Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-28
The Blessings of Peace
and How to Get Them
REV. FLOYD w. ToMKINS.
Text, St. John xiv. ~.

The circumstances OF our life become
burdens too heavy to bear.
Christ bids US accept the peace which
ITO alone can give. "My peace l give
unto YOU" Therefore we must open
our lives to Hin and let Him give US
what We cannot secure for ourselves.
ct is worse than vain for US to seek
10 bring peace By our own efforts. The
God Of peace alone can bring quiet
ness and confidence. and SO make US
strong. First of all. we must have
peace with God. which comes through
forgiveness Of sins. When look to the
Christ Who died upon the cross. and
ask Him for pardon and peace, know
that He hears me and grants my re-
quest and then I can look UP into
Gods face and say. "Aty Father" There
ca1 be no peace to the wicked. says the
Prophet. Therefore. we must have our
wickedness washed away in that prec-
ious blood shed on Calvary. and then
the way OF peace will be open. We
must have peace also with ourselves.
There are in each ono Of us two forces
., working, one for good and the other
for evil. st. Paul tells us OF his ex-
perience in this regard (Romans. vii.
1926.
enough to conquer the bad. The spirit
ual man must overcome the earthly
man. We can never be free from this
conflict 30 long as life lasts. but we
can gain such an ascendency over evil
that the temptation and even the falls
through weakness may not disturb us
cause us to lose heart. Kept by
the power OF God"-that is tho Gospel
declaration which brings peace even in
the midst of conflict.
MUST CONQUER ALL
MEN THROUGH LOVE
And then there must be peace with
our fellowmen. This does not mean
that we Will not have to contend
against evil in the world and to with
stand wicked men. but l. does mean
ths. we shall love all men. even our
enemies. and conquer them. not by
earthly force. but by the love which
comes from God. There can be no real
peace for US unless feel the great
unity OF humanity. and recognize that
we are all brothers and that we need
each other and must help each other.
When this love controls me. then have
n peace In my soul which no amount
OF strife or cruelty or misrepresenta-
ton can destroy.
we ought to think also just now. of
universal peace. which shall Danish
war We are in the midst OF an awful
world crisis. brought about by selfish
ness and worldly power. Christianity
has not failed, but Christians have
failed sadly. We must pray and work
and do all we can not only to end this
European conflict. but to make II i'm
possible for such war ever to come
again. Give peace in our time. @
Lord"
MAN TOO HIGH PLACED
TO LIVE ANIMAL LIFE
Think now of some of the blessings
Of peace, First. there is the JOY Of
sins forgiven. Second. the assurance OF
Gods love and care. Third. quietness
bf heart and freedom from worry.
Fourth, a desire to help others, and
fifth. splendid assurance that ~
things are working together for good
to those who love God. These bless
ings make life rich indeed. and God
will bestow them upon those who seek
peace and ensue It," 1t Is pitiful that
sometimes. in our excitement and
anger. we lose sight Of this calm and
so find our lives weakened. In our
pride we sometimes think that peace is
cowardly, and We lose patience with
the man who controls his temper and
goes calmly on, living his life and
doing his work without nervousness
business. Peace does not mean
inactivity. but It does mean a Danish
ing from our lives Of that desire for
conflict which Ia not human. but rather
brutal
. I'll.
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For tits their nature to-
Man should he above this love of
"scrapping." He is too highly placed in
his origin, and too fine In the best mart
of his nature, to live tho animal life.
TOO great for haste. too high for
rivalry" Perhaps 1t is all right for
boys as they are growing. to enter
into physical contests and even wrestle
and box under supervision, but this
should be play and not real endeavor
to overcome or injure. We need a
business In our lives which shall make
ms superior to the poor little contests
arising from disagreement and perhaps
dislike. AS Gods men we need to have
the love OF peace in our lives.
FIRST SECURE PEACE
THROUGH RELIGION
How can we secure this peace: First
through religion. We must he ChrIe.
tians and grow more and more into
the richness OF Christianity IL we would
gain this glorious calmness which re-
suits from certainty regarding our ORR
gin, our end and our life work. Again,
it comes from self mastery and here
also we need the help of God Con-
slant prayer. visions always Of the
Christ as pictured to us in the New
Testament. fellowship with Him, obe-
dience to His will-these things will
help us to secure peace. And yet again
we can gain peace through having
! high ideal OF living. Not to be sue
cessful as the world counts success, not
to gain honor or applause. not to be
rich or powerful. but to be helpful.
unselfish, kind and brave-this is the
meaning Of life; and as we prove our
selves the higher beings which. as true