Our Dying Saviors Legacy of Peace, Sermon 1

Our Dying Saviors Legacy of Peace · Sermon 1

p. 1John 14. 27.

Peace I leave with you, my Peace I give unto you, not as the World gives, give I unto you; let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

THis Chapter containeth a part of the last and dying words of our dear Saviour. Knowing that his hour was come, wherein he must leave the World, and go unto the Father; He acquainted His Disciples with it (as in the foregoing Chapter) and observing that their hearts were full of Sorrow at the thoughts of his departure from them, and what should become of them when He was gone: He applies himself by many heavenly Instructions and Consolations, to support, p. 2encourage or comfort their hearts, as ver. 1. Let not your Hearts be troubled: And therefore in the first place, He doth direct them to the right way of removing the troubles of their hearts, i. e. Faith in God, and in Himself as Mediator; Ye believe in God, believe also in Me, ver. 1. He would have them believe in himself as their alsufficient Lord and Saviour: and in all time to come to exercise their Faith in those gracious promises, which he was now about to make to them; assuring them that He would make them good, and that they should be a sufficient Antidote, and Soverain Cordial to preserve their hearts from the malignities, venome and poyson of all the troubles of the World.

As 1. He tells them, He was going to Heaven, to prepare a place for them, and that he would come again and receive them to himself, to be with him where He was, as ver. 2.

2. He assures them, … himself would be to them, the way, the truth, and the life, ver. 6.

3. That … take order for that, That all their prayers should be answered, ver. 13, 14.

p. 34. That His Father and himself would manifest their love to them, ver. 11.

And 5. That He would send the Spirit as a Comforter to abide with them for ever, ver. 16, 17. and ver. 26.

Now after all these, here in the Text is another gracious Promise, comprehensive of all the former, and of all the good their Souls can desire, Peace, I leave with you, my Peace I give unto you, &c. and it is a concluding promise; for although after this He continues His Discourse; yet He proceeds in another way: but here, after He had promised to give them His Peace; He repeats and redoubles his first Exhortation; Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid: and so concludes the first part of His Speech.

I shall make way for the Doctrine by opening the words, and shewing you the meaning of our Saviour in this Text.

Peace I leave with you] By Peace in general, we are to understand Prosperity and Happiness, consisting in the absence of all Evil and presence of all good. It was the custome amongst the Jews, at their coming p. 4to, and parting from their Friends, to wish them Peace, saving, Peace be to you, or Peace be with you, Judges 19. 20. 1 Sam. 25. 6. and so the Apostles in their Epistles to the Churches in their Salutations, they begin with Peace, and in their valedictions they end with Peace And thus our Saviour Christ being now to take his Farewel, He alludes unto that custome, not only wishing but leaving Peace to His Disciples: therefore he adds, My Peace I give unto you] wherein our Saviour speaks in the language of a dying person, making his last Will and Testament; by which he doth actually give and bequeath his Peace as his Legacy to his Disciples; a rich Legacy indeed! containing their freedome from all real evil, & the presence of all true good; and from thence a quietness and rest unto their Spirits, in the midst of all the troubles of the World, Not as the World gives] shewing that the peace which he give to them was of another kind than the Peace of the World; As Christ's Kingdom is not of this World, so his Peace is not of this World, but quite of another kind. For

1. Worldly Peace is but an outward Peace, reaching only to the outward man; But p. 5Christs Peace is an inwaad and spiritual Peace, reaching to the Soul or inward man, removing and preventing the troubles of the heart.

2. Worldly Peace is an effect of the Absence of worldly Evils, and presence of worldly good things, but Christ being the Lord from Heaven, He gives unto His an Heavenly Peace, consisting in their freedome from spiritual evils, and the enjoyment of spiritual and Heavenly Blessings, as Eph. 1. 3. He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places and things in Christ Jesus.

3. Worldly Peace is a changeable thing: the good things of the World give it, and the evil things of the World take it away again; but the Peace which Christ gives is a durable and solid Peace, such as the world can neither give nor take away, John 16. 22. Your heart shall rejoyce, and your joy no man taketh from you: Also in Isai. 9. 7. Of His peace there shall be no end. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid: which words are an inference from the former; as if he had said, when you enjoy my Peace in your hearts, as you need not, so you should not, nay you will not be troubled at any present p. 6evils, nor afraid of any future evils you shall meet with in the World; For as my Grace so my Peace shall be sufficient for you until you come to Heaven.

The Words thus opened, the Doctrine is plainly this;

DOCTRINE,

The Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ is given by Him as His Legacy to his Disciples in the midst of a troublesome World.

For so in the Text, He doth not say, He will give them peace in another World, but even in this World, wherein they were to meet with much tribulation: they might be afflicted with troubles for the present, and afraid of more and worse for the future; but in the midst of all our Saviour Christ gives them an inward spiritual and heavenly Peace to be enjoyed by all Penitent, Obedient p. 7Believers, such as his Disciples were.

For Explication I shall only answer two Questions:

Quest. 1. What this Peace is which Christ gives unto his? What kind of Peace?

Answ. It is a Divine Peace, really distinct from all other sorts of Humane Peace; and quite of another kind then Worldly Peace: It is the same which in other Scriptures is called, The Peace of God, Col. 3. 15. Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts, Phil. 4. 7. The Peace of God shall keep your minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Mark it, the Peace of God; it is a Divine Peace consisting in such a tranquility of the mind, and rest of the heart, as arises from the sense of a Reconciled Estate, wherein we stand before God, under the influence of his Favour towards us in Christ Jesus. This is that grace wherein we stand, Rom. 5. 2. which is the Fountain of this Heavenly Peace and Safety we are speaking of. Hence it is that Grace and Peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, are so often joyned together in those Apostolical Salutations and Benedictions to the Churches of Christ: p. 8That is the true Divine Peace, which flows from, and is accompanied with the Grace of God in Christ Jesus; and this appears from a three-fold Scripture Expression concerning this Divine Peace.

1. It is Peace with God, Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith▪ we have peace with God; the greatest trouble of the Soul is from Sin, and the wrath of God, that God hath a Controversy with a man for Sins unpardoned, and unrepented of; while it is thus, the Soul hath no peace; but when the Sinner is brought to Repentance, and Faith in Christ Jesus: now being justified by Faith, we have Peace with God. Because the Lord Jesus was made Sin for us, and suffered the wrath of God as a Sacrifice for our Sins, and hath brought in a Righteousness to the Satisfaction of God, and hath procured his Mercy, Grace and Favour in behalf of all that believe in him. Hence Gods Controversy is ended with the penitent believer, that is no wrath from God, no condemnation to such as are in Christ, Eph. 1. 6. He hath made us accepted in his Beloved Son, not in our selves, but in him; and verse 7. In him we have Redemption through his Blood, even the forgiveness of Sins, according to the Riches p. 9of his Grace, and so God being Reconciled and at Peace with us, we come to have peace with God.

2. It is Peace from God. So in the beginning of all the Epistles you have read of Grace and Peace from God the Father; this is that created peace whereby God being Reconciled to us in Christ, he sets in the sence and feeling of peace with him in the Conscience of a penitent believer, Isa. 57. 19. I create the fruit of …, peace, peace, to him that is near, and to him that is afar off. This Peace from God is the blessed effect of peace with God, it is expressed in Rom. 5. 2. This is the Grace wherein we stand. For now we stand before the Throne of Grace, pardoned and accepted, and in a state of grace and favour with God, having the sense and comfort of Peace with God in our own Souls and Consciences, and that we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and rejoice in tribulation, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given to us: And this is the second expression of this Divine Peace, namely, Peace from God.

3. It is also peace in God, as John 16. last. In me you shall have peace: In me as opposed to the world in which you shall have tribulation. p. 10This is a higher degree of peace, than meer peace of Conscience; it is peace and quietness of the Heart, Will and Affections, resting in God through Christ, as its last end and chief good, according to that in 1 Pet. 1. 21. Who by Christ do believe in God, that your Faith and Hope may be in God: when the weary Soul comes away from Sin, or Self and World, and comes unto Christ, and by Christ comes unto God as the utmost end of all the souls motions, here it finds rest and Peace. Return unto thy Rest, O my Soul, Psal. 116. 7. God is the resting place of the soul of man, when the soul is returned and reconciled to God by Christ, now the Conscience is pacified, the heart quieted, the Will Satisfied, the Affections well pleased, and the whole soul at rest in God; Thus you see that the peace of God, is peace with God, peace from God, and peace in God; this is that Divine peace which Christ gives as his Legacy to all that are His.

Quest. 2. But why is it called Christs Peace? My Peace I give unto you: There is an Emphasis in that pronoun My Peace, why is it called so?

p. 11Answ. There is a threefold reason of it.

Reas. 1. Because Christ is the purchaser and procurer of this Peace, therefore it is said, He is our Peace, Eph. 2. 14. i. e. He is the great Peace maker, between God and us; for this end he undertook that Office of a Mediator 1 Tim. 25. There being a controversy, a distance and enmity between God and man, and no possibility on our part to pacify the Anger of God; Christ interposed himself as our Mediator, and the Work of his Office is to Reconcile and make peace between God and us; by his Priestly Office, He reconciles God to us, and by his Prophetical and Kingly Offices, he reconciles us to God, and so he was, and is for ever the Maker of our Peace.

1. By his Priestly Office he reconciles God to us, and because there are two things in God relating to us, Justice and Mercy, Christ applyed himself to both. By the Sacrifice of himself, he gave satisfaction for the Justice of God for our sins, Coles. 1. 20. He made our Peace by the Blood of his Cross; and by his Intercession he prevails with the grace, mercy and favour of God towards us; p. 12so that now the Name of God is proclaimed the Lord gracious and merciful to all penitent believers, Exod. 34. 6.

2. By his Prophetical Office, he teacheth us inwardly and truly the right way of Reconciliation and peace with God, i. e. by Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 20. 21. and then by his Kingly Office, makes us his subjects, and subdues our Hearts unto Gods tearms and conditions of Peace, Psal 110. 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power; by his Kingly Power, he makes us willing and able to repent, believe and obey according to his Gospel, and so to enjoy this heavenly peace between God and us.

Reas. 2. Because Christ is the Possessor and Keeper of this Peace. The Man Christ Jesus, in the state of Humiliation, though for our sake he was a man of Sorrows, acquainted with Griefs, yet in himself he was a man of peace, he enjoyed this Divine Peace in a most eminent manner, for he always did the things that were pleasing to God, and God was ever well pleased with him, Math. 3. last▪ but much more in the state of Exaltation now in Heaven, he was, and is for ever made full of joy by the light p. 13of Gods Countenance, Acts 2. 28. and as he is the Prince of Life, Acts 8. 15. so also the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9. 6. and the King of Peace, Heb. 7. 2. So that as a King of Peace doth firstly enjoy that peace which he gives to his Subjects, so in a transcendent way this peace with God, peace from God, and peace in God, is firstly and fully possessed and enjoyed by our Lord Jesus Christ in the highest Heavens.

Reas. 3. Because he is the disposer and giver of it, as in that Text, My Peace I give unto you, if any ask how come penitent Believers to enjoy this inward Spiritual and Heavenly Peace? the answer is, it is from the gift of Christ; this divine peace is the Royal Gift of Jesus Christ as the King of Peace to all his Subjects.

1. For first, he gives them a right and title to it in his Gospel of peace.

2. He gives them the possession and use of it. He gives it in to the hearts and consciences of his people by his Spirit the Comforter, that we shall enjoy it in our selves, Gal. 5. 22. Peace and Joy are fruits of the Spirit.

p. 143. And thirdly, he gives it in that manner and measure, as it pleaseth him, as to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Eph. 4. 7. so to every one of us is given peace according to the measures of the gift of Christ.

Let us now gather up the summe of the Reasons.

If our Lord Jesus Christ was the purchaser, is the possessor and Disposer of this divine peace then it may well be called His Peace. He procures it, he keeps it, and he gives it, and therefore He might well say, My Peace I give unto you.

This may suffice for the Explication of the Doctrine.

Now for the Application of it to ourselves in several Uses.

USE 1. Of Reproof and Terror to all those that seek their peace out of Christ. p. 15All men desire peace, most men have some kind of peace; but if your peace be not the peace of Jesus Christ which he gives to those that are His▪ it is then a false peace, you are deceived, and will be destroyed by it, for it will end in everlasting trouble: There are four sorts to be reproved.

1. Those that bless themselves with Peace in sinful wayes, here as in Deut. 29. 19. He that blesses himself in his heart▪ saying, I shall have Peace, though I walk in the imaginations of my heart, adding drunkenness to thirst; the Lord will not spare that man, but the Anger of the Lord will smoke against him until he be destroyed.

Let all men hear, and fear, and tremble at this Word of God: That if any man live in a way of known sins, that thy Conscience tells thee, thou dost walk in the imaginations of thine own heart, satisfying the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of Life, that thou art guilty of the sins of Drunkenness, and idle Company-keeping; or the sins of Whoredome, or Thieving, or Lying or unjust Dealing, or any such like sins; and p. 16yet dost thou bless thy self, and say, thou shalt have peace in such evil wayes? Know it for thy terror, thy peace is a false peace: It is not Christs peace; for Christ never gives peace to them that are at war with God; nay, it is so far from being Christs Peace, that it is the Devils peace, who keeps wicked men in a false deluded peace, till they be destroyed by it, Luke 11. 21. for it is certain, the great God of Heaven and Earth hath proclaimed War and destruction against all impenitent Sinners, Isa: 57. 21. There is no peace sayes God to the wicked. If thou art either secretly or openly wicked, walking in wayes of known wickedness, there is no peace from God to thee, nothing but the wrath of God and destruction at thy latter end. Though such may seem to themselves and others to have a calm time and freedom from trouble, yet the Word of God tells us▪ verse 20th. The wicked are like a troubled Sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast out mire and dirt; The Sea … its calm times till the wind rises, and then it is troubled; so wicked persons may be at quiet till their guilty Consciences are awakened, and the storm of Gods wrath fall upon them, and then their peace is at p. 17an end, For Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguish, is denounced from God against al Evil-doers, both here, and for-ever in another World, Rom. 2. 9.

2. It also reproves all such as content themselves with a worldly peace; not minding nor caring to make their peace with God, and provide for the salvation of their Souls: But if they prosper in the world, they satisfy themselves with that as the rich man, Luke 12. who blessed himself in a peaceable enjoyment of a confluence of earthly blessings without any thing of grace or peace from God, verse 19. He said to himself, Soul take thine ease, eat and drink, and be merry, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; but mark what follows, verse 20. but God said unto him, Thou fool, this night shall thy Soul be required of thee, i. e. when thou diest the Devil shall seize upon thy Soul, and where shall those things be that thou hast provided, they will all depart, and thy worldly peace and prosperity will be ended, but thy troubles and misery will continue for ever; world without end. So shall it be with every one that contents himself with worldly peace, not minding to make his peace with God. Such are men of this p. 18world, who have their portion in this life, but no portion in God, no peace with God, no part in Christ here, nor Salvation by him hereafter in another World.

