WHAT IS HERE MEANT BY PEACE

 

 The second inquiry follows, viz.—What peace is here meant that is attributed to the gospel.  Peace is a comprehensive word.  ‘We looked for peace,’ saith the prophet, ‘but no good came,’ Jer. 8:15.  Peace brings, and carries away again with it, all good, as the sun doth light, to and from the world.  When Christ would to the utmost express how well he wished his disciples, he wraps up all the happiness which his large heart could be term them in this blessing of peace—‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you,’ John 14:27.  Now, take peace in its greatest latitude, if not spurious, and it will be found to grow upon this gospel-root.  So that we shall lay the conclusion in general terms.

           Doctrine.  True peace is the blessing of the gospel, and only of the gospel.  This will appear in the sev­eral kinds of peace, which may be sorted into this fourfold division:—first. Peace with God which we may call peace of reconciliation.  second. Peace with ourselves, or peace of conscience.  third. Peace with one another, or peace of love and unity.  fourth. Peace with the other creatures, even the most hurtful, which may be called a  peace of indemnity and service.  Let us begin, where all the others begin, with peace of reconciliation with God.  For when man fell out with God, he fell out with himself, and all the world besides; and he can never come to be at peace with these, till his peace be made with God.  Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia—a tranquil God tranquilizes all things.

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O what is the reason for those, who would pass for Christians, forsake this pure wine of gospel joy, for the sophisticated stuff which this whore the world presents in her golden cup to them?  Is it because the gladsome message of the gospel is grown stale, and so its joy—which once sparkled in the preaching of it, as generous wine doth in the cup, and cheered the hearts of believers with strong consolations—hath now lost its spirits? or can that pure stream of spiritual joy, which hath run so long through the hearts and lives of the saints in so many generations, with our mingling with the brackish water of the world’s sensual pleasures, at last fall in with them, and be content to lose its own divine nature and sweetness in such a sink?  O no!  The gospel is the same it was; the joy it brings as sweet and brisk, as spiritual and pure, as ever it was, and will be as long as God and Christ continue to be the same, out of whose bosom of love it first flowed, and is still fed; but the professors of this gospel now, are not the same with those holy men and women of primitive times.  The world grows old, and men’s affections with it chill and become cold.  We have not our taste so lively, nor our spirits so chaste and pure, to relish the heavenly viands dished forth in the gospel.  The cheer is as good as ever, but the guests are worse.  We are grown debauched in our judgments, and corrupt in our prin­ciples; no wonder then if carnal in our joys.  Error is a whore, it takes away the heart from Christ and his spiritual joys. 

The head once distempered soon af­fects the heart, and, by dropping the malignity of its principles upon it, poisons it with carnal affections; and carnal affections cannot fare with any other than gross and carnal joys.  Here, here is the root of the misery of our times.  Hath not, think you, the devil played his game cunningly among us, who, by his instruments—transforming themselves into the like­ness of angels of light—could first raise so many credulous souls into a fond expectation of higher at­tainments in grace and comfort from their new pre­tended light, than ever yet the saints were acquainted with, and then at last make them fall so low, be so reasonable, or rather unreasonable, as to accept such sensual pleasures and joys as this world can afford, in full payment for all the glorious things he promised them?  Well, sirs, this I hope will make some love the gospel the more, and stick closer to it as long as they live.

           O Christians! bless God for the glad tidings of the gospel; and never lend an ear to him that would be telling you other news, except you mean to part with truth to purchase a lie.  Yea, let it make you careful to draw all your comfort and joy from the gospel's breast. When a carnal heart would be merry, he doth not take the Bible down to read in that.  He doth not go into the company of the promises, and walk in the meditation of them.  It brings no joy to him to think of Christ or heaven.  No, he takes down a play-book, may be; seeks some jovial company; goes to the exchange or market, to hear what news he can meet with.  Every one, as his haunt lies; but still it is from the world he expects his joy.  And now where lies thy road, Christian? whither doth thy soul lead thee for thy joy?  Dost thou not go to the word, and read there what Christ has done for thee on earth, and is doing for thee in heaven?  Is not the throne of grace the exchange, to which thou resortest for good news from that far country, heaven, where all thy estate lies, and thy best friends live?  Art thou not listening what promise he will speak peace from to thy soul?  If so, thou hast not thy name for naught, thou art a Christian indeed. 

