Five Lessons for a Christian to Learn, Sermon 5

Five Lessons for a Christian to Learn · Sermon 5

p. 1THE RIGHT WAY to true Peace, &c.

JOHN, 16. 33.

Theſe things have I ſpoken, that in me you might have peace. In the world you ſhall have trouble: but be of good cheare, I have overcome the world.

THis (with the two former Chapters) contains Chriſts laſt Sermon to his Diſciples; having fore-told them of his death and paſſion, Ch. 13. they were troubled; upon that occaſion hee preacheth this Sermon, which in whole is a conſolation. They were troubled, and who could be leſſe, to part with ſuch a friend? They lived under the protection of his wings. Hee p. 2begins his Sermon with, Let not your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe alſo in mee. The whole Sermon, is partly an Exhortation, partly a conſolation; hee exhorts them chiefely to continuance in the faith, and to brotherly love; hee comforts them, partly againſt his death, partly againſt their owne death, and partly againſt that oppoſition which he knew would uſher in their death, and be intermediate betwixt his departure from them, and their following after. This is the ſum of his whole Sermon.

In this Chapter Chriſt chiefely doth foure things. 1. Hee foretelleth them what they ſhould meet with from the Jewes, viz. That they ſhould bee put out of the Synagogue, that they ſhould kill them, and think they did God good ſervice; and as he foretells, ſo he comforts them againſt this ill meaſure, from the 1 verſe, to the 15 verſe, 2. He foretells his owne death, and comforts them, in reſpect of his departure from them, from the 5 v. to the 20 v. 3. Hee foretells their flight and deſertion of him, yet before his death, p. 3and comforts himſelfe (as to that by the conſideration of his fathers preſence with him, which made him not to be alone, though in reſpect of creatures hee ſhould bee alone, v. 32. 4. Hee concludes the Sermon in this verſe which I have read to you, in which you may conſider theſe three things.

1. A Diſeaſe; In the world you ſhal have trouble; where note the ſubject of it you. 2. The diſeaſe it ſelfe, foreign Trouble, Tribulation. 3. The climate where it rageth, that is, foreign in the world. 4. The fate of it, it is inevitable to thoſe that live in that lower region; you ſhall have trouble. But as here's the diſeaſe, ſo here's,

2. A Remedy too. The Antidote ſtands near the Poyſon; there you may conſider, 1. What it is, Peace. 2. Where it is to be found, that is, foreign, ſaith Chriſt, in mee you ſhall have peace. 3. Quibus? for whom? it is you (ſaith Chriſt.) 4. The care Chriſt hath taken in providing it, foreign, Theſe things have I ſpoken, &c. And for feare of fainting, during the Phyſick, here is alſo,

p. 43. A Cordiall to refreſh, and uphold the ſpirits, during the fit; and there you may conſider, 1. The Phyſitian adminiſtring it, Chriſt. 2 The way of adminiſtration of it, by words, and words of command; Bee of good cheare. 3. The chiefe ingredient in the cordiall; I have overcome the world: Chriſt's victory over the world, that was it. Let me adde a few words now, for the explication of the words before I come to the Doctrine, foreign, Theſe things have I ſpoken to you; ſeeing your hearts dejected, and caſt downe, becauſe I told you I muſt goe away, I have taken paines now to preach this Sermon to you, wherein I have hinted to you many comfortable notes: I have now done; And the end that I have aimed at in all, is your peace, foreign, that you might have a quietment, and reſt of ſpirit in mee, in the midſt of all thoſe troubles, and cauſes of diſquietment, you will meet with in the world; for, foreign, In the world, while you have any thing to doe with it, any converſe in it, yea, p. 5any beeing in it. (You) who are my diſciples, whom I have called out of the world; you who are not of the world (you ſhall have trouble) trouble of all ſorts, inward, outward, corporall, ſpirituall (foreign) But be of good chear; Gather up your ſpirits; Take heart to you; nay more, bee confident; Bee bold, and courageous (foreign) I have overcome the world, all the oppoſition of it. I have taken out the ſting of every creſſe, the venome out of every arrow (I have overcome the world) and what I have done is for you, that's implied. If there bee any thing elſe needfull for the explication of the words, you ſhall have it in the explication of the Doctrine. In the words lie theſe Doctrines plaine.

1. In the world Chriſts Diſciples muſt look for trouble.

2. In their trouble they may have peace.

3. Chriſt hath taken care for their peace in the midſt of trouble.

4. Though the Diſciples of Chriſt meet with trouble in the world; yet they ought to be of good cheare.

p. 65. Chriſt's overcomming of the world is a ſufficient ground of good cheare, for the Saints, in the midſt of their earthly troubles.

I cannot runne through all theſe at large, I ſhall ſumme up the moſt of them in one propoſition of Doctrine, and handle that more fully. It is this,

Doct. That though in the world the true Diſciples of Chriſt muſt look for troubles, yet Jeſus Chriſt hath taken ſuch order, that in the midſt of their troubles, in him they may have peace. In the diſcourſing of this, for the more full orderly handling of it, I ſhall doe theſe things.

1. I ſhall ſhew you what is meant by THE WORLD, what that phraſe implies.

2. I ſhall ſhew you, what is meant by troubles, and what troubles the true diſciples of Chriſt muſt looke for in the world.

3. I ſhall ſhew you the grounds, and from what cauſes, Saints troubles in the world ariſe.

4. I ſhall ſhew you, what peace is, and what kind of peace this is, that in p. 7the Saints troubles, they may have in Chriſt; how it is in Chriſt, and how the Saint may draw it out of Chriſt for himſelfe.

5. I ſhall ſhew you, what order, what paines, Chriſt hath taken, for the Saints peace, in the midſt of earthly troubles.

6. Laſtly, I ſhall apply the Doctrine. Of all theſe I ſhall ſpeak briefely.

1. What is meant by the world? what doth our Saviour mean, by that phraſe, In the world? Shortly, the world, I conceive, is uſually made uſe of in Scripture, and to bee taken in Scripture-phraſe, in one of theſe three ſenſes.

Firſt, Sometimes, for the men of the world, and that either largely, for all of all ſorts, without any reſpect, as Joh. 18. 20. I have ſpoken openly to the world, to hearers of all ſorts; ſo the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom: 5. 12. By one man ſinne entred into the world, and death by ſinne; all were ſinners, and all muſt die. Or more Reſtrictively for ſome particular ſort or company of people in the world, and ſo it is uſed diverſly.

p. 81. Sometimes, for many of all ſorts, as Joh. 12. 19. The world is gone after him, that is, many of all ſorts are gone after him.

2. Sometimes, for the unregenerate onelyonly, in oppoſition to thoſe that are borne againe, not of fleſh and bloud, but of the ſpirit, called, and ſanctified, ſo Joh. 15. 18, 19. If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you, &c. It is put there in oppoſition to thoſe that were choſen out of the world, v. 19. ſo Joh. 16. 8. Chriſt ſaith, that the ſpirit ſhould reprove the world of ſinne.

3. Sometimes it is taken, for the Reprobates onelyonly, not at large, for thoſe that were uncalled, but yet might bee called; but for thoſe, that neither were already, nor yet ever ſhould be called; ſo Joh. 14. 17. it is ſaid, that the world cannot receive the ſpirit of truth, not, they had not yet received it, but they could not receive it.

4. Laſtly, It is ſometimes taken for the Elect, which live in the world, though they bee the leaſt conſiderable part of it, and the leaſt flock in it; ſo p. 9it is taken, 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelfe, not imputing their ſinnes. Surely, the Arminians and Univerſaliſts themſelves muſt grant, that their bold aſſertion▪ that the world, in Scripture, is no where taken for the world of the Elect, muſt faile, and be daſht in pieces upon that portion of Scripture, unleſſe they will hold univerſall Juſtification, and Salvation too, as well as univerſall Redemption. That's the firſt ſenſe, (World) is uſed in Scripture, For the men of the world.

Secondly, ſometimes it is uſed, for the things of the world, and that either

1. For the whole fabrick of the creation, Heaven, and Earth, and Sea, &c, So it is taken, Joh. 1. 10. The world was made by him, the Apoſtle expounds that place, Col. 1. 16. By him were all things created that are in Heaven and Earth, viſible and inviſible, &c. or

2. Sometimes it is taken, for the earth onelyonly, ſo ſaith Chriſt, Joh. 16. 28. I leave the world, that is, the earthly part of the world; for it followes, I goe to the father.

p. 103. Sometimes it is taken, for the vanities of this world, whether the luſt of the eyes, or the luſts of the fleſh, or the pride of life (according to Saint John's diſtribution of them) 1 Joh. 2. 16. whether ticklings of pleaſure, or pompe, and honour, and greatneſſe. In this ſenſe S. Paul uſeth it, Gal. 6. 14. when hee tels us, that the world is crucified to him, and he unto the world.

4. Sometimes, for the profit, and traffique of it, ſo you ſhall find it, 1 Cor. 7. 31. uſing the world as if you uſed it not; it is expounded before, where the Apoſtle adviſed, that thoſe that bought, ſhould bee as though they poſſeſſed not, v. 30. This is a ſecond ſenſe.

Thirdly, ſomtimes it is uſed, for our ſtate, and preſent condition of life, which is in the world, ſo 1 Cor. 7. 3. The Apoſtle tells us, that ſhee that is married careth for the things of this world, that is of this life; ſhee takes care how to live, and maintaine her family, &c.

You may in the Text and Doctrine, take it in all three ſenſes: The Saints

1. While they have to doe with the men of the world, in tradings, and converſings, p. 11while they have any thing to doe with them; or Secondly,

2. While they have any thing to do with the things of this world, the pleaſures or profits, the buſineſſes or tradings of it; with any thing of it.

3. Or finally, While they are in this preſent life, while they have a beeing on this ſide of Heaven, and live in a ſtate of life on this ſide of glory, be it what it will, yet if it be in this world, if there way be here they ſhall meet with rubs; In the world they ſhall have trouble: But what troubles? That's the next thing to bee enquired into. What are thoſe troubles which Saints muſt look to meet with in the world?

