would create Pain Use 2. Of Exhortation To press us if we would have God for our God then to seek his Favour above all things Wait with an affectionate earnestness in every Ordinance for some new Discovery some comfortable intimation of God's Word Psal. 130. 6. My Soul waiteth for thee what for outward Deliverances No but I wait for the Lord and in his Word do I hope Again in every Enjoyment it is not enough to have the Creature with God's leave so can all men have it 't is their Portion but you must have it with God's Love as a token from God wrapt up in the Bowels of Christ. God gives many Gifts to wicked Men but doth not give them his Love This we should look after that we may find our Comforts to be sprinkled with Love that if God deliver you out of any strait he may love you out of it Isa. 38. 17. II. For the manner I have sought thy Favour how with my whole heart Note Doct. When we pray for the Favour of God it must be with our whole heart There is this intended in it 1. The constant Favour and Presence of God we must pray for it for without Prayer Faith lies idle Heb. 4. 16. 2. They that pray for it their Hearts must be set upon what they pray It is not enough that our Tongues babble out a cold Form as many learn to pray as Parots speak by rote they say not pray a Prayer Iames 5. 17. Elias prayed earnestly in the Margent and so in the Original he prayed in Prayer A Man may take up words of course and say things after others which are not indeed the real desires of his Heart so they pray as if they prayed not slightly without any warmth and affection 3. It is not enough that our Hearts concur but our whole Hearts must goe along with this Work Many times we pray but with half a Heart 1. Partly when Prayer is a fruit of memory and invention but not the fruit of Conscience Common Illumination will tell us how Prayer is to be formed according to the Tenor of the Christian Faith so men may repeat words such as the Understanding judgeth fit without any answerable touch upon the Heart This is their Sin who are more carefull about Notions in Prayer than the Affections 2. A Man prays but with a piece of his Heart when he prays rather with his Conscience than with his Affections Will you distinguish this a dictate of Conscience must be distinguished from a purpose of Heart Conscience may tell us what is to be done yet the Heart have no liking to it Austin saith when he was a carnal Man he had some kind of Conscience and pray'd against his Sins but saith he I was afraid God would hear me The Favour of God is necessary but the Heart many times is not ingaged in the pursuit of it We oftner pray from our Memories than our Consciences and oftner from our Consciences than our Affections the Heart is not put into the Duty 3. When our Affections are divided to carnal Things and the comfortable part of spiritual Things No doubt there is no man but would have the Favour of God but it is with a condition that he may live as he does and be as he is and so the prevailing part of his Soul bends him to his present course he regards Iniquity in his Heart and Sin hath an Interest and lies very near he would have the Favour of God abtractedly but when he considers how his Lusts must be parted with there his Heart is divided Use O then look to it that you beg the Lords Favour with all your hearts God knows the Heart Rebeckah drest up Iacob so that his Father mistook him I but God cannot mistake his Eye is not dim as Isaac's he sees the Heart therefore let your Heart and whole Heart go out in the pursuit Quest. How shall we know when our Hearts are thus throughly bent if you seek him with all your Hearts Answ. Then you will observe how you speed when you look after him you will see what becomes of your requests I will hearken what God will speak saith David and will pray and look up as Elijah looked up to see the Cloud a-coming Again If we pray with the whole Heart there will be importunate arguings Desire will take no nay Psal. 63. 8. My Soul followeth hard after thee O it will be a painfull grievous thing to your Souls if you do not speed in your Prayers Not a slight motion or cold wish but such as deeply affects the Heart and not easily put off and satisfied with other things Wicked Men would have the Favour of God but they are easily put out of the humour Again then we pray with the whole Heart when there is such a desire as not to be discouraged but you venture again when the Lord seems to put off and give a check to your requests Isa. 22. 8. The desire of our Soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee Still Desires grow hotter and hotter and when there 's a kind of impudence not to be put off Again such as does excite endeavours for the obtaining of God's Love and a sense of his Favour It will cost us pain and trouble when we are hard at work and will be diligent in this thing But when you rest in a few cold Prayers you are never hearty with God Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired what then that will I seek after and use a great deale of diligence to come by it III. The Fountain of all that we expect is Mercy All that seek God's Favour must expect it upon terms of Grace Be mercifull unto me We cannot say pay me what thou owest or give me for my money All whom God accepts to his Grace and Favour are unworthy Isa. 