comfort for his disciples against his departure, which lie knew would go so near their hearts. One, amongst the rest, is taken from the difference of that peace and comfort which he leaves them, from what the world gives : as if he had said, If the peace and comfort you have from me lay in such things as the world's peace is made up of — plent)', ease, outward prosperity, and carnal joy — truly then j'ou had reason to be the greatest mourners at my funeral, that ever followed a friend to the grave; for after my departure you are like to have none of these ; nay, rather expect trouble and persecution. But know, the peace I leave with you is not in your houses, but hearts; the comfort I give you lies not in silver or gold, but in pardon of sin, hopes of glory, and inward conso- lations, which the Comforter that is to come from me, to dwell with you, shall, upon my appointment, pay into your bosoms ; and this shall outlive all the world's joy. This is such a legacy, as never any left their children. Many a father dying hath, in a farewell speech to his children, wished them all peace and comfort when he should be dead and gone; but who besides Jesus Christ could send a comforter into their hearts, and thrust peace and comfort into their bosoms. Again, It distinguisheth the tnie Christian's peace from the hypocrite's, who, though he pretends to place his comfort not in the creatiu-es, but in God, and seems to take joj' in the interest which he lays claim to have in Christ and the precious promises of the gospel ; yet when it comes indeed to the trial, that he sees all his creature-comforts gone, and not like to return any more, (which at this time had his heart, though he would not it should be thought so,) and now he sees he must in earnest into another world, to stand or fall eternally, as he shall then be found in Clod's own scrutiny to have been sincere or false-hearted in his pretensions to Christ and his grace ; truly then his thoughts recoil, his conscience flies in his face, and re};roacheth him for spiritual deceit and forgery. Now, soul, speak, is it thus with thee? does thy peace go with thee just to the prison-door, and there leave thee? art thou confident thy sins are pardoned all the while thou art in health and strength, but as soon as ever the sergeant knocks at the door to speak with thee, (death I mean comes in thy sight,) then thy thoughts alter, and thy conscience tells thee, he comes to prove thee a liar in thy pretended peace and joy? this is a sad symptom. I know indeed that the time of affliction is a trying time to grace that is true ; the sin- cere Christian for a while maj', like a valiant soldier, be beat from his artillery, and the enemy Satan may seem to possess his peace and confidence ; yea, so far have some precious saints been carried down the stream of violent tempta- tions, as to question whether their former comforts were from the Holy Spirit the Comforter, or the evil spirit the deceiver; yet there is gi-eat difference be- tween the one and the other. First, Tliey differ in tlieir causes : this darkness which sometimes is upon the sincere Christian's spirit in deep distress, comes from the withdrawing of God's lightsome countenance ; but the horror of the other from his own guilty conscience, that before was lullabied asleep with prosperity, but now being awakened by the hand of God on him, doth accuse him to have been false with God in the whole course of his profession. It is true some particular guilt may be contracted by the Christian, through negli- gence, or strong temptation in his Christian course, for which his conscience may accuse him, and may further embitter the present desertion he is in so far, as from those particidar miscarriages to fear his sincerity in the rest, though he hath no reason to do it : but his conscience cannot charge him of any hypo- critical design to have been the spring that hath set him on work through the whole course of his profession. Secondly, There is something concomitant with the Christian's present darkness of spirit, that distinguisheth it from the hypocrite's horror; and that is the lively working of grace, which then com- nionly is very visible, when his peace and former comfort are more questioned by him; the less joy he hath from any present sense of the love of God, the more abounding you shall lind him in sorrow for his sin, that clouded his joy ; the further Christ is gone out of his sight, the more he clings in his love to Christ, and vehemently cries after him in prayer, as we see in Heman, Psa. Ixxxviii. 13 : 'Unto thee have I cried, O Lord, and in the morning shall my prayers prevent thee.' O the fervent prayers that then are shot from his troubled spirit to heaven, the pangs of affection which arc springing after God, and his face and favotu- ! Never did a banished cliild more desire admittance
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g§3 THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.