A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 39
Of PEACE.
1 Pet. 1.2.
Grace unto you, and Peace be multiplied.
HAving spoken of the first Fruit of Sanctification, Assurance, I proceed to the Second, viz. Peace, Peace be Multiplied.
Quest. What are the several species or kinds of Peace?
Resp. Peace in Scripture is compar'd to a River, Isa. 66.12. this River parts it self into Two Silver Streams.
1. There is an External Peace, and that is either 1. Aeconomical, Peace in a Family. 2. Political, Peace in the State. Peace is the Nurse of Plenty, Psal. 147.14. He maketh Peace in thy Borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the Wheat. How pleasant is it when the Waters of Blood begin to asswage, and we can see the Windows of our Ark open, and the Dove returning with an Olive-branch of Peace? 3. Ecclesiastical Peace, Peace in the Church. Its Unity in Trinity is the greatest Mystery in Heaven, and Unity in Verity the greatest Mercy on Earth. Peace Ecclesiastical stands in opposition to Schism and Persecution.
2. A Spiritual Peace, which is Two-fold, Peace above us, or Peace with God; and Peace within us, or Peace with Conscience: This is Superlative; other Peace may be lasting, this is everlasting.
Quest. 2. Whence comes this Peace?
Resp. This Peace hath the whole Trinity for its Author. 1. God the Father is the God of Peace, 1 Thes. 5.23. 2. God the Son is the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9.6. 3. Peace is said to be the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22.
1. God the Father is the God of Peace. As he is the God of Order, 1 Cor. 14.33. so the God of Peace, Phil. 4.9. This was the form of the Priests blessing the People, Numb. 6.26. The Lord give thee Peace.
2. God the Son is the Purchaser of Peace. He hath made Peace by his Blood, Col. 1.20. Having made Peace by the Blood of his Cross. The Attonement Aaron made for the People when he entred into the Holy of Holies with Blood, was a Type of Christ our High Priest, who hath by his Sacrifice pacified his angry Father, and made Attonement for us. Christ purchased our Peace upon hard terms, his Soul was in an Agony, while he was travailing to bring forth Peace to the World.
3. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. He seals up Peace to the Conscience; the Spirit clears up the work of Grace in the Heart, from whence ariseth Peace. There was a Well of Water near Hagar, but she did not see it, therefore wept. A Christian hath Grace, but doth not see it, therefore Weeps. Now the Spirit discovers this Well of Water, it enables Conscience to witness to a Man that he hath the real work of Grace, and so Peace flows into the Soul. Thus you see whence this Peace comes; the Father decrees it, the Son purchaseth it, the Holy Ghost applies it.
Quest. 3. Whether such as are destitute of Grace, may have Peace?
Resp. No. Peace flows from Sanctification, but they being unregenerate, have nothing to do with Peace, Isa. 57.21. There is no Peace (saith my God) to the Wicked: They may have a Truce, but no Peace. God may forbear the Wicked a while, and stop the Roaring of his Cannon; but though there be a Truce, yet no Peace. The Wicked may have something which looks like Peace, but is not. They may be fearless and stupid; but there is a great difference between a stupified Conscience, and a pacified Conscience, Luke 11.21. When a strong Man keeps his Palace, his Goods are in Peace. This is the Devils Peace; he rocks Men in the Cradle of Security, he cries Peace, Peace, when Men are upon the Precipice of Hell. The seeming Peace a Sinner hath, is not from the knowledg of his Happiness, but the ignorance of his Danger.
Quest. 4. What are the Signs of a false Peace?
Resp. 1. A false Peace hath much Confidence in it, but this Confidence is Conceit. The Sinner doth not doubt of Gods Mercy, from which presumptuous Confidence ariseth som… kind of quiet in the Mind. The same Word in the Hebrew, Gasal, signifies both Confidence and Folly. Indeed a Sinners Confidence is Folly. How confident were the Foolish Virgins?
2. False Peace separates those things which God hath joyned together: God joyns Holiness and Peace, but he who hath a false Peace separates these Two. He lays claim to Peace, but banisheth Holiness, Deut. 29.19. I shall have Peace, though I walk in the imagination of my Heart, to add Drunkenness to Thirst. The Wicked are loose and vain, and yet thank God they have Peace: A Delusion. You may as well suck Health out of Poison, as Peace out of Sin.
3. False Peace is not willing to be Tried; a sign they are bad Wares, which will not endure the Light; a sign a Man hath stolen Goods when he will not have his House Searched. A false Peace cannot endure to be tryed by the Word: The Word speaks of an humbling and refining work upon the Soul before Peace; false Peace cannot endure to hear of this: The least trouble will shake this Peace, it will end in despair. In a false Peace, Conscience is asleep, but when this Lion of Conscience shall be awaken'd at Death, then it will roar upon a Man, he will be a Terror to himself, and be ready to lay violent Hands upon himself.
Quest. 5. How shall we know that ours is a true Peace?
Resp. 1. True Peace flows from Union with Christ; Communio …undatur in unione. The Graft or Cien must first be inoculated into the Tree, before it can receive Sap and Nourishment from it: So we must first be ingrafted into Christ, before we can receive Peace from him. Have we Faith? By Holiness we are made like Christ; by believing we are made one with Christ, and being in Christ, we have Peace, Iohn 16.33.
