because the foundation of God stands sure, and none of his purposes are abortive. Those whom God has ordained to glory shall be brought to it by the ordinary means of grace and peace; and ministers are sent in pursuance of that design, that the purpose of God according to election may stand." [2] Those who are so by the operations of the divine grace. They are the sons of peace, in whom God has wrought a gracious readiness to admit the word of the gospel in the light and love of it; whose hearts are made soft to receive the impressions of it, so that they are turned as clay to the seal. Those come to Christ, and so come under the dominion of this peace, whom the Father draws by preparing grace, and whom, though unwilling, he makes willing in the day of his power," by opening their understandings, and making their hearts to burn within them; of which two great works of divine grace, one on the intellectual, the other on the active, powers of the soul, our Lord Jesus gave remarkable specimens while he was here upon earth, after his resurrection, Luke xxiv. 32, 45. to our prayers; so that the effectually fervent prayer of a righteous man may avail much and what a joy may it be to us, if we thus become helpers of the joy of the Lord's people! And though the answer of peace does not come quickly, we must continue to pray and wait, and hearken what God the Lord will speak; for, sooner or later, he will speak peace to his people and to his saints. Light is sown for them, and in due time it will come up in a harvest of joy, though it may be it was sown in tears. When we pronounce the blessing of peace upon a mixed congregation,- -as to them who are indeed the sons of peace, God will say Amen to the blessing, will put his fiat-let it be done, to it, "They are blessed and they shall be blessed." We pray for all,-God will hear us for those who are the children of the covenant, and the promise; as Abraham prays for Ishmael, and God hears him for Isaac. As the hand of his wrath shall find out all his enemies; so the hand of his grace and blessing shall find out all his friends, wherever they are, none of them shall be lost in the crowd. [2.] Our preaching to them shall answer the end, and be effectual. If they be the sons of peace, the glad tidings of peace we bring shall instruct them, and increase their knowledge; shall invite them to Christ, and strengthen their faith in him; shall work upon their affections, and inflame their love to him; shall govern them, and influence their whole con They are the sons of peace; that is, qualified to receive the comforts of the everlasting gospel; in whom there is a good work of grace wrought, that whereas they were by nature vain, and carnal, and worldly, are become serious, and holy, and heavenly; who are born again, born from above, and partake of a new nature. To those who are sanctified, and to those only, we are commissioned to speak peace. Therefore the apostolical benediction puts grace be-versation; shall comfort them, and enlarge their fore peace; Grace be unto you, and, then, peace. Those only who have received the spirit of holiness, are entitled to the consolations of God. (2.) Wherein shall those who are thus the sons of peace be the better for our ministry? We are here told, that our peace shall rest upon them, that is, hearts to run the way of God's commandments. Our peace shall come upon them as a light shining from heaven to guide their feet into the paths of peace, and in those paths; nay, it shall come upon them as power from on high, both to rule their hearts, and give law to them; and to keep their hearts, and give comfort to them. It shall come upon them, as the rain comes copiously upon the earth to water it: and they shall drink in this rain, and bring forth herbs meet for them by whom they are dressed.' But O what a comfort is it, to be instrumental in furthering the holiness, and joy, of the sons of peace; in carrying the heirs of heaven forward toward their inheritance! Herein, we have the bonour of being workers together with God; and as under shepherds, serving the gracious purposes of the chief Shepherd, who gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them in his bosom.m [1.] Our prayers for them shall be heard. And even with an eye to our prayers, and in answer to them, as well as to his own promises, and in performance of them, God will bestow upon them all that good which is necessary, and will be sufficient, to make them happy for ever and easy now. When we bespeak peace for them, God will speak peace to them, he will bless his people with peace; will pay out the legacy which Christ has left, by his last will and testament, to all who are his disciples indeed, upon our suing it out for them,-even his peace. This is an encouragement to us to pray particularly for good Christians who are troubled in mind, and are of a sorrowful spirit; and to be hum-shall not only come, but rest, upon the sons of peace, bly earnest with God in prayer for them, when it may be they cannot with any confidence pray for themselves that it is here promised that peace shall be given, to all those to whom it belongs, in answer [3.] The fruit of both shall remain ;" your peace it shall continue with them, and they shall never lose the power