Peace in the Holy Ghost
But true religion, or a heart right toward God and man, implies happiness as well as holiness. For it is not only righteousness, but also peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. What peace? The peace of God, which God only can give, and the world cannot take away. The peace which passes all understanding, all merely rational conception. It is a supernatural sensation, a divine taste of the powers of the world to come, such as the natural man does not know, however wise he is in the things of this world. Nor indeed can he know it, in his present state, because it is spiritually discerned.
It is a peace that banishes all doubt, all painful uncertainty, the Spirit of God bearing witness with the spirit of a Christian that he is a child of God. And it banishes fear, all such fear as has torment: the fear of the wrath of God, the fear of hell, the fear of the devil, and in particular the fear of death. He who has the peace of God desires, if it were the will of God, to depart and to be with Christ.
1771 text
10. But true religion, or a heart right toward God and man, implies happiness as well as holiness. For it is not only righteousness, but also peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. What peace? The peace of God, which God only can give and the world cannot take away: the peace which passeth all understanding, all (barely) rational conception; being a supernatural sensation, a divine taste of the powers of the world to come: such as the natural man knoweth not, how wise soever in the things of this world: nor indeed can he know it, in his present state, because it is spiritually discerned. It is a peace that banishes all doubt, all painful uncertainty; the Spirit of God bearing witness with the spirit of a Christian, that he is a child of God. And it banishes fear, all such fear as hath torment; the fear of the wrath of God, the fear of hell, the fear of the devil, and in particular, the fear of death: he that hath the peace of God, desiring (if it were the will of God) to depart and to be with Christ.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 7 in the 1771 Works. Mark 1:15.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.