The reward that God gives his children that are careful is a spirit of joy. ' Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, and joy in tribnla-
20 COMMENTARY ON
tion,' Rom. v. 1. For, even as it is in human matters, the favour and countenance of the king, it is as a Bhower of rain after a drought, it comforts his subjects. There is a wondrous joy in the favour and grace of great persons alway ; and as the favourable aspect of the heavens upon inferior bodies promiseth good things,-'- and men promise themselves from that favour and good, so the favour and grace of God enlarge the soul with joy and comfort. And there is that measure of joy in those that are in the free favour of God, that they will honoui* God freely, to cast them- selves upon his mercy.
And it is with a disesteem of all things in the world besides. It is such a joy as works in the soul a base esteem of all things else. St Paul esteemed all dross, ' in comparison of the knowledge of Christ,' Phihp. iii. 8, and the favour of God in Christ. So in Ps. iv., David saith of some, * There be many that will say. Who will shew us any good ? ' ver. 6. Any good ! It is no matter. But saith the Holy Spirit in David,
* Lord, Uft up the light of thy countenance upon me,' ver. G. He goes to prayer. He saith not, ' Who will shew us any good ? ' It is no matter what, or how we come by it, any earthly good worldly men desire. No ; saith he, ' Lord, shew us the light of thy countenance.' He desires that above all things, so he saith, ' The lovingkindness of the Lord is better than Hfe itself,' Ps. kiii. 3. Life is a sweet thing, the sweetest thing in the world ; but the grace and favour of God is better than that. For in this, when aU comforts fail, the children of God have assurance, that
* neither Hfe, nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any- thing, can separate us from the love of God in Chi-ist,' Rom. viii. 38, which shews itself better than life itself. When life fails, this favour shall never fail. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the favour of God in Christ. It is an everlasting favour, and therefore everlasting because it is free. If it were originally in us, it would fail when we fail ; but it is an everlasting favour because it is free. God hath founded the cause of love to us in himself. So much for that, • Grace be unto you.'
* And peace,' All that I will say of peace in this place is this, to shew, ' Obs. That true peace issues from grace.
It is to be had thence. Peace, we take here foj that sweet peace with God, and peace of conscience, and likewise peace with all things, when aU things are peaceable to us, when there is a sweet success in all business, with a security in a good estate. It is a blessed thing when we know that all will be well with us. This quiet and peaceable estate issues from grace, peace of conscience especially. I observe it the rather [be-' cause] it hath been the error of the world to seek peace where it is not, to seek peace in sanctification, to seek it in the work of grace within a man, not to speak of worldly men, that seek peace in outward content- ments, in recreations, in friends, and the like. Alas ! it is a poor peace. But I speak of religious persons that are of a higher strain. They have sought peace, but not high enough. True peace must be selected from grace, the free favour in Christ. This will quiet and still the clamours of an accusing conscience. God reconciled in Christ wiU pacify the con- science ; nothing else will do it. For if our chief peace were fetched from sanctification, as many fetch it thence in error of judgment, alas! the
* That is, according to (the now exploded, but in time of Sibbes accredited sys- tem of) astrology. Even Bacon and Milton believed in the influence of the stars. — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, \-ER. 2. 21
conscience would be dismayed, and always doubt whether it had sanctifi- cation enough or no. Indeed, sanctification and gi-ace within is required as a qualiiication, to shew that we are not hypocrites, but are in the state and covenant of grace. It is not required as a foundation of comfort, but as a qualification of the persons to whom comfort belongs. There- fore, David, and St Paul, and the rest, that knew the tnie power and effi- cacy of the gospel, they sought for peace in the gi-ace and free favour of God.
Let us lay it up to put it in practice in the time of dissolution, in the time of spiritual conflict, in the time when our consciences shall be awakened, and perhaps upon the rack, and Satan will bo busy to trouble our peace, that we may shut our eyes to all things below, and see God shining on [us] in Christ ; that we may see the favour of God in Christ, by whose death and passion he . is reconciled to us, and in the grace and free favour of God in Christ we shall see peace enough.