3. Here is also a scourge of Rebuke unto all such as place their peace in their carnal security; when the carnal rest of the Soul in its natural condition was never broken, but a man continues blinded and hardened in the state of sin and death wherein he was born: Such neither see, nor feel, nor fear the danger their Souls are in. Hence they settle themselves in the security of their Sinful Estate, not apprehending any need of a Change, nothing troubles them, nor they will not trouble themselves, nor seek to be any other, or better than they are. Now this is so far from being Christs peace, that it is apparently the Devils peace, as Luke 11. 21. Satan as a strong man armed, keeps house in the Souls of such, and keeps them in a bruitish and blockish peace and quietness; but mark what is said in 1 Thes. 5. 3. when secure sinners shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them, and they shall not escape.

p. 194. It reproves those that seek their peace in some conceited Righteousness of their own, as those in Rom. 10. 3. that went about to establish their own Righteousness; that so they might have peace. When the guilty Conscience of a Sinner is awakened to apprehend the danger he is in by reason of his sins, and the wrath of God against him for them; and a man finds by experience that worldly things will not pacifie the conscience; now its the next and natural way of a mans heart, to humble himself, confess his sins, resolve against them and pray, and reform his life as well as he can; and then to reflect upon his good duties, and make up a Righteousness of them wherewith to quiet his Conscience, and settle his peace; and this without any interest in Christ or his Righteousness, wherefore this self-righteousness being a false Righteousness, the Peace that is grounded on it, must needs be a False Peace which will end in Eternal Trouble.

USE II. For admonition to warn all men to beware of Seducers, and of such opinions as mislead people from the right way of obtaining the peace of Christ, and have a tendency to settle the Souls of men in a false peace; the p. 20Prophet Jeremy lamented this that there were such in his time, Jer. 6. 14. They have healed the hurt of my people slightly saying, Peace, Peace, when there is no peace; and the Lord himself complained of this, Ezek. 13. 10. They have seduced my people, saying, peace, when there was no peace, and they builded a wall, and daubed it with untempered Mortar. As it was then, so in after-times, so in the days of Christ and his Apostles, they gave warning against Seducers and false Doctrines: So in this our Age, there have been many Seducers, and many that have been seduced into a false peace which is dreadfully dangerous to the Souls of men: I shall mention three or four instances, and give warning against them. I intend not a set confutation, but onelyonly a brief warning, according to that, Ezek. 33. 10. I have made thee a watchman, and thou shalt warn them from me.

1. Some pretend unto immediate Revelations from Heaven as the ground of their peace, they were greatly troubled in their minds, and they heard a voice, or it was immediately revealed to them, that their sins were pardoned, &c. and this they say was the witness of the Spirit, by which they have p. 21received much comfort, and now their souls are settled in Peace.

But the Lord hath said that his Word and Spirit shall always go together, Isaiah 59 last. v. therefore such a Revelation is not of the Spirit of God, but a delusion of the Devil, who transforms himself into an Angel of light; by Revelations and Voices, misleading people from the Word of God, and Gospel of peace. And therefore all men are to be warned that they keep close to the Word, and try all Revelations by the Word, it is not the Witness of the Spirit, if it be not in, by or according to the Word, therefore believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, whether they be of God, 1 John 4. 1.

2. Others affirm, that though the Spirit witnesses according to the Word, yet it witnesseth pardon and peace without respect un to any condition or qualification wrought in us.

This also is as false as the former; for the Word never witnesseth Pardon and Peace to any but such as are qualified with the graces of Faith and Repentance wrought in them; therefore the Spirit of Christ by the Word witnesseth so too; as our Saviour p. 22Christ in his dealing with that penitent woman, Luke 7. who beleived in Christ, and he loved her much, He said unto her, thy Sins are forgiven, thy Faith hath saved thee, go in peace, verse 47, 48, 50. Here our Saviour speaks pardon and peace to her Soul, with a respect unto those gracious qualifications of Faith, Repentance, and love which he had wrought in her heart; even so all Christians if they would not be deceived, must find the witness of the Word and Spirit together, clearing up the peace and comfort unto their Souls with a respect unto the same.

3. A third sort have affirmed that Christians need not trouble themselves about the graces of Faith and Repentance to be in themselves, because (they say) Christ hath done all for us, Christ hath Repented for us, and believed for us, and therefore we need do no more but only to be perswaded and assured, that our sins are pardoned, and that we are in a good estate of Peace and Safety.

Now this is as false and as dangerous as either of the former. For though its true, Christ hath performed all that legal obedience p. 23(both active and passive) which the Law required of us, by which obedience of Christ we are made righteous, Rom. 5. 19. Christs legal Obedience for us is the material and meritorious cause of our justification: but for Believing and Repenting these are Evangelical Duties required of us in the Gospel of peace, as conditions of our interest in Christ, and his Righteousness: and therefore they must be performed by us. 'Tis true Christ by his spirit works Faith and Repentance in us; but then its as true, that we our selves must exercise these Graces. Repentance is the gift of God, but the Act of man, and so is Faith, Eph. 2. 8. Faith is the gift of God: and Acts 5. 31. Christ gives Repentance as well as remission of sins; thus in respect of the Graces of Faith and Repentance wrought in our hearts. But then the actual exercise of these Graces, that must be performed by us, Act. 26. 31. Believe thou in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, Act. 3. 19. Repent ye of your sins that they may be blotted out. It is man a sinner that must repent of his sins, and believe on Christ as his Saviour. To say that Christ repented and believed is a kind of Blasphemy; it is as much as to say that Christ was a sinner in himself, and that he needed to go out of himself to another p. 24to be saved from his sins; in a word, He that Repents and Believes in Christ shall be pardoned and saved; this is the right way of peace according to the Gospel of Peace. But for any man to depend upon Christs believing and repenting for him, and not to repent and believe himself, is contrary to the Gospel: it is one of the Devils wayes of false peace, whosoever goes therein shall never know peace.

4. The last false Opinion which I shall instance in, is, that of the way of Quakerism, in hearkening to the Light within as sufficient to guid men to Peace and Salvation. This is the Sink or Sodom of all the other Errors of the times: and sad experience hath proved it, that very many of those that have held the former false Opinions have by degrees fallen into this: having forsaken the Word and Spirit of Truth, and being hurried by the Spirit of Error, and following the Fools fire of the Light within, they have been led into this way of darkness, wherein if a man walks he shall never know peace; for as our Saviour sayes, Mat. 6. 23. If the light in thee be darkness, how great is that, darkness? 'tis true there is a light in every man: The light of Nature, of Reason, of the relicks of p. 25the Law, and of natural Conscience, Rom. 2. 14, 15. Jude ver. 10. Notwithstanding this Light, all men are naturally in a state of spiritual darkness, Eph. 5. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 9. But if men be so deluded by Satan, as to set the Light within them in the room of the Light of the Gospel, and to set it up instead of Christ the true Light of life, then it becomes a great and a dreadful darkness, and how great is that darkness! it leads men to the darkness of Heathenism, and therefore whoever walks therein shall never see the light of life, nor the way of true peace.

Thus I have briefly given warning against these erroneous wayes which are contrary to the Gospel of peace. It may be remembred that when these Churches were infested with such like erronious Opinions which were condemned by the Word of God in the first Synod at Cambridge in the year 1637. It was then agreed on by all the Orthodox as a great Principle of Truth in opposition to the former Errors: That

1. The Being of Faith and Repentance in us, is necessary to our Being in a state of Reconciliation and Peace with God. And that,

p. 262. The seeing of Faith and Repentance in our selves is necessary, that we may see and know that we are in such a state: that so our peace and comfort may be of the right kind, according to the Gospel of peace. The Lord grant that this divine Truth may continue and prevail for ever in New England, even unto all Generations to come: And so I pass from this, and come to the main Use of this Doctrine which is;

Use 4. Of Exhortation and Direction, to a four fold Duty.

1. To make our Peace with God by Jesus Christ.

2. To settle our Peace, and see that it be well grounded.

3. To receive this Peace as the Legacy of our Saviour Christ.

4. And lastly, To improve it as a Soverain Cordial, and sufficient remedy, against all the troublesome and formidable things of this World.

In the handling of which four particulars I shall endeavour (by the help of Christ) p. 27to discharge something of that Duty, which is one main end of the Ministry of the Gospel of peace, viz. by Scripture light to guid your feet into the way of peace, as it is expressed in Luk. 1. 77, 78, 79.

To begin with the first of these:

Exhortation:

If the Peace of Jesus Christ be that Legacy which Christ hath given to his Disciples: Then the first Exhortation is,

1. To call upon all men to make their peace with God by Jesus Christ: for though its true that this Divine peace is actually given by our Saviour unto penitent Believers, and to them only; yet its as true, it is graciously offered unto all men to whom the Gospel comes. Therefore when our Saviour sent his Disciples to Preach the Gospel, he said unto them, Luk. 10. 5, 6. Whatsoever house ye enter, say Peace be to this house, and if the Son of peace be there it shall rest upon it. If not it shall turn to you again; they were to offer the peace of Christ unto all men to whom they came; as the Lord spake even to those Rebellious sinners, Isa. 27. 4. If they will make peace with me, they shall make peace with me, ver. 5. It was the Message which the Angels p. 28brought from Heaven to men upon earth at the time of the Birth of Christ, Luke 2. 10, 11. Behold we bring you glad tidings of great joy unto all people, that unto you is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord: upon this ground, a multitude of the Heavenly Host did glorify God, saying, Glory be to God in the Highest, on earth peace, and good will towards men, verse 14. Here then is glad tidings to all people, declaring the good will of God unto men, and offering peace with God by Jesus Christ, unto all people upon Earth, even to whomsoever the Gospel comes. And it is the very reason why the Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace, Rom. 10. 15. and Eph. 6. 15. because it not only reveals Christ the great Peace maker between God and us; and makes known the conditions upon which any sinful man may enjoy this peace; but it makes a real offer of Christ and his Peace unto all and every man that is within the sound of the Gospel; that, whosoever will Repent, Believe and obey the Gospel, they shall have peace with God, peace from God, and peace in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hearken to this all you that are yet in your natural, and therefore in a damnable p. 29condition, that live in your sins, and under the wrath of God, and in a state of enmity against God, and therefore the great God is an enemy to you, Christ is none of yours. It is certain, that in this condition you are far from peace, and if you live and dye so, you will be damned eternally, and perish everlastingly from the presence of the Lord. Yet from the Gospel of Peace, here is an offer of peace from God through Christ unto you that are such, and in so sad a condition: that if now in the day of Grace you will return unto God, and seek reconciliation with him by Christ, and accept of his conditions of peace propounded in the Gospel; God will then be reconciled to you, and Jesus Christ will give you his Peace, and you shall be amongst the number of the reconciled, pardoned and saved ones of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark and consider well the sure Foundation of this offer of peace which is now made unto you, 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19, 20, 21. That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself, and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation, &c.

What remains then but that All you, whose Consciences tell you, that you are as yet Strangers from God, and from peace with p. 30him, you are to be exhorted in the Name of the Lord, and in the words of the Holy Ghost, Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self was God, and be at peace with him. Do not bless your self with Peace in any sinful way; nor content your self with worldly Peace, nor suffer your self to he deluded with any false peace; for this will be your destruction: but apply your selves with all speed and diligence making it the great business of your life to make your peace with God by Jesus Christ, according to the conditions of the Gospel of Peace.

Quest. If you ask what are the conditions of Peace propounded in the Gospel?

Answ. They are plainly declared by our Saviour Christ himself, when he called upon all men to Repent and believe, Mark 1. 15. Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. And in a multitude of other Scriptures.

Quest. If you ask again, what is required of us with respect unto these Conditions▪ of Peace?

Answ: Your willing acceptance of these conditions; with a suitable practise: thus in Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in p. 31the day of thy power, Isa. 1. 19. If ye be willing and obedient, Rev. 22. 17. whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely, Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you, to will and to do of his good pleasure.

For this end, let me propound unto you, two or three motives to perswade you to be really willing to be Reconciled unto God by Christ upon these tearms, and then a few means to direct you in the practice of Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, that in this way of the Gospel you may obtain Peace with God. And in the first place,

1. Consider I beseech you whoever you be, that God is really willing to be reconciled unto you. I might here bring in the Commands, the Promises, the threatnings and the perswasions of the Gospel, as convincing Arguments of the Lords willingness on his part. I shall only mention two things here.

1. That Christ Jesus came from God on purpose to declare his willingness by preaching peace to the children of men, as Acts 10. 36. The Word which God sent to the children p. 32of Israel, preaching Peace by Jesus Christ: as Eph. 2. 17. He came and Preached Peace to you that were far off, and to them that were nigh: And how did he Preach it? You may see it in Mark 1. 14, 15. He began and went on to Preach the Gospel saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Repent ye and believe the Gospel, and John 6. 38, 39, 40. He tells the People there, I am come down from Heaven to do the good will of my Father, and this is my Fathers Will, that whosoever seeth and believeth on the Son of God shall not perish but have everlasting life. Mark the word, Whosoever, i. e. what ever thy sins have been, whatever thy case is, though thou shouldest be in as bad and sad a condition as any in the World ever was; yet it is the will of God, and thy duty to repent and believe, and then it is his will also, that in this way of Believing, thou shalt not perish but have everlasting Life.

Our Saviour Christ came into the World not only to make our Peace with God as our High Priest; but also as the great Prophet of his Church to Preach and make known this Peace from God unto all sorts of sinners, that He is willing to be reconciled upon the p. 33terms of the Gospel, and should not we be willing then?

2 When Christ had finished his work upon Earth, He gave Commission to his Ministers to Preach the Gospel of Peace unto the World in his room, and in his Name, and so to carry on the treaty of Peace between God and sinners: Thus when He was ascending to Heaven, he said unto His Apostles, Go ye into all the World, and Preach the Gospel to every Creature; i e. to every man, to every reasonable and sinful creature, and in Luke 24. 47. He commanded that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached in his Name. Upon this ground the Apostle says, 2 Cor. 5. 19. He hath committed the Ministry of Reconciliation unto us; therefore in verse 20. he applies himself to it, saying, Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christs stead be ye Reconciled to God. As when a great King that could easily destroy all Rebels and Traitors, yet being graciously enclined unto mercy, He sends Messengers to offer tearms of Peace, and to perswade them of his willingness to pardon them, He gives them Commission to proceed so far as to tell them, that he doth p. 34stoop so low as to beseech them to be reconciled unto him. So it is in this case, we are all by nature Traitors and Rebels against the great God and King over all; He hath us at an infinite advantage, and could easily glorifie his Justice in our Eternal Destruction; but intending to magnify his Mercy towards all that will submit and return to him by Christ; He hath sent Jesus Christ as his great Embassador of Peace, and Christ hath employed under him, all the Ministers of the Gospel to carry on this treaty of Peace, and to give us the utmost assurance of the Lords real willingness to receive and pardon Sinners that come unto him by Christ: nay that he condescends so far as if he did beseech vile Sinners that they would be Reconciled to Him. How should this Condescendency of the Great God melt and break our hearts, and not only make us willing but cause us to fall down in the dust adoring the Riches of his Mercy, and beseeching him to be Reconciled unto us: being restless till we have made our peace with God. In the next place,

2. Consider the great good you shall get by making your peace with God. For if you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the p. 35good of the land, Isai. 1. 19. the Land of Canaan being then a Type of Heaven, and of all the good thereof, as Heb. 11. 16. and therefore as in Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with God, and be at peace, for thereby Good shall come unto you; if you say, what Good: O Brethren, I want words to express it, and thoughts to conceive it: O how great is that goodness! For all the good of the Promises of the Gospel shall be yours: You shall have a general pardon of all your Sins past, you shall have the Acceptation of your persons, and Audience of your prayers; and grace to help in the time of need: You shall have the Holy Ghost the Comforter to abide with you for ever; Grace and Peace shall be always coming to you from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ; and the goodness and mercy of God shall follow you all the days of your life; and when you die, you shall dye in peace; and when you go into another world, you shall enter into peace, everlasting peace, rest and blessedness in the Heavens shall be your portion for ever. O how great is this goodness! Methinks it is enough to move the most Adamantine Heart, and make us all to be not only willing, but earnestly desirous p. 36of it, to be at Peace with God, that thereby all this good may come unto us.

