2. They have no peace, — no peace with God, nor in
their own souls. I know that many of them, upon false bottoms, grounds,
and expectations, do make a shift to keep things in some quietness, neither
is it my business at present to discover the falseness and unsoundness of
it; but this is their state. True and solid peace being an effect of the
Holy Ghost in the hearts of believers (as hath been declared), they who are
not made partakers of him have no such peace. They may cry, “Peace,
peace,” indeed, when sudden destruction is at hand. The
principles of their peace (as may be easily evinced) are, darkness
or ignorance, treachery of conscience, self-righteousness, and vain hope.
To these heads may all the principles of their peace be reduced; and what
will these avail them in the day when the Lord shall deal with them?