Now saith the Text And from the dayes of John the Baptist until now doth the Kingdom of Heaven suffer violence O the Hearts of People were mightily stirred ever since the dayes of John Baptist and why Because that he Preached that The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Now that consists of Peace and Joy and the Doctrine of Reconciliation between sinners and the Blessed God that indeed is the special part of the Kingdom of Heaven Now he Preaching this Kingdom of Heaven saith the Text from that day the Kingdom of Heaven suffered Violence and every one comes to know Lord what shall I do that I may enter into this Kingdom O what a Blessed thing is it for Congregations when the Lord shall send those amongst them to bring Peace between God and their Souls That it may said from such a Day from such a Time that the Lord did send such among them that opened this Doctrine of Peace That the Kingdom of Heaven hath suffered Violence There hath many poor Souls come in and said O Men and Brethren What shall I do to be saved And Blessed are they upon whom the Tender of the Gospel shall have this Effect Now if there be any Sons of Peace here that shall entertain this here 's the Blessing that is to be upon them That the Peace of the Gospel shall rest upon them upon that Parish upon that House upon that Soul Sermon II. Luke 10. 6. And if the Son of Peace be there your Peace shall rest upon it If not it shall turn to you again TO leave what was said in the former Verse and to proceed to what remains In this Verse you have First A Supposition If the Son of Peace Secondly A Description of a good Hearer of the Gospel He is a Son of Peace Thirdly The Blessing upon him Your Peace shall rest upon him We shall speak to no more only these Three things at present First The Supposition If the Son of Peace be there Here there is a Supposition That when the Lord sends the Ministry of the Gospel unto any place that there will be some Sons of peace it were a hard thing if we should come and find no Sons of Peace If the Son of Peace be there As if Christ should say It is hopeful you may find some Sons of Peace From whence the Point of Doctrine is this That when God doth send the Ministery of the Gospel to any place there is hopes that there is some Sons of Peace there There may be hope to Ministers and others that they shall find some that will entertain their Gospel In Acts 18. 9 10. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a Vision Be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee For I have much People in this City When God sent Paul to Preach there was a great deal of Opposition Well saith God for all that Opposition you shall Preach in this place Why For I have much People in this City So that when God by His Providence shall order the Word to come to any place there is a hopeful Argument at least that God hath People in that City In Mat. 10. Where you have Christ sending of the Apostles to Preach He bids them in ver 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not saith Christ But go rather to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel As if Christ should say As for the Gentiles and the Samaritans I have yet none to Call there the time is to come for the Gentiles to be Called I would not therefore have you go thither I would not have you lose your Labour But go unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel There are many of the House of Israel that are as lost Sheep that are wandering from God and their own Happiness I would have you go thither saith Christ thereby Intimating that there were some to be Call'd there rather than in the other place The Ministry of the Gospel it is the great Gift of Jesus Christ that He gave when He Ascended on high And to what end did He give it Mark in Ephes 4. 11 12. to what end it is And He gave some Apostles And some Prophets And some Evangelists And some Pastours and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints So it is Translated in your Books But the Word in the Original is For the Joynting of the Saints the putting of them into Joynt At first to put them into Christ and then that they may grow up For the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ For the Building up of the Body of Christ And this Text is quoted out of that Prophesie that we have in Psal 68. 18. Thou hast ascended on High Thou hast led Captivity Captive Thou hast received Gifts for men c. Here 's a Prophesie of Christ clearly And the Apostle doth apply it in Ephes 4. Christ received Gifts for men here it is And there it is That He hath Dispensed Gifts to Men. And mark Yea for the Rebellious also Those Men that are the most Rebellious yet Christ hath received Gifts for them What Gifts The Ministry of the Gospel is the great Gift that God the Father hath given to Christ and Jesus Christ hath given it unto His Ministers and sends them among the Rebellious And to what end That the Lord God might dwell among them So that by this it appears till God send the Ministry of the Word among a People the Lord God doth not dwell there for it is That the Lord God might dwell among them They are without God in the World but when that comes unto a place then the Lord God comes to Dwell among them So that then you see the Point clear by Scripture when the Lord sends the Ministry of the Gospel there is some hope that there is some good intended for some in that place And the Reasons are these 1. Because Christ sends His Ministers according as His Father sent Him Now thus we have it in John 20. 21. Then said Jesus to them again Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you Mark As God the Father sends Christ so Christ sends Ministers Well How doth God the Father send Christ Compare this Scripture with John 3. 17. Thus God the Father sends His Son He doth not send His Son into the World that He might Condemn the World That is not Gods primary End to Condemn the World but that that God doth Aim at in sending His Son into the World it is that by Him the World may be saved Now then compare this Scripture with that other saith Christ As my Father sent me so send I you Now my Father sent Me into the World not to Condemn the World though by accident the World shall be Condemned the
