defilers, and will he love the dividers and destroyers? If it be so great a sin to go to law unnecessarily with our brethren, or to wrong them, 1 Cor. vi. 8, what is it to disown them, and cast them off? And if they that salute and love only their brethren, and not also their enemies, are not the children of God, Matt. v. 47, what are they that separate from and condemn even their brethren? 5. Church dividers either would divide Christ himself between them, or else would rob him of a great part of his inheritance: and neither of these is a little sin. If you make several bodies, you would have several heads; and is Christ divided? saith the apostle, 1 Cor. i. 13. Will you make him a sect-master? He will be your common head as christians; but he will be no head of your sects and parties. (I will not name them.) Or would you tear out of the hands of Christ any part of his possessions? Will he cut them off, because you cut them off? Will he separate them from himself, because you separate from them, or separate them from you? Will he give them a bill of divorce, whenever you are pleased to lay any odious accusation against them? Who shall condemn them, when it is he that justifieth them? Who shall separate them from the love of God? Can your censure or separation do it, when neither life, nor death, nor any creature can do it? Rom. viii. 33, &c. Hath he not told you, that "he will give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand?" John x. 28. Will he lose his jewels, because you cast them away as dirt? He suffered more for souls than you, and better knoweth the worth of souls! And do you think that he will forget so dear a purchase? or take it well that you rob him of that which he hath bought so dearly? Will you give the members and inheritance of Christ to the devil, and say, They are Satan's, and none of Christ's? "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?" 6. Church dividers are guilty of self-ignorance, and pride, and great unthankfulness against that God that beareth with so much in them, who so censoriously cast off their brethren. Wert thou ever humbled for thy sin? Dost thou know who thou art, and what thou carriest about thee, and how much thou offendest God thyself? If thou do, surely thou wilt judge tenderly of thy brethren, as knowing what a tender hand thou needest, and what mercy thou hast found from God. Can he cruelly judge his brethren to hell upon his petty differences, who is sensible how the gracious hand of his Redeemer did so lately snatch him from the brink of hell? Can he be forward to condemn his brethren, that hath been so lately and mercifully saved himself?