called ' the Prince of peace.' Look, as we call men by the better title, as we say the kin<i^ otEn<^lan(l, not mentioninfj the lesser dominions, as Scot- land, Wales, Ireland ; and the kinfj^ of France, not taking in the petty •governments in our ordinary way of speakin^^ ; so Christ is set forth by the great privilege he hath purchased for mankind, which includes other things : Mic. v. 5, ' And this man shall be the peace.' This man sliall be our peace, the Prince of peace. All these expressions imply, that as we are said to have it this way, so we can have it no other way. I come to the reasons of the point.
1. Because Christ by his death hath slain all hatred. It is the apostle's phrase : Eph. ii. 16, ' And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby ;' that is, took away the cause of hatred ; and the cause being taken away, the effect ceaseth. Look, as when there is a whisperer that goeth between party and party, and sets them at odds and variance, we say we shall never be friends till such an one be removed out of the way ; so it was between God and the soul, there is no hope of agreement till those that do the ill offices between God and us be removed. And therefore Christ himself would die rather than not slay our enemy. He hath slaiu hatred by taking away the cause of it, which was : —
[1.] The just wrath of God. Now that was abolished by Christ ; he conquered it by suffering it ; insomuch that God saith, ' Fury is not in me,' Isa. xxvii. 4. God's justice being satisfied in Christ, he doth not pursue revenge against his people. Is there any fury in God ?
[2.] Sin in us, that was the cause of hatred. You may consider it both in its guilt and power, and both sit heavy upon the soul.
(1.) The guilt of it. There can be no peace as long as this lieth charged upon the soul. This works all that distance and hatred be- tween us and God ; and therefore guilt will cause horror : Job xiii. 26, ' Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me possess the ini- quities of my youth ;' that is, bitter enough to possess sins, to own the guilt of them. It was as great a threatening as Christ could use, when he told the Jews they should die in their sins, John viii. 21-24. Oh, it is a miserable thing that death should seize upon us in our sins ! What a peiplexity is the soul then left to ! Whither will it go when it dieth in its own guilt ? Now this is taken away by Christ ; and therefore it is so often said that we have remission of sins by his blood : 1 John i. 7, 'And the blood of Jesus Christ cleansethus from all sin,'
(2.) The power of sin. This disturbeth and filleth the soul with the sense of God's wrath, and embittercth the soul against God. Through the strength of sin we hate Cod, because we cannot but look upon him as a punisher of it. Now Christ slayelh this hatred by sending his Spirit to kill our enmity, to heal our poisoned natures, and maketli us more willing and careful to please God. It is said, Titus iii. 6, ' The Spirit of regeneration is shed on us abundantly (or richly), through Jesus Christ our Saviour.' lie taketh away that rancorous disposition that is in the heart. This is the first reason : Christ taketh away hatred, and therefore purchaseth peace.
2. Because he hath taken away all show of hatred. The ceremonial law was an ordinance hinting out our guilt. Now Christ would take away whatever in show made against us, or was contrary to us : Col.
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ii. 14, ' He took it out of the way, nailinGj it to his cross.' He would not leave any ground for doubt or suspicion ; he hath provided against all our scruples : Christ would not leave the least line uncrossed, our own confessions do not make against us. As soon as you give in the bill, Christ teareth it ; he hath nailed all in triumph to his cross. You can urge many things against yourselves ; ay ! but all these things are par- doned, and God hath nothing to show for the debt. St Paul says, 1 Tim. i. 13, ' I was a blasphemer and a persecutor ;' a heavy bill, ' but I obtained mercy.' All this was taken out of the way. Christ hath not only paid the debt, but torn also the bonds. By his death on the cross he did as it were declare to the believer that God hath nothing to show against him. As there is not anger, so there should not be suspicion of anger. He hath taken up the controversy that was be- tween God and the soul.
3. Christ hath procured us favour. Not only the matter that kindleth anger, and all show of it is taken away, but love is pro- cured : the children of wrath are become the children of love : Mat. iii. 17, ' This is ray beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' The eyes of God's holiness cannot but be offended with a filthy, polluted sinner, yet he is well-pleased with them in Christ, and so they are not only objects of his love but of his delight : Isa. Ixii. 4, ' But thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land JBeulah ; for the Lord delighteth in thee ; ' and in another place, ' He shall rejoice over them to do them good.' A man delighteth in things that are most suitable and agree- able to his nature. There cannot be a more pleasing work to God than to do his people good. It is said, Luke xv. 5, of the lost sheep, that ' when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.' Before there could be no work more suitable to God's justice than to punish sinners ; whereas now it is, as the prophet calleth it, ' his strange work,' Isa. xxviii. 21, a thing that he would not be acquainted with towards his people. Whereas, to the wicked, still he laughs at their destruction, Prov. i. 26. Therefore, Christ hath purchased peace for us, because lie hath not only taken away anger but procured favour. Among men, anger many times may be taken away, but they have not love. Kebels, after a pardon, live in a great deal of umbrage, and are under suspicion ; the scars remain though the wound be cured : as Absalom, when pardoned, did not see the king's face. Artificial cracks will be seen though soldered ; but it is not so here, for we are re-instated in God's love and affections. Christ hath satisfied wrath and merited favour ; so that the soul can look upon God with a great deal of comfort and joy.