ; yet we may humbly hope that in those Things which regard the Forms of his own Worship, and the Means of his own visible Glory amongst Men, he will by Degrees let some divine Rays of Light into the Mind of him that seeks after Truth with great Diligence, fervent Prayer, and more sincere Designs. There are many Instances to be given of plain Christians that have been made the Favourites of the enlightning Spirit, and have arrived at uncommon Knowledge in Christianity by these Methods.

A Fifth blessed End, and which is certainly attained in the Providence of God, by leaving so many Disputables in Religion, is, that our Souls are hereby drawn out to long for Heaven, and pant after the State where there is no Contention, no Dispute. This Prospect renders those happy Regions more desireable whilst we are here, and more abundantly welcome hereafter.

It is impossible that any Controversy should there arise to interrupt the Worship of the Church triumphant. It is eternally impossible to divide them into Parties, or to disturb their Repose. The Doctrines of their Profession are all written as with Sun-Beams, they are no longer the Articles of Faith, but the Objects of Sight: We shall be all taught of God, we shall see Face to Face, and know as we are known. So much of the Holy Spirit dwells in all the Saints, as a perpetual Spring of Revelation and Wisdom. The Discipline of that Church can occasion no Disputes, for the Son of God, in our Nature, is the Pastor or Bishop, he keeps the Keys of Heaven in his own Hands, and the Keys of Hell and Death. The Soul that is once admitted into that Fellowship shall abide like a Pillar in the Temple of his God, and shall go no more out ; but the Hypocrite and the Unclean shall never enter there. The Worship that is paid there is with perfect Uniformity of Mind and Affection amongst all the happy Spirits ; an unanimous Consent in Self-abasement, divine Honour and Love; and perhaps when our Bodies shall be raised again to make a visible Church in Heaven, Worship may be perform'd with a glorious Liberty, and with such a pleasing Variety of Form as glorified Nature shall dictate, and our exalted Reason approve ; but still with the Exercise of the same perfect Love and Delight among the Worshippers, and under the Influence of the same Spirit.

O the Happiness of that upper Region, where all the Inhabitants are of one Mind and one Heart ! Every Doubt shall for ever vanish, for we shall behold all Things without a Cloud. In thy Light, O Lord, we shall see Light and enjoy it. Every Quarrel shall for ever cease, for we shall dwell on the Land of Harmony and Love. Though our Capacities, perhaps, may be of different Sizes, yet we shall see all divine Truths in the same Light, and therefore our Sentiments, at least in Things of Importance, shall differ no more; we shall be united to each other in the same Band of Love, nor can our Affections be separated any more for ever: That Light and that Love springs from the ever-blessed God; God the Creator communicating himself to all his holy and happy Creation, and holding them fast to himself for ever, in and by that glorious Person Christ Jesus his Son and Image; for in him must all Things be gathered together in one, and all Things reconciled unto God in him, whether they be Things in Earth or Things in Heaven; then shall the Prophecy of Zechariah be fulfilled, The Lord shall be King over all the Earth, there shall be one Lord, and his Name one, in the fullest Meaning of that Expression; nor shall the Saints be distinguished by different Parties or Denominations, but their Hearts and their Names shall be all one; according to those Expressions of unconceivable Glory, wherein our Lord describes the things which are truly unspeakable, all the Saints shall be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, John xvii. 21.

O with what Pleasure have I often read, and me-thinks would be always reading, those Words of a great Man spoken on the Funeral of his fellow-Saint. "When Death shall have discumber'd and set us free from all sorts of Distempers, and brought us into the State of perfect and perfected Spirits, how delectable will the Society be, when all shall be full of divine Life, Light, Love and Joy, and all freely communicate as they have received freely !

But above all that is conceivable in that other State, how delectable will their Society be in Worship, in the unanimous Adoration of the ever blessed God, Father, Son and Spirit ! O the inexpressible Pleasure of this Convociation in Worship perpetually tendered with so absolute a Plentitude of Satisfaction in the Dueness of it, and the Gustful Apprehension of what those Words import, Worthy art thou, O Lord: Each one relishing his own Act with just Self Approbation and high Delight, heightened by their apprehended perfect Unanimity, and that there is among them no dissenting Vote. Whence it cannot be but to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, must be to enjoy him, and that he is not under any other Notion, a satisfying Object of our Enjoyment, more than he is the Object of our Worship.

These are Beams of Celestial Light for Souls to drink in, and to live upon them while we are passing onward to these fair Mansions through a Wilderness of Doubts and Darknesses. These are Words of Harmony and love to entertain our Ears, and make us deaf to the Noise of a wrangling and disputing World. This is a Heaven worth wishing for, while we are travelling to it through this tiresome Earth, this unhappy Stage of Vexation and Controversy : To this let us look with Eyes of ardent Expectation, and the devoutest Wishes of Souls : To this let us all aspire and hasten, who have groaned long under our own Ignorance, and been burdened and grieved with the Quarrels of the Christian Churches; and whatsoever Name or Party we have chosen in our divided Opinions, let us unite our Hearts and Voices in this loud Request, Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly. Amen.