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Secondly They who are received to Favour still need Mercy to pardon Failings Gal. 5. The best are but Sanctified in part and have the dregs of Corruption always remaining and frequently stirring in them Use Let us thus deale with God Hosea 14. 3. Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously The summe of all our Requests is that God would be mercifull to us IV. The Rule and Ground of Confidence is according to thy Word God's Word is the Rule of our Confidence for therein is God's stated Course If we would have Favour from God and Mercy it must be upon his own Terms God will accept of us in Christ if we repent believe and obey and seek his Favour diligently he will not deny those who seek aske knock We would have Mercy but will not observe God's Directions We must aske according to God's Will not without
the Text the words run thus Look upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name and what then Order my steps in thy word O this is to do good to us as he useth to do good to them that fear his name Mark some have only Providence and natural Conscience there are others that have the Word and have an enlightened Conscience that plead Gods interest in them but there are others are honoured so far that they are his people that have not only his Word but Spirit to enforce his Word upon their hearts How did Christ declare his love to his people Iohn 15. 15. I call you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I have made known unto you There 's Gods love declared when he shews us his whole will when he doth guide us in all his ways this is the favour of his people Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant There 's the great priviledge that God vouchsafes to his peculiar people they know the mind of God more than others do and in all doubtful debates and uncertain Controversies they are not left in the dark Mark 4. 11. Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God David surely found such direction to be a very special blessing Again another Argument from the Text that this must needs be a very great blessing partly because it helpeth us in our way to true happiness I gather that from the word steps for all motion hath a term to which it tends and every Journey hath its period Now whither doth the path of the Word lead us but to God and to the everlasting enjoyment of him O here they have an infallible direction that they cannot miscarry in so great an affair as this is as the getting home to God! Surely that 's a great blessing I remember David saith Psal. 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel and afterwards receive me unto Glory They that wait upon Gods direction are sure to be received into his heavenly Glory their steps are directed for the present and they may be confident that at length they shall get home to God for God will accept of what he hath ordered You are sure God will take pleasure in you when you walk according to his direction So you see the need from the value of this blessing 5. Consideration That the Children of God are sensible of their need of it that they cannot chuse but pray for it I take this from the very form of the Words Lord order my steps It is a prayer from the man of God They seek it humbly and earnestly therefore they shall find it They that make their bosome their Oracle and wit their Councellor God is disengaged from being their Guide they need him not but the snares they run into will soon shew how much they need him But the Children of God need him therefore they shall find it Prov. 3. 6. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths You should ever go to God for the direction of your way then God will not disappoint you nor defeat your expectations Psal. 85. 13. Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps Sometimes we wander turn aside and walk out of the right way at other times we fall and stumble in the right way but the Lord will set us in the paths of his steps Use. To press us to seek this great priviledge of God beg of the Lord continually to order your steps according to his Word Alas evil may surprize you before you are aware Little did David think danger was so near him when he walked upon his Tarrace He gave leave to his eye to wander and his eye fired his heart Every morning be with God about this business Psal. 5. 3. O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up You need not only protection against dangers but direction against evils and snares As we seek for protection in the night so in the morning prayer is for the direction of the day Nay we need not go to God in the morning but all the day long Psal. 25. 5. On thee do I wait all the day Beg of him that you may not miscarry but carry your selves humbly and prudently and may do nothing that is contrary to the will of God and his Grace but that the Lord would support and guide you continually There is one Argument that may mightily encourage you in praying Consider your Covenant interest in God doth establish this blessing as the Saints always plead the relation Psal. 25. 5. Lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation Psal. 143. 10. Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God Psal. 48. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our Guide even unto death To be a God to any is to be a Guide for to a people in Covenant God makes over his whole self Now in God there are considerable these three great Attributes his Wisdom Power and Goodness Look as God by virtue of his Power is alsufficient against all dangers and by virtue of his Goodness is a fountain of everlasting happiness so also by his Wisdom is a fountain of all goodness to guide and direct us Now as God hath engaged all his goodness to make us as happy as heart can wish and his power to defend and maintain us so all his Wisdom to guide and direct us SERMON CXLVIII PSAL. CXIX VER 133. And let not any iniquity have dominion over me FOR the second Branch of the Prayer I observe Doctr. 2. That the dominion of sin is a great evil and ought earnestly to be deprecated even by the Children of God I. What is the dominion of sin II. That it is a great evil III. Why the Saints should deprecate this evil 1. What is the dominion of sin It may be known by some distinctions 1. There 's a dominion of sin that is gross and sensible and a dominion of sin that is more secret and close First More gross and sensible For though sin do reign in every one by nature yet this dominion more sensibly appears in some than in others who are given up to be visibly under the dominon of sin as the just fruit of their voluntary living under that yoke and usually these are set forth as a warning to the rest of the world God hangs them up in Chains of darkness in the sight of men as an instance of this woful slavery that every man that seeth them and are acquainted with their course of life may say without breach of Charity There goes one that declares himself to be a servant of sin This is either to sin in general or to some particular sin
may discern much of faithfulness in their Afflictions this will appear to you by these Considerations 1. In the Covenant of Grace God hath promised to bestow upon his People real and principal Mercies those are promised absolutely other things conditionally God doth not break his Covenant if he doth not give us temporal Happiness because that is not absolutely promised but onely so far forth as it may be good for us but eternal Life is promised without any such exception unto the Heirs of promise Eternal Promises and Threatnings being of things absolutely good or evil are therefore absolute and peremptory the Righteous shall not fail of the Reward nor the Wicked escape the Punishment but temporal Promises and Threatnings being of things not simply good or evil are reserved to be dispensed according to God's Wisdome and good pleasure in reference and subordination to eternal Happiness It is true 't is sad 1 Tim. 4. 8. That godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come but with this reference that the less give place to the greater if the Promises of this life may hinder us in looking after the Promises of the life to come God may take the liberty of the Cross and withhold these things and disappoint us of our worldly hope A man lying under the guilt of Sin may many times enjoy worldly Comforts to the envy of God's Children and one of God's Children may be greatly afflicted and distressed in the World for in all these Dispensations God looketh to his end which is to make us eternally happy 2. This being God's end he is obliged in point of fidelity to use all the means that conduce thereunto that he may attain his eternal purpose in bringing his holy ones to glory Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God Good what good it may be temporal so it falls out sometimes a man's temporal good is promoted by his temporal loss Gen. 50. 20. Ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good they sold their Brother a slave but God meant him to be a great Potentate in Egypt It may be spiritual good Psal. 119. 71. 'T is good for me that I have been afflicted but to be sure eternal good to bring about his eternal purpose of making them everlastingly happy And in this sense the Apostle saith all things are yours 1 Cor. 3. 22. Ordinances Providences Life Death all dispensed with a respect to their final Happiness or eternal Benefit not onely Ordinances to work internal Grace but Providences as an external help and means for God having set his end he will prosecute it congruously and as it may agree with man's nature by external Providences as well as internal Grace see Psal. 125. 3. The rod of the wicked shall not always rest upon the back of the righteous God hath power enough to give them grace to bear it though the Rod had continued and can keep his People from iniquity though the Rod be upon them but he considereth the imbecillity of man's nature which is apt to tire under long Afflictions and therefore not onely giveth more Grace but takes off the Temptation He could humble Paul without a Thorn in the Flesh 2 Cor. 12. 7. but he will use a congruous means 3. Among these means Afflictions yea sharp Afflictions are some of those things which our need and profit requireth they are needfull to weaken and mortify Sin Isa. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged to increase and quicken Grace Heb. 12. 