2. True Peace flows from Subjection to Christ; where Christ gives Peace, there he sets up his Government in the Heart, Isa. 9.7. Of his Government and Peace there shall be no end. Christ is called a Priest upon his Throne, Zach. 6.13. Christ as a Priest makes Peace, but he will be a Priest upon his Throne; he brings the Heart in subjection to him. If Christ be our Peace, he is our Prince, Isa. 9.6. Whenever Christ pacifies the Conscience, he subdues the Lust.
3. True Peace is after Trouble. First, God lets loose a Spirit of Bondage, he convinceth and humbleth the Soul; then he speaks Peace. Many say they have Peace; but is this Peace before a Storm or after it? True Peace is after Trouble. First there was the Earthquake, and then the Fire, and then the still small Voice, 1 Kings 19.11. Thou who never hadst any legal Bruisings, mayest suspect thy Peace; God pours the Golden Oyl of Peace into Broken Hearts.
Quest. 6. Whether have all Sanctified Persons this Peace?
Resp. They have a Title to it; they have the Ground of it; Grace is the Seed of Peace, and it will in time turn to Peace, as the Blossoms of a Tree to Fruit, Milk to Cream. They have a Promise of it, Psal. 29.11. The Lord will bless his People with Peace: They may have Peace with God, though not Peace in their own Conscience; they have the initials and beginnings of Peace. There is a secret Peace the Heart hath in serving God, such Meltings and Enlargements in Duty, as do revive the Soul, and bear it up from sinking.
Quest. 7. But why have not all Believers the full enjoyment and possession of Peace? Why is not this Flower of Peace fully ripe and blown?
Resp. Some of the Godly may not have so full a degree of Peace. 1. Through the fury of Temptation; the Devil if he cannot destroy us, he will disturb us: Satan disputes against our Adoption; he would make us question the work of Grace in our Hearts, and so troubles the Waters of our Peace: Satan is like a subtil Cheater, who if he cannot make a Mans Title to his Land void, yet he will put him to many troublesom Suits in Law. If Satan cannot make us Ungodly, he will make us unquiet: Violent Winds make the Sea rough and stormy; the Winds of Temptation blowing, disturb Peace of Spirit, and put the Soul into a Commotion. 2. The Godly may not enjoy Peace, through mistake and misapprehension about Sin. They find so much Corruption, that sure if there were Grace, there would not be such strong Workings of Corruption: Whereas this should be so far from discouraging Christians, and hindering their Peace, that it is an Argument for them. Let me ask, whence is it that you feel Sin? no Man can feel Sin but by Grace. A wicked Man is insensible; lay an 100 weight upon a Dead Man, he doth not complain, but the being sensible of Corruption, argues a Gracious Principle, Rom. 7.21. Again, whence is it that there is a Combat with Sin, but from the Life of Grace? Gal. 5.17. Dead things cannot Combat. Whence is it that the Saints weep for Sin? what are these Tears, but Seeds of Faith? The not understanding of this, hinders a Christians Peace. 3. The Godly may not injoy Peace through remisness in Duty; they leave their first Love. When Christians abate their fervency, God abates their Peace; if you slacken the Strings of a Viol, the Musick is spoil'd; if Christians slacken in Duty, they spoil the sweet Musick of Peace in their Souls. As the Fire decays, so the Cold increaseth; as Fervency in Duty abates, so our Peace cools.
Use. Labour for this blessed Peace, Peace with God and Conscience; Peace with Neighbour Nations is sweet, Pax una Triumphis innumeris melior, the Hebrew Word foreign Peace comprehends all Blessings, it is the Glory of a Kingdom; a Princes Crown is more Beautiful when it is hung with the white Lilly of Peace, than when it is set with the Red Roses of a Bloody War: O then how sweet is Peace of Conscience! it is a Bulwark against the Enemy, Phil. 4.7. foreign it shall keep you as in a Garrison; you may throw out the Gantlet, and bid defiance to Enemies: It is the Golden Pot and the Manna, it is the first Fruits of Paradise. It is still Musick; for want of this a Christian is in continual fear; he doth not take that comfort in Ordinances. Hannah went up to the Feast at Ierusalem, but she wept and did not eat, 1 Sam. 1.7. So a poor dejected Soul goes to an Ordinance, but doth not eat of the Feast; he weeps and doth not eat. He cannot take that comfort in Worldly Blessings, Health, Estate, Relations; he wants that inward Peace which should be as Sawce to sweeten his Comforts. O therefore labour for this blessed Peace, consider the noble and excellent effects of it. First, It gives boldness at the Throne of Grace; Guilt of Conscience clips the Wings of Prayer, it makes the Face Blush, and the Heart: But when a Christian hath some lively apprehensions of God's Love, and the Spirit whispering Peace, then he goes to God with boldness, as a Child to his Father, Psal. 25.1. Unto thee O Lord I lift up my Soul. Time was when David's Soul was bowed down, Psal. 38.6. I am bowed down greatly. But now the case is alter'd, he will lift up his Soul to God in a way of Triumph; whence was this? God had spoken Peace to his Soul, Psal. 26.3. Thy loving Kindness is before mine Eyes. 2. This Divine Peace fires the Heart with Love to Christ; Peace is the result of Pardon; he who hath a Pardon seal'd, cannot choose but love his Prince. How endeared is Christ to the Soul! now Christ is precious indeed. O saith the Soul, how sweet is this Rose of Sharon! Hath Christ waded through a Sea of Blood and Wrath to purchase my Peace, hath he not only made Peace, but spoke Peace to me; how should my Heart ascend in a fiery Chariot of Love, how willing should I be to do and suffer for Christ! 3. This Peace quiets the heart in Trouble, Mic. 5.5. This Man shall be the Peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land, and tread in our Palaces. The Enemy may invade our Palaces, but not our Peace; this Man Christ shall be the Peace. When the Head akes, the Heart may be well; when Worldly troubles assault a Christian, his Mind may be in Peace and Quiet, Psal. 4.8. I will lay me down in Peace, and Sleep. 'Twas now a sad time with David, he was flying for his Life from Absalom; it was no small Afflicton to think that his own Son should seek to take away his Fathers Life and Crown: David wept and covered his Face, 2 Sam. 15.30. Yet at this time saith he, I will lay me down in Peace and Sleep. He had trouble from his Son, but Peace from his Conscience: David could sleep upon the soft Pillow of a good Conscience: This is a Peace worth getting.
