THE ARGUMENT Which Gives Peace To The Conscience 2/3

   From what quarter comes this good news, that God is reconciled to a poor soul, and that his sins are pardoned?  Surely from the gospel of Christ, and no other way besides.  Here alone is the covenant of peace to be read betwixt God and sinners; here the sacrifice by which this pardon is purchased; here the means discovered by which poor sinners may have benefit of this purchase; and therefore here alone can the accusing conscience find peace.  Had the stung Israelites looked on any other object besides the bra­zen serpent, they had never been healed.  Neither will the stung conscience find ease with looking upon any besides Christ in the gospel promise.  The Levite and the priest looked on the wounded man, but would not come near him.  There he might have lain and per­ished in his blood for all them.  It was the good Sa­maritan that poured oil into his wounds.  

Not the law, but Christ by his blood, bathes and supplies, closeth and cureth, the wounded conscience.  Not a drop of oil in all the world to be got that is worth anything for this purpose besides what is provided and laid up in this gospel vial.  There was abundance of sacrifices offered up in the Jewish church; yet, put all the blood of those beasts together which was poured out from first to last in that dispensation, and they were not able to quiet one conscience or purge away one sin. The ‘conscience of sin,’ as the apostle phraseth it, Heb. 10:2—that is, guilt in their conscience—would still have remained unblotted notwithstanding all these, if severed from what was spiritually signified by them.  And the reason is given, ver. 4, ‘for it is not pos­sible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.’  There is no proportion betwixt the blood of beasts, though it should swell into a river—a sea, and the demerit of the least sin.  Man’s sin deserves man’s death, and that eternal, both of body and soul, in hell.  

This is the price God hath set upon the head of every sin.  Now, the death of beasts being so far be­neath this price which divine justice demands as satis­faction for the wrong sin doeth him, it must needs be as far beneath pacifying the sinner’s conscience —which requires as much to satisfy it, yea, the very same, as it doth to satisfy the justice of God himself. But in the gospel, behold, joyful news is brought to the sinner’s ears, of a fountain of blood there opened, which for its preciousness is as far above the price that divine justice demands for man's, as the blood of bulls and beasts was beneath it, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ, who freely poured it out upon the cross, and by it ‘obtained eternal redemption for us,’ Heb. 9.  This is the door all true peace and joy comes into the conscience by.  Hence we are directed to bot­tom our confidence and draw our comfort here, and nowhere else: ‘Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,’ Heb. 10:22.  Mark that, ‘sprin­kled from an evil conscience.’

THE ARGUMENT Which Gives Peace To The Conscience 1/3

First.  Let us inquire what is the argument that is able to pacify conscience when thoroughly awakened.  Now to know this, we must inquire what is the cause of all those convulsions of horror and terror with which the consciences of men are at any time so sadly rent and distorted.  Now this is sin.  Could this little word—but great plague—be quite blotted out of men’s minds and hearts, the storm would soon be hushed, and the soul become a pacific sea, quiet and smooth, without the least wave of fear to wrinkle the face thereof.  This is the Jonah which raiseth the storm—the Achan that troubles the soul.  Wherever this comes, as was observed of a great queen in France, a war is sure to follow.  When Adam sinned, he dissolved another manner of jewel than Cleopatra did, he drank away this sweet peace of conscience in one unhappy draught, which was worth more to him than the world he lived in, Heb. 10:2.  No wonder that it rose in his conscience as soon as it was down his throat—‘they saw that they were naked.’  

Their con­sciences reproached them for cursed apostates. That therefore which brings peace to conscience must pros­trate this Goliath—throw this troubler overboard —pluck this arrow out of the soul—or else the war will not end, the storm will not down, the wound will not close and heal which conscience labours under.  Now the envenomed head of sin’s arrow, that lies burning in conscience, and, by its continual boking and throbbing there, keeps the poor sinner out of quiet—yea, sometimes in unsupportable torment and horror—is guilt.  By it the creature is alarmed up to judgment, and bound over to the punishment due to his sin; which, being no less than the infinite wrath of the eternal living God, must needs lay the poor crea­ture into a dismal agony, from the fearful expectation thereof in his accusing conscience.  He, therefore, that would use an argument to pacify and comfort a distressed conscience that lies roasting upon these burning coals of God’s wrath kindled by his guilt, must quench these coals, and bring him the certain news of this joyful message—that his sins are all pardoned; and that God, whose wrath doth so affright him is undoubtedly, yea everlastingly, reconciled to him.  This and no other argument will stop the mouth of conscience, and bring the creature to true peace with his own thoughts.  ‘Son, be of good cheer,’ said Christ to the palsied man, ‘thy sins be forgiven thee,’ Matt. 9:2.  Not, be of good cheer, thy health is given thee (thou gh that he had also); but, thy ‘sins are forgiven thee.’

