Oh! be perfuaded it deferves your diligence, and that without delay, to feek fomewhat that may be conftant enough to abide with you, and ftrong enough to uphold you in all conditions, and that is alone this free grace and love of God. While many fay, Who will fhew us any good? fet you in with David in his choice, Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me, and this fhall rejoice my heart more than the abundance of corn and wine, Pfal. iv. 6, 7.

This is that light that can break into the darkest dungeons, from which all other lights and comforts are fhut out, and without this, all other enjoyments are, what the world would be without the fun, nothing but darkness. Happy they who have this light of Divine favour and grace fhining into their fouls; for by it they shall be led to that city, where the fun and moon are needlefs; for the glory of God doth lighten. it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, Rev. xxi. 23.

Godliness is profitable for all things, faith the Apostle, having the promises of this life and that which is to come; all other bleffings are the attendants of grace, and follow upon it. This bleffing that the Apostle here, and alfo St Paul in his epistles, joins with grace, was with the Jews of fo large a fenfe, as to comprehend all that they could defire; when they wished peace, they meant all kind of good, all welfare and profperity. And thus we may take it here, for all kind of peace; yea, and for all other bleffings, but especially that fpiritual peace, which is the proper fruit of grace, and doth fo intrinfically flow from it.

We may and ought to wish to the Church of God outward bleffings, and particularly outward peace, as one of the greateft, fo one of the most valuable favours of God: Thus prayed the Pfalmift, Pfal. cxxii. 7. Peace be within thy walls, and profperity within thy palaces.

But that Wisdom that doth what he will, by what means he will, and works one contrariety out of another, brings light out of darkness, good out of evils,

can

can and doth turn tears and troubles to the advantage of his church; but certainly in itself, peace is more suitable to its increase, and, if not abused, proves fo too. As in the apoftolic times, it is faid, The church had peace, and increased exceedingly, Acts ix. 31. we ought also to wish for ecclefiaftical peace to the church, that she may be free from diffenfions and divifions.

These readily arife more or lefs, as we fee in all times, and haunt religion, and the Reformation of it, as a malus genius. St Paul had this to fay to his Corinthians, though he had given them this teftimony, that they were enriched in all utterance and knowledge, and were wanting in no gift, 1 Cor. i. 5. yet presently after, ver. 11. I hear that there are divifions and contentions among you. The enemy had done this, as our Saviour fpeaks; and this enemy is no fool, for, by Divine permiffion, he works to his own end very wifely: For there is not one thing that doth on all hands choak the feed of religion fo much, as thorny debates and differences about itself. So in fucceeding ages, and at the breaking forth of the light in Germany in Luther's time, multitudes of fects arofe.

Profane men do not only stumble, but fall and break their necks upon these divifions. We fee, think they, and fome of them poffibly say it out, that they who mind religion moft, cannot agree upon it; our eafieft way is, not to embroil ourselves, nor at all to be troubled with the business. Many are of Gallio's temper, they will care for none of those things. Thus thefe offences prove a mischief to the profane world, as our Saviour fays, Wo to the world because of offences. Then the erring fide, that is taken with new opinions and fancies, are altogether taken up with them, their main thoughts spent upon them; and thus the fap is drawn from that which fhould nourish and profper in their hearts, fanctified useful knowledge, and faving grace. The other are as weeds, that divert the nourishment in gardens from the plants and flowers

And

And certainly thefe weeds, viz. mens own conceits, cannot but grow more with them, when they give way to them, than folid religion doth; for their hearts, as one faid of the earth, are mother to those, and but ftepmother to this.

It is also a lofs even to those that oppofe errors and divifions, that they are forced to be bufied that way: For the wifeft and godliest of them find, and fuch are fenfible of it, that difputes in religion are no friends to that which is far fweeter in it; but hinders and abates it, viz. thefe pious and devout thoughts, that are both the more useful, and truly delightful.

