BESIDES he has bequeathed peace to the […] of his people, as he has procured for them and made over to them, the spirit of grace and true holiness; which has a natural tendency to the peace and quietness of the soul. It has such a tendency as it implies a discovery and relish of a suitable and sufficient good. It brings a person into a view of divine beauty and •o a relish of that good which is a man's proper happiness; and so it brings the soul to its true centre? The soul by this means is brought to rest, and ceases from restlessly inquiring; as others do, who will show us any good; and wandering to and fro like lost sheep seeking rest and finding none. The soul hath found him who is as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, and sits down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit is sweet unto his taste. Cant. ii. 2. And thus is that saying of CHRIST fulfilled. John iv. 14. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." And besides true grace naturally tends to peace and quietness as it settles things in the ⟨p. 210⟩soul in their due order, sets reason on the throne and subjects the senses and affections to its government, which before were uppermost and put all things into confusion and uproar in the soul. Grace tends to tranquility as it mortifies tumultuous desires and passions, subdues the eager and insatiable appetites of the sensual nature and greediness after the vanities of the world. It mortifies such principles as hatred, variance, emulation, wrath envyings and the like, which are a continual source of inward uneasiness and perturbation; and supplies those sweet, calming and quieting principles of humility, meekness, resignation, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, and sweet reliance on GOD. It also tends to peace as it fixes the aim of the soul to a certain end; so that the soul is no longer distracted and drawn contrary ways by opposite ends to be sought, and opposite portions to be obtained, and many masters of contrary wills and commands to be served; but the heart is fixed in the choice of one certain, sufficient and unfailing good: and the soul's aim at this, and hope of it, is like an anchor to it, that keeps it steadfast that it should no more be driven to and fro by every wind.
BESIDES he has bequeathed peace to the 〈…〉 of his people, as he has procured for them and made over to them, the spirit of grace and true holiness; which has a natural tendency to the peace and quietness of the soul. It has such a tendency as it implies a discovery and relish of a suitable and sufficient good. It brings a person into a view of divine beauty and •o a relish of that good which is a man's proper happiness; and so it brings the soul to its true centre? The soul by this means is brought to rest, and ceases from restlessly inquiring; as others do, who will shew us any good; and wandering to and fro like lost sheep seeking rest and finding none. The soul hath found him who is as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, and sits down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit is sweet unto his taste. Cant. ii. 2. And thus is that saying of CHRIST fulfilled. John iv. 14. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." And besides true grace naturally tends to peace and quietness as it settles things in the ⟨p. 210⟩soul in their due order, sets reason on the throne and subjects the senses and affections to its government, which before were uppermost and put all things into confusion and uproar in the soul. Grace tends to tranquility as it mortifies tumultuous desires and passions, subdues the eager and insatiable appetites of the sensual nature and greediness after the vanities of the world. It mortifies such principles as hatred, variance, emulation, wrath envyings and the like, which are a continual source of inward uneasiness and perturbation; and supplies those sweet, calming and quieting principles of humility, meekness, resignation, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, and sweet reliance on GOD. It also tends to peace as it fixes the aim of the soul to a certain end; so that the soul is no longer distracted and drawn contrary ways by opposite ends to be sought, and opposite portions to be obtained, and many masters of contrary wills and commands to be served; but the heart is fixed in the choice of one certain, sufficient and unfailing good: and the soul's aim at this, and hope of it, is like an anchor to it, that keeps it stedfast that it should no more be driven to and fro by every wind.
