Lastly, be much in love to Jesus Christ, that you may say, you lean upon your Beloved. Is there not great cause that we should love Christ dearly, that hath given himself to death for us? What love is due to him that died for us? Where is there such love to be found in the world? Oh, what ardent love should then be to the Lord Jesus. Therefore let us show our love to him, and let our love be inflamed to him; let us be willing to die for him that died for us; let us love him with all our hearts and souls, and all our might, that hath so greatly loved us.

SERMON.

JOHN xiv. 27.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

AFTER SO many consolations and promises of the Comforter, as the Lord Jesus had armed his disciples with against his departure, in these words he takes his leave or farewell of them, leaving this his legacy with them, namely—the blessing of peace; telling them what peace, saying, My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth. And the fruit of Christ's peace was to stay their hearts against all trouble and fear. Let not your hearts be troubled, but my peace I leave with you as my blessing, as the apostle speaks, "Peace be to the brethren, and love, with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Eph. vi. 23. "Peace be with all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen." 1 Peter v. 14. And it is a frequent farewell in Scripture, as also in salutations. The scope of our Saviour in these words or valediction, is the same he began withal, (v. 1.) to stay their hearts against all fear and trouble. It was no doubt a great trouble and trial to the hearts of the disciples of Jesus Christ, to lose such a master and teacher as he was, and that by so painful and shameful a death, as the death of the cross. And so it was, notwithstanding all that he had spoken to them, therefore he leaves peace with them,My peace I give unto you.

To open the words, My peace I leave with you, as if our Saviour had said, I am now about to part with you, I must leave you, but I will leave this legacy, My Peace; and that not an ordinary peace, but my peace; and that I give unto you, you shall have. Peace is usually taken for, or implies protection from

all evil, and the enjoyment of all good; but that they may know what peace this is, he tells them, it is my peace. Christ is the Prince of Peace, the atonement, the God of peace. All peace cometh from him; he it is that gives all manner of peace.

First, he gives peace with God. You will say, what manner of peace is that? The apostle tells us, "The peace of God that passeth all understanding, unspeakable and unutterable." Phil. iv. 7. Such a peace that even those that have it cannot conceive the excellency of it, much less can they express it. God is an enemy against sin and sinners, and they are at enmity with God; and for a sinner that hath offended, and provoked God, and that therefore hath no hope in God, now for such a sinner to be at peace with God, and that this should flow from the love of God, in pardoning all his sins, and to account him righteous in his sight; that he that was an enemy to the great and holy God, even in his mind by evil works, and had God himself, the holy, just God, an enemy to him, that will avenge himself on his enemies by eternal punishment, yet now to be at peace with God, and that God will own him as a friend, forgiving all his sins, accept him as just and righteous to eternal life, and take him into his high favor, as a son and heir of heaven, and all this through the blood of his own Son, yea, by the blood of his cross is this peace made, so justifying his law and justice, a great price must be paid to purchase it, and the terms are free grace, in a covenant of grace to all that believe. It is free grace in God to accept of a satisfaction in Christ. He might have exacted it of the sinner himself; and the terms of this free grace are only to believe and accept of it. The new covenant is established upon better promises than the old, wherein God hath promised to take away a hard and stony heart, and to give a heart of flesh. Now for a sinner to be at peace with God, through the merit and righteousness of Christ, and upon the terms of the covenant of grace, and what follows, God takes them into the state of sons,-"ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God almighty," and they are made heirs of the glory of Christ. For a sinner thus to be at peace with God, I say who can tell what it is to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ; this is Christ's peace which he gives to his disciples.

Secondly, this peace is the inward peace of a good conscience; the state of that peace which a soul hath with God through Jesus Christ, being sprinkled from an evil conscience, we have boldness, and access with assurance of faith, unto the holiest of all, and confidence towards God; God sending his Spirit, the Comforter, to witness that we are at peace with God; and this breeds joy unspeakable and full of glory; it fills the soul with all joy in believing. 1 John. "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the

power of the Holy Ghost," (Rom. xv. 13.) so that we may boldly go to the throne of grace, yea even to the holiest of allwith confidence towards God, and have liberty before him; this is a singular part of this peace, to be persuaded that we are at peace with God, and that we are the children of God, and that we are partakers of all the privileges of the sons of God.