The word tranſlated Troubles, is 1. What troubles.foreign, it will helpe us to underſtand what troubles the Saints ſhall meet with, et in ſpecie, et in gradu, both in the kind and in the degree. For the Kind firſt, The word doth generally ſignifie all kinds of troubles, bee they upon our ſoules or bodies, in reſpect of our eſtaies or relations, Acts 14. 22. Wee muſt through much tribulation p. 12enter into the Kingdome of God; the word there uſed is the ſame, and it were eaſie to prove by an induction of particular inſtances, that the word comprehends all troubles of all ſorts. 1. It is taken for bodily ſorrow, and pangs, like the pangs of a woman in travaile, Joh. 16. 21. 2. For outward croſſes and afflictions that men meet with from others, and relate to their outward eſtate, and take away their proſperity and happineſſe, Acts 7. 10, 11. 3. For ſpirit-troubles and burthens, in that ſenſe the Apoſtle uſeth the word, 2 Cor. 2. 4. where hee tells them, that hee wrote to them in much affliction, and anguiſh of heart, &c. So then for the kind of them, it is plain, that they muſt meet with all ſorts of troubles, afflictions in their body, croſſes in their eſtates, relations, in all their outward enjoyments and contentments, Adverſity on all hands, yea, and they ſhall meet with anguiſh of heart too, ſpirit-burthens, and troubles, and vexations. Now if you enquire into the degree of them.

The word foreign will help you to p. 132. What degree.find out that too: Criticks tells us it comes either from foreign which ſignifies to teare and oppreſſe, and weare out; or from foreign which ſignifies to break. Saints muſt look for troubles on all hands, both without and within, from friends and foes, in bodies, and ſoules, and eſtates; and they ſhall not be light ones neither, but ſuch as ſhall even weigh downe their ſpirit, and weare out their ſtrength, and break their heart in pieces, breaking-troubles, and heart-rending, and oppreſſing-troubles; ſuch degrees of heavineſſe as ſhall make the heart to ſtoop, as the wiſe man ſpeaks; ſuch as ſhall make their hearts groane, and their backs break againe; ſuch troubles, ſuch afflictions are meant, ſo much the word imports. But may ſome ſay, whence ſhall this trouble, this affliction ariſe to the Saints? ſhall it come out of the duſt? from what root of cauſes ſhall theſe branches of bitter fruit ſpring forth? That is the third thing which I propounded, 3. What are the cauſes of the Saints trouble,and ſhall now ſpeak to.

I conceive, firſt and laſt they may ſpring from a three-fold cauſe; from p. 14God, from themſelves, and from the world.

1. Firſt of all the cauſe may lie in God; and it doth ſo originally and primarily, God may bee the cauſe of it. 1. In reſpect of his juſt ordination. God hath determined, that all that will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus ſhall ſuffer perſecution. 1 Tim. 3. 3.1 Tim 3:3The Apoſtle ſaith wee are appointed thereto, 1 Theſ. 3. 3. The Apoſtle layes our ſuffring here upon the will of God, 1 Pet. 3. 17. It is better if the will of God be ſo, that you ſhould ſuffer, and ſo againe, 1 Pet. 4. 19. Let them that ſuffer according to the will of God. Marlorate ſayes, Meminerimus nos ſub hac conditione eſſe Chriſtianos, &c. Wee may remember wee are Chriſtians upon this condition. He that will be my diſciple let him deny himſelfe, and take up the croſſe, and follow mee; No following of Chriſt without a croſſe on our back. Fruſtrà conamur Chriſtum a cruce disjungere, ſaith Mr. Calvin, It is a loſt labour to think to part Chriſt and the croſſe, they are nailed together. Me thinks it is worth the taking notice of, our croſſes and p. 15afflictions come to us from the ſame hand & the ſame cauſe that heaven, and glory, and happineſſe come. Chriſt ſaith, feare not little flock, it is your fathers will to give you a Kingdome. Wee hold that from Gods will, and he alſo ſaith, It is your fathers will to give you a croſſe; it is the will of God, that you ſhould ſuffer: ſurely then hee wills us the firſt as the end, the ſecond as the meanes; the firſt ultimately, the croſſe mediately. The cauſe may lie, yea; and doth lie, in Gods ordination.

2. It may lie nearer in Gods wiſe providence, hee ſees it beſt for his Saints, either to purge them, according to that, I will purely purge away thy droſſe, and take away thy trim, and that Iſ. 27. By this ſhall the Iniquitie of Jacob be purged, and all the fruit ſhall be to take away his ſinne; or elſe to trie them, I will melt them and trie them ſaith the Lord; ſo the Apoſtle ſaith, that their afflictions and temptations were, that the truth of their faith might appeare more precious than that of gold, which periſheth; or elſe 3. to weane them, them from the world, p. 16therefore are the bigs of it rubd with wormewood. Ideo (ſaith the father) Deus terrenis foelicitatibus amaritudinem miſcet, ut alia quaratur foelicitas, cujus dulcedo non eſt fallax. God therefore here puts gal into our ſweetneſſe, and imbittreth our happineſſe, that we might look after another happineſſe, whoſe ſweetneſſe is not deceitfull. Thus God is the cauſe of the Saints troubles, while they are in the world: But ſecondly,

2. Themſelves may be a great cauſe, yea, and are, 1. Through the infirmity of their natures, and that's the reaſon, I conceive, why outward croſſes, and trials, and afflictions are called our infirmities, as becauſe they doe infirmos reddere, make us weak, by 1 Cor. 12. 5.1 Cor 12:5bowing downe the ſoule, and drinking up the ſpirits, or enervating the body before they leave us: So alſo, becauſe through the weakneſſe of our natures, they are troubles to us. Saints have fleſh and bloud in them, and that is not able to beare ſuch a croſſe, ſuch a triall, the loſſe of ſuch a friend, of ſuch a neere and deare relation, but it muſt p. 17even break them in peeces, and oppreſſe them. This is through their weakneſſe. You know that the tenderneſſe of the skin, and body, will double every laſh; ſo the weakneſſe of our nature makes every croſſe a double trouble, and of a double weight to a Chriſtian, and ſo he is in a great meaſure, through the meer weakneſſe and inability of his nature, a cauſe of his owne trouble. Secondly, Wee may be, yea, and are the proximate cauſes of them, through the ſinfulneſſe of our ſoules; wee are here full of ſinne, and it is but righteous with God, to render trouble to them that trouble him; we preſſe God with our ſinnes, as a cart is preſt with ſheaves (it is his owne ſimilitude) no wonder if hee lades us with troubles, to the breaking of our hearts, when wee take ſuch liberty to break his lawes. I am not of their mind, that think Saints troubles come not upon them for their ſinnes: that they come not as law demands, for ſatisfaction. I grant, that they may come medicinally, or meerly for the exerciſe of faith, or patience, or ſome p. 18other graces, I alſo eaſily grant. Whether wee may call them puniſhments or no (though I ſee no ſolid reaſon againſt the affirmative in that nicety) I will not diſpute, but this is ſure enough, If the Saint were not a ſinner, hee ſhould not bee a ſufferer, neither in body, nor in ſpirit, nor in his eſtate, nor his relations. Death with all the appurtenances of it, death both in the egge and bird is ſinnes wages, ſinnes off-ſpring. Saints by their ſinnings, by their inconſtant and uneven walkings, are cauſes of their own ſufferings, cauſes of their owne miſeries.

A third head of cauſes for the Saints troubles, may be the world. And that

1. In reſpect of the incertainty of its comforts, 1 Joh. 2. 17. The world paſſeth away, and againe, 1 Cor. 7. 31. The faſhion of this world paſſeth away; Job complaines that his welfare paſt away as a cloud, Job 30. 15. Take what you will, of the world, it paſſeth away, our friends paſſe away; One generation goeth, and another commeth. Our proſperity paſſeth away; p. 19Job's ſunſhines had a cloud came over them. Riches take themſelves the wings of the morning and flie away: Now hence of courſe ariſeth trouble, when the heart of the creature is fixt upon a Relation, and the Generation paſſeth; the parent dies, the husband, wife, child, friend, or what ever the Relation be it is gone. Man goeth to his long home, the mourners (of courſe) goe about the ſtreets; the affection remaines, but the object being gone, the ſpirit is diſquieted, the heart diſſetled, &c. and ſo for other things. Trouble followes of courſe upon the flitting, and paſſing away of what the heart was let out after.

2. The world is alſo a cauſe of the Saints troubles, In reſpect of the ill nature of its inhabitants, the malice of them, Joh. 15. 19. Becauſe you are not of the world, but I have choſen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The world is very ſelfiſh in its love; it loves none but its own: If yee were of the world, the world would love its owne: The world cares for none, but thoſe that are it's owne; p. 20it hateth Chriſt, and all that claime kinred of him, all that are in relation to him, Joh. 15. 18. it hated Chriſt, before it hated the Saints; but hating him, it hateth thoſe that are fleſh of his fleſh, and bones of his bones, Eph. 5. 30. Thus you ſee various cauſes of the Saints troubles, and ſo I have diſpatched the third thing I promiſed you. The fourth followes.

