Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 20
CHAP. 20.
Peace of Conſcience, and peace of contentment, are from Chriſt and the Goſpell.
Chap. 20 2 SEcondly, touching the peace which a man hath at home with himſelfe, and in his owne breſt; this is a fruit of the former, that is, of his peace and reconciliation with God; and therefore it is a part of that purchaſe which Chriſt hath made, and a part of that precious fruit which the Goſpell beares; whether it bee peace of Conſcience, or peace of contentment; both grow upon this roote.
1 When Chriſt comes to dwell in the heart by faith, hee ſtils all the raging ſtormes of a guilty coſcience, and ſettles peace in it; like as it was with the Diſciples when they were in a Ship at Sea, there roſe a great tempeſt, ſo that the ſhip was covered with waves; but ſo ſoone as Chriſt was entred into the ſhip, hee rebuked the windes and the ſea, and there was a great calme aMat. 8.23.26.; ſo when Chriſt entreth into the ſhip of the ſoule, he rebukes the raging winds of a guilty conſcience, and eſtabliſheth peace there, by opening the eye of the ſoule, to ſee that God is become a reconciled Father unto her, and at peace with her; and by giving unto her a ſenſe and feeling of the love of God, and of that inward ſweetneſſe that accompanies the eſtate of reconciliation, ſaying unto her, as he did to the ſinfull woman, that waſhed his feet with her tearesbLuke 7.50.; Thy faith hath ſaved thee, goe in peace; for this peace of conſcience it is a principall part of Chriſts Kingdome, as the Apoſtle ſpeakescRom. 14.17., The Kingdome of God is not meate and drinke, but righteouſneſſe, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoſt; & it is a fruit of the Goſpell to; for when a man takes in thoſe undoubted and undeniable principles of practicall truthes, which the Goſpell commends unto him, and indeavours in truth and ſincerity to walke anſwerable unto them, this breeds peace of conſcience; becauſe when hee reflects upon himſelfe, and his owne wayes, hee findes in himſelfe thoſe qualifications which have the promiſe of mercy and peace made unto them; according to that of the ApoſtledGal. 6.16., As many as walke according to this rule, peace ſhall bee upon them, and mercy, and upon the Iſrael of God: and when a man walkes according to the rule and direction of a conſcience rightly informed, it will ever excuſe him for well doing, and withall ſpeake peace to him; ſo that the life of juſtification, it begins with this inward peace of conſcience; and the more ſtudious and carefull that any is to follow after righteouſneſſe, the more is hee filled with this peace; and by continuance in well doing, till hee come to the up-ſhot and cloſure of his life, hee comes to end his dayes in peace; according to that of David ePſa. 37.37., Marke the upright, and behold the juſt, for the end of that man is peace.
2 Againe, peace of contentment, it is a part of that fruit which Chriſt and the Goſpell yeelds: A man that is a ſtranger to Chriſt and the Goſpell fChryſoſt. to. 3. in V. T. ca…t. Graeco-lat expoſ in Pſal 4 pag …6. B.C.D. & pag. 37. A. B. Auguſt. to. 10. ad fratres in cremo. ſerm. 2. G. H. O pax tale bonum es in reb. creatis, tam mirificum, &c. quod nihil dulcius ſolet audi…i, nihil delectabilius concupiſci, nihil utilius poſſideri, ſpiritus. n. humanus ſicut nunquam vivificat membra, niſi fuerint unita, ſic Spiritus Sanctus nunquam nos vivificat, niſi fuerimus unici pace, &c. Ille ve…è pacem habet, qui nihil appetit de ſaeculo poſſidere, &c. quietiſſimam vitam agerent h…mines in terra, ſi haec duo verba à natura terum omnium tollerenter, ſ…licer, meum et tuum., if the world frowne upon him, and caſt him behinde hand, it diſtracts and divides his mind with carking cares, and diſtruſtfull thoughts, ſaying, What ſhall I doe? what ſhall I eate? what ſhall I drinke? or wherewithall ſhall I bee cloathed? If loſſes and croſſes lie heavy upon him, or threaten him much, it rends and puls him aſunder with exceſſive griefe, and immoderate feares; if the ſunne of proſperity doe but begin to ſmile upon him with the flattering rayes, and beams of theſe outward things, if there be but the leaſt doore opened to wealth and riches, to honor and preferment, and ſome ſlender hope given unto him of obtaining the ſame, he is carried after them with a reſtleſſe and inordinate deſire; hee cannot ſleepe for the thought of them; and if his hopes bee daſhed, and diſappointed, his heart is troubled, and even ready to break aſunder, and die within him, through anguiſh of ſpirit, through impatience & diſcontent: but when the heart is eſtabliſhed with grace, when it is filled with the things of Chriſt and the Goſpell, this it balaſeth the ſoule, and workes in it that calmneſſe and quietneſſe of thoughts, that tranquility and ſerenity of minde, that ſtayedneſſe and compoſedneſſe of affections, that keepes a man within due compaſſe, and moderation in all eſtates. The heathen Philoſophers which have ſpent their thoughts upon this theame, and argument, and bent their ſtudies and indeavours, to finde out ſome helps and remedies in this kinde, they have done ſomething, but all too little to bring the ſoule to a ſetled and reſolved peace; it is onelyonly Chriſt and the Goſpell, onelyonly grace and religion that can doe this; becauſe it is that onelyonly that inables a man throughly to deny himſelfe, without which ſelfe-denyall it cannot bee