The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-09-03

great confusion.
IzzzzzlzlzzAzzl The peace of the
text is not peace with God. AS has fire.
quently been said by students of the
Word of God, there is peace with
God" and peace of God" We be-
lleve that the peace of this text is the
latter. The disciples of Jesus proba-
bly, quite fully understood what the
peace with God" was, but they did
not know the peace of God" "Peace
with God" Is quite legal; while the
peace referred TO here has TO do with
mans experience.
Quite uniformly through all the his
tory of Christian experience, we have
testimony TO this. The Psalmist says,
Great peace have they that love thy
law" The prophet Isaiah had the same
idea when he said, "Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on thee" Jesus sometimes
spoke to his disciples that they might
have peace although they already had
peac" with God. Paul wrote to the
Phllippian Christians of the peace OF
God that passeth all understanding"
and prays for the TheSsalonian
Christians that the "God of peace
give them peace" This peace spoken
of In all these passages was certainly
peace of experience, and he Chris
tian does very wrong who permits him.
self TO be perturbed and agitated, and
is bound to maintain In all his expert
ence the spirit Of peace.
The Peace That the World Gives.
In the text Jesus said that the world
gives peace. This may be questioned
by some at first thought, but 1t Is a
fact that there Is pleasure In sin. The
world does give what we may fairly
call peace. although temporarily.
Now Jesus says that there is
difference between the peace of the
world and the peace he gives. The
world gives only to the lowest part Of
man. the flesh. The world never
gives except for pay. therefore,
really never gives. whatsoever
man soweth that shall he also reap"
man who yields to the world must
remember that the world Is Shylock.
and will demand the pound of iesh.
Furthermore, the world never salts
fes. John Ruskin has said tina, the
satellites Of the flesh belong to the bit
terest experience of men. There is a
momentary pleasure in sin to the
normal man. but this pleasure does
not reach the deeper nature of man,
and cannot therefore satisfy.
The Peace That Jesus Gives.
Jesus Christ said that he did not
give as the world gives. and running
the parallel, we may say chat he
gives TO the highest part Of man, that
is he gives to the spiritual. In the
last year and half of our Lords
life he was In the midst Of all kinds
OF opposition. but he always main
tanned a spirit OF quietness. His spirit
prevailing over the flesh: and he
would have his followers have the
same experience.
Jesus literally gives his peace to the
world. asking nothing In return. He
said. II give unto them eternal life"
and "Come unto me all We that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest"
This peace Of Christ's satisfies. The
Psalmist said. HE satisfeth the long
ing soul. and filleth the hungry soul
with goodness" This peace enabled
Job TO say in the midst of his many
troubles, blessed be the name of the
Lord" President William Mckinley
as he lay dying repeated the words,
Nearer my God to Thee. nearer TO
Thee
This Peace Tested by Jesus Himself
This peace Is Gods own peace
Whatever commotson there may be on
the earth. or indeed In the universe,
God Is calm and at peace, and this
peace was the peace that Jesus Christ
himself tested on this earth. my
peace I give unto you" That peace
sustained him before the mob that
attacked him in Gethsemane; when
he stood before PLATE and Herod: as
he gazed on tho crowds about the
cross knocking him, and said. Father.
forgive them. for they know not what
they do"
Those who are not Christians should
first experience the peace with God.
which is secured by faith In Jesus
Christ, and afterwards have this peace
OF God. the peace of which Jesus
spoke In the text.