THE BLESSED PEACE-MAKER AND CHRISTIAN RECONCILER Intended for the healing of all unatural and unchristian Divisions in all Relations According to the Purport of that Divine Oracle pronounced by the Prince of PEACE himself Matth. 5. 9. By Claudius Gilbert B. D. Minister of the Gospel at Limrick 2 Thess 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zech. 8. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pax una Triumphis Jnnumeris potior LONDON Printed for Francis Titon and are to be sold at the sign of the three Daggers in Fleet-street 1658. To the Right Honourable Sir Hardress Waller Knight Major General of the Forces in Ireland And to his Vertuous Consort the Lady ELIZABETH WALLER Right Honourable THe subject of this Tract will sufficiently commend it self from its own worth and your acquaintance therewith The plain Garb wherein it doth appear can give no just cause of disparaging it to the judicious friends of Gospel-simplicity There is like to be most of Power and Peace where most of Purity cloathed with plainness The many experiences afforded to you both by the renewed Dispensations of the Lords gracious Providence in all former and latter Revolutions may be revived to further Improvement through the blessing of Heaven on your Honours perusal of these lines The Peace of God is that Signal Mercy which hath through Grace very deeply affected your Hearts and to the promoting whereof you have been many wayes remarkably instrumental in your respective Spheres through the Lords good hand Many Considerations of weight do very much press the Authors spirit which cannot but oblige him to publish his Christian respects due to your Honors as by all other possible demonstrations so by this way of Cordial Expression If my poor labours in this and other parts of Ireland have been blessed in any measure from above to any person such have much cause to acknowledge you both as the singular Means which the Lord employed for the procuring thereof Your industrious Care of this Countries welfare and renewed solicitations on the best account did occasion and hasten my coming over near five year ago Through the same Labour of Love continued and enlarged by you towards the Servants and Service of Christ upon his score divers other Ministers of his besides my self have received good Incouragement in his Work in these and other parts Your Reward is sure with the Lord who is most mindful of the least kindness shew'd to any of his friends He cannot forget the meanest Cup of Water given to the smallest in the Name of a Disciple Among the many choice favors bestowed on your Honors by the Supreme Disposer of all things this is one of a prime Magnitude that he hath given you both such hearty Affections to the friends of Christ as well as to his Peace and Interest The benign Influence of such a gracious Constellation is most obliging in such a season wherein so many malignant Aspects are cast from all parts upon the good Wayes and Servants of God To prove still-fixed and radiant Luminaries when so many others blaze but like Comets and like falling Stars or wandring Meteors is both your Honor and your Happiness Gods people in this place and in other parts cannot but take special notice thereof having so much cause to observe it to be a singular Return from the Throne of Grace to their fervent prayers so constantly renewed on your behalf That you may further reap the Joyful fruits of his Divine seed in being still farther serviceable to his Glory and his peoples Comfort proportionably to all your Eminent Relations and occasions through the supplies of his holy Spirit is the Cordial and incessant Request of him who delights to be and appear Your Honors humbly devoted servant on the best Terms in Gospel-work Claudius Gilbert From my study at Limrick March 23. 1656. The Preface Christian Reader THou hast here the substance of severall Sermons preached in Limrick out of earnest longings after this peoples good If the same prove of any use to thee through the blessing of the Father of Spirits Let him have the praise and let the Author share in thy prayers who finds so much need of help from all hands His Design herein is very Candid his desire Cordial what ever thou mayest think of his matter method or utterance The excellâ—ncy and Necessity of the Theme here handled will make full amends for any defect of Writer or Printer We can but give Hints in such an intended Brevity of those choice Rarities which are richly stored up in the larger Cabinets of others We but point at the Veins of those Golden Mines out of which many learned and godly Pens have often extracted so much precious Treasure It 's probable that in such a large field so plentifully stored the best Reapers may leave some Gleanings for their followers The Lord of the Harvest hath often employed many of his Servants among all Nations in the various successions of his Church to promote his blessed work of Peace by their Pens as by all other due Means When this Tabernacle of the most High