‘True students,’ saith Erasmus, ‘that love their book indeed, when they have wearied their spirits with study, can recreate them again with study, by making a diversion from that which is severe and knotty, to some more facile and pleasant subject.’ Thus the true Christian, when his spirits are worn and wasted in the severer exercises of Christianity, such as are fasting and prayer, wherein he afflicts both body and soul for his sins, then can he recover them at the feast of God's love in Christ, where he sees his water turned into wine, and the tears that even now his sins covered his face with, all washed off with the blood of Christ.  When his soul is struck into a fear and trembling with the consideration of the justice of God, and the terror of his threatenings and judgements for sin, then the meditation of the sweet promises of the gospel recreate and revive him; so that, in the same word where he meets with his wound, he finds his healing; where he hath his sorrow, there also he receives his joy.

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2. To believers.  You who have entertained the message of the gospel, rejoice at the news.  Glad ti­dings and sad hearts do not well together.  When we see one heavy and sorrowful, we ask him, what ill news he hath heard.  Christian, what ill news hath Christ brought from heaven with him, that makes thee walk with thy folded arms and pensive counte­nance? Ps. 132:16.  To see a wicked man merry and jocund, or a Christian sad and dumpish, is alike uncomely.  ‘A feast is made for laughter,’ saith Solomon, Ecc. 10:19.  I am sure God intended his people’s joy in the feast of the gospel.  Mourners are not to sit at God’s table, Deut. 26.  Truly the saint’s heaviness reflects unkindly upon God himself.  We do not com­mend his cheer, if it doth not cheer us.  What saith the world?  The Christian’s life is but a melancholy walk.  Sure, thinks the carnal wretch, it is a dry feast they sit at, where so little wine of joy is drunk.  And wilt thou confirm them in this their opinion, Christian?  Shall they have an example to produce Christ and his word, which promise peace and joy to all that will come to this feast?  O God forbid that thy conversation, wherein thou art to ‘hold forth the word of life’—to live in the eyes of the world—and which ought to be as a comment or gloss upon the word, to clear up the truth and reality of it to others—forbid that this should so disagree with the text, as to make the gladsome tidings spoken of in it, more disputed and questioned in the thoughts of the unbelieving world than before.  It is an error, I confess, and that a gross one, which the Papists teach—that we cannot know the Scriptures to be the word of God, but by the testimony of the church; yet it is none to say, that a practical testimony from the saints’ lives hath great authority over the consciences of men, to convince them of the truth of the gospel.  Now they will believe it is good news indeed the gospel brings, when they can read it in your cheerful lives.  But when they observe Christians sad with this cup of salvation in their hands, truly they suspect the wine in it is not so good as the preachers commend it to them for.  Should men see all that trade to the Indies come home poorer than they went, it would be hard to persuade others to venture thither, for all the golden mountains said to be there.  O Christians, let the world see that you are not losers in your joy since you have been acquainted with the gospel.  Give not them cause to think by your uncomfortable walking, that when they return Christians, they must bid all joy farewell and resolve to spend their days in a house of mourning.

