Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 24
CHAP. 24.
How a man may know whether his peace be of a right ſtampe or no.
Chap. 24 3 IF the things of Chriſt and the Goſpell, bee things that concerne every mans peace, hereby then may every one make triall of his peace, whether it be of a right ſtampe or no; many perſwade themſelves that they are at peace with God, and have true Characters of peace within themſelves, who if they be brought to this touchſtone, will eaſily bee diſcovered to be ſuch as are deluded with a falſe peace, and have little or nothing more in them, than a vaine hope, and confident preſumption. When Saul gave it out very confidently, that he had fulfilled the commandement of the Lorda1 Sam. 15.13., Samuel ſaid unto him, What meaneth then the bleating of the ſheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare? If the ſheepe and the Oxen had beene ſlaine, according to the commandement of the Lord, they could not have been heart bleating, and lowing, as now they were; and therefore this, it was an undeniable evidence of Sauls guiltineſſe; ſo may it be ſaid to many, who give it out with no ſmall confidence, that they have true peace, peace with God, and peace within themſelves; but if it bee ſo, how comes it to paſſe that there is ſo little of Chriſt and the Goſpell in them bAuguſt. to. 10. de. temp. ſerm. 169. Sequi Chriſtum eſt habere pacem, et non ſequi quod pacis eſt, hoc eſt habere in magiſtro, ex parte quod dilig…s, ex parte quod damnes.ſo little meekneſſe? ſo little mercy? ſo little patience? ſo little humility! ſo little love and charity? are not theſe things that belong to their peace? And therefore let every one bring himſelfe unto this Tribunall, and trie himſelfe by this Touchſtone; let him meaſure the truth and realitie of his peace, by the truth and realitie of thoſe things that belong unto it; and amongſt other evidences which Chriſt and the Goſpell give in, as teſtimonies and witneſſe of this peace, there be theſe foure by which it may be diſcerned.
1 The time when it is wrought.
3 The meanes whereby it is wrought.
3 The manner how it is wrought.
4 The fruits and effects that follow upon the working of it.
1 Concerning the time when it is wrought; it is not till a man have beene firſt humbled; God firſt proclaimes warre to the guilty conſcience, in the voyce of the Law, before hee ſpeake peace unto it in the ſtill & ſilent voyce of the Goſpell; he firſt ſpeakes from Mount Sinai in thundring and lightning, before his voyce be heard upon the peaceable hill of Sion; hee firſt convinceth men of ſinne, before he reveale unto them the righteouſneſſe and peace, which is brought to light by the Goſpell. The King pardons none but ſuch as are firſt condemned by the law, becauſe none elſe have need of it; even ſo, God ſpeakes pardon and peace to his people, but it is to ſuch onelyonly as have beene wounded and ſlaine with the ſenſe and feeling of their ſinnes; hee firſt purſues them with legall terrours, before hee ſet open the doore of the Sanctuary to them for eaſe and refuge:cHag. 2.7. I will ſhake all Nations, &c. and the deſire of all Nations ſhall come: Chriſt, who is, or ſhould be the deſire of all nations, he doth not come with peace and healing in his wings, till their ſoules bee troubled, and well ſhaken out of the lap of ſecurity, with the feare of deſerved puniſhment, as in Elijahs viſion, the ſtill and ſoft voyce came not in the firſt place, but when the earthquake, and the ſtrong winde, which rent the Mountaines, and brake the Rockes, had gone before d1 King 19.11, 12.: even ſo it is hereeSanct com. in loc. Cum Deus remigrare meditatur in animum, ex quo fuerat à peccatore relegatus, quia id ſit plerunque per poenitentiam, fulgurat, tonat, et radicitus fundamenta convellit, ne que aliter parare ſibi domicilium ſoler. Vide Gregor. Mag. Moral. l 5. ca. 25. & l. 11. ca 42.; the ſpirit of bondage, that apprehends, and arreſts the guilty conſcience, and ſhuts her up in priſon, it goes before the ſpirit of Adoption, which ſets her at liberty, and beares her witneſſe that ſhee hath a ſhare and intereſt in the covenant of peace, and reconciliation fRom. 8.15.. If then any that was never humbled, that never knew what it was to bee under the guilt of ſinne, ſhall perſwade himſelfe that all is at peace betweene God and his owne ſoule; this is a ſigne that hee deceives himſelfe with a falſe peace; for Chriſt and the Goſpell bring the glad tidings of peace to none, but ſuch as are weary and heavy laden, according to that promiſe of ChriſtgMat. 11.28., Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will refreſh you.
