trouble themselves with the apprehension of the
wrath of God. When souls will not suffer their sin, or the curse to enter
in, this is that "no peace" which the Lord speaks often of, it is but a
dream, and when a man awaketh, alas! what a dreadful sight meets he with
first,--"sudden destruction!" Sin enters into the conscience, and the law,
the strength of sin, and so that peace endeth in an eternal disquietness.
But what is the reason, that notwithstanding of God's justice and men's
sins, so many are not afraid of him, so many pass the time without fear of
wrath and hell? Is it not because they have taken hold of his strength,
and made peace with him? No, indeed, but because they know not the power
of his anger, to fear him according to his wrath. Who will spend one hour
in the examination of his own ways, in searching out sins, in counting his
debt, till he find it past payment? No, men entertain the thoughts of sin,
and hell and wrath, as if it were coals in their bosom, they shake them
out, they like and love any diversion from them. Oh! ignorance maketh much
peace, I would say security, which is so much worse than fear, because it
is so far from the remedy, that it knoweth not the evil and danger. It is
not the rising of the Sun of righteousness, shining into the soul, that
hath cleared them, but their perpetual darkness that blindeth them. I say,
then, in the name of Jesus Christ, that ye never knew the peace of God,
who knew not war with God, ye know not love, who have not known anger, but
this is the soul's true peace and tranquillity, when it is once awakened
to see its misery and danger--how many clouds overspread it, what tempests
blow; what waves of displeasure go over its head! But when that peace,
which is made in the high places, breaketh through the cloud with a voice,
"Son, be of good comfort, thy sins be forgiven thee!" when that voice of
the Spirit is uttered, presently at its command the wind and waves obey,
the soul is calmed, as the sea after a storm, it is not only untroubled,
but it is peaceable upon solid grounds, because of the word which speaks
peace in Christ. The peace of the most of you is such as ye were born and
educated withal. Is it not a created peace, a spoken peace,--the fruit of
the lips, and so no true peace? Ye had not your peace from the word, but
ye brought it to the word, ye have no peace after trouble, and so it is
not the Lord's peace.

The Christian may have peace, in regard of