then the Blessedness you spake of For I bear you record that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own Eyes and have given them to me The meaning is this When the Gospel came at first to be Preached among them generally they cried out O this Blessed Gospel O the Blessedness O these blessed Truths that is come among us such Truths as we were not acquainted withal O they are blessed Truths indeed Mark They were thus taken with the Truths of the Gospel when they were first Preached But now saith Paul Where is the Blessedness ye spake of Your Hearts are not now so taken with the Gospel as they were at first now you seem to be taken off from it Where is the Blessedness you spake of I make no Question but many Ministers in many Congregations have Cause to make Use of these words of the Apostle when God sent them at first The Hearts of People were taken with the Ministry of the Gospel but within a while they are off again And well may their Ministers say Where is the Blessedness you spake of The Peace of the Gospel it doth not abide upon them but one thing or other takes it off from them So in Heb. 6. There you read of some that yet were not Sav'd by the Gospel or were not in a Condition at least for the present to be Sav'd yet they had a taste of the Heavenly Gift They did not only hear the Word and understand it but they Had a taste of the good Word of God O they said It was the good Word of God And Mark Of the Powers of the World to come That is of those powerful Truths of those Truths that do concern the World to come that were powerful Truths For so certainly my Brethren the Truths that do concern the World to come as powerful Truths they have a mighty deal of Power to work upon the Heart And these had not only the Apprehensions but a taste of the Powers of the World to come and yet it appears that they had not those things that did accompany Salvation Many other Scriptures might be shewed that there are many that are Affected with the Gospel yea they are Convinc'd and they have some taste of it and their Spirits taken yea almost perswaded with him that we read of almost perswaded to become a Christian and yet for all this this Mercy that is here promised to the Sons of Peace is not their Portion the peace of the Gospel doth not rest upon their Spirits It is a Blessing beyond that which any Hypocrite in the World hath to have this peace of the Gospel to rest and abide upon his Spirit That is First To be set up as a constant Light before the Soul not to come as a meer flash of Lightning suddenly come and suddenly gone but then it may be said to rest when the Lord sets up those glorious Truths of the Gospel as a constant Light before the Soul And Secondly When as the Lord works those Truths by Meditation upon the Heart the Lord causes those Truths to follow the Thoughts of the Mind and so to work them upon the Heart yea into the Heart of the Thoughts of the Mind when the Lord gives a constant real Taste of those Truths and Savour of them that though they be not alwayes Hearing of them yet the Savour and Relish doth abide in a constant way upon their Hearts when the Lord causes those Truths of the Gospel to spread all over the Faculties of their Souls that it is as the Holy Ghost compares it in Scripture to Leven The Kingdom of God is like unto Leven which in a little time doth Leven the whole Lump So when the Lord causes the Truths of the Gospel not only to be in the Mind in the Understanding in the Conscience but to get into the Heart to get into the Affections and as it were to Leven in a good sense the whole Soul by the Sweetness and the Goodness and the Excellency of those Truths Yea when the Lord shall cause those Truths to be dearly Rooted in the Heart to take such Root as Temptations and Deducements any Provocations without shall never be able to take out those Truths which are upon the Heart When the Lord shall cause them to stick so fast to sinck so deep into the Heart let there come what will to take off the Heart from them or take them out of the Heart yet they shall never be able to take them out of the Heart As a Martyr said saith he You may take my Heart out of my Body but you shall never take the Belief of these things out of my Heart O the Blessing and the Truths of the Gospel did so rest upon his Soul and they had gotten so near into his Heart that nothing in the World could take it off Many People that are a little stirr'd upon the Hearing of the Gospel and they think it is good and the Truths are Blessed Truths and they had good Resolutions but perhaps when they come Home from Hearing of the Word they shall have a Fellow-servant Jearing of them or the Father or Mother Speaking against them or the Husband the Wife or the Wife the Husband and so perhaps they come to lose all those Truths which formerly they were so taken with But those that are the Sons of Peace they have the Peace of the Gospel resting upon them as hath been Opened to you and this is a very great Blessing of God O this is a Mercy indeed for the Lord to grant the Truths of the Gospel and the Good of it thus to rest upon the Heart that the Heart doth keep it as a Treasure within it it is a great Mercy First Because it is a special Fruit of the Covenant of Grace according to that Text in Jer. 31. where God promises as the Fruit of the Covenant that he will Write His Law in their Inwards parts Now certainly by the Law it is not meant the Letter of the Ten Commandments But when He saith I will Write my Law that is My Will The great Counsels of my Will And the saving Truths of God are there meant by the Law For when David Expresses his love to the Law he means also the Soul-saving Truths that are Revealed in the Word of God and certainly there because it was in the time under the Law the Language of the Holy Ghost was suitable to the Time But certainly It is meant in a more especial manner the Truths of the Gospel That look as the Law was Written in Adams Heart at first so now those that are received into the Covenant have the Law of the Gospel and the Truths of that Written in their Hearts That is When ever they shall come to hear the Truths of the Gospel Opened to them they shall find as it were a Counterpain of the blessed Truths of the Gospel in their Hearts Yea further To have the Word of
