of SIN in BELIEVERS. 39 wardappearance, or any thing that may be fubjeft to a- mtftake, as we are apt todo; but he shall judge and determine every cause as it is indeed. Take .thefe two previous obfervations, and I than give fome rules whereby men may know whether God fpeaks peace to them, or whether they fpealc peace to themfelves only. Men certainly (peak peace to themfelves, when their fo doing is not at- tended with the greateft deteftation imaginable of that fin in reference whereun- to theydo fpeak peace to themfelves, and abhorrency of themfelves for it. When men are wounded by fin, difquieted and perplexed and knowing that there is no remedy for them, but only in the mercies of God, through the blood of Christ, do therefore look to him, and to the promifes of the covenant in him, and thereupon quiet their hearts that it (hall be well with them, and that God will be exalted, that he may be gracious to them, and yet their fouls are not wrought to the greateft deteftation of the fin or fins, upon the account. whereof they are difquieted, this is to heal themfelves, and not to be healed of God.,, This is but a great and ftrong wind, that the Lord is nigh unto, but the Lord is not in the wind. When men do truly look upon Chrift whom they have pierced, without which there is no heal- ' ingot peace, they will mourn, Zech. xii. to. they will mourn for him even upon this account, and deteft the fin that pierced him. When we go to Chrift for heals, faith eyes him peculiarly as one pierced. Faith takes feveral views of Christ, accor- ding to the occasions of addrefs to him, and communion with him that it bath. Sometimesit views his holinefs, fometimes his power, fometimes his love, his favour withhis Father. And when it goes for healing and peace, it looks efpecially on the blood of the covenant, on his fufferings; for by his sffripes are we healed, and the rhá- Itifement ofour peace was upon him, Ifa. liii g. whenwe took for healing, his (tripes -are to be eyed : not in the outward fiery of them, which is the courfe of popish devotioniftr, but in the love, kindnefs, myftery, and delign of the crofs. And when we look for peace, his chaftifements mutt be in our eye : now, I fay, if it be done .according to the mind of God, and in ehe ftrength ofthat Spirit which is poured out on believers, it will beget a deteftation of that fin or fins, for which hefting andpeace is fought So Ezek. xvi. 6o, 62. Neverthel f Iwill remember by covenant with thee in the days of thyyouth, and Iwill efiablli unto thee an everlafling covenant, and What then ? Then thou (/salt remember thy ways and be 4hamed. When God comes home to fpeak peace in a fire covenant of it, it fills the foul with fhame for all the ways whereby it bath beet alienated from him. And one of the things that the apgifle mentions as attending that godly forrow, which is accompanied with repantance unto falvation, never to be repented of, is revenge; Yea what revenge? z Cor. vii. it. They relferted an their mifcarriages with indignation and revenge for their folly in them. When 7c5 comes up ro a through healing, he cries, Now I abhor myfelf, `job xlii. 6. and until he did fo, he had no abiding. peace. He might perhaps have made up himfelf with that Doârine offree grate which was fo excellently preachedby Eliha, rap. xxxiii. from v.14.unto to. but hehad then but skinned his wounds, he mull cometo felf-abhor- rencyit hecome to healing. Sowas it with thofe in Pf lxxviii.33,35. in their great trou- ble and perplexity,for and upon the account of fin; I doubt not but uponaddrefs they made to God in Chrift (for thatfo they did, is evidentfrom the titles they gave him, they call him their rock e and their redeemer, two words every where pointing out the Lord Chrift) they fpeak peace to themfelves, but was it found and abiding? No, it paffd 'away as the early dew, God fpeaks not one word of peace to their fouls. But why had they not peace? Why because in their adherís to God they flattered him : but how doth that appear? v.3;7. Their heart wasnot right withhim, neither were they ffedfaft t they had not a.deteftation nor relinquishment of that fin in reference where- unto they fpeke peace to themfelves. Let a man make what application he will for healing and peace, let himdo it to the truephyfitian, let him do it right way,lethim quiet his hoirt in the promifes of the covenant ; yet whenpeace is fpoken,. if it be not attended with the deteftation and abhorrenceof that fin, which was: the wound, and eaus'd the difquietment, thisis no peace of God's creating, but of our own pm- chafing. le is but a skinningover the wound, whilft thecore liesat thebottom, which will putrify, and corrupt, and corrode, until it breakout again, with noifomnefs, vexa- tion and danger. Let not poor fouls that walk in filch a path as this, who are more fenfible of the trouble of fin, than. of the pollution. of uneleannefs that attend it ; who addrefs themfelves for mercy, yea, to the Lord in Quilt, they addrefs them- felves
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