Gospel Reconciliation, Chapter 8
CHAP. 8. How to know whether a mans Peace be made with God, opened in ſeven Particulars. 1. Every weapon of war againſt God is laid down. 2. There hath been treaties of Peace between God and that ſoul. 3. Peace with God wil make thee abhor thy ſelf for thy former curſed waies. 4. It wil make thee on Gods ſide. 5. It wil preſerve from evil. 6. It wil enable thee to ſuffer much. 7. It wil make thee highly priſe it.
But I ſay, the Soul ſhould be often inquireing how things ſtand between God, and it; Are the termes right between God and my ſoul? Am I at peace with him, or am I not? if not, how can I ſleep? how can I go about my buſineſs, and God be an enemy to me? And if I do go about my buſineſs, it is a ſign of a bold, and preſumptuous heart to go up and down merrily, and quietly, and yet this great queſtion, how tearmes are between God, and my ſoul comes not to be determined of. Would you then know whether indeed the tearms are good, and right, and peaceable between God, and you?
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Firſt, Certainly, except thou haſt layed down al thy weapons of war, and enmity againſt God, thou art not yet at peace with him. And canſt thou in the uprightneſs of thy heart appeal thus unto God? Lord, thou knoweſt there's no weapon of enmity againſt thee in my heart that ever I have taken notice of, but I have been willing, and ſhal be willing to lay it down, and God forbid that ever there ſhould be the leaſt weapon of warr found in my heart againſt God. Every known ſin in thee is a weapon of warfare againſt God, and though thou ſhould'ſt lay down many, yet if that be not layed down; if thou keepeſt any one known ſin within thee, certainly that one ſin is enough to make an eternal breach, and enmity between God, and thy ſoul. Now, be not at quiet, be not at reſt in thy own ſpirit, do not ſleep quietly this night, except thou canſt bring thy heart to this, that thou canſt go in ſecret between God and thy ſelf, and ſay; O Lord, thou knoweſt I have renounced al the waies of ſins that ever thou haſt revealed to me, though my ſins do cleave to me as cloſe as my skin to my fleſh, yet as ſoon as I take notice of them, as ſoon as thou makeſt them known unto me; I cry out and complaine againſt them. As ſuppoſe in time of war, ſome come into your houſes, and you know not at their firſt coming who they are: but are afterward by their Carriage, and behavior, and by their ſpeech you come to take notice that they are of your enemies: Now it after taking notice of them, you ſhal make much of them, and Cherriſh them, and entertain them, and ſupply their wants, give them Money, or Plate, or what elſe you have, you wil be found to be an enemy to the State. But if as ſoon as you take notice of them, you deſire them to be gone, and you do what you can to thruſt them out of your doores; and if they be too ſtrong for you, you go and complayne to your neighbour, or to the Officers that are about you, and you deſire them to afford you ſome ſtrength to apprehend them, this cannot be charged upon you, that you are an enemy to the ſtate, why? Becauſe though they be in your houſe, yet it is ful ſore againſt your wills. And ſo, many men, though they entertain their Corruptions, and Cherriſh them, and fulfil the luſts of them, they think to put it off with this, what wil you have me to do? I cannot help it: But do you complaine of it? do you cry out unto God, and ſay, Lord here is an enemy, an enemy to thee, as wel as unto my ſelf? an enemy to thy glory, as wel as to my own ſoul; O that thou would'ſt come in and caſt this enemy of mine & thine out of my heart, I cannot ſleep quiet, I cannot reſt, and be at peace ſo long as this enemy is within me, till thou comeſt and caſt it out. This is a ſign that thou art at peace with God, if thou haſt laid down thy weapons of warfare againſt God, and art at enmity with every ſin: If thou entertaineſt in thy boſom no known ſin, though never ſo ſecret. And this is the moſt eminent ſign that can be, ſo that the weakeſt Chriſtian may be able to apply it to himſelf, and come to know ſomewhat about this peace with God.