           If a friend should come to a malefactor on his way to the gallows, put a sweet posy into his hands, and bid him ‘be of good cheer, smell on that,’ alas! this would bring little joy with it to the poor man’s heart, who sees the place of execution before him. But if one comes from the prince with a pardon, which he puts into his hand, and bids him be of good cheer; this, and this only, will reach the poor man’s heart, and overrun it with a sudden ravishment of joy. Truly, anything short of pardoning mercy is as incon­siderable to a troubled conscience towards any reliev­ing or pacifying of it, as that posy in a dying prisoner’s hand would be.  Conscience demands as much to sat­isfy it as God himself doth to satisfy him for the wrong the creature hath done him.  Nothing can take off conscience from accusing but that which takes off God from threatening.  Conscience is God’s sergeant he employs to arrest the sinner.  Now the sergeant hath no power to release his prisoner upon any pri­vate composition between him and the prisoner, but listens whether the debt be fully paid, or the creditor be fully satisfied; then, and not till then, he is discharged of his prisoner.  Well, we have now only one step to go further, and we will bring this demonstration to a head.

SECOND KIND OF PEACE-Peace of Conscience the blessing of the gospel

       

We come now to the second kind of peace, and that is peace of consolation, or peace of conscience. By the former—peace of reconciliation—the poor sinner is reconciled to God; by this, he becomes ani­ma pacata sibi—a soul reconciled to itself.  Since man fell out with God, he could never be truly friends with his own conscience.  This second peace is so necessary, that he cannot taste the sweetness of the first, nor indeed of any other mercy, without it.  This is to the soul what health is to the body, it sugars and sweetens all enjoyments.  A suit, though of cloth of gold, sits not easy on a sick man's back.  Nothing joy­ous to a distressed conscience.  

Moses brought good news to the distressed Israelites in Egypt, but it is said, ‘They hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit,’ Ex. 6:9.  Hannah, she went up to the festival at Jerusalem with her husband, but it is said, ‘She wept, and did not eat,’ I Sam. 1:7.  Truly, thus the wounded soul goes to the sermon, but doth not eat of the feast before it; hears many precious promises, but her ear is shut up from receiving the good news they bring.  Tell one in trouble of conscience, here is your dear husband, [your] sweet children, will you not rejoice with them; alas, the throes such a one feels are so amazing, that he regards these things no more than Phinehas' wife in her sore travail did the woman that joyed her with the birth of a son.  Set the most royal feast before such a soul that ever was on prince’s table, and, poor heart, it had rather go into a corner and weep, than sit and eat of those delicacies.  ‘A wounded spirit who can bear?’ yea, who can cure? 

Some diseases are, for their incurableness, called ludibrium medicorum—the physician’s shame and reproach.  To be sure this spiritual trouble of an ac­cusing conscience puts all the world to shame for their vain attempts.  Many have attempted to conjure this evil spirit out of their own bosoms and others’; but have found it at last to leap upon them, and prevail against them, as the ‘evil spirit’ did by the sons of Sceva, Acts 19:14.

           No, peace of conscience, I am now to show, is the blessing of the gospel, and only of the gospel.  Conscience knows Jesus, and the gospel of Jesus; these and none else it will obey.  Two particulars considered will demonstrate the truth of the point. First. If we consider what is the argument that pacifies and satisfies conscience.  Second. If we consider what the power is and strength required to apply this argument so close and home to the conscience as to quiet and fully satisfy it.  Both these will be found in the gospel, and only in the gospel.