God doth at sometime or other Convice Men and somewhat stir their Hearts O but this is that that they have cause bitterly to complain of that those things that they deliver to them that are the Precious and Glorious things of Jesus Christ yet though they stir them a little for the while yet they do not rest upon them It was a Complaint of Chrisostom saith he We Ministers are in a worse Condition than any Work-men whatsoever Take a Carpenter he comes and works and leaves his Work over-night and comes the next day and finds it where it was as he left it his Work is no more forward neither backward Oh! But it is not so with us Preachers for we come and work upon the Hearts of People and we bring it into a reasonable good forwardness and we leave it one Night and come the next day but woe to us we find it not where we leave it We work upon their Hearts one Lords Day and it may be they go away with some Resolutions that they will break off their evil way and they will attend to the Ministry of the Word but before the next Lords Day they are quite off again They are got again into some wicked Company or other and they begin to harden their Hearts against those Blessed Truths so that our Condition is worse than any Work-mans whatsoever But though it be a sad Condition for the Ministers of the Gospel yet know it is a sadder Condition for your selves You that heretofore have heard those Blessed things of the Gospel and your Hearts have been taken with them have they rested upon you I put this to you in the Name of God I say Hath the Peace of the Gospel rested upon your Hearts It may be some of you may know Two or Three years ago God began to work upon you you began to have some Enlightning of Jesus Christ and of the Kingdom of God and you began to say Blessed are those that shall be partakers of those things but have these rested upon you Hath not the Ministry of the Gospel been to some of you like a Ship that when it is Sailing in the Water it makes a great Impression for the present but let the Ship be gone and the Water is as smooth as ever it was So many times when the Minister comes and open the Blessed Truths of the Gospel they make a mighty Dent upon the Hearts of their Auditors but within a little while their Hearts are like the Water no man can see that ever there was an Impression of any Truth upon their Hearts Now know that this is a very sad thing to have the Gospel begin to Affect the Heart but not to Rest First Consider How vile is thy heart it is an argument of strong corruption that is in thy heart that the things of the Gospel cannot stick there And Consider How vild it is that wicked thoughts vile base unworthy unclean filthy thoughts can abide upon you If the Devil dart in temptations they will abide and rest why when he darts them in over-night he can find them in the morning perhaps if you have some vain or unclean thoughts you can role them up and down in your mind for half a night together perhaps day after day and night after night base and filthy thoughts are rol'd up and down in your Spirits these things can abide Now what shall vile filthy ungodly thoughts rest in your hearts and shall not the Blessed and Glorious Truths of Jesus Christ and the things of the Kingdom of God rest upon your hearts Yea Consider further That it is a most dangerous thing for an essay of mercy to pass away and to do no good for mercy to come and as it were make a trial upon the heart and then leave it and no good done this is a sad condition It is not so dangerous while Men and Women are in such an estate as the mercy of God hath not made an essay as it were upon them But now When the Grace of the Gospel shall come to make an essay upon the heart to make as it were a tryal upon the heart and to have the repulse this is a dangerous thing for an offer of Gods Grace to be rejected is very sad to loose one opportunity of Gods Mercy is a very sad thing how dost thou know that ever they will come upon thy heart with that power that once they did and therefore thy condition is very sad And know further That when the Lord begins to reveal to thee the things of the Gospel and thou puttest them off those flashes of affection and conviction that thou hast had will prove to be matter of terror of conscience another day Some poor Soul may say Then Lord what shall become of me God knows this is my condition I come many times to hear the word and I meet with those truths that do mightily take my heart for the present but the Lord knows all vanishes again I think I could remember every thing that the Minister speaks while I am hearing of them but they go out again I hear that this is the Blessing of God upon the Sons of Peace that the Truths of the Gospel should abide upon their hearts and rest there O they do not rest with me Now and then they come to me but they do not rest with me Now for the Answer to this Perhaps they may not rest in thy memory but yet if the Fruit and effect of them doth rest in thy heart thou hast the Gospel resting in thy heart As thus Why perhaps the Water may pass through a Vessel go quite through it and not stay I but yet there is so much Fruit of the passage of it thorow as to keep the Vessel sweet Though you cannot take up any Water from it but it is all gone yet I say it keeps the Vessel sweet So I may say to those that have the weakest memories and yet the Lord hath wrought any degree of Grace though thy memory be so weak that thou canst not remember I speak this to those that have weak memories naturally and there is nothing that their Souls do more desire then this O that they might keep those things that they hear they would think themselves the most happy Creatures in the world if those truths that sometimes they hear might rest upon them I speak to those Is it so with thy heart Then though thou canst not remember yet if those truths keep thy heart sweet they keep thy heart from filthy lusts that they do not abide in thy heart thy heart is kept savory by them if there be this effect abiding upon thy heart to keep it savory and sweet this Peace of the Gospel may rest with thee though thou canst not remember particulars A Man or Woman perhaps they cannot remember what Meat they ate a little while since but they find themselves nourished by that Meat So for the word of God that