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Secondly, If thou wouldſt know whether God, and thee be reconciled, then let me put this to thee: What Treaties have there been made between God, and thy Soul? for this you muſt know, that though there may be a Peace indeed made between God and thee, in ſome kind even from eternity (as I ſhall afterwards ſhew you) yet before it come into thy heart, before thou can'ſt come to know it, there muſt a Treaty paſs between God, and thee. Reonciliation that is from eternity comes from Treaties between God the father, and God the Son, and that Reconciliation that in time comes into the Conſcience, is a fruit of ſome Treaty that hath been between God, and thy ſelf. As for example: When God would be at peace with a Soul, he ſummons that Soul to come in, he tels it that it is an enemy to him, and that he is going on in contrary waies to him. As uſually you know when enemies come to a Town, they will firſt ſummon the Town before they ſtorm it: So the Lord ſummons thee to come in. When did God ever ſummon thy heart? Haſt thou felt the power of Gods ſummons in thy ſoul? Then again: Haſt thou felt much intercourſe between God and thy Soul? Hath God been ſpeaking to thy heart, and thy heart ſpeaking unto God? Hath God been working towards thee, and hath thy heart been working towards God? Hath the Lord ſent unto thee by his word, and haſt thou ſent up unto him by prayer, and as the Lord waits upon thee to know what thy anſwer is when he ſpeaks to thee: So, do'ſt thou wait upon him to know his anſwer when thou prayeſt, What have been the Treaties that have paſſed ſecretly in thy cloſet between God and thy Soul? Thou doſt not go on in a dul way, and come and hear the word of God, but never hear the voice of God, but when thou comeſt to hear Gods word, thou heareſt Gods voyce, thou heareſt him ſpeak unto thee, Treating with thee about matters of Peace, and thou feeleſt Gods Spirit drawing thy heart, and telling ſomewhat of Gods mind unto thee: perhaps at this time, and for the preſent whileſt thou art hearing, thou telleſt God ſecretly by ejaculations. Lord I am willing to accept of thoſe tearms of Peace, and Reconciliation; I am willing to accept of the Conditions of the Covenant. Or perhaps when thou doeſt not this when thou art hearing, yet when thou art got alone, then thou openeſt thy ſelf more unto God, and ſendeſt a ful anſwer unto God. This is the way of treating, that when thou comeſt to hear Gods word offering tearms of peace, and requireing ſuch, and ſuch tearmes, thou at the very hearing ſendeſt up by ejaculations ſecretly in anſwer to God, Lord, I accept of the tearms, and when thou art gone, ſendeſt up a ful anſwer, and then how doeſt thou bleſs his name that ever he was pleaſed to offer ſuch tearms unto thee, though they were a thouſand times harder. Hath there ever been any ſuch doings in thy heart? hath it been one of the greateſt works that ever thy heart hath been ſet upon? hath thy heart been ſet more upon this work of the treaty with God about peace, than about any thing that ever concerned thee in al thy life? Then it is a good evidence unto thee that thou art in a way of Peace, and if thy Conſcience ſpeaks peace unto thee from this, it wil be a comfortable evidence indeed. But the truth is I cannot give you the ful, and through evidence, ſo as fully to ſattisfy your heart til I come to the next point. To ſhew you how the heart is brought to Chriſt and reconciled to God in him. But ſomewhat may be done to help the ſoul that way.
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Thirdly, the Third Signe therefore is this. If thou beeſt at peace with God, then upon Gods being pacified towards thee, and upon thy apprehenſion of it, it wil make thee looke back to thy former wretched dealings with God, and be confounded in thy own thoughts, and cauſe thee even to abhor thy ſelf for that curſed carriage of thy heart towards him, and dealings with him when thou wert in away of oppoſition, and when thou wert walking Contrary to him. I wil give you a moſt excellent ſcripture for that: it is in the 16. of Ezek. the latter end. That thou mayeſt remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more; Why? Becauſe of thy ſhame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou haſt done; that is the time you ſee when the ſoul comes to be aſhamed of its wretched dealings with God, and be confounded in the thought thereof, even when the Lord is pacified towards it for al the evil that it hath done towards him. Lay this therefore, (when you lay aſide this Book and are got alone,) warm to hearts. A man would think, if God ſhould aske the queſtion, that this ſhould rather be anſwered when God comes, and reveales the fruits of this wrath towards a ſoul, no, but when I am pacified, (ſaith God) towards thee; then thou ſhalt be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more. So that if thou haſt any evidence, any found evidence to thy ſoul that the Lord is pacified towards thee for al the evil that thou haſt done againſt him, it wil make thee look back to thy former actings, and when thou doſt remember them thou wilt be Confounded in thy own thoughts, and whatſoever God doth do with thee, thou wilt never open thy mouth any more but be aſhamed of thy ſelf for al thy wicked dealings towards God. Many of your Conſciences may tel you that there hath been divers horrible things acted by you againſt the Lord, what ſins have not many of you lived in? do you hope that God is reconciled to you, and pacified towards you for al thoſe horrible things that you have done? If he be, you wil upon this grace of God towards you, look back upon what you have done formerly, and be confounded in your own ſouls, and the mroe you apprehend your peace to be made with God, the more wil you be aſhamed, and the more wil you be troubled for what you have done. Many a wretched ſinner that hath lived in waies of ſin, when the fear of death comes upon him wil be confounded & aſhamed of what he hath done; & then he wil complain, & cry out to others, and deſire them to pray for him; but that is not the thing that God here ſpeaks of, for let God but ſet ſuch a one upon his feet again, and free him from his ſickneſs, and fears, he is no longer confounded, and aſhamed, but wil be as jolly, and as merry as before. But if God indeed be pacified towards thy ſoul, thou wilt then be confounded, and aſhamed for all the evils that thou haſt done againſt him. This is as comfortable an argument that peace is made betwixt God, and us, and that he is reconciled towards us, as any I know, when upon the apprehenſion of that peace and Reconciliation we come to be confounded in our own Souls.