God is to be reared up and his Tent to be pitched among the Sons of Men Contribution then is expected and accepted from all Sorts what ever sutably to their severall abilities The Badgers and Rams skins will be welcome from such as bring their heart therewith though they cannot bring Gold and precious stones as some others do The God of this Temple prizes the Widows Mite cast into his Treasury for repairing thereof at a very high Rate He delights to see his Laborers active about this piece of work which is so dear to him and cost him so dear His Children please him best when forward though weak about this study and occupation whereof they receive a special charge from him In such a publick and wofull Incendy as now threatens all things Civil and Sacred every one should bring what water he can get to the quenching of such devouring flames We have all a share in the Publick good and have had a hand in the publick evil It 's good Reason we should be sensible of our personal and Relative sins which have been and are still the diviing Causes of distractingly destructive sorrows The sad experiences of so much mischief occasioned by our own and others Lusts cannot but press ingenuous Christians to utmost endeavours for esficacious redress Sense of Duty in such a Juncture and Turn of Affairs prevailed with me to the publication of the Libertine School'd and Christs Soveraign Antidote against sinfull Errors not long ago The same ground hoth now brought forth these Papers to serve as a whet-stone though dull in it self to the sharpening of all the Lords Friends that their abilities and Opportunities may be improved to the uttermost for Christs Interest in this great Work of his I would not be idle as long as its day nor neglect any advantage afforded of doing God and
made throughly sensible of their guilt and shame How far are the best from an exact performance of this great Duty How unlike are we to this dignifying Property of Gods People How short come we of that peaceable Spirit and Carriage that should teâ—tifie ouâ— gracious acquaintance with the Nature Charge and Interest of Christ the great Peace-maker Le ts all be humbled deeply before him at the sight and sence of so much unworthiness Let the conviction of our foolish mistakes and woful miscarriages awaken and shame us Doth the Lord suffer so much in his Cause Credit and Charge through our sinful jars and shall we not mourn Have we been such peevish and perverse Children and not judge our selves Have we so basely slighted such a Father in that which is so dear unto him and shall we not grieve Have we abused our Brethren and Fellow-servants so unworth ly and shall we not express the regret thereof Is not the fault of a child of a near Relation much more provoking then of any stranger Hath not our God used all possible means to teach us manners and press us with all might to Christian Peace-making Are not our wretched distractions much more provoking now to him and to all because of all the great cost and care he hath been at on a better account Have we lost our ingenuity have we forgotten our Duty and Interest so desperately as still to be senceless of our folly and misery herein Hath Satan so far deluded us hath sin prevailed so to the hardening of us that we see not the apparent ruin of all publique and personal Good following close our unnatural divisions our uncivil disorders All our miscarriages reflect on the Lord who will not alwayes bear with our frowardness His dearest people of old were frowned on and chid threatned and smitten very heavily for lesser faults then ours Their renewed Crimes after much indulgence from his fatherly hand forced him to turn them out of doors and disinherit them He bids us all go to his Shiloh where his presence dwelt and learn by the desolations thereof to observe the fruits of disorders and divisions in his Kingdom and Family All his dispensations to them were for Types and Examples to us to shame us all for those many sins wherein we so far exceed them The woful Ruins of so many Churches once so flourishing in each part of the World should prove a powerfull warnning to us all If we be indeed the children of God let it appear by our ingenuous shaming of our selves for our unchristian abusing of him in abusing his Peace his People and our selves so groundlesly and so frequently so sinfully and so wofully Vse 3. This Truth may be improved by way of Discovery Hence may we enquire into our own State and take a Prospect of the Posture of Affairs within and without us Doth this character of Godâ— children dignifie us and others Is it ouâ— eminent property to be Peace makers Do we act herein in a way becoming the children of God This is a needfull and usefull enquiry for all sorts of persons in this self-deceiving and hypocritical Age so full of mistakes and distempers Bring we the case to the Lords own Test measure it by the line of the Sanctuary Do we act about Peace from him and like him for him and through him as becomes his Children 1. Do