nothing to have the Gospel taken from them yet when that is taken from you know that the Kingdom of God is taken from you that place in Mat. 21. 43. is very remarkable O this is one of the dreadfullest Threats therefore say I unto you The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof When you have the preaching of the Gospel in the clearness if it among you know that you have the Kingdom of God among you Now God doth require that you should bring forth the fruits thereof therefore examine your own Hearts what fruits of the Kingdom of God are in my Life in my Family Why the Kingdom of God is among us that 's the meaning of Christ's and Johns preaching Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand that is now comes the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel and he calls people to Repent upon this Ground O Repent and Turn from your sins Why for the Revelation of Jesus Christ is come among you I say to you in this place therefore Repent Repent now for the Lord is coming to Open the Kingdom of Heaven and to Reveal the Grace of Christ and the Glorious things of Eternal Life to you and therefore if you should please your selves rather in sporting upon the Lords Day and going to Ale-Houses and Wicked places rather than Attending upon the Word why the Lord may take away this Gospel and so take away the Kingdom of Heaven from you and the taking that from you it is but a fore-runner to the depriving of you from the Everlasting Kingdom that the Saints shall have to all Eternity And know there is no Dallying with God for when thou comest to the Offer of Mercy in Christ saith Christ either come in or not Christ calls for your Answer quickly Though the Lord be very patient towards men that never yet understood the Offering of the Gospel of Christ but if they come once to have Christ preached to them they must not expect the like patience When John began to preach Christ you know what he said Now is the Axe lay'd to the root of the Tree And why now more than before Because now the Kingdom of Heaven is to be preached to them and now Every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the Fire Perhaps they have gone this Thirty or Forty Years and there was no Hewing of them down but now the Axe is lay'd to the root of the Tree You know that of Christ to his Apostles go your wayes and preach saith he He that Believes shall be Saved and he that Believes not shall be damned there is no more ado either Believe and be Saved or Believe not and be Damned there is quick work and indeed that 's a Point that I would very gladly have been upon even the Consideration of the Quick Work of God upon those Souls that shall reject the Ministry of the Gospel Sermon VI. Luke 10. 6. If not it shall return to you again THere are Two Points more remaining which is to be the Subject of this Excercise The First is this That those that are not the Sons of Peace what is means you have had already opened that do not imbrace the Ministry of the Gospel they shall have no Blessing from the peace of the Gospel they shall not be partakers of the good of the Gospel Secondly That God is very quick with those that do not embrace his Gospel Go and say peace if there be a Son of peace well and good they shall have peace if not It shall return saith Christ From the manner of the phrase that note was raised That God doth use to be very quick with those that do not embrace the Gospel I shall be very short in the Former of these two because I would gladly have a little more time in the Latter Those who entertain not the Gospel they shall not have the Blessing of it I shall not need to go far for another Scripture which is indeed a very dreadful one to this purpose Luke 14. 14. For I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Cup. We have there a Parable A certain man made a great Supper and bade many The meaning is this It is to set out God the Fathers preparing of his Son and of these Blessed Dainties at the Marriage of his Son The scope of it is to shew the excellent things of the Gospel that they are no other but the Dainties that are prepared by the great King of Heaven at the Marriage of his Son The Scope of it is to shew the excellent things of the Gospel that they are no other but the Dainties that are prepared by the great King of Heaven at the Marriage of his Son unto Souls unto Believers Well there are sent his Ministers they are the Servants of this King they are sent to Invite to this Marriage to Invite men to partake of the Blessed things of the Gospel Upon this Invitation we see that generally it was rejected One saith he hath bought a Farm another a Yoak of Oxen and another hath Marryed a Wife c. and the Ministers they come in and give this account to God Lord we have according to thy Command invited them to come in to partake take of the good things of the Gospel but these are their Excuses their hearts are set upon other things Now mark their doom in ver 24. For I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper That is do they thus reject it and slight it and disregard it I say to you I profess it that there 's not one of them shall make such a slight account of that Blessed Gospel of mine and the glorious things contained therein not one of them that shall taste of my Supper Only one Text more in Rom. 2. 8. But unto them which are contentious and do not obey the truth that must needs be meant of the truth of the Gospel but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Those who are set upon their evil wayes and will not obey the truth you see what their Doom is The first is privative That they shall not taste of the Supper the other is Positive Wrath and indignation and anguish shall be upon them You will say That this shall return What then What great Evil wil follow upon this what most dreadful Evils Why first The very want and privation of the Infinite good that the Gospel tenders to thee is evil enough and the remaining under all those Evils that the Gospel would have delivered thee from that 's evil enough as thus What doth the Gospel return and the Blessing from you why then you remain under the guilt of all your Sins and stand charged
