Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-07-16

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THE MASTERS LEGACY.
By Rev. Alexander MacCol

heart be troubled, neither let II De
afraid.-John 14:27.
The closing verses of the fourteenth
of John have well been called the last
will and testament of Jesus. Tender
ly His heart goes forth to the friends
He is soon to leave. He would fa1n
leave them some legacy of love; and
here it IS: Peace I leave with you;
My peace I give unto you; not as the
world giveth, give I unto you"
One feels at once the contrast be-
tween this legacy and any other
known among men. Indeed Jesus
Himself emphasizes the contrast, Not
as the world giveth, give :"
There is a contrast in that which
Is given. The gifts of men are com
mon things; the gifts of Christ are
thoughts, perceptions, ideals, tasks,
new attitude and atmosphere in life.
To many the superiority Of Christs
giving Is not at once manifest. Sup
pose that one were listening to the last
will of some man of large possessions
and wide culture and beautiful spirit,
and it read somewhat as follows: To
my son James I leave million dol
lars, to my son Peter l Leave all my
real estate, to my son John l leave my
love-" At once the worlds comment
would be, Extraordinary! What mas
John done that he should be cut Off
without a cent?" But suppose that 1t
were possible for this father not only
to make, but, which is so very differ
ent, to carry out his will; to leave TO
James a million dollars and nothing
else; to leave to Peter his real estate
and nothing else; to leave to John his
love for life, for work, for friends, for
books, for the beautiful in nature and
art, his controlling love for Jesus
Christ, who after all is the favor1te
Son? A few years pass and what has
often been the story? The million
dollars without the man to use 1t Is
quickly wasted; the real estate with
out the lovers heart to develop 1t Is
mortgaged to the limit; but the young
man in whose heart there throbs again
his fathers love has long since &C
quired all the possessions he needs
and made for himself and others a
victorious life. 1t is just this power
to give to men the material of which
a strong, true life is made, this power
which many a father longs above all
things to give to his son, but cannot,
which Jesus claims to give to men.
Not the baggage and furniture of life,
but the thing itself; not the environ
ment, but the spirit. Peace I leave
with you
But why among the gifts of the
spirit does Jesus emphasize peace?
Why not JOY or hope or love? Mani
testify peace was the gift these men
were to need most in the days soon
to come, for the loss of the friend on
whom they leaned would drive some
of them to denial and all of them to
despair. But when they came into
possession of Christ's gift they became
men of glorious courage and unfailing
resource and unfaltering loyalty. And
to-day there is no gift which would
minister more deeply to the lives Of
men than the gift of peace; not of
course the peace of Incidence and In
activity, but the poise Of a balanced
soul which keeps one calm and conf
dent in any condition of life. Most
men who know themselves know what
gift to them would be the grace that
conquers moods, dispels fears and
frets, delivers from the bitterness that
exhausts and the resentment that
poisons, keeps one ever earnest and
active and eager-it is the promise of
Christ, Peace I give unto you" And
from 1t will blossom as a flower from
the stem all the other graces which
the heart can crave
There is a further contrast between
the giving of Christ and the giving
Of men. Men give what they have:
Christ gives Himself The peace prom
fsed Is the peace that was in His
own heart, the peace of a Son in per-
feet harmony with His Father. the
peace Of a life which once tempted as
we are by the prizes Of earth had
learned to say, II came not to do Mine
own will, but the will of Him that
sent Me" which had adjusted all
values in this light and brought all
ideals and energies beneath the heel
of this supreme allegiance. A man
can go through a lot in the world
when everything is right at home. He
caO on THROUGH for ,,,oro p-bo, 49,. :.
at the heart of his life deep sense of
rightness with God. This was the
peace of Christ, and this is His gift to
the man who with undivided heart ac-
cepts His leadership, who is ready to
revise radically all standards of value.
and bring life vigorously into harmony
with the Christian ideal
The modern movement for the CO.
operation of religion and medicine"
is at its best an effort to bring to men
Christ's peace. 1t recognizes the cura-
tive value of a placid mind, and pleads
for repose, surrender and trust. The
Christian who tries to do this work
will lind limitless sphere for service,
and one rich in results. Healthfulness
is contagious; the sunny spirit will
radiate sunshine. But if his work Is
to be permanent, he must remember
always that his plea is not for mood.
but for a Master. The peace that
brings ''quietness and confidence" is
Christ's peace. 1t is not an achieve
ment, though persistent effort helps
TO make it effective, but a gift to the
man who has made a whole-hearted