A. 6. If. you have assurance, be careful you do not lose it ; keep it, for it is youi life, viz. Bene esse, — the comfort of voui life. Keep assurance, 1st, By prayer, Ps xxxvi. 10., " O continue thy loviug-kind- ness :" Lord, continue assurance ; do not take away this privy seal from me. 2dly, Keep assurance by humility ; pride cstrang- eth God from the soul ; when you are high in assurance, be low in humility. St. Paul had assurance, and he baptizeth himself with this name, " Chief of sinners," 1 Tim. i. 15. The jewel of assurance is best kept in the cabinet of an humble heart.
OF PEACl'.
1 Pet. i. 2. Grace unto you and peace he 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 ?
Ans. Peace, in scripture, is compared to a river, Isa. Ixvi. 12., this river parts itself into two silver streams.
\sL There is an external peace, and that is, 1. CEconomical, peace in a family. 2. Political, peace in the state. Peace is the nurse of plenty, Ps. cxlvii. 14., " He mak- eth ]iciicc in thy borders, and filleth thee witli the finest of the wheat." How plea- sant is it when the waters of blood begin to assuage, and we can see the windows of our ark oj)en, and the dove returning with an olive branch of peace ! 3. Ecclesiastical, peace in the church. 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.
2dlf/, A spiritual peace, which is twofold, — peace above us, or peace with God, — and peace within us, or peace with conscience. This is superlative; other peace may be lasting, but this is everlasting.
Quest. 2. Whence comes this peace ?
Ans. This peace hath the whole Trinity
for its author, 1. God the Father is " the God of peace," 1 Thess. v. 23. 2. God the Son is the " Prince of peace," Isa. ix. 6. 3. Peace is said to be the " fruit of the Spi- rit," Gal. V. 22. j
1. God the Father is the God of peace. • As he is the God of order, 1 Cor. xiv. 33., so tlij God of peace, Phil. iv. 9. This was the form of the priest's blessing the people, Numb. vi. 26., " The Lord give thee peace."
2. God the Son is the purchaser of peace. He had made peace by his blood, Col. i. 20., " Having made peace through the blood of his cross." The atonement Aaron made for the people when he entered into the holy of holies with blood, was a type of Christ our high priest, who hath by his sa- crifice pacified his angry Father, and made atonement for us. Clirist 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. lie seals up ])eace to the conscience. The Spirit clears uj) 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 we})t : a Christian hath grace, but doth not see it, therefore weeps. Now the Spirit discovers this well of water,
OF PEACE.
175
t enables conscience to witness to a man tliat liatli the real work of p-ace, and so peace Hows into the kouI. Thus you see whence; this peace comes: the Father de- crees it, the Son purchaseth it, the Holy rJhost applies it.
Quest. 3. JVIielhcr such as are destitute of grace may hax'e peace ^
Ans. ]S'<». Peace flows from sanctification, but they beings unregenerate, have nothing to do with peace, Isa. Ivii. 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 it is not. They may be fearless and stupid ; but there is a great difference between a stupified conscience, and a pacified con- science, Luke xi. 21., " \\ hen a strong man armed kee])eth his palace, his goods are in peace." This is the devil's peace ; he rocks men in the cradle of security ; he cries, ' peace ! peace !' when men are on the pre- cipice of hell. The seeming peace a sinner hath, is not from the knowledge of his hap- piness, but tlie ignorance of his danger.
Quest. 4. JVhat are the signs of a false peace ?
Ans. 1. A false peace batb mucli confi- dence in it, but this confidence is conceit. The sinner doth not doubt of God's mercy ; from which presumptuous confidence aris- eth some kind of quiet in the mind. The same word in the Hebrew {cassal) signifies both confidence and folly. Indeed a sin- ner's confidence is folly ; how confident were the foolish virgins ?