The Wells of Salvation Opened, Section 7
SECT. VII.
…. PEter speaks to them concerning the Word which God sent unto the children of Israel; and he tells of a twofold Word sent to them by God.
1. The Word of Repentance, which he calls the …aptism which Iohn preached unto them.
2. The Word of Peace which was preached unto them by Iesus Christ.
1. He tells them that God sent a Word by Iohn to the children of Israel, and that was a word and Baptism of Repentance which he preached. Iohn was Christs …orerunner, who went before his face to prepare his way, and to make the people ready for the entertainment of Christ: He came to level the mountains of pride, and to straighten crooked dispositions, and to smoothen rough spirits; his doctrine was a doctrine of Repentance, Luk. 3.3. He came into all the Countries about Iordan, preaching the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins. And in Mat. 3.1, 2. it is said, Iohn came preaching in the wilderness of Iudea, and saying, Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Hea…en is at hand. Iohn preached the Law to convince men of sin, and to awaken them unto repentance; he telleth sinners plainly, that they were a generation of Vipers; doth not spare the hypocritical Pha…isees, who boasted so much in their priviledges, but were grosly deficient in moral duties; he telleth them of Gods Ax which was laid to the root of the tree, ready to cut them down if they did not …epent; he telleth of the unquenchable fire which they should be cast into, if they did not reform. The word of Repentance is a necessary word unto salva…tion, and therefore is necessary to be preached to all and what Iohn the Baptist cryed in the wilderness, would cry in your ears this day, Repent. Repent if yo… would have remission of sins. Repent if you woul… be prepared for the entertainment of Jesus Chris… Repent, or else you will all certainly perish, Luk. 13.3 Repent, or else iniquity will be your ruine, Ezek 18.30. Repent, or else ye cannot be saved. When th… Jews who had crucified the Lord of glory, heard Peters Sermon, which ripped up their sin, and they being pricked in their hearts, cry out to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, Men and Brethren, What shall we do? Act. 2.37. We have committed a great sin, and what shall we now do? What course shall we take that we may be saved from that eternal wrath and death which we have deserved? The Apostle directs them to Repent for the remission of sin, vers. 38. And will not conscience accuse you of the guilt of sin? Are there no drunkards in this place? no swearers? none that have committed adultery, and been unclean in secret places? no unrighteous persons that have defrauded their neighbour? no Sabbath-breakers, nor profane persons? no lyars nor covetous persons? and are not the most civil and morally honest of you all that are out of Christ, guilty of many heart-sins, yea and lip-sins, and some gross slips in your life, which conscience doth sometimes twinge you for? Are not you guilty of impenitency and hardness of heart, and unbelief, and want of love to God, and his Son, and neglect of your own salvation? Let me tell you all that have not yet repented, that unless ye repent, and that speedily, ye shall all perish certainly, and ye shall be miserable everlastingly. Repent of your sins, mourn for sin, and turn from sin, or else you will weep for sin hereafter to no purpose, and burn for sin for ever. Loath sin, and leave sin, or else Christ will disdain you at the last day, and sentence you to depart from him into everlasting fire. Confess sin, and forsake sin, or else you will finde no mercy here, nor end, or the least asswagement of misery in the other world. Drunkards, repent of your sins, you have felt (after your revellings, and excessive carousings) your heads ake, and have vomited up your drink sometimes, O that you could now feel your hearts ake, and that you would vomit up your sin by repentance. Swearers, repent of your sins; you have taken Gods Name in vain, yea even torn it in pieces by your oaths, O that you would hallow Gods Name in confessing your sin, and that you would rend and tear your hearts with sorrow for the affronts you have by your oaths offered to the highest Majesty. Adulterers and unclean persons, repent of your sins; you have tasted sweetness in your …oul sins, O labour to taste bitterness in grief for your sins, that you may not feel the bitterness of hell torments, which without repentance will certainly be your portion. Unrighteous persons, lyars, covetous persons, repent, or you will not escape Gods righteous judgements. Sabbath-breakers, get your hearts broken for your sins, or else God will break you to pieces with his Iron Rod. Prophane persons, and all ye that have sinned more grosly, repent, and humble your selves before the Lord the more deeply: The most crimson and scarlet …ins may be washed away; those who embrewed their hands in the blood of Christ were forgiven upon repentance; and there may be hope of remission for the worst of you if you repent. And you that have been more civil, yet under the power of some sin which hath reigned in your hearts, though it hath not broken forth so notoriously in your lives, and have moreover lived in the neglect of Christ, and your own salvation by him, not perceiving your need so much of him. Let me tell you, as our Saviour told the Scribes and Pharisees, that sometimes Publicans and Harlots, the vilest and most notorious come into the Kingdom of Heaven sooner than you, because they are more readily awakened, and humbled, and made sensible of their need of Christ, than the civil and fair dealing men and women who are very apt to lean and trust to their own righteousness, without such earnest seeking of the righteousness of Christ to justifie them: Therefore let me warn you also to repent of your sins, of heart-sins, and Gospel-sins, which are the greatest sins, and will certainly sink you without repentance. Look upon your own righteousness as filthy raggs, and cast it away, and loath your selves, and be perswaded, that if ever you be pardoned and saved, you must be as much beholding to free grace as the vilest sinner.