Exhortations To Those Already at Peace With God 4/4

           Sixth.  Art thou at peace with God?  Knowing the goodness of God to thyself, then do thou woo in some others to embrace the same mercy.  The house is not so full, but ‘yet there is room,’ Luke 14:22.  Hast thou none thou lovest so well as to wish them thy happiness?  Haply, thou hast a carnal husband lying by thy side, children of thy womb or loins, neighbours in whose company thou art every day almost, and all these in an unreconciled state—who, should they die as now they live, their precious souls are lost for ever, and yet themselves think no more of this misery com­ing on them, than the silly sheep doth, as to what the butcher is doing, when he is whetting his knife to cut her throat.  Well, the less merciful they are to their own souls, the more need there is thou shouldst show thy compassion towards them.  We take most care of those that are least capable of taking care for themselves.  If thou hadst a friend sick in thy house, and of such a disease that he could not help himself, should he die rather than thou wouldst look after him?  If a child were condemned to die, though he did himself not mind the getting of a pardon, yet surely thou wouldst run and ride to obtain it, rather than see him end his days so shamefully.  In a word, didst thou but know thy next neighbour had an intention to foredo himself, and for that end had locked himself up in a room, wouldst thou not bestir thee to break up the door, rather than the man should thus miscarry?  But alas, where is the holy violence that is used to save poor souls? 

 Parents, husbands, neighbours, they can see their relations going to hell before their eyes, and who saith to them, Why do you so?  O, for the Lord’s sake, be more merciful to the souls of others.  Thou hast found a feast, let not any that are near thee starve for want of knowing where it is to be had.  Go and invite all thou canst see to God’s house.  So did David: ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good,’ Ps. 34:8.  Thou needst not fear a chiding from God for sending him more guests.  He complains he hath no more. ‘Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life,’ John 5:40.  He threatens those that keep sinners off from making their peace with him, by flattering them with a false one, called a ‘strengthening the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life,’ Eze. 13:22.  O how acceptable a work then must it needs be to woo souls to Christ! The merchant is not angry for sending a customer into his warehouse that will buy what he hath taken so much cost and travail to get that he may sell.  Nor will the physician blame any for bringing a patient to him, by whose cure he may let the world know his skill and art.  And this is the great design Christ hath long had in particular prayed for, viz. ‘that the world might believe he was sent of God,’ John 17:21.  What aims he at in the gathering in of souls by the grace of the gospel, but ‘to take out of them a peo­ple’ from the heap of sinners ‘for his name,’ Acts 15:14, that is, cull out a number, in showing mercy to whom he might exalt his own name gloriously.

Exhortations To Those Already at Peace With God 3/4

           Fourth.  Art thou at peace with God?  O show then no discontent at any cross or affliction that God visiteth thee withal!  If he hath visited thee first with his mercy, thou hast reason to bid him kindly wel­come when he comes to visit thee with his rod.  Thou hast sugar by thee now to sweeten thy bitter cup. When the Prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem, it is said, ‘The elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?  And he said, Peaceably!’ I Sam. 16:4, 5.  Thus when God comes with some heavy affliction to us, it may make us tremble till we know what it comes for, whether peaceable or no.  Now, if thou beest at peace with God the fear is over, it cannot but come peaceably; thou mayest con­clude it comes on mercy’s errand.

           What condition canst thou, O pardoned soul, be in, that should part thee and the joy of thy peace with God?  Is it the wrath of man thou fearest?  Possibly thou hast many enemies, and those great ones, and their wrath as great as such can express.  Let it be so. Is God among them or no?  Doth God let out their wrath in his wrath against thee?  If not, thou exceed­ingly wrongest God, if overmuch troubled, and thyself also.  Thou wrongest God by not sanctifying his name in thy heart, whose mercy, I hope, is able to secure thee from their wrath: ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ Rom. 8:31.  Thou needest not fear them though an army of them were about thee—no more than if they were so many wisps of straw.  And thou wrongest thyself also: for how, indeed, can we wrong God and not ourselves?  So long as thou art under the power of such a fear from man's wrath, thou canst never have the taste of God’s love in its true sweetness.

           Again, art thou sick, poor, and what not beside? May not God reasonably expect that reconciling mer­cy should stop thy mouth from whispering any word of discontent against him, and prevent all envious glances of thy eye at the prosperity of the wicked? Re­member, man, that thou canst say one great word which they cannot, in the midst of all their pomp and worldly glory.  ‘Though I lie here poor and sick, yet I am, through mercy, at peace with God.’  This, well thought on, would soon change both your notes—the joy of the prosperous sinner into bitter mourning, and thy sorrow, Christian, into joy.  The Lady Elizabeth —afterwards England’s gracious queen—hearing a simple milk-maid sing merrily in the field, when the poor princess, being then a sorrowful prisoner, had more mind to sigh than sing, though served at the same time in state as a princess, said, ‘That poor maid was happier than herself.’  And so would the sinner, how great and high soever in the world, think the poorest Christian, with his rags and penury, a better man, and happier in his liberty, and peace with God, than himself in all his grandeur and worldly gaieties, did he but consider that in the midst of all these he is a prisoner, not to man, but God, out of whose hands there is no escaping.

