if there is ground â—â—ough of a therefore trust in him because judgement is before him what ground is this â—â—en and how much faith doth â—his call for at our hands in that mercy is before him his thoughts of love are ever comming into his minde and he is ever mindfull of his Covenant that his Love and Grace hath made He sayes to a poore beleever O what shall I doe unto thee What shall I do for thee What is thy desire what is thy request it shall be granted what is thy need it shall be suplied Solomon tells us that the heart of an husband doth safely trust in â— vertuous wife Pro. 31.11.12 26. for shee will dâ—â— him good and not evill and in her tongue is the law of kindnesse and is this enough for such a trust O then may we noâ— much more say the heart of a beleever may must and doth trust safely in God thorow Christ 〈◊〉 The heart of God is an heart oâ— kindnesse as well as in his tongue is the law of kindnesse 〈◊〉 What hath not God What iâ— there not in God to allure the soule to repose it selfe in him to be his disciple to lye in his bosome to leane upon his shoulders to lye downe full of joy in his love a poore soule that hath such an husband as Christ is may well shee hath ground enough may without danger there is safety enough trust in him for all good for all blessed dispensations of his Grace and power to enhappy it if the Husband may well trust a vertuous wife with family affaieres how much more may the beleeving soule trust Christ with all spirituall affaires let that God that Saviour will the beleeving soule say be my trust who purposes such love such mercy to my soule in evill times who is a Winters sun to my frozen heart and a blessed springing shower to my chapt earth I will trust him with my conscience trust him with my family trust him with my name trust him with my estate trust him with a Kingdome trust him with glory yea both mine and his own too he will not faile me that never failed any he will not deceive me that cannot deceive one hee hath thoughts of peace towards me in all my sufferings he hath a gracious end for me out of all my sufferings the Lord my God hath a fullnesse of good for mee as well as I absolute need of his good and he knowes his owne thoughts of love better infinitely better then I the great want of his love whither should my soule betake her selfe but to this shelter upon this ground I shall have firme footing upon this Rocke I shall have good building in this bosome I shall have glorious refreshings under this shade I shall be received by this hand I shall be delivered O how excellent is that of David who speakes experimentally too for how did hee stand vnremoved against all Sauls Psal 125.1 and Sataâ—â— batteries they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever a beleever iâ— not removed nay cannot and it is more for Mount Zion cannot and such a one is like this mount those that beleeve they be like not the world alas that changes every moneth with the moone it hath many new faces strange changes 1 Iohn 2.17 alas that passes away but like mount Zion and what enemy so much as ever shooke this much lesse removed it beleevers they are like this â—â—ount they abide as long as the â—â—ove of God himselfe abides and â—â—ey are as firme as the strength 〈◊〉 this love can make them â—â—erefore t is that David puts a â—etternesse upon this trusting in â—â—e Lord and tells us t is better â—â—en trusting in men yea then â—o put confidence in Princes Psal 118.8 a â—â—ing so excellent so precious 〈◊〉 practised in and by the word â—nd yet that is as high as our â—ust can go if it be placed in the world what power is above â—â—inces power yea the conjoyned power of all the Princes of â—he world together and yet all â—his makes no rock at all it is â—ut as an heape of sand there is â—â—o building upon it in any case trusting in God is better it is a wise and a sure way whatever the cause bee a man would thinke if it were unsafe in any case it were so in this when a poore Soule walks in darknesse and hath no light is full of terrors and hath no Comforterâ— is in great straits of of spirit and hath no ease is full of troubleâ— within and hath no peace thiâ— poore creature thinkes his case iâ— desperate Isa 50.10 and that he is a loâ—â— man this is a strait this is anâ— headlong condition indeed yeâ— sayes the Prophet let that maâ—â— trust in the name of the Lord let that poore soule stay upon hiâ— God as desperate as his case seemes to be though in his own eye he is a damned man though in the worlds eye he is irrecoverable yet sayes he trusting iâ— the Lord Staying upon his God will perfectly cure that man he shall not miscarry in this case as deadly as it shewes to be if hâ— can cast himselfe upon his Godâ— his God hath thought of peaceâ— promises of peace