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preferves and perfects it. The Son is called the Prince of peace. He, as a Prophet, preaches peace; as a Prieft, purchases it; and, as a King, proclaims and commands it: yea, in the abftract, he is our peace, and joy in believing, by his powerful, phyfical, irrefiftable efficiency, maftering all the ftorms of the foul.Peace is a fruit of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22.

3. It is a holy peace: "Great peace have they that love thy law, nothing fhall offend them. As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and on the Ifrael of God. The fruit of righteoufnefs is peace." As it is faid, "He that hath this hope purifieth himself;" fo, he that hath peace, it imbitters fin; and peace with God cannot be without war with fin; hence, when fin prevails, believers cannot find reft, till they get a new fprinkling of the blood of the Peace-maker.

4. It is a miraculous peace: it is a miracle; for it is peace in the midst of fire and water. The three children walk in the midst of fire, and have peace: the Ifraelites walk thro' the Red-Sea, and have peace. And all this according to his promife; "When thou paffeft thro' the waters, I will be with thee; and thro' the rivers, they fhall not overflow thee: when thou walkeft through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee," Ifa. xliii. 2.

5. It is a noble and nobilitating peace: it fublimates the foul above all inferior things, fo as with a generous difdain, it looks down upon the trifling vanities which bewitch the affections of the world. A man who hath this peace, can trample upon crowns and diadems, as upon dúng; and is not afraid of, nor over-awed with the terrors that damp the fpirits, and defeat pufillanimous perfons in the world; but he hath a victory over the world, 1 John v. 4, 5. Pfal. xlvi. 1,—5.

6. It is a fecure and well-fecured peace; firmer than the mountains and hills: "The mountains fhall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindnefs fhall not depart from thee, neither fhall the covenant of my peace be removed," Ifa. liv. 10. It is everlafting peace and confolation, built upon everlasting foundations; fuch as, the

everlasting love of God, and the everlasting righteoufnefs of Christ.

7. It is a fweet and fweetening peace: it fweetens every lot, and makes him fay, "I have learned in whafoever ftate I am, therewith to be content." It sweetens the cross, and makes him glory in it, faying, "God forbid that I fhould glory, fave in the crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift." It can turn a prifon to a palace, and a rack to a bed of roses. It makes the foul acquainted with that paradox; "Poor, yet poffeffing all things; forrowful, yet always rejoicing," 2 Cor. vi. 20. It fweetens the aspect and profpect of death: O how will this peace mollify the thoughts of the king of terrors! and make the foul to fay, "O death, where is thy fting?" It fweetens the views and apprehenfions of the day of judgment, while the man apprehends the Judge to be his friend, his righteousnefs; and that he is at peace with the divine tribunal, thro' the blood of Jefus. It is a miferable peace that cannot confift with, but is dafhed and confounded at, the thoughts of death, judgment, and eternity: and hence the wicked man, amidst his carnal peace, banishes the thoughts of thefe awful things, otherwife they would deftroy his peace. But here is a peace which makes the foul at peace with death, judgment, and eternity yea, and to rejoice in the view of thefe awful and unavoidable things.

8. It is a perfect peace; "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace," Ifa. xxiv. 4. It is perfect, in that it is not a faint impreffion, but fuch a peace as fhall accomplish the end for which it was given, and not be altogether ufelefs: yea, it is perfect, in that it not only grows to perfection after time, but it hath a kind of perfection even in time, being a peace that paffeth all understanding, unspeakable and inconceivable: and there is no end of its growth; " Of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end," Ifa. iv. 7. And it is perfect in respect of the grounds of it; fuch as, God, and his attributes; Christ, and his righteoufnefs; the Spirit, and his operations; the Covenant, and its promises; as may be feen on the firft general head of the me

thod.

