his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord, his heart is established, he shall not be afraid." Ps. cxii. 6, 7, 8. "There is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus," &c. (Rom. viii. 1.) they are out of all fear of condemnation. "These things have I

spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace, in the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John xvi. 33. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith to this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God;" (Rom. v. 1-3.) and not only so, but we glory in tribulations also. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep or guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ." Phil. iv. 7. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God;" (Ps. xliii. 5.) the like see in Paul and Silas, (Acts xvi. 24, 25.) who sang praises unto God in prison and in the stocks.

Reas. 1. From the unspeakable, unconceivable, and excellent worth of this peace, it will outbid all other things in the world. Oh, how this helps a man in all straits; what need he fear what man can do? what need he fear what devils can do?-as David, when in great trouble and disquiet, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Ps. xliii. 5. This made him chide himself because he was now disquieted; so Ps. xlii. 5-11, as also elsewhere, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom then shall I be afraid, if an host should compass me about, in the name of the Lord I will destroy them;" this peace with God takes away not only all fears and dangers of condemnation, as Rom. viii. 1, but also the sting of sin and death, "Oh, death! where is thy sting? Oh, grave! where is thy victory ?" 1 Cor. xv. 55.

Reas. 2. Because this peace is in the hand of Christ, who paid a great price for it, and he will maintain it, that although we sin, yet he is our advocate, and preserves our peace with God; this peace is the peace of Christ, he hath purchased it with his blood; he freely giveth it, therefore surely he will maintain it; he will not take it away, as the world gives peace one day, and taketh it away another; this peace is an everlasting peace.

Reas. 3. Because this peace does not only set the soul free from fear of wrath, but it makes every thing easy, and it takes away the poison and venom of sin, and also the sting of death and hell is taken away; sin is a poison in every cup, and poisons every thing; but this peace takes all away, and doth assure a believer, that whatever he meets withal in this world, shall be to his advan

tage; it makes prosperity to be safe and sweet to them, and makes all afflictions to work for their good.

Reas. 4. Because all troubles and dangers shall not hurt this peace, but shall work together for the furtherance of their everlasting peace, for this peace is so far above all evils and fears that can befall such as have it, that in comparison thereof they are all light and momentary, not worthy to be compared with that glory to be revealed; their great hopes swallow up all their fears, "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." Job xix. 25.

Quest. 1. But here some may ask a question; If Christ gives such peace, how then comes it to pass that many a gracious soul meets with so much trouble, and that not only trouble in the world, but trouble in spirit, that the soul hath lost his peace and sense of the favor of God?

Answ. This legacy was given more especially to the apostles that were called to so great a work, and were to outface all the tyrants in the world, and endure so great afflictions and persecutions, so that we may conceive it was always constant and full with them; but ordinary Christians have not so full and constant peace in themselves; their peace is interrupted for a time, through sin, or through temptations, yet their peace doth hold, though they may lose the sense of it for a time; but they may be sure of this, that peace will return again to them; God hath not forgotten to be gracious.

Answ. 2. Their peace with God is everlasting, and never fails; this peace is the peace of God, and in the conclusion will never fail; but the wicked man's peace will fail, and never come again, but the righteous and merciful man shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their beds: (as Isaiah lvii. 27.)

Answ. 3. Their desertions and temptations are always turned to their good, and their peace returned with advantage of greater peace and joy, their end is always peace, though they should and may go out of the world in the want of the sense of it, yet God doth often return to the soul at death.

Use 1. Instruction: Hence take notice of the wonderful care and love of the Lord Jesus to his disciples, to establish their hearts against all the troubles, afflictions and fears that might befall them in this world, and therefore he saith, let not your heart be troubled; this was the farewell speech of Jesus Christ,-my peace I leave with you; he delights in the prosperity of his people, as we may see, Heb. vi. 17, 18. "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, you might have a strong consolation, who are fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before

us."

Also the Lord said unto the prophet, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith my God. Speak you comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, and that her iniquity is pardoned." Isa. xl. 1, 2. I speak this to this end, because there are some good souls that think assurance of God's love, and strong consolation and joy in the Holy Ghost, is too high a favor for them, being such sinners as they are, to attain to; but let all such consider, that God gives as a God; he gives as becometh such a great God as he is; he gives according to his greatness, and not according to your sinfulness and unworthiness; this peace is the gift of Jesus Christ, and he hath purchased it; therefore, if the soul be never so unworthy, yet Jesus Christ is most willing to bestow this precious everlasting peace upon you, to magnify the exceeding riches of his grace,-refuse not the consolations of the Almighty, dishonor not, grieve not the Lord Jesus Christ by your unbelief; when Christ freely gives you peace, it is your duty thankfully to embrace it, with all acceptation.

