the Jews may in this case be applied to the Gentile church, Isa.
lxvi. 12, that when once God extends peace to her like a river, the
Gentiles shall come in like a flowing stream; then (and not till
then) the glory of the Lord shall arise upon his churches, and his
glory shall be seen among them; then shall their hearts fear and be
enlarged, because the abundance of the nations shall be converted to
them.

6. As want of unity and peace keeps those out of the church that
would come in, so it hinders the growth of those that are in. Jars
and divisions, wranglings and prejudices, eat out the growth, if not
the life of religion. These are those waters of Marah, that
embitter our spirits, and quench the Spirit of God. Unity and peace
is said to be like the dew of Hermon, and as a dew that descended
upon Sion, where the Lord commanded his blessing; Psalm cxxxiii. 3.

Divisions run religion into briars and thorns, contentions and
parties. Divisions are to churches like wars in countries: where
wars are, the ground lieth waste and untilled, none takes care of
it. It is love that edifieth, but division pulleth down. Divisions
are as the north-east wind to the fruits, which causeth them to
dwindle away to nothing; but when the storms are over, every thing
begins to grow. When men are divided, they seldom speak the truth
in love; and then no marvel they grow not up to him in all things,
who is the head.

It is a sad presage of an approaching famine (as one well observes),
not of bread nor water, but of hearing the word of God, when the
thin ears of corn devour the plump full ones; when the lean kine
devour the fat ones; when our controversies about doubtful things,