and benefit of it; it is a good part which shall never be taken away from those who have it; this peace shall take such deep rooting in the soul that it shall never be extirpated; it shall be a well of living water which shall still spring up to life eternal. Our Saviour encouraged his disciples with this, when he sent them forth into his harvest,-That they were gathering fruit unto life eternal; in which both he who sows and they who reap shall for ever rejoice together. [1] It is true that our peace shall not come, or rest, upon them, as it does upon them who are the sons of peace; our prayers are not heard for them. We know not who have sinned unto death, while there is life there is hope, and therefore we are to pray for the worst; but if we did know, concerning any, as certainly as Samuel did concerning Saul, (3.) The text also shows us that we ought not to that God had rejected them, we should have very be overmuch discouraged in our work, though there little reason to pray for them. There is a sin, a sinbe many who are never the better for our praying ner, unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for and preaching. If the sons of peace be not among it." Our preaching speaks no comfort to them; for those to whom we bring the glad tidings of peace; we are to separate between the precious and the vile. if those to whom we minister be wilful and obstinate, And at the same time we say, God has redeemed his and turn a deaf ear to the calls of the word, and will servant Jacob, and they thirsted not when he led them not hearken to the voice of the charmer; if we can- through the deserts, we must add, yet there is no peace, not fasten any thing upon them, to convince them saith the Lord, unto the wicked. When this blessof their folly in a sensual indulgence of the body, ing is pronounced upon the congregation, those in and a senseless neglect of their souls;-they who it who are not the sons of peace have no part or lot were filthy, are filthy still; and all the day long do in the matter, it is not designed for them. Behold, we stretch out our hands in vain to a rebellious gain-my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry. It is saying people. In this case, our own hearts suggest to us many sad thoughts: It is a temptation to us to question the credibility and acceptableness of the truths we preach, when there are so many who cannot be brought to entertain them, and submit to them; to question whether it be any advantage to have the oracles of God and the means of grace, and whether it were not as good be without them, since to so many who have them they are in vain. But we have ready an answer to this temptation, What if some did not believe? (Nay, what if many did not?) Shall their unbelief invalidate the covenant of grace and peace, and make the truth of God of none effect? God forbid ! We are told, previously, that so it would be; and, therefore, it ought not to be a stumbling-block to us. And the reason why they do not believe, and are not sons of peace, is not because there wants any thing to recommend this peace to them, but because their minds are blinded by the love of the world and the lusts of the flesh, and they will not come to Christ for eye-salve, will not come to him that they might have life." It is likewise a temptation to us to question, Whether we have the presence of God with us in our ministry, or no? We are ready to say, as Gideon did, If the Lord be with us, where are all the wonders that our fathers told us of? the wonders that were wrought by the powers of the word, in casting down imaginations, and bringing high thoughts into obedience to Christ:' we now see not such signs; there are no more any converts; or, very few like the grapegleanings of the vintage. As to this, the text intimates that which may encourage us, and give us satisfaction. If we meet with those who are not the sons of peace, ⚫ John iv. 14. P John iv. 36. q Rom. iii. 3. r John v. 40. ⚫ Jud. vi. 13. t 2 Cor. x. 5. u 1 John v. 16. Isa. xlviii. 20-22. true, that grace and peace shall be with them all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity; but it is as true, that if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, he is, and shall be, anathema: maran-atha— accursed: the Lord comes. The blessing that rests upon the sons of peace shall never come upon the sons of Belial. In God's name I therefore testify, to all who hear me this day, If you do not submit your souls to the sanctifying, commanding power of the gospel truths, they speak, they bring, no peace to you. You have no right to the blessings of the covenant, nor can lay any claim to its comforts, unless you come up to the terms of the covenant, and come under the bonds of it. Those and those only shall find rest for their souls in Christ, who are willing to take his yoke upon them. You have many excellent ministers, and a great deal of lively, serious, powerful preaching; you have precept upon precept, and line upon line: but all this will bring no peace to you, if you continue under the power of a vain and carnal mind,-nay, it will but aggravate your condemnation another day. We dare not speak peace to those to whom the God of heaven does not speak peace; nor tell those who go on still in