_Direct._ XIX. When you would duly value all your present means and mercies, and see whither they tend, look up then to the souls with Christ, and see whither the like mercy hath conducted them. The poorest cottage and the hardest fare are great mercies, as they tend to endless blessedness. This now and heaven after, is great, though the thing in itself be never so small. Heaven puts the value and signification upon all your mercies. The wicked make ciphers of their greatest blessings, by separating them in their esteem and use, from God and heaven, which is the measure of their estimate. _Direct._ XX. When you see divisions among believers, and hear one for this party, and another for that, and hear them bitterly censuring each other, look up then to the saints with Christ, and think what perfect love, and peace, and concord is among them. Consider how unlike our factions and schisms are to their fervent love and unity; and how unlike our jarring strifes and quarrels are to their harmonious praise of God. Remember in what work it is that they are so happily united, even love and praise incessant to Jehovah: and then think, whether it would not unite the saints on earth, to lay by their contendings for the pre-eminence in knowledge, (covered with the gilded name of zeal for the truth of God,) and to employ themselves in love and praise, and to show their emulation here, in striving who shall love God and each other with the more pure heart and fervent love, 1 Pet. i. 22, and who shall praise him with the most heavenly alacrity and delight. Consider whether this work of blessed souls be not like to be more desirable and excellent, than the work of self-conceited, wrangling sophisters. And whether there be any danger of falling into sects and factions, or falling out by emulations or contentions, while we make this work of love and praise the matter of our religious converse. And consider whether almost all the schisms that ever vexed the church of God, did not arise, either by the pastors striving "who should be the greatest," Luke xxii. 24, 26, or by the rising up of some sciolist or gnostic, proudly pretending to know more than others, and to vindicate or bring to light some excellent truth which others know not, or oppose. And when you see the hot contendings of each party, about their pretended orthodoxness or wisdom, (which James iii. is purposely written against,) remember how the concord of those blessed souls doth shame this work, and should make it odious to the heirs of heaven.