ministers for to preach peace, and to preach comfort; and what God hath commanded us to speak, he hath engaged himself to work. Thus, I say, the Father is engaged by virtue of his commandment.

He is engaged also, by virtue of his promise. And therefore, if ye look into Psalm xxix., ye shall see what the Lord hath promised: verse 11, "The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace." Here is the promise, "The Lord will bless his people with peace." Yea, if ye look into Isaiah xxvi., ye shall find there, that the Lord hath promised to keep the peace of his people for them, verse 3: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." So ye read the words, but according to the Hebrew, they ought to be read thus; yn oibw o'bw: Thou wilt keep peace, peace: twice peace. Thou wilt keep peace, peace, for him whose mind is stayed on thee. So that the Lord is not only engaged to give peace unto his people, but he is by promise also engaged to keep their peace for them.

Yea, the Lord is engaged by purchase. Christ hath purchased peace for his people; and what Christ hath purchased for them, God the Father is engaged to give unto them. Read the purchase in Eph. ii. 13, 14, “But now in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, for to make in himself of twain, one new man, so making peace." Verse 16, " And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace unto you that were afar off, and to them that were nigh." So that thus ye see it is the purchase of Jesus Christ: this inward peace and quietness of soul, it is Christ's purchase; and what Christ the Son hath purchased, God the Father is engaged to give.

Yea, the Father is engaged to give peace unto his people, by all those chastisements that they do meet withal. And therefore in Isaiah xl, which I named before, the Lord commands us to comfort and speak comfortably unto his people, upon this account, "For she hath received of the Lord's

hand double for all her sins." Even because a fulness of chastisement had been upon them. Thus, I say, God the Father, by virtue of his prerogative, by virtue of his commandment, by virtue of his promise, by virtue of Christ's purchase, by virtue of chastisements that are laid upon his people, is engaged to give peace unto his children.

2. But now proceed a little, and ye shall see, that as the Father is engaged, so the Son also is engaged to give peace, inward peace, and quietude of soul unto his servants.

He is engaged by those qualifications and endowments that he received from God his Father, for this end and purpose. Isa. lxi, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (says he) and he hath anointed me," why? "that I might comfort those that mourn." That is one end. But I pray look into Isa. 1., and consider the 4th verse, "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." They are plainly the words of Christ, as will appear to you, if you read but the following words: "The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned I away the back; I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." So that these are the words of Christ. Well, what doth Christ say here? He tells us, that he hath received the tongue of the learned, to comfort those that are distressed and troubled in conscience, for to help poor wearied souls. Why doth he say, the tongue of the learned?" The Lord God hath given me. the tongue of the learned." All men desire to hear the learned and it is the greatest piece of learning in the world, to speak a word in due season by way of comfort to those that are weary; this is the greatest piece of ministerial learning, and saith Christ," He hath given me the tongue of the learned." Well, but all learned men have not wisdom to speak in season. Mark what follows. "He hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." But hath Jesus Christ such skill at this work, in comforting those that are troubled? Yes, "He wakeneth morning by morning." As a master is early up in the morning to teach his scholars, so

hath God the Father been teaching of Christ from all eternity this great skill: "Morning by morning he wakeneth, morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." This is the piece of learning, says Christ, which I have been learning morning by morning of my Father from eternity, and this is that great learning which he had attained unto. So that in regard of this endowment which he hath received from the Father, he is engaged to give peace unto his people; for he hath received the tongue of the learned for this end and purpose, that he might speak a word in season to them that are weary.

He is engaged also, by his own disposition; his sweet, loving, and tender disposition. He is a lion, indeed, of the tribe of Judah, but not that roaring lion seeking to devour. He is a king, indeed, but he comes meekly, riding upon an ass's colt. "He doth not lift up his voice in the

streets." When our Lord and Saviour Christ left the world, he said unto his disciples, "My peace I give unto you; my peace I leave with you: not as the world gives peace, but my peace I give unto you," John xiv. 27. And as soon as ever Christ rose from the dead again, and met with his disciples, what doth he say unto them? When they were all met together, "Peace be unto you," John xx. 19. As it was his last words when he left them, so it is the first word that now he useth when he seeth them again.

