THE WORKS
REV. WILLIAM BRIDGE, M.A.
FORMERLY FELLOW OF EMANUEL COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, AND PASTOR Of THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK.
NOW FIRST COLLECTED.
IN FIVE VOLUMES.
LONDON :
73, CHEAPSIDE.
1845.
A LIFTING UP MONS, ON PSALM
Sermon 1. Sermon 2. Sermon 3.
Sermon 4. Sermon 5. Sermon 6.
Sermon 7. Sermon 8. Sermon 9. Sermon 10. Sermon 11. Sermon 12.
Sermon 13.
FOR THE DOWNCAST: IN THIRTEEN SER- XL1I. 11.
The Good Man s Peace. . .
True Peace may be Interrupted. . . . . 25
Saints should not be Discouraged whatever their
Condition be. . . . . . . . . 43
A Lifting up in Case of Great Sins. . . 63 A Lifting up in Case of Weak Grace. . . 83 A Lifting up in Case of Miscarriage of Duties.
A Lifting up in the Want of Assurance.. . 125 A Lifting up in Case of Temptation. . . 148 A Lifting up in Case of Desertion. . . 168 A Lifting up in Case of Affliction. .. 187
A Lifting up in Case of Unserviceableness. 206 A Lifting up in Case of Discouragements drawn
from the Condition itself. . . . . 229 The Cure of Discouragements by Faith in Jesus
Christ . 255
FIVE SERMONS ON FAITH.
Sermon 1 . The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities. Rom. iv. 19. .
Ibid 302
Ibid 318
The Great Things Faith can Do. Heb. xi. 32.
The Great Things Faith can Suffer. Heb. xi. 35.
Sermon 2. Sermon 3. Sermon 4.
Sermon 5.
THE FREENESS OF THE GRACE AND LOVE OF GOD TO BE- LIEVERS DISCOVERED : IN SEVEN SERMONS.
Sermon 1. Matt. xx. 15, 16. .. ..381
2Thess. ii. 16, 17 393
Eph. ii. 8 409
Neh. v. 15 422
Psalm cxxxiii. 1...
Micah vi. 9. .. ..445
Amosiv. 12 457
Sermon 2. Sermon 3. Sermon 4. Sermon 5. Sermon 6. Sermon 7.
LIFTING UP FOR THE DOWNCAST,
IN CASE OF
l.-GREAT SINS. 2.-WEAKNESS OF GRACE Z -~
npmTTIFS 4 WANT OF ASSURANCE. 5. AFFL1L
TEMPTATION 7-DESERTION. 8.-UNSERVICE fBLENESS 9.-DISCOURAGEMENTS FROM THE CONDITION ITSELF.
IN THIRTEEN SERMONS,
PREACHED AT STEPNEY, A.D. 1648.
VOL. IT.
TO THE READER.
GOOD READER,
THE following Sermons on Psalm xlii. I have perused, and find that they are the same which I preached divers years since, being then taken by a good pen as they fell in preaching. They have been long buried in silence, and should have rested in their grave, had not the importunity of some, who heard them preached, raised them from that death. Mine own notes were not legible enough for the press: in answer therefore to their desires, I have corrected these: some things I have altered, some things added, and some repetitions (fit enough for the pulpit) I ha^e filed off; what is wanting let thy goodness supply. I have also joined with them, some other Sermons, of more doctrinal concernment, these being mostly practical, that so thy mind and heart may be at once exercised: wherein I have rather applied myself to the instructive part of preaching, than to scholastical disputation. For I know the Universities have able and faithful men, more fit for that work. Neither have I undertaken any English adversary; and if I have trodden upon any man s toes, I hope he will excuse me, for I can say truly, Sir, I saw you not. And if any man shall say to me, as David s brother Eliab spake to him, 1 Sam. xvii. 29, " I know thy pride, and malice of thine heart, that thou art come down to see the battle " I might answer, as David did, Is there not a cause? " When strange opinions and errors are daily published, is there not a cause, that every man, who loves the truth, should bear his testimony for it? In performance therefore of mine own duty, and for thine establishment, I have spoken something to many truths, which are now questioned. Hold fast what thou hast, lest another iake thy crown. And the Lord Jesus Christ and our God, even the Falher, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort thine heart, and stablish thee in every word, and good work."
