An Comfortable Exhortation, Part 3
Of peace
PEace commeth of faith / nether mo faith be withoute peace / nor peace withoute faith for peace commeth of ryghteueſnes (which is of faith) Peace ſhalbe the end of ryghteueſnes.Eſaie xxxij· Roman. iij Romano. v An man is iuſtified by fayth wythout the deades of the lawe. Herefore Paul concludeth. Becauſe therfore that we are iuſtified by fayth / we are at peace wyth god. &c. Thys peace wherof I ſpeake is the peace whiche Chriſt gaue and left to the apoſtles and diſciples ſayenge. Peace I l…ue with you / Ioan. xiiijmy peace I geue vntounto you / no… as the worlde geueth / geue I vntounto you Let not youre hertes be greued / nether feare ye. The ſame peace Paul cōmended vntounto the people (to whom he wrote his epiſtles) ſayinge Grace be with you:Roma. i i Cori. i …. ij Gala. i Eſaie xxxij and peace frō God oure father / and from the lorde Ieſus Chriſt. My people ſhal dwel in the fayer hous of peace / in ſure tabernacles / and in rych beddes / hayle when it ſhal deſcende / it ſhal fall only vponupon wodes and ceties. &…. Chriſt the prince of peace / Eſai… ixan kynge which ſhal newer hauehave an ende: in encreſſinge his impery / and yet ſhal …e there with noreſſhe peace.Eſaie xlv Eſaie lxv… I am the lorde that maketh peace This ſpeaketh the lorde / lo I ſhallede forth peace to her lyke a floude. This peace is an ioyful reeſt ād quyetnes in a faithful mānis cōſcience. The whiche cōmeth of faith / Ioan. ifor faith maketh hym ſure / that his ſynnes are forgeuen hym / and that he is in Gods faueours. Wherfore the dredoure / the trouble & in quyetnes / whiche he had before of his ſynnes is awaye. And he hath peace that is to ſaye / an ioyful reeſt and quyetnes in his conſcience. Of the whiche ſayeth Chriſte. Come vntounto me …e all that labour / Math. xiand are …aden / and I wyl eaſe you. Take my yoke on …ou: and learne of me / for I am meke and …oly in herte: and ye ſhal finde reeſt vntounto you …e ſoules The vnfaithful hath not this peace for theyr conſciences are troubleth wyth theyr ſynnes.Eſaie xlviij As it is written vntounto the vngodly there is no peace ſayeth the lorde for they knowe not the waye of peace / whiche only is Chriſt whiche was wounded for oure tranſgreſſions / Pſal. xiij Eſaie liijand ſmyten for oure vngodlynes. For the puniſſhment wherby we hauehave peace was layed apō hym. Wo be vntounto ye vnwyſe prophetes (ſaieth ye lord god) which diſſaue my people / Ezechie. xiijpreachynge / peace / Eſaie lvijpeace / and there is no peace. I make peace & ſue…nes both with them that dwell farre / and with theſe that dwel nye ſayeth ye lorde / and I hauehave healeth them / but the vngodly are lyke the wode ſee called Entipus which can newer reeſt: her waters are continually troubled with ſlyme and ſtynkynge mudde / and euē ſo hauehave the vngodly newer reeſt nor peace ſayeth my god. But vntounto you belowed brethern Chriſt hath geuen thys peace ſayenge Peace I lewe with you / Ioan. xiiijmy peace I geue vntounto you.
Whiche peace ye hauehave receaued (inwardly in youre ſoules) thorowe faith: ād are at peace with god / Roman. v Ephe. ij. Ephe. vthorowe oure lorde Ieſus Chriſt which is youre peace Therfore brethern reioyce ſyngynge ād playinge to the lorde in youre hertes / gevynge thākes all wayes for all thynges (in the name of oure lorde Ieſus Chriſt) to God the father: ſubmittīge youre ſylfes one to another in the feare of God. And hauehave peace amonge youre ſylfes. And alſo y fit be poſſible (yet on youre parte) hauehave peace with all men.Roma. xij. ij Cori. xiij. Eſay. xl And the god of peace ſhall counforte youre hertes in to hys eternall promes. Amen.