a covenant 〈◊〉 peace blood of peace for him God will raise up that soul shinâ— into that soule be a light to that soule a Prince of peace a father of mercy and God of all comforts to him and whensoever God does this hee does more â—â—en if hee should remove our word our miseries our troubles â—nd make all at peace in the Kingdome O that God would â—ay the hearts of Christiâ—ns here Sol. Song 2.14 O that they were how in the clefts of this Rocke like Christs Dove was there â—ver a better time to rest in God â—hen now O let the name of â—he Lord be precious to you do not only try now or taste what â—one how good God is but be â—onfident what hee will bee to you can your case be worse then to be killed yea that God himself should doe it an that in anger too as one would thinke yet Iob will trust in him Iob. 13.15 hee cannot trust in a living God that cannot trust in a killing God Iob had so learned a God in Christ and great cause he had for where he loves nothing can remove his Love he will have thoughts of peace and hee will have a desire to the worke of hiâ— hands Iob 14.15 and who shall let him 〈◊〉 the Enemie would he shall not 〈◊〉 What shall be able to separatâ— from this love or so much as give a stop or check to the working of it Vse 3 Thirdly Saints use your skill here are the wels of salvation draw out waters here are the blessed breasts of Consolationâ— suck at them draw hard milkeâ— out and be delighted with the abundance of Christs glorious mercyes
thoughts of God 1. Consider the bottome of them this we shall find to be the infinitely loving gracious and tender bowels of God those are they that work upon God and make him cast in his mind what to do for his people whom he so loves had our God no bowels of love towards his he would think no thoughts towards them 2. The blessed issue of these movings of Gods minde and these are his wise strong gracious immoveable purposes and decrees of God what he will most certainly do for his people 3. The fruits of these movings and purposes of God these are his heavenly care his holy plots his blessed devises his divine inventions how by what way and means to do his people good 1 Pet. 5.7 he careth for you saies Peter and with such a care that is full and alsufficient so that his children need not must not take up some and leave the rest to him but they must cast all their care upon him 2 Thess 3.16 God gives peace to his people by all meanes who is himself the Lord and Prince of peace 3. Deut. 32.20 He finds his people when they be in a wildernesse he sees them in all their desolate conditions their broken wals Isa 49.16 their crackt estates their broken power is continually before their God 4. He leads them he takes his people by the hand in the wildernesse Deut. 32.20 he will not suffer them to wander out of the way in their straits these shall be taught by him whilest they are chastised by him these are bettered whilest they are scourged 5. He compasses them about to be a sure defence to them he keeps them and that in his own hand and so as the apple of his own eye Fourthly there are the sweet companions of these blessed thoughts of God towards his As 1. The admirable delight God takes in these thoughts of his and in the exercise of them the Lord had a delight in thy fathers Deut. 20.15 to love them saies Moses to Israel he took pleasure in loving Israel in bestowing his own mercy he himself tasted as much sweetnesse in giving as they in receiving if they delighted in enjoying Gods love as wel they might so did God himself in giving out his love the Nurse that gives out the milk to the childe upon the breast she finds pleasure as well as the child nourishment Mercie pleases him saies Micah he wils desires mercy grace he longs as it were to shew his bounty Micah 7.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipse est volens de amans desiderans benignitatem misericordiam gratiam Isa 30.18 he waits to be gracious saies Isaiah that Phrase implies and couches in it 1. Gods infinite desire to be gracious 2. His most perfect wisedome so as he will not bestow his love out of season he will stay till he may best do it he will wait for the best opportunitie in his eye 2. As there is a blessed delight going along with these thoughts of God towards his so there is a most wise setled and firm constancy in these thoughts of God towards his people he is of one mind saies Job who can turn him God is not as the son of man that he should repent Numb 23.19 Job 17.7 11. saies Balaam Job complains that al his thoughts were as a shadow and that his purposes were broken off even the thoughts of his heart Gods thoughts be so far from being as a shadow that they have not so much as a shadow of turning in them who can breake off Gods purposes who can unsettle