SERMON XXV. PHILIPPIANS, iv. 7. THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING, SHALL KEEP YOUR THE Apoftle to the Philippians, having given his converts fome excellent inftructions, concludes his advice with this bleffing; which is fo expreffive of every religious fentiment, that it hath generally been used in the church as the laft benediction. As you have perhaps oftener heard this bleffing pronounced, than thoroughly confidered it, I propose, in the following difcourfe to explain it to you. And first, I fhall fhew you, what is meant by the peace of Godfecondly, how it may be faid to pass all understandingand thirdly, how it keeps our hearts, and minds, through Jefus Chrift. I am to shew you, firft, what is meant by the peace of God. The word peace implies every thing, that is kind, gentle, and friendly. In the quarrels of nations, when war rages in all its violence, we look up to peace, as the bleffed end of its horrors. When faction diffolves the bands of fociety, and oppofite parties are tearing each other in pieces, we implore the bleffed aid of peace to reunite us. And when families become fcenes of ftrife and bitterness, it is peace only which reftores them to the comforts of domestic life. In all thefe lights we confider peace as one of the greatest of earthly bleffings. No earthly bleffing can well be enjoyed without it; and its influence is fuch, that it will often fupply the place of other earthly bleffings. Better (furely in the opinion of all people) is a dinner of herbs, where love is, than a stalled ox, and hatred therewith. But ftill the peace of God is fomething more than than all this. So far we have only confidered, what we may call the peace of man—that tendency, which peace hath to throw its funshine over outward circumftances. But the peace of God, enters the heart. When we speak therefore of the peace of God, we mean that holy joy, which transfufes itself through the foul of a good man, and is founded on a humble consciousness of living in a bleffed communion with God. It is the excellency of fuch a peace, that a man may enjoy it amidst all the horrors of war, and faction. Nothing can take it from him-nor almoft difturb it. But we must confider, that this holy peace is not the attainment of a feeble endeavour. It must be united with the uniform practice of a religious life offered up to God through faith in Jefus Chrift. When a man has attained a sense of religion, which has fubdued his other affections-when he gives up, or is ready to give up, if he were called upon, every thing for the fake of his religion-when he allows no indulgence, nor the temptations of any worldly enjoyment to interfere with his duty-when he can fay with pious Eli, in the midft of affliction, It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good: or, with the the holy apoftle, I have learned in whatsoever. fate I am, therewith to be content-when he confiders this world merely as a paffage to eternity when he fees all its evil, and all its good, pafs by him with unconcern; heeding its accidents, or its flattering bopes, no more than the cloud, or funshine of a fuininer-day. In a word, when he has acquired a thorough truft, and hope in God through Chrift; and confiders him in all his trials, as his best friend, who will deliver him out of them, when he thinks it proper, conform. ing his own will in every thing to that of his great benefactor-then, and not till then, he hath perfectly acquired the peace of God: for till then, he depends in fome degree, on other things; and does not depend entirely on God. for his peace. But now, my brethren, this is a very high state of religion-the highest that can be attained-it is the religion of apoftles, and martyrs: and tho' open to us all, yet is a higher state I doubt, than any of us can fully acquire. It is my duty however to point out to you the highest state of religion; and it is yours to go as near it as poffible.—Tho' we cannot qualify our minds fufficiently for the reception of the peace of God, yet that is no reafon, why we fhould not endeavour after it, by every means in our power.-Be ye perfect, fays the text, as your father, which is in heaven is perfect. Though you cannot poffibly attain the perfection enjoined; the fcripture notwithstanding gives you the rule; and you are to obey it, as nearly as you can. We must not despair, though we cannot reach the point we aim at; but must confider it as a point held out, to excite our conftant progreffion. And of this we may be affured, that every degree of progreffion is a degree alfo of happiness. it HAVING thus fhewn you, what is meant by the peace of God; let me next shew you, how may be faid to pass all understanding. Now this expreffion is capable of two fenfes. In the first place, it may defcribe barely and fimply, the great excellence of the peace of God: as when we mean to fay a thing is exceedingly great, we call it great beyond conception; or, as we might with equal propriety fay, it paffes all understanding, And this would be a good fenfe, if we had not a better. But I conceive this was not the apoftle's meaning. I should rather suppose the apostle's meaning to be, that the peace of God implies fuch a holy impreffion on the mind, as cannot be the object of the understanding. VOL. I. X |