           Fifth.  Comfort thyself with this, that thou, who art at peace with God now on earth, shalt feast with God ere long in heaven.  ‘And whom he justified, them he also glorified,’ Rom. 8:30.  And do not think this news to be too good or great to be true.  Here is a word for it, you see.  Heaven's number of glorified saint’s is made up of justified sinners.  Neither more nor less of the one than of the other.  Art thou justified by faith, by which thou hast peace with God? Then, lose not thy privilege, but rejoice with thy fellow-saints, ‘in hope of the glory of God.’  It is be­fore thee.  Every day brings thee nearer to it, and nothing can hinder thee of it at last.  Not thy sins themselves, and I know thou fearest them most.  He that paid thy great score at thy conversion will find mercy enough in his heart, surely, to pass by thy drib­bling debts, which thy own infirmity, and Satan’s subtlety, have run thee into.  Thou wert an enemy when God thought of doing the first, but now thou art a friend; and this will oblige him to do the second, that he may not lose his disbursement in the first; yea, provision is made by God in this method of our salvation for the one, as strongly as for the other. Christ died to make us, of enemies to God, friends with him, and he lives now to bring God and us, being thus made friends, to meet in one heaven together. Yea, the apostle gives the advantage to this of the two for our faith to triumph in.  ‘For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life,’ Rom. 5:10.  As if the apostle had said, ‘Can you believe that God hath taken you that were bloody enemies, into a state of peace and favour with himself?  Surely, then, you must needs find it easier for your faith to argue from reconciliation to salvation, than from hostility to enmity to pardon and peace.  Could Christ procure the one by his death, when he was weakest, as I may so say, and at the lowest descent of his humiliation; how much more shall he, in the height of his court-favour in heaven —when he hath all power given him, and in particular ‘the keys of the hell and death’ to open and shut as he pleaseth—to be able to save those whom he hath reconciled?’ Rev. 1:18.

Exhortations To Those Already at Peace With God 2/4

Second.  Is God reconciled to thee?  Be thou willing to be reconciled to any that have wronged thee.  Thy God expects it at thy hands.  Thou hast reason to pardon thy brother for God’s sake, who par­doned thee for his pure mercies’ sake.  Thou, in par­doning, dost no more than thou owest thy brother, but God pardoned thee when he did owe thee nothing but wrath.  Thou needest not, I hope, think that thou dishonourest thyself in the act, though it be to the veriest beggar in the town.  Know thou dost it after thy betters.  Thy God stooped lower when he reconciled himself to thee, yea, sought it at thy hands, and no dishonour, neither, to the high and lofty One. Nay, by implacableness and revenge, thou debasest thyself the most thou canst likely do; for, by these, thou stoopest not only beneath thy heaven-born nature, but beneath thy human nature.  It is the devil, and none but such as bear his image, that are implacable enemies.  Hell-fire it is that is unquenchable. ‘The wisdom from above’ is ‘easy to be entreated.’ Thou a Christian, and carry hell-fire about thee!  How can it be?  When we see a child, that comes of merciful parents, furious and revengeful, we use to say, ‘We wonder of whom he got his currish, churlish disposition, his father and mother were not so.’  Who learns thee, O Christian, to be so revengeful and un­merciful?  Thou hast it not of thy heavenly Father, I am sure.

           Third.  Is God at peace with thee?  Hath he par­doned thy sins?  Never, then, distrust his providence for anything thou wantest as to this life.  Two things, well weighed, would help thy faith in this particular.