When

When faith views the freedom of the covenant, then peace comes in like a river, however unworthy the foul be in itfelf: when faith views the fulness of the covenant, then peace comes in, however empty the foul be in itself: when faith views the ftability of the covenant, then peace comes in to the foul, however mutable it be in itfelf: when faith views the Mediator of the covenant, it brings in peace; under a fenfe of ignorance, peace comes in from his being a Prophet to teach; under a fenfe of guilt, peace comes in from his being a Prieft; under a fenfe of bondage, peace comes in from his being a King: when faith views these things peace runs in. The promife of the covenant, viewed by faith, brings in peace. Can I have peace that have fuch a falfe heart? Yes; when I view the promise, made by the true God. Can I have peace that have fuch a backfliding heart, that never retains a word? Yes; becaufe tho' I break my word, yet God cannot break his word: "He hath faithfulness for the girdle of his loins; and the covenant ftands faft with him." When faith views the condition of the covenant, viz. the righteousness of Chrift, peace flows in like a flood: for the promises are ratified thereby. Faith improves Chrift's righteousness, as a juftice-fatisfying righteous nefs, as a debt-paying and a blifs-purchafing righteouf nefs, a covenant-fealing and ftrength-furnishing righte oufnefs; faith improves it as a ranfom, a laver, and a ladder.

SERMON

SERMON CL.

PROV. iii. 17.

Wifdom's ways are ways of pleafantnefs, and all ber paths are peace.

TH

[The third Sermon on this Text.]

HE pleafures of the ungodly cannot be valued by any who truly see their end. Who would envy him that wears a crown but for a day, and would be the fcorn of the wicked to-morrow? Or him who would choose one day of mirth and pleafure, though he knew that it would fill the reft of his life with pain and mifery? Who would envy the ftate of the wicked and ungodly, whofe life-time is but at beft, a day of finful pleasure, and iffues in an everlasting state of wo and torment? How grieving may it be to any confidering believer, to look upon a worldly fenfual gallant, in the midst of his vain-glory and mirth, and to think where that man will fhortly be, and how the cafe will be fhortly altered with him? It would fadden our hearts to fee fuch a one ftruck dead in the place; and, alas! fhould it not grieve us, to forefee the ftroke of death and wrath under which they will perifh for ever? When this is the cafe, who would not chufe more folid and durable pleafures, fuch as are here fet before us: Wisdom's ways are pleafantnefs.

Having finished what we intended on the doctrinal part of the fubject, by demonftrating the truth of the propofition, viz. 'That Wildom's ways are pleasantnefs;' confidered the qualities of that pleasure that is to be

found

found in Wisdom's ways; fpoken of fome of the particular paths of Wisdom, which are all peace; opened up the nature and qualities of that peace; we fhall now proceed to the fequel of the fubject.

V. The fifth thing propofed was the application of the point. Is it fo, 'That Wifdom's ways are pleasantnefs?" Then the inference I would deduce from it, at prefent, is to rectify the mistake and error of the world, and of all carnal men, who, if one begins to leave off wickednefs, and to feek after Chrift, then they reckon his pleasant days are at an end, and that he is turning mad, morofe, and melancholy; becaufe they have no tafte of fpiritual comforts themfelves, no relifh of divine pleafures, no favour of any delight, but what is carnal and worldly; therefore they imagine the way of religion a moft unpleasant way.

For pursuing this ufe, I fhall effay the three following things. 1. Argue a little againft this opinion, for demonftrating the abfurdity of it. 2. Anfwer fome carnal objections against the pleasures of religion. 3. Shew what these things are, wherein believers have pleasure, fuch as the world knoweth not of.

ift, I would argue a little againft this miftake and error of the world, as if the way of Wildom and true religion were not a pleafant way.

1. Muft not that way be pleafant, which is pleafing to God himself? But fuch is the way of wifdom and religion, as may be feen, 1 Pet. ii. 5. where believers are called a holy priesthood, to offer up fpiritual facrifies, acceptable to God. "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy," Pfal. cxlvii. 11. not be the chief pleasure of the faints to please God?,

And muft it

2. Muft not that be very pleasant to the foul, that is the very life and health of it? Why, Wifdom's way, or the way of faith, love, and holinefs, is the very health of the believing foul; whereas the way of unbelief, enmity, and fin, is the very difeafe of the foul. Life and health is a conftant fenfible delight. It is only fin that is oppofite to foul-health: "Heal my foul, for I have finned against thee," Pfal. xli.-4.

3. Muft

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