ve out of the way of love all such stumbling-blocks as
may any way hinder it, as we cannot love a sour, peevish, contentious,
and cross-grained professor, with as much complacency as a meek, quiet,
humble, affable, and courteous one.

3. Christ hath charged and strictly commanded all church members to live
in peace: to be at peace among themselves; to follow peace with all men,
and as much as in them lieth to live peaceably with all men. O how
often, and with what vehemency doth the Holy Ghost press and enjoin this
duty, especially among church members, in the Holy Scriptures! See Psal.
xxxiv. 14; 1 Pet. iii. 11; Rom xiv. 19; 2 Cor. xiii. 11; 1 Thess. v. 13;
Heb. xii. 14; Eph. v. 3. The apostle Paul earnestly warns church members
against all debates, strifes, and contentions one with another,
especially in their church meetings, Phil. ii. 3. David tells us, that
it is a most pleasant and lovely thing for brethren to dwell together in
unity, Psal. cxxxiii. 1, 2. Then how much more pleasant and lovely is it
for spiritual brethren to love and worship God in this manner together
Christ came into the world and lived here a peace-maker, and pronounces
them blessed that are so, Matt. v. 9. He is a lover of peace and
concord, especially in his Church; but he is an implacable hater of
strife and discord, and will not endure it therein: much less will he
wink at such as are the first sowers of these seeds. The truth is,
strivers and disputers in a church are the devil's agents, do a great
deal of mischief to it, and are real plagues in it. They greatly hinder
edification, and spoil the order, beauty, and harmony there: they are
the proud, self-conceited men, who are vainly puffed up with high
thoughts of themselves, and their own abilities, because they have got
some speculative knowledge into their heads, with a volubility of
speech, while they are destitute of spiritual wisdom and humility in
their hearts; and therefore they conceive that they are wiser than the
church, and more able to manage and order church affairs than their
rulers. Their pride and self-conceit make them slight and contemn their
teachers, and rise up in a rebellious contention with, and opposition
unto them; as the prophet complains, Hos. iv. 4, _This people are they
that strive with the priests_. Take heed then of strife and contention,
and follow peace one with another, especially in your assembling
together about the work of the church. Endeavor to get hu