husband, though it be to a prison ; how much more will a gracious soul bid adieu to these, yea, life itself, to go to Christ, especially when he hath sent the Comforter into his bosom, to cheer him in the solitariness of the way with his sweet company !
A fourth suffering grace, which the sweet sense of this gospel-peace doth promote, is patience ; affliction and suffering to a patient soul are not grievous. Patience is, as one calls it, the concoctive faculty of the soul ; that grace which digests all things, and turns them into good nourishment. Meats of hard digestion will not do well with squeamish, weak stomachs, and therefore they are dainty and nice in their diet ; whereas men of sti-ong stomachs, they refuse no meat that is set before them, all fare is alike to them. Tndy thus there are some things of a very hard digestion to the spirits of men ; the peevish, passionate, short-spirited professor will never court reproaches, prison, and death itself, but rather quarrel with his profession, if such fare as these attend the gospel. ' When tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended,' Matt. xiii. 21 : this will not stay in his stomach, but makes him cast up even that which else he could have kept, (a profession of Christ,) might he have had it with a quiet life and a whole skin. But now the patient soul, he makes his meal of what God in his providence sets before him ; if peace and prosperity be served up with the gospel, he is thankful, and enjoys the sweetness of the mercy while it lasts. If God takes these away, and instead of them will have him eat the gospel-feast with sour herbs of affliction and persecution, it shall not make him sick of his cheer : it is but eating the more largely of the comforts of the gospel with them, and they go down very well wrapped up in them. Indeed the Christian is beholden to those consolations which flow from the peace of the gospel for his patience. It were impossible for the people of God to endure what sometimes they meet with from men and devils also, as they do, had they not sweet help from the sense of God's love in Christ, that lies glowing at their hearts in inward peace and joy. The apostle i"esolves all the saints' patience, experience, and hope, yea, glorying in their tribulations, into this, as the cause of all : ' Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us,' Rom. v. 5. Sin makes suffering intolerable ; when that is gone, the worst part of the trouble is removed. A light cart goes through that slough easily, where the cart deeply laden is set fast. Guilt loads the soul, and bemires it in any suffering; take that away, and let God speak peace to his soul, and he that raged before like a madman under the cross, shall carry it without wincing and whining. 'The peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds,' Phil. iii. Now what is patience, but the keeping of the heart and mind composed and serene in all troubles that befall us? But a word or two for application.
Section III. — Use 1. First, This informs our judgments in-two particidars. First, what to judge of their patience in afflictions, that have no interest in the gospel's peace. ^Secondly, What to think of their peace, who in affliction have no patience at all.
First, Some you shall see very still and quiet in affliction, yet mere strangers to this peace, ignorant of Christ the peace-maker; walking in opposition to the terms God offers peace in the gospel upon, and yet very calm in affliction. Certainly all is not right with this poor creature ; if he had any sense how it is with him, he would have little patience to see himself under the hand of God, and not know but it may leave him in hell before it hath done with him. When I see one run over stones and hard ways barefoot, and not complain, I do not admire his patience, but pity the poor creature that hath benumbed his feet, and as it were soled them Avith a brawny, dead kind of flesh, so as to lose his feeling ; but save yoiu' pity much more for those whose consciences are so benumbed, and hearts petrified into a senseless stupidity, that they feel their misery no more than the stone doth the mason's saw which cuts it asimder. Of all men out of hell, none more to be pitied than he that hangs over the mouth of it, and yet is fearless of his danger ; while thus, the poor wretch is incapable of all means for his good. What good does physic put into a dead man's mouth? If he cannot be chafed to some sense of his condition, all apjjli- cations are in vain. And if afflictions, which are the strongest physic, leave the creature senseless, there is little hope left that any other will work upon.
THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 4^3