THE DAY OF REST. PEACE. A Sermon by the late Mr T. W. Grady.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 197, 2 April 1887, Page 8

THE DAY OF REST. PEACE. A Sermon by the late Mr T. W. Grady.

" Foace I leave with you ; My peace I give unto you, cot aa the world giveth, giveluato you. Let not j our heart bo troubled, neither let it be afraid."— John xiv. 27. This chapter may well be likened, we think, to a caeket of precioue jewels, polished by a master hand ; they attract, and increase in value the more we use them. In them lie embodied some of the deepest love, the greatest sincerity, and the divineßt hope that ever showed itself on this earth. The circumstances which surround them are full of interest, and call for our prayerful perusal. Picture to yourself the loving band of disciples clustei ing round the much-lovod form to Whom they had promised their allegiance and their life The Ma3ter gazing on this group, knew of the darkness and blackness which as to follow. Soon the parting word would be spoken ; soon cruel hands would do their work, and the new-born King would hang upon a felon's cross. No wonder that the Master feels sorrowful, and, with the sadneea of a heavy burden resting upon them, lie begins to break to them the tidings of His departure. " Whither Igo ye cannot come." Hard to understand, truly ; so hard that Peter, the foreman of tho band— the bold, rugged, aud. thank God, in later days the i-oiucujeou- disciple- bieaka forth with his avowal of Christ and dt termination to take up the martry's cross to gain the Saviour's crown. Though the tmth did not at once burst upon them, the sad and loving words must have vibrated aud re-echoed in each sympathetic heart; aud bowing there they felt the presence of a sadness which roee like a cloud, and overhung them as they discoursed together. But Christ does not leave them here. Like a ray of sunshine on the blue, long deep, so beautiful, He takes hold of the sorrowing ones and, drawing aside the veil, passes them over the Jordan and reveals: to them a hope blooming with immortality. Yes ! in ay Father's house : litre you ehall have tribulation. Soon the clouds will gather and tho temptation fall ; foon you ehall be reviled for My sake, and I shall endure the agony and pain of Calvary. Sorrow not when you see Me led to the cross, weep not when you see Ms torn and bleeding, I will eond the Comforter ; in the midst of it all a calm may be yours. "My peace I leave with you," etc. Oh, blessed legacy ; and wafted down tho ages comes the news to us that still the Master ppcaks, and as truly to-day as ever ; a tender, compassionate Saviour looks down and, amid the sadness and sorrow of our earthly strife, says again, 41 My peace be with you," etc. Peace : there aye a few heavonly words to be found on this desert earth, and Peace is one of them. Peace : we long for the silenced biast of war and beat of drum. Peach : we sigh for it aa we rush on amid the bustle and din of outdaily life. Peace : the billows of temptation and trial have well nigh overwhelmed us ; there is noise and conflict in the eoul ; but one word is whispered and the waves subside, the storm is hushed, and in the lull of the sorrow and anguish a voice ia heard, full of music, full of joy, u Peace I leave with you," etc. Brethren, in contemplating this subject let us notice particularly the nature of the peace bequeathed, and which we call our own this morning. It is the peace of pardon ; " My peace I yiw unto yDu,' the peace which is Mine to bestow, because I will purchase it with My ! own body on the cross, " Therefore, aa by the offence of one judgment eaoae upon all men to condemnation ; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.' 1 Can peace and em go hand in hand? Follow me into that inner chamber where the lone wanderer, driven from his homo by the pangs of conscience, seeks to hide himself from the public gaze, and muees on the secret sin. Look upon him, and as you see the cowed, dejected, broken ppirit you are convinced that peace and em cannot go together, Follow me into the felon's cell, where he whose hands have been imbrued with the blood of the innocent awaits the passing of that dread sentence which seals his doom. His head bowed in anguish, and, as he paces to and fro, a wreck of humanity, again we are convinced that peace and sin cannot dwell together. Follow me into the haunts of crime and vice. Is there peace, is there happiness ? Amid the shouts of besotted and devilstricken men it seems a mockery to speak the golden words of our Master, tv My peace I leivo with you." Ah ! Chriab's peace is not known to the world. The hard, Bin-s*ricken maeees cry out for peace, bub there is no peace. They wauder up and down the earth crying, "Who will show ua any good 1 ' Thoy see not a crucified Saviour, a loving Friend, with torn hands and feet and pierced side, holding out tho peace of p'irdon. Yes ; before we can receive this rich legacy we must receive the blood bought pardon of a crucified Saviour. The peace Christ bequeathed was purchased by the agony and pain of death. Are men crying for peace today ? We know they are ; from a thousaud voices goes up tho cry for peace and rest. ' Would that the world were convinced that there is only One able to supply that need. "My peace I give unto you." Yes the voice of Christ comes down the avenue of time, and offers again and again the gift, and yet men seek it elsewhere Brethren, there is no peace outeide of Christ. Can I find peace in the know-nothingness of Agnosticism? Can I find peace in the care-nothingness oi Infidelity ? Can I find peace in the gaudy, glittering elements of the world ? No : thore can be no peace until I am reconciled to the great God. My own instinct and natural reeling tell me lam condemned ; tell me I am sinful and depraved. God^ seems far from me, and in my soul is disquiet and unrest because of the fear of the wrath of an offended God, Can the teaching of Voltairo, or Spencer, or Harrif on remove that fear ? No ; the only ono to give me peace ia the One who haß bridged the gulf and reconciled me to the Father, Christ purchased pardon, and Christ can give peace, Oh ! sinner, would you enjoy this rich legacy, this glorious gift ; then prepare yourself to receive it : present your title-deed, a clean heart, renewed, washed, and made whiter than snow. Peace and sin cannot go together ; but peace and righteousness have kissed each other. To be good is to be happy ! to be happy, truly happy, is to be possessed of the peace that pasaeth understanding. Possessed of the "jwaccof pardon" we become posßeseed of the " peace oj adoption;" oh, how Bweet, my brethren. The reality of J that prayer, " Our Father, who art in j heaven, ' becomes so sweet when from* the heart of a son, not in name only, but by adoption. The gospel of reconciliation leads us on into peace. Is not reconciliation peace? Christ reconciles us; Christ gives us peace : "My peace I give unto you." Yes convinced' of the faot that we are adopted into the family of Qody "Tho Holy Spirit so works upon the soul by His immediate influence, and by a strong though inexplicable operation, that the stormy wind and troubled waves sub*