we act from God about all the matters of his Peace Is he our Principle and source of all spiritual activeness Is he the Supreme efficient of all good in us and to us Are we born again of his gracious Spirit to make us new creatures that we might walk in newness of Life As we have born the Image of the earthly do we now bear the Image of the heavenly Adam Do we receive from Christ the second Adam the Root and seed of spiritual Life as we received from the first Adam the Spawn and Beginnings of natural Life We naturally grow wild as the timber in the Forest as stones in the Pit and rock Hath the Lord hewen and digged us down by the hand of his Spirit with the tools of his Word and Providence to square and polish us for his spiritual Edifice Hath he translated us from death to life that were naturally dead in sins and trespasses Hath he by his Gospel-salve opened our eyes to turn us from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan to God Hath he poured clean waters upon us that we might be effectually cleansed from all our filthiness and from all our dividing Idols A new heart also hath he given us and a new Spirit hath he put within us Hath he taken away the stony heart out of our flesh and given us a new heart of flesh Hath he put his Spirit within us to cause us to walk in his Statutes that we may keep his Judgements and do them Hath he washed us in the Laver of Regeneration through the renewing of the holy Ghost shed on us abundantly according to his gracious Promises Hath the Lord thus begotten us again unto a lively hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that we might enjoy and promote Peace Have we put off the old man which is corrupt after its deceitfull lusts and put on the new man which afâ—er God is created in Righteousness and true holiness Have we learned in his school to strip us of self that we may put on Christ for our Garment Have we received his effectual Call to obey it efficaciously in order to his Peace Hath his Spirit convinced us applicatively of sin of Righteousness and of Judgement Hath he brought us into to the wilderness that he might speak to our hearts therein words of Grace and Peace Hath he given himself in giving us his Son upon conjugal terms by his sanctifying Spirit and have we thereby been enabled to surrender up our selves unto him by a lively faith of his own working Do we through faith partake of those gracious Promises which make us Partakers of the Divine Nature to escape the pollutions that are in the world through lust Doth Christ thus dwell in our heart by faith that being grounded and rooted in him we may thence receive out of his fulness Grace for Grace in order to Peace Doth he draw us so powerfully by the inward cords of his Spirits motions and the outward Bands of his Word and Providence as to make us to run after him and follow him fully in all the wayes of Peace Is he the Load-stone that draws our Iron-hearts by Magnetical virtue into all sutable operations Is he the Treasure the Magazin of all our supplies the Ground and foundation of all our desires delights designs and labors about all kind of Peace Do we thus receive and act all from him not from any Creature within or without us to manifest our selves his Children Secondly Do we act like him in
his people service My hearts desire is that the least cause of offence may not be given to the least of Christs Disciples by any expression or carriage of mine Yet cannot I but be sensible of my weakness and insufficiency Humanum est errare belluinum perseverare in errore cognito I would willingly know and mend my own faults that I may the better be helpfull to others as the Lord shall please to afford his Help that theirs may be mended likewise The two great Ordinances of the Magistracy and Ministry are most concern'd in this Business of Peace and most endangered by the enemies thereof The Lords Servants that are intrusted by him to act therein as his Deputies and his Substitutes should not be daunted by any discouragements from Earth and Hell but vigorously excited by so many great Incouragements given them from Heaven in this nick of Time The faithfull Witnesses of Christ in both functions shall rise again after their humbling to his Glory and their enemies shame in the true setling of a Righteous Peace Should not both then be peculiarly stirred up that they may stir up themselves and all others to serve Gods Spirit Word and Providence towards an ordâ—rly uniting of their strength for that very purpose A word to the wise may be sufficient if the Lord please to bless it to them I. Is not Magistracy appointed of God for a Soveraign Help to the procuring and promoting of Peace to the restoring and preserving thereof Hath not the Lord stamped his Image thereon with special rays of Majesty and Authority armed with Power and Abilities by a Providential Constitution to advance all the ends of a Political Peace in the furtherance of all Godliness and Honesty Are not therefore all Magistrates Supreme and