THE CHRISTIAN TREASURY. 301 THE PEACE OF GOD. BY THE REV. THOMAS WATSON. I. Whence comes this peace? This peace hath the whole Trinity for its author. 1. God the Father is "the God of peace," 1 Thess. v. 23. 2. God the Son is the "Prince of peace," Isa. ix. 6. 3. Peace is said to be the "fruit of the Spirit," Gal. v. 22. 1. God the Father is the God of peace. As he is the God of order, 1 Cor. xiv. 33, so the God of peace, Phil. iv. 9. This was the form of the priest's blessing the people, Numb. vi. 26,"The Lord give thee peace." 2. God the Son is the purchaser of peace. He had made peace by his blood, Col. i. 20, "Having made peace through the blood of his cross." The atonement Aaron made for the people, when he entered into the holy of holies with blood, was a type of Christ our high priest, who hath by his sacrifice pacified his angry Father, and made atonement for us. Christ purchased our peace upon hard terms; his soul was in an agony while he was travailing to bring forth peace in the world. 3. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. He seals up peace to the conscience. The Spirit clears up the work of grace in the heart, from whence ariseth peace. There was a well of water near Hagar, but she did not see it, therefore wept : a Christian hath grace, but doth not see it, therefore weeps. Now the Spirit discovers this well of water; it enables conscience to witness to a man that hath the real work of grace, and so peace flows into the soul. Thus you see whence this peace comes: the Father decrees it, the Son purchaseth it, the Holy Ghost applies it. are in peace." This is the devil's peace; he rocks men in the cradle of security; he cries "Peace! peace!" when men are on the precipice of hell. The seeming peace a sinner hath is not from the knowledge of his happiness, but the ignorance of his danger. III. What are the signs of a false peace ? 1. A false peace hath much confidence in it, but this confidence is conceit. The sinner doth not doubt of God's mercy, from which presumptuous confidence ariseth some kind of quiet in the mind. The same word in the Hebrew signifies both confidence and folly. Indeed a sinner's confidence is folly; how confident were the foolish virgins! 2. False peace separates those things which God hath joined together: God joins holiness and peace, but he who hath a false peace separates these two. He lays claim to peace, but banisheth holiness; Deut. xxix. 19, "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst." The wicked are loose and vain, and yet thank God that they have peace-a delusion. You may as well suck health out of poison as peace out of sin. 3. False peace is not willing to be tried; a sign they are bad wares which will not endure the light; a sign a man hath stolen goods when he will not have his house searched. A false peace cannot endure to be tried by the word. The word speaks of an humbling and refining work upon the soul before peace; false peace cannot endure to hear of this; the least trouble will shake this peace, it will end in despair. II. Whether such as are destitute of grace may have In a false peace conscience is asleep; but, when peac No. Peace flows from sanctification; but they, being unregenerate, have nothing to do with peace, Isa. lvii. 21, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." They may have a truce, but no peace. God may forbear the wicked a while, and stop the roaring of his cannon; but though there be a truce, yet no peace. The wicked may have something which looks like peace, but it is not. They may be fearless and stupid; but there is a great difference between a stupified conscience and a pacified conscience; Luke xi. 21, "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods this lion of conscience shall be awakened at death, then it will roar upon a man, he will be a terror to himself, and be ready to lay violent hands upon himself. IV. How shall we know that ours is a true peace ? 1. True peace flows from union with Christ. Communio fundatur in unione. The graft or scion must first be inoculated into the tree before it can receive sap or nourishment from it; so we must first be ingrafted into Christ before we can receive peace from him. Have we faith? By holiness we are made like Christ; by believing we are made one with Christ, and being in Christ we have peace, John xvi. 33. 