one heaven together. Yea, the apostle gives the advantage to this of the two for our faith to triumph in : ' For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life,' Rom. v. 10. As if the apostle had said. Can you believe that God liath taken you, that were bloody enemies, into a state of peace and favour with himself? Surely, then, you must needs find it easier for your faith to argue from reconciliation to salvation, than from hostility and enmity to pardon and jjoace. Coidd Christ procure the one by his death, when he was weakest, as I may so say, and at the lowest descent of his humiliation ; how much more shall he, in the height of his court favour in heaven, where he hath all power given him, and in particular the keys of hell and death, to open and shut as he pleaseth, be able to save those whom he hath reconciled?
Sixthly, Art thou at peace with God ? Knowing the goodness of God to thyself, do thou woo in some others to embrace the same mercy. The house is not so full, butj'et ' .here is room,' Luke xiv. 22. Hast thou none thou lovest so well, as to wish them thy happiness ? haply thou hast a carnal husband lying by thy side, children of thy womb or loins, neighbours in wliose company thou art every day almost, and all these in an unreconciled state, who, should they die as now they live, their precious souls are lost for ever, and yet themselves think no more of this misery coming on them, than the silly sheep doth what the butcher is doing when he is whetting his knife to cut her throat. Well, the less merciful they are to their own souls, the more need there is thou shouldst shew thy compassion towards them. We take most care of those that are least capable of taking care for themselves. If thou hadst a friend sick in thy house, and of such a disease that he could not help himself, should he die rather than thou wouldst look after him ? If a child, condemned to die, though he did himself not mind the getting of a pardon, yet surely thou wouldst run and ride to obtain it, rather than see him end his days so shamefully. In a word, didst thou but know that thy neighbour had an intention to put an end to himself, and for that end had locked himself up in a room, wovddst thou not bestir thee to break up the door, rather than the man should thus miscarry? But, alas! where is the holy violence that is used to save poor souls ? Pai'ents, husbands, neigh- bours, they can see their relations going to hell before their eyes ; and who saith to them. Why do you so ? O for the Lord's sake be more merciful to the souls of others. Thou hast foimd a feast ; let not any that are near thee starve for want of knowledge, where it is to be had. Go and invite all thou canst see to God's house ; so did David, Psa. xxxiv. 8 : ' O taste and see that the Lord is good.' Thou needst not fear a chiding from God, for sending him more guests. He complains he hath no more ; ' Ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life,' John v. 40. He threatens those that keep sinners off from making their peace with him, by flattering them with a false one, called, a ' strengthening of the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life,' Ezek. xiii. 22. How acceptable a work then must it needs be to woo souls to Christ ! The merchant is not angry for sending a customer into his warehouse, that will buy what he hath taken so much cost and travail to get that he may sell ; nor will the physician blame any for bringing a patient to him, by whose cure he may let the world know his skill and art. And this is the great design Christ hath long had, and in particular prayed for, John xvii. 21 : ' That the woi'ld might believe that he was sent of God.' What aims he at in the gathering in of souls, by the grace of the gospel, but 'to take out a people,' from the heap of sinners, 'for his name?' Acts xv. 14 ; that is, cull out a number, in shewing mercy to whom he might exalt his own name gloriously.
CHAPTER VIII.
THAT PEACE OF CONSCIENCE IS A BLESSING TO BE OBTAINED FROM THE GOSPEL, AND ONLY THE GOSPEL, WITH A DOUBLE DEMONSTRATION THEREOF.
We come now to the second kind of peace, and that is, peace of consolation, or peace of conscience : by the former, the poor sinner is reconciled to God ; by this, he comes anima pacata slb'i, a soul reconciled to itself: since man fell out with God, lie could never be truly friends with his own conscience. This second
374 "^"^^ GOSPEL OF PEACE.