But, O Lord,

Be it so, yet

we have sinned greatly since we saw thee. 'peace be unto you." But, O Lord, here is Peter among us, that hath denied thee since thou sawest us. Be it so, I

know it very well, yet "Peace be unto." Peace when he went away, and peace when he came again: this is his language and this is his disposition still. Thus he is engaged.

Yea, he is engaged by office to give peace unto his people. Ye know the apostle calls him our great High Priest. It was the work of the high priest in the Old Testament, to bless the people; and when he did bless the people, what did he say, but, "The Lord bless ye, and give ye peace?" Now then, if Jesus Christ be our great High Priest, and it be the office of the high priest to bless, and to give peace, then Christ, by virtue of his office also, is engaged to give peace unto his people. Take all these three together; Christ the second Person is engaged: by his endowments he received

from the Father; by his own disposition; by his office; and it appears plainly, that there is a great engagement upon Jesus Christ to give peace unto his servants.

3. As the Father and the Son are engaged to give peace and quietude unto the saints and people of God, so also the Spirit, the Holy Ghost is engaged to give peace unto them. For, as I may so speak with reverence, he is, as it were, the great executor of Jesus Christ. When Christ died, he made his will, and gave a legacy to his disciples, "My peace I give unto you :" and then he sent the Comforter, the Spirit from heaven on purpose to beget peace within their souls.

Yea, the Holy Ghost is not only this executor, to see this will of Christ fulfilled, but he is, as it were, our advocate. Indeed we have but one advocate, that is Christ: but I say, we have, as it were, two advocates; one in heaven above, and one in our bosom. When a man sins, a godly man sins, Satan accuses him in heaven: and therefore says John, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1 John i. 2. But if a godly man sin, Satan doth also accuse him to himself. And therefore says the apostle, "We have the Spirit within us, making intercession." And says our Saviour Christ, "I will send another Comforter," John xiv. 16: so ye read it; but it is the same word that is translated Advocate; "I will send you another Advocate." Yea, the Spirit of the Lord is our witness also; "For the Spirit shall bear witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God." Now when the Spirit bears witness with a man's spirit, that he is a child of God, then he hath peace and quiet. So that, if you consider all these engagements, the Father engaged, the Son engaged, the Holy Ghost engaged, for the peace and quiet of God's children, must you not needs conclude this point and doctrine, and say, Surely, there is an inward peace and quietness of soul, which ordinarily God's people are endued withal?

But our experience seems to speak the contrary; for there are many of God's own people, that have not peace and quiet within them; but are full of doubts and fears about their everlasting condition.

The second doctrine therefore speaks to that, Is it possible this peace may be interrupted.

* αλλον πυρα κλήλον. Et sic translat. Syriac.

But some have never had peace all their days. Oh, says one, I have been a long while afflicted, troubled: two, four, six years, and never yet had peace and quiet within me. Either therefore this doctrine is not true, or else I am not godly.

All that may be which you speak of, and yet this doctrine may be true. General rules have always some exceptions. Though the garment that the saints do ordinarily wear, be white, yet here and there some do go in black, and go so a great while. But that there may be no stumbling concerning this matter, I shall desire you to consider with me, some few distinctions.

1. Ye must know, that there is a fundamental peace, which the saints and people of God have; and there is an additional peace. A fundamental peace, which does naturally arise and flow from their justification: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God," Rom. v. And then there is an additional peace, which arises from the sense of their justification. Possibly a child of God may for a long time lose the latter, but the former he shall never lose. As a woman that hath a great jointure, goes abroad some journey, and meets with thieves, and they take away all the money that she hath about her; but yet, says she, though they have taken away my spending money, they cannot take away my jointure, I have not lost my jointure. So now the saints sometimes, may lose their spending money, they may lose the peace that arises from the sense of their justification; but as for the peace that arises and issues from their justification itself, the first peace, that they shall never lose. Peace is the church's jointure, and that peace they shall never lose.

2. Ye must know, that there is a great difference between peace, comfort and joy. A man may have peace that hath no comfort; a man may have comfort that hath no joy: one is beyond the other, one a degree above the other. As now, it may be day-light, and yet the sun may not shine forth; the sun may shine forth, and yet not noon-day. Possibly a man may have peace, and yet not much comfort, only stayed upon God; possibly a man may have comfort, and yet not much joy. But now, many a poor soul thinks, because he hath no joy, therefore he hath no comfort; and because he hath not