2. True peace flows from subjection to Christ; where Christ gives peace, there he sets up his government in the heart; Isa. ix. 7, " Of his government and peace there shall be no end." Christ is called "a priest upon his throne," Zech. vi. 13. Christ as a priest makes peace; but he will be a priest upon his throne, he brings the heart in subjection to him. If Christ be our peace, he is our prince, Isa. ix. 6. Whenever Christ pacifies the conscience, he subdues the lust. 3. True peace is after trouble. First God lets loose a spirit of bondage, he convinceth and humbleth the soul, then he speaks peace. Many say they have peace, but is this peace before a storm, or after it! True peace is after trouble. First there was the earthquake, and then the fire, and then the still small voice, 1 Kings xix. 11. Thou who never hadst any legal bruisings mayest suspect thy peace; God pours the golden oil of peace into broken hearts. V. Whether have all sanctified persons this peace? They have a title to it; they have the ground of it; grace is the seed of peace; and it will in time turn to peace, as the blossoms of a tree to fruit, milk to cream. They have a promise of it, Ps. xxix. 11, "The Lord will bless his people with peace." They may have peace with God, though not peace in their own conscience; they have the initials and beginnings of peace. There is a secret peace the heart hath in serving God; such meltings and enlargements in duty as do revive the soul, and bear it up from sinking. VI. But why have not all believers the full enjoy ment and possession of peace? Why is not this flower of peace fully ripe and blown? Some of the godly may not have so full a degree of peace. 1. Through the fury of temptation. The devil, if he cannot destroy us, he will disturb us. Satan disputes against our adoption; he would make us question the work of grace in our hearts, and so troubles the waters of our peace. Satan is like a subtle cheater, who, if he cannot make a man's title to his land void, yet he will put him to many troublesome suits in law. If Satan cannot make us ungodly, he will make us unquiet: violent winds make the sea rough and stormy; the winds of temptation blowing disturb peace of spirit, and put the soul into a commotion.2. The godly may not enjoy peace through mistake and misapprehension about sin. They find so much corruption, that sure if there were grace there would not be such strong working of corruption; whereas this should be so far from discouraging Christians, and hindering their peace, that it is an argument for them. Let me ask, Whence is it that you feel sin? No man can feel sin but by grace. A wicked man is insensible; lay an hundred-weight upon a dead man, he doth not complain, but the being sensible of corruption argues a gracious principle, Rom. vii. 21. Again, whence is it that there is a combat with sin, but from the life of grace? Gal. v. 17. Dead things cannot combat. Whence is it that the saints weep for sin? what are these tears but seeds of faith? The not understanding of this hinders a Christian's peace.-3. The godly may not enjoy peace through remissness in duty; they leave their first love. When Christians abate their fervency, God abates their peace; if you slacken the strings of a viol, the music is spoiled; if Christians slack in duty, they spoil the sweet music of peace in their souls. As the fire decays, so the cold increases; as fervency in duty abates, so our peace cools. Use 1st. Labour for this blessed peace,peace with God and conscience. Peace with neighbour-nations is sweet. The Hebrew word for "peace," comprehends all blessings, it is the glory of a kingdom; a prince's crown is more beautiful when it is hung with the white lily of peace than when it is set with the red roses of a bloody war. O, then, how sweet is peace of conscience! It is a bulwark against the enemy, Phil. iv. 7, it shall keep you as in a garrison; you may throw out the gauntlet, and bid defiance to the enemies; it is the golden pot and the manna; it is the first-fruits of paradise. It is still music; for want of this a Christian is in continual fear, he doth not take that comfort in ordinances. Hannah went up to the feast at Jerusalem, but “she wept and did not eat," 1 Sam. i. 7. So, a poor dejected soul goes to an ordinance, but doth not eat of the feast; he weeps and doth not eat. He cannot take that comfort in worldly blessings, health, estate, relations; he wants that inward peace which should be a sauce to sweeten his comforts. O, therefore, labour for this blessed peace! Consider the noble and excellent effects of it: 1. It gives boldness at the throne of grace; guilt of conscience clips the wings of prayer, it makes the face blush, and the heart faint; but when a Christian hath some lively apprehensions of God's love, and the Spirit whispering peace, then he goes to God with boldness, as a child to his father, Ps. xxv. 1, "Unto thee, O Lord! I lift up my soul." Time was when David's soul was bowed down, Ps. THE PEACE OF GOD. xxxviii. 6, “ I am bowed down greatly;" but now the case is altered, he will lift up his soul to God in a way of triumph: whence was this? God hath spoken peace to his soul, Ps. xxvi. 3, Thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes."2. This divine peace fires the heart with love to Christ. Peace is the result of pardon; he who hath a pardon sealed cannot choose but love his prince. How endeared is Christ to the soul! Now Christ is precious indeed. "O, saith the soul, how sweet is this rose of Sharon ! Hath Christ waded through a sea of blood and wrath to purchase my peace? Hath he not only made peace, but spoke peace to me? How should my heart ascend in a fiery chariot of love! How willing should I be to do and suffer for Christ!" 