their trespasses, they shall have peace notwithstanding; we should be false to God and your souls if we did. However you may flatter yourselves, we dare not flatter you, in a sinful way; we have not seen visions of peace for you, and therefore must not speak words of peace to you. To what purpose would it be to daub a wall with untempered mortar, which would soon fall and bury you, and us too, in the ruins of it? We must say to every impenitent sinner, as Jehu did to Joram's messenger, What hast thou to do with peace? True peace x Isa. xlv. 13. y Eph. vi. 24. z Cor. xvi. 22, b Ezek. xiii. 10, 16. e 2 Kings ix. 18. w Acts viii. 21. thou canst not have without holiness. Be willing | heaven. [2.] The peace that does not find sons of peace to rest upon shall turn to us again. And this ought to satisfy us; as it quieted David, when he prayed for his persecutors, that though his kindness did not work upon them, nor were his prayers heard for them perhaps, yet they returned into his own bosom.d Our peace shall turn to us; that is, (1.) We shall have the comfort of having done our duty to God, in discharge of our trust; and of having done our part toward their salvation, in love to their souls. This will be peace to us, though it be not peace to them. Abundance of peace we may have in our own bosoms, if we have the testimony of our consciences for us, that we have dealt plainly with them, have given them fair warning of their misery and danger by reason of sin, have said again and again, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; have endeavoured to open to them the remedial law of repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ; and have not wilfully kept back any thing that was profitable to them; though we have piped to them and they have not danced, have| mourned unto them, and they have not lamented. We have done what we could, to frighten them from sin with the terrors of the law, and to allure them to Christ with the comforts of the gospel; but all in vain, they have not been wrought upon either by the one or by the other: yet their infidelity and obstinacy shall be no bar to our acceptance with God, who will have an eye to our sincerity, not to our success. This peace will be our peace still, if we have some good hope, through grace, that though we cannot prevail with others to come to Christ, yet we have ourselves an interest in him; that we shall save ourselves, though we save not all who hear us ;h that whatever becomes of them, we shall not be cast away at last. If others be not the better for our labours, the peace may return to ourselves, if we be the better; for we preach to ourselves, and must edify ourselves; and the less good we think we do to others' souls, the more good let us endeavour to get to our own souls, and then take the comfort of it. When those disciples returned, to whom Christ gave these instructions in the text, though they had had wonderful success, even beyond their own expectation, yet Christ directs them to rejoice more in the assurances they themselves had of their own bliss, than in their triumphs over Satan in others: In this rejoice not, that the devils are subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in And this cause for joy every faithful minister has, though he has not the success he wishes for. (2.) We shall have commission to go on in our work notwithstanding. Our peace shall turn to us again; not only to be enjoyed by ourselves, but to be bestowed upon others, and communicated to them, to the next we meet with who are sons of peace. If one will not be wrought upon, it is to be hoped another will. Though many disbelieve our report, yet all do not; there are some who will bid it welcome. Though the body of the Jewish nation rejected the gospel of Christ, yet at this present time,* (says the apostle,) when the ferment is at the highest, and the opposition given to the gospel is most violent, yet there is a remnant according to the election of grace, a remnant even of that nation, who are sons of peace. And when the Jews thrust the kingdom of God away from them by their unbelief, the Gentiles embraced it with both arms. The peace which the apostles made a tender of to them, but they refused, was still in their hands, to carry to the Gentiles: Lo, we turn to them.' It is indeed a temptation to us, when our message is slighted, to say, We will go no more on this errand; as Jeremiah was ready to say, when his ministry was ridiculed, I will not make mention of the Lord, nor speak any more in his name:" but we must never yield to any temptation of this kind, for woe unto us, if we preach not the gospel, as we have opportunity, whatever the issue be. If men will not hear us, our God will; and will crown humble, honest labours in his service with comfort and glory, though they should not be crowned with any remarkable success. (3.) We shall be witnesses against those who refuse so fair an offer. Our peace shall return to us again, as the summons is returned to the officer, if the party summoned is not to be found, that it may be produced in evidence, that he was legally summoned. The gospel is a testimony to us; but if we receive it not, it will be a testimony against us." And the ministers of that gospel, who now follow you