boldly falls to work before he comes, directly against the order given him. Thus many are so hot upon having comfort that they will not stay for the Spirit of God to come and sprinkle their consciences with the blood of Christ in gospel order, but profanely do it themselves, by applying the comfort of those pro- mises which indeed at present does not belong to them. O sirs, can this do well in the end ? Should he consult well for his health that will not stay for the doctor's direction, but runs into the apothecary's shop, and on his own head takes his physic, without the counsel of the physician how to prepare it, or himself for the taking of it? This every profane wretch doth that lives in sin, and yet sprinkles himself with the blood of Christ, and blesseth himself in the pardoning mercy of God. But let such know, that as the blood of the paschal lamb was not struck on the Egyptians' doors, but the Israelites', so neither is the blood of Christ to be sprinkled on the obstinate sinner, but sincere penitent. Nay, further, as that blood was not to be spilt on the threshold of an Israelite's door, where it might be trampled on, but on the side-posts ; so neither is the blood of Christ to be apphed to the behever himself while he lies in any sin imrepented of, for his present comfort. This were indeed to throw it under his foot to be trod upon. David confesseth his sin with shame before Nathan comforts him with the news of a pardon.
CHAPTER X.
TVHERE WE HAVE A TRIAL OF OUR PEACE FROM FOUR CHARACTERS OF GOSPEL-PEACE OR COMFORT.
Use 2. Let this doctrine be as a touchstone to the truth of your peace and comfort? Hath it a gospel stamp upon it? The devil hath his false mint of comfort as well as of grace ; put thyself therefore to the trial, while I shall lay before you some charactei's of the peace that Christ in his gospel speaks to his people.
First, Gospel-comfort may be known by the vessel it is poured into, which is a broken heart. The promise is superscribed by name to such, and such only, Isa. Ivii. 15 : ' I dwell in the high and holy place ; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.' Christ's commission from his Father binds him up ; he can comfort none besides : Isa. Ixi. 1, ' The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted ;' and what he receives himself from the Father, the same he gives to those he sends upon the same errand : First, his Spirit, concerning whom he tells his disciples, that the ' Comforter, when he is come, shall convince of sin, of i-ighteousness, and of judgment,' John xvi. 7. Mark, first of sin. And as for his inferior messengers, they have direction to whom they are to apply the comforts of the gospel : Isa. xxxv. 3, ' Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees ; say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not.' And upon their peril be it if they pour this ointment upon the head of an unhumbled sinner ! to give such any comfort ' by promising life to him' as he is, God protests against it; he calls it a lie, a ' strengthening the hands of the wicked ;' and as much as in them lies, by blow- ing him up with comfort, to make sure that he shall never have the true peace. Thus you see the order of the gospel in comforting souls. As in needle-work, the dark groundwork is laid before the beautiful colours,- — as the ^atuary cuts and carves his statue before he gilds it, so doth the Spirit of Cln-ist begin with sadness, ends in joy ; first cuts and wounds, then heals and overlays the soul with comfort and peace. I hope you do not think I limit the Holy One in his workings to the same degree and measure in all. I have opened my thoughts in another place concerning this : but so far the con- vincing, humbling work of the Spirit goes in every soul before peace and com- fort comes, as to empty the soul of all her false comforts and confidences which she had laid up, that the heart becomes like a vessel whose bottom is beat out, and all the water it held thereby spilled and let out ; the sins it loved, now it hates ; the hopes and comforts it pleased itself with, they are gone, and the creature left in a desolate, solitary condition ; no way now it sees, but perish it must, except Christ be her friend, and interpose between hell and it ; to him she
THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 3g5