3. This peace quiets the heart in trouble, Micah v. 5, "This man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and tread in our palace." The enemy may invade our palaces, but not our peace; this man Christ shall be the peace. When the head aches, the heart may be well; when worldly troubles assault a Christian, his mind may be in peace and quiet, Ps. iv. 8, "I will lay me down in peace, and sleep." "Twas now a sad time with David, he was fleeing for his life from Absalom; it was no small affliction to think that his own son should seek to take away his father's life and crown; David wept and covered his face, 2 Sam. xv. 30, yet at this time, saith he, "I will lay me down in peace and sleep." He had trouble from his son, but peace from his conscience; David could sleep upon the soft pillow of a good conscience; this is a peace worth getting. VII. What shall we do to attain this blessed peace? 1. Let us ask it of God. He is the God of peace, he beats back the roaring lion, he stills the raging of conscience; if we could call all the angels out of heaven, they could not speak peace without God. The stars cannot make day without the sun; none can make day in a dark deserted soul but the Sun of Righteousness. As the wilderness cannot water itself, but remains dry and parched till the clouds drop their moisture; so our hearts cannot have peace till he infuse it, and drop it upon us by his Spirit. Therefore pray, "Lord, thou who art the God of peace, create peace; thou who art the Prince of peace, command it. Give me that peace which may sweeten trouble, yea, the bitter cup of death.” 2. If you would have peace, make war with sin. Sin is the Achan that troubles us-the Trojan horse, 2 Kings ix. 22, " When Joram 303 saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?" What peace, so long as sin remains unmortified? If you would have peace with God, break the league with sin, give battle to sin; it is a most just war, God hath proclaimed it, nay, he hath promised us victory, "Sin shall not have dominion," Rom. vi. 14. No way to peace but by maintaining a war with sin. Pax nostra bellum contra dæmonem, TERT. When Samson had slain the lion, there came honey out of the lion by slaying sin, we get this honey of peace. Some go 3. Go to Christ's blood for peace. to fetch their peace from their own righteousness, not Christ's; they go for peace to their holy life, not Christ's death; if conscience be troubled, they strive to quiet it with their duties. This is not the right way to peace; duties must not be neglected, nor yet idolized. Look up to the blood of sprinkling, Heb. xii. 24. That blood of Christ which pacified God, must pacify conscience; Christ's blood being sucked in by faith, gives peace, Rom. v. 1, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." No balm to cure a wounded conscience but the blood of Christ. 4. Walk closely with God. Peace flows from purity, Gal. vi. 16, “As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them." In the text, grace and peace are put together; grace is the root, and peace is the flower. As balm-water drops from the limbec, so divine peace comes out of the limbec of a gracious heart. Walk very holily: God's spirit is first a refiner before a comforter. Use 2d. You who have this peace-peace above, peace within-labour to keep it; it is a precious jewel, do not lose it; it is sad to have the league of national peace broken, but it is worse to have the peace of conscience broken: O preserve this peace! First, take heed of relapses. Hath God spoken peace? do not turn again to folly, Ps. lxxxv. 8. Besides the ingratitude, there's folly in relapses. It was long ere God was reconciled, and the breach nade up, and will you again eclipse and forfeit your peace?-Hath God healed the wound of conscience, and will you tear it open again? Will you break another vein? Will you cut a new artery? this is returning indeed to folly. What madness is it to meddle again with that sin, which will breed the worm of conscience! Secondly, make up your spiritual accounts daily; see how matters stand between God and THE RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF HUNGARY. (From the Free Church Magazine.) THE materials of Hungarian Church history have been hitherto almost inaccessible. In more recent times the strong censorship of the press, always specially subservient to Romish interests, and in former days more violent measures, prevented their seeing the light. No history worthy of the name has hitherto been published in the country. One valuable volume, entitled "Historia Diplomatica," full of important documents, was once in circulation; but almost all the copies of it have been bought up by the priests, sometimes at enormous prices, and it is now very rarely to be found. Various histories, we believe, more or less complete, have been written, and