another, as thou thinkest impossihle to trace them, yet they are all at work for thee, and thy soul is tlie hive wherein they will unlade the sweet fruit of all their labour, though possibly it may be night, the evening of thy days, before thou findest it. In a word, if reconciled, thou standest next to heaven. Whom he justifies, them he glorifies,' Rom. viii. 30 ; thou art sure to be there as soon as death rends the veil of thy flesh, which is all that interposeth between thee and it.
Section II. — Secondly, Consider who it is that offers peace to thee, — the great God; and it is hard to say which speaks the greatest wonder, God to offer, or thee to refuse what he offers. We marvel not to see theundutiful child on his knees, la- bouring to soften his father's heart with his tears, which he hath hardened against him with his rebellion ; nor a condemned traitor prostrate at his prince's foot, begging for his life, now forfeited to the justice of the law : but it is something strange to see the father become suppliant to his child; more for the traitor to open his dungeon door, and find his prince standing there, and that upon no other errand than to desire him to accept of a pardon. And yet self-love may be the great motive for this seeming self-denial. The parent doth but love himself when he steps below his place to gain his child, that carries so much of its parent's life about him. And such necessity of state there is sometimes, that great princes are foi-ced to stoop to the meanest, yea, worst of their subjects. A prince's safety may be so intimately concerned in a traitor's life, that he cannot cut off his head without imminent danger to the crown which stands upon his own. But none of these straits forced God to entertain thoughts of peace to his poor creature ; no, they are the birth of free condescending love. And now think again, sinner, before the great God hath a denial from thee : if a neighbour, the poorest in the town, and he one that hath done thee wrong, and not received it from thee, comes to thee, and desires peace, shouldst thou reject the motion, would not thy conscience reproach thee to thy dying day ? How then wilt thou endure to look God or conscience in the face, if thou refusest peace at God's hands ; that doth not treat like men when their sword is broken and they cannot fight, but when he hath absolute power over thy life, which is ever in his hands, yea, a God that hath received the wrong, and never did thee any ; yea, should have done thee none if he had long before this hanged thee up in chains of darkness among the damned?
Section III. — Thirdly, Consider how God offers thee peace. First, He doth it sincerely ; he covers not fraud vmder a treaty of peace. Among men there hath been horrible juggling in this case. The flag of peace is oft hung out only to draw them within the reach of their dagger, which is ready to smite them, as Joab did Abner, under the fifth rib. In all the civil wars of France, the poor Protestants found peace more costly to them than war; they beat the Pa- pists in the field, when open enemies, but were betrayed by them in the cham- ber, when false friends. But for thy comfort know, it is a God of truth thou treatest with ; never did he shed the blood of war in peace, or give a soul to the sword of his wrath after quarter taken and peace given. If we confess, he is just and faithful to forgive ; his promises are not yea and nay, like the devil's, who lays them so that he may have the credit both ways : no, the vei-y heart of God may be seen as through a crystal window in the promise, — ' they are all Yea and Amen in Christ,' 2 Cor. i. 20.
Secondly, He offers peace affectionately ; his heart is deeply engaged in the tenders of mercy to poor sinners; which will appear. First, In his contriving a way for reconciling sinners to himself. What men strongly desire, they stretch their wits to the utmost how to accomplish. ' The liberal man deviseth liberal things,' Isa. xxxii. 8. It shews the heart exceeding large in charity when a man shall sit down and study how he may find out ways for the exercise of his charity ; whereas most men, alas ! beat their brains how they may save their purses, and escape with giving as little as may be to the poor. O, what a rare invention hath God found out for shewing mercy ! which hath so many myste- rious passages in it, that angels themselves are put hither to school, that by stu- dying this mystery of God's reconciling sinners to himself by Christ, they might 'know the manifold wisdom of God,' Ephes. iii. 10. Secondly, By the early discovery he made of this to the sons of men. That prince might well be ad- mired for his merciful heart, if any history could shew such a one ever to have
THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. ggg