10. But he chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Without this Discipline we should forget God and our selves therefore that we may return to God he afflicts us Hos. 5. 6. In their afflictions they will seek me early and come to our selves Luke 15. 17. The Prodigal came to himself Afflictions are necessary for us upon the former Suppositions namely that God hath ingaged himself to perfect Grace where it is begun and to use all means which may conduce to our eternal welfare that we may not miscarry and come short of our great hopes 1 Cor. 11. 32. When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world The carnal reprobate World are left to a looser and larger Discipline Brambles are not pruned when Vines are New Creatures require a more close inspection than others do Self-confidence and spiritual Security is apt to grow upon them therefore to mortify our Self-confidence to awaken us out of spiritual sleep we need to be afflicted and also to quicken and rouse up a spirit of Prayer We grow cold and flat and ask mercies for forms sake Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them And that we may be quickened to a greater mindfulness of heavenly things the best of us when we get a carnal Pillow under our heads are apt to sleep secure God will not let us alone to our ruine but afflicts us that we may be refined from the dreggs of the Flesh and that our gust and relish of heavenly things may be recovered and that we may be quickened to a greater diligence in the heavenly Life Look as earthly Parents are not faithfull to their Childrens Souls when they live at large and omit that Correction which is necessary for them Prov. 29. 15. The rod and reproof give wisdome but a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame The Mother is mentioned because they are usually more fond and indulgent and spare many times and marr the Child but our heavenly Father will not be unfaithfull who is so wise that he will not be blinded by any passion hath such a perfect love and does so fixedly design our eternal welfare that he rebuketh that he may reform and reformeth that he may save 4. God's faithfulness about the Affliction is twofold in bringing on the Affliction and guiding the Affliction 1. In bringing on the Affliction both as to the time and kind when our need requireth and such as may doe the work 1 Pet. 1. 6. Ye are in heaviness for a season if need be When some Distemper was apt to grow upon us and we were straggling from our Duty Psal. 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray Some disappointment and check we meet with in a way of Sin which is a notable help in the spiritual Life where God giveth an heart to improve it 2. As to guiding the Affliction both to measure and continuance that it may doe us good and not harm 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Violent Temptations are not permitted where the Lord seeth us weak and infirm as Iacob drove
nothing There we must begin They that have not the favour of God are left to their own sway and their own hearts and counsels but those whom he loves know his secrets and are guided by his Spirit 3. The connexion He prays not for one but for both for God giveth both together consolation and direction and we must seek both together for we cannot expect God should favour us while we walk in a wrong way and contrary to his will First Let me speak of the first Petition Where I might observe First The matter of the Petition Make thy face to shine Secondly The Person Upon me Thirdly The Character by which he describeth himself Thy Servant First As to the matter Make thy face to shine It is a Metaphor taken from the Sun When the Sun shines and sheds abroad his light and heat and influence then the Creatures are cheered and revived but when that 's obscured they droop and languish What the Sun is to the outward World that is God to the Saints Or else here 's a Metaphor taken from men that look pleasantly upon those in whom they delight And so the Lord gives a smile of his gracious countenance upon his people indeed it alludeth to both For the allusion to the light and influence of the Sun is clear in the word shine and the allusion to the pleasant countenance of a man upon his child is included in the word face The phrase may be understood by what is said Prov. 16. 15. In the light of the Kings countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain That place will illustrate this we have in hand Look what the smiling and pleasing aspect of the King is to those that value and stand in need of his favour that is the favour of God to the Saints The same form of speech is used in other places as in the form of the Priests blessing Numb 6. 25. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee And in that prayer Psal. 67. 