1. When he pardoned thy sins he did more for thee than this comes to.And, did he give the greater, and will he grudge thee the less?  Thou hast Christ in thy pardon bestowed on thee.  ‘How shall he not with him also freely give thee all things?’ Rom. 8:32.  When the father gives his child the whole orchard, it were folly to question he gives him this apple or that in it —‘all things are yours,’ and ‘ye are Christ's,’ I Cor. 3:22.  The reconciled soul hath a right to all.  The whole world is his.  But, as a father who, though he settles a fair estate on his child, yet lets him hold no more in his own hand than he can well manage; so God gives believers a right to all the comforts of this life, but proportions so much out to them for their actual use, as his infinite wisdom sees meet, so that he that hath less than another in his present possession, ought to impute it not to any want of love or care in God, but to the wisdom both of his love and care, that gives stock as we have grace to work it out. We pour the wine accordingly as the cup is.  That which but fills one would half be lost if poured into a less. 

2. Consider how God gives these temporals to those he denies peace and pardon to.Though, within a while, they are to be tumbled into hell, yet while on earth his providence reacheth unto them.  And, doth God feed these ‘ravens,’ unclean birds?  Doth he cause his rain to drop fatness on their fields, and will he neglect thee, thinkest thou, that art a believer?  If the prince feeds the traitor in prison, surely the child in his house shall not starve.  In a word, to allude to that, Luke 12:28, if God in his providence so abounds to the to the ungodly, as we see he doth, if he ‘so clothe the grass,’ for to this the wicked may well be compared, ‘which is to-day in the field, and to- morrow is cast into hell’s burning oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?’

Exhortations To Those Already at Peace With God 1/4

          

 A few words by way of improvement to you whose peace with God is concluded with Christ.

           First.  Hast thou peace with God?—look thou makest no peace with sin.  This broke thy peace with God; now let thy peace with God begin a war with that never to have end.  Thou canst not, sure, forget the inestimable wrong and damage thou hast suffered by it.  Every moment’s sweet enjoyment of God —whose bosom-love thou hast now happily recovered—will help to keep the fire of wrath and revenge burning in thy heart against that cursed enemy, that both threw and kept thee so long thence.  God hath now won thy heart, I hope, by his pardoning mercy, dearly to love him for his love to thee.  How then canst thou with patience see any lust come braving forth from its trench—thy heart I mean—defying thy God and his grace in thee?  Paul’s spirit was stirred in him at Athens to see God dishonoured by the superstition of others; and is not thine, to see him re­proached by the pride, unbelief, and other sins, that do it from under thy own soul’s roof?  O Christian, meditate some noble exploit against it.  Now, the more to steel thy heart, and harden it against all re­lenting towards it, carry the blood and wounds of thy Saviour into the field with thee, in the hand of thy faith.  The sight of those will certainly enrage thy heart against thy lusts, that stabbed and killed him, more than the bloody garments of Cæsar, held up by Antony, did the Roman citizens against his mur­derers.  

O see how cruelly they used the Lord of glory, and where they laid him in an ignominious grave —and that fastened with a seal, stronger than that which man set to it—the curse due to us sinners, never possible to have been broke up by any less than his own almighty arm!  And now, Christian, shall these murderers, not of man, but of God—for it was the blood of God that was shed—escape that vengeance which God would have done with thy hand upon them?  Wherefore else doth he leave thee any life in thy soul but that thou shouldst have the opportunity of showing thy love to Christ by running thy dagger of mortification into their heart?  Alexander got no more honour by his great victories in the field than by his piety to his dead father Philip, whose bloody death he avenged as soon as he came into the throne, slaying the murderers upon his father’s tomb. O, show thou, Christian, thy pity to thy dear Saviour by falling upon thy cursed lusts, and that speedily! Never rest till thou hast had their blood that shed his. Till thou dost this thou art consenting to all the cruelty that was executed on him.  This, this is the ‘honour’ which all ‘the saints shall have,’ and therefore the ‘two-edged sword’ of the Spirit is put into their hands that they may execute the vengeance written.

