THE

Baptist Magazine,

FEBRUARY, 1816.

THE SUBSTANCE OF A SERMON,

DELIVERED BY THE

LATE REV. ANDREW FULLER,

At Devonshire Square, on Lord's Day Evening, June 26th 1796.

THE subject with which I would close the solemnities of this day, you will find in Philip. iv. 7. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ." Read it in connection with the three foregoing verses. Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God," &c.

:

of the peace of God, which passeth all understanding! Peace among men is healing to the human heart-it is transporting to the human breast, to see the bloody sword sheathed in its scabbard.

It is pleasing to see amity and concord prevail, and old friends meet that have been separated, perhaps by jealousy and misunderstanding: but all this is only between man and man. The peace of God exceeds every thing of this sort, as much as God's ways are above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts. As much as the heavens are above the earth, so much is peace with him greater than peace with each other.

Peace, it will be allowed, is an inestimable jewel. No man that has been at all acquainted with the calamities of war, the It is on this subject, distress of domestic confusion, that we shall now discourse: or the horrors of a guilty consci- Could the apostle Paul exence, can dissent from this pro- press a better wish than this: position. Under such circum-"The peace of God," &c. stances, how often has the heart yielded a sigh on the desireable-ject, we shall, First, Askin what ness of the blessing of peace! But if peace, in the general, be so desirable, what must be said

VOL. VIII.

In discoursing on this sub

this peace consists. Secondly, Consider its great use in the Christian life. Lastly, Inquire,

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by what means it is to be attained.

Let us try to ascertain what it is What is this invaluable jewel? What is this peace of God? Depend upon it, it is something valuable, or rather something invaluable, or our Lord Jesus Christ would not have singled that out as his last bequest, at the time he was about to leave his disconsolate disciples, and when his heart was overflowing with tenderness for them. He left them one great blessing. What was it? Not crowns-not kingdoms -No.-It was something far superior to these: "My peace, I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled."

chief friends, and drew a veil of separation between them. Man became an enemy to God, and God to man. God in the character of a righteous governor was required his own rectitude required him to be an enemy to man. For he hateth all the workers of iniquity: but, through the mediation of the Son of God, the atonement is made-the blood of the cross heals the breach, and opens the way of communion. God declares himself well-pleased with his dear Son; and every poor sinner, who sues for mercy in his name, finds relief. The past is forgiven-is forgotten. The soul is justified through the redemption of Jesus Christ-the effect of all this is sweet peace. The word, which is here ren- Who can estimate the sweetdered "the peace of God," sig-ness of that enjoyment which nifies oneness-union-being arises from a well-grounded gathered into one-reconcilia- persuasion, that God is my tion with God. It is the bless- Father. To be permitted to edness of being in a state of reconciliation with God. I should suppose it may include the following ideas:

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In the first place, That sweet tranquillity of soul, which arises from a well-grounded persuasion of being accepted by God. This is what the apostle means, when he says, Being justified by faith, we have peace with God."-Being accepted through the righteousness of the Redeemer, we have peace with God. I need not inform you, that in our native state, we are all at war with God, and God with us. Sin is the great enemy. It has separated chief friends. God and man, you know, were once great friends; but sin separated those

say, "I am an heir of blessing. I am no longer under the law, but under grace. I am no longer an alien, but a son or daughter. The blessings of the gospel are to be made my own. Where such are the persuasions, there is the peace of God.

To this I add: The peace of God, I should think, includes that sweet satisfaction which possesses the mind from a view of God, sitting at the helm of the universe, and having the management of all our concerns. We are like people who are sailing in a storm. This troubled ocean casts up mire and dirt, and we are continually subject to tempests: and, were it not for the consideration, that we have a pilot at the helm

a God who has the turbulent | in simplicity and godly sinocean under his control-were cerity, we have had our conver

it not for the consideration, that the cares of the world were under his direction, what peace could we enjoy? Let me ask you, thinking Christians, when you consider the temper of the world-when you see man hating his fellow man, and see them combining against one another by thousands-when you see the enmity of the heart to be such, that there is hardly any rational hope of peace under the sun, what would quiet your heart but the consideration that God reigns, and " that the inhabitants of the earth are but as grasshoppers-that he maketh the wrath of man to praise him, and that the remainder thereof he doth restrain." The thought, that Jesus Christ is head over all things to his church, and that all shall contribute to the spread of the gospel, begets that peace in the mind that enabled the psalmist to sing, in the midst of tumult and confusion, Though the mountains be cast into the depths of the sea, there is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God." There is a source of consolation to the children of God, to which others are strangers. God will help his people, and that right early.

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sation in the world. Enoch, had the peace of God, when he had this testimony-that he pleased God. By the history which we have of him, which is very short, it appears, that he pleased very few people. He was a thundering preacher in his day; the object of the ill-will of his hearers; but he had the testimony, that he had pleased his God.

That Christian, or that minister, who enjoys a solid, wellgrounded persuasion, that he possesses the favour of Jesus Christ; whose confidence is in him who sits at the helm of the universe, who walks with God, and has the testimony of a good conscience, possesses the peace of God.

