I 32 Dr. Bate's fore-noon Sermon, (2) He is alone able to reveal and difcoVer it. There is nothing harder in the world, than to calm and quiet a difturbed Confci- ence; it mutt be the fame power that makes light to fpring out of darkneli, that mutt cattle a chearfulferenity. in a dark and difcon- folate foul. I know time is nothing more eafy then that falfepeace which is fo univerfal in the world ; for the molt amongfl us cheat themfelves with prefumption inftead of peace with God, and few- thy inftead of peace with Confcience : but that peace which is fo- lid and true, can onely he revealed by God hunielf. We have an inftance of this in David, (Pfal. 51.) although ,Nathan had told him from God, Thy fin is pardoned ; het notwithftanding he faith, Make thou me to hear joy and gladnefs, that thebones which thou hag brokt: ,y rejoyce. He [till addreffes himrelf to God, that he would cattle to hear the voice ofpardon and reconciliation, for his foul could not be quiet by the voiceof the Prophet. There is fo much infidelity in the foul of a man, that when he comes to take a view of his fins in all their bloody aggravatiOns, onely the Spirit ofGod hirnfelf is able to allay the terrors of the Confcience : And this he dothby an over-powring light, whenhe cloth in an imperativeand commanding manner, filence all the doubts of the foul, and efta- blifh it in peace with God. Certainly he that fhall but confider the terrors, the faintings, thepalenefs of a wounded confcience, when you fhall fee a perion difrelifh a1,1 the things of this world uponthis account, Fearing /0 God is his enemy; when all difcourfes that are addreffed to him .are ineffeattal, and but like warm cloaths to a dead carcafe, cannot infpire any heat into him. Oh ! this flieWs, only God is able to reveal peace. So Job, If he hide his face, who is able to be at peace ? T here needs no other fury to compleat the mifery of a man than his own accufing confcience : Confcience is a verrier a Devil than the Devil himielf, and able more to torment and lath the creature ; Therefore, if that be once awakened, 'cis only God, to whole Tribunal, confcience is liable, which is able to fpeak peace to the Soul. Now you fee in what refpe& this Title [The God of peace] is attributed to him, as he is the Author and worker of it. 2. As he loves and delights in peace. This is thatwhich is fo pleafing to him, that he adopts thole into the line ofHeaven who are Peace-rnakeys, for they .fhall be called the Children ofGod, Mat. 5.6. This chara&erizes perlons to be his children, to be allied to him. God he. only delights in the reflthion ofhis own Image; for thole things that we admire in the world, and delight in, do nocaffea his heart He delights not in the jirength of the Horfe ; be takftpledh not
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