Is the gospel a message of glad tidings?  Do not then for shame, Christian, run on the world's score by taking up any of its carnal joy; thou needest not go out of God's house to be merry.  Here is joy enough in the glad tidings of the gospel, more than thou canst spend, though thou shouldst live at a higher rate than thou dost or canst here on earth.  Abraham would not take so much as ‘ thread,’ or shoe‑latchet’ from the king of Sodom, lest he should say that he made Abra­ham rich, Gen. 14:23.  A Christian should deny himself of the world’s joy and delights, lest they say, These Christians draw their joy out of our cistern.  The channel is cut out by the Spirit of God, in which he would have his saints' joy to run.  ‘If any be merry, let him sing psalms.’  Let the subject of his mirth be spir­itual; as, on the other hand, if he be sick, let him pray, James 5:14.  A spiritual vent is given to both affec­tions of sorrow and joy.  Aliter ludit ganeo, aliter princeps—a prince’s recreation must not be like a ruffian’s.  No more a Christian’s joy like the carnal man’s.  If ever there was need to call upon Christians to feed the lamp of their joy with spiritual fuel, holy oil, that drops from a gospel pipe, now the time is, wherein professors do symbolize with the world in their outward bravery, junketings, fashions, pastimes, and are so kind to the flesh in allowing of, yea in pleading so much for, a carnal liberty in these things, that shows too plainly that the spiritual joy to be drawn out of these wells of salvation does not satisfy them; or else they would not make up their draught from this puddle‑water, which was wont to be thirsted after only by those that had never drunk of Christ’s cup.

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A word of exhortation to unbelievers and also to believers.

Use Third.  A word of exhortation to you who have not closed with the terms of the gospel, and also to you who have—to believers and to unbelievers.

1. To unbelievers.  Be persuaded to receive the message of the gospel kindly, believingly, into your hearts; it is the best news you can send back to heaven, as a gratulatory return, for the glad tidings that the gospel brings from thence.  Thy embracing Christ preached to thee in the gospel, will be as wel­come news to heaven, I can tell thee, as the tidings of Christ and salvation through him, can be to thee. ‘There is joy in heaven’ at the conversion of a sinner. Heaven soon rings of this.  The angels that sang Christ into the world, will not want a song when he is received into thy heart; for he came into the world for this end.  Christ descended when he came into the world, but now he ascends.  That was an act of his hu­miliation, this of his exaltation.  The highest created throne that God can sit in, is the soul of a believer. No wonder then, that Christ calls all his friends to joy with him at a soul’s return to him and reception of him, Luke 15:9.  What joy is now in heaven upon this occasion, we may collect from the joy it drew from Christ when on earth.  It was some great good news that could wring a smile then from Christ, or tune his spirit into a joyful note, who was ‘a man of sorrows,’ and indeed came into the world to be so.  Yet when his disciples whom he had sent forth to preach the gospel, returned with news of some victorious success of their labours, ‘in that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father,’ Luke 10:21.  Of all the hours of his life, that is the hour wherein Christ would express his joy; which, with the care of the Spirit to record this passage in the history of Christ’s life, shows that Christ had an especial design in that expression of his joy at that time.  And what could it be, but to let us know how much his heart was set upon this work of saving souls? and that, when he should be gone to heaven, if we meant to send any joyful news to him thither, it should be of the prosperous and victorious success the gospel hath over our hearts.  This, this which could make him rejoice in the midst of all his sorrows here on earth, must needs be more joyous to him in heaven now, where he hath no bitterness from his own sufferings—which are all healed, past, and gone—to mingle with the joy of this news.  And, if the kind reception of the gospel be such joyful news to him, you may easily conceive how distasteful the rejecting of it is to him.  As he rejoiced in spirit to hear the gospel prevailed; so he cannot but be angry when it meets with a repulse from the unbe­lieving world.  We find, Luke 14:21 ‘the master of the house’— that is Christ—‘angry,’ when his ser­vants, sent to invite the guests—that is, preach the gospel —return with a denial from those that were bidden (for so their mannerly excuses were interpreted by Christ), yea, so angry, that he claps a fearful doom upon them—‘not one of those which were bidden shall taste of my supper,’ ver. 24.  God can least bear any contempt cast upon his grace.  The Jews, though they had many grievous calamities which befell them for their idolatries and other sins, yet never any like that which the rejecting Christ brought upon them. Under those they relented, but under this they hard­ened.  They would not come when the supper was on the table; and therefore the cloth is drawn, and they go supperless to bed, and die in their sins.  While they shut the door of their hearts against Christ, this padlock, as I may so call it, of judiciary impenitence is fastened to it.  Christ needs take no other revenge on a soul for its refusing him, to make it miserable to the height, than to condemn such a one to have its own desire.  Christ thou wilt not, Christ therefore thou shalt not have.  O unhappy soul thou! that hast offers of Christ, but diest without Christ!  Thou goest with thy full lading to damnation.  None sink so deep in hell, as those that fall into it with a stumble at Christ.  That gospel which brings now good news, will, when thou shalt have a repetition sermon of it at the great day, bring the heaviest tidings with it that ever thy ears heard.

