Chapter 6: Use 1
because of their sin. Their very hearts quake, and they shut their eyes against these truths.
However, when they are once on the shore—when peace is made between God and them—they can look upon all the terrors of the Law and all the wrath it threatens with joy and comfort, blessing the name of God forever for their freedom and deliverance from them.
These are the blessed and happy fruits of our peace and reconciliation with God. Now, before we proceed any further, we must pause and reflect on what has been opened up to you thus far concerning the excellencies and glorious fruits of this peace and reconciliation.
Chapter 6 Use 1 Therefore, in the first place, from this, it must necessarily follow that if there is such a blessed peace between God and a true Christian as has been explained, then that person must be very peaceable in the world. He must be of a very peaceable disposition before others.
You may ask, "How does this follow?" It is because there is so much sweetness in this peace with God that it naturally quiets the spirit of the person in whom it resides, so that whatever external troubles
may arise, they will never be able to cause a great disturbance in his spirit. Such is the greatness and excellence of this peace.
A merchant who has all his wealth in one vessel is anxious with every stirring of the winds or every report of a storm, fearing that everything may be lost. But if he hears that the ship is safe and has come securely into the harbour, his spirit, which was once fearful, will now be so calmed and satisfied with this news that it will not be easy to anger him.
There is nothing more capable of keeping a person's heart from anger, stubbornness, and disturbance than a complete satisfaction within one's own spirit. Now, if there is anything in the world that can satisfy a person's spirit, surely it is peace with God—it is the reconciliation that exists between a person and God.
The Scripture says that a good man shall be satisfied from within himself (Proverbs 14:14). Even if he encounters difficulties with those around him, there is so much within him that satisfies and quiets his spirit. Therefore, a Christian does not need to rely on the world for peace, for he has enough peace within his own heart.
The greatest jewel in the world is fully possessed by the Christian in his own heart. All the storms and tempests in the world cannot cause an earthquake unless there are vapours within to create it. In the same way, the things that shake people's hearts and cause turmoil in their spirits are often more due to inward disturbances than to external circumstances. We may complain about outward matters and blame different situations, but the truth is, if we examine ourselves and search for the true source of our disquiet, we will find that it is more from within than from without. If all were well within, we would never be troubled by anything that happens outside us.
If anything in the world can bring about complete calm within, if anything can create serenity and peace in the spirit of a person, it is reconciliation with God. No wonder then that the Gospel speaks so often of the peaceable disposition of those who accept it, telling us of the wolf dwelling with the lamb and the lion eating straw with the ox.
This means that although people were once of fierce and aggressive natures, after receiving the Gospel and accepting the terms of reconciliation with God, they become like lambs and live in harmony with one another.
The reason for this change is that there is so much peace in the Gospel that it quiets the heart. One might marvel when considering the excellence of the peace between God and a person, wondering how it is even possible for a Christian to be easily angered.
You complain about the troubles you encounter in your life—that your husband is difficult, or that your wife is unyielding, or that you have challenging neighbours—but if God is at peace with you, and if He is not harsh towards you, should your spirit be disturbed by such things when you are at peace with God? Is there not enough in this peace to overcome all these disturbances?
I have often observed that it is a frequent complaint about those regarded as godly that, while they may be good people, they are also very quick-tempered and difficult. Truly, this is an extreme blemish upon those who profess the faith. And if we consider it carefully, one would think that nothing should be more contrary to the spirit of a Christian than being quick-tempered and harsh. Nothing should be more opposite to true grace, for when grace comes, when faith in Christ is present, it brings such an abundance of peace to our hearts that quick-temperedness and harshness should be entirely incompatible with this reconciliation, true grace, and faith in Christ.
When people are of such a nature that they are easily angered and, once angry, are unwilling to be reconciled, it is a dangerous sign that there may not be true peace between God and their souls, as they claim. And certainly, this is the reason why many Christians are as quick-tempered as they are—they do not maintain their peace with God. There is often some breach in their peace with God, which makes them so harsh and irritable with others.
To demonstrate that the more our peace with God is broken, the more irritable our spirits become, consider the example of Saul.
When Saul first came to the throne, he seemed to have a very humble and gentle spirit. He regarded his family as the least among the tribes and himself as the least in that family. And when some worthless people spoke against him, saying, "Shall this man be our king?" the Scripture tells us that he held his peace. Later, when others suggested that those who had opposed him be put to death,
Saul said, "No, no man shall be put to death this day."
At first, Saul displayed a quiet and meek spirit, but after he had departed from God, and God had departed from him, he became very harsh, irritable, and rugged. He who had once been peaceable and gentle towards his enemies became harsh even towards his own son,
Jonathan, who was a good, gracious, and godly son, a son of a sweet nature. To him, Saul said harshly, "You son of a perverse woman," and he would have killed him in his anger had the people not intervened.
Similarly, when Saul was merely thwarted in his plans and heard that the priests had helped David, he commanded that they all be killed— men, women, and children—and eighty-five priests of the Lord who wore a linen ephod were all murdered. Such was Saul's harsh,