Subordinate honoured in Scripture with so many dignifying Properties of resemblance and nearness to God of assistance and favour from God in order hereunto as hath been touched elsewhere more at large Are they not the persons against whom still the most desperate Opposers of Peace are most incensed and ragingly active Are not thes great Physitians of State deeply engaged to attend their Office towards recovering and maintaining the Health of that great Body committed to their Charge Have they not most need to be most watchfull and active when the ill humours are most malignant and the Patients most disorderly under their numerous distempers both complicate and inveterate Hath not the Lords Spirit in his sacred Records set a Crown of Glory upon the memory of those Noble Worthies who made his work their own to the utmost Sphere of their activity Do not all sorts of civil Monuments among all kind of people in all parts and seasons of the World honour those Patriots to the utmost degree who spent and were spent in the faithfull discharge of their Functions to make good their Peace Are not such Persons of honour and Power exposed also to more Temptations as Mountains are to the storms and blasts far beyond the rest Do they not need most help from God and from Man who are to do most for God and for Man Have not all former and later Designs carried on closely by the subtile Ingineers of Spain and Rome against our Religion and Peace still been levelled at the Magistrates that stood most in their way Have not all such Rulers in Scripture and Experience who have been noted for neglect of their Trust been also threatned branded and punished in the highest degree Corruptio optimi is still pessima The best things corrupted will do most mischief Great Personages move in such great Orbs that they carry very many with them either to good or evil Their Burthen and Care their Work and Influence their Account and Harvest still answer the greatness of their Charge In both Kingdoms of Judah and Israel we still find the People following their Princes both to good and evil According as they carried it towards their Supreme above So were the changes of Peace and War below A treble Relation doth the Magistrate bear which challenges his special helpfulness towards Peace 1. Oeconomical towards his Family according to the various subordinations thereof Conjugal Parental and Despotical Therein the Royal Prophet that Mirror of Princes resolved and laboured to be most Zealous for the peace of God in advancing his Interest therein The very breathings of his Soul towards it stand yet on Record in Psalm 101. This is a right beginning indeed to settle first at home Vnity and Order in Truth and Righteousness What he could not help he bewailed it both to God and Man witness 2 Sam. 23. 4. And when he grew remiss about it he was visited with domestical crosses of many serts to awaken him and mind him of his Vows and Engagements so often renewed Would Rulers follow that excellent Pattern in studying and advancing Gods word seâ—king his face and instructing their charge what a mighty furtherance were it towards Peace When on the contrary the Name of Christ is neglected there all tends to confusion If a Ruler be given to lies whether verbal or practical saith Solomon all his servants prove like him in wickedness and loosness Men are sooner led by Presidents then Precepts The Lord therefore gave a special charge to the chief Magistrates of his people that they should write out to themselves a Copy of his Law and read therein daily giving also command that all Superiors in Families should be speaking of his Word both early and late for others Instruction On these terms was the blessing premised and performed to Abrahams Family and Noble Joshua that Famous Protector of Israel resolved and professed solemnly before all what special care and course to take therein Is not this the sure way to bring all Inferiors to mind and follow their Superiors Example that they may be found orderly moving in their respective places towards a true Peace 2. Rulers bear a Political Relation in their publike capacity to the civil State wherein they may prove singular friends to the peace of their dread Soveraign in the dâ—â— observance of his Laws Righteousness hereiâ— exalts a Nation but sin is still the reproach of a People Civil Righteousness both commutative and distributive will still be found to be the true Mother and the Nurse of â—eace Good Laws well made and as well executed are the Bond of this Peace Magistrates are still the Living Laws that must put life into all good Laws that the Mountains may still bring forth Peace and the little Hills by Righteousness These are the Pillars and foundations of civil Societies which will râ—in all if they rot and waste The Throne is established with Justice and shaken to pieces by injustice All Powers that are ordained of God providentially are a choice Blessing if they prove good and a wofull curse if otherwise Christ the King of Nations is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords by
