Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-07-16
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THE MASTERS LEGACY.
Bv Rev. Alexander MacColl

give unto you; not as the world CIV
eth, give, l unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let 1t be
afraid-John 14:27
The closing verses of the fourteenth
of John have we'll 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 lain
leave them some legacy of love; and
here 1t is: Peace l leave with you;
MY peace l give unto you; not as the
world giveth, give l 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 l.
There is a contrast in that whlch
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 Chrlsts
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
nv 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 ON
without a cent?" But suppose that 1t
were possible for this father not only
to make. but, which is so very diner
emit to carry out his will; to leave TO
lanes A. million dollars and notnlng
else: to leave to Peter his real estate
and nothing else; to leave to Jonn MS
love for life, for work, for friends, Tor
books. for the beautiful in nature ana
art, his controlling love Tor Jesus
Christ who after all Is the favor1te
SOM few years pass and what has
often been the story? The million
dollars without the man to use IL IS
quickly wasted; the real estate WlCh-
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
ouired all the possessions he needs
and made for himself and others
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 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 balanced
soul which keeps one calm and conf
dent in any condition of life. Most
men who know themselves know what
a 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 it 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
ised is the peace that was in His
own heart, the peace Of a Son in per
feet harmony with His Father, the
peace of life which once tempted as
we are by the prizes of earth had
learned to say, Il 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 lot in the world
when everything Is right at home He
can go through far more when there is
at the heart Of his life a deep sense of
rightness with God. This was the
peace of Christ, and this is His gift to
the man who with undivided heart &C
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 placid mind, and pleads
for rcnocn c,Irrondor a0d truSt The