and low, to go to their graves, as bears down a hill, backwards ; alas ! if they should but look forward whither they are going, their hearts wovild soon be at their mouths for want of this breastplate — a comfortable persuasion of their peace made with God. Go, therefore, as a poor malefactor condemned to die would do ; shut thyself up from all thy old flattering companions, that would still lullaby thy miserable soul in a senseless security, the cradle which the devil rocks souls in to their utter destruction ; let none of them come to thee ; but send for those that dare be faithful to thee, and, like Samuel, tell thee every word that God saith against thee, and conceal nothing : yea, read thy doom with thy own eyes in the word, and take thy condemnation from God's own mouth, and not man's : 'There is no jieace to the wicked,' saith my God ; muse on it, till it cleaves to thy soul, like a drawing plaster to a sore, and brings out the very core of thy pride and carnal confidence, which hardened thy heart from all sense of thy condition; by which time the anguish of thy own spirit, seeing the straits thou art brought into, will prompt thee to desire peace with God, and that is that which God waits for to hear drop from thee, as much as Ben- hadad's servants did for a word from Ahab's mouth.
Section II.- — Secondly, Look thou propoundest right ends in thy desire of reconciliation with God. Nothing more hateful to God or man than falsehood and treachery in treaties of jieace; and yet some men can have words as smooth as butter in their mouths, and war is in their hearts at the same time, Psa. Iv. 21. O, take heed of any hollowness of heart in thy inquiry for peace ; when found out, as it must needs be, except God's eye fails him, which is impossible, it will exceedingly harden the heart of God against thee. God never repented of any he pardoned, or took up into the chariot of peace with him ; because he was never deceived by any, as men are, who often make peace with those that prove at last false brethren, and give them cause to wish they had never known them. Joab kissed Amasa, but he took no heed to the sword in Joab's hand. God looks to the heart, and sees what is in its hand; be sui'e thou therefore stand clear in thy own thoughts, as to the ends thou aimest at. It is lawful for thee to look to thy own safety. God will give thee leave to look to thyself; this thou mayest, and yet not neglect him ; but never was any peace true or sure, where only self-love made it, whether it be with God, or between man and man. Thou seest thou art undone, if thou keepest thy old side ; and, there- fore, thou seekest peace with God, as the kings that served Hadarezer, ' when they saw he was smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel themselves,' 2 Sam. X. 19: well, this may be allowed thee to come over to God, because his is the surer side. Never any made peace with God, but this argument weighed much with them. If Jacob could have been safe at home, he had never fled to Laban : all are fired out of their holds, before they yield to God. But take heed this be not all thou aimest at, or the chief thou aimest at ; this thou mayest do, and hate God as much as ever ; like those who are said to yield feignedly to David's victorious arms, because no help for it. A man taken in a stonn may be forced imder the pent-house of his greatest enemy for shelter, withovit any change of his heart, or better thoughts of him, than before he was wont. Two things, therefore, thou must look to have in thy eye, above thy own self-preservation. First, The honour of God. Hence oft the saint's prayers are pressed with an argument from God, as well as themselves and their own misery, Psa. Ixxix. 9 : ' Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.' Certainly, if God could not be more glorified in oiu* peace and reconciliation, than in our death and damnation, it were a wicked thing to desire it. But God hath cleared this up to us, that he is no loser by acts of mercy. In this lies the greatest revenue of his crown, or else he would not love ' mercy rather than sacrifice.' God is free to choose what suits his own heart best, and most conduceth to the exalting of his great name ; and he delights more in the mercy shewn to one, than in the blood of all the damned, that are made a sacrifice to his justice. And, indeed, he had a higher end in their damnation, than their suff'ering : and tliat was the enhancing of the glory of his mercy, in his saved ones. This is the beautiful piece God takes delight in, and the other but the shadow to it. Then thou art in a fit disposition to pray for peace, and mayest go with encouragement, when thy heart is deeply affected with the honour that
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