and Order Errors and Lusts go still in a chain being so closely linked and combined that their Conjurations will prove most dismal if they be not timely and diligently still looked after These unclean Spirits will rage and rant where they bear the sway being subtle and strong numerous and nimble malign and mischievous vigilant and desperate to the highest degree Spirits of contention and jealousy inconstancy and covetousness falsness and stubborness rashness and rigidness self-love and pride envy and passion with their Comrades will rant it madly and break all to pieces where they are suffered to domineer and rule The best find them most vexatious still though curbed and greatly mortified in them How unspeakably sad will their pranks then appear where the reins are laid loose upon their necks Such wild Beasts and ravenous Birds can never change their Nature and bent though they may be for a time restrained nothing but their death can end their mischief through the Almighty Power of Christs death efficaciously applyed and improved through his Spirit in the constant exercise of mortification aud self-denyal These cunning Spirits are insinuative and disguise still themselves and their Baits with various colours wises methods to deceive all sorts They strip and rob both Truth and vertue of their best Garments to adorn and paint themselves more speciously Their Masks and counterfeits are very notable plausible and multiplicious to the cheating of all sorts of men and obstruct their Peace Yea they will pretend to be most for Peace when they intend to do most against it As it s their course to plunder Truth and Vertue for their own dressing so do they likewise cast their own filthy Rags on them that the fraud may be doubled and that Truth and Vertue being through that disguise mistaken for them when found in their cloaths may be disgraced and so disabled from that blessed work of true Peace-makng which the God of Peace doth call unto Have we not all then special need still to watch against such cheating Mountebanks who will still be acting like to the Prince of lyes their ghostly Father for whom they still move both internally and externally So far as our Principels do participate of sin and error so far will they be found to malign and oppose all Christian Order Unity and Peace 2. Evil Practices follow such Principles still very close in opposition to our desired Peace by verbal expressions and real Actions 1. Verbal Practises obstructive of Peace are to be avoided with all possible care An ill Breath rising from a rotten inside soon communicates much evil to others This is a common and a woful evil against which Christians are so often warned and should arm themselves diligently Discord and Disorder are found too often the fruits of polluted lips Our tongue was never made to shame God in shaming others aed our selves by hindring Peace aud promoting Jars Let no evil Communication therefore proceed out of our mouth as the Apostle charges us but that which tends to edifying Whisperings Slanders Backbitings and Tales are so frequently condemned in Scripture that all should be ashamed of the least inclination thereto and appearance thereof What pitty is it that any Christian should lend his mouth to the devils fire for to blow his Coals of Jealousy dissention and distance What a shame is it that any ones Breath should throw about so much of Hell fire and cast fire-Brands Darts and Arrows as Instruments of Death in private or publique occasions How sinfully wofull is the common practice of entertaining and carrying about stories and reports very often false to the great prejudice of others Repute and the breach of Peace Why should any of us contribute so much of our Time and Breath of our Credit and Conscience to the promoting of Satans Interest against the Peace of God To receive and return any ill report against our Neighbour is with the Psalmist the Character of one that is unfit for Communion with God and his People in his Church on Earth and in his Glory above Our Neighbours defects are never to be disclosed to open Air but when they are to be duly dressed by a skilfull and faithfull Artist Such sores and wounds do get much hurt by being so much exposed to the Air unseasonably Would we be content to be so served our selves Why should any ones tongue be sharpened like a cutting Razor upon Satans whet-stone to slash the good name of those about us and to wound the Peace of the great King Is not Tale-bearing the womb and the Breast that begets and breeds all kind of disorders and discords by Solomons Verdict Why should our Breath serve the devils ends in raising of storms either in Church or State or private Relations Have we not all smarted sufficiently by the Blasts of ill tongues to warn us of such mischievous Rocks against which so many Wracks are made of Credit and Conscience An unsavory and infection Breath bewrayes a great deal of inward Corruption and is most noisome unto