2 Thess. iii. 16. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means.
CONTENTIONS too naturally spring from our corrupt nature, the fruitful parent of every thing that is evil. There are indeed occasions when it is neces- sary to act in a manner that seems not pacific ; and that too even towards those who call themselves the Lord's people : if, for instance, any member of a christian society were notoriously defective in any one branch of moral duty, and persisted in his mis- conduct notwithstanding the remonstrances of those who were both authorized and qualified to advise him, it would be necessary to cut off such a corrupt member from the Church, and to cease from all needless or familiar intercourse with him, till he had repented of his wickedness3. But these are only extreme cases, where milder means will not avail. As a general rule, we should strive to the utmost to walk in peace both towards those who are without,
a ver. 14.
and them that are within, the Church : the dispo- sition of our hearts should exactly accord with the desire contained in the words before us.
The expressions in the text being general, it is not necessary to limit them to one particular point : we shall therefore take them in the most comprehensive sense as relating,
I. To nations —
[No language can fully express the miseries of war: it turns mankind into ferocious beasts, that seek only to over- power and destroy each other. It spreads desolation over whole countries. It cuts off' thousands, and ten thousands in a day; and turns that into an occasion of joy and triumph, which ought rather to overwhelm us with distress and anguish. Even those who are not actively engaged with the enemy, are yet no light sufferers through the burthens which are imposed to support the war, and through the loss of near and dear relatives. Peace is, under God, the remedy of all these evils : not that it can ever repair the losses that have been sustained; but it prevents the progress of these evils, and restores to the world those friendly and commercial relations which war had interrupted1*. O that the governors of all nations did but know how to appreciate this invaluable blessing !
But whence can this blessing be obtained? It should seem that the termination of war depends wholly on the will of the contending parties. This indeed is true in some sense : but who shall make them willing ? who shall put an end to their ambitious or vindictive projects ? None but he, " in whose hands are the hearts of kings, and who turneth them whither- soever he willc:" he alone can "break the bow, and cut the spear asunderd." He who in righteous displeasure has "vexed us with adversity by means of war," he it is, even " the Lord of peace himself," who has now caused the din of war to cease, and " given us peace in our borders6." O that he might give it us "always," and dispose us to seek it " by all means/" Whatever be the terms on which the contending parties have agreed to compose their differences, there will be some found, probably on both sides, to complain of them as below their just expectations. But it were better far to make sacrifices for peace than to persist in a destructive war: and better to exercise forbearance towards an offending enemy, than to precipitate a nation, without the most imperious necessity, into a renewal of such bloody conflicts. Peace retained almost by any means, is preferable to the calamities of war.]
b Mic. iv. 3, 4. c Prov. xxi. 1.
d Ps. xlvi. 9. and lxxvi. 3. e 2 Chron. xv. 6. with Ps. cxlvii. 14.