Discourse of the Gospel of Peace, Tract 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
SECT. I.
Who, or what the Peace of the Gospel hath respect unto.
I Shall determine this, First Negatively. Secondly Positively.
Negatively first,
It hath not any design for the Peace of the Holy Angels, who have kept their first habitation.
The God of Peace hath found them always where, and what they ought to be: In that order and decorum wherein he first placed them. They never sinned, and therefore never brake their Peace with God, nor among themselves: And therefore need no Gospel, nor other means to reconcile them.
The Scripture tells us, that they desire to look 1 Pet▪ 1. 12.into the things contained in the Gospel: But this desire is, to behold the glory of the Divine attributes shining forth in Grace, riches of Grace to sinners among men: Such Grace as hath an height, and depth in it; beyond the prospect and reach of Angels, without the help of Divine Revelation.
2dly, It is not a Gospel of Peace that hath any design to reconcile the Devils, or faln Angels: These are reserved in everlasting Chains, under darkness, Jude v. 6▪to the judgment of the great day. 'Tis a double chain under which they are held; a chain of guilt, and the chain of God's decree, which neither men nor Angels can break.
It hath been put as a question, Why God should shew so much Grace and Favour to faln Man, and none at all to the faln Angels? Why the Son of God took on him, not the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham? Seeing they were creatures who, by nature were so much superiour to man in all excellencies; in substance spirits, but Man a poor lump of clay, quickened by a Soul, but one step above the brutes: In strength so much superiour, as a Man is to a Worm, and more: In knowledg and sagacity, as admits not the wisest of men to any comparison: In duration immortal, whereas man begins to dye as soon as he begins to live: In their habitation, dwellers in the Heaven of Heavens, Courtiers and immediate attendants on the Holy and Divine Majesty; whereas man hath his foundation in the dust, dwells in a habitation of clay, is a poor creeping worm on God's foot-stool.
It is commonly answered, that God dealt more severely with them than with man, because their sin was of a deeper stain, more exceeding sinful.
1st. As they were placed in an higher station, and their fall was accordingly greater.
2dly, They had greater ability to stand, whereas man had but a bare sufficiency.
3dly, They had more immediate knowledg of God; and a more compleat and intimate injoyment of him.
4thly, That only some part of their number fell: Heaven was not left totally empty of their species: Whereas man fell one and all, all had sinned, and come short of the glory of God. If a means of reconciliation and recovery had not been found out for man, one intire Tribe of intelligent creatures would have been missing in Heaven for ever, there being but two in all; Angels, and men. But I will rather take my Answer out of Christ's mouth, in aMatt. 11. 25, 26. Case not altogether unlike this, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things▪ from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. Here was a regard to the less excellent and capable, before their betters in both those points; the only reason being the free and soveraign pleasure of God.
That man who dare affront the Will of God with the Law of his own reasonings, and oppose plain Scripture words and sense with his rules of equity; Let him consider this Divine practical Comment on those words, I will have mercy on whom Rom. 9. 15.I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. The Lord by a hand of love and pity, takes hold of sorry faln Man, and leaves the faln Angels where their sin had cast them. Surely here is election and preterition; and both depending purely on Divine Pleasure.
Let men take heed, that under pretence of magnifying the goodness of God, by extending it beyond the Gospel line, that they do not divest him of his soveraignty, and more than question his truth. Job's Friends were good men, and pretended to plead God's Cause with admirable oratory, and flourish against Job, as if it became not God, was incompatible with his justice to deal so severely with Job, if he were not a rank hypocrite: But Job under all his pressures, asserts God's soveraignty, and justifies his own integrity. God himself determines the Controversie on Job's side, viz. That his friends had not spoken right of God as his servant Job. He pardons Job's friends, but Job must deal in the atonement.
SECT. II.
To answer positively, first, The Peace the Gospel is concerned in, is a Peace or Reconciliation of the Divine Attributes, in reference to fallen man's happiness.