these thoughts of God who can part or divide betwixt these thoughts of God and the people of God who shall separate from the love of God saith the Apostle and may it not as well be askt who shall separate from Gods purposes of love not man nor devil not any sin nor any unworthinesse in the people of God The very nature of the blessed God must be destroyed the very fountain of love dried the most quick and the tender bowels of his grace deadned before these purposes of God can be made unconstant that there should be yea and nay with them that they should be for and against in a short space the Apostle will not suffer this imputation to be caâ—â— upon him 2 Cor. 1.17 that the things hâ— did purpose he purpos'd according to the flesh that with him there should be yea yea and nay nay that he should be pâ—â— and con as we use to say and will our God endure that thiâ— should lie upon him that theâ— is yea and nay in his purposes no no Gods purposes hold oâ— and stand and never vary buâ— still shew the unchangeableneâ—â— of that nature from whence they flow 3. There are glorious aime of God mixt as it were with these thoughts of God towards his As 1. To make himself a glorious name by them when he lead his people out of Egypt compast them about in the wildernesse brought them into Canaan the Spirit testifies t was to make himself a glorious name a name of ornament a name that might become God himself Isai 63.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nomen ornatus gloriae decoris a name of glory faies the text a name that might proclaim God to be the highest the greatest the wisest the fullest of mercy 2. To give his people rest the Spirit of the Lord caused Israel to rest saies the same Prophet in the same place t was a blessed rest indeed which the Spirit of God caused Israel was in many troubles he went thorow many brakes but at last the Spirit of God set him down placed him and planted him in that land of rest All indeed was not over in a moment Israel must be in a wasting and howling wildernesse for a time and all this while the Spirit lead him and his purposes were that Israel should rest let his people but follow him he will cause Israel to rest at last he will prepare a Land for him roome for him a seat for him an happy possession of the Land of Canaan and there he shall feed and rest Gods thought rest not in pitching upon half mercies t is Israels rest his thoughts reach unto and what God determined he effected by a mighty hand and when he saw his time he gave Israel to sit down and enjoy that good Land of rest purposed and promised long before Fifthly the declaration and manifestation of these thoughts of God in their visible fruits When Gods thoughts come abroad as it were when they shine forth in the eye of the world when Gods decree bring forth when that which lay in the womb of his purposes is born there is a time and a set time too when the Lords decree brings forth as the Prophet Zephaniah tels us Zeph. 2.2 thereupon calls upon the people of God to gather themselves together to seek meeknesse and righteousnesse ere the decree
Prophet David that is Psa 29.11 with all that is good When the Lord Christ is setting out his Name his Love his mercy to his Saints in a pure Gospell way like as God proclaimes his Name to Moses under the Law he calls himselfe the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and stiles his Government the government of Peace and observe it this title of Prince of Peace is the last title and the sweetest the very summe and quintessence of all the rest in this Title Christ discovers the very life of his gracious Name and whither his Name Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father doe all tend and what he aymes at in all these Titles he puts upon himself they even run all at last into this one the Prince of Peace they all set him up upon the throne as the Prince of Peace and proclaim his government to be full of Peace as flowing from the wisedome and heart of him that is the wonderfull Counsellour the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace for as the Prince is so is his government as his heart is so is his reigne this peace is that which as it is freely given so it is rarely every one hath it not nor shall have the voice of God to the wicked is like Iehues voice to the messenger of that wicked King What hast thou to doe with peace Let the wicked enquire and aske after peace there is no peace for thee sayes God never dreame of it Isa 5.7.21 Psal 11.6 doe not deceive thy selfe thy portion is fire and brimstone storme and tempest this is thy cup I will raine downe snares I will raine downe troubles I will raine downe destruction upon thee This peace is a large thing it reaches farre The Hebrew word is wide yet it is narrower