Thirdly. Christ's peace is a peace with men, and so usually taken in Scripture, and especially with the saints, "For he is our peace who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, that we may be all one in Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles." Eph. ii. 14.

Fourthly. This peace comprehends peace with the creature, even with the beasts of the field: "For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee." Job v. 23. If we be at peace with the king, we are at peace with all his people; if we be at peace with the commander of the field, we are at peace with all the army; all creatures are at peace with the saints, and serve all for their guard, yea, this peace of Christ is protection from all evil. "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom." 2 Tim. iv. 18. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called, according to his purpose." Rom. viii. 28.

And this peace Christ promises, and this peace he gives, but not as the world giveth give I unto you; some may say, why? wherein is the difference? I shall briefly note the difference in two or three particulars.

1. The peace which the world gives, is more in words than in realities; it is ofttimes only in words :- "Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak to their neighbor, but mischief is in their heart," (Ps. xxviii. 3.) as we may see in the example of Joab and Abner. (2 Sam. iii. 27.) If the Lord speaks peace, who shall speak trouble; and if the Lord speaks peace, he speaks from the very heart to the heart, and not in words of course or compliment as the world use to do.

2. The peace which the world gives, is peace outward to the outward man; they may give outward peace, and fill you with the good things of the world, but it reacheth not the principal part of the man, it reacheth not the heart; but the peace which Christ gives, it reacheth the soul, and the peace that reacheth the soul reacheth the body also; but the peace of the world reacheth the body, but not the soul; Christ's peace secureth the soul and inward man; it guards the heart. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ," (Phil. iv. 7.) or, as it is in the original, shall guard your hearts.

3. The peace of the world is very uncertain and short. When they say peace, peace, then often sudden destruction comes upon them, as the example of Haman in his great honor and sudden downfall doth prove. "And Haman told his friends of his great and singular favor with the king and queen," (Esth. v. 11, 12.) but the next day "he was hanged upon the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai ;" (Esth. vii. 10.) and the strongest league of friendship amongst men of the world, is soon broken, when men's own interests suit another way, but the peace which Christ gives is a firm, lasting, everlasting peace. "Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end;" (Isa. ix. 7.) once at peace with God and ever at peace; God and that soul will never fall out any more.

This being the fruit and effect of this peace, their hearts ought not to be troubled; let not your hearts be disquiet, let them not sink in any affliction that can befall you in this world; here is that peace that may bear up your hearts under any trouble or trial that at any time you may meet withal, nor need they be afraid whatever tidings they hear, or whatever dangers approach, as Christ had told his disciples of many troubles, as wars and rumors of wars, yet saith Christ, be not afraid with such a fear as stands not with faith and hope in God: This peace that I leave with you, it is enough to defend your hearts from fear of any troubles whatsoever, as the Psalmist speaks, I will not be afraid though the mountains be removed and cast into the sea, and therefore though others fear, yet be not you afraid, as the prophet speaks, "neither fear you therefore, nor be afraid sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, let him be your fear and dread," (Isa. viii. 12, 13.)—as if Christ should say, I give you that true peace that may quiet your hearts under any trouble or trial whatsoever you may meet withal in this world.

The doctrine from these words is,

That that peace which Jesus Christ hath purchased, and given to his true disciples, is such as may strengthen them against all distracting troubles and fears in this world.

The truth of this appears, Psalm xxxvii. 11. "But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace;" "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." Verse 37. "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them," (Ps. cxix. 165.)-they do not stumble at any thing as other men do. 66 "They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever; as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever." Ps. cxxv. 1, 2. "Surely he shall not be moved for ever, he shall not be afraid of evil tidings,