2 Concerning the meanes whereby this peace is wrought, it is the Word and Prayer, as hath beene ſhewed: and therefore when God is pleaſed to ſpeake peace unto the ſoule by theſe meanes, the Word alſo ſpeakes peace unto it, and the eye of the conſcience is opened in ſome degree and meaſure, to ſee that the promiſe of peace belongs unto her hCalvin. Com. ad Roman. c. 8.15. in illa verba. Ipſo n. ſpiritus una teſtatur cum ſpiritu noſtro, &c. Intelligit Paulus ſpritum Dei, tale nobis teſtimonium reddere, ut eo duce ac magiſtro, ſpiritus noſter ſtatuat firmā eſſe Dei adoptionem., by reflecting upon her ſelfe, and finding thoſe qualifications in her, to which the promiſe of peace is made. It is God onelyonly that can ſpeake peace unto his people;iPſal. 85.8. I will hearken what the Lord God will ſay, for he ſhall ſpeake peace unto his people kMoller. com. in loc. Suo exemplo nos docet in calamitatibꝰ, non ad humana praeſidia, ſed ad verbum divinitus raditū confugere; ut inde vera remedia petamus, nam extra illud verbum nulla eſt vera aut firma conſolatio., &c. He ſpeakes peace, not vocally, but really; his ſpeaking of peace, is a giving of pardon, and a working of peace; and therefore when David prayes for peace, hee makes that expreſſion of itlPſal. 35.3., Say unto my ſoule, I am thy ſalvation. Trouble of conſcience, it ariſeth from the want of Gods love and favour, and therefore it is onelyonly the preſence and apprehenſion of it, that can remove that trouble, and ſettle peace there: if darkneſſe be the cauſe of trouble, it is onelyonly light that can make peace: and ſo it is here, it is ſpirituall darkneſſe, occaſioned by the abſence of the Sunne of righteouſneſſe, that breeds all her trouble; and therefore it is onelyonly the light of Gods countenance, ſhining upon thy ſoule, that can cauſe peace to ſpring up there; when the face of heaven ſmiles upon the conſcience, and gives her an inward ſenſe and feeling of the love of God, and of that hidden comfort which accompanies the ſtate of reconciliation; there is the true Ieruſalem, the viſion of peace; it is God onelyonly that juſtifies the penitent and beleeving ſinner, and peace of conſcience is the immediate fruit that followes upon the giving of that ſentence:mRom. 5.1. Being juſtified by faith, wee have peace with God.
When God pronounceth the ſentence of abſolution in the conſcience, hee doth in the ſame breath ſpeake peace unto the ſoule: and this he doth by Chriſt and the Goſpell; for whenſoever God ſealeth the pardon of ſinne to any, it is for Chriſts ſake that he doth it; the bloud of Chriſt firſt ſpeaks for him, before God ſpeake peace unto him; and when hee doth ſpeake peace unto him, that the voice of God may be diſcerned from the deluſion of Sathan, who lulls men aſleepe with a falſe peace; there be meanes left for the diſcovery of it, even thoſe meanes by which it is wrought, to wit, the voice of the Scripture, and the voice of a mans owne conſcience. God firſt ſpeakes peace in the rule, which is the Goſpell of peace, by laying out a generall deſcription of ſuch qualifications and conditions, as have the promiſe of peace made unto them; and the conſcience, by reflecting upon the rule, and a mans owne wayes, and comparing them together, doth in ſome meaſure ſee that the inward peace which ſhe feels in her ſelfe, is true peace, and of a right ſtampe, becauſe the Scripture ſpeakes peace unto her, as well as God, and ſhe finds in her ſelfe ſome ground and warrant whereupon to apply to her ſelfe the promiſe of peace. But when a man is confidently perſwaded that he is at peace with God, who was never earneſt with God in prayer for the obtaining of it, when the Scripture doth not ſpeake peace unto him, and yet he flatters himſelfe that he ſhall have peace, when he builds caſtles of peace in the ayre, but doth not finde in himſelfe ſuch qualifications to which the promiſe of peace is made, that is a ſigne it is but a vaine confidence, and foole-hardie preſumption, no true peace.