all persons Le ts then abhor itching Ears and Tongues that we may still prevent and remove the great obstructions of a blessed Peace Let no expression be willingly sent forth that may hinder Peace and cause division Le ts make a Covenant with our mouth as Job with his eyes and make a good use of the double fence of our lips and teeth so well provided by the God of Nature to keep and bind our tongues to the good behaviour that Peace be not broken Let not our tongues be set on fire from Hell to set our selves and others on fire Be we heartily humbled both for our own and others ill language and learn Wisdom from so much folly If others speak ill le ts not answer fools according to their foolish way if we see cause to answer to the matter of it let it not be in a foolish manner It s the second word and the second blow that makes the fray and maintains it The Lords servant should be no striker nor slanderer that he may not prove an enemy to Peace Are not good words as cheap as bad ones Why should we delight to hurt our selves and others by the clashing of Tongues David accounted it a very great mercy to be preserved from the strife of tongues Why should we speak the language of Babel Sodom and Egypt that profess to belong to Canaan A mans reputation is like a Venice glass very bright and brittle as other humane excellencies it s easily sullied and broken but very hardly restored to its pristin Splendor and Integrity Why should the devil prevail so far on us as to hire our tongue to be his Scavenger to carry the filth and rake the Kennels from one to the other that his field may be enriched thereby Why should our lips be lent to his use and be made Puppets to sport himself and others with Jeasts and Taunts with Satyrs
Orient Sun with all due respect Are his Greatness and Goodness his Mercy and Truth his Justice and Holiness his Wisdom and Power so precious to us that we recommend still the Majesty thereof to the choisest observation of others about the affairs of his Peace Are we mainly given up to the magnifying of God in his Son that through his Spirit we may still give to him that Glory of his due unto his name in every Ordinance and Providence Do we subdinate all our Interests all things whatever to the manifesting magnifying of his great Interest Is it our chief Care Delight and Design to further our own and others Peace that the God of Peace may reap the Honor whilst we wiâ—h others share in the benefit of all his Goodness Can we be content to be abased so he be exalted and to be his foot-stool to get into his Throne Do we imitate that heroical Posture of the famous Worthies mentioned in Rev. 4. and 5. chap. the Prophetical Embleme of Christs Kingdom in these latter dayes by casting the Crowns of all our Endowments and Atchievements at the feet of the Lamb who alone is worthy to win and wear the Crown Have we learned to post-pose our best self at the train of his Highness accounting it our highest honour and happiness thus to honour and enjoy him in the service of his Peace Is it our desire and endeavour that all our selfish lusts may be daily crucified with shame and violence for all the disgrace and disadvantage that their rebellions do still reflect on him and his Peace Do we still with utmost industry search out our darling sins and bosome corruptions that all such arch Traytors may be sacrificed in a burnt Offering by the hand of zealous Indignation to God and his Peace Are we moved towards the publique Good of all his People still with a single eye towards his Honor so dear unto him Are we labouring with sincere self-denyal and diligent prudence to promote their Peace that the Lords Interest may be thereby promoted Do we thus prefer still Jerusalem before our chiefest joy having it still written upon our hearts and hands on our brains and tongues Are we such faithful Remembrancers of God for Zion and of Zion for God as to be restless both with God and Man till he give Zion rest and establish her his Praise in the earth Do our souls bleed at the sight and sence of his peoples divisions and disorders whereby his great Name is wounded to death Is it mainly upon his account that we bewail our own and others follies and treacheries that betray h s cause and honor as the Jews his person into the hands of the common enemy so skilful to destroy Are our hearts inflamed with the zeal of his house to the consuming of what offends it and inflaming others with sublimed Affections towards it upon his score â—â—ill Do we appear to be his true servants by taking pleasure in the stones of Zion and favouring the very dust thereof though so much scorned and abused by others Are we afflicted in his peoples sufferings and sympathizing with all his Mourners Do we for his sake earnesty contend for Truth and Peace Righteousness and Peace against all error and unrighteousness and all other desperate euemies of his Do we therefore attend with diligence the proper work and extent of our several Callings that all things within our compass may