What peace is that, that the Saint may have in Chriſt, in the midſt of this worlds troubles? how is it in Chriſt? and what paines hath Chriſt taken concerning it? and how may the Saint get this peace, and find it out in Chriſt, and draw it from Chriſt. To this I ſhall anſwer, and firſt, wee muſt enquire what peace is; Pax eſt concordia, Peace is an agreement, ſay ſome, tranquillitas ordinis, a quiet of order (ſaith Aquinas) foreign. Becauſe it drawes into an unity, unio cordium & rerum, an union of hearts and actions ſay others, tranquilla constitutio animorum ac rerum (ſay others) a quiet compoſure of differing ſpirits and actions; Mutuus conſenſus, ſay p. 21others, a mutuall conſent betwixt perſons. All amount to the ſame peace is a quiet compoſed frame of ſpirit amongſt divers parties. Now as there are many different parties in the world to agree, and many different caſes upon which agreements may bee; ſo there are different ſorts of peace. There is an outward peace, or an inward peace; a peace with men, and a peace with God; peace with men, may be either Politicall with Princes and ſubjects of different Kingdomes, or amongſt the ſubjects of the ſame Kingdome, or betwixt the head and members of the ſame body politick, or amongſt men of the ſame City and Corporation: contrary to forrain or civill warres and diſſentions. Or it may be domeſtick, which is an agreement betwixt Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Governours or Servants of the ſame family; or more private, betwixt party and party, call'd pax ſociorum, the friendſhip and agreement of friends and companions, &c. All theſe now are the worlds peaces, which Chriſt puts in oppoſition to his p. 22peace, Ioh. 14. 27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you. There is a peace that is properly called Chriſt's peace; It was Chriſt's legacy, hee left it by his laſt will and teſtament, to his Diſciples and Saints; hee diſtinguiguiſheth it from all other peace whatſoever. Now in generall this is the peace that the Saints may find in Chriſt, in the midſt of this worlds troubles; it is Chriſts peace. But more particularly, what is that? what peace is that that the world cannot give, that Chriſts peace?

This is that peace with God, which is nothing elſe than mutuus conſenſus Dei & hominis, an agreement betwixt God and man, the Creator and the creature; it may be conſidered in the root, and in the fruit, in the cauſe, and in the effect, in the originall, and in the coppy.

1. The originall is our Juſtification, in foro Dei, in Gods Court. A peace betwixt God and the ſoule, by vertue of an Act of Oblivion that the Lord hath paſſed in Heaven, concerning all p. 23the ſinners ſinnes; hee hath ſaid, I will remember your ſinnes no more, hee makes them as if they never had beene: now upon the paſſing this Act, there is an agreement concluded, betwixt God and the ſinner; the differing parties are one, the peace is made, and entered in the rolls of heaven. God looks upon the ſinner no more as his enemy, but as his ſonne, daughter, friend, in the neareſt relation to him. From hence ariſeth;

2. A piece of conſcience, which is nothing elſe, but the agreement of the ſinner within himſelfe. Conſcience that is Gods agent in the ſoule, proclaims no more warre, bids no more defiance; the man is at peace with himſelfe, hee dare ſay to himſelfe, conſcience is it peace? and his conſcience ſhall make him anſwer, it is peace. Now this peace is but the ſealing up of the other in the court of the mans own boſome; A coppy of the other taken out by faith, according to that, Rom. 5. 1. Beeing juſtified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; this is alſo Chriſt's peace. p. 24Now this peace with God, whether conſidered in the originall, or the tranſcript; it is a peace with the whole Trinity. The Father is he with whom it is made, the Sonne is he by whom it is made, the Spirit ſeales it, and becomes Nuntius pacis, the Meſſenger of that peace to the ſoule, being hee to whom it belongs of office to ſet the broad ſeale of the Court to every pardon, Eph. 1. 13. Eph. 4. 30. But why then is it called Chriſt's peace? I eaſily anſwer,

1. Becauſe hee is the meritorious cauſe of it, Eph. 2. 14, 15. hee is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene us; having aboliſhed in his fleſh the enmity, &c. v. 16. and that hee might reconcile both to God, in one body by the croſſe, having ſlaine the enmity thereby. And the ſpirit which conveyeth the newes of this peace to the ſoule, is ſometimes called his ſpirit; hee was hee that while hee lived upon tho earth came and preached peace to them that were afarre off, and to them that were nigh, Eph. 2. 17. and p. 25through him wee have an acceſſe, by one ſpirit, unto the father, verſ. 18. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelfe, not imputing their ſinne, 2 Cor. 5. 19. Wee that preach the Goſpell of peace to you, as though God did by us beſeech you, are Ambaſſadours for Chriſt, and as in Chriſt's ſtead, wee entreat you to be reconciled to God; therefore it is called his peace, and it is ſaid to bee laid up in him: and from this peace of juſtification, and peace of conſcience proceeds

A third peace, which is the peace of the members each with other (a peace which is too ſadly broken, and too little purſued in our dayes) 1 Joh. 1. 3. The Saints have fellowſhip one with another, and their fellowſhip is with the father, and the ſonne Jeſus Chriſt; and could they walk together except they were agreed? And thus I have now (though in a diſcourſe ſomething too large) ſhewed you what peace is, and what this peace is that is Chriſt's peace, and that is laid up in Chriſt for the Saints, and they may find it in him in the midſt of their earthly troubles. p. 26But yet more particularly, In what of Chriſt is this peace laid up for the Saints? 2. How ſhall they come by it in the day of trouble. To each of theſe give me leave to ſpeak a word or two.

To the firſt, In what of Chriſt is this peace laid up? I anſwer in three particulars.

1. It is laid up in the bloud of Chriſt, in his bitter death and paſſion, as the meritorious cauſe. This peace, Chriſtian, is written and ſealed with the bloud of the Lambe, the immaculate Lambe of God; this is cleare, in that place I before quoted, Eph. 2. 16. Hee reconciled us both unto God in one body by the croſſe, verſ. 13. you are made nigh by the bloud of Chriſt, his bloud was the bloud of expiation.

2. It is laid up in the word of Chriſt, in his precious promiſes. That is plaine from the very words of the Text: Theſe things have I ſpoken, that in mee you might have peace. David had peace many a time, out of a promiſe, the word of the Lord quickned, and comforted him; hee had once a trouble that had ſunk him, had he not p. 27found peace here; they are his owne words, Pſal. 119. I had periſhed in my affliction, if thy law had not beene my delight. The Goſpell is therefore call'd the Goſpell of peace, and the word of Chriſt, is as well the word of peace, as the word of truth: how many poore ſoules have found this true, by many precious experiences; they hove been in ſpirit-troubles, heavineſſe hath made their heart to ſtoop, till a good word hath come, and made it better.

3. It is in the ſpirit of Chriſt, who is the Nuntius pacis, hee that declares, and ſeales up the peace to the ſoule, and is the meſſenger of peace betwixt God and Chriſt, and the ſoule that truly believes in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and believing in him hath life. Thus it is in him. Now if you aske how the child of God may draw this peace from Chriſt, I anſwer theſe three wayes.

1. By Meditation of him; thus David, Pſal. 104. 34. my meditation of him ſhall be ſweet, the ſoule-feeding up… … of … …on p. 28the gracious acts of grace, in which the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath declared the yernings of his love to poor ſoules, ſhall rather peace a quietment, and eſtabliſhing of ſpirit in the midſt of all its troubles: when the poore Chriſtian is in the midſt of troubles, to ſit down and think, well, yet my ſinnes are pardoned, yet God and I are at agreement; this affliction, this croſſe comes not to me as a law demand, not as a piece of vindicative juſtice, but as a fatherly chaſtiſement; this ſhall adminiſter peace to his ſoule, his meditation of Chriſt ſhall be ſweet to his ſoule: That's one way to gaine it.

2. By a believing application, both of what Chriſt hath ſpake, and what he hath done. Faith is the hand that the ſoule reacheth out for peace, and by which the ſoule brings in peace to it ſelfe, Rom. 5. 1. Beeing juſtified by faith, wee have peace with God, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Thoſe that believe ſhall bee eſtabliſhed, and the more a ſoule believes, the more it is eſtabliſhed; it is from ſome unbeliefes or other, that any ſoule is diſquieted. p. 29Faith brings in peace, it is not the bare knowing of the promiſe, or the bare knowing of what Chriſt hath done, but the choſen with the promiſe, the choſen with Chriſt in what hee hath done and ſuffered, for the ſoule that brings in peace to the ſoule.

3. The ſoule gaines this place, by a cloſe walking with Ieſus Chriſt, a walking in the ſpirit, Iſ. 32. 17. The work of righteouſneſſe ſhall bee peace; marke the upright man, conſider the juſt man, the end of that man is peace; the wicked mans conſcience is continually throwing out myre and dirt. There is no peace to the wicked (ſaith our God.) Peace indeed is not the wages of a day well ſpent; not a naturall reſult and fruit of a ſtrict walking, but peace is the reward of righteouſneſſe, the reward not of debt, but of grace. The words of the Pſalmiſt hint thus much to us; To him that ordereth his converſation aright will I ſhew the ſalvation of God, Pſal. 50. 23. When a Chriſtian hath ordered his converſation aright, the ſalvation p. 30of God muſt be ſhewne him.

I have onelyonly one thing remaining, as to the doctrinall part of my diſcourſe: that is, to ſhew you what paines, what order Chriſt hath taken for his Saints peace in him, while in the world they meet with trouble. It may eaſily be gathered, from what I have already ſpoken, in ſhort, take it in theſe three words;

1. He hath died upon the croſſe, that he might doe it, Eph. 2. 14, 15, 16. It coſt him his bloud to work out our peace.

2. He hath given us many precious promiſes, many things hath he ſpoken, that in him through them wee might have peace.

3. He hath ſent his ſpirit, Ioh. 14. hee promiſed the ſending of his ſpirit, whom he there calls the comforter, in relation to the peace, that the ſpirit conveyes, and ſeales to the ſoules of his Saints. Thus much may ſerve briefly to have ſpoken to the doctrinall part, I proceed now to the application of what I have ſaid; I ſhall apply it variouſly. Firſt, by way of inſtruction.

p. 31Uſe. 1 Inſtr. Let us learne from hence, the nature of the world, and what to expect from it, from the men of it, from the Contentments of it, or while wee have any thing to doe in, and with it; one wittily ſayes, it is like the ſtraits of Magellane, where, which way ſoever a ſhip was bound, to be ſure the ſaylors found a wind againſt them. Br. 1 Truly, ſo it is with the world; let a man be bound for the coaſts of hell or heaven, if he ſailes through the world, he ſhall be ſure to find a wind againſt him: they that have moſt Contentments in it, that think they have the world at will, they ſhall find, that in the world, even they ſhall meet with trouble. Though they bee the world's owne, and ſo it doth not hate them, and the cauſe of their troubles lies not there; yet in reſpect of the very incertainties of all things in the world, the flitting condition of every thing under the Sunne, where there is nothing certaine, they ſhall meet with troubles. Sirs, you may look for all faire weather, but you will not find it; you may think you are above croſſes, when p. 32you are upon your mountaines of gold, and worldly greatneſſe. But (believe it) beſides the clouds of divine vengeance, which hang over your heads, and threaten you diſturbance hereafter, you will find that there will bee earthquakes here below, that will hinder your quiet ſitting. In the world all ſhall have trouble: But more properly,

