have peace in poffeffion; they must be fons of Peace before they can make peace. An unbeliever is a very improper person to ftand in the gap, or make up a breach, either between Christ and his children, or between faint and faint; for he is an enemy to both parties, and can never wish well to either. We may fay of fuch peace-makers, as Jebu faid of the fon of witchcraft, "What haft thou to do with peace? Get thee behind me." Peace flows from the counsel of Heaven: "For mercy and truth met "together, righteoufnefs and peace kiffed each other," in the perfon of Chrift, when he undertook to fatisfy righteousness, fulfil and honour truth, open a way for mercy, and make peace by the blood of his crofs.

Peace prefuppofes a war fubfifting between two parties, and is brought about by the interpofition of a middle person, who appears in the character of a Mediator; and this Mediator is Chrift, who fuffered the fword of Justice to be fheathed in his own heart, that peace between God and elect finners might be proclaimed upon honourable and everlafting terms.

To this peace we were predeftinated and ordained from eternity; on which account we are called fons of Peace, before peace is revealed to us. "Into "whatsoever houfe ye enter; fay, Peace be to this "house; and if the fon of Peace be there, your peace

"hall

"fhall come upon it; if not, it fhall turn to you "again,"

Peace, in the revelation of it to the finner's heart, is the effect of pardon and juftification; as it is written, "Thy fins are forgiven thee, go in peace.— "And being juftified by faith, we have with peace "God." And it is called a fruit of the Spirit, and is produced under his operation, as foon as the foul is fealed to the day of redemption. The man, therefore, that is a stranger to the pardon of his fin, the juftification of his perfon, and the mystery of faith, cannot be either a peace-poffeffor or a peacemaker; for the way of peace he has never known. A peace-maker is one who is authorized and commiffioned by the high Court of Heaven, as an ambasfador of the King of kings, to proclaim peace in the name of his rightful Sovereign, between the Moft High God and the children, of men. Which bleffing of peace flows from the everlasting love of God, as the efficient caufe; from the blood of Chrift, as the procuring caufe; and by the Spirit into the finner's heart, by faith, as the applicatory hand, or inftrumental caufe. "Beautiful upon the "mountains," and bleffed for ever are fuch peace

makers.

Every child of God is commiffioned to make and keep peace, but his commiffion authorizes him not to proclaim peace between the world and the church. Chrift came not to fend peace here, but a sword

"and

"and a fire;" nor between Satan and the Church. Christ hath no concord with Belial, nor yet between the old man and the new, in a child of God (by a finlefs perfection;) for these are to war together; the one is to be put off, and the other put on to the end. Nor are they to proclaim peace between faints and hypocrites, for this is not taking forth the vile from the precious; but to proclaim, enforce, and endeavour to maintain peace between Chrift and his family, and between the children of God, is, and ever is to be, the honeft endeavour of a fon of Peace; and fuch peace-makers, and only fuch, are bleffed.

And

They fhall be called the children of God. And fa they are called, and acknowledged to be, by those who are partakers of adopting grace; and children of God they really are, though profeffors often call them by another name. But no uninspired perfon, no unbeliever, can, with certainty, be called " a "child of God." Chrift commiffions no man to tell lyes, nor to call them God's children that are not fo.

Blessed are they which are perfecuted for righteousnefs fake. Not to get a righteoufnefs, but for the fake of one already got. Perfecution, in the highest fenfe, is the Devil in the heart of a rebel, oppofing Christ in the heart of a faint. Abel was perfecured for righteoufnefs fake, or because God had accepted Abel's perfon, and gave witnefs of it, teftifying of his gift; while Cain, who was of that wicked one,

not

not being accepted, nor his offering, flew him, be caufe his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous; or because God had given the one faith, and not the other; and because the work of faith was accepted, and the work of the flesh rejected. A perfon is perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake, when God has given him, by the Spirit, the word of righteousness, and fent him to preach it; as he did to Noah, in whom, and by whom, the Spirit of Christ ftrove with the wicked Antediluvians, whofe fouls are now in prifon, (1 Peter, iii. 19.) till God faid, "My Spirit shall not always ftrive with man." Soon after, God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, and faved Noab, a preacher of righteousness. He must be in a juftified state, who, in the fenfe of the text, is perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake. If impoftors, infidels, or hypocrites, bring a perfecution upon themfelves, it is rather a being buffeted for their hypocrify, than being perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake: and it is often feen, that fuch go back again, with humble fubmiffion, to the Devil and the world; and, to atone for their paft offences, commit all uncleannefs with greeċinefs. Perfons, therefore, that are justified by faith, and live in good confcience; who vindicate the honour of a righteous God, and reprove unrighteous and wicked men; who profefs, or preach, the righteoufnefs of faith, and oppofe errors advanced; and who live by the faith of the Son of God; and whofe

whofe conduct and conversation in the world is just and upright before God, and before men; these are the perfons that are perfecuted for righteousness fake, and theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Bleffed are ye when men fhall revile you, and perfecute you, and fhall fay all manner of evil against you falfely, for my fake. Reviling a person's name and character, his writings, preaching, religion, or profeffion, without any juft charge of ignorance, error, hypocrify, or immorality, is reviling him falfely. Opposing a fervant of Chrift, refifting, gainfaying, or endeavouring to hinder his usefulness in the work of God, is perfecuting him. Calling him an Antinomian, a bad fpirit, a licentious perfon, and an encourager of fin, without either ground or proof, is fpeaking evil against him falfely-and that for Chrift's fake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven. The Saviour knew these things would not always be found easy to flesh and blood, therefore tells us to rejoice that he counts us worthy to fuffer reproach and fhame for his name; and in that we are honoured in being employed in the Lord's fervice, and in fighting the Lord's battles. Furthermore it fhews, that fuch a foul is tolerably sound in the faith, and pretty well purged from the fpirit of the world, and from the community of it, as they fo deteft him; which is matter of rejoicing, for many legal profeffors and hypocrites

are