the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the faints, Eph. 1. 18. He comforts him when dejected, and wipes away his tears with his own band, Rev. 7. 17, and puts them as a precious liquor into his bottle, Pf. 57. 8. He gives beauty for afbes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praife for the fpirit of heaviness, Ifa. 61. 3., Kiffes her with the killes of his mouth, Canticl. 1. 2; and if, at any time, fhe is fick of love, his left band is under ber bead, and his right hand doth embrace her, Canticl 6. In fine, whatever good he is poffeffed of (and what is there he is not?) he liberally communi cates all, in that time, order and degree, which his wisdom knows to be most expedient. And what will he not give, who gives himself, as an exceeding great reward? Gen. 15, 1. Hence a follicitude XII. Who can doubt, but they, who taite this incredible fweetnefs of divine love, do infinitely preto approve fer the friendship of God to all other things? Hence himfelf to when they gratefully acknowledge the things, they God. have been fo graciously favoured with, beyond what they deferve, they carefully avoid every thing unworthy of fuch friendhip, and which may mar fuch luchte a propenfe favour of the Deity by any coldnefs. Whereas they most readily perform what they know to be acceptable to God; and then at length it is, they feem to themfelves to live, when in the whole tenour of their lives, they approve themselves to God. And fecing they know, that love deferves love, and that true friendship confifts in this, that friends chule and refufe the fame things, they ftir up all their powers to make returns of love, and fubmit their will to that of God, and give it up to be fwallowed up, as it were, in the divine will, and thus at length, with the king of angels, they bear the sweet yoke of love. The love of God begets the love of the foul, and atracts it to himself. God loves, in order to be loved. When he loves, he defires nothing more, than to be loved again, knowing those to be happy in love, Begets peace of confcience. Accom who love him. The foul, that loves, renounces all it's affections, and minds nothing but love, that it may give love, for love. And when it has poured out itself whol ly in love, what is that to the conftant flow of the fountain? As Auguftine piouffy fpeaks, Manual. C. 20. XIII. During thefe tranfactions in the foul, and while the daily conteft of mutual friendship between it and God is renewed, it cannot but enjoy the most delightful peace of confcience. When it difcovers the favourable fentence of God concerning the man, and intimates the fame to him, and, at the fame time, bears teftimony to his unfeigned piety towards God, it spreads a furprizing ferenity and calm over the whole foul. Confequently the peace of God neceffarily brings with it peace of conscience, and much confidence in God, Rom. 14. 7; Eph. 3. 12. The foul no where repofes itfelf more comfortably, than in that bed of tranquillity, and in the bofom of Jefus, its loving, lovely fpoufe, finging at that time to its adverfaries; know that the Lord hath fet apart him that is godly, for himself. I will both lay me down in peace and fleep; for thou, Lord, only makeft me dwell in fafety. Pf. 4. 3, 8. I laid me down and lept, I awaked, for the Lord fuftained me, Pf. 3. 5. XIV. There is also a friendship with all the other panied friends of God, not only bely men, who mutually help with and comfort one another by communion of prayers friendship, with all the and other duties of brotherly love, Pf. 16. 3, and friends of who, without envy, mutually congratulate each God. other on the gifts confered on every one in particu lar, by their common friend; but alfo with the bleffed angels, who were formerly enemies to man, when he was the enemy of God, and kept our first. parents from all access to paradife, Gen. 3.24 but now minister to man with the greatest complacency and readinefs, Heb. 1. 14. encamp round about kim Pf. 34.7, keep him in all his ways, bear him up in their hands, leaft he dash his foot against a stone, Pf.-9r. JI, 12. 11, 12, 'till, at the Command of God, they convey powers. hurt the XV. I add, that, peace being made with God, No creanone of the creatures can exercife any acts of hoftility ture can against believers, to the prejudice of their falvation. friends of According to the promite Job 5. 23, 24, thou shalt God. be in league with the faces of the field and the beasts of the field fhall be at peace with thee. And thou shalt know, that thy tabernacle fhall be in peace: which is repeated, Hof. 2. 