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I. THE DUTY HERE ENJOINED. The expression may be taken —

1. For the actual enjoyment of peace with all men: in which sense he only lives peaceably, whom no man molests. This cannot be here intended, because —

(1) So to live peaceably is impossible in consequence of —

(a) The contentious, unreasonable humour of many men. There are some that, like so many salamanders, cannot live but in the fire, and so long as there be such, how can there be undisturbed quietness? God must first weed the world of all ill dispositions before a universal peace can grow in it.

(b) The contrary and inconsistent interests of many men. There is nothing which men prosecute with so much vigour as their interest, and the prosecution of contrary interests must needs be carried on by contrary ways, which will be sure to thwart one another.

(2) What is the matter of duty ought to be in the power of him to whom it is enjoined. But it is not in my power to enjoy peace with all men, since this depends upon their behaviour towards me. If a man will be my enemy, I cannot prevent him.

2. Wherefore it is clear that the text is to be understood for a peaceable behaviour towards all men; in which case he lives peaceably by whom no man is molested. It consists therefore in —

(1) A forbearance of hostile actions. In a way of —

(a) Prevention, i.e., abstinence from an injurious invasion upon the rights of another, whether as to his person or estate.

(b) Non-retaliation (1 Corinthians 13:7). Fire sometimes goes out as much for want of being stirred up as for want of fuel. He who affronts his brother breaks the peace; but he who repays the ill turn perpetuates the breach. And perhaps the greatest unquietness is not so much chargeable upon the injurious as the revengeful. A storm ruins nowhere but where it is withstood and repelled.

(2) A forbearance of injurious, provoking words. Rabshakeh broke the peace with Hezekiah as much by his railing as by his army. Men resent ugly words with more acrimony than they would stabs. And the reason is, because a wound directs an evil only to a man's person, but an ill word renders him miserable as far as he is known. Besides, it hurts him so as to put the reparation absolutely out of his power; for it lodges his infamy in other men's thoughts, which he cannot come at so as to rectify them.

II. WHAT ARE THE MEASURES AND PROPORTIONS BY WHICH IT IS TO BE DETERMINED. "If it be possible," i.e., morally, lawfully possible (Genesis 39:9; 2 Corinthians 13:8). Where, then, the breaking of the peace is not unlawful, there the maintaining of it ceases, to be a necessary duty. Apply this to —

1. War.

(1) Is it lawful? Yes, if in a good cause, viz. —

(a)  Defensive; in order to repel an evil designed to the public; and therefore is an act of self-preservation.

(b)  Offensive; for revenging a public injury done to a community, and so is an act of justice. And further, the Baptist, Christ, and the apostles judged the employment of a soldier lawful.

(2) When and where ought it to be judged so? When those with whom we are at peace —

(a)  Declare that they will annoy us unless we mangle our bodies (1 Samuel 11:2).

(b)  Declare war with us, unless we renounce our religion, as in the case of the Armada.

(c)  Injure us as a nation so as to blast our honour, which honour is as necessary to the welfare and support of a nation as its commerce.

(d) Declare war with us unless we will quit our civil rights.

2. Self-defence.

(1) If a man has no other means of escape it is lawful from —

(a)  The great natural right of self-preservation, which is as full in individuals as in public bodies.

(b)  That place where Christ commands His disciples to provide themselves swords. To have allowed them the instruments of defence, and at the same time to have forbid the use of them as unlawful, had been irrational.

(c)  The suffrage of the civil law.

(2) What are those things which may be thus defended.

(a)  Life. For where it is lawful to live, it is lawful to do all those things without which life cannot be preserved.

(b)  Limbs. For who knows but the loss of a part may bring the destruction of the whole?

(c)  Chastity. For this is as irreparable as life itself; and to lose one's life is indeed a misery, but it is no dishonour.

(d)  Estate or goods. Before I pass on I shall add that whatsoever is lawful for a man to do for himself, is lawful for him to do for his neighbour; for we are commanded to "love our neighbour as ourselves."(3) The conditions required to legalise such a defence of ourselves and fortunes.

(a)  That the violence offered be so apparent, so great and pressing, that there can be no other means of escape.

(b)  That all possibility of recourse to the magistrate for a legal protection be taken away. In which case the law leaves every man to his own natural defence.

(c)  That a man designs merely his own defence, without any revenge towards the person who thus invades him.

3. Litigation. This is allowable when it is to secure the execution of justice in the proper acts of it between man and man. If Christianity prohibits all pursuit of a man's right at law, then its observance unavoidably draws after it the utter dissolution of all government and society. He that has the strongest arm, the sharpest sword, the boldest front, and the falsest heart, must possess the world. Yet since men are too prone to stretch their just allowances beyond their bounds, note those conditions that are required to warrant men in their law contentions.

(a) That a man takes not this course but upon a very great and urgent cause. Every little wrong and trespass is not a sufficient warrant for me to disturb my neighbour's peace.

(b) That a man be willing, upon any tolerable and just terms, to agree with his adversary, rather than to proceed to a suit.

(c) Supposing great cause and no satisfaction, that the injured person manage his suit by the rule of charity, and not with any purpose to revenge himself upon his adversary.

III. THE MEANS CONDUCIBLE TO OUR PERFORMANCE OF THIS EXCELLENT DUTY.

1. A careful suppression of all distasteful, aggravating apprehensions of any ill turn or unkind behaviour from men. It is the morose dwelling of the thoughts upon an injury that incorporates and rivets it into the mind.

2. The forbearing of all pragmatical or malicious informations. "He that repeateth a matter separateth very friends." The reporting what such a one said or did is the way to kindle such heart-burnings between persons, as oftentimes break forth and flame to the consumption of families, courts, and perhaps at length of cities and kingdoms.

3. That men would be willing in some cases to waive the prosecution of their rights. As —

(1) When the recovery of a right seems impossible: prudence and duty then call upon a man to surcease the prosecution of that, and rather to follow peace.

(2) When that right is but trivial, but the recovery of it troublesome and contentious. That which being lost makes a man not much the poorer, nor recovered, much the richer, cannot authorise him to enter into the din of a long contest.

(3) When a recompense is offered.

(4) To reflect upon the great example of Christ, and the strict injunction lying upon us to follow it. We shall find that his whole life went in constant recession from his own rights, in order to the peace of the public.

4. Not to adhere too pertinaciously to our own judgments of things doubtful in themselves in opposition to the judgment of those who are more skilful in those things.

IV. THE MOTIVES AND ARGUMENTS BY WHICH THIS DUTY MAY BE ENFORCED.

1. The excellency of the thing itself. "Peace" is a Divine title (Romans 15:33; Isaiah 9:6). The first message that was sent from heaven upon Christ's nativity was message of peace (Luke 2:14). His whole doctrine is called "the gospel of peace," and "the word of peace" (Romans 10:15). The last legacy that He bequeathed to His disciples was peace (John 14:27). Peace is the work of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of believers (Galatians 5:22), and both the effect and reward of piety is peace (Romans 15:13).

2. The excellency of the principle from which it proceeds. It is from a pious, generous, and great mind. Little things are querulous; and the wasp much more angry and troublesome than the eagle.

3. The blessing entailed upon it by a peculiar promise (Matthew 5:9). Note two instances of this blessing that attend the peaceable in this world.

(1) An easy, undisturbed, and quiet enjoyment of themselves.

(2) Honour and reputation. Their report survives them, and their memory is blessed.

(R. South, D.D.)

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KJV: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

WEB: If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men.