Not that they were ever at any jar among themselves: But the Case of fallen Man was such, That upon the supposal of God's design of Grace and Mercy to him, his justice and faithfulness must needs demurr to it; till some mean was offered for their satisfaction and security. Fallen sinful Man lay a Sacrifice at the foot of Divine vindictive justice; Man's sin expos'd him to death as a penalty, not only by the Law of nature, but by the sentence expresly pass'd against him by God himself, in case he should eat of the Tree of the knowledg of goodG…. 2. 17. and evil. Man ventures on the trangression of that inhibition; God is bound by his word to exact the penalty. It was past the reach of the wisdom of Man or Angel to reconcile God's Mercy (if he were disposed to exert it) to his Justice and Truth. Man must perish to satisfie the justice, veracity, and honour of God, which he had affronted: or God must put up the wrong, as far as to a denial of himself. Here was a sad dilemma, a difficult knot: But the Gospel declares how the knot was untied. That Divine Wisdom and Love by the mutual consent of God the Father, and God the Son, had transferred the punishment of Man's sin upon the Son of God; for which end in due time he was made man, took on him the seed of Abraham, was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, With his stripes Isa 53 …6we are healed. God laid on him the iniquities of us all.
Hereby the way lay open for Mercy and Truth to meet together; Righteousness and Peace to kiss each other. Mercy to Man, to agree with Divine Truth; Peace with Man, to kiss and embrace Righteousness in God. Hereby God was at a just and honourable liberty, yea, under a just and merciful obligation; to erect a new Covenant, a Covenant of Grace; more easie and secure terms of life and happiness. For what the Law could not do, in that it …was weak through the flesh: God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.
This reconciliation of the Divine Attributes, and the methods of it, in rendring Man salvable, notwithstanding the impossibility of his being so, by the severe, and strict execution of the first Law, or Covenant, is declared to us by the Gospel: without which we could have had no such satisfaction to build our Faith on as the gracious Promise of God. Whereas by these methods revealed in the Gospel, the Grace contained therein appears more rational, and many great objections removed out of the way of our Faith.
2dly, The Peace of the Gospel, is a Peace between God and sinful Man: There was, and is a dreadful quarrel between God, and every Man that is under the guilt and power of sin. Man's sin broke the Peace, and sin uncured increases the breach, and makes its wounds wider: But notwithstanding all Man's guilt and misery, there is a remedy in the Gospel: Peace for sinful, miserable, impotent Man, with the Almighty and provoked God.
The great Doctrine of the Gospel is, Peace with God through Jesus Christ: preaching peace by Jesus Acts 10. 36. 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19.Christ. And hath committed to us the word of reconciliation; to wit, That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. This is the substance and grand design of the Gospel, to make peace between God and Man. Other designs of Peace it has, and declares; but this carries the preference: All the rest are either in order to it, or consequent of it.
The Name of Christ Jesus is only to be found in the Gospel.
1st, Not only Peace with God, is the Peace designed by it; but also the only way and means is declared by it: for if the Gospel be hid, it is hid to 2 Cor. 4. 3.those that are lost. All the wit and prospect of Men, or Angels, could reach no prospect of this Peace with God, till Life and immortality was brought to light through the Gospel.
God cannot look on sinners peaceably, without anger; nor sinners on God without terrour; 'tis the light of the Gospel discovers the face of God, shining in the face of Jesus Christ. Till we behold the face of God reconciled by the Gospel, Mercy and Truth met together, and Righteousness and Peace kissing each other, We cannot see his face and live.
2dly, The Gospel declares the terms and conditions of this Peace with God on our part: Faith and Repentance; The obedience of Faith, The new birth; Being made new creatures; Resigning our selves sincerely and universally to the will of God; accepting and embracing the whole Covenant; and living congruously to a Christian profession.
3dly, It tenders this Peace with God to all, and adds the compulsion of the highest and strongest motives that man is capable of; The promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come.
4thly, It does not only wooe, but work by a Divine, secret efficiency to a sense of, and compliance with this Peace with God upon Gospel terms. It is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth.Rom. 1. 16.