3. In the last place consider, That if you will not be perswaded to be Reconciled to God, if you will not accept of Gods Tearms of Peace, this will be your everlasting ruine, both in the loss of all the forementioned good, and suffering all the contrary evils and miseries that will come upon you. For if you refuse and Rebel, you shall be destroyed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Isa. 1. 20. Now that there is such a thing in the Spirits of many that live under the treaties of Peace between God and Men, that they will not submit to Gods terms of Peace, but will stand out, and go on in the Rebellion of their hearts and lives, this is evident in many Scriptures, as in Jer. 18. 11. When the Lord called upon them, saying, Return ye now every one from his evil way; the refusing answer of many desperate Sinners is expressed in v. 12. they said, there is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the Imagination of his own evil heart; and in Jer. 44. 16. they speak it out as it were in plain English to the Prophets face, As for the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken unto us we will p. 37not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly do whatsoever comes out of our own mouths; and the Son that was commanded to go and work in the Vineyard, said plainly, I will not go, Mat. 21. 20. and those that were called to the Wedding, returned their answer, That they would not come, Mat. 22. 3. and our Saviour Christ charged this upon the generallity of the Jews, John 5 40. You will not come to me that you might have life. Hear and consider this with fear and trembling, least thou shouldst be amongst the number of those that say, they will walk on in their sins still, and will not accept of Gods tearms of Peace. For these multiplyed will not break off the treaty of peace between God and such Resolved Rebels, the Lord commonly (after some time of waiting) leaves such to themselves, and delivers them up to the dominion of Sin and Satan, and then they run riot in wayes of Sin to their own ruine, as in Rom. 1. 26 for this cause God gave them up unto vile affections; and in Psal. 81. 11. the Lord there complains, They would not hearken to his voice, and they would none of him: but mark what follows in the next verse, v. 12. So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts, to walk in their own Counsels, to have their Sins, and p. 38to have hell and damnaton with them at their latter end. And this was the reason why our blessed Saviour in the days of his flesh mourned and wept over such in the foresight of the unavoidable destruction coming upon them, Mat. 23. 37. O Jerusalem how often would I, but you would not: therefore desolation is coming upon you, and Luke 19. 42. If thou hadst known even thou, at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace! O how happy hadst thou been; but now they are hid from thine eyes! and becasue thou knewest not the time of thy visitation, therefore thy destruction is coming fast upon thee. It is indeed from the abundant goodness of God, that He gives unto Sinners a day wherein they may know the things that belong to their peace, for the good of their Souls; and then they have a golden opportunity of making their peace with God. But if men know not, if they care not, and if they will not improve this time for that end; the issue is, the day of peace is done, the treaty of peace is ended, and the things of their peace are gone, and they are undone forever, if they had a thousand Souls.

Quest. If any say, God forbid that we should p. 39be unwilling to accept of Gods tearms of peace, we hope we are willing; but how may we be directed in the right way of making our Peace with God?

Answ. I answer in these following seven Directions.

If indeed you would be Reconciled to God, and make your Peace with him: Then in the first place,

Direct. 1. You must confess your Sins and Wrongs against God, as the cause of that controversy which God hath against you; the Lord looks for this before He will make peace with us, that we give glory to Him by an humble acknowledgment of our sins, justifying God, and taking the blame and shame of all our sins to our selves; this the Lord himself directs us too, in Jer. 3. 12, 13. Go and proclaim these words, saith the Lord, Return thou … Israel, and I will not cause my Anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever; only acknowledge thine iniquities that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and that ye have not obeyed my voice. Art thou afraid of the Anger of God, and p. 40that He will not be merciful to thee? mark what the Lord says, only acknowledge thy transgressions, and I will be merciful to thee; thou shouldest therefore take the Lord at his word, and apply thy self to a free and full confession of all thy sins against the Lord? What ever thy Conscience tells thee of, and troubles the for, thou shouldest acknowledge them with shame and sorrow, and self-loathing, and self judging, for if we judge our selves, we shall not be judged of the Lord, 1 Cor 11. 31. therefore what ever sins thou art afraid thou shalt he damned for, be sure you accuse and condemn your self for them before the Lord. And do this especially with respect unto your special sins that have been most natural and habitual, where the power of Original Sin hath vented it self most, knowing the plague of thy own heart, and finding thy sins to be thy greatest evils, confessing as David did, Psal. 51. 4. Against thee, against thee, (a God so great, and yet withal so good) have I sinned, (and then tell him in what: and how thou hast sinned) have done these evils in thy sight; (and then say also as he did) that thou mayst be justified when thou judgest, &c. So we should justify God, and condemn our selves, p. 41confessing we deserve to be eternally condemned for the least sin.

Direct. 2. Unto your Confessions, you must add supplications for the mercy of God in Christ, to forgive your Sins, and subdue your iniquities and heal your backslidings, that you may not return to folly any more. This was the counsel of the holy Ghost, Job. 8. 5. Thou shouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy Supplication to the Almighty; and it was Jobs resolution, Job. 9. 15. I will make my Supplication to my Judge; and thus the penitent Publican in the sense of the great evil and danger of his Sins, he cryed unto God for mercy, Luke 18. 13. and saying, O God be merciful to me a Sinner, and so it was with David, in Psal. 51. he begins in the first verse, saving. O God be merciful to me according to the multitude of thy Mercies, and then in the following verses, he begs for pardoning merciemercy, and healing merciemercy, and cleansing mercy, and comforting mercy, and saving mercy. Thus also Manasseh, 2 Chron. 33. 12. He humbled himself greatly, and made Supplication to the God of his Father, and he was entreated of him, and Paul tells us of himself, 1 Tim. 1. 13. that tho' he had been a great Sinner, yet he obtained p. 42mercy, but first he did seek mercy before he did obtain it, as Acts 9. 11. Behold be prayeth; when the Spirit of Grace and Prayer was poured upon him, it both filled his heart with praying matter, and opened his heart, and gave it vent, and then he pours out his Soul in importunate prayers for mercy, and was restless until he did obtain it. And so it must be with you and me, and with every one that desires to find mercy with God, we must seek it in humble Prayer and in earnest Supplication for his mercy in Christ, and that as earnestly as a condemned man would beg for a pardon, and a dying man for his life, pleading with God that for Christs sake, and for his Name sake, he would have mercy upon us, as Psal. 25. 11.

Direct. 3. You must humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and submit yourself to God, James 4. 7, 10. God will have his mercy to be honoured by those that seek it before they do obtain it. As it is with Traitors and Rebels, when they seek mercy from an Earthly King, they acknowledge his Justice if he should destroy them, and submit themselves unto his free mercy. So in this case we must give unto God the glory of his Soveraignty, which is, his absolute power, p. 43to shew or not to shew mercy according to his good pleasure, Rom. 9. 15. For as he said unto Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have Compassion on whom I will have Compassion.

His mercy is altogether free, He may give it ordering it as He please, He hath power to dispose of us, and of his own mercy also, as the Lord said, Mat. 20. 15. May I not do what I will with mine own. Now this is that which every humbled sinner must and will submit unto, as in Isa. 64 8. thou O Lord art the Potter, we are the Clay, we are the work of thy hands, thou mayst do with us, and dispose of us as it pleaseth thee. And therefore the penitent Sinner that seeks mercy, must lie down at the feet of the good pleasure of God; giving to God the glory of his Justice if he should proceed against him according to Law, as Levit. 26. 41. (mark it) the humbled Sinner must accept of the punishment of his iniquity, even whatsoever the Lord sees cause to inflict, saying as the lamenting Church did, Lam. 3. 1, 18. The Lord is righteous, but we have rebelled against him. Nay, that we have deserved Hell it self, and if the Lord should have inflicted the damnation of p. 44Hell for the least Sin, he would be just in so doing, and we justly miserable; but then also we must give him the glory of his mercy, that though there is nothing but Sin and misery with us, yet there is forgiveness with him, as in Psal. 130. 3. nay, that unto the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him, Dan. 9. 9. and that his mercy is altogether free without respect to any good in us to deserve it, or any evil in us to hinder it; and therefore whatever thy case be, lye down at the foot of the Lords good pleasure, eying of his mercy, confessing thy self unworthy of it, yet crying and pleading for it, resolving (by the grace of Christ) never to give over, but if thou dost perish, thou wilt perish in this way of seeking of, and waiting for the Mercy of God in Christ.

Direct. 4. Above all the rest, you must accept of Jesus Christ as the great and only Peace maker between God and you, For though you must confess and forsake your Sins, and submit to God, and seek his mercy; yet its not in the power of these, its only in the infinite value and virtue of the blood of Christ to reconcile us to God. For He made our Peace by the blood of his Cross, p. 45Col. 1. 20. and we are reconciled to God by the death of his Son, Rom. 5. 10. and therefore you must get Faith, and use Faith in Jesus Christ, making use of him as your only Mediator and Advocate to plead your cause with God. We must close with him in his Priestly Office, that by the Sacriffce of himself, hath given Satisfaction to the Justice of God for our Sins, and by his Intercession hath procured the Mercy and Favour of God towards us; again we must close with him in his Prophetical and Kingly Offices, to teach our minds, and to encline our hearts to the … of the Gospel of Peace; and in special, we should accept of Christ as the Prince of Peace, Isai. 9. 6. was the King of Peace, Heb. 7. 2. and if we do indeed cordially receive Christ as the Soveraign Lord of our Souls and Consciences, then we must shew our selves his Loyal Subjects, by accepting of, and submitting to the Laws of his Kingdom, both his Fundamental Laws of Faith and Repentance; and his Statute Laws in the Ten Commandments as the Rules of the our hearts and lives, so that every thought in us be brought into the Obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10. 5. and it is observable in Isai. 9. 6, 7. where Christ is called the Prince of Peace, in the same p. 46place his Government and his Peace, are joyned together: We cannot have his peace except we be sincerely subject to his Government; but then, in him and from him, as the King of Peace, we shall have the forgiveness of Sins, the Adoption of Sons, the renewing of Gods Image, the Audience of our Prayers, and in a word, all saving good from him contrary to damning Evils in our selves, and therefore then we shall have grace and peace continually coming to us from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, as in the beginning of all the Epistles.

Direct. 5. You must also remember to forsake, turn from, and depart away from all the sins you have confessed, and do beg for the pardon of: For it is an everlasting truth, not he that confesseth only, but He that confesses and forsakes his sins shall find mercy, Prov. 28. 13. and whoever he be that names the name of Christ, so as to make use of him, and rely upon him for pardon and peace, let him depart away from iniquity or he shall have no benefit by Christ, 2 Tim. 2. 11. thus also Ezek. 18. 30. Repent and turn ye from all your transgressions, and so they shall not be your ruine. This aversion and turning from sin must be p. 47seated and rooted in your Will, that you may say of every sin you see, it is the evil that I would not, as Paul did, Rom. 7. 19. Again, this turning of your heart must be from sin as sin, as it is offensive or displeasing to God, as Joseph said, Gen. 39. 9. How can I do this great evil and sin against God! and as David said, Psal 51. 4. Against thee, against thee O Lord, have I done this evil in thy sight. And therefore it must be from all sin, one as well as another, so as not to live in the practise of any known sin, nor to allow a mans self in the least sinful infirmity whatsoever; as Rom 7. 15. What evil I find, I allow not, but hate the same, and then indeed we do turn from out sins aright, when we hate them and loath our selves for them.

Direct. 6. You must also remember, to be alwayes returning to God from whom you have departed by sin, as Jer. 4. 1. If you will return, return unto Me, saith the Lord. We must return unto God in opposition to all the creatures, and as the only resting place of our Souls; 'tis true the next immediate object we must return unto is Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2. 25. You were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto him the Shepherd and Overseer of your Souls: but then by Christ we p. 48return unto God that made us for himself as the ultimate object and end that our Souls aspire after and rest in: That our Faith and Hope may be in God, 1 Pet. 1. 21. That the infinite, eternal God may be the infinite eternal good of our immortal Souls: and that we enjoy the favour of God in Christ, may love him above all, fear him more than all, serve him in sincerity and truth all our dayes. And therefore this turning to God must be a returning to him with the whole heart, Jer. 3. 10. Joel 2. 12. and to God himself as our chief good, to the will of God as the Rule, and to the glory of God as the end of our lives, that we may live unto God here, and live with God for ever in another world.

Direct. 7. Last of all, You must get into, and walk in the wayes of Peace: It is said in Isai. 59. 8. That all the wayes of sin are crooked wayes, whoever walk therein shall never know Peace; and though wicked men know it not, yet there is a way of Peace, and it is the way of true Godliness, and sincere keeping the Commandments of God; the wayes thereof are wayes of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace, Prov 3. 17. So that when by the Grace of God a Christian is resolved, and doth accordingly practise to p. 49walk in the way of sincere Obedience according to the Gospel of Peace▪ in this way you shall assuredly find and enjoy this divine Peace which Christ gives unto His▪ For great Peace have they that love the Law of God, and nothing shall offend them, Psal. 119. 165. and Gal. 6. 16. Peace be upon all them that walk according to this Rule, and upon all the Israel of God.

Thus you have heard the seven directions, that guid us into the right way of making our Peace with God by Christ, according to the Gospel of Peace, viz. by a sincere exercise of Faith and Repentance; for though these are distinct in respect of their Doctrine yet in practise they are ever together, working in the hearts of sinners that seek to be reconciled to Christ, after the manner now shewed in these Directions: So I have done with the first Exhortation, and now proceed unto the second;

Exhortation 2.