Br. 2 From hence we may be inſtructed, What is the peace or lot of the Saints, while they live on this ſide their fathers houſe. Every one that lives in the world ſhall have his hand and heart full of trouble, but all that will live godly in Chriſt Ieſus, muſt look for it in a more eſpeciall manner. I told you before, that Chriſt and his croſſe cannot be parted; if you take him, you muſt have him with all the appurtanances, of which the croſſe is one; there is an emphaſie in the word you: In the world you ſhall have trouble, others ſhall have trouble, but you eſpecially; others may have, but you ſhall have. David was flattering himſelfe into another opinion, Pſal. 30. 6. In p. 33his proſperity hee ſaid hee ſhould never be moved, but he was quickly conſuted; the Lord hid his face, and hee was troubled. The man eat his owne words, and confuted himſelfe. Is there any before me, that hath undertaken the wayes of God upon another expectation, that hath forgot that he was made a Chriſtian upon this condition, that hee ſhould take up the croſſe and follow Chriſt? Chriſtians, you may ratifie your errour before experience confutes you in it; if you look for earthly peace, for immunity from troubles, it is more than Jeſus Chriſt ever leaſed out for life to his Saints: feed not your expectations high, for feare your quick experiences low them. Trouble is the lot of the Saints here, as ſure as heaven is their portion hereafter. But thirdly,

Br. 3 From hence we may be inſtructed, concerning the miſerable condition of thoſe poore wretches that are without Chriſt: They ſhall be ſure to meet with trouble, and for the way of peace they have not knowne it. Let me a little ſpeak to ſuch poore creatures; Is p. 34there any poore wretches before mee (and O Lord, that there were not many ſuch) that are yet, ſuch as the Apoſtle ſayes the Epheſians once were, Eph. 2. 12. that are without Chriſt, aliens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, ſtrangers to the Covenant of promiſe, having no hope, and without God in the world: Poor wretches, my ſoule trembles for you. Let me but propound to you, the ſame queſtion that the Prophet propounds, Iſ. 10. 3. What will you do in the day of viſitation, & in the day of deſolation which will come from far? to whom will you flee for helpe, and where will you leave your glory? you are now in proſperity and plenty; you have no diſturbances, no diſſettlements of ſpirit, but what will you doe in the day of your viſitation? If the Lord ſhould come but to keep court in your conſcience, to viſit there a little, for all your abuſed mercies, for all your originall and actuall ſinnes, for all your youth, and life ſinnes; if the Lord but comes and beats up your quarters, poore creatures, what will you doe in that day? whether will you flie for helpe? a wounded p. 35ſpirit who can beare? though none can beare it, yet Chriſt can heale it. Ah, but this Chriſt is none of your Chriſt, you never lookt upon him as your Prieſt, or your Prophet, or your King; poore wretches what will you doe? whether will you flie? Ah, that poore creatures ſhould ſo quietly ſleep over damnation as you doe; that you ſhould ſit at your tables of gluttony and drunkenneſſe, and eat, and drink, and riſe up to play ſo freely, when there's but an haires breadth betwixt your poore ſoules and everlaſting burning. The ſword of divine vengeance, that ſharpe two-edged ſword hangs over your head, every moment, and there is nothing but the twine thread of your life keeps it from dividing you and all your comforts; from (indeed) dividing you from all manner of hope and comfort, and peace, either from the Creator or Creature, and that for ever, (poore halfe-damned wretch) ſpell that word, and tell me how many ſyllables of time goe to the compounding of it. Good Lord, how it would poſe reaſon to find out the ground of p. 36any ſoules reſt, or peace (though but for an houre, without Chriſt) after what rate they dance about the take, that burnes with fire and brimſtone, and play about a neſt of adders, and a cockatrices denne. You that think your ſelves at ſuch good quarter with God, becauſe hee is not upon your neck every day: I will tell you what, you are like a Gentleman that rides out in a flaſhed ſuit of apparell; If the Sunne ſhines, hee is well enough, and gliſters bravely upon the road; but if the weather proves cold, or a ſhowre of raine comes, and hee hath never a coat to put on, nor ever an hedge to ſhelter himſelfe under, is he not waſhed for his bravery? what will he doe? may hee not chance to get a cold will (with his leave) beare him company to his grave? So long as the Sun ſhine of proſperity laſts, that your conſcience doth not flaſh in your face, and you meet with no croſſes in the world, you are well enough, and all the world well be fooles in your eyes, but eſpecially Puritanes. Ride on Gallants, but take heed of breaking your necks in p. 37hell; what will you doe in the day of the Lords viſitation, when the reckoning day comes? friends, what will you have to pay, when the ſhowre of divine vengeance comes? will your huffled ſuit of worldly vanities cloath you? will your ſack cheare your heart, when it is wounded with an arrow of divine vengeance, drawne by the ſtrength of an Almighty arme, and let flie at the very eye of your pleaſures? Nay, ſuppoſe on this ſide of ſuch a time you ſhould meet with a ſhowre of worldly croſſes, two or three, as Job (a better man than any of you) did Job 1. Suppoſe the Lord ſhould take away the delight of your eyes with a ſtroke, as from Ezechiel; your deare children, as from Eli and Aaron; your husband, as from Phinehas his wife; all your pleaſures, riches, comforts, al your caſtles of greatneſſe & riches. Suppoſe you ſhould be throwne into priſon, and have nothing given you, but the bread of affliction to eat, and the water of affliction to drink. What ſhall beare up your ſpirits in ſuch a day? what will you doe? ah, what can you doe in the p. 38day of the Lords viſitation? The conie (if it be ſtarted, and purſued, by a dog) it hath a burrow in the rock, thither it runnes and is ſafe: But the Hare, and ſuch like beaſts of ſport, that have no burrowes, no holes, if once they bee found out in their covert, and be purſued by dogges, they are wurried down; why? alas they have no places of ſecurity. The poore wretch that hath no part in Chriſt, if a day of trouble comes, he hath no place of ſecurity, but hee is like a poore manſlayer, purſued by the avenger of the blood, and either knowes not where a City of refuge was, or at beſt is at ſuch a diſtance from it, as hee could not poſſibly have hopes of reaching it, before the purſuer and avenger of bloud overtook him, and he died without mercy. Poor creatures, this is your condition, the Lord give you an heart to conſider it; you have no way of peace, that you will be able to find in a day of trouble.

Br. 4 Thirdly, from hence wee may bee inſtructed in the happy condition of all thoſe that have a true intereſt in the p. 39Lord Jeſus Chriſt; they are provided for Winter and Summer if in the world they meet with trouble, they may retire to Chriſt, and be at peace; if they be purſued by the dogges of the world, they have a burrow in the rocke of ages. What Iob ſayes of the grave, wee may ſay of that hiding place; There the wicked ceaſe from troubling, there the weary be at reſt; they can never be ſo toſt, never be in ſuch a deep of troubles, but they can caſt anchor in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; when the kitchin of the world is on fire, they have an upper-roome, that they can go ſit and ſleep in, and the heat ſhall never trouble them. No

—totus ſi fractus illabatur orbis,

Impavidum feriant ruinae.

They can but runne up the ſtaires, and ſit with Jeſus Chriſt, and they are at peace; they are at any time within a reach of peace, and may in any condition ſay to their ſoules as David, Pſal. 42. 11. Why art thou caſt down O my ſoule? why art thou diſquieted p. 40within mee; truſt ſtill in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. See a notable experiment of this in David, 1 Sam. 30. 6. It was a ſad day with him, his City was burnt with fire, and his and his mens wives, & his ſons and their daughters were taken captives, and to none of the kind'ſt enemies neither, the Amalekites had done it. David was greatly diſtreſſed v. 6. and to adde affliction to affliction, when hee was almoſt dead of griefe, the people were almoſt of the mind to have helpt him on to his grave, for they alſo ſpake of ſtoning him. What doth David doe? doth not his back breake with all this load upon it? doth not his heart ſink to the very bottome of diſpaire, with all this weight of lead hung upon it? marke the latter end of the ſixth verſ. But David encouraged himſelfe in the Lord his God, for all this hee encouraged himſelfe in his God. In the world he met with trouble, in his Chriſt hee finds peace. Thus may all that feare the Lord; why is there a diſturbed ſad heart amongſt them? Happy is the p. 41people that have the Lord for their God; Happy are thoſe creatures that have an hole in the rock. But to proceed.

Br. 5 Laſtly, from hence may all that fear the Lord be inſtructed, what is the onelyonly way to find true peace, in a day of trouble; it is to look for it only in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Acquaint thy ſelfe now with Chriſt, and be at peace, thereby ſhall good come unto you; fetch peace from Chriſt (O yee Saints) and be at peace, thereby ſhall good come unto you. There bee many courſes which men uſe to gain peace in a day of trouble, whether outward or inward; many wayes by which men wring their ſpirits out of trouble, and patch up peace to their owne ſpirits; but the right way of peace few have known.

1. Some let nature worke out peace, like ſome fooliſh countrey people, that conceive nature will work out all diſtemperatures, and they need no Phyſick. Some of them are confuted by their grave, others of them, that are of more ſtout iron natures, poſſibly recover p. 42their health, but their diſeaſes make a truce onelyonly, not a peace with their bodies; the latent cauſe remains, and watcheth its advantage of the next heat or cold the body takes, or the next intemperate ſeaſon comes. And thus many deale with their ſoules, never regarding when their ſpirits are troubled, to heale up the wound with the balme of Gilead, but go on in their worldly way, at laſt their wiled ſpirits are quiet againe, ſo they get their peace of courſe: but alas, the latent cauſe of their trouble watcheth but the next advantage, their ſoule feſters within, and within a while they are ready to hang themſelves againe.