Thine in the service of the gospel,
WILLIAM BRIDGE.
LIFTING UP FOE, THE DOWNCAST.
SERMON I.
THE GOOD MAN S PEACE.
" Why art thou cast down, my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God." PSALM xm. 11.
IN these words ye read of the sad discouragements of a gracious spirit, with those remedies that be applied and used against them. The discouragements are expressed in two words, under two similitudes: cast-down, disquieted. As a man is bowed or cast down under the weight of some heavy burden, so art thou cast down, O my soul, says David: and as the sea in the time of a storm is much disquieted, so art thou also disquieted within me, O my soul. The remedies that he useth against these discouragements are two: self- reprehension and self-admonition. First, He doth chide him self for his diffidence and distrust in God: " Why art thou cast down, O my soul; and why art thou disquieted within me?" He chides and rebukes himself for it. Secondly, He doth admonish and call upon himself for to wait upon and hope in God: " Hope thou in God." Why? I. Because I shall yet be delivered: " For I shall yet praise him." Because salvation belongs unto him alone: " He is the health of my countenance," or, " the salvation of my countenance." III. Because he is in covenant with me, and I with him; he is my God: " The health of my countenance, and my God."
I begin with the former part of this verse, wherein you may observe these three things :
First, That there is an inward peace and quietude of soul, which the saints and people of God ordinarily are endued with. This is implied.
Secondly, It is possible that this peace may be interrupted,
A LIFTING UP [S ER. J.
so far as God s people may be much discouraged, cast down
and disquieted.
Thirdly, That the saints and people of God have no reason
for their discouragements whatever their condition be. Why
art thou cast down, and why art thou thus disquieted within
me ? Thou hast no reason for it.
The latter of these being the main, is that indeed which I
specially aim at; but because the. two former will give the
better rise unto this last, and they are also profitable for us to
consider, I shall take them in their order, and speak only unto
the first at this time, which is this :
There is an inward peace and quietude of soul which the
saints and people of God ordinarily are endued with.
Therefore David says here, Why art thou cast down and why art thou disquieted within me?" It seems, then that this was not his ordinary temper, his pulse did not al ways beat thus high in this way of discouragement; but or dinarily he had peace and quiet within. So that I say there is an inward peace and quietness of soul, which the saints and people of God ordinarily are endued withal. Ordinarily they are arrayed in white, so they are brought in Rev. vii. 13, 14. What are these which are arrayed in white robes? At the 13th verse, They are such as have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," verse 14. This book of the Revelation doth attend much unto the Jewish customs, and among the Jews they had their mourn ing and their rejoicing garment. The mourning garment was a black garment; and therefore when a man is brought in in a mourning way he is brought in in a black garment, as ye find in the next Psalm, the xliiird, and the 2nd verse, Why go ye m mourning? The word, np signifies black. Why
Sn 7rf 1\ ^ f the PP ressi n of the enemy? So that the mourning garment was a black garment; the black garment was the mourning garment. And the white
th
h* y gSrmentS be alwa? S white > and let thy
head lack no ointment." Upon which account the nobles amongst the Hebrews were called ^ because they were clothed with white raiment.* Eccles. x. 17, Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of J^ ~~
de Roa 8i "S- S. Script. Lib. ii. cap. 1.
nnin-p the son of princes, or of those that are in white. I confess this phrase doth sometimes note the purity and holiness of the person, so Rev. iii. 4, " Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy." But ordinarily it notes the joyfulness and comfortableness of our state; so in Rev. vii., the saints are brought in, in white, not only because of their purity and cleanness, but because of their rejoicing. I say then ordinarily the saints and people of God go in white, they have a peace and a rest within. " Great peace have they that love thy law (says the Psalmist), and nothing shall offend them." Rom. ii. 10, " But glory, honour and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the gentile." Let him be what he will be, if he be godly, if he work that which is good, glory, ho nour and peace shall be upon him; not only an outward, but an inward peace he shall have.