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1. Consideration.  Consider what little proportion, as to the number, I mean, do these that embrace the gospel bear with those that continue to reject it —those that desire to keep Christ among us with those that wish him gone and would gladly be rid of him.  Were it put to the vote, would not they carry it by thousands of thousands that care not whether we have a gospel or not?  And doth it not prophesy sadly when the odds are so great?  In all the departures of God from a people, there were ever some holy ones mingled amongst the rout of sinners.  Sardis had her ‘few names which had not defiled their garments;’ but yet the ‘candlestick was removed.’  All that they could get was a promise for themselves in particular—‘They shall walk with me in white,’ Rev. 3:4—but no protection for the church.  God can pull down the house, and provide well for his saints also that he finds there.  A few voices are easily drowned in the outcry of a multitude—a few pints of wine are hardly tasted in a tun of wine—and a little number of saints can do, sometimes, but little to the saving of a wretched people among whom they live.  Possibly, as in a weak body, where the disease hath got the mastery, nature putting forth its summum conatum—its utmost strength—may keep life a while in the body—some days or weeks—but cannot long, without some help to evacuate the distemper; so a few saints, shut up in a degenerate age amongst an ungodly Christ-despising people, may a while prorogue the judgment, and reprieve a while the life of such a people; but if there be no change made upon them for the better, ruin must needs break in upon them.
2. Consideration.  Consider, of these few gracious ones found amongst us that embrace the gospel, how many are new converts—such, I mean, as the gospel hath of late days won to Christ.  I am afraid you will find this little number of saints chiefly to consist of old disciples—such as were wrought upon many years since.  Alas! the womb of the gospel hath been in a great measure shut up of late, as to the bringing forth of souls by a thorough solid work of conversion.  Indeed, if they may pass for converts that baptize themselves into a new way and form of wor­ship, or that begin their religion with a tenet and an opinion, we have more than a good many to show of these.  But in this old age of England’s withered pro­fession, how great a rarity is a sincere convert?  We cannot deny but God is graciously pleased to bring the pangs of the new birth now and then upon some poor souls in our assemblies, that his despised serv­ants may have his seal to confirm their ministry, and stop those mouths which are so scornfully opened against it; yet, alas! it is but here and there one.  And doth not this prophesy sadly to this nation?  I am sure, when we see a tree that used to stand thick with fruit no bring forth but little—may be an apple on this bough, and another on that—we look upon it as a dying tree.  Leah comforted herself from her fruitfulness, that there­fore her husband would love her and cleave to her, Gen. 29:34.  May we not, on the contrary, fear that God will not love, but leave, a people when they grow barren under the means of grace? God threatens as much, ‘Be thou instruc­ted, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee,’ Jer. 6:8. And if God’s soul departs, then he is upon his remove as to his visible presence also.  So indeed it follows, ‘lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.’  O my brethren, those golden days of the gospel are over when converts come flying as a cloud—as the doves to their windows in flocks.  Now gospel news grow stale; few are taken with them.  Though a kingdom hath much treasure and riches in it; yet, if trade cease, no new bullion comes in, nor merchandise be imported, it spends upon its old stock, and must needs in time decay.  Our old store of saints—the treasure of their times—wears away apace, what will become of us if no new ones come in their room?  Alas! when our burials are more than our births, we must needs be on the losing hand.  There is a sad list of holy names taken away from us; but where are they which are born to God?  If the good go, and those which are left continue bad—yea, become worse and worse—we have reason to fear that God is clearing the ground, and making way for a judgment.
3. Consideration.  Consider the unhappy con­tentions and divisions that are found among the people of God yet left upon the place: these prophesy sadly, the Lord knows.  Contentions ever portend ill. The remarkable departures of God, recorded in Scripture, from the church of the Jews, found them woefully divided and crumbled into parties.  And the Asian churches no less.  Christ sets up the light of his gospel to walk and work by, not to fight and wrangle; and therefore it were no wonder at all if he should put it out, and so end the dispute.  If these storms which have been of late years upon us, and are not yet off, had but made Christians, as that did the disciples, Mark 6:48, to ply their oar and lovingly row all one way, it had been happy.  We might then have  expected Christ to come walking towards us in mercy, and help us safe to land.  But when we throw away the oar, and fall a scuffling in the ship, while the wind continues loud about us, truly we are more like to drive Christ from us than invite him to us, we are in a more prob­able way of sinking than saving the ship and ourselves in it.

