Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 22
CHAP. 22.
The things of Chriſt and the Goſopell ſhould be regarded ſo much the more, becauſe they are things that belong to a mans peace.
ANd how ſhould this endeare and ingratiate the things of Chriſt and the Goſpell to every one,Vſe 1. To bring men in love with Chriſt and the Goſpell. ſeeing they are cōmended unto him under the ſweet & amiable name of peace. Peace, it is a bleſsing of unknowne worth; it was the end why Chriſt came into the world, to purchaſe and procure this peace for men;1 Bonum, cum quo ſunt omnia bona. Auguſt. to. 10. de te…p. ſerm. 166. D…na omnia ſuae pollicitationis et praemia, in pacis converſatione Dominꝰ promiſit. Vide ibid. ad fratres in erem ſer. 2. D. H. and therefore doth hee purpoſely make choiſe of this expreſſion, the more to endeare theſe things to every one that heares of them; for peace, it is a thing that is good in it ſelfe; and amongſt other good qualities which are found in it, there be three things that doe eſpecially commend it unto all:
1. Becauſe it is accompanied with ſo many other good things that come along with it, or follow upon it, as ſafety and ſecurity, arts and ſciences, wealth and riches, &c. all which are uſuall companions of peace, and doe moſt flouriſh in times of peace; and whatſoever good things it finds where it comes, it makes them better; lands and liberty, place and authority, honor and preferment, all theſe are good, but far better when they are ſweetned with the name of peace; yea things that are otherwiſe evill, they are qualified and made good by it.aProv. 17.1. Better is a dry morſell, if peace be with it, than a houſe full of ſacrifices where there is ſtrife, becauſe contentment of minde is worth all; the priſon is a palace, the dungeon a paradiſe, the houſe of correction a heaven upon earth, when it is accompanied with inward peace of conſcience.
2 Bonum, ſine quo nihil eſt bonum.2. It is ſuch a good, as that nothing is truely good without it bChryſo. to 2. in V.T. p. 522. foreign.: though a man have great plenty of outward bleſſings, yet all lie open to many hazards, to much perill and danger, if hee have not peace with them; and therefore it is termed the bleſsing of peace cPſal. 29.11.: to ſignifie, that all which a man hath, though it be never ſo much, it is unbleſſed to him, ſo long as hee hath not peace with it.
3 Bonum & jucundum.3. It is a good that all deſire; a good full of pleaſure and delight;dPſal. 133.1. Behold how good and pleaſant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity; and there are but few ſuch good things: ſome things are good and profitable to the body, as Phyſicke, and other meanes that procure the health of it; ſome things alſo are good and profitable to the ſoule, as faſting, watching, ſuffering …fflictions, and thoſe ſevere exerciſes of mortification, which are injoyned in the ſchoole of Chriſt; but no great pleaſure or ſweetneſſe in any of them. Some things againe, they are pleaſing and delightfull to corrupt nature, as voluptuos courſes, and other ſinfull contentments, but are neither good nor profitable for ſoule or body: and therefore where both theſe concur, it adds much to the worth of the thing.
Now as Saint Auſtin *Aug. ad fratres in eremo, ſerm. 2. Quaedam ſunt bona, quae non ſunt jucunda, ut jejunia, vigiliae, macerationes, &c. quia caro in his non jucūdatur: quaedam ſunt jucū da, quae nō ſunt bona, ut cōmeſſationes, ebrietates, vix poteris in praeſenti, unum invenire quod ſic bonum et jucū dū: cupis tamen illud invenire? perſequere pacē, et amplectere eam; haec eſt enim ſola virtus, quae habet bonū et jucundū.well obſerves, both theſe meet in the bleſsing of peace: and in theſe reſpects the very Pagans have highly honoured the name of peace, who knew little or nothing more touching the worth of it, than that which was to be ſeen in this outward peace amongſt men. But to Chriſtians, who know the worth of that hidden Manna, which no man knowes, but he that hath it, that is, of peace with God, and peace of conſcience, this ſhould much more endeare the things of Chriſt, and the Goſpell to them, and make even the very feet of thoſe to ſeeme beautifull, who bring unto them the glad tidings of peace and of good things: yea ſuch is the excellency of this peace, that God himſelfe is pleaſed to make it a part of his royall title, and to ſtile himſelf by the name of the God of peace: and the Sonne of God ſeemes to glorie more in that, than in any other title, that he is called the Prince of peace. Now as it is amongſt Kings and Princes, when they have divers lands and territories under their dominions, they commonly have their name and appellation from that which is greateſt; even ſo it ſerves to ſhew the worth and excellency of peace, in that amongſt the glorious attributes of God and of Chriſt, ye finde ſo often mention made of the God of peace, and the Prince of peace. And therefore it doth not a little inhance and raiſe up the price of the things of Chriſt and the Goſpel, and ſo ſhould endeare them the more to every one, becauſe they are things that belong to his peace eAug. to. 10. de temp. ſer. 166. Si Chriſti haeredes eſſe et manere voluerimus, in ejus pace eſſe et manere debemus: concordes n. et unanimes eſſe praecepit, dilectionis et charitatis foedera, incorrupta et inviolata mandavit, &c. pax enim plebis ſanitas, gloria ſacerdotis, patriae laetitia, et terror hoſtium. Ibi. ſer. 167. Pax eſt ſerenitas mētis, tranquillitas animae, ſimplicitas cordis, amoris vinculum, &c. haec eſt quae ſimultates tollit, bella compeſcit, cōprimit itas, ſuperboscalcat, humiles elevat, diſcordes ſedat, cunctis eſt placita, &c..
