scudderpage341

Page 341

And as for love, they that love the Lord shall have peace: you must therefore love God; love his ordinances and his people; love God with all your heart; love your neighbours as yourselves; love God's commandments. For great peace shall they have, saith the prophet, that love God's law, and nothing shall offend them, Psa. cxix. 165.

Whoever shall thus take up Christ's yoke, and follow him, shall find rest to their souls, Matt. xi. 29; and peace shall be upon them, as upon the Israel of God, Gal. vi. 16.

Fifthly, If you would have peace, use all good means whereby you may be often put in remembrance of the exhortations and consolations of God. They in the Hebrews were therefore disquieted, and ready to faint in their minds, because they forgot the exhortation, which said, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, &c., and because they forgot the consolation, which saith, Whom the Lord loves, he chastens, Heb. xii. 5, 6.

The principal means of being put in mind of God's consolations, are these following:

1. You must be much conversant in the Scriptures, by reading, hearing, and meditating thereon. For they were all written to that end, that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, you might have hope, Rom. xv. 4.

The Scriptures of God, they are the very wells and breasts of consolation and salvation, Isa. xii. 3. lxvi. 11. The law discovers sin, and by its threats against you, and by relating judgments executed upon others, does drive you to Christ, Gal. iii. 24. The promises of the gospel made to you, and the accomplishment thereof to others, do settle and confirm you in Christ, whereby your heart is filled with joy and consolations. The gospel is called the gospel of peace, and the ministers of the gospel are said to bring glad tidings of this peace, Rom. x. 15. It is the bright shining light in the gospel, which will guide your feet in the way of peace, Luke i. 79.

2. Be much in good company, especially in theirs,