twecii whom there was as great feud and enmity as is between those creatures, they shall yet sweetly agree, and lie in one another's bosoms peaceably ; and how all this, but by the efiicacy of the gospel on their hearts ? so ver. 9 : ' For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.' Indeed it is in the dark when men fight, and draw upon one another in wratli and fury ; if gospel-light comes once savingly in, the sword will soon be put up ; the sweet Spirit of love will not suffer these doings where lie dwells : and so peculiar is this ))lossing to the gospel, that Christ appoints it for the badge and cognizance by which they should not only know one aiu)ther, but even strangers should 1)e able to know them from any other sect and sort of men in the world, John xiii. 35 : ' By this shall all men know that 3^e are my disciples, that ye love one another.' A nobleman's servant is known as far as he can well be seen, by the coat on his back, whose man he is : so saith Christ, shall all men know you, by your nuitual love, that j^ou retain to me and my gospel. If we would judge curiously of wine, what is its natural relish, we must taste of it, before it comes into the huckster's hands, or after it is refined from its lees ; so the best way to judge of the gospel, and the fruit it bears, is to taste of it either when it was professed and embraced with most simplicity, and that was, without doubt, in the first pronudgation ; or, secondly, when it shall have its full effect on the hearts of men, and that is in heaven : in both these, though chiefly the last, this peace will ap])ear to be the natiual fruit of the gospel.
First, When the gospel was first preached and embraced, what a sweet harmony of peace, and admirable oneness of heart, was then amongst the holy professors of it, who, but awhile before, were either mere strangers to, or bitter enemies one against another ! They lived and loved, as if each Chris- tian's heart had forsaken his own, to creep into his brother's bosom. They alienated their estates, to keep their love entire ; they could give their bread out of their own mouths, to put into their brethren's that were hungry; yea, when their love to their fellow-Christians was most costly and heavy, it was least grudged and felt by them : see those blessed sovds. Acts ii. 4.5, 46: ' They sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every one had need ; and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house, did eat their bread with gladness and singleness of heart.' More, thej' are more meriy now they have been emptying of their bags by charity, than if they had come from filling them by worldly traffic. So notorious was the love of Christians in the primitive times, that the very heathens would point at them, as Tertullian saith, and say, ' See how thej' love one another!' and therefore, if less love and peace be found now amongst Christians, the blame lies not on the gospel, but them ; the gospel is as peaceful, but they are m'nuis evangelict — less evangelical, as we shall fm-ther shew.
Secondly, Look on the gospel as at last in the complement of all in heaven, when the hearts of saints shall be trvdy gospelized, and the promises concerning the peaceable state of saints have their fidl accomplishment ; then, above all, this peace of the gospel will appear. Here it is put out and in, like a budding flower in the spring, which one warm day opens a little, and another that is cold and sharp shuts again. The silence in this lower heaven, the church on the earth, is but for the sjjace of half an hoiu-, Rev. viii. 1. Now there is love and peace among Christians ; anon scandals are given, and differences arise, which drive this sweet spring back ; but in heaven it is full blown, and so con- tinues to eternity. There dissenting brethren are made thorough friends, never to fall out : there, not only the wound of contention is cured, but the scar which is here oft left upon the place is not to be seen on the face of heaven's peace, to disfigure the beauty of it; whicli made that German divine so long to be in heaven, where, said he, Luther and Zuinglius are perfectly agreed, though they could not on earth.
Cut I come to give some particular account how the gospel knits the hearts and minds of men in peace together, and why the gospel ahme can do this; while I clear one, I shall the other also.
First, This gospel knits the hearts of men together, as it propounds powerful arguments for peace and unity ; and, indeed, such as are foimd nowhere else. It hath cords of love to draw and bind souls together that were never woven in nature's loom ; such as we may run through all the topics of morality, and
390 THE GOSPEL Ol^ PEACE.