with importunity from day to day, beseeching you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God, but all in vain, will give up a sad account concerning you; and you will be upbraided with all the pains they have taken among you; it will all be brought into the account, with a “ Son remember;" that will enhance the reckoning, and inflame the torment. The servant who was sent to invite the guests to the wedding supper, when he met with a repulse, came and showed his lord all these things. Ministers bring in an account of the fruit of their labours. While the sons of peace will be their joy and crown of rejoicing, those who continue in a state of enmity will be for ever struck speechless by their testi mony against them: "Lord, we called, but they refused; we warned them, day and night, with tears, but they stiffened their necks and hardened their hearts, and sent us away grieved." Many a time they complained of it at the throne of grace, and it made their work go on heavily upon their hands, their souls wept in secret for it; but when they shall testify it before the throne of judgment, they will awfully applaud and acquiesce in the sentence past upon them, and be content to see them perish. up to God for the success. We ought earnestly to desire that our labour may not be in vain, and to be in care that nothing may be wanting on our part, in order to the good effect of it; we should do more good if we were but more solicitous to do good, and set ourselves to devise things proper for that end, to choose out words wherewith to reason with people about their souls. But still we must depend upon the blessing of heaven for their success; and must be earnest in prayer for that blessing. We can but speak to the ear, it is God only that can teach the heart, and seal the instruction there. When we go to study, let us pray to God to put a word into our mouth that shall suit the case, and reach the consciences, of those to whom we are to speak; to direct us both in the choice and management of our subjects, to fill our hands, (as the He Let us now make some application of all briefly. 1. Let this awaken us who are ministers to be faithful, and serious, and diligent in delivering our message; as those who are in some measure sensible of the vast importance of the work we are employed in, and the dispensation that is committed to us. O that I could stir up my own heart, and yours, duly to consider the inestimable value of that trea-brew phrase for consecration,) that we may fill the sure which is lodged in us, though we are but earthen vessels; that peace which we are to bring in God's name to mankind; those talents with which we are to trade till our Lord comes. Let us think who we are in trust for: for Christ and his honour, and the interests of his kingdom among men; for precious souls, and their everlasting welfare. We deal in matters of life and death; O let our care and zeal be proportionable; and let us make a business of our ministry, let us wait upon it,' and give ourselves wholly to it, as those who must give account, that our Lord when he comes may find us doing, so doing. If we be unskilful, and know not how to divide the word of truth and peace aright; if we be unfaithful, and soothe men up in their sins, or any way handle the word of God deceitfully, seeking our own things more than the things of Christ; if we be slothful, and unwilling to take pains, not affected ourselves with the great things of God with which it is our business to affect others; if we be lifeless and careless in praying and preaching, and defeat the end of the matter of both by the slight manner of the performance ;—we shall have a great deal to answer for another day. If the watchmen do not give warn- | ing, or not so that it is likely to be heard or heeded, the sinners will perish; but their blood will be required at the watchmen's hands." And let us remember that we are to bring peace with us in all our ministrations, that peace of God which passeth all conception and expression; and therefore we ought to apply ourselves to that business, and not meddle with things that belong not to us. We are ambassadors of peace; let us not then sow discord, nor foment divisions; for if we do, we contradict our character, and forfeit the honour of it. Let us be at peace among ourselves, and covet the blessedness of those who are peace-makers. 2. Let us, when we have done what we can, look 2 Cor. iv, 10. r Rom. xii. 7. s 1 Tim. iv, 15. people's hearts, when we go to preach. Still we need help from heaven to deliver our message as becomes the oracles of God; with purity, gravity, and sincerity; with an air of tenderness and humility, as those who know the worth of souls, and our own unworthiness; and yet with an air of assurance, as those who are confident of the truth of what we say, and who know whom we have trusted. When we have preached, we have but sown the seed; still we must look up to God to water it, and to give to every seed its own body. When we proceed to pray, we must fetch in the influences of the blessed Spirit, to help us against our praying infirmities. Nay, we must look up to God for a blessing upon every word of advice, reproof, and comfort that we give, that it may answer the end. And as we are to pray for the success of our own endeavours, so likewise we must be earnest with God in prayer for the concurrence of his grace with the labours of others. Thus we must help one another; and thus we may, though we are at a great distance from each other, and cannot otherwise be helpful. When the apostle forbids wishing" good speed" to those who bring any other doctrine, it is intimated, that it was usual with the primitive Christians and ministers to bid those "God speed" who brought the true doctrine of Christ. Those who labour in Christ's harvest should be prayed for, as of old the reapers were, by them who passed by; The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord." God speed the gospel-plough! 