Though some precious souls that have closed with Christ, and embraced the gospel, be not at present brought to rest in their own consciences, but continue for a while under some dissatisfactions and troubles in their own spirits, yet even then they have peace of conscience in a threefold respect; In precio, in promisso, in semine.
1. In precio; the gospel puts that price into his hand, which will assuredly purchase it, and that is the blood of Christ. We say that is gold which is worth gold, which we may anywhere exchange for gold; such is the blood of Christ; it is peace of conscience, because the soul that hath this may exchange it for this. God himself cannot deny the poor creature that prays on these terms: Lord, give me peace of conscience; here is Christ's blood, the price of it. That which could pay the debt, surely can procure the receipt. Peace of conscience is but a discharge under God's hand that the debt due to divine justice is fully paid. The blood of Christ hath done that the greater for the believer, it shall therefore do this the less. If there were such a rare potion that did infallibly procure health to every one that takes it, wo might safely say, as soon aa the sick man hath drunk it down, that he hath drunk his health: it is in him, though at present he doth not feel himself to have it; in time it will appear.
2. In promisso. Every true believer hath peace of conscience in the promise, and that we count as good as ready money in the purse which we have sure bond for. Ps 29:11 The Lord will bless his people with peace. He is resolved on it, and then who shall hinder it? ... Nothing more hard to enter into the heart of a poor creature (when all is in an uproar in his bosom, and his conscience threatening nothing but fire and sword, wrath, vengeance from God for his sins), than thoughts or hopes of peace and comfort. Now the psalm is spent in shewing what great things God can do, and that with no more trouble to himself than a word speaking. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty, etc ... This God that doth all this promiseth to bless his people with peace, outward and inward; for without this inward peace, though he might give them peace, yet could he never bless them with peace as he there undertakes. A sad peace ... to have quiet streets but cutting of throats in our houses ... yet infinitely more sad to have peace both in our streets and houses but war and blood in our guilty consciences. What peace can a poor creature taste or relish while the sword of God's wrath lies at the throat of conscience? Not peace with God himself. Therefore Christ purchased peace of pardon, to obtain peace of conscience for his pardoned ones, and accordingly hath bequeathed it in the promise .. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you John 14:27. Where you see he is both the testator to leave, and the executor of his own will, to give out with his own hands what his love hath left believers; so that there is no fear but his will shall be performed to the full, seeing himself lives to see it done.
3. In semine. Every believer hath this ... peace in the seed. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart Ps 97:11. Where sown, but in the believer's own bosom, when principles of grace and holiness were cast into it by the Spirit of God? Hence it is called the peaceable fruit of righteousness Heb 12:11. It shoots as naturally from holiness as any fruit in its kind doth from the seed proper to it. It is, indeed, most true, that the seed runs and ripens into this fruit sooner in some than ... in others. This spiritual harvest comes not alike soon to all, no more than the other that is outward doth; but here is the comfort - whoever hath a seed time of grace ... shall have his harvest time also of joy.