to sinners, as God in Christ reconciling sinners to
himself, 2 Cor. v. 19. Though some men be always suspicious of God, yet
they have more reason to suspect their own willingness. For what is all
the gospel but a declaration of his love, and laying down the enmity, or
rather, that he had never hostile affections to his elect, and so was all
this while providing a ransom for himself, and bringing about the way to
kill the enmity? And having done that by the blood of Christ, he will
follow us with entreaties of reconcilement, and requests to lay down our
hostile affections, and the weapons of our warfare; and for him we have no
more ado but to believe his love, while we were yet enemies. This, I say,
carried into the heart with power, gives that sweet calm and pleasant rest
to the soul, after all its tossings. This commands the winds and waves of
the conscience, and they obey it. It is true that many find no trouble
within, and some, upon terrible apprehensions of sin and wrath, find ease
for the time in some other thing, as a diversion to some other object, and
turning aside with Cain to build cities, to worldly pleasures, or
employments, or company, that the noise of them may put the clamours of
their conscience to silence. Some parleys and cessations men have, some
treaties of this kind for peace with God; but alas! the most part make no
entire and full peace. They are always upon making the bargain, and cannot
close it, because of their engagements to sin, and their own corrupt
lusts. And therefore many do nothing else than what men do in war, to seek
some advantage, or to gain time by their delays: but O the latter end will
be sad, when he shall arm you against yourselves! Were it not better, now
while it is to-day, not to harden your hearts? Now, joy is the effect of
peace, and it is the very overflowing of it in the soul, upon the lively
apprehension of the love of God, and the inestimable benefit of the
forgiveness of sins. It is peace in a large measure, pressed down, and
running over, breaking without the ordinary channel, and dilating itself
to the affecting and refreshing of all that is in man: "My heart and my
flesh shall rejoice." This is the very exuberance and high sailing-tide of
the sea of peace that is in a believer's heart. It swells sometimes upon
the full aspect of God's countenance beyond the ordinary bounds, and
cannot be kept within in gloriation and boasting in God. When a soul is so
illustrated wit