2. Peter tells them that God sent a Word of Peace, which was preached by Iesus Christ. It is said, Ioh. 1.17. The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth, and I may add peace too, came by Iesus Christ. The Law which came by Moses, was given for this end to lead men; yea, it was a School-master to whip men to Christ; and God did enjoyn those legal services upon his people, that they might look to Christ in them, and look for Christ who should deliver them from that yoak of bondage. The Law, which was from Mount Sinai, gendereth to bondage, and was given with thunderings and lightnings to awaken men; and in preaching of the Law God giveth a spirit of bondage to work men to fear and repentance: But Christ came in a more mild way, and in a more soft and still voice preached Peace, and the Gospel of Reconciliation. The word of Peace was that which the Angels preached unto the Shepherds at Christs birth, Luk. 2.14. Glory be to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good will towards men. Peace was that which Christ preached in his life, Ephes. 2.17. He came and preached Peace to you which were afar off, and to them which were nigh. Peace was that which Christ purchased by his death, Col. 1.20. He made Peace by the blood of his Cross. Peace was that which he spake to his Disciples at his appearance after his resurrection, Ioh. 20.19. Iesus came and stood in the midst of them, and said, Peace be unto you. Peace he left with his Disciples behind him as a Legacy, when he was to go away from them, Ioh. 14.27. Peace I leave with you, my Peace I give unto you. And Peace he commissioned his Disciples to preach unto the world, Mark 16.5. Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gospel unto every creature: Which Gospel is a Gospel of Peace, containing glad tidings of good things, Rom. 10.15. Christ preached Peace, not Peace with men (though this also he would have his Disciples endeavour after, as much as in them lyeth, to live peaceably with all men, Rom. 12.28. and to follow after peace with all men, so far as it consisteth with holiness, and a pure conscience, Heb. 12.14.) For he tells his Disciples, Luk. 12.51. Suppose ye that I am come to give Peace on earth, I tell you nay, but rather division. Whatever peaceable disposition he taught, and his Gospel doth work in the heart where it prevails, yet accidentally it causeth division, and stirreth up to opposition in those that will not yield obedience thereunto; and therefore the world hate and contend with his Disciples, because he hath chosen them out of the world; wicked men have an enmity in their hearts against Believers, and will not be at Peace with them. But Christ preached Peace with God. Christ came from Heaven to bring this glad tydings to earth, that the God of Heaven was willing to be at Peace with sinfull men. It would not have been an easie thing to have made sinners believe (especially if they had been convinced of sin, how heinous it is in its own nature, how highly it affronts and provokes the highest Majesty; if they had been awakened with a sense of the dreadfulness of the punishment which God hath threatned, and they had deserved for their sins) that so great and holy a God should be willing to put up all affronts, and forgive all iniquities, and be at Peace with sinners; yea, that he should seek after it: They might have questioned not only how this could be, but also how any could have known it: But to put all out of doubt, Christ the eternal Son of God hath come forth from Heaven, declaring what he hath heard of the Father, and hath made known this, that God is willing to be at peace with us. Christ was sent from the King of Glory upon the Embassage of Peace, and he preached Peace therefore unto men; not unto all men, for Isa. 57.21. There is no Peace to the wicked; that is, to such as are impenitent and senseless of their sins, and go on still in their trespasses. Christ threatned the wicked as severely as Iohn Baptist; he tells the impenitent that they should perish, Luk 13.3. and the unbelievers, that they should die in their sins, Ioh. 8.24. And he calls the hypocritical Pharisees (who persevered in their opposition of him and his waies) Serpents and Vipers that could not escape the damnation of Hell, Matth. 23.33. But Christ preached Peace to all that repented, were troubled for their sins; that mourned and turned; that believed and yielded up themselves to the obedience of the Gospel. He preached the Gospel to the poor, to the bruised and broken, that is, such as were sensible of their sins, and their need of a Saviour, Luk. 4.18. And we Ministers have commission from the Lord to preach Peace to the children of men; we are Ministers of the Gospel of Peace; unto us is committed the Word of Reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5.19. Indeed we must sound the Trumpet of War from Heaven in the ears of secure sinners to awaken them; but we are to hang out the white flag, and to come with Olive branches of Peace from God to them that tremble at Gods Word, and are humble for their sins.
Sinners, are there any among you, whose hearts the Lord hath touched and bruised for sin, yea broken to shivers, and melted, and filled with grief and sorrow for a life of past-wickedness, that have not only legal terrours, but true Evangelical repentance: I have a word of Peace to deliver to such of you from the Lord. God is willing to be at Peace with you through his Son: There is an Advocate with the Father, who is ready to make up the breach which sin hath made between God and your souls; and God doth call you to lay hold on his strength, that you may make Peace with him, and he promiseth that you shall make peace with him, Isa. 27.5.
Thus concerning the word of Repentance and Peace which Peter tells Cornelius, and them which were with him.