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Fourthly, One that is at peace with God, wil evermore be on Gods ſide, he wil go which way the cauſe of God goes, and he wil be content though it be never ſo dangerous to venture himſelf on Gods ſide. As ſuch a one by a ſecret inſtinct from God himſelf is able to know and diſtinguiſh which is Gods ſide, and he is not ſo full of queſtions as others are: So being once reconciled to God, and at friendſhip with him, he will alwaies be on that ſide. Many wil ſay, indeed if we knew which were Gods ſide, we would be of it: friends, the reaſon why you find it ſo hard to find, and diſcern the ſide of God, and to know it, it is becauſe you are not friends to God; if God were thy friend, his ſecrets would be made known unto thee: try now whether it be ſo with thee or no: where ever thou art; if there be ſideing againſt God, though there be but few that ſtand up for him, and his Cauſe, thou wilt be ſure to joyn with them that ſtand for God, though they be the feweſt, and though they be meaneſt in the Town where thou liveſt: this is a true argument that thou art one that art at peace with God.
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Fifthly, If thou beeſt at peace with God, this peace hath a great deal of power to preſerve thee from evill Phil. 4.7. The Peace of God ſhall keep your hearts, ſaith the Text,foreign Keep as with aguard, or as in a gariſon. Solomons Bed was not ſo wel guarded, Cant. 3.7, 8. as a Saint is, by the power of God without him, and the Peace of God within him. ſhall guard your hearts, So the word is, it wil guard as a Houſe is guarded with a Troop of Horſe, or Band of Souldiers: if temptations come, the peace of God will guard your hearts, and keep you in a gracious frame, it wil be of a mighty power to keep the ſoul from evil, I do not know a ſtronger guard in the world to keep a man from the evil of ſin, than the peace of God made known unto the Soul is.
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Again, if thou beeſt at peace with God,As one that is wel booted or buskin'd can walk unhurt amidſt briers and brambles. So may he amidſt Satans ſnares that is fortified with Goſpel comforts, whereby God creates Peace. this peace wil enable thee to ſuffer much in Gods cauſe. Eph. 6.15. Being ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of Peace; that is, the Peace that the Goſpel doth bring will enable thee to tread upon ſharp ſtones; for, from thence the phraſe is taken, and ſignifies as much. In thoſe places they uſe to go with Sandals under their feet, it being grievous, and hurtfull to them to go barefoot upon ſharp ſtones. So ſaith the Apoſtle, you may meet with rough, and ſharp waies in your Chriſtian courſe, but the Peace which the Goſpel doth bring wil be as ſhooes to enable you to go upon thoſe ſharp ſtones. Doth the peace of God enable you to ſuffer much for God? it is a ſign then that you are at Peace with him.
