St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-02-25
RrLainus Rradina.
The Secret of Peace.

such il thing rs an attainable habit OF
ter what external circumstance may be
No matter what worries-uo matter
what perpleXities. what thwartings.
what cares, what dangers no matter
what ISLANDERS. what revilings. what
prosecutions it possible to keep an
immovable peace? When our dearest
friends are taken from us. when those,
we love are in deadly danger from hour
to hour. is it possible still to be in
peace When cur plans of life are
upset. when fortune fails, when debt
and embarrassment come down. is it
possible to be at peace When sud
denly called to die. or to face SORROWS
that are worse than death, is it possible
still to hc at peace
Yes, it is. This is the PECULIARLY of
the Christian religion gift of Christ
to every soul that will receive it from
him. In his hour of deepest anguish,
when every earthly resort was failing
him, when he was about to be deserted,
denied, betrayed, tortured even unto
death, he had this great gift of peace,
and he left it AS legacy to his fol
lowers.
Peace leave with YOU: my peace
! give unto you. Not as the world
giveth give unto you
He says himself that his peace is not
what the world giveth. 1t does not
come from anything in this life; it can
not lie taken away by anything i'll this
life it is wholly divine. As white
dove looks brighter and fairer against
a black thunder cloud, 80 Christ's peace
is brightest and sweetest in darkness
aud adversely.
Is not this rest of the soul, this per
feet peace, worth having? DO the
majority of Christians have it ? Would
it not lengthen the days and strengthen
the health of many Il man and woman
if they could attain it But how shall
we get this gift That is an open
secret. st. Paul told it to the Philip
plans in one simple direction:
BE not anxious about anything. but
in everything, by prayer and supplica-
ton, with thanksgiving let your re
quests be made known unto God aud
the peace of God tina; passetb under
standing shall keep your heart and
mind"
There We have it.
Now if we look back to the history of
these Philippians as told in the Book of
Acts. we shall see that when Palh ex-
horted them never to be anxious about
ANYTHING, but always with Thanksgiving
to let their wants be known to God. he
preached exactly what they had seen him
practice among them. For this Philip
plan church was ut first Il little handful
of people gathered to Jesus by hearing
Paul talk in Il prayer meeting held one
Sunday morning by the river side
There Lydia, the seller of fine linen
from Thyatira, first believed with her
house. and little band of Christians
WAS gathered. But To- in the very
commencement of the good work q
tunult was raised. and Paul and Silas
were Swooped down upon 10y the jealous
Remain authorities. ANONYMOUSLY and
cruelty Scourgcd. and then carried to
prison and shut up with their feet fast
i'll the stocks. Here WAS an opportmi-
ty to test their serenity. Did their
taliSman work. or did it fail What
did the apostles do? We are told {:
AT midnight Paul and Silas PRAYED
and sang praises to God. and the pris-
oners heard them" That PRAYER went
up with II shout of victory it was as
Paul directs. prayer and suppication
with Thanksgiving. Then came the
opening of prison doors. the looSiug of
bonds. and the .iailer fell trembling at
the feet of his captives. saving, ..Sirs,
what must | do to he saved % And
that night the jailcr and all his house
were added to the church ut Philippi.
So. about eleven Years after. when
Pauf> letter came back from Rome to
the philippian church and WAS read ont
IN their prayer meeting. we can believe
that the old Roman iailcr. now lead
ing brother in the church. said. Ave I,
ave he teaches just what he practiced.
| remember how he sung and rcjoiced
there i'll that old prison at midnight -
Nothing ever disturbS him. And they
remember. TOO. that this cheerful. iov-
ful. courageous letter comes from Il
prisoner. chained night aud day to Il
Roman soldier. and it gives all the more
force to his inspiring direction BE
anxious tor nothing-in everything by
PRAYER and supplication. with thanks
giving let your requests lie made known
unto God"
If Paul had been like us, now, how
many excuses he. might have had for
being in Il habitual worry, How was
he shut up and hindcred in his work of
preaching the gospel. A prisoner at
Rome while churches that needed him
Were falling into divers temptations for
want of him how he might have striven
with his lot. how he might have Won
dered why God allowed the enemy SO
to triumph.
But it appears he was perfectly quiet.
81 know how to he abased. and how to
abound. he says: ''everywhere. and in
all things. am instructed both to be
fnll and to be hnnnrv hnth tn nhur,