an enemy alive, that observes their motions, takes the alaiTn their sins give him, and can be too hard for them when he shall please ; but it is in hell where he falls on with his whole power. There sinners ' shall be pimished with everlast- ing destruction from the presence of the Lord, andfrom the glory of his power,' 2 Thess. i. 9. And so much for the first, that there is a quarrel between God and man. The second follows.
Secondly, The gospel takes this quan'el up, and only the gospel ; therefore called ' the gospel of peace.' This will appear in two particulars. First, the gospel presents us with the articles of peace, which God offers graciously to treat upon with the children of men, and this, none but the gospel doth. Secondly, the gospel preached and published is the great instrument of God to effect this peace thus offered. First, The gospel presents us with the articles of peace, which God graciously offers to treat and conclude an inviolable peace upon with rebellious man. In it we have the whole method, which God laid in his own thoughts from eternity, of reconciling poor sinners to himself. The gospel, what is it, but God's heart in print ? The precious 23romises of the gospel, what are they, but heaven's court-rolls, translated into the creatures language ? in which are exposed to the view of our faith all the counsels and purposes of love and mercy, which were concluded on by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the recovery of lost man by Jesus Christ, who was sent as heaven's plenipotentiary to earth, fully empowered and enabled, not only by preaching, to treat of a peace as desired on God's part, io be concluded between God and man, but, by the purchase of his death to jjrocure a peace, and by his Spirit to seal and ratify the same to all those, who, believing the credential letters which God sent with him in the miracles wrought by him, and especially the testi- mony which the Scripture gives of him, do by a faith unfeigned receive him into their souls, as their only Lord and Saviour. This is such a notion as is not to be learnt elsewhere. A deep silence we find concerning this in Aristotle and Tully. They cannot tell us how a poor sinner may be at peace with God ; nothing of this to be discovered from the covenant God made with Adam. That shuts the sinner up in a dark dungeon of despair ; bids him look for nothing but what the wrath of a just God can measure out to him. Thus the guilty creature is surrounded on every side, as with a deluge of wrath ; no hope nor help to be heard of, till the gospel, like a dove, bring the olive branch of peace, and tells him the tide is turned, and that flood of wi-ath which was pom-ed on man for his sin is now fallen into another channel, even upon Christ, who was made a curse for us, and hath not only drunk of the brook that lay in the way, and hindered our passage to God, but hath drunk it off; so that where water was, now appears dry land, a safe and fair causeway, called, Heb. x. 20, 'a living way,' by which every truly repenting and believing sinner may pass without any danger, from the justice of God now appeased, into the love and favour of God. ' Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,' Rom. v. L We are entirely beholden to the gospel for the disco- very of this secret, which the apostle solemnly acknowledgeth, 2 Tim. i. 10 ; where Christ is said to ' bring life and immortality to light by the gospel.' It lay hid in the womb of God's purpose, till the gospel arose, and let us into the knowledge of it, as the light of the sim reveals to the eye what was before, but what could not be seen without its light ; and therefore, it is not only called a living way, but a 'new and living way which he hath conseci-ated for us ;' so new, that the heart of man never was acquainted with one thought of it, till the gospel opened it, according to that of Isa.xlii. 16 : 'I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known.' Secondly, The gospel published and preached, is the great instrument of God to effect this peace. Before peace be concluded between God and the crea- ture, both must be agreed ; as God to pardon, so the sinner to accept and embrace peace upon God's own terms : but how shall this be done ? The heart of man is so deeply rooted in its enmity against God, that it requires a strength to j^luck up this, equal with that which tears up mountains and carries rocks from one place to another. The gospel preached is the instrument which God useth for the effecting of it, Rom. i. 16 : 'I am not ashamed,' saith the apostle there, 'of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salva- tion.' It is the chariot wherein the Spirit rides victoriously, when he makes
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