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Laſtly, He that is at Peace with God, doth ſet a mighty high eſteme upon that peace, he wil not eaſily part with it, he wil not eaſily loſe it, that is the Bird in the boſom that he deſires to keep ſinging, whatſoever becomes of him, ſo long as he can keep that Bird ſinging in his breſt, he thinks himſelf wel enough, though he ſhould meet with never ſo many difficulties, and hardſhips in the waies of God. One that hath got this peace with God knows how to priſe it, for the truth is, ordinarily, it is gotten with a great deal of difficulty, it coſt them ſomewhat, and it coſt Jeſus Chriſt ſomwhat before they could get it. Haſt thou got peace with God? if it be of the right ſtamp, know, it coſt thee dear, and it coſt Jeſus Chriſt dear, and ſurely now thou haſt it, it wil be dear likewiſe to thy ſoul: So that if Sin ſhould preſent it ſelf to thee, and goe about to withdraw thy heart from God unto that which is evil, this wil be the very thought of thy heart (though perhaps there may be pleaſure and profit in the way which ſin preſents to thee) this wil be the very thought of thy heart, Wil it not hinder my peace with God? If there be the leaſt ſuſpition of that, away with it ſaith the ſoul, I wil not buy the pleaſure, or the profit of ſin at ſo dear a rate. It ſaith unto ſin as the Figg Tree, and Olive Tree, ſaid unto the other Trees when they would come and perſwade them to rule over them. Shal I loſe my ſweetneſs ſaith the Figg Tree, and my fattneſs ſaith the Olive Tree, to come and be King over you? So ſaith the heart that is reconciled unto God, when ſin, and the world preſents themſelves to it, ſhal I loſe my ſweetenſs, and my fatneſs? ſhal I loſe that bleſſed quietude that is between God and me, to come, and cloſe with you? O, God forbid, ſurely, I wil never buy the ſweet of Sin at ſuch a dear rate. It is true indeed, the men of the world who have a falſe peace, wil venture that peace upon any light occaſion. If a man have a Jewel that is but a falſe Jewel, ſuch a thing as a Briſtoll ſtone is, that it may be is not worth two pence, he wil not be much careful of it. But if he have a Jewel that is a true Diamond or that is a right Pearl, he wil not venture that upon a little matter. The Peace that moſt men have, is a counterfeit falſe Peace and they wil ſoon venture it upon any tearms. Theſe men that can ſo readily yield to the Temptations of ſin; it is an evident argument, that the Peace they have is but a falſe peace, and that is the reaſon they can part with it upon ſuch eaſie conditions. But the ſoul that hath true peace with God, looks upon it as a Jewel of an ineſtimable value, as a precious Pearl: Here is my happineſs ſaith he, you ſhall not have this away from me with a whiſtle, with a light matter, I will not part with this ſo, which coſt me ſo dear, and which coſt Jeſus Chriſt himſelf ſo dear, no leſs than his own blood. Moſt people in the world think they have peace with God, but let me ask, what did your peace coſt you? It coſt little, and ſo lightly come lightly go: that is the reaſon of al your looſe profeſſors that walk ſo careleſly in their waies, the peace they have had comes lightly to them, and ſo goes lightly away from them, they have patched to themſelves a peace, but they have not the right underſtanding of the myſtery of the ſouls Reconciliation to God, and that is the very ground of the looſeneſs of their converſations.
Thus I have endeavoured to help you to examine your peace whether it be true, or no. If you can upon theſe ſignes, or notes conclude your peace to be right; Bleſſed are you, go your waies rejoycing, and joyn with the Angels in their ſong; Glory be to God in Heaven, and peace on Earth; glory be to the great God that is on high, that hath not only made peace on Earth, but made peace in my boſom; and therefore O my ſoul returne unto thy reſt. Thy ſoul may now even take its eaſe. You have a notable expreſſion concerning this in Pſal. 25.12. where ſpeaking of the happineſs of the godly, he ſaith, What man is he that feareth the Lord, his ſoul ſhal dwel at eaſe; O! it is a bleſſed thing to have a ſoul dwel at eaſe. You would fain have comfortable Habitations for your bodies where you may live at eaſe, and not be diſturbed, or be troubled, either with il neighbors, or with fear of enemies; O! but to have your Souls dwel at eaſe, that is your happineſs: and therefore, though in many places of the nation our Brethren abroad can have no houſes wherein they may live at eaſe, but are alwaies in great ſtreights and dangers, yet by this peace with God, if it be made ſure unto thee, though thou wert in the midſt of thy enemies, thy ſoul may come to dwel at eaſe. Remember that place therefore, it is a bleſſed and a ſweet promiſe, and you ſhould make much of it in ſuch troubleſome times as theſe are, that he that fears the Lord, his ſoul ſhal dwel at eaſe.