"
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. 1
Cor. xiii. 8, "Charity never faileth; but whether there be tongues,
they shall cease; or whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish
away." And ver. 13, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity; but the
greatest of these is charity." And Col. iii. 14, "Above all these
things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness;" because
charity is the end of the commandment, 1 Tim. i. 5. Charity is
therefore called "the royal law;" as 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 Pet. iv. 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 remind 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.
III.
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