they cannot be missed, for where contentment is
not with them, it only is missed, and they not considered. Contentment is
all the gain that men seek in riches, and honour, and pleasure, if a godly
man have that same without them, he then hath all the gain and advantage,
and wants nothing, but some trouble that ordinarily attends them. Outward
peace cannot add to inward peace, and so the want of it cannot diminish.

We must begin at the original, if we would know rightly this peace that
passeth knowledge. The fountain-head is peace with God, a stream of this
is peace of conscience, and peace with the creatures. There is a peace of
friendship, when persons were never enemies, and there is a peace of
reconciliation, when parties at variance are made one. Innocent Adam had
peace once with God as a friend,--angels continue so to this day, but now
there is no such peace between men and God, for all are become enemies to
God, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, that peace was broken by
rebellion against God his maker, and all the posterity are born with the
same enmity against God. On our part are hearts desperately wicked, whose
imagination is only evil continually. On God's part is holy and spotless
justice, that is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and therefore must
destroy it or the sinner. On our part are so many rebellions,--Adam's
actual transgression, and all our own sins and breaches of the holy law,
as so many breaches of peace. On God's part are so many curses answerable
to the breaches of the law: "cursed is every one that abideth not in every
thing," &c. This curse is even the proclamation of men to be traitors, and
an intimation of the righteous judgment which will come upon them. Adam
was in a covenant of peace with God,--"Do, and thou shalt live, if not,
thou shalt die." Adam brake this covenant, so the peace is dissolved, and
God is no more obliged to give life, but to execute the pain contained in
the covenant, and in sign and token of this, look how Adam fled from God's
presence, to hide himself when he heard his voice, it was a poor shift,
for whither should he go from his presence? But, alas! seeking more
wisdom, he lost that he had, seeking divine wisdom, he lost human. Now,
there is no more making up this peace on such terms again, we have no
capacity to treat with God any more, but blessed be his Majesty, who hath
found out the way of agreement and reconciliation. O that ye were once
persua