Arid, indeed, how can it be otherwise? For the saints and people of God do walk with God, they converse with God, they do acquaint themselves with God. Now if ye look into Job xxii. 21, ye shall find that this acquaintance bringeth rest and peace: " Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace." The saints and people of God are, as I may so speak, of God s special acquaintance, and so they have peace, for they do walk with God, and have communion with him. They have communion with the Father, and he is the God of all consolation; they have communion and fellowship with the Son, and he is the Prince of Peace; they have communion and fellowship with the Spirit, and he is the Comforter: they have communion with the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, in and by the gospel; and that is the word of peace, the gospel of peace. How can it therefore be, but that the saints and people of God ordinarily should have peace within?
But to make out this more fully unto you. Consider, I pray, how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, with whom the saints and people of God have communion and fellowship, are engaged for their peace.
1. The Father is engaged to give peace unto them. He is engaged by his prerogative, by his commandment, by his pro mise, by Christ s purchase and by the saints chastisements.
He is engaged by his prerogative. Kings and princes will stand, ye know, for their prerogatives. And this is the great prerogative of God the Father, to give peace, inward peace. " I create the fruits of the lips, peace, peace," Isa. Ivii. 19. And he is called, the God of peace; the God of consolation: not the God of indignation, not the God of war, but the God of peace. This is the great prerogative of God the Father, to give peace unto his people.
He is engaged also, by virtue of his commandment. And therefore if ye look into Isa. xl. 1, 2, ye shall find, that he com mands the prophets and ministers, to preach comfort, " Com fort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God (verse 1) ; Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord s hand double for all her sins." Suppose a man s affliction, or temptation, be very great or much: he hath commanded us to comfort, and com fort twice; " Comfort ye, comfort ye:" not once, but twice, " Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord." But there are divers comforters, that are indeed like Job s com forters, like Job s friends, they speak hard words unto poor distressed souls. Well, says he, therefore, in verse 2, Speak ye comfortably, so ye read it; but in the Hebrew, speak ye to the heart. ih-hy speak soft and sweet words, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Oh, but my temptation is so great, that I am not able to hear those that come to comfort me. Mark what follows: speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, lift up thy voice and cry, if a poor soul be dis tressed, tempted and cannot hear easily; you that are minis ters, lift up your voice and cry: not only speak to the heart, but cry; lift up your voice and cry unto her. Well, but what are they to speak and cry? There are three things which will comfort a poor distressed soul, and they are to be spoken. Say, first, " that her warfare is accomplished;" affliction and temptation is at an end, it shall be no more. Secondly, "That her iniquity is pardoned." Her sin is for given fully and freely. Thirdly, " That she hath received at the Lord s hands double for all her sins," God hath no more against her, no quarrel, no controversy, no further punish ment to inflict upon her, she hath sufficiently born the pun ishment of her iniquity: thus the Lord hath commanded
ministers for to preach peace, and to preach comfort; and what God hath commanded us to speak, he hath engaged himself to work. Thus, I say, the Father is engaged by virtue of his commandment.
He is engaged also, by virtue of his promise. And there fore, if ye look into Psalm xxix., ye shall see what the Lord hath promised: verse 11, "The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace." Here is the promise, "The Lord will bless his people with peace." Yea, if ye look into Isaiah xxvi., ye shall find there, that the Lord hath promised to keep the peace of his people for them, verse 3 : "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." So ye read the words, but according to the Hebrew, they ought to be read thus; nyn mW o bw: Thou wilt keep peace, peace: twice peace. Thou wilt keep peace, peace, for him whose mind is stayed on thee. So that the Lord is not only en gaged to give peace unto his people, but he is by promise also engaged to keep their peace for them.