await their time. A vast quantity of materials, in the form of annals, biographies, &c., exist in manuscript, and are scattered every where over the country. They were mostly written by persecuted men, who, not having been allowed even to complain of the injuries they suffered, seem to have found some relief to their spirits in thus recording secretly the wrongs to which they and their Church were subjected. They may therefore be looked upon as an expression of that irrepressible desire for publicity and just judgment which the injured ever feel, and which will meet only with full satisfaction in the transactions of the last day. There was on the part of these men a sort of appeal to after times, though centuries might elapse before the cause was adjusted. Yet God, who provided for this appeal by an almost instinctive impulse within their souls, provided also for the preservation of the appeal itself, by a reverence for these documents almost as instinctive on the part of their posterity, and now the time seems at hand when it shall be heard, and just judgment awarded. There is reason to believe that no important fact has been lost. They are all awaiting the day of their resurrection. It is one among many tokens that we are approaching the last times, that the way is being cleared for history pouring out its hidden stores, and preparation is being made for a just reckoning being held even in the present world. Fortunately, the papers relative to the his tory of the Hungarian Church have never yet been collected. Had it been otherwise, they would hardly have escaped destruction during these troubles. Dispersed as they are in private hands, and valued beyond all price, they are safe. Their hiding-places are unknown. God will bring them together, and make each tell its tale, when His own time comes. This The history of the Protestant Church in Hungary may be divided into four epochs-the 1576-1686; third, 1686-1790; fourth, 1790 to first extending from 1520 to 1576; second, the present time. Christianity was introduced into Hungary in the tenth century. It does not seem, however, to have obtained a firm footing in the country till after the accession of Stephen, the first king of Hungary, who was crowned in the year of our Lord 1000. Through his zeal it was rapidly propagated among his subjects, and at length became the established religion of the kingdom. prince erected many magnificent churches, and endowed the clergy with ample revenues. Little is known of the spiritual character of the change which Hungary underwent. It is interesting, however, to observe, that the terms in which the charters of the oldest foundations run, are so little tinged with the peculiarities of Popery, that we are told a very plausible argument could be raised for Protestants as the legal heirs of the parties therein described. There can be no doubt, at any rate, that the introduction of Christianity tended greatly to the elevation of the public mind. We must never confound Popery, as an antagonist to truth and actively repelling it, with Popery, unconscious of its own blackness, superinduced upon a still blacker heathenism. It is the resistance offered to light which so peculiarly deepens guilt, and exposes to Divine judgment. It is in Jesuitism, which sprang from the very bosom of Reformation times, that we see Popery in its essence and most concentrated form. But undoubtedly there are circumstances in which Popery may be viewed as a milder form of heathenism, adopting many truths, such as the unity of God, human guilt, and a future retribution, which the latter either overlooks or altogether denies, and inculcating lessons of mercy and benevolence, to which heathen codes are strangers. Accordingly, Christianity, even in its Popish form, must be reckoned to have been a great blessing to Hungary. It proved the main element of civilisation, and imbedded in the public mind an amount of truth, which, though apparently dormant for a time, afterwards fermented, and produced the events of the Reformation. But while God provides for a scattering of the seed in a general way, he usually raises up a more special testimony, that by the genial influence of light and heat emanating from it, the seed scattered over the surface of society may germinate and fructify. To the influences THE RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF HUNGARY. of a strictly gospel kind, which he directed on the mind of Hungary some time previous to the outbreak of the Reformation, and which may be termed its precursors, we shall now shortly advert. 