SECT. III.
3dly, A Gospel of Peace with a man's own Conscience.
Conscience, yea, natural Conscience can discern and reflect on the wound, the breach made by sin betwixt a sinner and his God: Tho of it self, it can neither work, nor discern the cure.
Our first Parents fled from the presence of GodGen. 3. 8, 10, 11. at the fright which Conscience raised in their Souls.
I was afraid, because I was naked. They knew they were naked, exposed to God's displeasure and their own shame. But, Who told thee that thou wert naked? No other but his own Conscience told him so; And the same Conscience that told him he was naked, remembred him of the Law he had transgressed, the penalty of death incurred thereby, the loss of Divine favour, his being exposed to intollerable and inevitable vengeance. The same Conscience made such application of these direful considerations, that as he fled from the presence of the offended God, so he would gladly have fled from himself and from his Conscience also, that bound him; his sin, and his punishment together: From his Conscience that was become his Enemy; and fought against him in God's stead, and with God's Weapons.
Thus it was between Cain and his Conscience.Gen. 4. 13, 14. When God had passed his sentence on him for his fratricide, his Conscience makes the poyson and smart of it stick to his bones; My punishment is greater than I can bear. He turns Vagabond, but could not flee from his Conscience. His Conscience frights him with the terrors of death, to be executed by the next hand that meets him. Whoever meets me shall slay me.
An accusing and condemning Conscience, is sin open before hand, and haleing the Soul to judgment: An antidated Hell. It lies at the door, at the catch to Arrest the guilty Soul. O what would not a man give for Peace with Conscience, who hath felt its stings, and carried its Hell in his bosom wherever he goes, wherever he is, in his downlying, his up-rising, his worship, his reading, his meditations, his table, his cups, yea in his very dreams?
This blessed Gospel is a Gospel of Peace betwixt a sinner and his terrible intimate enemy, an awakened Conscience. And this naturally follows peace with God. Where peace with God is by the word and Spirit of God proclaimed in the sinners soul, with convincing evidence: Conscience, which is Gods instrument, lays down its weapons, becomes our friend, and treats us as the friends and confederates of God.
When God speaks peace by his Gospel, Conscience eccho's to its voice, and says so too.
This is the answer of a good Conscience to Gods1 Pet. 3. 21. voice and our inquiries. That man who embraces the Gospel of peace, that Gospel will instruct his Conscience to speak peaceably and kindly to him.
The sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus which the Gospel discovers and applies, will be the sinners Passover. Where that is found on the Door-posts, Conscience has no power to smite with death.
The believing converted sinner, will be no more frighted from the presence of the Lord: But, can draw nigh to him (as the best of his Paradise) with a true heart, in full assurance of faith; having his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and his body washed with pure water.
And though it so falls out with some really Evangelized souls, that by the sentence of the Gospel they have peace with God, yet by the sentence of Conscience 'tis directly contrary. This does not arise from any defect in the Gospel, but of our own misunderstanding the Gospel, or our own hearts. And Conscience being an human faculty, can reflect no further than enlightened by the understanding: yea it goes along with that, tho into a gross error.
But that Spirit of God which is the Spirit of the Gospel, does ordinarily, and will (when 'tis congruous to divine wisdom) cause our spirits to joyn issue with his evidence of peace, whereRom. 8. 14, 15, 16. we are truly reconciled to God. For, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the Children of God.
I might add, that the Gospel assists to peace of Conscience, as it directs and moves to that frame of heart and life, as preserves our peace with Conscience. For besides our peace with Conscience as to our state for eternity, and general reconciliation with God, we are concern'd to preserve it with respect to particular actions, and the whole frame of our life. Tho Conscience enlightned will not charge a man as a damned sinner for every careless, or wilful failing, and throw hell in his face; yet, it will charge him as a sinner, and it may be as guilty of deeply aggravated sin; such sin as God will not only hide his face for, but frown, threaten, and execute severe displeasure. Now he that according to the Rules of the Gospel,Acts. 24. 16. sincerely exercises himself to have a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards men, shall maintain such a peace with conscience that he shall not be so much as accused, threatned, or chid by it; yea, it will be an excusing, comforting, and justifying Conscience. For our rejoicing 2 Cor. 1. 12.is this, the testimony of our conscience, &c. that in simplicity and godly sincerity—we have had our conversation in the world.