1. God be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us Selah Well then the thing begged is a sense of Gods love Secondly For whom doth David beg this For himself Cause thy face to shine upon me David a man after Gods own heart But did he need to put up such a request to God 1. Possibly God might seem to neglect him or to look upon him with an angry countenance because of sin and therefore he begs some demonstration of his favour and good will David had his times of darkness and discomfort as well as others therefore earnestly beggeth for one smile of Gods face 2. If you look not upon him as under desertion at this time the words then must be thus interpreted He begs the continuance and encrease of his comfort and sense of Gods love Gods manifestations of himself to his people in this world are given out in a different degree and with great diversity Our assurance or sense of his love consists not in puncto an indivisible point it hath a latitude it may be more and it may be less and Gods Children think they can never have enough of it therefore David saith Lord cause thy face to shine If it did shine already the Petition intimates the continuance and encrease of it Thirdly He characterizeth himself by the notion of Gods servant as Psal. 31. 16. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake We must study to approve our selves to be the Lords servants by our obedience If we would have his face shine upon us we must be careful to yield obedience unto him The Points are four I. The sense of Gods favour may be withdrawn for a time from his choicest servants II. The Children of God that are sensible of this cannot be satisfied with this estate but they will be praying for some beams of love to be darted out upon their souls III. They that are sensible of the want or loss of Gods favour have liberty with hope and encouragement to sue out this blessing as David did Lord make thy face to shine upon thy servant IV. Gods Children when they beg comfort they also beg Grace to serve him acceptably I. The sense of Gods favour may be withdrawn for a time from his choicest servants David puts up this petition in point of comfort There 's a twofold desertion in appearance and in reality First In appearance only through the misgivings of our own hearts We may think God is gone and hides his face when there is no such matter as through inadvertency we may seek what we have in our hands Thus a Child of God thinks he is cast out of the presence of God when all the while he hath a full right and place in his heart Thus David Psal. 31. 22. We think God hath forgotten us neglects us casts us off hath no respect for us when in the mean time the Lord is framing an answer of Grace for us One chief cause is misinterpreting Gods Providence and our manifold afflictions The Lord sometimes frowns upon his Children as Ioseph upon his Brethren when his affections were very strong so the Lord covers himself with frowns and anger the visible appearance of it speaks no otherwise Secondly It may be really when he is angry for sin Isai. 57. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth As the Fathers of our Flesh shew their anger by whipping and scourging the Bodies of their Children so the Father of our Spirits by lashing the Soul and Spirits by causing them to feel the effects of his angry indignation Or else withdrawing the Spirit of comfort suspending all the acts and fruits of his love so that they have not that joyful sense of communion with God as they were wont to have Now the reasons why Gods people may want the light of his countenance are these 1. God out of Sovereignty will exercise us with changes here in the World Even in the inward man there we have our Ebbs and Flows that we may know Earth is not Heaven He hath an Eternity wherein to reveal his love and to communicate himself to his people therefore he will take a liberty as to temporal dispensations Isai. 54. 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer He hath an everlasting love and kindness for us therefore here in the world he will exercise us with some uncertainties as David concealed his love towards his Son Absolom when yet his bowels yerned towards him Here he takes liberty to do it because he will make it up in Heaven All your changes shall then be recompenced by an uninterrupted comfort 2. To conform us to Jesus Christ. We should not know the bitter agonies our Redeemer sustained
should his Mercy and Truth fulfilled Secondly To Frequency and Constancy therein Frequency in this Duty doth not beget a Satiety and Loathing but rather a greater delight to continue in it But here arise two Questions Quest. I. What Time must be necessarily spent in Acts of Worship and Adoration Prayer Praise and immediate Converse with God Answ. 1. 'T is a Truth that our whole time must be given to God for a Christian is a dedicated thing a living Sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. Now the Beast offered in Sacrifice with all the Appurtinances was Gods a Christian by the consent of his own Vows is not master of any thing After a Vow of all we must not keep back part as did Ananias and Saphira A Christian hath given his whole Self Time and Strength to God 2. Though our whole Time be given to God yet for several Uses and Purposes Gods Service is not of one sort and he is served in our Callings as well as in our Worship Man in Paradise was to dress the Garden Gen. 2. 15. as well as to Contemplate God Common actions may become Sacred by their End and Use. Isaiah 23. 18. