346 angels' acclamations.
thera not abuse the patience of Goc], and think to do it afterward ; for that is the way to harden the heart more and more. And this Scripture puts an cilcetual argument iuto the hearts of all that are in ill terms with God, that have not made their peace, or that have had peace and have broken it. Here is an eflcctual way of pleading with God. * Glory to God on high,' &c. If the soul can say, I consider m}' folly and madness in running into sin ; thou mightest justly damn me if thou wouldst ; it is thy mercy I am not sent to hell. Oh, but thou shalt have the greater glory ! If I find mercy therefore that I may say, ' Glory to God on high,' let me find peace on earth ; speak peace by thy Spirit to my soul ; say, * I am thy salva- tion.' This Nvas the end of thy sending of Christ, the end of creation, the end of providence, all to bring thee glory. Thou mightest have the glory of thy justice to damn me. Oh, but it will be the glory of thy mercy to save me ; that as my sins have abounded, so thy glory shall more abound. 0 Lord, extend the bowels of thy mercy. Will not the Lord be jealous ' of his glory ' when you allege it ? Certainly he will. You see the angels here cry, ' Glory to God on high, peace on earth.* The way to bring * peace' is to allege the glory of God's mercy in Christ. It is a pre- vailing way.
Now, to stir us up more and more to search the grounds of our peace, I beseech you, let us,
1. Consider the fearful estate of a man that hath not made his peace with God. However Christ have died, that will not serve the turn. But if Christ be food, if he be not eaten ; if he be a garment, and not be put on ; if Christ be a foundation, if we do not build on him, what benefit is it to us ? Therefore those that have not been brought by the Spirit of God to communion with Christ, alas ! they are under the wrath of God, however God doth use them ; as princes do traitors in the Tower, he gives them the liberty of the prison, yet the sentence of death is not revoked. All the delights of a prisoner in the Tower doth not content him ; he knows he is in ill terms with his prince. So, till we have made our peace with God, by hearty confession of our sins, by shaming of ourselves, by a parti- cular faith, believing the forgiveness of our sins, and a resolution against all sin for the time to come, alas ! we have not sued out our pardon ; all our delights are but as those of a prisoner in the Tower. Therefore, ask thy soul. Hast thou sued out thy pardon ? Is there reconciliation wrought between God and thee, and accounts made even ? * If we confess and for- sake our sins, we shall find mercy,' 1 Kings viii. 35 and 1 John i. 9. It is the word of the God of heaven, who is truth itself. He hath pawned his fidelity and truth on it, to forgive us, if we confess. He is content to be thought unjust and unfaithful if he do not forgive, if we ingenuously, without all guile of spirit, lay open our sins, and take shame to ourselves.
2. If we do not make our peace with God, what a case are we in ! God himself ere long will appear our enemy. Chrint, ivhuin. ice think will save vs, trill be our judge, and a terrible judge. The Lamb will be angry. 'Who shall cover us from the wrath of the Lamb?' Rev. ii. 12. We think of Christ as an innocent, meek lamb only, that will not be angry. The rebellious kings and potentates, that fight against Christ and his church, they think to trample on Christ and his gospel ; but the time will come when they shall ' desire the mountains to cover them,' Rev. vi. 16 ; and 'if his wrath be kindled, who shall abide it?' Ps. ii. 12. He speaks there of Christ : ' Happy are they that trust in him.'
3. As for the Holy Ghost, how can they look for comfort from him ?
ANGELS ACCLAMATIONS.
347
They have grieved him,' therefore he will grieve their conscience. The Holy Ghost, as he is the God of all comfort and consolation, so he is the ground of all terror to wicked men ; when he hath knocked at their hearts, by the ministry of his word, to open and to let him in, but they would not.
4. And tlie angels are ready executioners of God's ve)igeance upon any occasion ; and others, creatures, wait but for a command from God to execute his wrath upon sinners. The heavens are ready to rain upon them as in the flood, and the earth is ready to swallow them as it did Korah ; ^the beasts that carry us, the creatures we use, wait for a command from God to destroy us ; our meat to choke us, the air to infect us, the water to drown us. They are all ready to serve the Lord of hosts against his enemies ; as he saith, Isa. i. 24, ' Ah, I will be avenged on mine ememies.' Indeed, here God shews his patience ; and our long life, that we think a great favour, ' it is a treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath,' Rom. ii. 5. And then, when God's wrath comes at the day of judgment, when God hath forsaken sinful men, when God the judge of all hath said, 'Depart, ye cursed,' Mat. xxv. 41, no creature shall minister them the least comfort. The sun shall shine upon them no more ; the earth shall bear them no longer; as we see Dives [g], he had not a drop of water to comfort him in those flames, Luke xvi. 24. Therefore, if we be not at peace with the Lord of hosts, every creature is ready to be in arms against us.