then peace it self It notes first quiet 2. safety 3. Liberty 4. Plenty Prosperity 5. Strength Soundnesse intirenesse wholenesse 6. Freshnesse and flourishing put all these together they will make a brave peace a full one indeed and we shall see what the Lord meanes by thoughts of peace that is hee intended to make them a quiet people holily secure a safe people fully protected from fears and enemies a free people full of liberty a prosperous people full of plenty an able people full of strength a beautifull people full of freshnesse sweetly flourishing 1. Inward peace This peace it looks two wayes either to the inside or to the outside of a man the first we call peace of Conscience this is the peace indeed a peace full of glory to make up this peace the soule must first live in CHRIST soules dead in sins cannot have a dramme of this peace which alone is the gift of Jesus Christ the Prince of peace 2. The soule must be set in order by the spirit of God ere this peace can come there must be a frame of holinesse ere there can bee the joy of peace 3. The soule must have living and right-grounded apprehensions of the totall removall of all the guilt of his sin and the full purchase of the favour of God by the bloud of Jesus Christ the guilt of sin must be taken off from burdening the Conscience ere this can be for the guilt of sin wil let flye in the face of the soule and cause such troubles such terrors that there can be no rest till these devils be laid till they be cryed down in the soule by the loud voyce of the bloud of Jesus Christ Hence the vote and the voyce of all the soules that knew peace is this Christ is our peace Lastly where this peace is there is power and a ruling power too Eph 2.14 Col. 3.1 Let the peace of God sayes the Apostle trule in your hearts The word notes a chiefdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aruling by absolute Conquest let it carry away the victory beare away the Bell let it overcome all your unbeliefe your disquietments your troubles all that party Satan and sinne make in you or raise against you let this peace in you be chief and fit at the sterne all will be well then things will goe in the soule of a Beleever in such a way as may make for the soules peace as may feed that increase that Hence it is that when the peace rules such a soule cannot sinne as he did he will not the the seed of God and this seed of his peace amongst the rest remaines in him 1 Ioh. 3.9 and that in such power This peace ruled in Moses his heart and put him upon that blessed choyse Heb. 11.25 that he will not exchange the sweetnesse of this peace for all the gaine pleasures profits of sin nay more this blessed peace alwayes sits Sentinell in a holy watchfulnesse lest the soule should both trouble grieve both his Father and himselfe dishonour his God and interrupt his owne peace Now the Lords thoughts towards his owne are chiefely and mainly for this peace this inward lâ—ving ruling comforting peace You shall have that peace sayâ— God that is mine that peace that sutes with my thoughts that goes beyond yoâ—â— thoughts the reach of yoâ—â— mindes of your understanding This peace which is my peace think to give to you nay oâ— Saviour saies more Ioh. 14.27 I doe giâ—â— to you Secondly 2. Outward peace Ier. 30.21 Is 33.20 Ier. 30.10 Zech. 1.17 for the outward peace this is a freedome froâ— oppression they shall bee 〈◊〉 themselves and no slaves to others sayes God a freedomâ— from troubles and disquiet ments they shall be in a quiet condition and in peaceable habitations a freedome from wâ—â— and danger they shall be in safety they shall lye down safely 〈◊〉 none shall make them afraid 〈◊〉 freedome from want and penury they shall be in prosperity and enjoy abundance Thâ—â— sayes God shall bee the outward portion of my people it â—s in my thoughts thus to deale with them thus to change their condition and bring them forth â—nto light yea to be a light my selfe unto them I doe not intend sayes God that my people shal alwayes be in captivity alwayes bee under oppressing hands but I will breake those â—oaks and bring them out I will save I will deliver them they shall flourish by me and I will be glorified by them look how farre peace can reach extend it to the utmost my people shall enjoy all that and more then can bee uttered such a peace God speaks of here Secondly by thoughts of peace he means the firm and setâ—ed determination of God touching the giving of this peace in its season to his people t is as much as if God should say my decree is this this is my purpose to bestow these blessings upon my people after so many yeares For the second thing concerning these thoughts as they are set downe in a negative way thoughts not of evill he means not of the evill of misery my thoughts