done; it is onelyonly that which rectifies the judgement, and ſets up reaſon in her lawfull throne, to rule and command aright; and where reaſon rightly commands, and the reſt of the powers and faculties obey and ſubmit themſelves, that preſerves and keepes an orderly peace in the ſoule; for like as it is in the naturall body, when there is a ſweet harmony of all the parts, and every member keepes his due place and order, the body is at eaſe and reſt; but if any member bee out of joynt, or one member pulled from another, brings much griefe and trouble, and the body cannot be at reſt, till every member be rightly joynted, and ſet againe in his due place: even ſo it is with the ſoule, when reaſon is ſet below, that ſhould ſit as a Queene above, to give direction; and ſenſuall appetite, which ſhould bee ſubject, beares rule, all things muſt needs bee disjoynted, and out of order; and therefore there can bee no peace till every power and faculty of the ſoule be orderly reduced, and ſet againe in his owne place: Or, like as it is in the Common-wealth, when the lawfull King is unnaturally dethroned, and a Tyrant ſet up in his place, there can bee no peace, becauſe the lawfull King, and all that take part with him, will ſtill bee indeavouring, and attempting to to recover that which is loſt, and to have the crowne ſet againe upon the right head; even ſo, when reaſon is dethroned, and the inferiour faculties of the ſoule, the fancie and conceit, or the ſenſuall appetite ſet up a loft, it muſt needs put all out of orer, and occaſion trouble within, there can bee no peace there, till all theſe miſplaced powers of the ſoule be reduced backe againe into ſuch an orderly frame, that each of them keepes his owne place and ranke: now it is onelyonly. Chriſt and the Goſpell, onelyonly grace and religion, that can helpe all this.
1 This peace of contentment is that in the ſoule, which reſt is in the naturall body. The ſtone cannot reſt till it come to the earth and center which is the place of its reſt, and there it reſteth, and moves no more; ſo the ſoule cannot reſt, nor finde any true peace, till it come to pitch and ſettle it ſelfe upon Chriſt, who is the proper place and center of reſt, gIuſtin. ſaſcic. amoris ca. 16. p. 171. Proh dolor, quam maxima in creaturis omnibus penuria eſt! quoniam earū nulla poteſt praeſtare ſuis dilectoribus pacem: pacis ſatietatē minimè tribuunt, ſed acrius accendant; fatigant quaerentis animum, non pac…nt; illum que vana promiſſione deducunt, carent prorſus eo, quod in ipſis exquiritur, bono., and there it may finde peace, and reſt enough, ſo that ſhee needs not to move or ſeeke out for it any more. Noahs Dove could finde no reſt for the ſole of her foote, till ſhee returned to the Arke, and there ſhee finds a reſting place; ſo the ſoule findes no true reſt or peace within, till ſhee returne to Chriſt, and there ſhee findes a reſting place; becauſe he rectifies the judgement, to ſee that there is contentment enough to be found in him alone; and that the peace and reſt which is ſo much ſought for in other things, is there onelyonly to bee had, and no where elſe; and then hee works upon the inferiour faculties, which are apt to raiſe up mutinies in the ſoule, and brings them in ſubjection hereunto, whereupon followes reſt and peace within: This is that which Chriſt himſelfe promiſethhMat. 11.29., Learne of me, for I am meeke and lowly in heart, and yee ſhall finde reſt unto your ſoules.
2 Againe, this peace of contentment, is that in the ſoul, which calmneſſe is in the ſea and the weather; that is, when the windes doe not blow, and bluſter; when the waves doe not riſe and fall, daſh and beate one againſt another; when that vaſte body of Waters doth not roare or make a noiſe, but is ſtil & ſilent; ſo this calmneſs and peace is then in the ſoule, when the winds of diſtempered paſſions doe not bluſter within, nor the raging waves of impatience and diſcontent, riſe and fall without, nor the motions of the affections grow exorbitant and irregular, but are framed to ſuch an equall, and eaven tenor, and moderation, as doth qualifie and temper all diſordered unruly windings and turnings in them, and give a man leave and liberty to bee maſter of himſelfe, and to enjoy himſelfe in all occurrences; like as it is with a paire of equall ballance, when they are jogged or ſuddenly moved, they may riſe and fall, & ſhake up and down for a while, but after ſome little agitation, they will ſettle themſelves in an equall poiſe, and there ſtay; even ſo, where there is this peace in the ſou[e, though unexpected occaſions, when they doe ſuddenly ſurprize a man, may raiſe up ſome commotions in him for a while, yet when he comes more diliberately to recollect his thoughts, hee doth at length incline himſelfe into a ſetled and reſolved contentment: Chap. 21.Now it is onelyonly Chriſt and the Goſpell, onelyonly grace and religion that can worke and mould a man in this frame and temper of ſpirit, becauſe it is that onelyonly that can mortifie and kill the inordinate luſts and affections of the old man: Saint Paul had this peace of contentment, but it was grace and religion that learned him the ſame, as himſelfe confeſſethiPhil. 4.11, 12., I have learned in whatſoever eſtate I am, therewithall to be content. I can be abaſed, and I can abound; every where, in all things, I am inſtructed, both to bee full, and to be hungry, to abound, and to have want.