Yea, the Lord is engaged by purchase. Christ hath pur chased peace for his people; and what Christ hath purchased for them, God the Father is engaged to give unto them. Read the purchase in Eph. ii. 13, 14, " But now in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, for to make in himself of twain, one new man, so making peace." Verse 16, " And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace unto you that were afar off, and to them that were nigh." So that thus ye see it is the purchase of Jesus Christ: this inward peace and quietness of soul, it is Christ s purchase; and what Christ the Son hath purchased, God the Father is engaged to give.
Yea, the Father is engaged to give peace unto his people, by all those chastisements that they do meet withal. And therefore in Isaiah xl, which I named before, the Lord com mands us to comfort and speak comfortably unto his people, upon this account, " For she hath received of the Lord s
hand double for all her sins." Even because a fulness of chastisement had been upon them. Thus, I say, God the Father, by virtue of his prerogative, by virtue of his com mandment, by virtue of his promise, by virtue of Christ s purchase, by virtue of chastisements that are laid upon his people, is engaged to give peace unto his children.
2. But now proceed a little, and ye shall see, that as the Father is engaged, so the Son also is engaged to give peace, inward peace, and quietude of soul unto his servants.
He is engaged by those qualifications and endowments that he received from God his Father, for this end and purpose. Isa. Ixi, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (says he) and he hath anointed me," why? " that I might comfort those that mourn." That is one end. But I pray look into Isa. 1., and consider the 4th verse, " The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." They are plainly the words of Christ, as will appear to you, if you read but the following words: " The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned I away the back; I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." So that these are the words of Christ. Well, what doth Christ say here? He tells us, that he hath received the tongue of the learned, to comfort those that are distressed and troubled in con science, for to help poor wearied souls. Why doth he say, the tongue of the learned? " The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned." All men desire to hear the learned: and it is the greatest piece of learning in the world, to speak a word in due season by way of comfort to those that are weary; this is the greatest piece of ministerial learn ing, and saith Christ, " He hath given me the tongue of the learned." Well, but all learned men have not wisdom to speak in season. Mark what follows. " He hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." But hath Jesus Christ such skill at this work, in comforting those that are troubled? Yes, " He wakeneth morning by morning." As a master is early up in the morning to teach his scholars, so
hath God the Father been teaching of Christ from all eter nity this great skill: " Morning by morning he wakeneth, morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." This is the piece of learning, says Christ, which I have been learning morning by morning of my Father from eternity, and this is that great learning which he had attained unto. So that in regard of this endowment which he hath received from the Father, he is engaged to give peace unto his people; for he hath received the tongue of the learned for this end and purpose, that he might speak a word in season to them that are weary.
He is engaged also, by his own disposition; his sweet, loving, and tender disposition. He is a lion, indeed, of the tribe of Judah, but not that roaring lion seeking to devour. He is a king, indeed, but he comes meekly, riding upon an ass s colt. (t He doth not lift up his voice in the streets." When our Lord and Saviour Christ left the world, he said unto h!s disciples, " My peace I give unto you; my peace I leave with you: not as the world gives peace, but my peace I give unto you/ 7 John xiv. 27. And as soon as ever Christ rose from the dead again, and met with his disciples, what doth he say unto them? When they were all met together, " Peace be unto you/ John xx. 19. As it was his last words when he left them, so it is the first word that now he useth when he seeth them again. But, O Lord, we have sinned greatly since we saw thee. Be it so, yet " peace be unto you." But, O Lord, here is Peter among us, that hath denied thee since thou sawest us. Be it so, I know it very well, yet " Peace be unto." Peace when he went away, and peace when he came again: this is his lan guage and this is his disposition still. Thus he is engaged.
Yea, he is engaged by office to give peace unto his people. Ye know the apostle calls him our great High Priest. It was the work of the high priest in the Old Testament, to bless the people; and when he did bless the people, what did he say, but, " The Lord bless ye, and give ye peace?" Now then, if Jesus Christ be our great High Priest, and it be the office of the high priest to bless, and to give peace, then Christ, by virtue of his office also., is engaged to give peace unto his people. Take all these three together; Christ the second Person is engaged: by his endowments he received
A LIFTING UP r SBB . ,
from the Father; by his own disposition; by his office; and it appears pla.nly, that there is a great engagement upon Jesus Christ to give peace unto his servants
3. As the Father and the Son are engaged to give peace
sli q t7h H 7 r? 6 SaintS and people of God ak the Spirit, the Holy Ghost,s engaged to give peace unto them.