Fourthly, A stated inward peace universally considered: It is such a peace the Gospel derives to us when sincerely embraced, as makes all calm within, exclusive of perturbation from any cause, or consideration whatsoever. There are other arrows that sometimes stick in the soul, besides those that flie from the quiver of an irreconciled God, or an awakened, troubled, and disquieting Conscience. As losses and crosses in the world, fears of foes, desolations, wants of necessary relief, frowns of men, and others innumerable. Such as these (without the former) may pave all our paths with thorns and briers; stuff our pillows with anxious and perplexing thoughts and cares.
But the Gospel of Peace embraced, and applied in its directions, promises and comforts, will maintain an inward peace and tranquility against all their assaults. I will lay me down in peace and Psal. 4. 8.sleep, for thou Lord only makest me to dwell in safety. That Princely Saint (whose words these were) had many adversaries and adversities to disrest him, and break his peace; but the consideration of the shines of divine favour, and the shadow of Gods protection (which the Gospel only could discover to him) could sufficiently secure him in the midst of his dangers from all disturbing cares or fears; he could sleep in utramque aurem on both ears.
And well may he be at peace who has God for his stay against all storms; and as such, he is no where represented but in the Gospel-promise; that promise is a branch of the Gospel-Covenant, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed Isa. 26. 3.on thee. To have a God alsufficient, such a God in Covenant to stay upon, is sure enough to keep the mind steady. But suppose the mind be feeble, and wavering in this act of reliance; here is that which makes sure work for our peace, who trust in him, tho so defectively. God has promised to do the work himself, if our faith can't do it, he will do it. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace. The God of peace himself, he that commands peace in his high places. He that creates peace, he will keep him in perfect peace. It is this peace of God, of Gods creating in the soul, of which the Apostle saith, It shall keep your hearts and minds; or as the Greek, Phil. 4. 17. foreign.Shall garrison your hearts, or secure them with a power able to give a good account of that peace it is are charged with.
SECT. IV.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ hath an efficacy to obtain, and maintain peace with men; and not only with good men, but bad men; not only with friends, but foes also.
1. It hath an efficacy by special…ties and motives to maintain peace with, and among good men.
By good men, I mean here such as are good in a Scripture, that is a sanctified sense; or if you will, good Christians. For many go under that name of Christians, to no better end than the reproach of that worthy name; and are Christians but as an apple is an apple that is rotten at the heart, and it may be quite thorough within, and without too, 'tis an apple, notwithstanding but I never met with any yet that would call it a good apple.
I do not say that the Gospel hath alway, and with all good men this blessed effect. But there is that in it which if it were well understood, and lived in good earnest, there would be no such agreement, union, and peace as among sincere Christians. They would be the only persons who would deserve the title of the Lovers band.
That observation of the Primitive Christians, by the old Heathen, would be revived, See how they love one another.
The means, motives, and inducements which the Gospel effects, or proposes to this end, among Christians indeed, are innumerable and inexpressible. It informs them of those real truths, that they are one spiritual body, yea, that they are one spirit: He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit. That1 Cor. 6. 16. they are one mystical Christ. Christ personal is the head, and all true believers are his members. They are all the Children of the same Father and Mother, God is their Father, and Jerusalem which is Gal. 4. 26.above is the mother of us all.
There is in every good Christian an agreement in nature. The new creature is formed of the same holy, divine, vital principles in the strongest man, and the weakest babe; tho not arrived to the same measures of perfection. There is by their union an holy sympathy and communion with all the good and evil that concerns any, or all the members of this body: A circulation of the blood and spirits throughout the whole: And whether one member 1 Cor. 12. 16.suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoyce with it.