2. Other wretches, in a time of trouble, are like thoſe, that upon that principle, Satanas per Sathanam expellitur, one Devill drives out another. If they be in an ague, or the like, will drinke hot-waters, or ſtore of ſack, to prevent their cold-fit, and out burn nature; but alas, all the good comes is, they fall into a burning-feaver, and perhaps burne their duſt to aſhes. So there are ſuch profane wretches, that if their p. 43conſcience alarum's them, if their ſpirit troubles them, or if they meet with croſſes, &c. think there is no way to wind out of the Devils fingers, but by going into his armes, and making themſelves twice more the children of the Devill than they were before: they muſt runne to the alehouſe, ſeek out drunken company, drink away melancholy, &c. But had Zimri peace that ſlew his maſter? is damning a ſoule the way to ſave it?

A third ſort diſpute themſelves out of troubles, & come out of diſquietments of ſpirit upon morall principles; theſe will argue the caſe with themſelves, what a ſhame it is, that they ſhould be … ſo much troubled for a loſt friend, or for a croſſe in a worldly eſtate, and conclude, this is below a man, or below their ſpirits: the peace of theſe men is but a logicall concluſion, upon falſe premiſes. All theſe have not known the way of true peace; no Chriſtians, no, the way of peace they have not knowne. True peace neither growes in the alehouſe garden, nor in natures garden, no nor yet in the Philoſophers p. 44neither. It is a branch that ſprings out of the root of Jeſſee, a concluſion upon goſpell-premiſes, an effect of the balme Gilead. Are you under any burthens of ſpirit, in any troubles, and would you have peace? runne up to Jeſus Chriſt, fetch it from his boſome, extract it out of his bloud, gather it out of his word. This, this is the peace which paſſeth all underſtanding, this is the laſting peace that hath no worme at the root, no defect, no rottenneſſe in it. All other peace will be as eaſily broke, as it is ſlightly made. Come out of your croſſes and troubles (Chriſtians) with a peace drawn from Jeſus Chriſt; come out this way, I ſay, otherwiſe you miſtake the way of peace. But I ſhall proceed no further in this firſt branch of application.

Uſ. 2 Secondly, Is this a truth, that whatſoever trouble a Saint meets with in the world, yet in Chriſt hee may have peace? what means this weeping then Chriſtians? why doth Rachel refuſe to be comforted? why doth Aſaph or Davids ſoule runne, and not ceaſe? why doth their ſoule refuſe comfort? p. 45what is the buſineſſe with Chriſtians, that their ſpirits are heavy night and day? and no oyle will make their face to ſhine? All the balme of Gilead will not cloſe their wounds? if the Lord doth but lay an outward croſſe upon them, if he doth but take away a friend, call in the money hee lent them, croſſe them in a relation, let their ſpirits but fall a little, how are they troubled, as if their fountaine of Peace were dried up, and juſtification and Goſpell-promiſes had loſt the Nature of a Cordiall? Chriſtians, doe not your ſad diſquieted troubled ſpirits deſerve chiding, when Chriſt hath taken ſuch paines, that in him you might have peace, and yet you walke under a croſſe, as if there were no way of peace diſcovered? For ſhame (Chriſtians) know your duty; are you troubled? you are by your trouble invited to Chriſt, that you might find peace; ſhew (for ſhame) ſhew that your condition is different from thoſe that have not taſted how good the Lord is, that know not how to improve Chriſt in a day of adverſity, and

p. 46Uſe. 3 Thirdly, you that are Chriſts Diſciples, bee of good cheare, It is Chriſt's owne application, foreign Get heart, be of good cheare, though in the world you meet with troubles: if you walk long with troubled ſpirits, it is your owne fault, for in Chriſt you may have peace: who will pity your ſtarving, when you refuſe your meat? you may have peace if you will take it; Lift up your heads therefore in the midſt of your worldly troubles; Be of good cheare, Chriſt hath overcome the world. Diſquieting your ſelfe is not your duty, believing is your duty, and will eaſe you, when that will but adde vexation unto your ſpirit. Are you under burthens of ſpirit? doe worldly croſſes trouble you? what then? theſe ſhould drive you to Chriſt, but not into the cave; go and pray, believe, &c. But what doeſt thou doe in the cave Eliah? Runne to Chriſt as faſt as thou wilt; but why ſitteſt thou ſtill to weep? bee of good comfort, there is no trouble upon thy ſpirit, bee it what it will. But Chriſt hath ſpoken ſome word or other, done ſome action or other, from p. 47whence thou mayeſt extract peace in that trouble.

Ah, but will a poore Chriſtian ſay, this is ſpoken to Chriſt's Diſciples; to them indeed Chriſt ſpeaks, in mee you ſhall have peace; but I am afraid I am none of that number, and then what have I to doe with peace. How may I know, whether I bee Chriſts diſciple yea or no? and ſecondly, I am afraid, if I ſhould make up peace, that it would not bee Chriſts peace. To ſpeak a litttle to theſe two things, Let me in the fourth place inſiſt a little upon an uſe of examination.

Uſe. 4 How then doth it ſtand you in hand, Chriſtians, to examine your hearts, concerning theſe two great things. 1. whether you bee Chriſt's Diſciples or no? 2. Whether the peace of your ſpirits, with which you content your ſelves, and in which you ſatsfie your ſelves, after trouble ſometimes, be a peace of Chriſts making, or of your owne making, and ſo falſe and uncomfortable. I ſhall ſpeak ſhortly to both theſe, &c. 1. Would you know whether you bee Chriſt's Diſciples yea or p. 48no? I will give you notes from his owne mouth, to informe you in that point.

1. Did your ſoules ever effectually heare and imbrace the word of Jeſus Chriſt? this is one note, Joh. 10. 27. My ſheep heare my voice; you have heard with your eares, but have you had eares to heare? have you heard with a poore and contrite ſpirit, ſo that you have trembled at it? Iſ. 66. 2. Hath the Lord bored your eares with the word? Hath the word of Chriſt beene tranſmitted, as from the preachers mouth to your eare, ſo from your eare to your ſoules? you have heard the Miniſters voice, but have you heard Chriſt's voice to your ſoules in an ordinance, that the word came not onelyonly to you in the letter, but in power and in the ſpirit of God? This is one ſigne, but not enough. Many are called.

2. Doe you continue in the word of Chriſt? this is a notable marke; marke that place, Joh. 8. 31. If you continue in my word, then are you my Diſciples indeed, not in name, not in profeſſion, not in the account of men onelyonly; no, p. 49but indeed, Diſciples to purpoſe; can your ſoules ſay, that you have made the word of God a light unto your feet, and a la… horne to your pathes; that you have ſet the law of the Lord ever before you; that as you have learned Chriſt, ſo you walk in him; you fall not back, but continue in the word of Chriſt? then are you Diſciples indeed.

3. If you beare much fruit, then are you Chriſt's Diſciples, Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my father glorified, that you beare much fruit, ſo ſhall you be my Diſciples: Doe you bring forth much fruit of holineſſe unto God, and righteouſneſſe before men? thus you glorifie the father, thus you ſhall evidence your ſelves to be Chriſt's diſciples, by growing in Grace, and thriving in Godlineſſe.

4. If you be humble, ſelfe-denying, ſelfe-hating, meek creatures: This is a ſigne that you have learn'd of Chriſt, for hee is meek and lowly, ſee Luk. 14. 26, 33. concerning this note Chriſt in plaine Engliſh ſaith, whoſoever hath it not cannot be his Diſciple; it is the p. 50firſt leſſon of Grace, Deny your ſelves. But are you humble, and ſelfe-denying ones, ſelfe-loathing, and abhorring creatures? doe you even loath your naturall ſelfe, and hate your righteous ſelfe, and forſake all your ſelfe, then are you Chriſts Diſciples? doth the ſpirit of Chriſt, which is the ſpirit of meekneſſe, dwell in you, and reſt upon you? then have you learnd of him.

5. If you beare the croſſe with that faith and patience which you ſhould bear it, then you may know you are Chriſt's Diſciples, Luk. 14. 27. without this you cannot be Chriſt's Diſciple; there is nothing ſhall more evidence a Chriſtian to himſelfe, and to others, to bee Chriſt's Diſciple, than his religious bearing of the croſſe, his religious carriage under trialls, and burthens of ſpirit; this is a great peece of the way in which Chriſt will be followed of all thoſe that are his Diſciples.

Laſtly, If you love one another, then you may know, and all men may know concerning you, that you are Chriſts Diſciples, Joh. 13. 35: By this ſhall all men know, that you are my Diſciples, if p. 51you love one another. Saint John in his Epiſtles beates much upon this, to love the Saints, meerly becauſe they are Saints, not for their good nature, or wit, or parts, or greatneſſe, or any reſpect, but impartially, becauſe they are Saints. It is a good note. By theſe things you ſhall know your ſelves, whether you be Chriſts Diſciples or no; if you be, you have a title to his peace.

And from what you have heard, that true peace for the ſoule, in the midſt of this worlds troubles, is only to be found in Chriſt, and onelyonly that which is drawne from Chriſt. Every Chriſtian hath ground to bring the peace of his ſpirit, the comming of his ſpirit after trouble to the touchſtone, that he may be able to know, whether it be Chriſts peace or his owne: I ſhall give you five or ſix notes for that.

