Hed"Jen upon Earth. ---------------~--- --- down to men, and become man, that man might bo exalted into rho highdl hea- A vens; and rharour nature might be taken into the fellowlhip ofthe Deiry. That he to whom all po\vers in heaven bowed, and thought ir their honour robe fcrviceable, lhould comedowne to be a fervant to his flaves, a ranfame for his enemies; together with our nature taking upour very infirmities, our fhame, our torments, and bearinn our finnes wirhou( finne. That thou whomthe heavens were too !hair to contain;, lhouldll by thy lelfe in an obfcure cratch: thou which wert attended ofAngels 0Jouldll be derided of men,rejetled ot thine own, perfecuted by TyTltert'cc:itof €1ur puce off"... ~ red byFlith. Aroroltryof the: l:c:ncfitof thilreceit. nrs,rempred with Devils, betrayed ofrhyfervanr, crucified among rheeves, and (w ich was worfe rhenall rhefe) in thine own apprehenfion, for the time, as forfakenofrhy Fathfr; That thou whom our fins had pierced , Owtildll for our linnes both ~~en drops ofbloud in the garden, and powre our llreames of bloud upon rhe C !fr. 0 the invaluable purchafe of our peace! 0 ranfome enough for moe worlds! hou which wert in thecounfell ofthy Father, rhe Lambe fiaine from the beginnin~ oftime,cam' no ·n fulneifeofrime robe flaineby man, for man; being at once rl~e Sacrificeoffered , t P jell thatdid offer--, and rhe God rowh mir was offered.How graciouOy didll rhou both proclaime our peace, as a Prop et in the time ufthy life upon earth,and purchafe ir by thy bloud as a Priell ar thy d<ath, and now confirmelland applidl it as a King inheaven!By thee only ir was procured, by thee ir is proffered. 0 mercy without example, without meafure ! God offers peace to man, rhe holy feeksro the nnjull, the Potterto the clay, the King ro the traitor. We are unworthy that we 010uld be received ro peace though we delired it; what are we then that we 010uld have peace offered for the receiving~ An eafie con- C ditionoffogr<at a benefit; he requires us not to earn ir,butto ~ccept it ofhim: what could he give more~ what could he require leffe of us~ SncT.Vl. THe purchafe therefore ofour peace was paidat once, yet mull be feverally reckoned to every Coule whom it !hall benefit. Ifwe have not an hand to take what Chtifls hand doth either hold, or offer, what is fnfficient in him, cannor be dfcCluoll to us . The fpirituall hand, whereby we apprehend the fweet offers ofour Saviour, is faith) which in fhonis nootherthc:n an affiance in the Mediator: recdve peace and be bappy,beleeve and thouhafi received. Fromhence it is that we D are intcreffed in all that either God bath promifed,or Chtill hath performed. Hence havewe from God both forgivene[e and love, the ground ofall either peace or glory. Hence ofenemies we become more then friends, fonnes : and as fonnes, may both expeCt and challenge not only careful! provifion and fafe protetlion on earth, but an everlafiing patrimony above. This field is fa fpacious, that it were eafie for a man to lofe himfdfe in it: and it I fi1ould fpend all my pilgrimage,in this walke,my time would fooner end then my way ; wherein I would have meafured more pafes, were it not that our fcope is not fo much to magnifie the benefit ofour peace, as to reek how to obtain it. Behold now, after we have fought heaven and earth; where onely. the wearied Dove may finde an Olive ofpeace. The apprehending of this all fufficient fatisfa- E tlion,makesir ours : upon our fatisfatlion wehave remiffion ; upon remiflion , foilowes reconciliation;upon our reconciliatioo,peace.When therefore thy confcience like a llerne Sergeant 013ll catch thee by the throat, and arrell thee upon Gods debr, let thy_only plea bethat thou hallo!ready paid it: Bring forth that bloudy ocquittance !ea led ro thee from heaven upon thy true faith,firairway thoulhaltfee the fierce and terrible look afthyconfcience changed into friendly fmiles, & that rougb and violent hand that was ready to drag thee to prifon,lhall now lovingly embrace thee, and fight forthee againll all the wrongful! attempts of any fpiriruall adverfary. 0 heavenly Peace, and more then Peace, Friendfhip, whereby alone we are leagued IVith our felves1 and God withus, which who.ever wants,!hall finde a fad Remembrancer in the midll ofhis di(fembled jollity, and after all vaine llrifes, 01all fall into ------~------------------------------------------------~m~a~n.Y~-
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