They have all the same heaven, the place of everlasting rest, which is the journeys end they aim at, and shall obtain. 'Tis for this self-same Rest they are now all preparing, and are dispositively prepared by the spirit of grace that abides, and lives in them. For he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who hath also given unto us of 2 Cor. 5. 5.his Spirit. And as they have but one heaven, their journeys end; so they have but one way, the obedience of faith; tho with respect of different stations, conditions, circumstances, understandings also, they may not tread just in the same track.
Our Lord Jesus in his blessed Gospel commands, and commends peace to his followers with the greatest authority and most Pathetical expressions. He leaves them peace as a legacy, and leaves as his last and dying command (when his love wrought highest, and his sufferings for them were within a few hours of their hottest) that they would do that in remembrance of him which is the Symbol of the most principal union and motives of love and peace one with another: I mean the holy Sacrament of the Lords-Supper. He promises the presence of the God of love and peace with them that live in peace; and threatens a severe revenge upon the breakers of the peace, that smiteMat. 24. …9. their fellow servants.
The Laws which the Gospel lays on us of love, forbearance, bearing one anothers burdens; pitying and supporting one anothers infirmities; curing all we can, and covering what we cannot cure, does certainly render it a Gospel of peace for good men, one among and towards another. It teaches them to be so far above indifferent things, childish toyes, as to believe them below their contentions; but if such fancies do possess any, then to forbear one another in love, and not deal judgings, and severe censures on the one hand, and contempts on the other, which the eminent and holy Austin elegantly resolves into these few words, In necessariis unitas, in nonnecessariis libertas, in omnibus charitas. In necessary things unity, in unnecessary things liberty, in all charity.
Indeed the Gospel represents Christians so disposed by grace, that if it be diligently improved and exerted, all that court and complement, that benign, obliging deportment, that civilizes and reconciles the world by art, will be found in Christians, as the genuine products of renewed nature. To conclude, these are the Gospel representations of Christian engagements and dispositions to peace among themselves, which if they were all drawn to the life upon its professors, the whole Christian world would be the terra pacata, Zion would be a peaceable habitation. All its lively stones would quietly lie in their order, in this Temple of God on earth. They would no more disturb each others peace, nor justle into anothers place. All would be one sweet Consort, contributing to the beauty, strength, and comfort of the whole building.
Consider what is spoken of those days, wherein the Gospel of peace shall prevail at another rate than now, and impress its image with more vigour Isa. 55. 11. 12, 13.on the Church. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void.—it shall prosper whereto I sent it. And what doth this efficacy of the Gospel particularly intend? For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.—Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the bryer shall come up the myrtletree. The same word we now are so poorly affected with, shall one day bring forth a richer crop ofAut hoc non est Evangelium, aut nos non sumus Evangelici. grace and peace. The ancient reproof confirms the truth I am affirming, Either this is not the Gospel, or we are no Christians. It was a degenerating age, tho (perhaps) not half so much as ours.
Whatever men may pretend unto, for bearing the name of Christianity, they may measure their distance from the thing it self, or their approaches to it, much, by the peaceableness of their spirits, and deportment towards their brethren. Their souls who dwell far from dispositions to peace, have no intimacy with the Gospel. Let them who make earnings for their pleasure, or their profit, by smiting their fellow-servants, consider the Contents of Mat. 24. ver. 49. to the end of the Chapt. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth. So far as this Text concerns Ministers, whom certainly it concerns as deeply as any; it aggravates their cruelty to their fellow-servants, by its being joyned with their own sensuality and luxury. And I need not use many words to perswade the present age, that those who have dealt such severe blows to good men, have ordinarily been very complaisant and fellowly with the worst, if not partaking with them in their follies.
Secondly, The Gospel contributes very much to our peace with bad men.