The next Duty you are to be Exhorted to, is, to settle your Peace, and see that it be wellgrounded.

p. 50This Exhortation is directed in a special manner to all such as have been under the Word and Spirit of God, and have applied themselves in the practice of the former Directions to make their peace with God, and yet find not this Divine Peace, which out Saviour Christ hath left as his Legacy unto those that are His: but instead thereof they are haunted with doubts and fears, about their Spiritual State, and sometimes filled with Soul troubles; and why? Because (they say) though they cannot deny but they have found many workings in their hearts like unto Faith and Repentance, yet they doubt whether they have these Graces in sincerity and truth, they are afraid they have but common Grace, and not the special Grace of Gods Elect; and they fear that (after all they have done) they are but Hipocrites, and not of the number of true penitent Believers, to whom only our Saviour hath promised to give his Peace; and this is very common in Experience, that the Lord is pleased to make use of these doubts and fears about Hypocrisie, as a means to fright and fire many of his People out of that Security, Sensuality and Formality, which are so dangerous unto their Souls, and to make them restless until they get some evidence of p. 51the Truth and sincerity of their Faith and Repentance; and then they shall not fail to have the sense and comfort of this Divine peace then (and not before) they shall have Experience of that of the Apostle, Phil. 4. 7. The peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Therefore all you that are yet in the Dark about your Spiritual Condition, and unsettled in your Peace, you are to be Exhorted in the Name of the Lord, and in the Words of the Apostle, 2 Pet. 3. 14. Give diligence that you may be found of him in Peace; i e. In a State of Reconciliation and Peace with God, having a right Title to the Promise of our Saviour Christ: In the Text, wherein he hath promised to give His Peace to all penitent Believers, such as His Disciples were. But that you may enjoy this Peace, and find the sweetness of it in your own Soul, you must give all diligence by a continual Exercise of a Penitential Faith, both to remove the causes of your Soul trouble, and to get from Jesus Christ the next and immediate Causes of His divine Peace: then your fears and doubts will be overcome, and the peace of God will rule in your hearts (as the Apostle p. 52sayes, Col. 3. 10.) And then shall you find our Saviours Legacy made good to your Soul; that, although you should live in a time when all other peace is taken from the Earth, and you may meet with many tribulations in the World, yet you shall have peace with God; you shall enjoy this inward, spiritual and heavenly peace of Jesus Christ in your own Soul and Conscience, with assurance of it that you shall die in peace, and so enter into everlasting peace and blessedness in another World.

For some help unto this end, I shall endeavour to shew you,

1. What are the Causes of Soul-trouble, and how to remove them.

2. What are the Causes of Soul-peace, and how to procure them.

For the first of these, there are three inward Causes of Soul-trouble.

1. The guilt of sin in the Conscience.

2. The power of corruption in the heart.

3. Guile of Spirit.

p. 53Let all Christians that want an inward settled Peace▪ search their own hearts, and they shall assuredly find these three particulars to be the causes of their trouble, and hindrances of their peace.

1. The first cause of Soul-trouble, is, the guilt of sin lying upon the Conscience, as Rom. 1. last. Knowing the Judgment of God that those that commit such sins are worthy of death. Hence, when a man remembers his former sins wherein there hath been a special vent of Original Sin, that hath left a sad mark and memorandum in the Conscience, and finding the daily stirrings of sinful distempers, and being enlightned to see that the least sinful thought deserves eternal death. Now if a man have not thorowly repented, and got the pardon of all his sins; Conscience will be unquiet and clamorous, and that must needs cause trouble in the soul. As we see in David's case, Psal. 25. 7. Lord remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. A sign that he did remember them, and was troubled about them; and in Psal. 51. he bewails his Blood guiltiness, and other sins: and Job complains, that God did write bitter things against him, and made him to possess the sins of his Youth, Job. 13. 26.

p. 54Quest. Now the Question is, How may the guilt of Sin be removed from the Conscience?

Ans. I answer, Nothing can pacifie an awakened Conscience, but the Application of the infinite value and virtue of the blood of Christ; whereby the Justice of God is satisfied, and his Anger pacified towards us. For the chastisement of our Peace by the blood of his Cross, Col. 1. 20. by which blood of Christ as the only Sacrifice for our sins, the wrath of God is removed from him, and our sins removed from us, in Gods account.

But it is the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus upon our Souls, that brings in a sensible peace in the Conscience of a sinner: This phrase [The sprinkling of the blood of Christ] which you may find in, 1 Pet. 1. 2. & Heb. 12. 24. it relates to those passages in the Old Testament, which were typical of that blood of Christ.

As 1. The Blood of the Passover Lamb, which by Gods appointment was sprinkled on the doors of the houses of the Israelites, that the wrath of God might pass over them, when the Egyptians were destroyed, Exod. 12. 13, 22, 23.

p. 55And 2. The Blood of the Sacrifice sprinkled on the Book of the Covenant, and upon the People, Exod. 24. 8. & Heb. 9, 19, 20.

And 3. The Blood of the Sacrifice sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, making an Attonement for the sins of the Children of Israel, Levit. 16. 15, 16. By all which is meant the the Application of the value and virtue of Christs blood unto us, for the remission of our sins: For without shedding of blood is no remission, Heb. 9. 23. Therefore Christ as the Antitipe, and Truth, and Substance of all the former shadows; He appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, and by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal Redemption for us, Heb. 9. 12. Now the Application of all this to us is done by Faith in the blood of Christ, as the Apostle sheweth, Rom 3. 25. God hath set forth Christ as a propitiation, that through Faith in his Blood, we may receive the Remission of our Sins; for whosoever believeth on him shall receive the forgiveness of sins, Acts 10. 43. And when we receive the forgiveness of our sins then as the Apostle tells us, Heb. 10. 22. Our hearts are sprinkled from an evil Conscience, i. e. from a Conscience witnessing the guilt of our sins to ly upon our Souls, which though p. 56they did before, yet now they do not, for now our very Consciences are purified from our dead works, Heb 9. 14. And so our Consciences come to be pacified, that the same blood of Christ that hath taken away the Wrath of God from him, hath also taken away our sins from us; and then the Conscience is quieted, and peace follows in the Conscience.

Quest. But how should we exercise Faith in the blood of Christ, that the guilt of sin may be removed from the Conscience.

Answ. I answer in three Directions.

1. You must lye down before the Throne of God, confessing your self to be a guilty Sinner, owning the fault and guilt of all your sins, as David, in Psal. 51. 3. I acknowledge my Transgressions, and my Sins are ever before me: so must you acknowledge your sins in particular, what they have been with the aggravations of them, as it follows in verse 4. against thee have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mayst be justified, &c when we come to beg the mercy of God in Christ for the pardon of our sins, we must give him the glory of his Justice, confessing that we are guilty Sinners, that p. 57our destruction is of our selves, that we are unworthy of any mercy, and have deserved death and damnation for our sins, and if the Lord should inflict it, he would be Righteous in so doing.

2. You must confess your sins (not only in a penitent way, but) in a believing way; so as to bring all your sins to Christ Crucified, laying them upon him, and leaving them with him, that the guilt of them may be taken away by him. For the Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all, Isa. 53. 6. and He did bear our Sins on his own body on the Tree, 1 Pet. 2. 24. and 2 Cor. 5. last. He was made Sin for us, i. e. a Sacrifice for Sin; the guilt of our sins was so far imputed to him, as that he offered up himself a Sacrifice to God for our sins, Eph. 5. 2. therefore when we desire the benefit of his death, that we may be Reconciled unto God thereby, and receive the Remission of our sins there from, we must lay and leave our sins upon Christ as Crucified for us, relying wholly upon the Meritorious value and vertue of his blood to take away the guilt of our Sins from us. This we are directed unto by the practice of Aaron, in Levit. 16. 21. He laid his hand upon the head of the Sacrifice, confessing over it the p. 58Sins, iniquities, and Transgressions of the children of Israel, putting them upon the head of the Sacrifice, &c. So must we when we come to seek mercy from God in the forgiveness of our Sins, we must confess our selves to be the guilty sinners, who should our selves suffer the punishment due to our sins, and so to be made a sacrifice to the fire of Gods wrath for ever: but because God hath ordained and accepted Jesus Christ to be the Lamb of God in our stead, and for our good; therefore we confess our sins, putting them upon him and leaving them with him, depending upon him, and trusting wholly unto him to take away our sins.

3. You must pray much, and beg earnestly this mercy from God, that for Christs sake he would pardon your sins; for the Lord forgives our sins only for Christs sake, Eph. 4. last. and for his sake also it is that our persons and prayers are accepted of the Lord, Eph. 1. 16. Gods Justice being satisfied for our sins by the blood of Christ, He doth graciously grant unto us the forgiveness of our sins, whereby we are absolved from the guilt and punishment of them.

But we must obtain the sence and comfort p. 59of this great mercy, by humble and earnest prayer, Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble they have visited thee, they have poured out a prayer when thy Chastisement is upon them; every tittle of the 102. Psalm is a prayer of the afflicted, when He is overwhelmed and poureth out his Complaint before the Lord. If thus in the case of outward afflictions, much more in the case of soul affliction and soul trouble about the guilt of sin. You must pour out your hearts before the Lord, in humble confessions, and importunate supplications, and earnest pleadings with God, as David, Psal. 25. 11. For thy name sake, pardon my sins, for they are great, and as Dan. 9. 17, 18, 19. For thy name sake, for thy mercy sake, and for the Lords sake forgive our sins, and cause thy face to shine upon us, and so in Psa. 51. 8. make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice, and in Psal. 80. four times one after another that request is made, Cause thy face to shine upon us, and turn us unto thee and then we shall be saved; when these and the like Scripture Petitions for the manifestation of … mercy are got into the heart, and dwell in the heart, and frequently arise out of the heart, and are poured out before the Lord in fervent prayer: the God p. 60hearing prayers hath engaged himself by many promises to Answer such Prayers, and to grant such requests. So that we may conclude with confidence, the Lord will speak pardon and peace to his repenting, believing and praying people, as it is in Psal. 65. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, and to his Saints, but let them not return to folly.

2. The second Cause of Soul-trouble, is the Power of Corruption; this is every whit as troublesome as the former; for where Sin Reigns, it Reigneth unto death, Rom. 5. 21. the power of any Corruption predominate in the Soul will bring a man to death and damnation at the last; and this power of Corruption in the soul is called the power of darkness, Colos. 1. 13. there is a soveraign captiving power of Corruption in the Soul, which all the Saints are delivered from, when they are translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God, as the Apostle there speaks: but its long before some of Gods people find themselves delivered from the power of dakness, and long before they find any sensible experience of subduing the power of those Corruptions that have had dominion over them. Hence they have p. 61fallen again and again into the same Sins, and that after they have confessed and bewailed them, after they have prayed and resolved against them, this must needs cause trouble in the Soul: For when a man finds that after all his prayers and endeavours against his Sins, yet they live and are mighty to this day; this makes them cry out with the Psalmist, O thou that hearest prayers, iniquities prevail against me, Psal. 65. 3. and with those in Jer. 14. 7. Our iniquities testifie against us, and our backslidings are many; and though a man be preserved from the out breakings of scandalous sins, yet if he finds the prevailing power of any Corruption in the heart in evil thoughts, vain imaginations, and disorderly affections, with a secret averseness from God, and ready inclinations to evil; I say, experience of such things will cause much trouble in the Soul, and raise doubts and fears, whether a man be right or not, it will make such cry out with Paul, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me, Rom. 7. 34.

Quest. How shall we be delivered from the power of Corruption.

Answ. Nothing can do this, but the Redeeming p. 62power of Christ coming in upon the Soul, He it is made of God Redemption to unto us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. and 1 Cor. 5. 57. thanks be to God that gives us the victory over Sin and Death through our Lord Jesus Christ, and I beseech you mark that expression in the foregoing verse, that the Law is the strength of Sin, the meaning is, the Lord in Justice according to the Covenant of the Law broken by Adams Sin, and by our Sins, hath inflicted this punishment upon Sinners, that because they will be sinful, therefore they shall be so, and be under the power and dominion of their Sins, this is the forest of all Judgments, that because they will have their sins, they shall have them, and have hell with them, as Rom. 1. 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. And Psal. 81. 11, 12. They would not hearken to my voice, they would none of Me (saith God) therefore I gave them up to their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own Counsels. Here is the revenging Justice of God against Sin and Sinners; and hence men are delivered up to the power and authority of Sin and Satan, which take possession of, and have dominion over the Souls of men; for while a man is under the Law sin hath dominion over Him, Rom. 6. 14. and hence, the p. 63power of corruption becomes so strong, as that it is beyond all created power; yea, it is impossible to be delivered from it by men or means.

But now, Jesus Christ, the Lord Redeemer, I say,

1. Christ as Redeemer of his People doth first redeem us by the price of his blood, as 1 Pet. 1. 19. We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, by which he satisfied Divine Justice, and purchased the persons of his Elect, that they should be His, as 1 Cor: 6. last. You are bought with a price.

2. And then in the second place, He redeems us by the power of his Spirit, which is indeed above all the power of Sin and Satan that is in us, Tit. 2. 14. He redeems us from all iniquity, not only from the condemning power, but also from the commanding power of all the Corruptions that are in us: When the Soul receives Christ, he gives a man power to be one of the Sons of God, and therefore power against whatsoever is contrary to their Sonship. Christ gave his Disciples power over unclean Spirits, and when he will send the power of his Spirit into the hearts of his people, then p. 64they find shall themselves delivered from the power of all their Corruptions, and not till then. For its He only that says to the Prisoners go forth, Isa. 42. 7. 49. 9. and where that Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. 32. 17. the Soul is now freed from the bolts and fetters of its Corruptions, so that it is no longer under the power and dominion of them.

Quest. But the great question is, How shall we get the Redeeming power of Christ to come in upon our Souls.

Answ. I answer in three Directions.

1. You must ly down before the Lord, confessing your utter inability ever to get power against your corruptions of your self; and if Christ do it not for you, you are undone for ever. For we can never do it: according to what Christ himself said, Mat. 19. 26. when the young man there mentioned came to Christ, and yet he was under such a strong power of his Corruption, that he neither would nor could part with the world at his Command, nor trust to his Promise for treasure in Heaven; whereupon our Saviour said, With Man it is p. 65impossible, mark it, it is not only difficult, but impossible for a man by any power of his own to disengage his heart from the secret strong Corruptions he finds in himself. Now if you find it so by experience, ly down before the Lord Jesus, and tell him, you have found his words to be true, and tell him what your Corruptions are, and that all the means you have used cannot subdue them, that all your Confessions and Prayers, and Tears, and resolutions, and endeavours have been all in vain, and that we find it impossible; that except the Lord Jesus subdue our Corruptions for us, we shall perish for ever.

2. You must go to Christ, and receive him as Lord Redeemer, that he would be a strong Redeemer unto you, and that we may have the good of his Redemption in our selves, that by the powerful application of his Blood and Spirit, we may find our selves redeemed from all iniquity, and from a vain Conversation, &c. The Redeemer shall come, and he shall turn away ungodliness from you, Rom. 11. 26 and Acts 3. last. He shall bless you by turning every one of you from your iniquities. It is he that must do it by giving us his grace to enable us thereunto. Thou shouldest therefore come and lye down before p. 66the Lord Jesus, and shew him thy sinful Distempers and Corruptions which are too hard for thee, and which thou canst not overcome, and as the Leper said, Mat 8. 2. Lord if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me, so do thou say to him, Lord Jesus if thou wilt, thou canst easily turn my heart from and against my special sins; thou canst loosen my Will and Affections from them, and give me power against them; we should ever believe his Power; and enquire after his will, that he will do this great thing for us, that none can do but He, 1 John 3. 5. it is said, Christ came into the World, to take away our Sins, and verse 8. for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil; thou shouldst shew unto Jesus Christ, what spoyl Satan hath made in thy Soul, and say to him still, O that thou wouldst destroy these works of the Devil in my Soul.

