But Secondly,1 Your Peace shall rest upon it. Shall rest, that is, Whosoever Entertains it, they shall not only have some sudden Apprehensions of those Excellent things that you bring unto them, they shall not only have some flashy Comforts in those things, and feel some present Sweetness in them; but the good and the Blessing of that blessed Doctrine of peace, it shall abide with them all the days of their lives, and to all Eternity. That's the meaning, ⟨p. 182⟩Your Peace shall rest upon them. So that this is our Point now, That such as do Entertain the Gospel. Now what the Entertainment is, that is, what it is to be a Son of Peace: That was a great part of our Work, the last Lords Day. But if you be such Sons of Peace as was Opened to you, I say, the Lord will not only grant you present Apprehensions of the Glorious things of the Gospel, and some present Sweetness, but He will Cause the Blessing of it, and the good things of it to abide upon your Spirits, to continue there for your Eternal good. Many upon the first Hearing of the Message of the Gospel, upon the first Opening of that Blessed Doctrine, have their Hearts taken, and begin presently to be stirred and affected; but we find by Experience, that many times all is but a mere flash, it all vanishes again. The good of the Gospel they did apprehend, doth not abide upon them: As the stony ground, in Mat. 13. 20, 21. But he that received the Seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it: Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while. He doth but continue a while, he received it in a little way, and that with joy: He hath some present taste of the Sweetness of the Word, he takes it in with joy; but it doth not rest upon him, it doth not abide in him: The Seed doth not lie there so long as to Fructify, as to bring forth Fruit, but comes to nothing; as the Ears of Corn upon the House top, they quickly are blasted and come to nothing: Thus it is with many Hearers. There were some that were the High-way ground, and they were your ordinary Ignorant and profane People; the Word took no Impression upon them, but it was presently taken away by the Fowls of the Air. But there were others that did seem to be affected with the Word of ⟨p. 183⟩the Gospel, to have it enter a little into their hearts, their Spirits were taken with sudden Joy.
But Secondly,1 Your Peace shall rest upon it. Shall rest, that is, Whosoever Entertains it, they shall not only have some sudden Apprehensions of those Excellent things that you bring unto them, they shall not only have some flashie Comforts in those things, and feel some present Sweetness in them; but the good and the Blessing of that blessed Doctrine of peace, it shall abide with them all the days of their lives, and to all Eternity. That's the meaning, ⟨p. 182⟩Your Peace shall rest upon them. So that this is our Point now, That such as do Entertain the Gospel. Now what the Entertainment is, that is, what it is to be a Son of Peace: That was a great part of our Work, the last Lords Day. But if you be such Sons of Peace as was Opened to you, I say, the Lord will not only grant you present Apprehensions of the Glorious things of the Gospel, and some present Sweetness, but He will Cause the Blessing of it, and the good things of it to abide upon your Spirits, to continue there for your Eternal good. Many upon the first Hearing of the Message of the Gospel, upon the first Opening of that Blessed Doctrine, have their Hearts taken, and begin presently to be stirr'd and affected; but we find by Experience, that many times all is but a meer flash, it all vanishes again. The good of the Gospel they did apprehend, doth not abide upon them: As the stony ground, in Mat. 13. 20, 21. But he that received the Seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it: Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while. He doth but continue a while, he received it in a little way, and that with joy: He hath some present taste of the Sweetness of the Word, he takes it in with joy; but it doth not rest upon him, it doth not abide in him: The Seed doth not lie there so long as to Fructifie, as to bring forth Fruit, but comes to nothing; as the Ears of Corn upon the House top, they quickly are blasted and come to nothing: Thus it is with many Hearers. There were some that were the High-way ground, and they were your ordinary Ignorant and prophane People; the Word took no Impression upon them, but it was presently taken away by the Fowls of the Air. But there were others that did seem to be affected with the Word of ⟨p. 183⟩the Gospel, to have it enter a little into their hearts, their Spirits were taken with sudden Joy.
- 1Doct. 2