come among them But Thirdly Ministers are to bring the Message of Peace to a People The great Errand that a Minister of the Gospel comes about it is to bring Peace it is to be a Messenger of Peace unto you And indeed the Ministry of the Gospel doth many times bring outward Peace unto a People When was there ever a Kingdom upon the Face of the Earth that hath had longer continuance of outward Peace than England hath had And the Reason why our outward Peace is taken from the Kingdom for the present it is because the Ministry of the Gospel hath been Rejected and the Sword comes to Avenge the Covenant of the Lord it comes to Avenge the Rejection of the Gospel of Peace and if we reject the Gospel of peace God saith we shall not have outward peace for our State If we will not imbrace peace for our Souls we shall not have outward peace for our Bodies But though the Ministry of the Word bring you outward peace many times yet the main thing it is to bring is Spiritual peace Peace be to you As if the Apostles should say We are come unto you from the Great God of gods to be the Embassadors of peace for your Souls to Preach unto you the Doctrine of Peace between God and you This is the great Errand that we come about Peace be to you And saith the Apostle To us is committed the Word of Reconciliation That 's the great thing that is committed to Ministers to Preach to a People the Word of Peace The Work that they are sent about it is to Treat between God and man upon Terms of peace It is I say to Treat with your Souls for peace that you might come to have peace with God that a Blessed peace might be made between God and you This is the great Errand that they come about and whatsoever they Preach to you else if it be to shew you what your miserable Condition is yet it is in order to this still To bring peace to your Souls And indeed all Faithful Ministers are careful of this to shew at the very first what their Scope is it is to bring them to Life and Salvation But that in the next point But this certainly ought to be their Scope whatsoever is Preached it must Aim at the great Treaty between God and their Souls for Reconciliation Our Scope when we come to Preach unto you it is not so much to Civilise you to enveigh against Notorious crying Sins Drunkards and Whore-Masters and Thieves and Blasphemers though according as we meet with these things in the Road we are to speak against them But suppose we should cry out against these sins this were good and we had cause to bless God for it I but we had not done our Work the great Work that we are to do it is to Treat with your Souls about peace with God to shew you how the Enmity that is between your Souls and God naturally is to be taken away that so there may be a blessed Reconciliation between God and you This is the great Errand of the Ministers of the Gospel unto a People and if this be the Errand of it Then what an Honourable Work is this to set Man about And the truth is it is in some regard a more Honourable Work than ever Angels were sent about God doth not send the Angels about this Work to Treat with Mankind about Terms of Peace with God They are made Ministring Spirits for the good of Gods Elect and are made by God to be Executioners against Wicked men But we never Read that God hath committed the Word of Reconciliation to Angels God hath not appointed them to be the Preachers of Peace to People therefore it is the most Honourable Work that ever Creature was set about to come to a place and say Peace be to this place in the Name of God And being it is such a Work as this O how Detestable and Vile and Cursed is Laziness or Idleness in any one that should profess himself a Minister of the Gospel What Come about such a Work as this to be an Embassador of Reconciliation from the Great God of Heaven and Earth O he should have his Heart and Thoughts taken up about this Night and Day he should be Studying how he should Manage this great Work that God sends him about to poor People And O how acceptable should the Ministry of the Gospel be unto you You need not fear any hurt it will do It is but to Treat with your Souls about peace with God there 's all that is intended in this Ministry Do not fear it though things sometimes are spoken that you apprehend to be Terrible to you yet all tend to this end To bring peace unto you Therefore as the Prophet in Isa 52. 7. saith How beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings that publisheth peace O his very Feet should be beautiful in your Eyes This Scripture the Apostle doth quote in Rom. 10. 15. How shall they Preach except they be sent As it is written How beautiful are the Feet of them that Preach the Gospel of Peace Here it is That bring good Tidings So indeed the great Work of the Gospel it is nothing else but a good Message good Tidings and so our English word is to the same effect good News good Tidings And certainly did People but understand what the Scope of Christ were to carry things about so in the wayes of His Providence to bring Ministers of the Gospel to Preach peace to their Souls It could not be but they should open their very hearts unto them We read of Noah when he sent forth his Dove after the Ark had been a long time upon the Waters the Dove brings an Olive Branch to the Ark and Noah puts forth his hand and takes in the Dove The Ministers of the Gospel are as this Dove and they come with an Olive Leaf in their Mouths and they do not get it from the Wilderness but they take it from Paradice they bring it from the Scriptures from those Blessed things of the Gospel that are revealed in the Word and bring it to your Souls Now therefore you should open your hearts and take in the blessed Message of Peace and Reconciliation And then further If so be that this be the great Work of the Ministers of the Gospel what a vile World is this that can hardly bear with the Ministers nor Ministry of the Gospel but accounts them to be great Disturbers of the places where they Live So they did to the Prophets and Apostles Elisha Art not thou the troubler of Israel And so of Paul He was said to be a Pestilent fellow The Apostles were said to turn the World up side-down And so Luther he was said to be the very Trumpet of Rebellion so he was called by Ungodly men It is not a New thing for the World to have