1st, Several of the Waldenses, driven from their homes by the iron hand of persecution, and finding no resting-place for the sole of their foot, bent their course towards Hungary. These poor wanderers, led by a way which they did not know, were destined of God to perform a great work. As far as the sound of their testimony had reached, they were regarded with mingled hatred and fear, and could find no permanent habitation. Exactly where the testimony ceased, the feelings inspired by it ceased also. Within that boundary line, it was less necessary that they should settle; beyond it, it was both necessary and possible. The hospitable inhabitants of Lower Hungary offered them an asylum. The truth which they carried with them, not less embodied in their persons and lives than systematized in their creed, was the reward provided of God for those who succoured his suffering children. They seem to have lived for the most part unmolested, shedding a soft radiance of the gospel over the minds of the rude but chivalrous inhabitants of Lower Hungary. 2d, But God had made a provision of a similar nature for the upper division of the country. The Hussites in Moravia, Bohemia, and Silesia, on the condemnation and martyrdom of their great leader, took arms. They were able to maintain their ground so long as they remained united among themselves. On their being rent into two parties, Old Hussites and Taborites, they fell an easy prey to their ene mies. Many of the former were driven into the northern parts of Hungary. The similarity of their language with that spoken in this division of the country, enabled them at once to propagate their doctrines. Their numbers also made them influential. They pressed for ward into the very heart of Hungary, and built churches wherever they settled. These churches could not have been fewer at one time than two hundred. From fifty to sixty of them still stand. They are always to be recognised by a cup-the emblem of their distinctive doctrine -cut out somewhere on the stone wall. Thus it was that Satan, having rent his victim in two, in order the more easily to devour it, by the very act of destruction actually disseminated and diffused the life which he sought to kill. 3d, The first Hungarian king, as has already been stated, was crowned A. D. 1000. For the next three centuries Hungary was continually exposed to new incursions of Tartars and other tribes from the interior of Asia. At one time nearly the whole land was desolated by these Many regions were left almost without inhabitants. The Hungarian kings, after peace means. 305 had been somewhat restored, invited settlers from Alsace, Saxony, and other parts of Germany, to occupy these districts. The settlers ever afterwards maintained constant intercourse with their native country. Particularly as merchants, many of them visited the Leipzig fair, and brought back with them wares, books, and whatever else was interesting. By this means the writings of Luther were introduced immediately after their first publication. The colonists formed the junction link between the reformations in Germany and Hungary. God had prepared the field for the future harvest in both districts of Hungary, as we have seen, by directing thither the weary foot of his persecuted servants. By another machinery he brought the revived truth, in its new and concentrated form, in contact with minds thus prepared, almost as soon as it burst forth in the centre of Germany. The whole land waited in anxious expectation for the approaching movement. Among The first word in the spirit of the Reformation was spoken in Hungary A. D. 1520. From that time the progress was rapid. The queen, Maria, protected the new doctrine. Her confessor was a Lutheran. By his advice she invited certain learned men, who had embraced the Reformation, from Germany. others was the able and well-known Simon Grinæus. It is worthy of remark, that Luther dedicated a part of his new translation of the Bible to this princess, A. D. 1526. With the view of still further aiding the Reformation, and causing it to strike deeper root in the land, the queen sent a number of young men into Germany to study in the universities. This practice was afterwards continued. From 1520 to 1560 there studied in Wittemberg alone, where Luther was professor, two hundred and fifty Hungarian students. Down to the year 1580 the number amounted to four hundred. It was not long before the truth met with great opposition. In 1523 a law was passed by the Diet, short but significant, that "Luther ans shall lose their estates and heads." Another Diet was held the same year. It promulgated a second law, as exterminating as the former, that "Lutherans shall be rooted out and burnt." Thus Rome was allowed to discover her real character. The religion of the Bible had begun to shine on the land in all its native lustre. It was needful that the antagonist system of the Pope should, at the same time, be displayed. Truth is never better seen than in its contrast with error. The practical tendencies of both must also be brought to light, in order fully to impress the popular mind. The people had already discerned in the Reformation a revival of the religion of love. In Popery they now discerned a religion of bloodshed and cruelty. Had, however, the two laws above mentioned been carried into effect, the evils resulting to the cause of the Reformation, from |