3. Concerning the manner how it is wrought, it is leiſurely and by degrees; in the orderly working of this peace, the eye of the ſoule is firſt inlightned by the Goſpel, to ſee that there is a covenant of peace, wherein conditions of peace are freely tendered to every ſoule that will imbrace them; and this lets every one ſee to whom the Goſpell is preached, that there is a poſsibility of obtaining peace, and ſo ſets open a doore of hope for him.
Then ſecondly, God comes to hold a treaty with the ſoule in the miniſtery of the Word, about the termes and conditions of this peace, lets her ſee what ſinnes ſhee muſt forſake, what duties of obedience ſhe muſt apply her ſelfe unto, if ſhe will have and enjoy this peace.
And then thirdly, God comes to prevail with her by his Spirit and his grace, to gaine her conſent, to the conditions that are required.
And then laſtly, hereupon there be articles of agreement drawne betweene God and the ſoule, and a concluſion of peace made up, and a covenant of peace actually entred into. God now begins to ſpeak peace to the ſoule, and ſhe begins to find and feele peace in her ſelfe, and ſo continues till either ſhee fall into new ſinnes, or meet with new temptations, which doe againe diſturbe and unſettle this peace, which is but weake at firſt, and eaſily troubled with doubts and feares; for howſoever this peace be uſually more ſenſibly felt, when a man firſt begins with purpoſe of heart to cleave unto God, than afterward; yet it is more weakly grounded, and therefore more eaſily ſhaken with temptations: it is the long cuſtome of exerciſe and experience, that muſt more and more eſtabliſh the heart in the cleare evidence and aſſurance of it: the conſcience may be ſoone daubed over with untempered mortar, and quickly ſtilled with a falſe peace; but a ſound peace, at leaſt in any eminent degree and meaſure of it, is not ſo quickly attained unto. Superficiall things are done in the halfe of that time that ſubſtantiall things are a working: a wound or a ſore may be quickly skinned over, but it requires more time to heale it at the bottome, and to work a perfect cure upon it. So a falſe peace is ſoone at the higheſt, and comes quickly to her full growth: like Ionas gourd, that comes up in a night, and then it is ſo confident and peremptory, that nothing can unſettle or diſturb it: but ſound peace, it comes up more leiſurely, & requires longer time before it can grow up to any great height. And therefore when men are no ſooner ſtept out of an ill courſe, and begin to look forward to that which is good, but preſently they are filled with ſuch a meaſure of peace, that they make not the leaſt queſtion of their reconciliation with God, nor feare any danger at all of being deceived: there is nothing that can trouble or ſtumble them in that matter: this is no good ſigne of any ſound peace. There is a generation of men in the world, who as at firſt they take up a peace upon a falſe imagination of an abſolute promiſe made unto them; ſo they hold it afterward in the ſame tenure. And therefore, though they neglect any duty that God requires, or fall into any ſinne that hee forbids, it doth not abate or diminiſh any thing of their peace, but as they tooke it up independently upon any qualification in themſelves, before they either repented of their ſinnes, or entred into Covenant with God: ſo breach of Covenant doth nothing trouble or diſturbe the ſame; but let ſuch reade their doome in the words of Moſes, nDeut. 29.19.He that bleſſeth himſelf in his heart, ſaying, I ſhall have peace, though I walk after the ſtubbornneſſe of mine owne heart; the Lord will not be mercifull to that man, but his wrath and his jealouſie ſhall ſmoak againſt him.
4. Concerning the fruits and effects of this peace, where it is wrought. Amongſt others, there be theſe three which uſually doe accompany it:
1. Hee that is at peace with God, it will make him more carefull to pleaſe God, more fearfull to offend him. An unſanctified life can never be accompanyed with ſound peace, becauſe this peace it is ſought and obtained in the way of obedience, as hath beene ſhewed. The way of peace, and the way of righteouſneſſe, are both one: as righteouſneſſe and peace they met in Chriſt and kiſſed each other oPſal. 85.10., ſo doe they meet in all true beleevers: they are inſeparable companions in the kingdome of Chriſt, and eſſentiall parts of itpRom. 14.17. The Kingdome of God is not meat and drinke, but righteouſneſſe and peace, &c. and therefore one cannot be had without the other.