3. Follow the Lord Jesus with Requests and Petitions for the power of his Grace and Spirit to be Communicated unto us, that. He would indeed take away our sins, subdue our iniquities, and enable us to mortify our most secret Corruptions; there are many Scripture Petitions that are upon record for p. 67our direction in this case, as Hos. 14. 12. take with you words turn to the Lord, and say, take away our iniquities, and receive us graciously. So do thou say to him, Lord these and those are the iniquities that have prevailed over me, I cannot put them away, and they will not go away of themselves, do thou take them away from me, take away the guilt of them, that they may not condemn me, and the power of them, that they may not rule over me, and say again with the Psalmist, Psal. 19. 12, 13. Cleanse me from secret, and keep me from presumptuous Sins, let them not have dominion over me, then shall I be upright. And that also in Psal. 119. 133. Order my steps in thy way, and let no iniquity have dominiou over me. As David said, Psal. 63. 8. My Soul follows hard after thee, so our Souls should (as poor Petitioners) follow hard after the Lord with importunate prayers to the God that hears Prayers, that He would grant our Petitions, which if he do, we may have great encouragement from Pauls Example, 2. Cor. 12. 1. to 10. When He was greatly distressed by a thorn in the flesh, and a Messenger of Satan to buffet him, i. e. (as good interpreters conceive) He was vexed with violent stirrings of Corruptions and Temptations, in which case he besought the p. 68Lord often, to be delivered from them; the Answer was from Christ, That his Grace should be sufficient for him, and his Power should rest upon him. Even so, if the Lord help the Soul to make such Requests unto God thro' Christ as Paul did, we shall have the same answer that he had, the Grace of Christ shall be sufficient for us, and his power shall rest upon us, and then by the Power and Grace of Christ we shall be enabled to get such power against all our Corruptions, that they shall not disturb the peace of our Souls.

3. The third and last cause of Soul trouble is Guile of Spirit. Of which David had woful experience, when after He was delivered from it, he said, Psal 32. 2. Blessed is the man whose Spirit there is no guile, David had greatly sinned, and brought guilt upon his Soul, and for some time he did lye under the power of his Corruption, but the worst was, he had a guilefulness of Spirit in him that hindred his Repentance, he was (for a while) not willing to acknowledge his Sin in the exceeding vileness of it, nor to renounce the same so thorowly as true Repentance did require, this prevailing guilfulness of Spirit in him did break the peace p. 69of his Soul as he tells us, verse 3, 4. while he kept silence (from true repentance) the hand of God was heavy upon him day and night his bones were broken, his comfort was gone, and in Psal. 38. 3, 4, 6, 8. there was no soundness in him because of Gods Anger, nor any rest or peace, because of his Sin, he was troubled and bowed down, and mourned all the day long, by reason of the disquietness of his heart, v. 8. And so it will be with any Soul under the prevailings of a guileful Spirit.

This guilfulness of Spirit may be known by such marks as these, when a man hath a slight esteem of some sins, looking upon them as small matters, or sins of infirmity, that he need not trouble himself much about them; when there is a secret hiding and excusing a mans sins, also when a man tollerates himself in the secret workings of any Corruption in his heart, with sinful musings and some delight therein, and though it may be he doth oppose them, yet it is but faintly. Also when there is a secret willingness in the Soul to have Corruption gratified and satisfied, rather than mortified and destroyed, and though a man … against his Sins, yet there is a secret unwillingness in the Soul that God should hear p. 70a mans prayers, and take away a mans Sins wholly and thorougly, so as utterly to destroy them. In all these (and such like) there is an evidence of guile of Spirit and Treachery of heart in our dealings with God; which cannot choose but break the peace of the Soul. For such a one regards iniquity in his heart, there (is at least) a truce with Sin, and then God is at war with the Soul, and it is certain, a prevalling deceitfulness of the heart, spoyls a mans Repentance, Faith and Prayers and all, and if there be any thing of grace in the heart, it is so darkned that a man cannot see it in himself because as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my prayers, and then he will not pardon a mans Sins, nor subdue his iniquities, nor speak peace to him:

And therefore the Question is,

Quest. How may this Guile of Spirit be expelled? how may the spirit of a man be cleared and cleansed from it?

Ans. Nothing can do this but the truth and power of the Grace of Christ prevailing in p. 71the Soul; this was Davids meaning, Psal. 51. 6. Thou lovest truth in the inward parts, and thou soalt make me know wisdom in the hidden man of the heart; and thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, Psal. 110. 3. when the truth and power of the Grace of Christ comes into the heart, and is settled therein; there will then be a discovery of all the secret iniquities of the heart, and withal a real conflict against them, with an irreconcilable hatred against them, and seeking the destruction of them: and because we cannot attain to that, but sin and corruption will have its being and working in the Soul still, therefore the truth of Grace in the soul keeps up the conflict full, that no sin shall have any peaceable profession in the Soul, Gal. 5. 17. and because we cannot help our selves against our sins, there is a real willingness that Christ should help us, and do that for us that we cannot do for our selves; now here is truth in the inward parts; then shall we be able to say, as Paul did, Rom. 7. 15, & 19. These and those corruptions I find stirring in me, are the evils that I would not, I allow them not, I hate them, I would not have them live, nor to have any being in my Soul. And the Apostle saying, of himself, ver. 18. To will is present with me. And our p. 72Saviour saying of his Disciples, Mat. 26. 41: The spirit is willing though the flesh is weak; it shews that the truth of Grace lies in a real willingness to part with a mans sins, and to have Christ and his Grace in the room of them, when the Soul sayes (and that truly) I cannot destroy these and those Corruptions, yet I am willing that Christ should do it for me; this willingness is a sign of some truth of Grace in the heart. And altho' there will be still the relicks of sin for the exercise of Grace, yet there will be no prevailing guile; such a one will be like Davids blessed man, and like unto Nathaniel, of whom our Saviour said, John 1. 47. Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile, i. e. no prevailing guile.

But then the main Question is;

Quest. How shall we get this Truth and power of a gracious willingness in our hearts?

I Answer,

Ans. 1. By a free and full Confession, not only of our special Corruptions, but of all the guile of Spirit and deceitfulness of the heart which we find in our selves about our sins, and a thorow acknowledgment of the p. 73corruption of our wills, for there lies the malignity and venom of our sins. David was brought to this at last, Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin to thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid; I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sins. If the Lord help the Soul to this humble and thorow acknowledgment of his special sins, and guilefulness of spirit, without any hiding or excusing, but with aggravating a mans sins, just as they are in themselves, and all this with a heart broken for and from sin; such a one shall have experience of the same effect as David had; the Lord will forgive the iniquity of our sins. And it is a certain truth if we would judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord, 1 Cor. 11. 31.

2. You must come to Christ for Truth and since my of heart from him; we must exercise Faith in Jesus Christ, that we may receive Truth in the inward parts from him. For He is Holy and true, Rev. 2. 17. He is full of Grace and Truth, John 1. 14. He is the way the truth and the life to us, Joh. 14. 6. therefore we should be alwayes coming to him, closing with him, and cleaving to him, that He by His Word and Spirit of Truth may communicate p. 74the Truth to us that it may dwell in us, and that we may be made sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. It is certain, that our own …, and false-heartedness would destroy us if we should be left unto it; but when we see it and confess it unto God against our selves, and cry out, O the guile of Spirit that is in met and then come to Christ for this end, that the same truth that is in him may be in us; then He will make and keep us true and faithful to God in the great concernments of our Souls, and we should especially close with Christ for the truth of Grace in our wills, that it may be the day of his power upon us and in us, and keep us amongst the number of His willing people, Psal. 110. 3. it may be His good pleasure to work in us to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. there is nothing wherein a mans heart may more easily and dangerously deceive him, than in this thing, that a man is willing to part with his sins, when he is not; for the will is more corrupt than any faculty, of the Soul, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, there is no hope of it, Jer. 179. when you confess your sins and pray, and resolve, and watch against them, and thereupon think you are willing to part with them; remember even then p. 75when you find your heart in the best frame; He that trusts his own heart is a fool, Prov. 28. 26. stay but a while and observe your self in times and cases of trial, and you will find many contrary frames of spirit, and much unwillingness to that which is good, and willingness to that which is evil; when you find it thus, fall down before the Lord, and tell him that you are so, and can be no otherwise of your self, but you bring your heart to him as it is, that it may be the good pleasure of His will, to work in you to will and to do.

3. Get and keep your heart full of Scripture Petitions, for truth and sincerity of heart. There are many of these, I shall mention some of them, Psal. 25. 4, 5. Shew me thy wayes, teach me, and lead me in thy truth, Psal. 86. 11. Unite my heart to fear thy name, that I may walk in thy truth; & Psal. 26. 2. & 139. ult. Examine me O Lord, Starch my heart, and see if there be any way of wickedness in me. O discover it to me, deliver me from it, and give me power against it: when such petitions as these are wrought into the very frame of the heart, when they dwell in the heart, and frequently arise out of the heart, that a man is habitually prayerful p. 76and careful about sincerity and Truth in all his wayes; this will gradually clear and cleanse the Soul from all prevailing guile of Spirit, and then it will not trouble the peace of the Soul.

Having done with the first thing propounded. viz. Shewing you the Causes of Soul-trouble, and how to remove them: I proceed unto the second, and that is, to shew you what are the next and immediate Causes of Soul Peace, and how to procure them.

Now the true Causes of that inward heavenly Divine Peace, which our Saviour Christ gives unto His; are these three.

1. The Righteousness of Christ made ours in our Justification.

2. The Grace of Christ communicated to us in our Sanctification.

3. The Spirit of Adoption, divelling in us as our Comforter.

There must be a concurrence of these three Causes in producing and settling the Peace of our Saviour Christ in the Souls of all penitent Believers.

p. 77For the first of these;

1. The first Cause of Soul peace is, The righteousness of Christ made ours in our Justification, as Rom. 5. 1. Being Justified by Faith we have peace with God. For the righteous God loveth righteousness, and hateth iniquity, Psal. 11. 7. Therefore we must have a Righteousness that is every way satisfactory to the righteous Nature and Law of God, or else we cannot have peace from God. And because we have no such Righteousness of our own, therefore we must have the Righteousness of Christ to be made ours: For it is Christ alone who hath wrought out, and brought in everlasting righteousness for the use and good of all that believe in him, Dan. 9. 24. He is made of God Righteousness unto us, and He was make sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, not in our selves, but in him, 2 Cor. 5. last. When therefore we have obtained this Righteousness of Christ to be ours, then we are accepted as righteous before God; and so being justified, we have peace with God, being under the influence of the love and favour of God, then shall we find the truth of that by experience, that the Kingdom of Christ in p. 78us, is Righteouss, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. and that also in Isai. 32. 17. the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the Effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.

Quest. But how may this Righteousness of Christ be made ours?

Answ. By Faith in Jesus Christ accepting Gods gracious imputing and accounting Christs Righteousness unto us. Now it is observable in the fourth chapter of Romans this Imputation of Righteousness is mentioned no less then ten times in that one chapter; and it is exemplifyed in the two instances of Abraham and David, as verse 3. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness, and verse 6, 7, 8. As David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works; saying, blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin. Now this is written for our sakes to whom the same Righteousness shall be imputed also, if we believe with a Penitential and Obediential Faith as Abraham and David did, as the Apostle argues, p. 79vers. 14. then shall we come to have the sense and comfort of the Lords not imputing our sins, but imputing righteousness unto us for Christs sake, and this will settle a divine peace in our Souls as it was with David in Psal: 32. the effect of this Righteousness, will be quietness, peace and assurance for ever, as in that Isa. 32. 17.

Quest. But how should we exercise Faith in Christ and his Righteousness, that we may find this blessed peace in our selves.

Answ. By a threefold act of Faith.

1. By denying our selves, and renouncing all concert of any righteousness of our own, as Paul said, Phil. 3. 9. Not having my own righteousness, he renounceth that, and Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, he throws them all away, as of no worth, of no use in the matter of our Justification before God: alwayes acknowledging our own sinfulness, guiltiness, unworthiness, and unrighteousness in the sight of God; saying as the Church does, Isa. 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our Righteousness are as filthy rags before thee. Alas they are so far from covering the nakedness, p. 80that they increase the filthiness of our souls, they are an abomination to the holy God and should be as dung unto our selves, Phi. 3. 1. our confessions and pravers, and tears, and resolutions, and reformations, and all our duties of every kind, being all polluted with Sin, should be always abhorred by us, not having the least relyance upon any thing we have, are, or can do as the matter of our righteousness before God.

2. As we must thus renounce our own righteousness, so we must Accept and receive Christ and his Righteousness, as given, to us of God for this end, that we may be justified in his sight, for this is very observable; that Christ and his righteousness, is in the fifth Chapter to the Romans, and five times together called, either the gift of God, or the gift of Grace, or the free gift, as you may see in ver. 15, 16, 17, 18. and ver. 19. by his Obedience we are made righteous. That is, Jesus Christ having performed all that active and passive Obedience, which was necessary on our behalf, God accepted of it, and gives it by Imputation to all penitent Believers for their use & good in the matter of our Justification before God: Only as its given p. 81on Gods part, so it must be received on our part (for giving and receiving are Relatives, that one cannot be without the other) if it be not received, it is but a meer offer; therefore I say it must be received on our part, and so says the Apostle, Rom. 5. 11. We have received the Atonement through Jesus Christ, and verse 17. We receive the gift of righteousness by Jesus Christ.

Here then lyes the great work of Faith, in causing the Soul to go out of it self to Jesus Christ, accepting of him, and receiving him and his Righteousness as the gift of Gods free Grace for our Justification and Salvation. For He is made of God righteousness unto us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. and He is the Lord our Righteousness, Jer. 23. 6. therefore it is the Person of Christ himself, cloathed with the Office of our Mediator, which is the first object of our 'Faith, that must be received by us; For that Righteousness whereby we must be justified, it was performed by him, and is inherent in him; His active and passive Obedience was a transient thing accomplished by him in the fulness of time, but the infinite worthiness, value, and virtue of that Obedience of his is permanent for ever, and inherent in the person of our Lord p. 82Jesus Christ; therefore our great business is, by an unfeigned Faith, and with a sincere heart to receive Christ himself as he is offered in the Gospel; for then Christ becomes ours and we are his, and his righteousness is ours for our Justification in the sight of God. And this was the reason of that most significant expression of the Apostle which is as it were the Motto of every sincere Christian, Phil. 3. 8, 9. That I may win Christ, and be found in him, having his Righteousness, &c.