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           And is the world now amended?  Doth Christ in his gospel meet with any kinder usage at the hands of most?  The note that Christ sings is still the same, ‘Come unto me, that ye may have life.’  The worst hurt Christ does poor souls that come unto him, is to put them into a state of life and salvation; and yet where is the person that likes the offer?  O, it is other news that men generally listen after.  This makes the exchange, the market-place, so full, and the church so thin and empty.  Most expect to hear their best news from the world.  They look upon the news of the gos­pel as foreign, and that which doth not so much con­cern them, at least at present.  It is time enough, they think, to mind this, when they are going into another world.  Alas! the gospel is not accommodated to their carnal desires.  It tells them off no fields and vineyards that it hath to give.  It invites them not with the gaieties of worldly honours and pleasures.  Had Christ in his gospel but gratified the cravings of men’s lusts with a few promises for these things—though he had promised less for another world—the news would have gone down better with these sots, who had rather hear one prophecy of wine and strong drink, than [to hear] preach of heaven itself.  Truly, there are but a very few—and those sufficiently jeered for their pains —that like the message of the gospel so well as to receive it cordially into their hearts.  If any one does but give entertainment to Christ, and it be known, what an alarm does it give to all his carnal neighbours!  If they do not presently beset his house, as the Sodomite's did Lot’s, yet do they set some brand of scorn upon him—yea, make account they have now reason enough to despise and hate him, how well soever they loved him before.

           O what will God do with this degenerate age we live in!  O England!  England! I fear some sad judgment or other bodes for thee!  If such glad tidings as the gospel brings be rejected, sad news cannot be far off—I cannot think of less than of a departing gospel. God never made such settlement of his gospel among any people but he could remove it from them.  He comes but upon liking, and will he stay where he is not welcome?  Who will that hath elsewhere to go? It is high time for the merchant to pack up and be gone when few or none will buy, nay, when instead of buy­ing, they will not suffer him to be quiet in his shop, but throw stones at him, and dirt on his richest com­modities.  Do we not see the names of Christ's faithful messengers bleeding at this day under the reproaches that fly so thick about their ears?  Are not the most precious truths of the gospel almost covered with the mire and dirt of errors and blasphemies, which men of corrupt minds—set on work by the devil himself—have raked out of every filthy puddle and sink of old heretics and thrown on the face of Christ and his gospel!  And where is the hand so kind as to wipe off that which they have thrown on? the heart so valiant for the truth as to stop these foul mouths from spitting their venom against Christ and his gospel?  If anything be done of this kind, alas! it is so faintly, that they gather heart by it.  Justice is so favourably sprinkled, like a few drops upon fire, that it rather increaseth the flame of their rage against the truth than quencheth it.  A prince calls not home his ambassador for every affront that is offered him in the streets—only when he is affronted and can have no redress for the wrong.

           Objection.  But some may say, Though it cannot be denied that the gospel hath found very unkind entertainment by many among us, and especially of late years—since a spirit of error hath so sadly prevailed in the land—yet, make us not worse than we are.’  There is, blessed be God, ‘a remnant of gracious souls yet to be found to whom Christ is precious —who gladly embrace the message of the gospel, and weep in secret for the contempt that is cast upon it by men of corrupt minds and profane hearts, and therefore we hope we are not in such imminent danger of losing the gospel as your fears suggest.’