at the Goodness of God whereas He might have Curst thee and sent thee long since down to thine own place yet He doth give His Ministers charge to offer peace to thy Soul Think thus The Lord in this hath done more to me than He hath done to all those Thousand Millions of Angels that sinn'd against Him Those that were once glorious Angels and did sin against God the Lord took Advantage against them for their first sin and upon that cast them down into Chains of eternal Darkness and did resolve that He would never so much as enter into a Plea about any Condition of Peace with them to all Eternity This was the Way of God towards the Angels that did sin against Him that are now Devils O you that think the Lord to be a God of Mercy altogether do but consider of this and consider to Tremble before Him that God should take Advantage against Millions of Angels for so they were For we read in Scripture that Legions of Devils were in one man and they were once Angels and they did but commit one sin against God and the Lord would not Plea with them about Terms of Peace But mark now The same God that was so severe against Angels that were His own Creatures as well as thou and were more glorious Creatures and committed but one sin yet would never enter into any Terms of peace with them this God is not only willing to Treat with thy Soul to be at peace with thee but He sends forth His Messengers unto thee to Treat in His Name and doth give them command that when they come to thee they should offer Terms of peace to thy Soul Admire at this thou that hast not been guilty of one sin but of Thousands thou that hast Liv'd like a Monster in the place where thou hast Liv'd and hast liv'd in Rebellion against the Lord yet He doth give Command to His Ministers to offer peace to thee I say stand and admire at this when thou goest Home lay it to thy Heart O that the Great God should so Condescend to me rather than to Angels He doth so this day and in His Name I say according to the Text Peace be to every Soul that shall yet come in and return yet come and repent whatsoever they have been whether thou mayst live to have any further offer of peace or no the Lord knows It is an Offer that thou hast this day Look to thy self come in for there are many things in the Text that might put you on For if there be not a Son of Peace this Peace will turn back again Observ 5. But the last Point of all is this That Ministers of the Gospel are when they come to a place to say First Peace be to this place It should be the first Message that they should declare they should begin with this And there is a great deal of Emphasis in this word First say First So we read of John Baptist his first Sermon was this Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand And likewise the First Sermon of Christ in Mat. 4. 16 17. And again the Apostles you shall read of them Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand The First Sermon of John Baptist of Christ and of the Apostles was this Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand And the First Sermon that the Seventy Disciples was to Preach was Peace And in this the Lord deals with sinners according to the Order He gave in Deut. 20. 10. The Lord required that the First thing the Children of Israel should do when they came against a City it was to proclaim peace And we read of Alexander the First thing that he did was to set up a Lamp and his White Colours and to Proclaim That whosoever did come in before that Lamp was out should have his Life and Peace So when the Lord sends Ministers of the Gospel to any place he sets up a Lamp in that place and the First thing that He would have done it is to Proclaim to all People to come in that so they might have Peace And it is to be done in the First place First Because the Bowels of Gods Compassions are very strong and Gods Mercy lies at His Heart uppermost and therefore that is most ready and He is most ready to vent it That 's the most proper Work of God that He doth delight to Vent His Mercy Jer. 9. 24. Secondly Because that when the Offer of Peace is that hath a great deal of power to work upon the hearts of People Now the Lord therefore would have that done at First that is like most to prevail We know that People at First when a Minister comes amongst them they are set upon Novelties now it is good to take advantage of that their Humour and when they are hearkning after Novelty that they should come to have some principal Doctrine of Salvation to be secretly Instill'd into them that they should Drink in that before they are aware So the Lord uses to work upon Mens Self-love Every Creature loves it self and therefore the Lord sees that it is a good advantage to work upon Mens self-love to offer terms of Peace And the truth is that is it that gains the Heart of a Sinner And God will out-bid the World and Devil and Flesh What do they offer any thing that may delight you saith God I will out-bid them all Christ out-bids the World and Devil in offering unto sinners a greater Good than World or Devil can possibly bring unto them And indeed this offer of Peace doth out-bid the World that is doth proffer a greater Good to a sinner than World or Devil can possibly proffer to them Nay then saith the Soul if I see that I may have a greater good by Repenting and Believing than by going on in my sin I will go that way I will rather attend upon the Word for I hear of great things that are there about Reconciliation between God and man Now this is the way to take the Hearts of men and it is the way to break them of their stoutness and stubbornness For certainly every man naturally hath a very stout and stubborn Heart against God Therefore if First he be opposed he will be ready to rise against God and against His Truths and against His Servants Therefore it is good to come First with those things that their Hearts may close with all that so they may be in a more preparation that they may hearken to what the Lord shall reveal after as necessary unto them But you will say If it be thus Why is it then that Ministers do Preach so much of our miserable Condition in which we are The answer is It 's true at First there should be a tender of peace and I make no question but you have had it so here But now it 's true before the full Doctrine of Reconciliation with God is to be opened