Directions To Sinners As To How They May Be At Peace With God 5/5

  Indeed, God’s essential goodness is a powerful argument to persuade the poor soul to rely upon the promise in Christ for pardon—when he considers that God who promiseth peace to the believer, is a God whose very nature is forgiving, and mercy itself —but had there been no promise to engage this mercy to poor sinners through Christ, this would have been but cold comfort to have believed God was good.  He could have damned the whole stock of Adam, and not called his essential goodness the least in question.  It is no blot to the almightiness of his power that he doth not all he can.  He could make more worlds, if he was so pleased, than he hath done; but we have no ground to believe he will, neither is he the less almighty because he does not.  So he could have saved the fallen angels with the sons of lost man.  He is not scanted in mercy for such a design, if he had thought it fit.  But, having passed no promise for such a thing, the essential goodness of God affords the devils but little relief, or hope that he will do it.  And yet God continues good.  And, for aught I can find out of the word, they among the sons of men who, either throu gh simple ignorance of the gospel, or prejudice, which their proud reason hath taken up against the way it chalks out for making our peace with God, through Christ’s satisfaction for us, do neglect Christ, or scornfully reject his satisfaction, and betake themselves to the absolute goodness and mercy of God, as the plea which they will make at Christ’s bar for their pardon and salvation, shall find as little benefit from it as the devils themselves.

           Suppose, friends, a prince should freely make a law, by which he will govern his people, and takes a solemn oath to keep close to it, could a malefactor that is condemned by this law to die expect any relief by appealing from the law to the mercy and goodness of the prince's nature?  I confess some have sped and saved their lives by taking this course.  But it hath been, because either the prince was imprudent in making the law, or unfaithful in keeping his oath; neither of which can, without blasphemy, be imputed to God, infinitely wise and holy.  He hath enacted a law, called the law of faith, for the saving poor sinners through Christ, and is under an oath to make it good both in the salvation of every one that believes on Christ, and damnation on every one that doth not believe: and, to make all sure, hath given Christ an oath to be faithful in his office; who was trusted as priest to secure redemption, and shall sit judge to pronounce the sentence at the great day of absolution or condemnation.  Take heed, therefore, poor sinner, that thou beest not drawn from placing thy entire confidence on Christ the Son of God—both God and man in one person—who laid down his life upon agreement with his Father, to make an atonement for the sin of the world; and now offers thee that blood which then he shed, as a price to carry in the hand of thy faith to the Father, for pardon and peace.  No, though they should come and call thee from Christ to Christ—from a Christ without thee, to a Christ within thee.  As the Jesuit doth in the Quaker, into whom he is now got; as the friars of old were wont into their hollow images, viz. that they might deliver their lying doctrines out of the mouths of their reputed saints, and thereby cozen the multitude without any suspicion of their knavery.  Just so do the Jesuits nowadays deliver their popish stuff out of the mouths of the Quakers—a design so much more dangerous as it is more cunning than the other.  There is too much light shed abroad for that old puppet play to take. But, though men are too wise to lend an ear to a block or a stone, yet holiness in a living saint commands such reverence, that the devil hath ever found, and will, to the end of the world, that he may pass least suspected under this cloak.  Well, when he comes to call thee from a Christ without thee to a Christ within thee; strip the doctrine out of its pleasing phrase, and, in plain English, he calls thee from trusting in the righteousness of Christ wrought by him for thee, and by faith to be made thine for thy justification before God, to an inherent work of grace or righteousness wrought by the Spirit of God in thee for thy sanctification and renovation, called sometimes the ‘new creature,’ and ‘Christ within us.’

  Now, hadst thou not made a goodly change if thou hadst let go thy hold on Christ, who is thy righteousness, to rely on a creature, and that a weak one too, God knows, full of so many imperfections that thy conscience —except injudicious and given over to believe a lie —can tell it is but a vein of gold embased with much more earth and dross, which shall never be quite purged till thou beest put into the refining pot of the grave.  Look to thyself, Christian.  Here it is a matter of life and death.  Prize Christ’s grace within thee thou must; yea thou hast none in thee, if thou dost not value it above all the mountains of gold the world hath.  But trust not to this Christ or grace of Christ within thee for life and salvation; for now thou prizest the creature above God, and settest ‘Christ within thee’ to fight with ‘Christ without thee.’  The bride doth well highly to esteem her husband’s picture which he hath given her, especially if very like him, and most of all, if drawn by his own hand; but it were very ridiculous if she should dote on that so far as to slight her husband, and, when she wants money, clothes, or the like, to go, not to her husband, but to the picture he gave her, for all.  The saint’s grace is called ‘Christ within him,’ because it is his picture, and makes the saint so like Christ.  This, for the re­semblance it bears to the holiness of Christ, himself thy husband, who with the finger of his own Spirit, drew it on thy soul, deserves highly to be valued.  But, what a dotage were it for thee turn thy back on the Lord Jesus Christ himself, to whom by faith thou art married, and, when thou wantest pardon and comfort —wouldst have heaven and happiness—to expect these, not from Christ, but from thy grace?  O will Christ thank thee for honouring his creature to the dishonour of his person?

