Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 19
CHAP. 19.
Chriſt and the Goſpell are the meanes whereby true peace is wrought betweene God and man.
Chap. 19 HItherto hath beene handled the former circumſtance in this patheticall wiſh or complaint of Chriſt, to wit, the circumſtance of time, or the day of grace; it followes now by order of the text, to ſpeake of the ſecond, namely, the worth and quality of the object, or things to be knowne, in thoſe words, the things that belong to thy peace.
Peace aHebraei nomine pacis omnis generis foelicitatem intelligunt, animi et corporis, temporalē et aeternam: Hoc ergo in Hieroſolyma Chriſtus accuſat, quod non erat ſollicita de iis, ex quibꝰ tota ejꝰ foelicitas pendebat: non enim tam ipſā faelicitatē, quā media ad eam ducentia, et ſic conſequenter etiam faelicitatem repudiabat., it is a word of a large and comprehenſive ſignification, and includes in it, whatſoever tends to a mans proſperity and welfare, even a confluence of all ſuch things as may render him happy; and the things that belong to a mans peace, are all ſuch things as doe either help and conduce towards the attainment of it, or have a neceſſary and inſeparable connexion with it, as companions and attendants, without which it cannot conſiſt, and ſuch are the things of Chriſt and the Goſpell: whatſoever things are required of any by Chriſt in the Goſpell, whatſoever things are promiſed to any, they are ſuch things as belong to his peace: and that is the obſervation that I intend to inſiſt upon, That the things of Chriſt and the Goſpell, are things that belong to every mans peace.
The Goſpell it ſelfe, it is termed the Goſpell of peace bEph 6.15., both in reſpect of the matters contained in it, which are rules and directions concerning peace, as alſo in reſpect of the effect of it, becauſe it is the inſtrumentall cauſe of peace; it is the channell or conduit pipe, wherein and whereby all true peace is conveyed to the ſoule; and Chriſt he is the Prince of peace, as the Prophet ſtyles himcEſay 9.6.: to ſhew, that the things of Chriſt, they are things that concerne every mans peace, and that it is he onelyonly that can give peacedJuſtin. faſcic. amoris, c. 7. p. 153 Pacem dare debuit, ipſa pax divina, pax aeterna, pacifica in ſeipſa, pacificans univerſa in ſc. Gerha. com. in lo. Abundabat Hieroſolyma omnibus non ſolū ad vitae ſuſtentationem, ſed etiā ad ſplendorem neceſſariis, verum quia Chriſtum repudiabat, ideo a vera pace et faelicitate exulabat.: and therefore at the birth of Chriſt, the Angells ſing Peace on earth eLuke 2.14., that the inhabitants of the earth might learne to whom they are beholding for peace, & by whoſe meanes it is procured for them: and when Chriſt himſelfe ſends forth his Ambaſſadors abroad into the world, it is not to proclaime warre, but to preach peace: it is the principall thing in their charge and commiſſion, to offer conditions of peace, where ever they come:fLuke 10.5. Into whatſoever houſe ye enter, ſay firſt, Peace be unto this houſe. And there is a threefold peace that comes along with Chriſt and the Goſpell: peace with God, peace with a mans ſelfe, and peace with others. Peace with God, that is the ſpring and fountaine of all; peace with a mans ſelfe, that is as it were a ſtreame that flowes from it: and peace with others, that is a fruit and effect that growes out of both the former: this was implyed, as ſome thinke, in that ſalutation Chriſt uſed to his Diſciples, who when he appeared unto them after his reſurrection, hee ſaid unto them three ſeverall times, gIohn 20.Peace be unto you: to ſignifie, that by his death and paſſion, this threefold peace was purchaſed for them. When man was firſt created, he had all this peace hBern. in annun. B. Mariae ſer. 1. p. 30. Homini recens orto, &c. pacē, qua foveretur et delectaretur, addidit manus benigniſs: creatoris: pacem utique duplicē, ut nec intꝰ pugnae, nec foris timores, id eſt, nec caro concupiſceret adverſus ſpiritū, nec eſſet ei creatura ulla formidini., till his ſinne and diſobedience robbed and ſpoyled him of it: and when ſin had once made entrance into the world, there was no more peace on earth, till Chriſt had brought it from heaven: but he undertaking to make war upon the enemies of peace, overcame them all, and ſo again ſetled this inheritance of peace upon the ſons of men, making way through the bloud of his Croſſe, that they might againe have peace with heaven, with earth, and within themſelves.