For, as I may so speak with reverence, he is, as it were t h, great executor of Jesus Christ. When Christ died, hem Je his will, and gave a legacy to his disciples, My peace I e
a3
one m our bosom. When a man sins, a godly mans* Satan accuses him in heaven: and therefore says John "If
aaiaSaTrfr rv he T-- V
Sata " ""
Satan doth also accuse him to himsef the apostle "We have the Spirit
"For the Snirt shll r s Our witncss al o;
hath peace and quiet. So that, if you cor HdJ-u J~* he gagements, the Father ena^ed LTs j S e "
Ghost engaged, for the pete a nd JeT oTSfd s *-.? y must you not needs conclude U,i. , chjldren,
say, Surely, there is an "ltd *** 3 " d d Ctrine which ordinanly God s pel Ie a^d
, to r ak the
within tm; but aTfK ^ t haVC " Ot "^ a " d everlasting condition b S a " d fears about
Etsictrans]atSyr . ac>
But some have never had peace all their days. Oh, says one, I have been a long while afflicted, troubled: two, four, six years, and never yet had peace and quiet within me. Either therefore this doctrine is not true, or else I am not godly.
All that may be which you speak of, and yet this doctrine may be true. General rules have always some exceptions. Though the garment that the saints do ordinarily wear, be white, yet here and there some do go in black, and go so a great while. But that there may be no stumbling concern ing this matter, I shall desire you to consider with me, some few distinctions.
1. Ye must know, that there is a fundamental peace, which the saints and people of God have; and there is an additional peace. A fundamental peace, which does naturally arise and flow from their justification : " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God," Rom. v. And then there is an addi tional peace, which arises from the sense of their justification. Possibly a child of God may for a long time lose the latter, but the former he shall never lose. As a woman that hath a great jointure, goes abroad some journey, and meets with thieves, and they take away all the money that she hath about her ; but yet, says she, though they have taken away my spending money, they cannot take away my jointure, I have not lost my jointure. So now the saints sometimes, may lose their spending money, they may lose the peace that arises from the sense of their justification ; but as for the peace that arises and issues from their justification itself, the first peace, that they shall never lose. Peace is the church s jointure, and that peace they shall never lose.
2. Ye must know, that there is a great difference between peace, comfort and joy. A man may have peace that hath no comfort ; a man may have comfort that hath no joy : one is beyond the other, one a degree above the other. As now, it may be day-light, and yet the sun may not shine forth ; the sun may shine forth, and yet not noon-day. Possibly a man may have peace, and yet not much comfort, only stayed upon God ; possibly a man may have comfort, and yet not much joy. But now, many a poor soul thinks, because he hath no joy, therefore he hath no comfort; and because he hath not
much comfort, therefore no peace. Labour to know the difference between these.
3. Ye must know, that there is a peace which lies in oppo sition to what one hath been ; and a peace, that is in oppo sition to what one would be. A godly man, a weak Christian, when he considers what he would We, and what he would have, he hath no rest nor quiet : but now, come unto the same man, and say thus, You remember what a wicked life once you led; ye were a drunkard, or ye were a wanton: what say ye ; would ye be in that condition again ? Oh no, saith he then, I would not be in that condition for all the world. Here now the soul hath peace in opposition to what it hath been, though it hath not peace and quiet in opposition to what it would be.
