long. If you have been bereft of it, be thankful you once had it. If you are called to suffer, be thankful it is no worse, and that the trial came no sooner. God can remove it. He gives you leave to draw near to him. Be thankful for the throne of grace, for a Mediator, for the Holy Spirit, for God's unchangeable love, for his great and precious promises, and for the hope of heavenly rest. THIRDLY: The consolation. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding." Casting our care on God is the way to enjoy true peace within, let us meet with what we will without. When your spirits had been filled with perturbation, have they not been surprisingly calmed at the throne of grace? God can effectually speak peace to the soul, in the midst of troubles, temporal or spiritual. "When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?" Job xxxiv. 29. FOURTHLY: The blessing promised. which passeth all understanding, shall minds through Christ Jesus." The peace of God, keep your hearts and The peace of God, is This is the greatest of all blessings. peace from God, peace given by God. with God; that is, his being reconciled to us, and granting us the knowledge of it, and subduing our enmity to him. A mutual friendship, or blessed harmony. Peace enjoyed in God, by viewing him, not only as reconciled to us himself, but also as regulating all our concerns in the wisest and best manner, for our good. Viewing his hand in every thing, submitting to him, confiding in him. Thus the mind is kept in continual peace; unruffled by trials, uninjured by enemies, and also disposed to peace and harmony with all around us. How much better is a sense of peace with God, by the blood of Christ, than all other blessings, which can be separated from it! What a connexion is there between this blessing and all others! He that spared not his own Son, what will he withhold? Will not the God of peace give peace always, by all means? 2 Thes. iii. 16. All providences speak peace at last. Is there not reason for us to be at peace with God, or to think well of all he does; to bow our wills to his? FIFTHLY: The excellence of this blessing. It "passeth all understanding." Carnal hearts have no conception of its worth. Angels cannot have all that zest which saints have, because they never felt the contrast. And saints cannot yet fully comprehend it, because they have not full possession of it, and are still in some measure under the influence of sin. That it is invaluable, will appear, if we consider our great provocations, God's righteous displeasure, his power to execute his threatenings, and our inability to bear his anger, or to satisfy his justice and if we consider how unworthy we were of mercy, how dearly our pardon was purchased, how irrevocable and enduring it is, and what positive enjoyment is before us. It cannot be duly estimated, till we have a full sense of the evil of sin, the pains of hell, the sufferings of Christ, the joys of heaven, and the length of eternity. : SIXTHLY: The connexion of this blessing with the preceding duty. "Be careful for nothing: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." SEVENTHLY: Its blessed effects. It will keep your hearts and minds. That is, the will and affections, the judgment and understanding. It will keep the former from wandering from God, will moderate inordinate affections, and curb bitter passions. And will keep the latter from false judgment and erroneous conceptions, in prosperity and adversity; from idolizing other objects; from setting the heart on that which is not God; from murmuring and complaint, envy, jealousy, malice, revenge, fretfulness, discontent, contention, disunion, anxiety, anguish, fainting, despondency; from adopting indirect means of relief;—from backsliding and apostacy it will keep the soul submissive, patient, resigned, active for God, waiting for his complete salvation; and preserve the mind spiritual. "Through EIGHTHLY: The medium of its conveyance. Christ Jesus;" that is, by actual faith in him, continually looking to him, drawing near in his name; being vitally united to him, attached to his cause, interested in his obedience unto death, secured from wrath, and heirs of life eternal. CXXVIII. THE TRUE IDEA OF CHRIST WITHIN. COL. i. 26, 27. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Ir is, with many, become too fashionable to decry, under the name of mysteries, every article of faith which cannot be fully comprehended by human reason. However, it is in religion only that this absurdity can take place in every part of natural philosophy, men are forced to believe facts, which the most learned and ingenious cannot comprehend. Vegetation, attraction, sensation, voluntary motion, and propagation, as powerfully constrain our consent as they completely puzzle our investigation. But some who profess not to deny the most incomprehensible parts of revealed truth, have pleaded that the term mystery is not generally used in scripture to denote a doctrine above our comprehension, but simply a secret, once concealed, but now revealed. I cannot deny that this appears to be the import of the word; only I think it includes the idea of its being wonderful and astonishing, even when discovered; for example, EPн.iii.3. 