unto you there is something to be opened unto you about your miserable state by Nature for it is impossible to open the Doctrine of Peace and Reconciliation without the opening of that And that may well be Justified That though the First thing should be to say Peace yet before this can be opened at large unto People they must come to know what their Natural state is There is some that would at First and at Last say Peace and would have nothing else Preached and crys out against Preaching of any thing of the Law of God which is meerly through their Ignorance in not rightly understanding the Nature of the thing For though at First we are to open this Peace yet when we come to open it this hath that in the very Bowels of it that will shew the most woful Condition of man by Nature that possibly can be As for Instance Peace between God and us Why what are we Enemies Is there an Enmity between God and us Yes that comes here We cannot open the meaning of this Peace but if we come once to open it we must of necessity fall upon the Doctrine of Mans state by Nature and shew what a Breach sin hath made between God and the Soul And what infinite need there is of such a Redeemer that we could no other way be redeemed but that we must have such a Saviour that must be both God and Man Now when we come to open the Nature of this it must needs shew you what your miserable Condition is by Nature But a word or two for the Application of this God doth appoint His Ministers at First to come to you and to make the proffer of Peace unto your Souls then it should teach you presently to be willing to come and close with that Message Gods Heart is sofull of Mercy towards you as at the very First He will have this offered to you then your hearts should likewise come in as well to God and at the very First come in and close with that blessed Offer of Grace and Mercy O it is a great Encouragement to a Minister when People come in at the very First offer We have a notable Scripture for this in Psal 18. 44. Mark As soon as they hear of Me they shall obey Me. That 's indeed a blessed thing that when a People comes to hear of Christ and of the Doctrine of Reconciliation that as soon as they hear of it they shall come in presently and Obey that a Minister shall find his First Labours to be Fruitful and Effectual I could tell you of one as in 2 Cor. 12. the beginning And so I could say That I knew one Twenty Years ago or more that at the very First day of Preaching of the Doctrine of the Gospel of that Truth unto a People at the First day God pleased to bring in a Soul and continue him to this very day and make him a Godly Gracious and Holy man that was a desperate and prophane wicked Wretch before O that it might please God to Incourage the Hearts of His Ministers so that at their First coming to People they might find some Fruit of their Labours For one that is Faithful and comes among a People he looks after his Ministry and considers what he doth and what Effect that hath and so doth give account to God of what Effect that hath upon the Hearts of People And O what an Incouragement is this and how Honourable to a People if a Minister of God shall give up this account and say Lord as soon as ever thou didst send me among such a People they did begin to hearken after the Doctrine of Peace and began to Consider what it was that was spoken And they were exceedingly Hopeful by their Attention and by other wayes they have given exceeding good hope that they have received the Doctrine of Peace that Thou didst send me about And those certainly are most to be Honoured that do First come in though it's true if men come in at the last Hour there is a possibility to get to Heaven but those that come in at the First they are the most acceptable to God Mich. 7. beginning My soul desired the first ripe fruit So the Soul of God doth this day long after the First Fruits of every Minister that comes among you O He looks into this Congregation to see where shall be the First Fruits of the Ministry of such a one and of such a one that comes among you in Rom. 16. 5. It is spoken to the Honour of Epenetus That he was the First fruits of Achaia unto Christ O Epenetus he is one that God did Honour for He was the First fruits of Achaia unto Christ And it is the Honour of England that it was the First Kingdom that profest Christian Religion by the Authority of the Publick Magistrate and God hath some special regard to England to this very day I make no Question for that And so in any place when God comes to them and offers the Conditions of Peace I say they that come First in upon this First offer will be most acceptable unto God Therefore do not defer and think I may come in at last and before I die time enough But if God be so timely with thy Soul that He would have His Ministers so begin with thee do thou Answer to God and begin with this God betimes and especially you that are young ones do not you reject it O when God shall come to thy Soul and say Peace be to thee I say take heed of rejecting the First offer For you that are young what though you may be guilty of much Vanity and Folly other wayes yet it may be you have not been guilty to this very day of rejecting the offer of the Gospel O take heed of Contracting that guilt upon you Know if you do it will make you a great deal harder and that guilt will be a great deal worse than of all your other sins besides therefore come in betimes as we read in Mark 10. 17. There comes a young man running to Christ and saith Good Master what shall I do to Inherit Eternal Life He was a young Rich man a Gentleman one that had great Possessions and the Text saith he came running to Christ O that God would perswade young ones and those of Quality seeing the Lord is pleased to begin with their Souls that they would hasten and come running to Christ to know what are the Terms of Peace and Reconciliation as it is said concerning John Baptist in Mat. 11. 12. The Text saith And from the dayes of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffered violence and the Violent take it by force The meaning is this Because that this great Doctrine of Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand was not Preached before John Baptist He was the First that came to Preach this in the plainness of it in a Gospel way