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord. 3. These several Duties must not interfere and clash one with another for Gods Commands are not contrary but subordinate We must not so attend upon Religion as to neglect the service of our Generation as Instruments of Gods Providence nor suffer the Lean Kine to devour the Fat the World to incroach upon Religion 4. The particular Seasons for each Duty are not determined and set down in Scripture 1. Partly Because God trusteth Love and will see whether we have a mind to Cavil and Wrangle and Dispute away Duties rather than Practise them 2. And Partly Because he would leave something to the Conduct of his Spirit and the Choice of Spiritual Wisdom Psal. 112. 5. A good man will guide his affairs with discretion 3. And Partly Because mens Occasions and conditions are different and he would not have his Law to be a snare 4. And Partly Because there are so many occasions to praise God that if we do not want an Heart we will be much and frequent in this Duty 5. Though there be not express Rules there is enough to prevent Carelesness and Loosness God calleth to us in very large and Comprehensive terms always continually and in every thing The Example of the Saints who Night and Day were praising God Paul and Silas at midnight sang praises to God Acts 16. 29. So Psal. 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks to thee because of thy righteous Iudgments And in the Text seven times a day Besides there are daily solemn services Personal and Domestick to be performed Matth. 6. 11. Watching dayly at my gates Prov. 8. 34. Morning and Evening they were to offer a Lamb Numb 28. 4. 6. There are general hints and limits enough to become love Psalm 71. 14. But I will hope continually and will praise thee yet more and more Enough to keep the Heart in good plight and maintain Faith and Hope in God and keep up a spiritual entercourse of Communion with God by dayly offering up prayers and praises to him Quest. II. Whether it be Convenient to state and fix a time David had his set times so had Daniel and surely all Occasions Opportunities and Abilities considered it may be an help to us and make the spiritual Life more orderly to have set stated fixed times for the performance of this Duty Thirdly To suit Gods Word and Works together Laws and Judgments Rom. 1. 18. God hath revealed his wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness Heb. 2. 2. Every transgression and every disobedience received a just recompense of reward Deliverances and Promises fetch all out of the Covenant Psal. 128. 5. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion that relateth to the Covenant made to the Church This cheeketh Atheisme sweetneth our Duties allayeth our Fears and resolveth our doubts and helpeth us in the delightful exercise of praising God SERMON CLXXIX PSALM CXIX VER 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them ALL that live in this World find this life a Warfar Iob 7. 1. Much more must the godly expect difficulties and conflicts Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the Righteous to the eye of Flesh no Condition seemeth worse and more obnoxious to misery then the Condition of those that serve God yet in reality none are in a better Estate what ever happeneth they are at Peace built on the corner-stone which God hath layed in Zion and therefore in all the Commotions and Troubles of the World they are safe This is that which David here observeth In the former verse he had told us that it was his custom to praise God seven times a day for his righteous judgments and now he sheweth the reason namely from the ordinary course and tenour of these Judgments or dispensation of his Providence which was to give peace to them that keep his Law Great peace c. In these Words you have I. A priviledge great peace have they II. The Qualification that love thy Law III. The Effect nothing shall offend them Let me open these Branches the Priviledge is peace and that is threefold First External Secondly Internal Thirdly And Eternal First External in the House the City or Countrey and Societies where we Live in this sence 't is taken Psalm 122. 6 7. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee peace be within thy walls Now this is not all that is meant here for this is a common benefit though often vouchsafed for the sake of them that love God as Musick cannot be heard alone though intended but to one person yet others share with him in the benefit of it Or if you understand it of his own personal peace or being at amity with men they do not always enjoy that Gods best Children are often forced to be men of Contention that is passively they are contended with and troubled in the world Ier. 15. 10. And therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men 'T is not always to be had but we should indeavour to live in peace with all men Secondly There is Internal peace arising either from Justification Rom. 5. 1 or Sanctification Isa. 32. 17. The Fruit of Righteousness is peace or from Contentment with our condition Phil. 4. 7. By Justification we have peace when God is reconciled and made a Friend By Sanctification we have peace when we walk evenly with God And by Contentment we have peace when our Affections are calmed and rightly ordered or set upon more worthy and noble objects So that we are not troubled at the loss of outward things these are the ingredients necessary to internal peace which is I suppose principally