The true way of uniting the people of God in these nations·: Opened in a sermon preached in the chappel at White-Hall, Jan. 1. 1659. By Peter Sterry.

Reason 4.

The Lord Jesus suffers greatly by our Divisions. A Wound is described to be a violent separation of the parts of the body one from another; Solutio Continui. Sickness is the Disagreement of the Humors in the bo∣dy fighting one with another. The neerer any of these Parts, or Humors are in place, or influence to the Heart the more grievous is the Wound, or Sickness. While the Members of Jesus Christ, which are so neer to his Heart, are by the violence of their Divisions separated, and torn asunder; What Wounds are made upon the Body, and Spirit, and Heart of the Lord Jesus? O! all you, that pass by, that look on, nay that are actors in these things, is it nothing to you, the grief, and pain, which Jesus Christ feels?

The Jews say that their Messias lies sick in Paradise of the wounds, which the Children of Israel have given him by their sins. Alas! how true it is that our Messias, our blessed Savior, who is our only Paradise, while he is indeed in Himself, and to Himself an Eternal Para∣dise, yet in the midst of us, and by the vertue of his Re∣lation to us lies bleeding, sick, and dying of the wounds, which he receives by our Contentions, and Enmity. Thus we blast our own Paradise, and turn it into a Wil∣derness. If Jesus Christ suffer thus much in us, and from us; shal we have no bowels, no fellow feeling to suffer together with him?

It was a Heavenly Resolution in that Father, who

said, If my Wife, and Children were hanging upon my Arms, and Legs; if my aged Parents laid their bodies weeping in my way to keep me from going to die for the Testimony of Jesus: I would throw away my Wife, and Children from me; I would go over the aged bodies of my dearest Parents. But behold a quite contrary Image of things! Jesus Christ hangs up∣on your Arms, and Legs, and Hearts, he laies his blee∣ding Body, his glorified Person in our way: yet we cast him off violently from us, we go trampling over him to pierce the bodies, & spirits one of another. Can we cast our eye upon these Bleedings, and Breakings of the Heart of Christ caused by our Divisions, & not wish, that our heads were Fountains of Water to weep day, and night for the Breaches of his People? Can we hear him crying out from Heaven, as he did to Saul? O! all ye Beleevers of England why pierce ye me; behold and see, if a∣ny sorrow, any sufferings were ever like unto mine, who suffer in you all, and for you all. Which of you suffers, and I am not sick, and burn? Can we hear this, and not let our Weapons fal out of our hands, and fal down weeping in the em∣braces one of another at the Feet of our Lord Jesus? If we see not these things, which I have urged, as Spiritu∣al truths, it is, because there is very little of the Light of Christ in us. If we be not tenderly affected with them, it is, because we have very little of the Life of Christ.