2. And yet this is not all; behold another mercy, in con- sequence unto this, brought in to refresh and cheer the consenting soul, and that is, peace with God. Pardon and peace go together, Rom. v. 1. " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.'' Peace is a word of a vast comprehension ; peace, in the language of the Old Testament, comprehends all temporal good things, 1 Sam. XXV. 6. And peace in die New Testament comprehends all spiritual mercies, 2 Thess. iii. 16. the blessings of heaven and earth are wrapt up in this word. The soul that opens to Christ hath peace of reconciliation in heaven ; the enmity that was betwixt God and that soul is taken away through Jesus Christ, Isa. xii. 1, 2. " O ^' Lord, I will praise tliee ; though thou wast angry with me, " thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me." This must be an invaluable mtrcy, for the purchase of it cost the blood of Christ, Isa. liii. 5. " The chastisement of our peace was upon
** him/' He made peace by the blood of his cross, Col. i. 20. and this peace of reconciliation is settled by Christ upon a firm foundation. His blood gives it a more firm and steady basis and foundation than that of the hills and mountains, Isa. liv. 10. And that which makes it so firm and sure, is the advocateship of Jesus Christ in heaven, 1 John ii. 1, 2. " If any man sin, we have an ** advocate with the Father."" There is also peace in the believer's conscience ; peace as it were by proclamation from heaven ; and this is built upon the peace of recanciliatiwi. We cannot have the sense of peace, till we are brought into a state of peace ; the latter is the result of the former. And this is a special part of that supper Christ provides to entertain the soul that receives it. How sweet this is, is better felt than spoken. A dreadful sound was lately in the ears of the law-condemned sinner ; but now his heart is the seat of peace. And this peace is, (1.) the souPs guard against all inward and outward terrors, Phil. iv. 7. The peace of God shall keep (p^npriffsf, or, as the word is, guard your hearts and minds. The persons of princes are secured by guards of armed and valiant men, who watch while they sleep. Thus Solomon had his royal guard, because of fear in the night, Cant. iii. 7, 8. This peace of God, Christian, is thy life-guard, and secures thee better than Solomon's threescore valiant men that were about him. Time was when thou wast afraid to sleep, for fear thou shouldst awake in hell : Now thou mayest say with David, " I will both lay me do^vn and sleep, for <* thou. Lord, makest me to dwell in safety." Now come hfe, come death ; the soul is safe, the peace of God is its royal guard. (2.) This peace is ease as well as safety to the soul : it is hearts-ease : No sooner doth God speak peace to the conscience, but the soul finds itself at ease and rest, Heb. iv. 3. " We which have believed, " shall enter into rest." It is with such a soul as it was with the dove Noah sent out of the ark ; that poor creature wandered in the air, as long as her wings could carry her ; had her strength failed, there was nothing but the waters to receive her. O how sweet was rest in the ark .? (3.) This peace is news from heaven, and the sweetest tidings that ever blest the sinner's ear, next unto Christ ; Heb. xii. ^4. " The blood of Christ speaketh better things than " that of Abel." And you are come to this blood of sprinkling, the same day and hour that Christ is come into your souls. This is the voice of that blood, ' Thou hast sinned, I have satisfied ; Thou * hast kindled the wrath of God, and I have quenched it.' Hie angels of heaven cannot feed higher ; their joys are not more de- licious than those prepared for believers are, whereof this is a foretaste : Whatever circumstances of trouble a man may l)e in, this effectually reheves him. Paul and Silas were in sad circumstances, sliut up in the inner prison, their feet made fast in the stocks, their
cruel keepers at the door, their execution designed in a few days : God did but set this dish upon the table before the prisoners, and they could not forbear to sing at the feast. Acts xvi. 25. Ai mkU night they sang, &c.
3. After these two royal dishes, pardon and peace, a third will come in, viz. Jo?/ in the Holy Ghost. This is somewhat beyond peace, it is the very quintessence and spirit of all consolation. The kingdom of God is said so consist in it, Rom. xiv. 17. it is some- what near to the joy of the glorified, 1 Pet. i. 8. it is heaven upon earth. All believers do not immediately attain it, but one time or other God usually gives them a taste of it ; and when he doth, it is as it were a short salvation. O, who can tell what that is which the apostle calls, " The shedding abroad of the love of God in the ^' heart, by the Holy Ghost, which is given to us !" Rom. v. 5. It is a joy that wants an epithet to express the sweetness of it, 1 Pet. i. 8. '■' Joy unspeakable and full of glory." It hath the very scent and taste of heaven in it, and there is but a gradual differ- ence betwixt it and the joy of heaven. This joy of the Holy Ghost is a spiritual cheerfulness streaming through the soul of a believer upon the Spirit's testimony, which clears his interest in Christ, and glory. No sooner doth the Spirit shed forth the love of God into the believer's heart, but it streams and overflows with joy. Joy is no more under that soul's command. And this will evi- dently appear, if you consider the matter of it ; it arises from the light of God's countenance, Psal. iv. 6, 7. the heavenly glory, 1 Pet. i. 8. " Whom having not seen we love,"" &c. The soul is transported with joy, ravished with the glory and excellency of Christ. Didst thou ever see this Christ whom thy soul is so ra- vished with ? No, I have not seen him ; yet my soul is transported with so much love to him, whom having not seen we love. But if thou never sawest him, how comes thy soul to be so delighted and ravished with him ? why, though I never saw him by the eye of sense, yet I do see him by the eye of faith ; and by that sight my soul is flooded with spiritual joy. Believing we rejoice. But what manner of joy is that which you taste ^ why, no tongue can ex- press that, jfbr it is Joy unspeakable. But how are Christ and hea- ven turned into such ravishing joys to the soul ? why, the Spirit of the Lord gives the believing soul not only a sight to discern the transcendent excellency of these spiritual objects, but a sight of his interest in them also. This is my Christ, and this the glory pre- pared for me. Without interest, heaven itself cannot be turned unto joy, " My soul rejoices in God my Saviour," Luke i. 47. We read, Luke xiii. 28. of some that shall have a sight of iVbraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, ?ind yet a sight without joy ; a dreadful sight to them, for want of