“Peace I leave with you.” Our Savior here means peace with God , and
peace with our own conscience . Peace with God–for He “hath reconciled
us to himself by Jesus Christ,” and now there is “peace on earth,” and
“good will towards men.” Christ has put our sins away, and therefore
there is a virtual substantial peace established between God and our
souls. This, however, might exist without our clearly understanding and
rejoicing in it. Christ has, therefore, given this further
witness–peace in the conscience. Peace with God is the treaty: peace
with conscience is the publication of it. Peace with God is the
fountain, and peace with conscience is the crystal stream which issues
from it. There is a peace decreed in the court of divine justice in
heaven; and then there follows as a necessary consequence, as soon as
the news is known, a peace in the minor court of human judgment, wherein conscience sits upon the throne to judge us according to our works. The
legacy, then, of Christ is a twofold peace; a peace of friendship, of
agreement, of love, of everlasting union between the elect and God; and
a peace of sweet enjoyment, of quiet rest to the understanding and the
conscience. When there are no winds above, there will be no tempests
below: when heaven is serene, earth is quiet. Conscience reflects the
complacency of God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”