3. We must not only receive, but continually make use of Christ and his Righteousness; and this was part of Pauls meaning in that forementioned expression; that I may be found in Christ, not only found in Christ at the day of Judgment, but every day of our lives, and in all the actions of our whole Conversation; especially in all our Addresses to God in all our prayers, and all acts of divine worship; that we may appear before God, not in our own, but in the Righteousness of Christ, being covered and cloathed with it as with a Garment, our own filthy garment being taken from us, the long and large Robe of Christs Righteousness being put upon us, as in Zech. 3. 4, 5. by this means alone we shall find our sins covered and pardoned, p. 83our persons accepted, and our prayers heard in heaven, and all for the sake of Christ and his Righteousness made ours. So likewise when we observe our many sins and failings in our daily course, and in our holy duties, that there is a mixture of sinning in our believing, and repenting, and praying, and in all that we do: Yet still have recourse to Jesus Christ the Righteous One, as our Advocate with the Father, and the Propitiation for our sins, 1 John 2. 1, 2. finding it sensibly and feelingly by our own experience every day of our lives, that our own righteousness is but filthy rags, but Christ and his Righteousness is that only Foundation that we rest upon, for pardon, and peace, and acceptation with God.

2. The Second Cause of our Peace con: current with the former, is the grace of Christ communicated to us in our Sanctification; this is included in that Apostolical Salutation and Benediction so often used by Paul in his Epistles to the Churches; Grace and Peace unto you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, wherein he wishes and prays for Grace as the cause of peace, and peace as the effect of Grace; 'tis true indeed, grace in its latitude comprehends the p. 84the effects of the free favour of God in Christ, but in a special manner that work of grace in us whereby we are sanctified and qualifyed with inherent holiness dwelling in us, as Heb. 13. 9. It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, and 2 Pet. 3. last. we are exhorted to grow in grace. Hence it is Christ is said to be made of God sanctification unto us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made Righteousness to us, by the imputation of his own Righteousness to us for our Justification; but is made Sanctification to us, by the Communication of some kind of grace and holiness to us, that is in himself: both are necessary as con current causes of that peace which Christ gives unto His, for that is the only true peace which ariseth from the being and the seeing of the work of sanctifying grace dwelling in our hearts, and expressed in our lives, as that proper effect of our Justification.

Quest. How may we get this grace of Sanctification?

Answ. By Faith in Jesus Christ, for as we are justified by Faith, so we are sanctified by Faith, Acts 26. 18. amongst them which are sanctified by Faith which are in me; for the fulness of all sanctifying grace is in the man p. 85Christ, He is the first subject of all grace since the Fall of Man, John 1. 14. He is full of grace and truth, and verse 16. from his fulness have all we received grace for grace, there is a fulness of all kinds, and of all degrees of grace in him, for this end that He may communicate the same to us, and we may receive it from him.

Quest. But how shall we exercise Faith in Christ, that we may receive it from him.

Answ. 1. Be always humbled under the sense of the great evil and danger of the corruption of nature that is in us; that we are naturally empty of grace, and full of Sin, as Paul complained of it, Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me, that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing, and Eccles. 9. 3. the heart of man is full of evil; there is not only a privation of that goodness that should be in the faculties of our Souls, but a succession of the contrary vitious qualities that indispose us to good, and encline us unto evil; and there are in all some natural habitual corruptions wherein Original Sin vents it self more than in others, and when God hath made a man to know himself, he will find this true in his own Soul, it must and will be perpetual matter p. 86of Humiliation and Mortification to us all our days, even as Paul complained of it, Rom. 7. 24. O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin and Death.

3. Be always going out of our selves to Jesus Christ, receiving him and closing with him for this end, that we may receive grace and holiness from that fulness of grace that is in him. For John 1. 16. From his fulness we receive grace for grace, implying that Christ out of his own fulness gives unto all true believers, the very same kind of grace and holiness that is in himself in that manner and measure as he sees fit; for unto every one of you is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Eph. 4. 7. and that even the particular graces of Sanctification, such as humility, sincerity, meekness, the fear of God, love to God above all, and love to our brethren, are given out from himself unto us, and that we are made partakers of these in a way of receiving. Here then lyes the great work of a Christian in the sense of our want of grace in our selves, and need of grace from Christ, we should exercise Faith in him, bringing our Souls to him, and leaving them p. 87with him, as empty vessels, to receive from him all those graces that are any ways needful to our Salvation. And then,

3. We must make Conscience of a continual acting of the graces of Sanctification in the whole course of our lives; and this both in the way of Mortification, opposing the stirrings of any Corruption, not suffering the least Sin to have any peaceable possession in our Souls, Rom. 8 13. and also in the way of active and passive Obedience to the whole will of God; that we may please God, and live to God, in observing his rules and aiming at his ends in all. So as we may glorify God, and enjoy him both here, and for-ever in another world, as our last end, and chief good, wherein our true blessedness stands, Rim. 6. 11. reckon yourselves dead unto Sin, but alive unto God, and Gal. … 19. that I may live unto God. This is certain, the grace of Sanctification is the principle of our Spiritual Life received from Christ, whereby we are enabled to live unto God; the habit of grace is for the act of it; and life is for life actions, therefore by the Activity of the grace of Christ in us, we come to discern it, as the Apostle speaks of himself, 2 Cor. 1. 12. this is our rejoycing, p. 88the testimony of our Conscience, that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity we have our Conversaion in the world by the grace of God, and so by discerning the grace of Christ in our selves, we come to have peace also, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. The third Cause of true Peace in us: the Spirit of Adoption:

For this Divine Peace which Christ gives unto His, is the very same which is called Peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14. 17. because the Holy Ghost sent down from the Father, and the Son is the immediate worker of it in the hearts of the faithful, and therefore at the same time, when our Saviour made this promise of Peace to his Disciples, He promised to send unto them the Holy Spirit, the Comforter to dwell in them, and to abide with them for ever, as in ver. 16, 27, 29. of this Chapter. And for the same reason, the Apostle sayes unto Believers, Rom. 8. 15, 16. You have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father, ehe Spirit himself bearing witness with our Spirits, that we are the Children of God. The same Spirit, who as a Spirit of bondage works Humiliation, and p. 89as a Spirit of Faith, works Faith in us to receive Christ, and keeps the Soul at work in making our peace with God, by a continual exercise of Faith and Repentance: it is the same spirit that (after believing) becomes a Spirit of Adoption, causing us to discern the gracious work He hath wrought in us, and so witnesseth with our spirits sanctifyed, that we are not only in a state of Reconciliation and Peace with God, but in a state of adoption and Sonship, that we are not only the Friends but the children of God, and that He is our God and Father in Christ. In which way of the Spirits witnessing with our Spirits, He lets in the sense and sweetness of the love of God in Christ into our souls, whereby our peace is established, and our souls are comforted in that manner and measure as He sees fit, Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given to us, and Gal. 5. 22. The fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, and Peace, &c.

Quest. How may we obtain the Spirit of Adoption?

Ans. By Faith in Jesus Christ, Eph. 1. 13. After ye believed in Christ, ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise, i. e. the Spirit promised p. 90by our Saviour in this 14th of John, to be sent as a Comforter to dwell in the souls of true Believers. For the regenerating work of the spirit causing the Soul to believe in Christ, and receive him as our Lord and Saviour; this goes before Faith, and is the efficient cause of the grace of Faith in us, as John 3. 5. & 1. 12, 13. but after the Souls beleiving and living in the exercise of Faith on Christ, the Lord fulfills this promise in his own good time and way, and gives his Spirit as a Comforter, and so we come to be acquainted with the witnessing, sealing, and comforting work of his holy Spirit, for the establishing of our peace.

Quest. How should we exercise our Faith in Christ, for the obtaining of the Spirit of Adoption?

I Answer in three Directions:

Ans. 1. By humbling our selves for our many sins against the Spirit of God. For though Gods Elect are preserved, so as never to fall into that unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost; yet alas, there are many other sins against the Spirit, which those that are true Believers (for the main) are too often p. 91guilty of, which greatly obstruct the consolations of the Holy Ghost. For the Spirit of God and Christ, is the immediate worker of all Grace or Peace in our Souls; Hence, when we grieve the Spirit by doing that which is contrary to his will: and when we quench the Spirit in his holy Motions in our Souls; this causeth the withdrawing of his witnessing and comforting operations in our hearts; and therefore the Apostle gives that direction, Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby you are sealed unto the day of Redemption, Eph. 4. 30. and Quench not the Spirit, 1 Thess 5. 19. And therefore we should observe all the times and cases wherein we have grieved and quenched the Holy Spirit: we should mourn and grieve with godly sorrow for the same, begging pardon in the blood of Christ for our sins, against the Spirit, as well as any other sins.

2. Pray much for the Spirit of God to be sent from the Father and the Son, as the Spirit of Adoption, and as our Comforter, according to the promise made, and so often repeated by our Saviour, in his last and dying words, as Job. 14. 16. I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; and ver. 17, 26. p. 92& Chap. 15. 26. I will send unto you from the Father, the spirit of truth, the Comforter: and to the same purpose again, in Joh. 16. 7, 8, &c. We should not let these promises lie by unimproved; but exercise Faith in Christ the Maker of them, believing the truth and reality of them as the true savings of God and trusting to his ability and fidelity for the performance of them; we should pray and plead with him to make them good unto out Souls. We should ask the Father daily in the name of Christ, that he would make us acquainted with the witnessing, sealing and comforting work of his Holy Spirit: and put our blessed Saviour in mind of these promises of his; and what need we have of the performance of them on his part, and that without the immediate work of the Spirit of Adoption, as our Comforter, we cannot enjoy the good of that Legacy of his Peace, which he hath left unto us. Our Lord Jesus, hath given us great encouragement that our prayers for the gift of his Holy Spirit shall not be in vain, Luk. 11. 12. If ye that are evil know how to give good gifts to your Children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit unto them that ask him:

p. 933. Learn we to maintain communion and fellowship with the Holy Ghost. We read of the fellowship of the Spirit, Phil. 2. 1. and the communion of the Holy Ghost, 2. Cor. 13, 14. which doth imply, that as there is a communication of any degree of Grace and Peace unto us from the Spirit of God on his part, so there should be suitable returns on our part; which is expressed in those Phrases of our living in the Spirit, Gal. 5. 25. and walking after the Spirit, Rom. 8. 2. & 14. that is now; by our continual beleiving in, and trusting to the Spirit, as our sanctifier and comforter; by giving divine Worship to the Holy Ghost, together with the Father and the Son; by waiting for the breathings of the Spirit in every Ordinance of the Gospel; also by yielding Obedience to his holy Motions in, and by his Word, and in a continual exercise of the Graces of the Spirit in our daily course. Now in this way of keeping our communion with the holy Spirit, we shall be preserved from grieving his Person, and quenching his operations; and by this means we shall grow to be spiritually minded, and so we shall have life and peace, as the Apostle tells us, Rom. 8. 6. For to be spiritually minded is life and peace: and then He will not fail to make us acquainted with his witnessing, p. 94sealing and comforting work in our Souls whereby we shall have peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, as Rom. 14. 17. nay, this is the way to be filled with all joy and peace in believing, and to abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as the Apostle tells us, Rom. 15. 13.

And so I have done with the second Exhortation and Direction; shewing how the causes of Soul-trouble may be removed, and how the causes of Soul-peace may be procured and settled in our selves. What remains but that we be diligent in the practise of the forenamed Directions, which do shew unto us the way of peace revealed in the Gospel of Peace.

I proceed now to a third Exhortation.

3. To all penitent obedient Believers such as Christs Disciples were, to whom the peace of Christ belongs: You are to be Exhorted to accept of this divine peace, as the Legacy of Jesus Christ given unto you. For so we are to look upon these words in the Text, [Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you] as the Legacy given by our Saviour Christ in his last Will and Testament, the night before he died.

p. 95And therefore it is the unquestionable duty of all the faithful with all thankfulness to receive this gift of Christs peace as worthy of all acceptation, containing deliverance from all real evil, and the summe of all saving good, in the enjoyment of which we shall be truly blessed, both here and for ever in another world. And for this end you must do as those that have a rich Legacy bequeathed to them, if they meet with any difficulty they put their case in Suit, they sue for their own at the Court, and they do these three things,

1. They prove their Title to such a Legacy.

2. They plead for the possession of it.

3. They wait upon the business until they obtain it.

So must you and I if we are in good earnest for this Divine Peace, we must apply our selves to the Throne of Grace, and sue for it in the Court of Heaven.

1. And first, we must prove our Title to p. 96it, that we are the very persons intended by our Saviour Christ in the gift and grant of his Peace, i. e. that we are indeed true penitent believers, such as Christs Disciples were, to whom his Promise in the Text, was immediately made, as Gal. 6. 7. Let every man prove his own work, i. e. the work of saving grace which God hath wrought in his heart, aud then shall He have rejoycing is himself, i. e. he shall have matter and cause of rejoycing arising from the sight and sense of saving grace in his own Soul, and consequently that He is a true Disciple of Christ, a sincere penitent Obedient Believer, according to the Gospel of Peace, and therefore that the peace of Jesus Christ doth belong to him.

Here then we see the benefit of Self-Examination, and the great need of the Spirits Assistance therein, to help us in discerning the infallible signs of Faith and Repentance in our selves; and so from Conscience and Experience, to conclude that we have a just and right title to the peace of Christ and all the good contained therein. For we know that we are of God, 1 John 5. 19. and this is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience, that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity we have p. 97our Conversation in the world by the grace of God, 2 Cor. 1. 12. And the Spirit himself witnesseth with our Spirits, that we are the children of God.

2. We must plead for the Possession and Fruition of this Peace; I say, we must plead for this at the Throne of Grace, that this inward spiritual and heavenly peace, may be given into our hearts, that we may find and feel the sweet and good of it in our own Souls.

For if the condition of the promise be wrought in us, then the spiritual good of the promise belongs to us, and then we may and ought to lay claim to it as our own, and plead for the sensible communication of it unto our selves; and that by a vigorous exercise of faith in fervent prayer, as the Psalmist did, in Psal. 143. 1. Hear my prayer O Lord, and give ear to my Supplication, in thy faithfulness answer me and in thy Righteousness, and verse 6. I stretch forth my hands to thee, my Soul thirsteth for thee as the thirsty land, and verse 7. Hear me speedily O Lord, my spirit faileth, hide not thy face from me, cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning, and for thy Name sake quicken me; &c. p. 98In this way of pleading with the Lord we shall be sure to obtain, because He hath engaged himself in his faithfulness, Psal. 83. 33. I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail and therefore blessed are these that believe, for there shall be performance of those things that are promised by the Lord, Luke 1. 45.