Let me next proceed to justify the apostle's encomium. He tells us, that "it passeth knowledge." It is a very strong · expression; but, I apprehend it is literally true-it is no hyperbole. Some have interpreted it, that it passeth the understanding of carnal men. That is very true; but that is not a thousandth part of the truth. It is of such value, that the understandings of neither appreciating men nor angels are capable of its worth; the peace of God, none can fully estimate. None but God himBut I should add one more self can know its worth. We Is it not necessary, estimate most things by conshould feel peace trast. As the worth of national in our own consciences? We peace is best known by those cannot experience the peace who see the effects of war, of God and joy in the Holy so the worth of domestic peace Ghost, unless we have the tes- is best known by those who timony of our consciences, that, suffer by domestic feuds; so

thought

that

we

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the value of peace with God | something of the value of the

peace of God; there a man would give a thousand worlds, if they were all his own, for a well-grounded hope, that his sins were forgiven; there he that once despised religion, the man that has joked and derided serious people, is alarmed, and wishes, that those very people whom he once derided, would come and pray with him. Who can estimate the value of the peace of God! If you can tell the worth of the salvation of a soul-—if you can estimate the pains of the damned in hell-if you can reckon the loss of an immortal creaturethen can you tell the value of the peace of God.-If you can estimate the worth of celestial enjoyments-all the pleasures resulting from God's favourthen you may calculate the value of the peace of God.

cannot be known in any tolerable degree, but by those who experience the horrors of a guilty conscience. Go then, if you would know the value of the peace of God, look at the case of a man who is borne down by worldly sorrow, and who is a stranger to God. Go, visit a poor man, on whom the Lord hath poured out much trouble and distress, under which he almost sinks, and yet he is a stranger to God. He has no refuge to which he can flee in the hour of distress. From this, you will judge in some degree, what a blessed thing it is to have the peace of God. This it was, which made our Lord say, "I send you forth like sheep among wolves," but I give you that which shall be a balance to every load, "into whatsoever house ye enter, say, Peace be to this house." Would That which endears this blessyou know something of the va- ing to us is not only the imlue of this blessing, go to the portance of it, but the medium room of a poor sinner, whose through which it comes. The eyes are opened; whose con- text says, through Christ Jescience is awake, but who is sus.' ." Do not you think, for without God, in a dying hour. example, that the parcel of Did you never visit a dying ground which Jacob gave sinner, and take notice of him to Joseph his son was enwhen he did not expect that deared because it it was he had an hour to live? Did dying bequest of his beloved you never see, with what a father? No doubt it was; that frighted countenance he views was the singular portion he you? O! that pale face! that gave to his son Joseph: and frighted countenance ! that what made it still more valu mind that looks upon the past, able, was, that his father had with bitter regret, as gone for procured it from the Amorites: ever; that looks on that which" which I took out of the hand is to come with horror and dis- of the Amorites with my sword may! Did you never know such and with my bow."-And the a case? You might know many peace of God must be endearsuch instances they are not ed, because it was obtained by There you might learn the shedding of Christ's blood.

rare.

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the

the people of God, that it was the price of blood-the blood of the Lamb! There is the divine flavour of it! Heaven itself would not be a thousandth part so pleasant to us, if it had not been obtained in this way. It was obtained by the shedding of Christ's blood!

How it will enhance its value to | another the mind; and the peace of God serves to fortify our souls against them both. With regard to the former→→→ such as assail the heart-what are those? In times of persecution, the wrath, enmity, and outrage of a wicked world, were such as assailed the heart. It must have been trying to the feelings of the primitive Christians, and all others who have lived in times of persecution. As for our parts, we have so long enjoyed religious peace, that we can scarcely realize the scene. But only consider that those who were persecuted were men like you and I, and their property was, perhaps, obtained by the sweat of their brow-and it was hard to have that wrested from them by fines and imprisonment. They had families. It was hard to be torn flesh from flesh-bone from bone. Per

But we pass on to consider, in the second place, The great use of peace in the Christian conflict, the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds."The word here translated keep, is very expressive: It is a military term, and alludes to soldiers that are in a besieged town; or rather to soldiers that come in aid of others that are besieged. So the peace of God is that to a believer's heart and mind which a relieving army is to those who are besieged. The heart and mind are sup-haps the tears of the wives and posed to be besieged by the children might say, "Spare him temptations of the present world, for our sakes!" It was crueland in danger of being taken; it must needs come close to the and the peace of God, like a heart-they had the feelings of supply thrown in, affords relief, men. Nothing but the peace of and prevents their being obliged God could fortify them. "Beto give up the contest. This hold I send you forth as lambs word might perhaps be express- among wolves." If they throw ed by the term, fortified," the you into dungeons-if they depeace of God which passeth prive you of the honest fruits of all understanding shall fortify your industry-of your friends your hearts and minds.” The terms heart and mind comprehend the soul; the one is put for the affections; the other for the judgment-the peace of God serves as a relief, a fortification for both. Let me here be a little more parti

cular.

There is one set of temptations which assail the heart,

your liberty! If they deprive you of all these, they shall not deprive you of one thingthe peace of God! This you shall be able to carry with you into the darkest dungeons, and it shall cause you to sing praise to God at midnight. There is another set of temptations which assail the heart-these are the allurements of the world-the