be still managed to the best advantage in order thereto Do we manifest such a property of Gods Children to others whether friends strangers or enemies in our Respective transactions that we make it appear by real demonstrations that Peace-making is reckoned of us upon Gods account to be our singular Duty and Dignity 4. Do we likewise still act through him in our motions for Peace Is he ouâ— Soveraign strength as well as our Principle Pattern and End Doth the sence of our unworthiness and insufficiency drive us still out of self unto himself Are we strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might against all the enemies of his Peace In our greatest straights Do we as David strengâ—hen our selves in the Lord our God the Lord our Peace Do we by Faith take hold on his strength that we may make Peace with him untill through his Spirit and Grace our Peace be compleated with him in Christ Do we run into that strong hold of his as the Conies to their Burroughs upon any noise for Quiet and Peace Do we cry to him as the Disciples often to awaken Christ sleeping in the storm that he may still our â—ears in calming winds and waves Do we still as ingenuous Children depend on him for support and supplies whilst we attend with carefull diligence that Study and Work allotted to us Do we daily bewail the folly of our selfish dependency in bemoaning our selfish Principles selfish Rules and selfish Aims with effectual compunction of heart Do we find still more emptiness and weakness wretchedness and nothingness in our own selves that we may solely rest upon Jesus Christ for Wisdom and Righteousness for Sanctification and Redemption Doth our daily discovery of the creatures van ty and vexatious deceit wean our hearts more effectuâ—lly still from all kind of creature-dependency that the Lord alone may be our strength our El-shaddai Omnipotent and All sufficient Jehovah Do we expect Peace only from his creating Word for the fulfilling of all his Promises whilst we are observing of all his Precepts concerning the same When we and others have endeavoured our best about this Work do we still cry out on our Leanness our Leanness and acknowledge our selves both unprofitable and insufficient Servants coming still short of our duty and unworthy of the least acceptance Do we therefore cast our selves still with all our duties at the feetof Christ as we desire still to trust in him and rowl our selves on him for strength and acceptance through his Mercy and saving mediation Do we like his children of Old place the strength of all our hopes on him that he may ordain Peace for us because he hath wrought all our work in us Is the stress of all our desires and delights our designs and endeavours recumbent still upon his Al-efficient Grace that he may please still to fulfill with his hand what he hath spoken with his mouth according to the sure purposes of his heart Is he our Rock of Ages our sure City of Refuge to whom we do continually resort to procure and settle to maintain and restore to promote and preserve Peace Do we remember the many experiences given us thereof both in personal and publique Occasions as so many Ebenezers set up for Monuments and Memorials that hitherto the Lord hath helped us Do we proclaim his Title of Honor and exalt his Arms in all necessities as Moses and Israel did with this Inscription Jehovah-Nissi
your profuse lavishing of all he had bestowed on you Is it not best for you to close with Christs terms for a sure Peace between God and you that you may be advanced in his house and Kingdom among his children to the dignifying property of blessed Peace-makers in every Relation Is there any thing in his Articles of Peace to be stuck at on any consideration Is there any Mercy in his Al-sufficiency that you may not receive in your conjugal entertaining of him Is there any Duty required of you that is not most just and Rational equal and beneficial Is there any Lust in your heart or Life that deserves not to be wholly crucified being so poisonous and so desperate an Enemy to all Good Is there any creature to be compared with or preferred before Christ Is there any part of your Religious self that can in the least satisfie Gods justice avert his wrath or merit his favour Is there any Good Divine or Humane that attends not his Peace Is there any Evil from God or the Creature that accompanies not that sinfull Peace which opposes and undermines Gods Peace Be then perswaded utterly to break with Sin with Self and Satan that you may conclude with God in Christ through his Holy Spirit according to the Tenure of his Gracious Covenant Accept of him so as to resign up your whole self to him freely and fully surely and singularly As he engages for Mercy on his part be engaged also for Duty on your part that his Gracious Covenant may be compleated by such a cordial Reciprocation Receive by Faith what his Spirit gives that you may through his Help return in Duty what you receive in Mercy Improve his Promises to obey his Precepts Yield