The City of Peace, Section 8
The generall State of this Citie.
This is the Corollary of all;The Estate. eueryevery particular being cast vp, heere is the summe; her vniuersall felicitie. For the illustration whereof, it will not bee vnusefull, to borrow an instance: and wee need not trauell farre to seeke out such an image or resemblance.
Looke wee vponupon our owne Nation, the happy Module of this Citie of peace. It was sayd, that in Rome a man might see all Countries: and the Romans vsed to solace themselues; It is good looking on a Map of the World, vbi nihil in orbe videmus alienum, when wee find nothing in the world which is not our owne. What doth the whole earth produce, which is not yeelded to our enioying? What was once sayd of Ormus, is true of this Citie, Turne the world into a Ring, and this is the Diamond of it. Like to Gideons Fleece, it hath been wet with the dewe of heauen, when drought was on the whole earth besides: Or like Nylus, which keeps within the Bankes, when other Riuers ouerflow their continents. Some Nations hauehave peace, but without the Truth: other hauehave the Trueth, but without Peace: wee hauehave both Truth and Peace. Our neighbours hauehave beene exercised with troubles, whirled about with hostile tumults; their eares affrighted with the thunder of those murdering pieces: their eyes agashed with their Temples and Tabernacles flaming about their heads: Infants bleeding vponupon the stones, and their amazed mothers rauished ere they can bee permitted to die. The shrikes of the dying, and slauery of the liuing, vnderunder the mercilesse hands of a killing or insulting aduersary; these hauehave beene their distracting obiects: none of them come neere vsus. There is no rifling of houses, no flying to refuges, no rotting in Dungeons, no ruinating of Monuments, no swelling the chanels with blood, no fiering of Cities, no Rapes of Virgines, no dashing of Babes against the stones, nor casting them, as they droppe from their mothers wombes, into their mothers flames. But in stead of these, the truth of the Gospell is preached, pietie professed, the practise of it encouraged; Grace promising, and Peace performing, blessed rewards.
That is verified in vsus, which is recorded of the dayes of Solomon; That hee had peace on all sides round about him: 1. Kings 4. 25.and Iudah & Israel dwelt safely, eueryevery man vnderunder his Vine, and vnderunder his Figgetree, from Dan to Beersheba. Or as Syluius sayd of Rhodes; Semper in sole sita est. The Sunshine of mercy embraceth vsus, and hath made vsus a day of peace, not shorter then sixty yeres: the fauours of God ouer shadowing vsus, as the Cherubins did the MercieMercy-Seat. I know that Rome frets at this, and let the Harlot rage her heart out: shee thunders out Curses, but (praised bee God) wee neuer more prospered, then when the Pope most cursed vsus. Yea, O Lord, thogh they curse, doe thou blesse: their thunder doth more fear then hurt, thy fauour doth more good then they can blast. Conuert or confound them that hauehave euill will at Sion: & still let vsus inherit thy Peace, that thou mayst inherit our praise.
This is the Reward of Peace, and of all those that in sincerity of heart louelove her:2. Cor. 13. 11. the God of peace shall be with them. There be six kinds of peace, but the peace of God containes all the rest. The peace of God passeth all vnderstanding: therefore whosoeuer looseth this peace, hath a losse past all vnderstanding. But Christ foretold vsus, that in the world wee shall hauehave no peace. Ioh. 16. 33.Indeed no peace Quoad oppositionem seculi, yet much peace quoad dispositionē Domini. The most sauage disturbers, Si non reformentur ne pereant, tamen reprimentur ne perimant: if they bee not reformed to saue thē themselues, they shall be restrained from harming vsus. If they will not do vsus the good they should, yet they shall not doe vsus the euill they would. Vel inimieus tuus non manebit, vel non manebit inimicus. Either our enemies shall not liue, or they shall not liue our enemies.Psal. 58. 1…. Either the righteous shal reioyce whē they see the vengeance, and wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. Or the Lord wil giuegive them fauour in the sight of their enemies, Exod. 11. 3and those that hated them, shall cleaue vntounto them.
From hence ariseth peace with our selues: a conformitie of affection to reason, of reason to grace: that the conflicts which a distressed conscience finds with legall terrors, shall bee turned to mild embracements. Faith leading the vnderstāding, the vnderstāding guiding the wil, the will ruling the operatiue powers, & Christ Iesus gouerning all. For indeed hee is the Fountaine of peace,Rom. 5. 1. and wee through him beeing iustified by faith, hauehave peace with God. Through the corruption of our nature, and Iustice of Gods nature, we are enemies: and there is no reconciliation, but through the blood o the euerlasting Couenant. He reconciles vsus to God, as Ioab did Absolon to Dauid by the woman of Tekoah: when the whole family rose vp, & said, Deliuer him that smote his brother, 2 Sam. 14 7that wee may take his life for the life of the slaine: and so the father & mother shal hauehave no name nor remainder vponupon earth. God hath two sorts of sons Angels & men: the Angels that fel, are lost for euer: men fel, if they were lost too, where should God hauehave sonnes? I know that he needs not man: he hath stil the elect Angels, and is able to raise sonnes of stones: he can want nothingwhile he possesseth himself. Wel, yet in mercy Christ reconciles vsus: Dauid askes,Verse 19. Is not the hand of Ioab in all this? so we may admire, Is not the hād of Iesus in all this? Yes, hee hath made our peace. The Minister alwayes ends his publicke deuotions with the peace of God, & the blessing of this Peace rest vponupon vsus.
Thus wee hauehave a reall abridgment of this mystical Citie of Peace; happy eueryevery way. Vigilancie is her Officer of Peace; that hath an eye in the darkest angles, and discouers the first conceptions of strife. Discipline is her Clerke of the peace, that keepes the Records, and indicts offenders. Authoritie is her Iustice of peace: that if any will not be ruled, binds them ouer to the peace. Equitie is her Burse, where men exchange kindnes for kindnes: on whose stayres Iniurie and imposture durst neuer set their foule feet. Truth is her Standard, which with the Trumpet of Fame shall resound her happines to all nations. Plenty is her Treasurer, Liberalitie her Almoner, Conscience her Chancelor, Wisdome her Counseller, Prayer her Clerk of the Closet, Faith her Crowne, Iustice her Scepter, Masculine Vertues her Peeres, Graces her Attendants, and Nobilitie her Maid of Honor.
All her Garments are greene and orient; all her paths bee Milke, her words Oracles, and her works Miracles: making the blind to see, and the lame to goe, by a mercifull supply to their defects. Her breath is sweeter then the new blowen Rose; millions of soules lie sucking their life frō it: and the smell of her garments is like the smel of Lebanon. Her smiles are more reuiuing then the Vertumnall Sunneshine: and her fauours, like seasonable dewes, spring vp flowers and fruits wheresoeuer shee walks. Holinesse is the Canopie of State ouer her head, and Tranquilitie the Arras where she sets her foot. All her Seruants wait in order; and can with contentfull knowledge, distinguish and accept their owne places. Her Court is an Image of Paradise; all her channels slow with milke, and her Conduits runne wine. Enuy and murmuring, as priuy to their owne guilt, flye from her Presence. Her Guard consists not of men, but Angels: and they pitch their Tents about her Palace. Lastly, hauing preserued and blessed all her children on earth, shee goes with them to heauen; is welcomed into the armes of her Father, inuested Queene with a Diadem of glory, & possessed of those ioyes, vntounto which Time shall neuer put
An End.
End of the text · Thomas Adams, The City of Peace (1622)