4. Ye must know, that there is a secret, dormant peace ; and there is an awakened and apparent peace : peace in the seed, and peace in the flower. As it is with many a wicked man, for the present he hath great comfort; but when affliction comes, and the day of death comes, then he hath trouble ; trouble in regard of sin ; why ? the sin and guilt was in his heart before, only it lay sleeping there, but now it is risen. So with a godly man in regard of his peace : possibly for the present, he may be full of trouble ; but when affliction comes, and the hour of death comes, then he hath peace and comfort : why, it was there before, it was at the bottom, only he was not aware of it, he did not know of it. For now, ask such a weak Christian who is thus full of fear for the present, Ye see there is a drunkard, a swearer, a wanton, would you be in his condition ? would you be con tented to be in that man s condition ? Oh, no, says he ; I would not be in such a condition for all the world. And why doth he say so, but because there is a peace and quietude at the bottom, although he be not aware of it ? It is true the saints grieve, but then dolent et de dolore gaudent ; they re joice that they can grieve : they are troubled for sin ; and they have rest and quiet in this, that they can be troubled for their sin : they have no peace in their sin ; but they have peace in this, that they can have no peace in their sin. For say now unto them, are ye troubled that ye are troubled; you are in some measure grieved for sin; and
are ye troubled that ye are grieved? No, will they say, I am glad that I am grieved for sin; and the Lord knows, it is my trouble that I can be grieved no more; I have quiet and peace in that I am troubled. Some have peace in the direct act, and some have peace in the reflex act, some have it more at the first hand, and some have it more at the second hand. But consider all these distinctions, and you will find, that there is no godly man, but more or less in some of these respects, he may be said to have peace within. But suppose it be so, what is the issue of this doctrine? what doth it tend and lead unto?
The issue is thus much. Then, behold, what a blessed condition the saints and people of God are in! Is it not a blessed thing to have peace within; to have quiet, peace and rest within? If ye have peace within, though ye want peace without, you will be able to bear all your burdens, "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities," Prov. xviii. 14. But a wounded spirit who can bear? Some bear agues and fevers; some bear stones and collides, rackings and tormentings; but a wounded spirit who can bear? Oh, but " the spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities," if he have peace within; if he be heart-whole, as they say, if he have peace within, then will he be able to bear all his burdens. Ye see into what times we are now fallen; we cannot promise ourselves peace for a day together; suddenly a cloud may arise, in a night, and all our comforts laid in the dark; how good a thing is it then to have peace within, to have rest and quiet within! If I have peace within, I can relieve myself here against all calamity. What though I have trouble from my friends? yet I have peace within: what though I am thus reproached? yet I have peace within; I am wet indeed, my garment is wet; but I am not wet to the skin, I am dry within, I have peace within. "Blessed (says our Saviour) are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted/ Matt. v. 4. Are those blessed for the present that shall be com forted? How blessed are those then that are comforted, and that have peace and quiet already.
This doctrine looks wishly, both upon the ungodly, and upon the godly. It looked once so wishly upon a great man in Germany, that it was the beginning of his conversion and
turning to God: I mean Galeacius Carracciolus. He was a papist, a profane person; and coming occasionally to hear Peter Martyr preach, he heard this expression or similitude, When ye see men at a distance skipping, leaping and danc ing, ye think the men are mad; but when ye draw near to them, hear what music they have, then ye do not wonder; but ye rather wonder at yourselves that ye should wonder at them. So, said Peter Martyr, when ye look upon the godly at a distance, and see them running after ordinances, and frequenting the means and rejoicing in the ways of God, you think the people are mad, and ye say they are mad; but if you draw near to a godly course, and perceive what music these people have within, you say not they are mad, but you rather wonder at yourselves, that you should wonder at them. Hereupon the Marquess hearing this similitude, was so stricken withal, that he began to look into his condition, and it was the first occasion of his conversion. I say no more. You that are ungodly, ye hear what music the saints have within, peace and quiet within, ordinarily, though here and there there may be some exception; yet ordinarily, what music they have within! Oh, who would not be godly!
But this doctrine also, looks wishly upon you that are godly. And it calls for your thankfulness, that you should praise the Lord for the peace and quiet that you have. You will praise God for your outward peace, especially if it be a peace after war, especially if the war were a civil w r ar, and ye have felt the smart of it, then ye will praise God for peace. You that are godly, and have peace, have had a war within, a civil war within your own bosoms, and ye have felt the smart of trouble of conscience, and now ye have peace; and will ye not be thankful? will ye not praise the Lord, that hath given you this peace and rest?