Directions To Sinners As To How They May Be At Peace With God 4/5

(a) A deliberate choice in the soul; he does it freely.  Some men’s sins ‘forsake’ them.  The unclean spirit goes out, and is not driven out—occasions to sin cease, or bodily ability to execute the command of sin is wanting.  There is no forsaking sin, however, in all this.  But to break from it with a holy indignation and resolution, when temptation is most busy and strength most active—now as David said, when his enemy opposed him as bees, in the name of the Lord to repel and resist them—this is to forsake.  This is the encomium^[6] of Moses.  He forsook the court when he was grown up; not for age, as Barzillai, but when his blood was warm in his veins.  A man doth not for­sake his wife when he is detained from her in prison, but when he puts her away, and gives her a bill of divorce.

(b) To ‘forsake’ sin is to leave it without any thought reserved of returning to it again.  Every time a man takes a journey from home about business we do not say he hath forsaken his house, because he meant, when he went out, to come to it again.  No, but when we see a man leave his house, carry all his stuff away with him, lock up his doors, and take up his abode in another, never to dwell there more, here is a man hath indeed forsaken his house.  It were strange to find a drunkard so constant in the exercise of that sin, but some time you may find him sober, and yet a drunkard he is, as well as if he was then drunk.  Every one hath not forsaken his trade that we see now and then in their holiday suit.  Then the man forsakes his sin when he throws it from him, and bolts the door upon it with a purpose never to open more to it.  ‘Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?’ Hosea 14:8.

Again observe, before pardon can be sealed he must ‘forsake,’ not this sin or that, but the whole ‘way’ of sin.  ‘Let the wicked forsake his way.’  A trav­eller may step from one path to another, and still go on in the same way—leave a dirty, deep, rugged path, for one more smooth and even.  So many, finding some gross sins uneasy, and too toilsome to their awakened consciences, step into a more cleanly path of civility; but alas! poor creatures, all they get is to go a little  more easily and cleanly to hell than their beastly neighbours.  But he forsakes the way of sin that turns out of the whole road.  In a word, thou must forsake the blindest path of all in sin’s way —that which lies behind the hedge, as I may so say, in the thoughts of the heart—‘and the unrighteous man his thoughts;’ or else thou knockest in vain at God’s door for pardoning mercy; and therefore, poor soul, forsake all or none.  Save one lust and you lose one soul.  If men mean to go to hell, why are they so man­nerly?  This halving with sin is ridiculous.  Art thou afraid of this sin, and not of a less, which hinders thy peace, and procures thy damnation as sure, only not with so much distraction to thy drowsy conscience at present?  This is as ridiculous as it was with him, who, being to be hanged, desired that he might by no means go through such a street to the gallows, for fear of the plague that was there.  What wilt thou get, poor sinner, if thou goest to hell, though thou goest thither by thy ignorance, unbelief, spiritual pride, &c., yet led about so as to escape the plague of open profaneness? O sirs, consider but the equity, the honourableness of the terms that God offers peace upon.  What lust is so sweet or profitable that is worth burning in hell for?  Darius, when he fled before Alexander, that he might run the faster out of danger, threw away his massy crown from his head which hindered him; and is any lust so precious in thy eye that thou canst not leave it behind thee, rather than fall into the hands of God's justice?  But so sottish is foolish man, that a wise heathen could take notice of it^[7]—we think we only buy what we part with money for, and as for those things we pay ourselves our souls for, these we think we have for nothing, as if the man were not more worth than his money!  Having been faithful to follow the preceding directions, thou art now in a fair way to effect thy much desired enterprise.  Therefore,

4. Direction.  Hie thee, therefore, as soon as may be, to the throne of grace, and humbly present thy request to God that he would be at peace with thee, yea, carry with thee a faith that thou shalt find him more ready to embrace the motion than thou to make it.  Take heed only, what thou makest thy plea to move God, and where thou placest thy confidence. Not in thy repentance or reformation, this were to play the merchant with God; but know he expects not a chapman to truck with him, but a humble supplicant to be suitor to him.  Nor his absolute mercy, as ignorant souls do.  This is to take hold of the sword by the blade, and not by the hilt.  Such will find their death and damnation from that mercy which they might be saved by, if they did take hold of it as God offers it them, and that is ‘through Christ.’  ‘Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me,’ Isa. 27:5. And where lies god's saving strength, but in Christ?  He hath, ‘laid strength’ upon this ‘mighty’ one, ‘able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God.’  It is not God’s absolute power or mercy will help thee, but his covenant strength and mercy, and this is in Christ.  Take hold of Christ and thou hast hold of God’s arm; he cannot strike the soul that holds thereby.