2. He that is at peace with God, will ſhew it in a loving and peaceable carriage towards men; becauſe the ſame ſpirit which unites mens hearts to God, and makes them willing to enter into a Covenant of peace with him, doth alſo linke their hearts and affections one to anotherqAug to. 10. de temp. ſer. 169. Dilectio omnibus votis ac deſiderus amplectanda eſt, quae tot bona poteſt habere, quot praemia, cuſtodienda omnibꝰ viribus pax eſt, quoniam Deus ſemper in pace eſt. and makes them ſtudious to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, as the Apoſtle adviſethrEpheſ. 4.3. And the more nearely their hearts are linked to God, the more firmly are they united in peace and love one to another. Even as it is in a ſphere or circle, the lines that paſſe from the circumference to the center, in which they all meet and are united in one point, the nearer they come to the center, the nearer they joyne one to another; and the farther they are removed from the center, the farther are they diſtant from one another: Even ſo it is here, the farther men are diſtant from God, the farther are they removed from peace and love betweene themſelves; and the more nearly that they are joyned in a covenant of peace with God, the more nearly are they linked in a league & affection of peace between themſelves. In heaven there is nothing but peace; and there be none that are fit to inhabit that place, but ſuch onelyonly as are ſonnes of peace here on earth; and they have a promiſe made unto them, that they ſhall have fellowſhip and communion with the God of peace both here and hereafter:ſ2 Cor. 13.11. Live in peace, and the God of peace ſhall be with you.
3. He that is at peace with God, will be at war with all ſinfull luſts, becauſe theſe are traitors, and enemies that undermine his peace; and hee that lives amongſt his enemies, if hee doe not ſubdue and keepe them under, he ſhall never be in peace. Now becauſe the inordinate luſts and affections of a mans corrupt nature, which are enemies to God, and to his owne ſoule, they are not perfectly ſubdued here in this life; therefore he that is at peace with God, muſt be at war with them. Chriſt who was the Prince of peace, and came into the world to ſettle peace on earth, yet it was a holy and religious peace, not a ſinfull peace that was intended by him; and ſo he would have his Diſciples to conceive of it,tLuke 12.51. Thinke ye that I am come to ſend peace on earth? I tell you nay, but rather debate. When the Children of Iſrael were come into the land of Canaan, that they might live in peace there; they muſt make warre upon the Canaanites, and utterly deſtroy them: for God tells them, that if they did not drive out the inhabitants of the land before them, thoſe that remained would be as pricks in their eyes, and thornes in their ſides, and would continually vexe them in the land where they dwelt uNumb. 33.55.. So hee that is entred into a covenant of peace with God, he will make warre upon theſe Canaanites, that is, the remainder of corruptions that are left in him, becauſe ſo long as theſe live, they will be as thornes in his ſides, and pricks in his eyes: they will continually vexe him, and never ſuffer him to enjoy a quiet and ſetled peace. When the Prophet foretels the peace that ſhould come by Chriſt, he makes this expreſſion of it,xEſay 2.4. That the Nations ſhould break their ſwords into mattocks, and their ſpeares into ſythes: and it may be true in a ſpirituall ſenſe, as the learned obſerveyPint. com. in Iſa. cap. 2. ver. 4. Nihil aliud eſt gladios in vomeres converti, et haſtas in falces, quā ſenſus omnes omniaque noſtra mēbra, quae ſine Chriſti gratia in homine ſlagitioſo arma ſunt diaboli, mundi, et carnis, quibꝰ anima noſtra transfigitur effici vomeres agrum Domini operibus charitatis ſcindentes et arantes, vertique in falces fructus pietatis Deo gratiſſimos metentes. The members of a wicked man, they are ſwords and ſpears, wherewith he fights againſt God, and wounds his owne ſoule: when by the grace of the Spirit he mortifies and ſubdues theſe, & brings them into a peaceable ſubjection unto Chriſt; then are they turned into mattocks and ſythes, inſtruments of husbandry, fit for the tillage of Gods field. And this is that which the Apoſtle exhorts unto,zRom. 6.13. Give not your members as weapons of unrighteouſneſſe unto ſin, but give your ſelves unto God, as thoſe that are alive from the dead, and your members as weapons of righteouſneſſe unto God. But when a man hath a ſetled confidence, that hee is at peace with God, but hath little or no care to pleaſe God, or walk according to the tenor of that covenant that hee hath made with God; when he is like the Salamander, that cannot live out of the fire of contention, but Iſhmael-like his hand is againſt every one, &c. when he is in league with any ſinfull luſt, and doth not make war againſt it, this is a ſigne that it is a vaine preſumptuous confidence which he hath, and no true peace.