3. Unto our pleading we must add waiting upon the Lord Jesus, until our Souls be satisfied with the good promise, i. e. until we do sensibly enjoy this divine and heavenly peace in our selves. Thus our Saviour after He had made this promise of Peace to his Disciples, and after He was dead and risen again, a little before He ascended into Heaven, He commanded them to wait for the Promise of the Spirit which (saith he) you have heard of me, Acts 1. 4. which relates to the Promise of sending the Spirit as a Comforter to fill their hearts with comfort peace and joy which he often repeated in the 14th, 15th, 26th. Chapter of John. Now at his parting from them by his Ascension to Heaven, He commanded them to wait for the performance of this Promise. Accordingly it is said, verse 14. they continued together with one accord in Prayer and Supplication; and the issue was, that after some p. 99time of waiting in that way, they were filled with the Holy Ghost, Acts 25. which though it includes something extraordinary and peculiar to the Apostles, yet it certainly intends the pouring out of the Spirit of God promised to all believers, verse 16. to 22. the immediate effect of which was they were filled with joy and peace in believing by the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom. 15. 13. and therefore this is affirmed not only of the Apostles, but of the generality of the Primitive Christians of those times, they walked in the Fear of God, and in the Comforts of the holy Ghost, Acts 9. 31.

So that we are clearly directed to take the same course that they did, viz. to wait upon the Lord Jesus in the way of his Commandments and Ordinances, both publick and private, and to continue in believing, and pleading with him, in a patient and earnest expectation of the fulfilling of his promises of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, which He will undoubtedly perform.

1. For our Lord Jesus Christ lives in the Heavens to be the executor of his own Will, and to see that his Legacy of peace be given to all those that come to him, plead p. 100with him, and wait upon him for the same.

2. It is with him to Create this Peace, Isa. 57. 19. as in the first Creation God said, let there be light, and it was so, even so when he please He can say to any penitent believing Soul, let there be peace in that Soul, and it shall be so.

He can easily bless either Publick Ministry, or Private Counsel, or the word read remembred and meditated on to be a means of sending home to the hearts of his people that inward and spiritual peace by the holy Spirit the Comforter as shall make their Souls rejoice and be glad all their days.

3. And as He can, so he will do this for all his people sooner or later, in some degree or other, Psal. 85. 8. The Lord will speak peace to his people, to illustrate this by one remarkable instance, Luke 7. verse 37, to 48. there was a Woman in the City that was a Sinner, i. e. a notorious and scandalous Sinner; she came to Christ with her eyes full of tears, and her heart full of sorrow, in a repenting, and mourning way for her many Sins, she comes also in a believing way with her heart p. 101full of Supplications for the forgiveness of her Sins, and for peace with God through Christ; she came also in a way of love to Jesus Christ, her whole behaviour did speak in the language of the Spouse to Christ, O thou whom my Soul loves! and so she lyes down at his feet for a gracious answer. What the issue was may be seen in verse 48. and 50, our blessed Saviour said unto the Woman; Thy sins are forgiven thee, thy Faith hath saved thee, go in peace; and no doubt but it was a creating word, filling her Soul with peace and joy, by the power of his Spirit which He gave unto her as her Comforter to abide with her for ever.

Object. Now if any doubting, sincere heart shall say, Ay, if I could but hear such a word from Christ himself, speaking peace to me, (as that woman did) that would satisfie my soul indeed.

To which I answer,

Answ. Whatsoever thou art that hast such thoughts, let me tell thee in the Name of Christ, and from the Word of God; that if thou hast the same kind of Repentance, and Faith in Christ, and love to him, and p. 102waiting upon him, as was in Her, then thou shouldst accept of those words of our Saviour as spoken to thee as well as to Her: thy Sins are forgiven thee, as well as hers, and he bids thee go in peace, and enjoy his peace, both here and for ever in another world.

Object But how shall I know that I have the same kind of Faith and Repentance that was in her; for Christ himself told her so, when he said, (thy Faith hath saved thee) but alas, I am often doubting and fearing least I should be mistaken in that.

To which I answer.

Answ. Christ hath promised his Spirit with his word to supply the place of his bodily absence, nay, to be better to his Disciples than his bodily presence, (as divers times in these Chapters of the 14, 15, 16th of John) when therefore the Lord Jesus shall please to send his Spirit of Truth as a Comfortor to thy Soul, He will by the Word let in such a light of discovery, shewing thee both the truth of his grace in thy heart, and of his peace belonging to thee; that thou shalt feel the condition of the promise wrought in thee, and find the p. 103Spiritual good of the promise given in to thy Soul; that thou shalt be as well satisfied, and thy peace established, as if thou hadst heard the Man Christ Jesus speaking peace to thee as that Woman did.

Here therefore lyes our great work, to be alwayes repenting, believing, and praying, and waiting on the Lord in his own way, and then be assured of it, the Lord will speak peace to his people, though in desertion he withdraw, and for the tryal and exercise of our graces He may delay, yet for the thing it self [forgiveness of sins and peace to the penitent believer] it is most sure, that sooner or later they shall enjoy it, in such a manner and measure as shall be sufficient for our Consolation here, and Salvation for ever, Psal. 37. 37. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace; For Lam. 3. 25. The Lord is good to the Soul that seeks him, and waits upon him; Isa. 30. 18. The Lord waits to be gracious, blessed are those that wait for him. I conclude this with Isa 64. 4. compared with 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive, what things, what Peace, and Joy and Comfort both here and for ever p. 104God hath prepared for those that love him, and wait for him.

Exhortation 4. The last Exhortation is to all that enjoy this Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ in their own Souls; you are to be exhorted to improve it as a sufficient remedy against the troubles and fears of the World. For so it is intended by our Saviour Christ, therefore after he had said to his Disciples, My peace I give unto you, he presently adds, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid; as if he should have said, you shall find my Peace in your Souls, to be a soverain Cordial to remove the troubles of your hearts, and to preserve you from the venom and poyson of the troublesome and formidable things of the World, that they get not into your hearts: and so the Apostle informs us, Phil. 4. 7. That the Peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your minds and hearts in Christ Jesus; where the Peace which Christ gives unto his, is commended unto us in a four fold respect:

1. In regard of the excellent nature and virtue of it in himself, being the Peace of God, a divine, spiritual and heavenly peace, which passeth all understanding, i. e. it cannot p. 105be fully, either understood or expressed by us, until we come to Heaven.

2. In regard of the excellent effect of it in us; it supplies the place of a strong Garison (as the Greek word signifies) to keep the principal Forts of the Soul from being surprized or annoyed, either from insurrection from within, or by Invasion from without.

3. In respect of the parts of the Soul, which are kept by this peace of God, they are the heart and mind; by heart is meant the Will and affections, and by the mind, the power of thinking and understanding: For this divine peace doth so fill the heart with joy and comfort in believing, that it keeps it from heart-aking, and heart-vexing griefs and fears; it also fills the mind with the apprehension of God's love and favour, keeping out the dominion of doubting and distrustful thoughts, that the Soul is at rest; it rests secure in God, as the Psalmist said, Return unto thy rest O my Soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountiful with me, Psal. 116. 7. And

4. In regard of the strength of this divine peace, whereby it keeps our minds and p. 106hearts, it is impregnable; for it is derived from the Grace and Strength of Christ, therefore it is said, it shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, i. e. through the power of Christs spirit which he hath promised to give unto his People as their Keeper and Comforter, to dwell in them, and abide with them for ever.

And therefore in a way of subserviency to that comforting work of his Spirit, the Lord hath commanded his Ministers to comfort his people, Isai. 40. 1, 2. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, speak ye comfortably to my People, tell them their warfare is accomplished, their sins are pardoned, &c. He hath also commanded his people to comfort themselves and one another with his gracious promises which contain that sovereign good which is able to preserve our souls in peace and comfort in the midst of the worst things we may meet with on this side Heaven, 1 Thess. 4. 18. Comfort ye one another with these words. What remains then, but that all penitent Believers, who have obtained this divine peace, and do enjoy it as our Saviours Legacy; we should comfort our selves in his grace and peace, and improve it unto this end for which he gives it; which he signifieth in these words p. 107[Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid] which is intended by our Saviour, not only as a word of command or direction but as a word of comfort and encouragement. Our Saviour did well know that his Disciples in the World should meet with many things that would be matter of trouble and fear; and through their own weakness their hearts would be subject to be too much troubled and afraid: therefore he would have us so to exercise Faith in himself and his promises, that our comfort, peace and joy may outbid and prevail over all our troubles and fears, as he said in John 15. 11. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. That this end may be attained, let me shew you the comforts which this Doctrine affords.

1. Against the troublesome, And

2. Against the formidable things of the World. For so they are distinguished by our Saviour in the Text.

1. Let not your heart be troubled.

Now the things which cause trouble to the hearts of the Saints while they are in this p. 108World, may be referred to three Heads, viz. the trouble that arises;

1. From Indwelling Sin.

2. From the tribulations of the World,

3. From the Churches troubles.

Let me speak something shortly and particularly to these;

1. The trouble that ariseth to the Saints from the spiritual conflict they are engaged in against indwelling sin: for no sooner is the Soul at peace with God but it is at war with sin, For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these two are contrary, Gal. 5. 17. there is both Grace and Corruption in a regenerate man, and such a contrariety between these, that the spirit of Grace in the Soul is alwayes opposing the motions of sin that are stirring in the Soul, and seeking the destruction of them. Hence no small trouble ariseth to the Saints from this conflict, which they find in themselves, both how to manage it, and how to get a victory over their corruptions; as we may p. 109see in Paul Rom. 7. where he bitterly complains of it, that Sin was present with him, and dwelt in him, and that he found the law of Sin alwayes warring against the law of his mind, verse 20, 21. and 23: whence he cries out as in distress and trouble of Spirit, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of Sin and Death, verse 24. And there are none of all the Saints but have experience of the same conflict in themselves; yet here is comfort against this trouble in three respects.

1. That an irreconcilable enmity against Indwelling Sin, is one of the clearest evidences of our peace with God, that when we observe any secret Corruption stirring in our hearts, we presently say as Paul did, Rom. 7. 13. I allow them not, I hate them, and verse 19. They are the evil that I would not; when we dare not entertain any terms of agreement, or any time of truce, but with a lively quick hatred, we seek for the destruction and not being of our most secret Sins; and then, not only cleaning our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, but aiming at, and seeking of the perfection of holiness, 2. Cor. 7. 1. this is an infallible sign that our Souls are garrisoned with the peace p. 110of God keeping our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus, as good and faithful Souldiers unto him.

2. That we have and shall have the Assistance of Jesus Christ, and supply of his Spirit in maintaining this War to the last. Christ as the Captain of our Salvation has made many gracious promises of help in our times of need, Heb. 4. 15, 16. and we have assurance given us, that we shall be more than conquerers at last through him that hath saved us, Rom. 8. 37. besides the many encouraging promises made and repeated seven times over by our blessed Saviour, in the second and third Chapter of the Revelations, To him that overcomes will I give the white stone, and new name; and he shall not be hurt of the second death, &c. And then Thirdly,

3. Although this conflict be grievous to Flesh and Blood, yet it shall not last long; for when we come to dye then sin shall be abolished out of the Soul, and Grace shall be perfected in the Soul, then the spirit of the just shall be made perfect, Heb. 12. 23. and whatever disturbance of our peace we have met with before, yet then there will be none, Isai. 57. 2. The upright walkers enter into peace, p. 111i. e. into a place and state of everlasting and perfect peace. We shall then enjoy perfection of Holiness and perfection of peace together in the highest Heavens.

2. The second kind of trouble in our hearts, is that which is caused by the tribulations of the world, of which our Saviour said to his Disciples in John 16. last, In the world yeu shall have tribulation, which includes all kind of afflictions, but especially Persecution for Christ and his Gospel sake; and they are called Tribulations, because they are as it were threshing afflictions, such as are driven in as with a flayl upon the Spirits of men, and cause troubles in their hearts; yet here is Comfort against this trouble also, in divers respects.

1. That these tribulations of the world are but outward things, they reach but to the outward man▪ the soul and inward man of a true believer is preserved from the hurt and mischief of them by that inward and heavenly peace that keeps their minds and hearts in Christ Jesus; therefore at the same time when He told his Disciples that in the world you shall have tribulation, he also informed them that in and from himself they p. 112should have peace, and that peace will preserve you from the malignity of all the troubles of the world, John 16 upon this ground the Apostle said, 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17. For this cause we faint not, for though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is renewed day by day; for our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory.

2. That all the tribulations of the world are ordered by the wisdom and love of Christ for his holy and good ends, as himself said, Rev. 3. 19. as many as I love, I rebuke and chastize, and Heb. 12. 10, 11. He chastizeth us for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness, and though afflictions are not joyous but grievous to the flesh, yet after we have been exercised therewith and are more mortifyed and sanctified thereby, they bring forth the quiet and peaceable fruits of righteousness; and therefore they are so far from hurting our peace, that they are a means to increase or establish it in our Souls.

For,

3. The greatest and sweetest joyes and comforts of the Holy Ghost are commonly bestowed most on his afflicted and suffering p. 113people, especially when they suffer for Christs and his Gospels sake. So the Apostle, Rom. 5. 1. having peace with God through Christ, we glory in Tribulation, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God, because Tribulation worketh Patience, and Patience, Experience, &c. We have heard of Jacobs Troubles, of Davids Troubles, and of Pauls Troubles; none more afflicted than those, none more comforted, especially Paul, who tells us, 2 Cor. 4. 8. that he was troubled on every side, and his Sufferings for Christ are unparralelled as they are described, 2 Cor, 11. verse 23. to the end. Yet he tells us he was comforted in all his tribulations, 2 Cor: 14. and verse 5. As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our Consolations abound by Jesus Christ. So true is that of our Saviour, and really made good unto all his true Disciples, John 16. last. In the world you shall have Tribulation, but in me ye shall have peace.

3. A Third Case wherein the hearts of the Saints are apt to be troubled, is in the time of Sions Troubles. When the Church and Cause of God are endangered in the Storms of Persecution; when it is a day of trouble, of rebuke and blasphemy, as Isa. 37. 3. when the Adversaries are very high, and p. 114the Church of Christ brought very low that in respect of man and means, it is a helpless case, and a hopeless time.

Yet in this case also there is matter of comfort to support the hearts of all that are truly godly.

1. For first, a sympathizing with, and a fellow-feeling of the Churches troubles and sufferings, is a good sign of Sincerity, and that we are living members of the Body of Christ, because it is the property of such to prefer Jerusalem above their chiefest joy, Psal. 137. 6. when the welfare and prosperity of the Church of God in the world is matter of rejoycing above all worldly joyes and the Calamities of the Church matter of mourning above all worldly sorrows. Eli… heart trembled for the Ark of God; and Nehemiah though in a good condition himself, yet when he heard of the great affliction of the people of God at Jerusalem, he mourned and wept, and fasted and prayed in their behalf, and his countenance was changed from the sorrow of his heart as we read in the first and second chapters of Nehemiah; and Paul tells us that all his other Sufferings were but as things p. 115without, but the care of the Churches welfare lay nearest to his heart, 2 Cor. 11. 28. if thou art so afflicted, it is a sign of the same grace and peace in thee that was in them.

2. Let not your heart be over-much troubled, for God is in the midst of Sion, it shall not be moved, for God shall help her, and that right early, Psal. 46. 5. Nothing befalls the Church of God but his permission. When Rome and Hell, when men and Devils conspire against the Church of God, they can go no further than God will suffer them; as our Saviour said unto Pilate, Thou couldst have no power against me, except it were given thee from above. It should calm our Spirits that it is the will of God to suffer his Church and People to be in such troubles for a time, for his holy ends; this consideration quieted the hearts of Job, Eli, David, and Hezekiah that God had a holy hand in bringing and ordering those afflicting changes udon them and theirs: It is the Lord that hath done this; that was enough to them; and why should it not be so to us.