18, and in that day, will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground. The plain meaning of thefe paffages leens to be this: rocks and stones fhall be foft to the friends of God, they fhall not hurt their feet: they fhall not be molested by any rocky difmal places, where either robbers usually lie in wait, or in which the beasts of the field are harboured. For, God fo reftrains them, that they are not able to hurt them; but are compel led to fubmit and be fubfervient to them: the ravenous fowls themselves and poisonous reptiles, and they who are emblematically reprefented by thefe, as well men as malignant spirits, shall have no power to do them harm, Pf. 91. 13; Mark 16. 18. It is true, they cannot have any amicable peace with the ene 1 mies of God, the world and the devil; and it is cer", tain, that they are then most grievously harraffed by their perfecutions, when they cultivate peace with ... God: nevertheless, all the attempts of hell and the derworld against them are in vain: Behold, all they that were incenfed against thee, fhall be afbamed and confound ed; they shall be as nothing, and they that frive with thee fhall perish: thou shalt feek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war tagainst thee fhall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought," id, Ifa. 41. 11, 12: Add Ifa. 54, 14, 15, 16, 17.. Nay, all of XVI And the efforts of their enemies are not only them, in vain, but, without their knowledge, and against even in their will, they promote their falvation; and the fpite of devils are contrained to bring the friends of God promote nearer to heaven, from which they themselves fhall their fal- be for ever banished. Thus the chief mafter of vation, pride proved, by his buffetings, a teacher of humility to Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 7. So true it is, that all things work together for good to them that love God, Rom. 8. them, peace flows a bundance of all good things. 28. A From this XVII. Abundance of all falutary good things flows, from this peace, which the Pfalmitt, P. 144 13 defcribes to the life. And tho' it often happens, that the friends of God, as to the outward man, drag a life, which fearce deferves that name, amidit poverty, contempt and difeafes, yet fince the leaft good thing, they enjoy, in all thefe calamities, is beftowed upon them by the fpecial love of God, is the most noble fruit of the crofs of Chrift, and gives them to tafle the infinite goodness of the Deity. Therefore, that little that a righteous man bath, is better than the riches of many wicked, Pf. 37. 16. For, he has it from, and with the favour of God, who is the inexhaufted fountain of all defireable things. Nay, the very evils, with which they are overwhelmed, turn to their advantage, for they ferve to humble them, to build them up in faith, patience and self denial, and wean them 7 them from the vanities of the world, and carry them towards heaven. Hence in their very adver fities they find matter of joy and glorying, Rom. 5. 3: Fam. 1. 2. XVIII. From what we have faid, the excellency Whence of this peace is easily concluded, which the Apoftle, its excelPhil. 4. 7, defcribes, as paffing all understanding: it is lency therefore worthy to be fought after with the utmost ought to diligence; kept when obtained; and renewed, when ed. interrupted. be esteem XIX. God, indeed, graciously tenders it in the To be word of the Gofpel: but not, as if the finner is to fought do nothing, before he enjoys the inward fenfe of it. with all diligence, For this purpose it is neceffary, 1ft. That he confess, that, on account of his very many, and very heinous offences, he is altogether unworthy of the peace and friendship of God, and ferioufly grieve for them, Luke 15. 21; P. 32. 5, 6; Prov. 28. 13. 2dly, With forrow obferve and declare, that he can do nothing, that is fit to appeafe the juftly provoked Deity, Mich. 6. 6,7; but put all his hopes in the blood of Chrift alone, the application of which depends on the good pleasure of the lord himfelf. 3dly, Give himfelf upálía moi humbly to God, thus thinking with himself, "Since without peace with God there is nothing but ruin, I will approach to the throne of grace, humbly "begging for pardon and mercy; if he is pleafed to "reach out his golden fceptre of grace to me, I will eternally praife him; but if in anger he turns away his face, I will confefs his juftice, and proclaim it worthy of all praife, tho' it fhould be rigid to my deftruction; and fay, I will die at his feet without repining:" See Esth. 4. 16. This abfolute refignation and furrender, cannot but be acceptable to God, and falutary to man. 4thly, That he add, to his devout prayers, reformation of life; fincerely keep his heart and actions, from what he knows to be contrary to God; declare war against God's enemies; will, love, and do what becomes the friends of God. In |