your heart to him to mend it for you that you may mend your wayes towards him Be you wholly His that you may know him to be wholly ours Let your Peace with him in the Court of Heaven be so well ratified by mutual consent that your Peace within may be thence evidenced by due Reflections in your own conscience through the Irradiations of his renewing Spirit in that Christal Glass washed in his Blood and purified from its defilements Thence attend that noble work of Peace both in Spiritual and Civil Relations which will characterize your Nature and Name among the Children of the God of Peace 2. The Friends of Peace should hence be exhorted to make good their Dignity and Duty as becomes the Sons of the most High Hath any of you concluded Peace with God in Christ by his Spirit upon Gospel-terms Have you thence enjoyed a pacified conscience through the purging Vertue of his Blood and Grace effectually applyed to your Soul by his Spirits saving Operations in his Word and Providence Have you learned in the School of Christ what that good Peace imports in each Society and condition of Men which is such a Blessing and so blesses all those children of God who make it their Business to be Peace-makers Do not all these Bonds twisted by the Lords hand oblige you strongly to attend this Work to the very utmost that you may act therein from him and like him for him and through him Are not the Vows of our Grand Peace-maker upon all His in a special manner engaging his children to demonstrate their Relation to him by the most effectual Improvement of such a Dignifying Property Be we then hence stirred up in earnest to make this our Business and to follow it with all prudent Zeal through the supplies of his Holy Spirit in each Relation and Occasion whether in the Church State or Family The Doors of Gods Sanctuary were made of Olive-Wood the choise Embleme of Peace Le ts believe and pray wait and labor in all fit means appointed of God gill those blessed Gates be opened unto us that the righteous Nation which keeps the Truth may enter thereby into the Rest and Glory of Christs Kingdom Let our Dignity quicken us to Duty and our Duty lead us to Dignity Observe we hence how to carry it towards all Friends Strangers and Enemies 1. Towards Friends in all Expressions of unfained Love and hearty compliance so far as Gods Honour their Good and our Duty will prescribe to us Let all the Friends of Christ be counted and used as our best Friends though some of them may be found weak sickly and froward should not our carriage and mind towards them answer the Lords mind and carriage according to his Word Turks and Jews Heathens and Papists labour to agree shall not Christians agree as far as they can Where Christs Image appears though but small and in a homely dress should it not be owned and cherished among his children What evil we see or suspect in others let it cause us to reflect on our selves and judge our selves for the seed and spawn of the like in us Should not we pitty and bewail their case labouring to help them as becomes the fellow-members of Christs own Body Family and Kingdom Should not those Divine Exhortations so frequently and abundantly pressed on all Christians in his sacred Word prevail mightily with us Should we not study practically with utmost Industry that more excellent way of Christian Love so highly commended so largely described in 1 Cor. 13. chapter throughout in Eph. 4. Phil. 2. Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 14. Gal. 6. Col. 4. 1 Thess 4. 2 Thess 3. c. as likewise in all the Epistles of James and Peter of John and Jude Was not this the great charge which Christ left with his Disciples in his last Sermons so full of his heart whilst he was pouring forth his tenderest Bowels in his loving and lovely expressions so copiously inculcated on them Did not he ratifie the same by the choicest Token of Divine Love in giving up himself to that bitter Passion and accursed death that he might be our Peace and commend Peace to us in the most efficacions manner that Heaven could afford Did not he give us the Seals of his Covenant and all the Blessings and the Means thereof to knit all His into One in himself that they might be orderly preserved in One by the effectual working of the measure of every part to the edifying of the whole in Love Should not we be moved by such an Interest so much concerning our own Advantage in the concernments of Christ and of his people Le ts then study the things that make for Peace wherein we may edifie one another Mind we that Axiom which the Light of Nature discovered to Pagans and the Light of Grace explains unto Christians Concordiâ res parvae crescunt discordiâ maximae dilabuntur the smallest matters flourish thrivingly watered by Concord the greatest things waste miserably blasted by Discord Suppose that we meet with sower crabbed Spirits that slight and oppose the wayes of Peace which we would promote do not we find more cause of caution care and information for compliance usque