3. Let us be very careful that we do not, by any irregularity in our conversation, hinder the success of our praying and preaching, and defeat the ends of them. If we be proud and vain, and loose in our walking; if we be intemperate, and indulgent of the flesh; if we be covetous, selfish, and worldly; if we be contentious, peevish, and passionate; or if any corrupt communication proceed out of our t2 Tim. ii. 15. u Ezek. xxxiii. 6. ▼ 2 John 10. w Ps. cxxix 8. mouth; we pull down with one hand what we build | among them; and the same good use we should up with the other; and not only tempt people, but make of the same trial, let it help to hide pride from even force them, to think, that we ourselves do not us, and oblige us to depend upon the sufficiency of believe what we would persuade them to believe; | divine grace, and not upon any thing in ourselves, and when we appear most serious in our public per- for without Christ we can do nothing. formances, do but act a part, and talk thus only because it is our trade: we do also provoke God to withdraw his presence from us, and to say, as he does of those prophets who walk not in his counsels, They shall not profit this people at all. Let our conversation be not only blameless and harmless, but exemplary for every thing that is virtuous and praise-worthy; thus let our light shine, that others may be taught, and guided and quickened, by it. Then may we hope it shall be with us as it was with Levi of old, who, while he walked with God in peace and equity, turned many away from iniquity.y When we suspect we do little good, yet let it be a comfort to us that we are going on in the way of our duty; that we are presiding in solemn religious assemblies, from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, and so are serving Christ and his glory in the world. Good may be in operation, and we not aware of it; the gospel works like leaven, silently and insensibly; and like the seed cast into the ground, which grows up (we know not how) while we sleep, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Nor let it be any uneasiness to us, that we are kept in doubt and in the dark concerning the success of our labours. When the net is drawn to shore we shall see what is enclosed; what good fish, and what bad: and let us judge nothing before the time; the great day will clear all, and we must wait till then. But if there be those whose sins go before unto judgment, who manifestly hate to be reformed, and will go on frowardly in the way of their heart; though we cannot but look upon them many a time with a sad heart, yet in this we must be satisfied, that God will be glorified: if God be not honoured by them, he will get him honour upon them, as he did on Pharaoh. They to whom our labour is in vain are not sons of peace; and, therefore, it should not be expected that our peace should rest upon them; Christ will see his seed, and we must not think to see any other for ours. If divine mercy be not glorified in their salvation, divine justice will be glorified in their destruction; and they will have nothing to say for themselves, nor will their ministers have any thing to say for them: the dresser of the vineyard 4. What success of our labours we have the comfort of, let God have all the glory of. Do we meet with any of those to whom we minister in holy things, who are awakened to a concern about their souls and eternity, and are asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward? Are there any of the children we have catechized who hold fast the form of sound words in faith and love, and have we the satisfaction of seeing them walk in the truth? When we look into the vineyards we are made the keepers of, do we find that the vines do in any measure flourish, and the tender grapes appear; that the souls we watch over prosper and are in health? We cannot but rejoice herein, rejoice greatly; yet let us rejoice with humility; for I am sure we have nothing to be proud of, nothing to boast of, but a great deal to be ashamed of, and great reason to admire God's gracious condescension, that he is pleased thus far to own us, to honour us, though most unworthy. Let us rejoice with thankfulness, with many thanksgivings to God, whose strength is perfected in weak-who had interceded for the barren fig-tree, will be ness, and his praise ordained out of the mouth of babes and sucklings. St. Paul, in his epistles, gives thanks to God for those churches that he had comfort in, and hopes of. pleased, if at length it bear fruit, but if not, he gives |