Quest. 8. What shall we do to attain this blessed Peace?
Resp. 1. Let us ask it of God; he is the God of Peace, he beats back the roaring Lion, he stills the raging of Conscience: If we could call all the Angels out of Heaven, they could not speak Peace without God. The Stars cannot make Day without the Sun; none can make day in a dark Deserted Soul, but the Sun of Righteousness; as the Wilderness cannot water it self, but remains dry and parched, till the Clouds drop their Moisture, so our Hearts cannot have Peace till he infuse and drop it upon us by his Spirit. Therefore pray, Lord, thou who art the God of Peace, create Peace, thou who art the Prince of Peace, command it. Give me that Peace which may sweeten trouble, yea, the bitter Cup of Death.
2. If you would have Peace, make War with Sin. Sin is the Achan that troubles us; the Trojan Horse. 2 Kings 9.22. When Joram saw Jehu, he said, is it Peace Jehu? And he answered what Peace, so long as the Whoredoms of thy Mother Jezabel and her Witchcrafts are so many? What Peace, as long as Sin remains unmortified? If you would have Peace with God, break the League with Sin. Give battel to Sin, it is a most just War, God hath proclaimed it. Nay, he hath promised us Victory, Sin shall not have Dominion, Rom. 6. No way to Peace but by maintaining a War with Sin, Pax nostra Bellum contra Daemonem, Tert. When Sampson had slain the Lion, there came Hony out of the Lion: By Slaying Sin, we get this Hony of Peace.
3. Go to Christs Blood for Peace. Some go to fetch their Peace from their own Righteousness, not Christs; they go for Peace to their Holy Life, not Christ's Death. If Conscience be troubled, they strive to quiet it with their Duties; this is not the right way to Peace: Duties must not be neglected, nor yet idolized. Look up to the Blood of Sprinkling, Heb. 12.24. That Blood of Christ which pacified God, must pacifie Conscience; Christ's blood being suck'd in by Faith gives Peace, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by Faith, we have Peace with God. No Balm to cure a Wounded Conscience, but the Blood of Christ.
4. Walk closely with God. Peace flows from Purity, Gal. 6.16. As many as walk according to this Rule, Peace be on them: In the Text, Grace and Peace are put together. Grace is the Root and Peace is the Flower. As Balm-Water drops from the Limbeck, so Divine Peace comes out of the Limbeck of a Gracious Heart. Walk very Holily; God's Spirit is first a Refiner before a Comforter.
Bran. 2. You who have this Peace, Peace above, Peace within, labour to keep it; it is a precious Jewel, do not lose it. 'Tis sad to have the League of National Peace broken, but it is worse to have the Peace of Conscience broken: Oh preserve this Peace. First, Take heed of Relapses; hath God spoken Peace, do not turn again to Folly, Psal. 85.8. Besides the Ingratitude, there's folly in Relapses; it was long ere God was reconciled, and the Breach made up, and will you again Eclipse and Forfeit your Peace? Hath God heal'd the wound of Conscience, and will you tear it open again? Will you break another Vein, will you cut a new Artery? This is returning indeed to folly. What Madness is it to meddle again with that Sin, which will breed the Worm of Conscience! Secondly, Make up your Spiritual Accounts daily: See how Matters stand between God and your Souls, Psal. 77.6. I commune with my own Heart: Often Reckonings keep God and Conscience Friends; do with your Hearts as you do with your Watches, wind them up every Morning by Prayer, and at Night examine whether your Hearts have gone true all the day, whether the Wheels of your Affections have moved swiftly towards Heaven: Oh call your selves often to account; keep your Reckonings even, and that is the way to keep your Peace.