A DISTANT glimpse on a recent journey of the French fleet near Portsmouth suggested the thought to my mind that the expression of friendship between two great nations is far better than going to war. The meeting also this month of the envoys of Japan and Russia brings the word peace to thousands of lips. Let us hope that a real peace will by God’s goodness soon be established.
If peace between nations is so desirable, so is peace among men and especially among the people of God. The children of God are children of peace; and they should endeavor, if it be possible, as much as in them lies, to live peaceably with all men and with each other.
The Gospel of Christ is a message of peace: “peace on earth and goodwill to men.” It is God’s own message of peace to His enemies, who daily sin and war against Him.
But there is a false and fancied peace as well as real peace; and I desire to address a few words to my fellow-sinners about peace.
“There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” So long as the sinner wages war with God, and lives in constant rebellion against his Maker, so long does he manifest that the carnal mind is enmity against God. Yet all this time he lives in a false peace and fancied security. Because God is long-suffering towards him, he knows not that the wrath of God due to his sin is hanging over his head. Yet this is only the peace of death, which will end in a terrible awakening, sooner or later.
But the Gospel comes to sinners as a Royal Proclamation of Peace and Pardon. I was much struck in reading lately (Deut. 20:1010When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. (Deuteronomy 20:10)) to notice God’s command to Israel in going up to conquer the land. “When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it.”
It is just so in the proclamation of the Gospel. We go forth in our Master’s name, “preaching peace by Jesus Christ.” Where the message is sent home by Almighty power, the sinner’s heart is by sweet grace opened to receive it. But when the hearts of sinners remain fast closed in their native enmity, our peace returns to us again, and the word preached is a savor of death unto death to the hearers.
Christ has “made peace” by the blood of His cross, that is, by His death. This is the glad message we bring you, dear fellow-sinners, in our hands. We do not tell you to make peace with God. Christ has made peace with God. Christ is peace. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
How nice is peace after a storm! It is sweet after passing the dark night on the stormy sea to see the return of calm and quiet at dawn of day. The Lord can still the fiercest storm by just a word. When He says, “Peace, be still!” the wind and the sea alike obey His voice. “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.”
How sweet is the peace brought by forgiveness of sin! This is indeed to realize that God and the sinner are reconciled by Christ; and this peace while enjoyed cannot be invaded by any enemy. To know that all sin is forever put away is the sweetest peace on earth.
There is also the peace of a quiet resting upon God. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.” This is the peace of God, a holy calm resting on His promise and faithfulness. This while it is enjoyed shuts out worldly care and unquiet, and enables us to rest in God.
What a great favor is peace in death. I do not mean that false peace which I fear so often prevails when friends say “he died like a lamb.” This is often, I fear, a stupid unfeeling calm of spiritual death. But there is real peace when a believer dies. His sins are forgiven him; he has the presence of his God even in passing through death’s dark valley; and he knows that it is well with him, and that it will be well with him forever. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.” He dies in peace with God, and leaves this unquiet earth to dwell with God in eternal rest.
August 8th, 1905.
JONATHAN JONES.