1. Firſt then, touching peace with God, the things of Chriſt and the Goſpell, are things that belong to this peace. It is Chriſt that laid the foundation of it, by taking mans nature upon him: and therefore ſaith the Apoſtle,iEpheſ. 2.14. he is our peace: Implying, that it is for his ſake, and through his procurement, that there is a happy peace concluded betweene heaven and earth.
When two great Kingdomes are at deadly warre and enmity one with another, if a mariage can be contrived betweene the two heyres of thoſe Kingdomes, it is a meanes to unite them into one, and conclude a happy peace betweene them, as wee have ſeene by experience in this Land, when there was deadly feud and enmity betweene the houſe of Lancaſter and Yorke; the happy conjunction of the red-roſe and the white, brought a ſetled peace unto this Nation. So when there was nothing but warre betweene heaven and earth, the Sonne of God matching himſelfe to the nature of man in his incarnation, did thereby lay the foundation of this happy peace, and therefore he calls it his peace kJohn 14.27., as well he might, becauſe it coſt him deare to make that purchaſe; it was the price of his owne bloud, the deareſt bloud that ever was ſhed, and therefore the greateſt price that ever was paid. And when he was about to leave the world, he left this peace to his Diſciples, as the beſt and greateſt legacie that he could bequeath unto themlAug. to. 10. de temp. ſerm. 146. Dominꝰ noſter de hoc mundo ad pattem tranſiturus, &c. maxime pacis bonum, et unitatis, quaſi ſpeciale munus, diſcipulis commendavit, dicens, pacē meā do, &c. q.d. in pace vos demiſi in pace vos inveniam, proficiſcens voluit dare, quae deſiderabat rediens, in omnibus invenire., My peace I give unto you, my peace I leave with you, &c mJohn 14.27.. Had it not beene for Chriſt, God the Father had never entertained any thoughts of peace towards the ſons of men; and the Goſpell is nothing elſe but a Charter of peace, wherein is ſet downe that new covenant which is written and ſealed with the bloud of Chriſt, and thoſe new articles of agreement betweene heaven and earth; and therefore the Covenant of grace, it is termed a covenant of peace nEſa. 54 10. Ezek 34.25., becauſe it declares that foundation of peace which Chriſt hath laid; and is the ordinary meanes, and the inſtrumentall cauſe of working a ſetled peace between God and man: for,
1. It offers conditions of peace to the ſons of men, and lets them know upon what termes God is willing to enter into a covenant of reconciliation, and to be at peace with them; and in this reſpect the preaching of the Goſpell is ſaid to be a publiſhing of peace oEſay 52.7., and the preaching of peace pActs 10.36..
2. It guides their feet in the way of peace qLuke 1.79.: it works faith in them, whereby they are juſtified, and ſo come to have an actuall ſhare, and intereſt in this peace. rRom. 5.1.Being juſtifyed by faith, we have peace with God.
3. It keeps the heart and minde in a peaceable eſtate with God; feeds and fills it with peace, while hee walks in obedience anſwerable unto it, till at length he come to ſee the ſalvation of God with old Simeon, and to have that peace which hee ſo much deſired; that is peace at the laſt, peace at the parting, which is worth all the reſt.ſLuke 2.29. Lord now letteſt thou thy ſervant depart in peace according to thy word, &c.
4. It brings him to the full fruition and enjoyment of everlaſting peace, to the crowne and perfection of this peace, where all things ſhall be removed away for ever, that might any wayes hinder or diſturbe this peace tCaſſiod. in Pſal. 36. Vbi nihil adverſum, nihil contrarium., to the peace of glory, or that peace which accompanies eternall life, which is a peace that paſſeth all underſtanding, a peace as far above that which now he hath, as the heaven is above the earth; as farre beyond it, as the life of glory goes beyond the life of graceuAug. de civ. Dei li. 19. c. 11. & to. 10. tract. in Ioan. 77.. This is that peace foretold by the Prophet Eſay, xEſay 57.2.Peace ſhall come, they ſhall reſt in their beds, every one that walketh before him: ſo that the things of Chriſt, and the things of the Goſpell, are things that belong to this peace with God.