           Answer.  If there were not such a sprinkling of saints among us, our case would indeed be desperate, conclusum esset de nobis—the shades of that dismal night would quickly be upon us.  These are they that have held the gospel thus long among us.  Christ had, as to his gospel presence, been gone ere this, had not these hung about his legs, and with their strong cries and prayers entreated his stay.  But there are a few considerations as to these, which, seriously weighed, will not leave us without some tremblings of heart.

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Use First.  Pity those that never heard word of this good news.  Such there are in the world—whole nations, with whom the day is not yet broke, but a dismal night of ignorance and barbarism continues to be stretched over them—whose forlorn souls are un­der a continual massacre from the bloody butcher of hell!  An easy conquest, God knows, that soul-fiend makes of them.  He lays his cruel knife to their throats, and meets with no resistance, because he finds them fast asleep in ignorance—utterly destitute of that light which alone can discover a way to escape the hands of this destroyer.  What heart, that ever tas­ted the sweetness of gospel grace, trembles not at their deplored state?—yea, doth not stand astonished at the difference of God’s dispensations to them and us?  ‘Lord, why wilt thou manifest thyself to us, and not to the world?’  God pardon the unmercifulness of our hearts, that we can weep no more over them. Truly we do not live so far from the Moors and Indians but we may—by not pitying of them, and earnest desiring their conversion—besmear ourselves with the guilt of their souls’ blood, which is shed continually by the destroyer of mankind.  O how sel­dom is their miserable the companion of our sorrow­ful thoughts, and their conversion the subject of our prayers and desires!  There have been, alas! in the world, more counsels how to ease them of their gold, than enrich them with the treasure of the gospel —how to get their land, than how to save their souls. But the time is coming, when winning souls will be found more honourable than conquering nations. Well, Christian, though thou canst not impart to them what God hath laid on thy trencher, yet, as thou sittest at the feast of the gospel, think of those poor souls, and that compassionately, who starve to death for want of that bread with which thou art fed unto eternal life.  There is an opinion which some have lately taken up, that the heathens may spell Christ out of the sun, moon and stars.  These may seem kinder than others have been to them; but I wish it doth not make them more cruel to them in the end —I mean by not praying so heartily for gospel light to arise among them, as those must needs do who be­lieve them under a sad necessity of perishing without it.  When a garrison is judged pretty well stored with provisions for its defence, it is an occasion that relief and succour comes the slower to it.  And I wish Satan hath not such a design against those forlorn souls in this principle.  If such a lesson were to be got by the stars, we should ere this have heard of some that had learned it.  Indeed, I find a star led the wise men to Christ; but they had a heavenly preacher to open the text to them, or else they would never have understood it.

Lamentation for the unkind welcome the gospel finds in the world.

           Use Second.  A sad lamentation may be here taken up, that so good news should have such an ill welcome as the gospel commonly finds in the world. When the tidings were first told at Jerusalem of a Saviour being born, on would have thought—espe­cially if we consider that the Scripture reckoning was now out for the birth of the Messias, and they big with the expectation of his coming—that all hearts should have leaped within them for joy at the news, to see their hopes so happily delivered and accomplished.  But, behold, the clean contrary.  Christ’s coming proves matter of trouble and distaste to them.  They take the alarm at his birth, as if an enemy, a destroyer —not a Saviour—were landed in their coast; and as such, Herod goes out against him, and makes him flee the country.  But possibly, though at present they stumble at the meanness of his birth and parentage, yet, when the rays of his divinity shall shame through his miracles, then they will religiously worship him when now they contemn; when he comes forth into his public ministry, opens his commission and shows his authority—yea, with his own lips tells the joyful message he brings from the Father unto the sons of men, then surely they will dearly love his person, and thankfully embrace, yea greedily drink in, the glad tidings of salvation which he preacheth to them.  No; they persist in their cursed unbelief and obstinate rejecting of him.  Though the Scripture, which they seemed to adore, bear so full a testimony for Christ that it accuseth them to their own consciences, yet they will have none of him.  Christ tells them so much—‘Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life,’ John 5:39, 40.  Life they desired, yet will lose it rather than come to him for it.