eed. * O, saith the soul, how sweet is this rose of" Sharon ! Ilatli Christ waded through a sea of hlood and wrath, to pur- chase my peace ? Hath lie 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. v. 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 .iches, the heart may be well ; when worldly troubles as- sault a Christian, his mind may be in peace and quiet, Ps. iv. 8., " I will lay me down in peace, and sleep." 'Twiis now a sad time with David, he was fleeing for his life from Absalom ; it was no small aflliction to think that his own son should seek to take away his Father's life and crown; David wept and covered his face, 2 Sam. XV. 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. U'/iat shall we do to attain this blessed peace ?
Ana. 1. Let us ask it of God. He is the God ot 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 m.ikc day without the sun ; none can make day in a dark deserted soul, but the Sun of Righteousness. As the wilderness cannot water itself, but re- mains dry and parched till the ch)U(ls drop their moisture : so our hearts cannot have peace till he infuse it, and drop it upon us by his Spirit. Therefore pray, " Lord, thon who art the God of poace, create peace : thou who art the Prince of ]>eace, command it. Give me that ])eace which may sweeten trouble, yea, the bitter cup of death."
A. 2, If you would have peace, make war with sin. Sin is the Achan that trou- bles us, — the Trojnn horse, — 2 Kings ix. 22., " When Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is
It peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy uio- thcr Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many ?" What peace, so long as sin re- mains unmortilled ? If you would have peace with God, break the league with sin, — give battle to sin, it is a most just war, God hath ])roclaimed it, nay, he hath pro- mised us victory, " Sin sliall not have do- minion," Rom. vi. 14. No way to peace, but by maintaining a war with sin. Pax nostra helium contra da;>noncm, Te ut. W hen Samson had slain the lion, there came honey out of the lion : by slaying sin, we get this honey of peace.
A. 3. Go to Christ's blood for peace. Some go to fetch their peace from their own righteousness, not Christ's ; they go for peace to their holy life, not Christ's death ; if conscience be troubled, tliey 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. xii. 24. That blood of Christ which ])acified God, must pacii'y conscience; Christ's blood being sucked in by faith, gives peace, Rom. v. 1., " Being justified by faith, we luive peace with God." No balm to cure a wounded conscience, but the blood of Christ.
A. 4. Walk closely with God. Peace flows from purity, (»al. vi. Ifi., " As many JUS 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 limbec, so divine peace comes out of the limbec of a gracious heart. Walk very holily: (lod's Spirit is first a refiner before a comforter.
Use 2d. You who liave this peace, — j)eace above, — pe.'ice within, — labour to keep- it; it is a precious jewel, do not lose it; it is sad to have the league of national peace broken, but it is worse to have the peace of c()nscience broken : Oh preserve this j)eace ! First, take heed of rolaj)scs. Hath God spoken peace? do not turn again to folly, Ps. Ixxxv. 8. Besides the ingiati- tude, there's folly in relapses. It was long ere God was reconciled and the breach made up, and will you agjiin eclipse and forfeit your peace '' Hath God healed tho
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wound of conscience, and will you tear it open again ? Will you break another vein ? Will you cut a new artery ? this is return- ing indeed to folly. Wli.it madness is it to meddle again with that sin, which will breetl the worm of conscience ! Secondly, Make up your spiritual accounts daily ; see how matters stand between God and your youls, Ps. Ixxvii. 6., " I commune with my own heart." Often reckonings