1. By prescribing, and disposing good men to a peaceable affection and carriage towards the bad.
The Gospel is no such narrow strait-laced thing, as to restrain a kind, benign, and courteous carriage to the best, or better sort of men. Bad men, yea notorious hypocrites, who are the sink of corrupted nature, are by its rules and principles, to partake of our civilities and charity. Do good to all men, but especially to them who are of the houshold of faith. Those who are best deserving, are to have the greatest share in our complacence and kindness; yet the worst of men not to be wholly abandoned, but their shreds of goodness to be acknowledged, and their necessities supplied from a sincere benevolence.
It obliges us to follow peace with all men, so far as not to part with holiness. Not only to accept peace when it offers it self, admit it when it courts us, but to pursue it when it flees from us. We must not part with peace with any man if it may be had, and preserved upon tollerable terms. ThisHeb. 12. 14 peaceable and benign spirit to evil men, the Gospel teaches us to be the image of God, that wherein consists a principal part of Godliness or God-likeness. That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil, and the good; and his rain to fall on the just and the unjust. These are the Gospel-lessons, which few of the Heathen understood; and the morose narrowhearted Jews expunged with their false Glosses.
2ly, A compliance with the Gospel-directory, mightily conduces to procure and conciliate peace from evil men, to those who are good and holy.
Were the Lessons and Principles of the Gospel more lively represented by the conversations of its professors, it would in a great degree abate the hatred and injuries of the worst of men. Tho they have no principles of Grace, it would work on the remains of good nature. These men (said the Amorites of Jacobs Family) are peaceable with us: therefore let Gen. 34. 21them dwell in the land, and trade with us. And let it be supposed that the bad natures of unregenerate men has a radicated enmity to the godly as such; yet not only humane alliance, but common interests would engage to peace with such men who bear the image of the Gospel. Who will harm you, if ye 1 Pet. 3. 13.be followers of that which is good? None certainly that have any sparks of goodness remaining in them. None that have any regard to justice or modesty.
Thirdly, The Gospel contributes to peace with enemies. Men may be bad men, and yet in no actual enmity with the good and holy. But suppose there be such as hate thee personally; yea, that are in professed enmity to all that bear the name of serious professors of Christianity; A Gospel-conversation may do much, not only to allay or quench the flames of enmity and injuries, but also to turn them into friendship and kindness. The Gospel of peace hath a Medicinal vertue, to heal and make peace here.
It may be this just, amicable, peaceable deportment under all provocations, may melt them down into a better temper. The cords of a man areProv. 16. 7. cords of love. When a mans ways please the Lord, it shall make his enemies to be at peace with him. This is a Lesson not only of the Divine Wisdom, who knows the ways of mans heart, and all its secret wards, but 'tis also a lesson of experience: Saul was a bitter enemy to good David, but when he had an evident proof of Davids fidelity, his tenderness, a spirit free from base revenge: How did it take with him? What a flood of Pathetical expressions of a heart moved with the undeserved kindness of this good man David, did it wring out of him? Is this thy voice, my Son David! And 1 Sam. 24. 16.Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.—If a man find 1 Sam. 26. 21.his enemy, will he let him go well away? Thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. I have sinned. Return, I will do thee no more harm.
But if the Gospel of Peace (in the life and practice of it) do sometime reconcile an enemy, change his heart; how much more may it chain up his hands, or make him let fall his weapons of offence;Matt 5. 43, 44. especially, if we arrive to those more noble heightsLuk. 22. 34. of Evangelical generosity, as to love our enemies, bless them that curse us, pray for them that persecute Act. 7. 60.us, and despitefully use us; and let these be all the revenges we do, or aim at, to take of them. Methinks that petition (with the measure it proposes) in the Lords-Prayer, is of an high strain; Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. The sense of which is, If we forgive not our injurers, do not thou forgive us. Deal by us as we deal by them. If we wish evil to them that hate and abuse us, let our prayers be turn'd into the greatest curse that can fall upon our selves. If this be not our meaning when we utter this Petition to God, we are most gross hypocrites, or such ignorant Sots that we understand not our prayers in a most plain, easie instance. If this be our meaning, our practice will certainly in some good degree conform to it. And where 'tis so, it will be no mean inducement to the most barbarous to be at peace with us.