shall command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law Mark it Why what 's the matter v. 47. For it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life It may be some of them when they heard Moses declaring the Law of God they would be ready to think it is a good Law and Moses doth well in telling of us the Law but there is no great consequence of it how our Hearts be taken with it O but saith Moses do not you come to hear the Law upon such tearms but set your Hearts upon what you hear Why because it is your life Much more cause have the Ministers of the Gospel thus to say when they come to preach Jesus Christ to a people Set your hearts to what is delivered When they come and say Peace be to this place to this People the Doctrine of the Gospel be preached to them O set your hearts to what is delivered Why for it is your life When you come to Hear a Sermon you should come so as to consider that your Life may lye upon that Sermon for ought you know and the rather look to it because the Lord with whom you have to deal is a great God and a God that will not be dallyed withal and trisled withal but if you disobey the Message of the Gospel the Lord may deal very quick with you and that let 's me into the Last Point which now we are to finish this Text in and that is this That those that shall not Entertain the Gospel the Lord will deal very quick with them Your Peace shall return again the Lord will not stand long about the matter I in the naming of the point have already spoken of a Scripture or two Now is the Axe lay'd to the root of the Trees when John Baptist came to Preach the Kingdom of God And that in the Last of Mark v. 16. Go and Preach saith Christ to his Disciples he that believes shall be Saved he that believes not shall be Damned The Lord Christ tells how quick the Lord will be with those that shall not entertain the Gospel and there are many Texts that are very full for this purpose and because it is a great Point and that it should strike much upon your Consciences therefore I will present it in the fulness of the Evidence of Scripture That place that you have in Matth. 10. it is just parallel to this in Luke 10. there where Christ sends his Apostles forth as he doth the 70. he gives the same Directions in effect but mark here Saint Matthew goes farther than Saint Luke Let your Peace Return to you and whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when you depart out of that House or City shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tollerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for that City See here the quickness of God with those that do reject the Gospel So in John 3. that is very famous for this in ver 18. He that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already You will say he is Condemned already because his Natural Condition is such that he is under Condemnation No but I take it the Scripture doth aim at something further He is not only Condemned by reason of his sins against the Law but he is condemned already because he hath not believed on the Name of the only Begotten Son of God How could he Believe in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God before ever he heard it but here it is spoken of Light that is come into the World for so it follows in ver 19. And this is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil That is when Christ shall come to be preached to any People and they will not believe presently there is a sentence of Condemnation that 's the meaning of the Text he is Condemned already the Lord is very quick with such And in Acts 17. 30. a place famous And the Times of this Ignorance God winked at He saw and would not see as it were he overpast that but Now saith he that is Now when Christ comes to be Preached Now he Commandeth all men every where to Repeent as if he should say Look to your selves that you Repent now whatsoever you did before though you could prophane Sabbaths before look to your selves now though you were vain and superstitious and carnal take heed now to your selves as if the Holy Ghost should say The Lord is willing to pass by all that was before but for rejection of his Son look to that he will not pass by that so easily that One sin so easily as he will pass by all the other All the sins that men have Committed all their Lives before may more easily be past by than that one sin of Rejection of the offer of Grace by Jesus Christ Now he calls all men to Repentance And then a third Text is that in 2 Cor. 2. a Text that I made use of the last Day for another purpose For we are unto God a sweet Savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the savour of Death unto Death What 's the meaning of that It is somewhat a strange phrase and expression we are the savour of death unto death Savour of death I take the meaning of the phrase to be thus he compares his Ministery that was the Ministry of the Gospel unto those things that had a mighty efficacy in them a strong vertue so strong as their very savour was enough either to kill or to make alive As there are some things so strong as the very sent of them can kill a man or even raise a man from a Sound so saith the Apostle our Ministry to sin is the savour of death unto death it is a deadly savour to them Thus you may see that the Ministry of the Word it hath a mighty quickness in it one way or other either from Heaven or Hell to Save or to Destroy And another Scripture we have in Heb. 4. there the Apostle speaking of the Word the Word of the Gospel for certainly that 's that that he speaks of v. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart The Word of the Gospel whensoever it comes to any Congregation it is no dull matter you may not look to sit dully under that but it is a quick Word it will either slay thy sin or slay thy Soul one of the two it must slay one and that quickly And in Heb. 6. there the Apostle compares