1. If it be drawne from ſome word of God, it is true peace. Thy ſoule hath been troubled, thy ſpirit hath been burthened, now it is quieted. I pray, how came your ſpirit off trouble? what was it that helpt thy ſpirit out of the p. 52miry clay? what, didſt thou cloſe with ſome Goſpell-promiſes? didſt thou boſome a promiſe, and was that peace to thee? this is Chriſts peace, ſuch a peace was Davids, Pſal. 119. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened mee, ſo v. 81. My ſoule fainteth for thy ſalvation, but I hope in thy word, ſo v. 114. Thou art my hiding place, and my ſhield, I hope in thy word, ſo v. 147. Davids peace was drawne from the word of God, from what God had ſpoken in reference to him in particular, or at leaſt in generall, to one in ſuch a condition, Jer. 15. 16. Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto mee, the joy, and rejoycing of my heart. Many a poore ſoule before me (I doubt not) but hath known this way of getting peace, when his ſpirit hath beene full of trouble, that he hath not known what to doe, perhaps hath not been able to eat, or drink, or ſleep, through anguiſh of heart; perhaps a Miniſter hath been made the ſweet meſſenger of peace to the ſoule, and God hath uſed him as an inſtrument to p. 53mind the ſoule of ſome promiſe or other, which at ſuch a time hath come into the ſoule as water to the thirſty ground, and hath been even as an apple of gold in a picture of ſilver; perhaps the ſpirit of God according to that promiſe, Joh. 14. 26. Brings to remembrance ſomething that Chriſt hath ſpoken, ſome generall promiſe, or ſome particular promiſe which proves as the balme of Gilead to the ſoule, to heale its wounds; This is a Goſpell-peace, a ſweetly made peace, a peace of Chriſts making in the ſoule, according to the text.

2. If thy peace ariſeth from a due conſideration and application of ſome thing in the nature of God, as hee hath revealed his nature to us; whether it be from Gods will, or 2. from the meditation of Gods mercy and goodneſſe, or 3. from a meditation of Gods faithfulneſſe: the conſideration of many things in Gods nature may command peace in a ſoule, but eſpecially theſe three are fountaines out of which the Saint drawes peace. The conſideration of the ſtroke that Gods will had in p. 54Davids affliction brought him peace, Pſal. 39. 9. I was dumbe, I opened not my mouth, becauſe I knew it was thy doing: hence was Elie's peace, 1 Sam. 3. 18. when his eares (amongſt the reſt) could not but tingle at Samuels news, hee ſaid, It is the Lord, let him doe what ſeemeth him good. Hence was Hezekiah's peace, when he could not but bee troubled to heare what ſhould become of his ſons and daughters, 2 Kin. 20. 17, 18. yet hee had peace, v. 19. he ſaid, good is the word of the Lord which thou haſt ſpoken. Hence was thoſe good peoples peace, Acts 21. 13, 14. They were troubled at Pauls departure, conſidering what Agabus had propheſied concerning him, v. 11. At laſt they quieted themſelves, and their minds ſtood upon this bottom, v. 14. They ſaid, The will of the Lord be done: now if thy peace be concluded upon this account, the Lord hath ſent a grievous croſſe, a grievous affliction upon thee, and thou wert troubled, but thou beganneſt to think, why this was the will of the Lord concerning mee: this is the p. 55Lords doing, and upon the due meditation of this, thy ſpirit growes quiet, out of a meere ſubmiſſion, and obedience to Gods diſpenſation; This is true peace, it was the Saints peace,

2. Or perhaps it is, from a due meditation of the Lords mercy and goodneſſe; thou haſt a croſſe and triall befallen thee, but thou beginneſt to think, well, yet the Lord is good to my ſoule, yet the mercy of the Lord indureth for ever, and upon this conſideration thy ſoule hath peace: this is true peace, upon this account was the Churches peace, Lam. 3. 21. This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lords mercies that wee are not conſumed, becauſe his compaſſions faile not; they are new every morning, &c. v. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait upon him, even to the ſoule that ſeeketh him, &c. Hence ſhee concludes peace in ſad troubles.

3. Or is it from a conſideration of the nature of God in his faithfulneſſe? Lam. 3. 23. Great is thy faithfulneſſe. Thou ſitteſt down with thy ſelfe, and conſidereſt, why am I troubled? the p. 56Lord hath promiſed that joy ſhall be to the upright of heart, and that light ſhall ariſe out of darkneſſe to the upright; and that though ſorrow be for a night, yet joy ſhall come in the morning. This God is a faithfull God, hee hath ſaid it, and ſhall hee not doe it? hee hath ſpoke it, and ſhall hee not bring it to paſſe? and upon ſuch like conſiderations thy ſpirit begins to bee compoſed, and to returne to its reſt. This is likewiſe a goſpell-peace, a true made, right bred peace. This was likewiſe ſomething, which the Church cald to mind, from whence ſhee had peace, Lam. 3. 31, 32, 33. The Lord will not caſt off for ever; though he cauſe griefe, yet wil hee have compaſſion, &c. Shee lived upon the reverſions of his love, by vertue of his faithfulneſſe, that ſtood bound for the fulfilling it. In ſhort, bee it from theſe particulars, or any of the like nature, if thy peace be hatched up in thy ſoule, from a due conſideration, and application of the nature of God, as hee hath revealed himſelfe in his word, it is a true Goſpell peace, a peace of Chriſts making in thy ſoul.

p. 573. If the peace that ariſeth in thy ſoule, ariſeth from a due meditation, and a believing application of any thing that Chriſt hath done or ſuffred for thee, it is a true peace; if it ariſe from a meditation of Chriſt dying for thee, and waſhing thee with his bloud, from Gods accepting thy ſoule in Chriſt; this is true peace. As ſuppoſe that thou art under ſome heavy burthen of ſpirit, in reſpect of ſome outward croſſes and trialls, and now thou ſitt'ſt down and thinkeſt, well, yet my ſinnes are pardoned, yet my ſoule is waſhed with the bloud of ſprinkling, yet the Lord hath accepted mee in his well-beloved, why ſhould I bee troubled? this is a bleſſed peace, Eccleſ. 9. 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy work. The Lord commands us to be at peace, if we be at peace upon this account. Rejoyce (ſaith Chriſt) that your names are written in the book of life. Or if thy ſoule be troubled under the ſenſe of thy ſinnes, and thou knoweſt not what to doe; at laſt thou reſolveſt to caſt thy ſelfe upon a promiſe p. 58to venture in upon Chriſt, ſaying, If I periſh, I periſh; and hence thou haſt peace; this is a true Goſpell-peace of ſpirit. In ſhort, if it be upon the conſideration, and application to thy ſelfe, of any thing Chriſt hath done; it is true peace. Suppoſe thou haſt ſome grievous affliction befallen thee, thou art afflicted in thy body, or in thy eſtate, or in thy relations, and this is a ſad trouble to thee, but now thou ſitteſt downe, and thinkeſt with thy ſelfe, why ſhould I bee thus troubled? hath not Chriſt taken out the ſting of this croſſe? hath it any poyſon in it? is it not a meere fatherly chaſtiſement? hath not Chriſt overcome the world? and upon the due conſideration of theſe things, and believing application of ſuch meditations, thou findeſt a quiet ſecretly ſteale upon thy ſoule, and thy ſpirit is becalmed; this is a ſweet peace, a peace of Chriſt's concluding in thy ſoule; this is according to Chriſt's rule, Bee of good cheare, I have overcome the world.

A fourth note, by which thou mayeſt judge thy peace, is this, If it bee a p. 59peace concluded upon thy former experiences, then is it a true peace; ſuch was Davids peace, Pſal. 119. 52. I remembred thy judgements of old, O Lord, and I comforted my ſelfe. David many a time made peace with his ſpirit this way, looking over the old records of mercies, and concluding confidently from the paſt or preſent mercy to the future, Pſal. 116. 7. Returne to thy reſt, O my ſoule, for God hath dealt graciouſly with thee. If upon this account thou commandeſt thy ſoule to reſt, becauſe the Lord hath dealt graciouſly with thee, it is a ſigne the peace of thy ſpirit is right made. The Pſalmiſt (whoſoever hee was, whether Aſaph, or David, that compoſed that 77 Pſal.) when hee could find peace no way, he took this courſe, he went and look't over the old records for it, Pſal. 77. 11, 12. It may be thou art under heavy burthens, in reſpect of manifold corruptions, or manifold temptations, or in reſpect of ſome croſſes and afflictions that are befallen to thee in this world, or thou haſt been troubled for ſome ſuch thing, p. 60and nothing would comfort thee; But at laſt it came in thy mind, the Lord hath delivered mee in many a ſtrait, I have ſeen mercy in many a judgement, I have felt his upholding power many a time, when I was even ſinking, and ſaying, my hope is cut off from before the Lord, why ſhould I diſtruſt him now? why ſhould not that God that hath delivered me in ſix troubles keep mee in the ſeventh alſo, that it ſhould not hurt me? well, I will truſt in him, &c. This peace now is a true peace, this is a peace of Chriſts making in the ſoul.

Fiftly, If faith be a commiſſioner on thy ſoules part in making thy peace, thou mayeſt then know it is a true peace. Such was Davids peace, Pſal. 27. 13. I had fainted unleſſe I had believed to ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in the land of the living: his believing kept him from faintings, and ſettled his ſoule. How is thy peace handed to thy ſoule (Chriſtian?) is it handed by faith? is faith the Dove that thou ſendeſt out of the Arke of thy ſoule, when the waters of trouble are high? and doth that returne with the olive branch in her p. 61mouth? Open the windowes of thy ſoule, and let it in; never doubt but it is an olive branch of peace. Is it a believing, a truſting in the Lords providence, or promiſe? a believing, a cloſing with God, that works out thy peace? feare not thy peace, feare not any newes for not being good if faith brings it to thy ſoule; faith ſeeth God ſealing before it ſeales to thee. Let that be a fifth note of triall, I will adde but a

Sixth, Laſtly, Peace after prayer is ordinarily true peace; It is not earned by prayer, but it is uſually a fruit that groweth upon that root, and if thine be ſuch, rejoyce in it. Such was Hannah's peace, 1 Sam. 1. 15. 18. Hannah was a woman, as ſhee reports her ſelfe of a troubled ſpirit, ſhee goes and powres out her ſoule before the Lord, and the words ſay, her countenance was no more ſad; no, ſhee had peace; her prayer was anſwered, ſhee had true peace. Indeed any temple-peace is true peace, any peace that the ſoule truly extracts out of ordinances is true peace. David when he was ſo p. 62unreaſonably troubled with that temptation [Pſal. 73.] of the wickeds proſperity, at laſt hee goes into the Sanctuary, there his ſoule was ſtayed, Pſal. 73. 17. Wouldſt thou know then whether thy peace be true or no? whether it be Christs peace yea or no? ſuch a peace as thy ſoule may truſt yea or no, and not in thy peace have great bitterneſſe? examine thy peace whence it came, examine thy ſelfe how thou cameſt by it; didſt thou in trouble go and powre out thy ſoule before the Lord, and crie mightily to him, wreſtle with him? &c. Didſt thou wait upon God in the Sanctuary, and from hence did peace flow in like a river to thy ſoule? I ſay, that peace is a true peace, Chriſts peace, in which thy ſoule may rejoyce, and triumph. But I ſhall adde no more to this uſe of examination, I have but one more to adde, and that is of exhortation.

