The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-26
"AND ON EARTH PEACE"
ssThe Wrong Shall Fail, The Right Pre-
vail"-Rev. MIR. SeabrO0k'S Ser
mon Sunday.

At the Church of the Redeemer OF
Sunday morning Rev. w. L. Seabrook,
pastor, took for his text Luke 2:l4
"And on earth peace.
MIR. Seabrook said in part that the
coming of Jesus was to bring to the
earth a fourfold peace: peace betweer
man and God; peace between man anc
the powers of darkness in that they
have no longer power to hurt and neee
not be feared; peace between man ane
his own conscience; peace between mar
and man.
When Jesus came, the Prince o1
Peace, there was universal peace among
the nations; the doors of the temple Of
Janus were closed. But peace contin'
ued only a little while Within seventy
years occurred one of the most terrible
wars that has ever disfgured the RED
pages of history, the holy city was de-
stroyed and it's glorious temple given tc
the flames and its people to the SWORD
and the cross. Since that time human
history seems like one long cynica
satire on the angels song. Strife anc
contention fill the world with tumult
How reconcile the angels message with
the continuance of wars? Was the
coming of the Prince of Peace a fail
ure? Christ came to- remake this ole
world of ours, and the method that he
employs with the individual is the worlc
method. It goes without saying that
man cannot have peace with the pow
ers of evil round him. cannot have
peace of conscience without first hav-
ing peace with God. God does not say
to any man with arbitrary fiat, ''Let
there be peace" Before man can be
at peace with God, he must accept
Christ. the Prince OF Peace as Saviour,
"Peace by the blood of His cross, y
Christ as ruler; his law of love as the
motive and rule of life's action. But
man is still in an imperfect world. The
strife between good and evil still RACES
in his heart. But if he has truly &C.
cepted Christ, the good is more and
more gaining the victory over evil--he
is growing better, day by day. The
method with the world is the same.
In the world between man and man
there still is strife. But as in the in
dividual there is development. The
battle is raging but the outcome is not
uncertain. More and more the message
of peace is being heard among men.
Once war was war for wars sake. Once
no quarter was given to man, woman
or child, all were slain or enslaved.
And so it would have been forever were
it not for the fact that more and more
humanity is being nodded by the prin-
eiples of the Gospel. Wherever the
power of Christ is felt, no longer is
war the ruling passion. Today war is
the exception and not the rule. Louder
and louder grow the demands for peace
full arbitration. No nation dares nor
wishes to go to war, without such rea-
son alleged as will justify it in the eyes
of the world, that is opposed to war.
Before the coming of the Prince of
Peace there was no mercy for the van
ouished. Now on the f4d of battle
every wounded enemy becomes broth
er, whose wounds made by the hand of
war are to be healed by the hand of
love, while over every battle camp
floats the banner of mercy, and on
every firing line gentle women and
skilled surgeons, angels of mercy, min
ister alike to friend and foeman.
With the promise of the Christ in
mind, with the evidence of history that
the angels song of peace is more and
more finding echo in human hearts no
man doubts that the triumph of peace
will come, even though there are some
facts that seem to mock the song. We
NAV bow the head in sorrow that the
ideal seems far from present realiza-
ton, in sympathy with Longfellow as
he sings:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet, the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair bowed my head;
There is no peace on earth I said,
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
But even while despairing, the poet
heard another voice which came to fill
MS heart with hope and gladness-
Then pealed the bells more loud and
deeD.