6. The calling of the Gentiles, was not only a secret, once wholly hid from them, and long overlooked by the Jews; but a surprising event, enough to fill heaven and earth with wonder. (Though there would be no ground for such a representation on Socinian principles.) So here, the mystery, or, if you please, the grand secret of the gospel, is said to possess a riches of glory which is astonishing, so that to have it made known to us is a surprising benefit of heaven. The knowledge of Christ is the grand secret of religion, brought to light by divine revelation; but truly understood only by real saints, in whom Christ is the hope of glory. FIRST: Why is the knowledge of Christ represented as a mystery, or secret? Men overlook much divine truth, which might be discovered if they had a right spirit, a heart which was suited with the truth. But this secret could never have been known, but by revelation from God: neither men nor angels could have found it out. Will a holy and righteous God forgive sin? all manner of sin? the most heinous or aggravated? He did not forgive the sin of fallen angels. How will he do it? How can he acquit the sinner, and not condemn himself, nor encourage future crimes? Only through a Mediator. Why is a Mediator necessary? To show God's abhorrence of sin, and to render the exercise of mercy consistent with justice. Where shall a Mediator be found? Dares any innocent creature interpose in behalf of sinners? No. But God will provide himself a lamb. How shall he suffice to atone for sin? He is God manifest in the flesh; the only begotten of the Father. How shall he effect the salvation of sinners? He shall bear their iniquity; bear their sins in his own body on the tree; make his soul an offering. How can that be? The word was made flesh. In the fulness of time God sent forth his Son, made under the law he was made a curse for us. How shall they be made partakers of this salvation? He who assumed their flesh, shall communicate to them his Spirit; so shall they be joined to the Lord, and be one spirit with him he shall be in them the hope of glory. : This secret was revealed very gradually, to the patriarchs, and to the Jews; and was long entirely concealed from the Gentile world; but is now fully unfolded in the New Testament. But it is the only way that can account for the divine conduct under the former introductory dispensation. How came God not to execute the sentence at once on Adam and Eve? What did he mean by the hint given to our first parents in Paradise, about the seed of the woman? Why did he first appoint the offering of sacrifices? Why did he preserve Noah and his family, when he seemed to repent having made man on the earth? Why did he call Abraham, and promise that all the families of the earth should be blessed in him? This is the secret. Why did he institute the whole Mosaic economy? Why appoint the priests, sacrifices, cities of refuge, and other institutions? Why raise David to the throne, and not suffer his family to be destroyed, even in the days of Ahaz, or at the captivity? Why call the Jewish rulers gods, though they died like men? Why not forsake the Jew, though their land was filled with sin? Why bring them back from Babylon? Why punish them worse since they left off idolatry, than before, when so addicted to it? Even under the gospel dispensation the beauty and glory of this mystery is made known only to the saints. This is the secret which accounts for the inward sensations, and outward conduct of true believers. Whence is it that they who have the most awful sense of God's avenging justice, can yet entertain the most confident and delightful hope in his mercy? Whence is it that they who have the deepest sense of their own demerit, do not sink into utter despair? Though they know that hell is their due, yet do not expect to go there? Whence is it that they who renounce their own righteousness can entertain a hope of endless happiness? Whence is it, that they who hope for acceptance through the righteousness of another, should yet be concerned after personal righteousness? or that they who hope to escape the punishment of sin, should be careful to depart from all iniquity? Whence is it that they who are crucified to the world, and disgusted with its pomps, vanities, and sensual pleasures, have any kind of enjoyment, and are far happier than ever? Whence is it they are supported under common trials; yea, under uncommon ones; many under persecution, cruel mockings, and the hatred of those who once loved them? Whence are they enabled to meet death itself with joy? This is the secret. Christ in them the hope of glory. But, SECONDLY, Why is Christ represented as being in his people, and the secret confined to saints? The Apostle does not say Christ in heaven the hope of |