Preached 17. 1662. 137 peace, it is a duty which the Gofpel enjoyns with the great& ,11;7' hemencie, with the greateft force ofwords and expreflions. The Apoftle, when he is to feal up his affthion to them, he doth it with that prayer, 2 Their. 3. 16. Now the God ofpeacebimfelfgiveyoupeace always, by all means : What orange exprdions ! Firft, he gives you here the title of the God ofpeace, and then he faith, [ Hinifelf] the Godof peace himf. elf. There's a great deal of force in that word Peace is lo excellent a biding, and there is filch an abhorrencie in our corrupt nature to it, that it is only the Lord biinfelf that is able to effea it : As lithe Apoffle had laid, the Lord mull bow the Hea- vens, he mat come down hirnfelf to create peace among you ; and to exprefs the greater vehemency ofhis defire,he Caith,give youpeace alwayes by means. So another Scripture purfue Pea ee,Foltowpeace with admen, a word that imports our purlitit after it, . though it run from us. This is the hail] and tenor of the Gofpel, and this becomes you as Chriffians. When Chrift came to purchale our peace, he came as a Lamb, an innocent and meek Creature, Behold the Lamb of cod. When the holy Spirit delcended to feal the privi- ledge of peace to Us, he deicended in the form of a Dove ; a gaui- lefs creature in whom there is no rancor nor bitternels. What a ftrong engagement fhoula this be upon all of us, to purCue and promote peace ? And foryour encouragement confider ; (I) That in the times of the Gofpel all the promifes, do as it were empty themfelves into this blefling, the Hang of peace. Thus Ifa. i I. 6. you thall find there a graciouspromife, rerpeaing the, the times ©fthe Gofpel, The Wolf alfo jivedwell with, the Lamb, and the Leopard lie down with the Kid, and the Calf, and the youngLi7 on, and the Fatting together, and a little child /ball lead them, and the Cow, and the Bearjhallfeed ; their young ones :INS lie down together, and the Lyon (hall eat firaw like the Ox. That which I obferve from thence, is this, That God here prothiles to cattle an univerfal peace and unity under the Gofpel, though it be as difficult as to perrwade the molt difagreeing natures to a peaceable cohabitation. For here the Scr ipture inftanees in thole Creatures, between which there is the molt natural, and therefore the molt fierce animofities. The Lord will reconcile men, though their differencesebe never fo °Teat.. What is too hard for the Godof peace toeffa .? Is not God of infinite power, of infinite love ? then it fhould quicken us to pur- fue peace. ( ) By prayer to him, becaufe he is able to effeet it: certainly that God that wai able to bring Orden into theWorld, when it was a meer lump and mars of confulion, is able to bring peace,eand to unite our fpirits. T And
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