As peace is a choice bleffing, fo this is the choiceft peace, and is the peculiar infeparable effect of this grace, with which it is here jointly wifhed, grace and peace; the flower of peace growing upon the root of grace. This fpiritual peace hath two things in it, 1. Reconciliation with God. 2. Tranquillity of Spirit. The quarrel and matter of enmity, you know, betwixt God and man, is the rebellion, the fin of man; and he being naturally altogether finful, there can proceed nothing from him, but what foments and increases the hoftility. It is grace alone, the most free grace of God, that contrives, and offers, and makes the peace, else it had never been; we had univerfally perished without it. Now in this is the wonder of Divine grace, that the Almighty God feeks agreement, and entreats for it, with finful clay, which he could wholly destroy in a moment.

Jefus Chrift the Mediator and Purchaser of this peace, bought it with his blood, killed the enmity by his own death, Eph. ii. 15. And therefore the tenor of it in the Gospel runs ftill in his name, Rom. v. 1. We have peace with God through Jefus Christ our Lord; and St Paul expreffes it in his falutations, that are the fame with this, Grace and peace from God the Faiber, and our Lord Jefus Chrift.

As the free love, and grace of God appointed this means and way of our peace, and offered it; fo the

fame

fame grace applies it, and makes it ours, and gives us faith to apprehend it.

And from our sense of this peace, or reconcilement with God, arifes that which is our inward peace, a calm and quiet temper of mind. This peace that we have with God in Chrift, is inviolable: But because the fenfe and perfuafion of it may be interrupted, the foul that is truly at peace with God, may for a time be difquieted in itself, through weakness of faith, or the ftrength of temptation, or the darkness of defertion, lofing fight of that grace, that love and light of God's countenance, on which its tranquillity and joy depends: Thou hideft thy face, faith David, and I was troubled. But when these eclipfes are over, the foul is revived with new confolation, as the face of the earth is renewed, and made to fmile with the return of the fun in the fpring; and this ought always to uphold Chriftians in the faddeft times, viz. that the grace and love of God towards them, depends not on their fenfe, nor upon any thing in them, but is ftill in itself incapable of the smalleft alteration.

It is natural to men to defire their own peace, the quietness and contentment of their minds: But moft men mifs the way to it; and therefore find it not; for there is no way to it indeed, but this one, wherein few feek it, viz. reconcilement and peace with God. The perfuafion of that alone makes the mind clear and ferene, like your faireft fummer days: My peace I give you, faith Chrift, not as the world. Let not your hearts be troubled. All the peace and favour of the world cannot calm a troubled heart; but where this peace is that Chrift gives, all the trouble and difquiet of the world cannot disturb it: When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he bideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only. See alfo for this, Pfal. xlvi. cxxiii. All outward diftrefs to a mind hus at peace, is but as the rattling of the hail upon the tiles, to him that fits within the house

at a fumptuous feaft. A good confcience is called fo, and with an advantage that no other feast can have, nor could men endure it. A few hours of feasting will weary the moft profeffed epicure; but a confcience thus at peace is a continual feaft, with continual unwearied delight. What makes the world take up fuch a prejudice against religion, as a four unpleasant thing? They fee the afflictions and griefs of Chriftians; but they do not fee their joys, the inward pleasure of mind that they can poffefs in a very hard eftate. Have you not tried other ways enough? Hath not he tried them that had more ability and fkill for it than you, and found them not only vanity, but vexation of Spirit? If you have any belief of holy truth, put but this once upon the trial, seek peace in the way of grace. This inward peace is too precious a liquor to be poured into a filthy veffel. A holy heart, that gladly entertains grace, fhall find, that it and peace cannot dwell afunder.

An ungodly man may fleep to death in the lethargy of carnal prefumption and impenitency; but a true lively folid peace he cannot have: There is no peace to the wicked, faith my God, Ifa. lvii. 21. And if he fay there is none, fpeak peace who will, if all the world with one voice would fpeak it, it fhall prove

none.

2dly, Confider the measure of the Apoftle's defire for his fcattered brethren, that this grace and peace may be multiplied. This the Apoftle wishes for them, knowing the imperfection of the graces, and peace of the faints while they are here below; and this they themselves, in fenfe of that imperfection, ardently defire. They that have tafted the fweetnefs of this grace and peace call inceffantly for more. This is a

disease in earthly defires, and a disease incurable by all these things defired; there is no fatisfaction attainable by them: But this avarice of spiritual things is a virtue, and by our Saviour is called bleffedness, because it tends to fulnefs and fatisfaction: Blessed

are