Uſe. 5 Chriſtians, you have all heard mee largely diſcuſſing this doctrine in its ſeverall branches, That in the world Saints muſt looke for trouble, but in Christ they may have peace; the beſt p. 63peace, peace without bitterneſſe, joy without ſorrow. 1. Let me plead with you that yet are ſtrangers to the Lord Jeſus, yet unbelievers. Poore creatures, O that this might perſwade you to look after an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt (who is our peace.) Indeed you make to your ſelves peace, none live ſo joyfully, and ſpend their dayes ſo in wealth as you; there are none ſing requiem's to their ſoules like you: But conſider,

1. Your peace is a falſe peace, you have cried unto your ſoules, Peace, peace, when indeed their hath been no true peace to you. There is no peace to the wicked (ſaith my God) no true peace: It may be when you heare the words of the Lords curſe you will bleſſe your ſelves in your hearts, ſaying, wee ſhall have peace, though we walke in the imagination of our hearts, to add drunkenneſſe to thirſt; but is there any ſuch preſumptuous wretch that ſaith ſo in his heart? Harke what the Lord ſaith, The Lord will not ſpare him, but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealouſie ſhall ſmoak againſt that man, and all the p. 64curſes that are written in the book of God ſhall light upon his head, and the Lord ſhall blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord ſhall ſeparate that man to evill, &c. Deut. 29. 19, 20, &c. It is true, you have a peace ſometimes under trouble, but a curſed peace (the Lord knowes) a dreadfull peace, indeed no peace, for there is no peace to the wicked (ſaith my God.) Nay, not only ſo,

2. The very ſhadow of your peace is an inconſtant ſhadow, and will faile you ſhortly: If you be put to it, you will not know what to doe. What will you doe in the day of your viſitation? whether will you flie for helpe? but to this I ſpake before. O now that you would be wiſe; it is the wiſe man's part to ſee things a farre off, and provide for them, prudens quaſi providens, or procul videns, but your trouble is not farre off, and you have no way of peace, for Chriſt is not knowne to your ſoules: the way of peace you have not knowne. When all your contentments are gone in the creature, where will you have peace? Now the Devill, the world, p. 65many ſay unto you, as Jael to Siſera, turne in hither, feare not; turne in to us, feare not; and it may bee, in a time of proſperity, they may cover your conſcience with a mantle of ſecurity, and give you a bottle of milke; but if once you bee in the midſt of a ſleep of ſecurity, they will take an hammer in their hand, and come ſoftly to you, and ſmite a naile into you temples, and faſten it into the ground. What will you doe when you find trouble? Poor creatures, my ſoule trembleth for you, O that you would conſider. But behold, Chriſt ſaith to you (and there is no deceit in his words) Sinners, turne in to mee, and feare not, in me you ſhall have peace; while the day laſts, before the decree goeth forth, and the day paſſeth away as the chaffe; before terrour ſtrikes into your ſoule, and ſeizeth upon you like an armed man. O that you would be wiſe, that you would look out for a portion in Chriſt, that you would make him your friend; that when your ſinfull peace failes, and your naturall ſhadowy peace failes, Chriſt may receive you into everlaſting peace, p. 66and you may reſt in his boſome. Turne in to him (ſinners) and you need not feare, hee ſhall be your peace. But ſecondly, Let me ſpeak to you that are believers, to you that have known the way of Peace, true Peace, which flowes to your ſoul from Jeſus Chriſt; Let mee preſſe 3 words upon you.

Br. 1 Bee not diſquieted with worldly trouble, Chriſt is your peace, in him you may have peace, it was his legacy to you: O let not your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe alſo in Jeſus Chriſt: Know you not that he is your Peace? why are you caſt downe? why are your ſoules diſquieted within you? if you meet with frownes from the world, croſſes in your worldly intereſts, yet why are you troubled? In Chriſt you may have Peace. To this end conſider,

1. That Chriſt hath overcome the world, hee hath qualified the Mercury and Quickeſilver of it, and made that which was in it ſelfe poyſon, no more then Medicinall; hee hath overcome the world, hee hath taken the ſting out of every croſſe, the poyſon of every p. 67affliction. The world is crucified to you, O be you alſo crucified to it; bee of good cheare (O you Saints) for Chriſt hath overcome the world.

2. Doe but conſider what a loſer Chriſt is by your troubles. If you be diſquieted, if you be troubled, as other men, you make Chriſt a loſer by you, a great loſer. 1. Hee is a loſer in his bloud, in the end of his death; he died upon the croſſe, that hee might bleed out balme of Gilead for you, that hee might bleed out peace for his Saints under every trouble. 2. You make him a loſer in his breath: To what purpoſe are the multitudes of his precious promiſes, but that by theſe things ſhould men live, and in theſe the Saints might find peace? ſo David, Pſal. 56. 4. What time I am afraid I will truſt in thy word; heark what hee ſayes in the Text, Theſe things have I ſpoken, that in me you might have peace. To what purpoſe hath Chriſt held out his Goſpell promiſes, his good words, but that they ſhould make the hearts of his Saints better, when heavineſſe makes them ſtoop? 3. As to you, you make p. 68him a loſer in his victory; to what purpoſe hath hee taken paines to conquer the world for you, if you muſt yet bee ſlaves to it, and every croſſe and triall, every frowne and ill-look from the world, muſt bring you into a diſtemperature? Lift up your heads therefore (Chriſtians) leſt Jeſus Chriſt bee a loſer by your ſoules: Bee of good cheare, know, and believe, that Chriſt hath indeed (and that for you too) overcome the world.

Br. 2 Secondly, This Doctrine calls upon you that are believers, to live much with Jeſus Chriſt, gaine more and more acquaintance with him, with his word, with his ſpirit, heighten your communion with him. Thus ſhall you know every hiding place, and bee acquainted with every hole of the Rock. This is that that makes many a poore much at loſſe oft-times. It is a truth, that there is peace laid up in Jeſus Chriſt, for a poore ſoule in every trouble, under every croſſe; whence is it then, that their ſpirits are ſometimes ſo much down ſo much ſunk? whence is it, that aſſoone as ever a Saint is p. 69troubled, he doth not preſently (without any more adoe) runne to Chriſt, and ſecure himſelfe, and be at reſt? but wee heare day after day, that the Spirit of the Saint is under the ſame burthens, overwhelmed in the ſame manner, as if there were no balme in Gilead, no Phyſician there. Truly there may bee many cauſes, poſſibly there may be a ſullenneſſe in the ſoule, that it will not out of the cave; it is angry with God, and will refuſe comfort. Poſſibly God may pleaſe to deny a preſent application of a comfort, by the hand of the ſpirit, which can alone make a plaſter ſtick upon a wounded ſpirit (bee it never ſo well made and ſpread) But I perſwade my ſelfe two great and very uſuall cauſes, yea, moſt uſuall, are Ignorance and negligence. Either the ſoule is a ſtranger to the Rock, or elſe it doth not put forth its legges in running to it.

1. A Chriſtian may have a great intereſt in Chriſt, a great portion in the rock of ages, and yet be in a great manner ignorant of him; and this partiall ignorance, though it ſhall not hinder p. 70their finall ſalvation, for our high-prieſt hath compaſſion on the ignorant (ſaith the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes) yet it may hinder their preſent comfort. It may be the ſoule is not ſo acquainted with the word of God, that when it is in trouble, it can turne to a promiſe preſently, that ſhall relate to its condition; it may be it may not bee ſo acquainted with all the corners of Chriſts gracious heart, that it can preſently conſider Chriſt in a ſutable notion to comfort it under its preſent burthen. Now this very ignorance, and not being acquainted with Jeſus Chriſt, may a great deale hinder the ſoules comfort, and make him go with a ſad heart, a great deale longer than that ſoule that is more growne in the knowledge of Chriſt, more acquainted with every piece of his nature, more experienced in his wayes.

Indeed ſecondly, a great cauſe may be the ſoules negligence, a knowledge, may lie dormant in the ſoule; a man may have legges and not uſe them; ſo a Chriſtian may have a ſufficient acquaintance with Chriſt in his words of p. 71promiſe, and wayes of mercy, and yet for all this, if it will ſit ſtill in an houre of trouble, and never ſet it ſelfe to meditate upon theſe things, never put forth it ſelfe to trie if it can cloſe with the promiſe that it knowes, never trie whether its faith will efficaciouſly worke upon the mercifull nature of Jeſus Chriſt, though it knowes it, A ſoule may walk troubled long enough; (but this I have nothing to doe with here.) Chriſtians, ah, you that feare the Lord in the dayes of your peace, be every day gaining more and more knowledge of God in his wayes of mercy; be every day gaining more and more knowledge of God in his precious promiſes; learne to know every hole of the rock, that ſo you may readily flie to it in an houre of ſtraits, readily run to it in an houre of trouble. That your ſpirits may no ſooner be troubled, but you ſhall (being ſo acquainted with the book of God) preſently turne to a good word of promiſe that ſhall make it better, or preſently fix your eye upon Chriſt, and conſider him in ſome ſutable notion of love or other, from p. 72which your ſoules ſhall gather peace. This ſhall be your wiſdome.

