(1.) Your first resignation in faith and repentance is a ground of peace, and wrought in us by the Spirit : Horn. xv. 13, ' Now the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.' Together with our faith, and in and by our faith, the Holy Ghost worketh this joy and peace ! When we come to sue out our pardon in his name, to receive the atonement, and to resign up ourselves to God's use, then is the foundation laid : ' Give the hand to the Lord,' 2 Chron. xxx. 8.
(2.) This peace is confirmed by holy walking in the Spirit, or per- fecting holiness through the power of the Holy Ghost: Gal. vi. 16, ' As many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them ; ' Jer. vi. 16, ' Ask for the good old way, and walk therein, and you shall find peace to your souls/ Keep close to God and you will have peace, otherwise not. Peace with God and thine own conscience is a very tender thing ; you had need be chary of it. If you grieve the Spirit, you will find it to your bitter cost. When sinful dispositions are indulged and nourished, our peace is beclouded, and hangeth on uncertain terms.
[2.] As a comforter, whose office it is to give us a sense of God's love, and to help conscience to judge of our state and actions. The Spirit representeth God as a Father, and showeth us what things are given us of God, and dissipateth and scattereth all the black thoughts that are in the soul : Isa. lvii. 19, ' I create the fruit of the lips to be peace.' Peace is a sovereign plaister, God maketh it stick, and then all the world cannot deprive them of this peace. Creation and annihilation belong to the same power ; the world can never give, nor take ; it is God's work, and he will maintain it.
Secondly, It shall be great peace, as to the nature and degree of it, as was before explained.
208 SERMONS uroN PSALM cxix. [Sbb. CLXXIX.
1. For the nature of it ; it is not an ordinary peace, but of a higher nature: John xiv. 27, 'My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you ; not as the world giveth, give 1 unto you : * let not your hearts be troubled.' Wherein doth it differ from the world's peace? The world's peace is oftentimes in sin, a concord in evil, a lethargy por- tending sadder troubles ; but this is a holy peace. Prov. iii. 17. That is a crazy peace that is soon broken and distorted, depending on the uncertainty of present affairs and the mutable affections of men ; the more secure they are, the sadder trouble at hand : but this is an ever- lasting peace, which we have now in the way, and shall have in death, and then for ever. The world's peace is outward ; it is but at best a freedom from outward troubles, when they are at enmity with God ; but this is a peace with God himself, Prov. xvi. 7. The world's peace pleaseth the outward man, but this is a solid soul-satisfying peace, a peace that guardeth heart and mind, Phil. iv. 7.
2. For the degree, it is many times in a great measure enjoyed ; it may be more or less, as an interest in God's favour is more or less in us. And it is not perfect in this life ; there may be clouds and interruptions, but as our holiness increaseth, so doth our peace ; a little holiness, a little peace ; but they that love thy law, have great peace.
Object. How have God's children grea/t peace ? None seem more troubled and harassed with outward afflictions, nor walk more mourn- fully than they do.
Ans. It is true this peace doth not exclude trouble from carnal men in the world ; they may have little outward peace, yet they shall have as much of that as God seeth good for them, Job" v. 23, 24 ; but in- ward peace, which is peculiar to them. They have God for their friend, are quieted with a true sense and apprehension of his love and favour to them. It is true, as to this inward peace, God's children may sometimes be without it ; they that love the law have a greater sense of sin than others. Wicked men swallow sins without remorse ; but they are very apprehensive of displeasing God. But we must distinguish between the time of settling this peace, and when it is settled. For a time they may walk sadly ; their peace is not grown up ; light is sown for the righteous. Many times they sow in tears, but reap in joy. ►Sometimes their love to the law is intermitted, so their peace may be interrupted : But their worst condition is better than a carnal man's best, as the darkest cloudy day is brighter than the brightest night ; there is some comfort and staying upon God in the worst condition.
Use 1. Let us from hence see the sad condition of carnal men. This clause, ' love thy law,' is exclusive, and confineth it to one sort of men. The unjustified, the unsanctified want this peace. Godsaith of them, they should not enter into my rest, Ps. xcv. 11. The rest is begun in this life in reconciliation with God and peace of conscience, and per- fected in an everlasting refreshment in that to come. Their sins are not pardoned, and therefore continually fear ; they have often refused God's peace, and therefore cannot enjoy comfort with any security, nor bear troubles with any patience and quiet of mind, nor come into God's presence with any cheerfulness, nor wait for eternal rest with any certain hope: 'There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked,' Isa.