I confess indeed, it is the duty of all those that have rest, and peace and quiet within, to be very thankful; but there is one thing that hinders my thankfulness, that I cannot praise the Lord for the peace and quiet that I have, and that is, I fear my peace is not right; for there are many that have a counterfeit and a false peace, and I fear that my peace is such, and therefore I cannot praise the Lord, or be thankful for it.
I grant ye, there is a false and counterfeit peace, that
wicked men have, even an inward peace. And if ye look into Deut. xxix. 19, ye may read as much: "And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse, that he blesseth himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst." So that a man may be in a most cursed way, adding drunkenness to thirst, and yet he may have peace, and say in his heart, It shall go well with me. Questionless, there is a peace of security; there is a peace and a rest of sleep, as well as of health. A man that is wounded and full of aches and pains, feels them not when he is asleep; but the reason why he doth not feel them, is not be cause of his health, but because he is asleep. So a man may be freed from the trouble of aches and pains within, because he is asleep, as well as because he is in health. But there is also a peace that is the fruit of the Holy Ghost; as ye read in Gal. v: " The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace." Questionless, there is a false and a true peace. But shall I say, that all my money is counterfeit, because there is coun- feit gold abroad?
But to help a little in this ; I will speak something of the difference of true and false peace ; and yet very briefly, thus :
True saving peace is the child of grace, and the mother of grace. There is a peace that arises from the apprehension of God s common goodness; which is common peace. And there is a special peace, that arises from the apprehension of God s special favour and free grace; true peace is the daughter of that grace, yet it is the parent of inherent grace, or of gracious actions, I should rather say the nurse, for says the apostle, " The peace of God that passes all understand ing, keep (or guard) your minds and hearts," Phil. iv. 7- This saving peace, is a guard unto all our graces. As false peace is a guard to our sins, so true peace is a guard unto all our graces.
True saving peace, is such a peace as is wrought by faith. "Being justified by faith, we have peace," Rom. xv. "The Lord give you peace in believing," says the apostle." It comes in a way of faith: true saving peace is wrought by faith. False peace, is such as is either born with us and was never interrupted, being the offspring of nature only; or the
16 A LIFTING TIP [SfiR. 1.
emanation of a natural conscience, or such as is wrought out byHime, time working out one s trouble.
True saving peace, will live in the sight of sin. False peace doth not endure the sight of sin; a godly man, the more he doth see his sin, unless he be under temptation, the more peace he hath: a wicked man, the more he doth see his sin, the less peace he hath; and all his peace arises from a not sight of his sin.
True saving peace loves to be examined, is willing to be examined, it loves to be tried. But false peace, cannot en dure examination, it flies from the light, it doth not love to be tried.
True saving peace is spoken by God. " I will hear what the Lord will say, for he will speak peace," says the Psalmist, Psalm Ixxxv. 8. When God speaks peace, he speaks it to a soul under or after temptation. When God speaks peace, he speaks it with a strong hand: giving such peace ^as no creature in the world is able to give. \Vhen God speaks peace, it is a peace beyond all expression; the peace of God that passeth all understanding, it cannot be uttered. Now though a wicked man have peace, and much peace and quiet within, yet God doth not speak it; for it was not spoken to him in or after temptation, it was not spoken by a strong and unre- sistible hand; it is such a peace, as may be wrought by time, time working off the trouble; or the pleasures and content ments of the world may beget the like; it is not a peace that is beyond all expression, a peace beyond all under standing, but a low peace, which you may easily express. But now as for you that are godly, that make this objection, and have this fear and scruple in your hearts, I will here appeal unto your own souls; you know and remember your former trouble; now ye have peace, and ye have rest within; I appeal to you, I say, whether yea or no, when ye were in that trouble, suppose I, or another minister, or ten other of your own choosing, suppose a hundred should have come to you with one promise after another, had we been able to have spoken comfort to you? Oh, no; if the Lord had not spoken comfort to me, it had not been in the power of all the ministers in the world, to have spoken comfort unto my soul, but the Lord certainly hath done it. Yet I appeal