And indeed, if he did rightly waigh and conſider of the matter, hee would be more ready to make after them, and to lay out himſelfe in the purſuit of the ſame: as Chriſt ſaid to the woman of Samaria,fIohn 4.10. If thou hadſt knowne, thou wouldſt have asked; &c. or if hee did wiſely ponder the worth of peace, to which they belong, hee would not value them at ſo low a rate, as many do. Like thoſe brutiſh Gadarens gMat. 8.34., who when Chriſt came amongst them, they came all out unto him, and beſought him to depart out of their coaſts: preferring their very hogs and ſwine before thoſe things that concerned the everlaſting peace and welfare of their ſoules. If the owner of the field did know of the treaſure that lies hid in it, hee would not paſſe it away upon ſuch facile and eaſie termes, as many times he doth; and ſo if men did know and ſteep their thoughts in the meditation of the tranſcendent worth of the things of the Goſpell, they would not under-prize and under-value them as they doe; nay they would purchaſe and procure them, were it with the deareſt drop of their own blood. Little doe men thinke what they refuſe, when they make ſo light account of the things of Chriſt and the Goſpell: it made Chriſt to weepe over Jeruſalem here, with many teares, and much lamentation, beauſe ſhee would not know, or take notice of them; and thoſe teares ſhew, that even teares of bloud, if it were poſſible to ſhed them, were little enough to bewaile the loſſe of them: for who can ſufficiently expreſſe all that goodneſſe which is here comprehended under the name of peace? It is a peace that paſſeth all underſtanding, as the Apoſtle ſpeakeshPhil. 4.7.. Many have a large underſtanding, even as the ſand on the ſea ſhore; many have a deep reach, and are able to ſee farre into matters; yet ſuch is the tranſcendent worth of this peace, that it doth not onelyonly ſurpaſſe the moſt ſublime and refined underſtanding of any one, but even all underſtanding iGuliel. Pariſie. de retri. ſanct. pa. 303. Exuperat omnē ſenſum, &c. vel incomprehenſibilitate ſua, ut nullus ſenſus immenſitatē ejꝰ prout eſt, et quanta eſt cōprehendere poſſit, vel ſuavitate ſu… quemadmodū nullus viſus totam luminoſitatē ſolis capere ſufficit, imo radiolo ejꝰ modico impletur; ſic nullꝰ ſenſus capere ſufficit, id eſt, ſentire immenſitatem ſuavitatis pacis Dei.: ſo that when all are laid together, they doe not all conceive ſo much worth and excellency as is in it: for as it paſſeth all underſtanding to conceive the miſery of a man that hath God for his enemy, and is out of his protection; becauſe there is no place, no eſtate, no condition, where he can be ſafe and ſecure, ſeeing whereſoever he is, he is in the midſt of his enemies; for all the creatures, they are Gods hoſt, they take part with him, and are ready at his appointment to be up in armes, and to avenge his quarrell, if he reſtraine them not: even ſo on the contrary, it paſſeth all underſtanding, to conceive the happineſſe of him that is at peace with God: for all the creatures under heaven have a command to doe him good:Chap. 23. the ſtones of the field are in league with him, & the beaſts of the field are at peace with him kJob 5.23.. Yea his very enemies are under that providence, which makes them to be at peace with him lProv. 16.7.: and which is infinitely more, all the glorious attributes of God himſelf are ingaged, and lie at ſtake for his good.