Br. 3 Laſtly, you that are believers, have you heard, that there is peace laid up for the Saints againſt the dayes of trouble? Then learne (if ever you meet with trouble in the world) whether outward or inward: Not only to look after peace, and a quietment, and ſettling of your ſpirits againe, but look to draw your peace from the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in the day of trouble, to quiet your ſpirits in him, and to heale your ſpirits with ſomething drawne from him, ſome word of his, ſome meditation concerning him, &c. Fetch out your peace and quietment, in all troubles, from the boſome of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Let mee for this exhortation onelyonly give you ſome few directions, and then I ſhall conclude with two or three motives. I know every child of God is liſtning after this, and apprehends a great deale of ſweetneſſe in this, fully conceiving, that it would be a very ſweet thing, if he could bring this about, that his ſoule ſhould come out of every diſturbance, Walking p. 73upon Chriſts hand, you cannot but ſay, this would be a ſweet comming off, indeed. Ah, but (will ſome ſay) how ſhould this bee? what courſe ſhould we take to worke this about? what would you adviſe a poore creature to doe, that it might come out of troubles on this faſhion? To this I ſhall anſwer in a few directions, and that briefely.

Dir. 1 Firſt, Let it be thy firſt work, when thou art overwhelmed with a rrouble (be it from what cauſe it will) to ſit downe and think, what is now a bitter diſpenſation that doth not pleaſe mee. I am troubled at it, but let me think, is there nothing of God in this diſpenſation? commeth this affliction out of the duſt? ſee if thou canſt ſee nothing of Gods power or ſoveraignty, wiſdome or juſtice, providence, love and goodneſſe, &c. I dare ſay there is ſcarce any affliction befals thee, but if thou ſtudieſt it well, thou wilt ſee all of theſe; yea, more of God than theſe come to in it, thou wilt be brought at laſt to conclude, ſurely God was in this croſſe, in this loſſe of a friend,, in this p. 74loſſe of eſtate, and I was not aware of it; ſurely it is the will of the Lord concerning me, and ſhall I not ſubmit? God might doe what he hath done, he is my Lord and ſoveraigne, why then doth my ſpirit riſe up in armes againſt him? this is the ordering of a wiſe Providence: If what I would have had had come to paſſe, then ſurely I could not have mended it, it would have been worſe for me; ſurely here is love in this diſpenſation, for that God is all love that meaſured it out to mee. Thus by underſtanding, what of God there is in thy triall, thou wilt gaine a true peace. The truth is, it is the uſuall courſe of men and women, holy men and women (as well as others) if a trouble come upon them, to ſit downe, and conceit what of man there is in it, and ſay, This was ſuch a ones malice to mee, now hee hath done me an ill turne, &c. whereas this (inſtead of bringing the ſoule off trouble in a ſanctified manner) doth nothing elſe but involve the ſoule in an inextricable Labyrinth of afflictions; and if ever it comes out, it is at the back-doore too.

p. 75Dir. 2 When thou haſt conſidered, what there is of God in it, then mediate a little, what there is in God to mend it. Sit downe, and think with thy ſelfe, is ther not love enough of God remaining, to ſweeten this ſoure potion, to make pleaſant this bitter diſpenſation? will not Chriſt's dying for my ſinnes, and waſhing me with his bloud, make me amends for Gods preſent bitter dealing with mee? is there not faithfulneſſe in that God, who hath ſaid, Hee will never leave, nor forſake his people? who hath ſaid, joy ſhall come in the morning, and that light is ſowne for the upright in heart. But thirdly,

Dir. 3 Sit downe and meditate in thy hour of trouble, what particular promiſes the Lord hath made out to his Saints under ſuch troubles, that ſo thy ſoule may cloſe with them, and thou mayeſt be ſtill'd with a good word from God; ſome of you know what it is, ſo to bee ſtill'd, to have a diſturbed ſpirit quieted, by the ſeaſonable comming in of a Goſpell promiſe in an houre of ſtraits: oh! how ſweet is that peace ſay now to your ſelves, The Lord hath here p. 76brought an houre of trouble upon me, hath he no where made out a word of promiſe to ſuit my condition? I dare ſay it, there is no condition, no ſad, dark condition, that a poore Chriſtian can be in, (but ſomewhere or other) the Lord in his word hath ſuited the ſoule in that condition with a ſpeciall promiſe; find it out Chriſtian, it is the bladder, that under the arme-holes of the ſoule, muſt keep the ſoule from ſinking in the deep waters of afflictions. Peace made by Gods good words (you heard before) is a true peace, a peace of Jeſus Chriſt's making in the ſoule.

Dir. 4 Sit downe in thy day of trouble, and weigh Gods mercies againſt his frowns, then thou ſhalt find, that the beame of thy ſoule will ſtand even, nay, it will leane to the ſcales, where his mercies are; ſit down, and think with thy ſelf, here's a bitter triall, a bitter affliction; but have I no mercies to countervaile them? The Lord hath taken away one of my children, but hath hee not left me my fruitfull vine yet? hee hath nipt off one of my olive branches, but hath he not left me many remaining p. 77about my table? he hath left mee my husband, my wife yet: It may be he hath taken away part of thy eſtate, but hath he not left thee food convenient for thee? If not, hath he not left thee an eſtate in Chriſts love yet? a ſure eſtate in Grace, and a richer reverſion in glory? It may be hee hath hid his face from thee, for a moment, for a little moment; but hath he not given thee everlaſting mercies? Think of this, Chriſtian, and doe thus, and thou wilt find thy ſpirit will begin to bee rightly quieted.

Dir. 5 Study in the day of trouble, how far Chriſt hath overcome the world; the frownes of the world as well as any thing elſe; and is not his victory thine (Chriſtian?) ſit downe and think, well, here's a bitter croſſe, a ſad diſpenſation, but my Saviour hath pull'd out the ſting of it, it comes not upon mee as a law demand. O croſſe where's thy ſting? O hell where's thy victory? this comes not upon mee as it would have come upon another, as it would have come upon a Reprobate, Iſ. 27. 7. Hath he ſmitten them, as hee ſmote p. 78thoſe that ſmote them? the gall and vinegar is taken out of the cup; Chriſt had that when he hung upon the croſſe for mee; this will helpe ſomething to calme thy ſpirit, to think it is a fathers rod, not a ſword of an enemy.

Dir. 6 Conſider the dayes of old, thus I told you before David did, Pſal. 119. 52. and the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 77. ſit downe and think how God hath dealt bitterly with thee, but did he never deale kindly with thee? hadſt thou never the ſhinings of his countenance. Think how graciouſly God hath formerly dealt with thee; and ſee what that will doe towards thy peace.

Dir. 7 Let reaſon ſleep, and ſet faith on work, I told you before, that in a day of trouble peace may bee brought to the ſpirit as a concluſion from reaſon. I cannot helpe it, and it is a fooliſh thing in me, to feare what I cannot avoid; I cannot alter this diſpenſation, why ſhould it trouble me? &c. Let Tully or Cato work out their peace upon this account, let heathens (that know not faith's nature or objects) quiet themſelves upon ſuch conſiderations, Chriſtian; p. 79In the day of trouble, if thou wouldſt have peace let reaſon ſleep, and let faith act upon the promiſes, and providence, and nature of God.

Dir. 8 Laſtly, Pray unto God to ſettle thy ſoule, to ſend thee his peace, and wait upon God in his ordinances. The way of peace is in the Sanctuary; True Peace is ſome of the water of life, that muſt be drawn by the bucket of faith, out of the wells of ſalvation. I ſhall adde no more by way of direction: But now leſt Chriſtians ſhould think this of flight concernment, and that if they can get their ſpirits quiet, it is no matter what quiets them, Chriſtian, know there is a great difference betwixt Peace and Peace, betwixt the world's Peace and Chriſt's Peace, betwixt adulterate and true borne Peace. I will not ſtand at large to ſet them together (though they would beſt appeare ſo) but in ſhort ſaith Muſculus; the worlds peace is, Fuſa, inſtabilis, nudis verb is ad perditionem, a large peace (upon no good grounds) an inſtable peace (upon no good bottome) a meer verball Peace, and that which will p. 80end in everlaſting trouble. But on the contrary, conſider by way of motive, that the Peace which I have been deſcribing to you, which is laid up in Chriſt for the Saint, and may be drawn from Chriſt by the Saint in a day of trouble is,

1. A true Peace, the other is no Peace, a meere truce Peace, made with the ſpirit for a while, till ſome new breakings forth; a flattred ſhadowy Peace, a conceited imaginary Peace: Peace in a Picture, where is onelyonly the reſemblance, not the ſubſtance. This is a true Peace, Peace indeed to the ſoule.

2. This Peace is a ſweet Peace, a Roſe without Prickles, a Potion without Gall, a ſweetned Cup without any rubbings of Wormewood; Hezekiah complained, that in his Peace hee had great bitterneſſe. It is true (though in another ſenſe) concerning all the world's Peace, and all morall Peace, but Prov. 10. 22. The bleſſing of the Lord makes rich, and addes no ſorrow therewith: This is Peace with the Lord's p. 81bleſſing, the other is, but at the beſt, the Peace of a warme Sun; there will be no ſorrow added with this Peace, with all other Peace ſorrow will be added.

3. This Peace is a laſting Peace, all other Peace will fade and die. Nature in time may bee out of breath, of courſe, that it can ſigh, and groane, and weep no more: But let it get but breath againe, and that Peace will be diſturbed. Reaſon may tame Paſſion a while, but let but Paſſion at any time get the upper hand in Reaſon's ſleeping time, or let it but get any Reaſon of its ſide, and that Peace will be broken. Ah, but let the ſoule be quieted by Goſpell-courſes; let it but draw forth its Peace out of the boſome of Chriſt, and as the foundation laſts, ſo ſhall the ſtructure of Peace that is builded in the ſoule, laſt too. I can adde no more, the Lord give his bleſſing to what hath been ſpoken, and ſend your troubled ſoules his Peace.

FINIS.