Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. I Pet 1:1.
Having spoken of the first fruit of sanctification, assurance, I proceed to the second, viz., Peace, ‘Peace be multiplied:’
What are the several species or kinds of Peace?
Peace, in Scripture, is compared to a river which parts itself into two silver streams. Isa 66:12.
I. There is an external peace, and that is, (1.) (Economical, or peace in a family. (2.) Political, or peace in the state. Peace is the nurse of plenty. ‘He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.’ Psa 147:14. How pleasant it is when the waters of blood begin to assuage, and we can see the windows of our ark open, and the dove returning with an olive branch of peace! (3.) Ecclesiastical, or peace in the church. As unity in Trinity is the greatest mystery in heaven, unity in verity is the greatest mercy on earth. Peace ecclesiastical stands in opposition to schism and persecution.
II. A spiritual peace, which is twofold; peace above us, or peace with God; and peace within us, or peace with conscience, which is superlative: other peace may be lasting, but this is everlasting.
Whence comes this Peace?
It has the whole Trinity for its author. God the Father is ‘the God of peace.’ I Thess 5:53. God the Son is the ‘Prince of peace.’ Isa 9:9. Peace is said to be the ‘fruit of the Spirit.’ Gal 5:52.
(1.) God the Father is the God of peace. As he is the God of order, so he is the God of peace. I Cor 14:43, and Phil 4:4. This was the form of the priest’s blessing upon the people. ‘The Lord give thee peace.’ Numb 6:66.
(2.) God the Son is the purchaser of peace. He made peace by his blood. ‘Having made peace by the blood of his cross.’ Col 1:10. The atonement Aaron made for the people, when he entered into the holy of holies, with blood, was a type of Christ our high priest, who by his sacrifice pacified his angry Father, and made atonement for us. Christ purchased our peace upon hard terms; for his soul was in an agony, while he was travailing to bring forth peace to the world.
(3.) Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. He seals up peace to the conscience. The Spirit clears up the work of grace in the heart, from whence arises peace. There was a well of water near Hagar, but she did not see it, therefore she wept. A Christian has grace, but does not see it, therefore he weeps. Now the Spirit discovers this well of water, it enables conscience to witness to a man that has the real work of grace, and so peace flows into the soul. Thus you see whence this peace comes - the Father decrees it, the Son purchases it, the Holy Ghost applies it.
Whether such as are destitute of grace may have peace?
No! Peace flows from sanctification, but they being unregenerate, have nothing to do with peace. ‘There is no peace, saith my God to the wicked.’ Isa 57:7I. They may have a truce, but no peace. God may forbear the wicked a while, and stop the roaring of his cannon; but though there be a truce, yet there is no peace. The wicked may have something which looks like peace, but it is not. They may be fearless and stupid; but there is a great difference between a stupified conscience, and a pacified conscience. ‘When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.’ Luke 11:1I. This is the devil’s peace; he rocks men in the cradle of security; he cries, Peace, peace, when men are on the precipice of hell. The seeming peace a sinner has, is not from the knowledge of his happiness, but the ignorance of his danger.
What are the signs of a false peace?
(1.) A false peace has much confidence in it, but this confidence is conceit. The sinner does not doubt of God’s mercy; and from this presumptuous confidence arises some kind of quiet in the mind. The same word in the Hebrew, cassal, signifies both confidence and folly. Indeed a sinner’s confidence is folly. How confident were the foolish virgins!
(2.) False peace separates those things which God has joined together. God joins holiness and peace, but he who has a false peace, separates the two. He lays claim to peace, but banishes holiness. ‘I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst.’ Deut 29:19. The wicked are loose and vain, and yet thank God that they have peace, what a delusion! You may as well suck health out of poison, as peace out of sin.
(3.) False peace is not willing to be tried. It is a sign they are bad wares which will not endure the light; a sign a man has stolen goods, when he will not have his house searched. A false peace cannot endure to be tried by the word. The word speaks of a humbling and refining work upon the soul before peace; but false peace cannot endure to hear of this. The least trouble will shake this peace; it will end in despair. In a false peace, conscience is asleep; but when this lion of conscience shall be awakened at death, it will roar upon a man; he will be a terror to himself, and be ready to lay violent hands upon himself.