If the Lord will have Sion plowed as a field, and all the pleasant things thereof be laid wast, if it be his will that there be a p. 116day of trouble, of perplexity, and treading down in the valley of vision, that the way of the wicked shall prosper, and they shall devour the men that are more righteous than themselves; and if it be his pleasure tha Anti-christ shall scatter the power of the holy people; who are we that we should contest with God; we should rather admire and adore the infinite wisdom and good pleasure of God, who suffers and orders all these things, as our Saviour told Peter, Job. 13. 7. What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter; but the Lord himself knowest what He is doing, and when he hath performed his whole work upon Mount Sion, Hos. 10. 12. then it will appear that … is wonderful in Counsel, and excellent in Working, i. e. in working all about for his own secret and glorious Ends.

3. For Thirdly, it is most certain, That though the Church and Cause of God in the World should seem dead for a time, yet it shall arise and live again. As sure as Christ the Head of his Church arose from the Dead, so surely shall the Church the Body of Christ arise out of all its troubles, and flourish again. The Bush burning not consumed, Exod. 3. hath been a lively Emblem of p. 117the Churches condition in all generations; the deliverance of Israel from their Egyptian Bondage, and Babilonian Captivity were great Examples of it, in those ancient times, and since the time of our Saviour Christ, the experience of all the ages before us for almost 1700. years, hath confirmed the same, the Christian Church and Cause hath suffered either under the Heathenish, or the Arian, or the Anti christian Persecutions; and the design of Satan and his Instruments (many a time) hath been to extinguish the light of the Gospel, and root out the Church of Christ from the face of the earth, and yet it hath been wonderfully preserved, supported and delivered out of all its troubles unto this day: And the blood of the Martyrs hath been the Seed of the Church; and is it not as dear to God as ever, is he not as able and willing to save it now as formerly, and therefore we may conclude with Mordecai, That deliverance shall come, though we know not how, nor from whence, yet the Lord knows, and can and will do it in his appointed time, for the Scriptures must and shall be fulfilled, Rev. 11. chapt. and that should be enough for us.

p. 1182. Let not your heart be afraid:

In which words our Saviour doth not forbid that natural fear which is planted in the nature of man, viz. an affection of the mind arising from the apprehension of approaching evils, there is no man made like the Leviathan without fear: This natural fear was in a sinless manner in the Man Christ Jesus himself, Heb. 5. 7. he was heard in that which he feared. Nor yet doth he forbid a fear of Caution, in a prudent way to foresee, and by lawful means to prevent approaching evils, such was Jacobs fear, Gen. 32. 7, 13. & Prov. 22. 3. a Wise man foreseeth the evil and hides himself.

The fear that is here forbidden, is that tyrannical passion of Fear, and perturbation of the mind, which is wont to invade and be predominant in the hearts of men in times and cases of danger; distracting and distrustful fears, which do both weaken mens Spirits, unfit them for duty, and drive men upon unlawful means: This is a servile and a sinful fear, very unsuitable to p. 119Christians who have the peace of God ruling in their hearts. This is the Fear that is forbiden here by our Saviour Christ: He would have the minds and hearts of all his Disciples to be so garrisoned with his peace, and so comforted and encouraged with his gracious promises, that whatever the case be, their hearts should not be afraid with any amazement, as 1 Pet. 3. 6.

Now the Objects or Causes of their Fear may be referred unto three Heads.

1. The fear of danger.

2. The fear of man,

3. The fear of Death.

1. The fear of danger, when there is a common distraction of mens minds, in regard of a dismal appearance of threatning dangers; and a doubtful expectation of men know not what afflicting changes of Providence are coming upon them, when as in Luke 21. 11. there have been fearful sights, and Ominous Signs from Heaven; and verse 25. upon the Earth, distress of Nations, p. 120with perplexity, the Sea and the Waves thereof roaring, and then it follows, verse 26. mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after the things that are coming upon the earth; therefore Luke 21. 9. our Saviour said to his Disciples. When you shall hear of Commotions, and Wars, and Rumors of Wars, see that you be not terrified: though Paul himself tells us, that he found sometimes when there were fightings without, there was fears within, 2 Cor. 7. 5. therefore it is no wonder if others of the servants of God are afflicted with such fears in such times.

But from the Doctrine delivered, here is comfort against these Fears in three Respects.

1. That all the formidable things in the World are but outward things, they reach but to the outward man: and indeed, they are but possible things (as yet) many of them may never be: sometimes Christians find afterward they have been more afraid than hurt: but suppose the worst that can befal a child of God in this World, it reacheth not to the inward man, it cannot hurt the Soul, which is secured and safe in the hands of Christ, upon this ground the Psalmist said, p. 121Psal. 49. 5. Why should I fear in the evil day, for God will redeem my soul, ver. 15. & Psal. 46. 1, 2, 3. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear though the Earth be removed, and the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the Mountains shake at the swelling thereof.

2. That all things are in the hands of God, He reigns over all, determining, limiting, restraining the motions and events of all the Creatures, according to his good pleasure, for his own holy and glorious ends: this is often mentioned in the Psalms as a quieting and comforting consideration to the people of God in the most tumultuous times, that the Lord reigns, Psal. 93. 1. & 99. 1. & 146. ult. especially in Psal. 97. 1. The Lord reigns let the Earth rejoyce, Clouds and darkness are round about him; justice and judgment are the habitation of His Throne. And its yet more comfortable to consider that this God who rules all the World is my God and Father in Christ, and therefore nothing shall come to pass but what shall be for his own Glory, and for the true spiritual and eternal good of all his people, Rom. 8. 28. upon this ground David said, Psal. 27. 1. The Lord is my p. 122light, and my life, and my salvation, of whom, or what should I be afraid.

3. That the exercise of Faith in Christ, and trust in God and his promises will expell the malignity of these fears, and settle confidence in our Souls. This appears from the reproof given by our Saviour to his Disciples for their over fearfulness in a storm at Sea, Mat 8. 14. Why are ye so fearful O ye of little Faith, implying, had they exercised their Faith, it would have subdued their fears; therefore David said, Psal. 56. 3. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee. Now to trust in God is to commit our selves and all our concernments into his hands, relying and resting wholly upon his wisdom, power, goodness and faithfulness engaged to us in his promises, being contented to be disposed of in all things according to his good pleasure; if we thus do sincerely betrust our All with God in Christ, we need not doubt but he will secure us in the most perilous times and cases, that all shall be well at last. Such a one shall not be afraid of evil tidings, because his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. And Isai. 26. 2. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because be trusteth in thee.

p. 1232. The second kind of fear, against which we ought to comfort our selves is the fear of man. When men, especially great men frown upon us, and breathe out threatnings against us; or a multitude of men rise up against us, intending and endeavouring our destruction. Of this the wise Man speaks, Prov. 20. 25. The fear of man bringeth a snare, whereby the Saints are subject to be discomposed, discouraged and drawn too much from the fear of God, and to sinful compliances with men.

But against this also there is comfort in three respects:

1. That our Saviour Christ hath particularly warned his Disciples to beware of the fear of Man, as in Mat. 10. 28. Fear not them that can only kill the body, and when they have done that, they can do no more; which words are to be looked at, not only as a command, and therefore to be regarded for the authority of the Speaker, but as an incouragement from our blessed Saviour to all his faithful Servants in the way of their duty to God, not to be afraid of men; because the most and worst they can do is but to kill the body, p. 124they cannot hurt our souls which are safe in his hands, and so the Apostle, Phil. 1. 28. Be not in any thing terrified by your Adversaries, because they can do you no real harm. So likewise Isai. 51. 12, 13. I even I am be that comforteth thee, who art thou that shouldest be afraid of a man, that shall die, and the Son of man that shall be as the grass, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker, &c. We cannot fear man sinfully till we have forgotten God: did we remember who God is, and what he hath said, and what he hath done, and is able to do we should not be of such low Spirits, as to be afraid of sinful and mortal men.

2. The Exaltation of the fear of God will deliver us from the slavish fear of Man: therefore in Luk. 12. ver. 4. after he had bidden his Disciples that they should not fear men, then in ver. 5. he tells them, I will forewarn you whom you shall fear; Fear God who hath power to cast into Hell, I say unto you fear him, implying that the fear of God will swallow up the fear of man; a reverential awe and dread of God, so as to make it our great care to please him, and our great fear to offend him, this will extinguish the fear of the Creature, that it shall not have power upon us to draw us from our duty to God unto sinful p. 125compliances with men: so likewise, the Prophet Isaiah, in Chap. 8. when the minds of the people were greatly possessed with distracting and distrustful fears of their enemies coming against them, in ver. 12, 13. he prescribes the right remedy against those fears saying, Fear not their fear, but sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, let him be your fear, let him be your dread; as if he had said, be sure to get in with God, and keep in with him, that you enjoy the favour of God, and then you may set his wisdom, power and faithfulness against all the power of your Adversaries, you need not be afraid of them.

3. The exercise of our Faith in Christ, and trust in God and his promise will set us about the fear of man, and secure us in all dangers; for so the Prophet shews, Isa. 8. 13, 14. that if we fear God, and trust in him as the Lord of Hosts, relying upon him, and giving glory to him as God over all blessed for ever: And then He will be to us for a Sanctuary, He will sufficiently provide for our Safety, we should leave our selves with him; again, Micah 5. 5. This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land. The Assyrians and Babilonians, were the ancient enemies of the People of p. 126Israel, under their names is meant all the Enemies of the Church of God in all generations following; (by this Man is meant the Lord Jesus Christ, as is evident from the foregoing verses, the meaning is, that when at any time, in any place, God shall suffer the proud adversaries of his people (like the Assyrians) to come into the land, and domineer and bring great affliction upon the Church of God; that even then Christ Jesus shall be our Peace, i. e. though outward peace may be taken away, there may be no peace to him that goes out or comes in, but great affliction and distress every where, yet then all the faithful shall have and enjoy an inward heavenly and divine peace, in and from Christ Jesus, and He will take care for the restoring of the outward peace and prosperity of his Church and people in his own good time, as he sees fit: So likewise in Isa. 43. 1, 2, 3. the Lord speaks comfortably to the hearts of his people, Fear not I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name, thou art mine, when thou passest thorow the fire, and thorow the water, I will be with thee; and again, verse 5. Fear not for I am with thee; the acting of Faith on such promises as these, will support and comfort our hearts in times of trouble and fear; p. 127we may conclude as the Apostle doth, Rom. 8. 31. If God be for us, who can be against us, and as Heb. 13. 5. We may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do unto me.

In the third and last place.

3. The fear of Death is another thing which our blessed Saviour would have all his Servants comfort themselves against; for naturally all men are subject to bondage, thro' the fear of Death, Heb. 2. 14. there is indeed a natural fear of death planted in the nature of man as man; because Death is an enemy to nature, as it makes a Separation between the Soul and Body, which therefore Nature it self flyes from, and would avoid. This natural fear of Death was in the Man Christ Jesus, and is in all the Saints: But now there is a sinful and a slavish fear of Death, whereby men are affrighted and terrified at the approach of it, that they are very loth and unwilling to die; this is that which our Saviour forbids, He would not have any of His Disciples be afraid to die, and therefore He hath given sufficient comfort to all His against the fear of Death.

p. 1281. As first, That the death of the Saints is a harmless thing; though we read of the terrors of the shadow of death, Job. 24. 17. and death it self is called the King of Terrors, Joh. 18. 14. yet it is so only to the wicked, who have not made their peace with God; because it reigns over such to eternal Death: but to the Saints it is not such a formidable thing, for our Saviour Christ hath said, they shall not be hurt of the second death, Rev. 2. 11. they having nothing to fear beyond the grave. It is true also, we read of the Sting of death, 1 Cor. 15. 55. but its only to such as die in their sins; as Christ said to the Jews, Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not in me, you shall die in your sins; if a man live and die in his sins, to such indeed their death will be of a stinging nature; it will strike them down to eternal death; but Christ having taken away the sins of all penitent Believers, he hath disarmed death, and taken away the Sting of it as to them: Death to the Saints is but as a Serpent without a Sting, it can do them no harm: therefore the man or woman to whom the Lord Jesus hath spoken Peace saying, thy sins are forgiven thee, they not only need not fear death, but they may and ought to triumph over it, as Paul did, 1. Cor. 15. 55. p. 129O Death where is thy Sting, O Grave where is thy victory, thanks be to God, that gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Death is of great advantage to the Saints, as Paul affirmed it was to him, Phil. 1. 21. To me to dye is gain, for Christ is to me advantage both in life and death; 'tis true, Death in its nature is the same to all, but not in its end and use; for to the Saints the Commission of death is changed; to the wicked it is, Take him Jailor, carry him down to hell, but to the Godly it is, Take him, Porter, and give him entrance into Heaven, so that as the Apostle sayes, 1 Cor. 2. 21. if we are Christs, then death it self is ours, it is not against us, but for us, it is not an Enemy now, but a Friend and Servant; it is very serviceable to the Saints in two Respects.

1. In putting an end to all the evils of Sin and Sorrow, that the Saints have been conflicting with all their dayes: 'Tis true, Death is the end of all men in this world, but then it puts an end to the Indwelling of Sin, and to the temptations of Satan; to all bodily distempers, and to the various troubles and afflictions of this world. God shall p. 130wipe away all tears from our eyes, and therefore then the days of our mourning shall be ended.

2. In putting us into the possession of all the good and glory of Heaven. When the Saints dye, the time of their perfection is come, Heb. 12. 23. The Spirits of the Just are made perfect in Heaven, enjoying perfect holiness, and perfect peace, and joy, and rest for ever. In a word, the Saints departed this life, do enjoy an eternal blessed life in immediate vision and fruition of God, Communion with Christ, and Fellowship with the glorified Saints and Angels in the Highest Heavens for ever. Well may it then be said, Blessed are the dead that dye is the Lord, Rev. 14. 13.

3. Last of all, by the exercise of Faith in Christ, and his promises, we shall not only overcome the Fear of Death, but be able to give it welcome entertainment when it comes; for he hath promised to all penitent believers, that they shall not see death, they shall not be hurt of the Second Death, they shall not dye eternally, they shall not perish, but have eternal life, John 8. 51. Rev. 2. 11. John. 11. 26. John 6. 40. and in John 14. 2. he tells his p. 131Disciples, I go to prepare a place for you in Heaven, and I will come and receive you to my Self, and you shall be with me in Heaven, when your time is ended in this World: Now then, if we believe in Christ as our All-sufficient Saviour, and trust unto his faithfulness, in making good these his promises unto us, this will not only free us from the fear of Death, but make us willing rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord, and to say with Paul, I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, Phil.1. 23. and with good old Simeon, Luke 2. 30. Now Lord, let thy Servant depart in peace, for nine eyes have seen thy Salvation.