Peace is twofold. 1. General and absolute, that is, peace with God through Jesus Christ, which is celebrated in the Scripture, and which is the only original spring and fountain of all consolation unto believers ; that which virtually con- tains in it every thing that is good, useful, or desirable unto them. But it is not here precisely intended. It is not so,
1. As to the immediate ground and cause of it, which is our justification, not our sanctification, Rom. v. 1. ' Being- justified by faith, we have peace with God.' So Christ alone is our peace, as he who hath made ' peace for us by the blood of the cross;' Ephes. ii. 14, 15. Hereof our being spi- ritually minded is no way the cause or reason, only it is an evidence and pledge of it, as we shall see.
2. Not as unto the formal nature of it. Peace with God through the blood of Christ, is one thing ; and peace in our minds through a holy frame in them, is another. The former is communicated unto us by an immediate act of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us ; Rom. v. 5. the latter is an effect on our minds begun, and gradually carried on, by the duties we have before at large declared. The immediate actings of the Holy Spirit, in sealing us, witnessing unto our adop- tion, and being an earnest of glory, are required unto the former; our own sedulity and diligence in duties, and tlie exercise of all grace, are required unto the latter.
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2. Peace is taken for a peculiar fruit of the Spirit, con- sisting in a gracious quietness and composure of mind in the midst of difficulties, temptations, troubles, and such other things as are apt to fill us with fears, despondencies, and disquietments. This is that which keeps the soul in its own power, free from transports by fears or passions, on all the abiding grounds of gospel consolation. For although this be a peculiar especial grace, yet it is that which is influenced and kept alive by the consideration of all the love of God in Christ, and all the fruits of it.
And whereas peace includes, in the first notion of it, an inward freedom from oppositions and troubles, which those in whom it is are outwardly exposed unto, there are two things from which we are secured by this peace, which is an effect of being spiritually minded.
1. The first is offences. There is nothing of whose danger we are more warned in the gospel, than of offences. ' Woe to the world,' saith the Saviour, ' because of offences.' All ages, all times and seasons, are filled with them, and they prove pernicious and destructive to the souls of many. Such are the scandalous divisions that are among Christians; the endless differences of opinions, and diversity of practices in religion and the worship of God ; the falls and sins of pro- fessors, the fearful end of some of them ; the reproaches that are cast on all that engage into any peculiar way of holiness and strictness of life; with other things of the like nature, whereby the souls of innumerable persons are disquieted, subverted, or infected, are to be reckoned imto this head. Against any hurtful or noxious influence on our minds from these things, against disquietments, dejections of spirit, and disconsolations, are we secured by this peace. So the psalmist assures us, Psal. cxix. 165. * Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them.' The law, or the word of God, is the only way of the revelation of God and his will unto us, and the only outward way and rule of our converse and communion with him. Wherefore, to love the law, is the principal part of our being heavenly minded ; yea, virtually that which comprehends the whole. For such as do so, nothing, none of the things before-men- tioned, nor any other of the like nature, shall be an offence, a stumbling-block, or cause of falling into sin. And the reason is, because they have such an experience in them
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selves of the trutli, power, efficacy, and holiness of the gos- pel, as that the miscarriages of men, under a profession of it, shall never be unto them an occasion of falling, or being of- fended at Christ. And I look upon it as a sign of a very evil frame of heart, when men are concerned in the miscarriages of some that have made profession, whereby they are, it may be, damaged in their outward concerns, so as that they are sur- prised into reflections on that religion which they profess, professing the same themselves.
2. The second is afflictions, persecutions, and sufferings of all sorts. It is known by all (it were well if it were not so well known) what disquietments, dejections, and discon- solations these things are apt to fill the minds of men withal ; what fears, troubles, sorrows, they reflect upon them. Against all these effects of them, this peace intended, gives us secu- rity. It makes us to preserve a peaceable, yea, a joyous life in our conflict with them. See John xvi. 33.
Both these, as here joined together, life and peace, do comprise a holy frame of heart and mind, wherein the souls of believers do find rest, quietness, refreshment, and satis- faction in God, in the midst of temptations, afflictions, of- fences, and sufferings. It is the soul's composure of itself in God, in his love in Christ Jesus, so as not greatly to be put out of order, to be cast down with any thing that may befall it, but affords men cheerfulness and satisfaction in themselves, though they walk sometimes in the valley of the shadow of death. Such persons have that in them, abiding with them, as will give them life and peace under all occurrences.