Directions To Sinners As To How They May Be At Peace With God 3/5

 (2.) You must desire to be reconciled to God, that you may have fellowship with God.  Certainly a soul sensible what the loss of communion with God is, counts it hath not all her errand done when it hath naked peace given it.  Should God say, ‘Soul, I am friends with thee—I have ordered thou shalt never go to hell.  Here is a discharge under my hand that thou shalt never be arrested for my debt more; but, as for any fellowship with me, or fruition of me, thou canst expect none.  I have done with thee—for ever being acquainted more with thee.’  Certainly the soul, in such a case, would take little joy in her peace.  Were the fire out as to positive torments, yet a hell would be left in the dismal darkness which the soul would sit under for want of God's presence.  Absalom knew no middle condition that could please him betwixt seeing the king his father's face, and being killed.  ‘Let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me,’ II Sam. 14:32—‘if I be not worthy to enjoy my father’s love and presence, neither do I desire to live;’ whereas a naughty heart seeks reconciliation without any longing after any fellowship with God.  Like the traitor, if the king will but pardon and save him from the gallows, he is ready to promise him never to trouble him at court.  It is his own life, not the king's favour, he desires.

3. Direction.  Throw down thy rebellious arms and hum­bly submit to his mercy.  God will not so much as treat with thee so long as thy sword is in thy hand—‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord,’ Isa. 1:18.  Mark when the parley begins: ‘put away the evil of your doings,’ ver. 16.  Now come and treat with God about a peace.

           (1.) God is a great God, and it doth not become his sov­ereignty to treat with his sorry creature on equal terms, as a king doth with his fellow-prince, who, if he cannot have peace on his own terms, is able probably to revenge himself by force of arms; but, as a mighty king with his rebel subject, whom he hath fast bound with chains in prison, and can at pleasure hang up for his treason.  The great God will have thee know that.  Let those capitulate who can retire to their strength and live without peace.  But as for thee, poor sinner, thou dost not, I hope, think thou art in a capacity to meet with God in the field, or to thrive by this trade of war against God.  No, thy only way is to conquer him upon thy knee, to lay thy neck at his foot and say, ‘Lord, I put my life in thy hands, thy true prisoner I will be, choosing rather to die by the hand of thy justice, than to continue fighting against thy mercy.’  Now, poor soul, thou art got into the right path, that leads to peace.  ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up,’ James 4:10.  That soul shall not long be out of his arms that is prostrate at his foot.  But, though ‘the high and lof­ty One’ can stoop to take up a penitent sinner into the arms of his pardoning mercy, yet he will not de­base his sovereignty to treat with a wretch that stands to his arms and stouts it out with him.  There is one red letter in God's name—‘he will by no means clear the guilty,’ Exodus 34:7.

           (2.) The holy nature of God requires this.  Sin is that which made the breach, and caused God to take arms against his creature; how canst thou rationally think to make thy peace with him, and keep this makebate^[5] in thy bosom?  God is willing to be reconciled with thee, but wilt thou have him be at peace with thy sin also?  Is it not enough to be justified from thy sin? but wouldst thou have God betray his own honour by justifying thee in thy sin?  Did you ever hear a prince give a patent to another to cut his own throat?  What security canst thou give to God of thy love to him if thou wilt not renounce that which is the only thing that seeks his life?  Peccatum est deicidium—sin is deicide.  As long as the traitor is in favour within, God will not raise his siege, or hear of peace without.  They cannot reign together; choose which you will have of them.  And be not so far de­luded as to think it is enough to send thy lust out of the way for a while, as princes use to do their favourites in a popular commotion, to please the people, and then call for them home when the hubbub is over.  No, God will not be thus dodged and mocked. See how the promise runs, and this he will stand to. ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,’ Isa. 55:7.  See how cau­tious God is in the terms; no corner left for the least sin to skulk and save its life in—he must ‘forsake all.’  That implies,