Use 2. Conviction: We may hence be convinced of the great folly of all such poor souls as do rest in such a poor peace as the world gives, and look not after that true, most excellent and everlasting peace which the Lord Jesus Christ does freely offer and give; alas, how many souls are there that rest themselves in that peace which the world can give, carnal peace, carnal mirth. It is a poor peace you can have from the world; you may have the world's peace, and yet have a sad heart and conscience, that will tell you for all this you must come to judgment; the very best peace the world can give, will leave the soul in miserable fear and distress, in fear of the wrath of God, which will come upon the sons of disobedience; in the midst of laughter the heart will be sad, all you that thus content yourselves, do not your consciences often tell you of your great and many sins, and woful state to eternity? When Paul preached "of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled." Acts xxiv. 25. That is a poor peace that the world giveth, that is only an outward peace, but gives no inward peace and comfort to the soul;—when Belshazzar was in his greatest jollity, when he was drinking in his cups, his mirth and joy was soon gone, and the hand-writing upon the wall caused his knees to smite one against another, (as Dan. v. 5, 6.) In that peace that the world gives, conscience sometimes will fly in the face, and tells them of those things, sins that they are guilty of, and that God is angry with sinners every day, and that there is a hell prepared for sinners: Oh, the fearful expectation of wrath, and fiery indignation that often seizeth upon the heart of such as are in the greatest peace and prosperity that the world can give; but now where the peace of Christ is, there is no fear of hell, for there is no condemnation to such a soul now.

Again, this peace that the world doth give, how short and uncertain is it? It is but a short peace that the world giveth. Solomon saith, if a sinner live an hundred years, and his days be prolonged, yet I know it shall be well with those that fear God; yea, that is the thing to know how it shall be with the soul. Haman may go home and boast of his greatness, and of the favor he was in with the king, and that the queen also suffered none but him to come in with the king to the banquet; but, poor man! he could not foresee that the next day he must be hanged upon the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai; and so it is many times, a man in favor to-day, and utterly out of favor to-morrow; although the peace of the world be but a slighty peace, yet a man is not sure of it one day; when the world says, peace, peace, then sudden destruction comes upon them as a whirlwind. Were this well considered, would any man rest contented with that peace which the world can give; one would think they should not be contented without that true, durable peace, which Christ gives, and not with that poor peace which the world gives, which is so short and uncertain, that lasts not, but those comforts they are gone as a whirlwind, and their places know them no more, as Solomon saith; and will any rest in such a peace?

Use 3. Trial: This may put every one of us upon the trial, how nearly doth it concern every soul to consider and examine whether his peace be the peace of Christ, or of the world; truly if the peace you have be the peace the world gives, it is not worth a rush; we are a secure people, and live in peace, but consider what true peace you have for your soul to depend upon, and to this end consider,

1. It is a certain truth, that "there is no peace to the wicked, saith my God." Isa. lvii. 21. What peace can a soul have that lives in a course of sin and enmity against God? As Jehu saith to king Joram, What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezabel and her witchcrafts are so many? So long as the soul goes on in the ways of any sin, loves it, and savors himself in it, it is impossible to have any peace with God, that infinitely hates all sin and iniquity; the wicked must forsake his ways and thoughts, repent and turn to the Lord, before he can be at peace with God; but now, that soul that can truly say, that he hath turned from every known sin, and he mourns for sin, it is his grief and burden, it is a good sign that that soul is at peace with God; but when he lives in any way of sin, in a way of lying, or any other known sin, it is impossible that he should be at peace with God.

2. This peace is the gift of Christ; he only can make peace between God and sinners. "He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life;" (1 John v. 12.)

therefore, make out your interest in Jesus Christ by faith, without which you can have no true peace, but if you take up comfort and expect peace from any duties of your own, yea, if you take up comfort from the mercy of God, or from the promise, without Christ in the promise, if you take not hold of Christ in the promise, your comfort will not hold, because you lay hold of peace without true right to it; is Christ most precious and sin most hateful?

3. Where Christ gives peace, he gives grace; grace, mercy, and peace, go together; Christ Jesus never justifieth but he also sanctifieth that soul. "There is now no condemnation to those that are in Jesus Christ," but who are they? those that "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. viii. 1. "For if ye live after the flesh, you shall die; but if through the Spirit ye mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Verse 13. Oh, where is your mortifying and purging out of sin by the Spirit? Where is your delight in the ways of holiness and sanctification? "Jesus Christ is made (not only) wisdom and righteousness, but sanctification and redemption." 1 Cor. i. 30. Consider what power of grace you have received, to mortify the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. vii. 1. If you can make it out that it is thus, then you have this peace, otherwise you have none of it.

4. I might add also, that this peace that Christ gives, disposeth the heart to a peaceable disposition; he will love to be at peace with others, as Isa. xi. 6, 7, the kingdom of Christ is thus described," The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them;" the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, and easy to be entreated; consider what love there is in you to peace; do you not delight, do you not love to be at distance from any of the saints of God? but love peace, seek peace, and ensue it.

Use 4. Exhortation: 1. To every soul that yet hath not this peace which Christ gives, breathe after it, labor for it: Oh, consider and look about you, and think whether it be not needful to get this peace which Christ gives; consider these following particulars.

1. The poor uncertain peace that you now have in the world, that the world can give, you have heard what it is; now will you content yourselves with the world's peace? can you go from day to day with this peace? will you rise and go about your business with this peace? will you with the drunkard sleep upon the top of a mast? Oh, awake, awake, and consider what a peace all your worldly peace is.