side, and there is & sweet calm* the heath resting in the arms of Jesus, and the sinner, being clearly satisfied that God ifl reconciled, that all hie iniquities are forgiven and his Bin covered." This is peace, perfect peace, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, be--cause he trusteth in Thee." Then the legacy which Christ bequeathed ■ to us is the peace of protection. "Let nofc your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." lli we could realise the fulness, . of the peace we may claim from His hand, how bright and cheerful life might become. Some Christians know very little of this, peace. What with murmuring, doubting, and disputing this and that, they lose much of tho reality and bleaeedneps of religion. But, thank God, passing on in the journey of life, though it be set with briar and" thorn, though the rough hewn stone cuts the tired feet of the wanderer, though, outwardly, all seems dark and cheerless^ yet in the soul there ia brightness, there is peace. Ob, my frieude, if we could look into tho hearts of our fellowß how often should we pee a storm of passion, a sea of trouble lulled into silence and peace by the prosonco of Jesue. Yonder mother, one of God's heroine?, weighted with domestic care, presged dov n. with anxiety and aorrow, it may be with nursing the tick child, or soothing tho last moments of a tired one, ready to wing its h'ight to the better country— that mother is sustained by no earthly stimulant, is protected by no human agency. Her quietness and happiness in trial spring from a peace which flows like a river, and filling her soul, makes her very offliction sweet. You tired and weary one?, ycu sorrow stricken, heart broken mourners, you tempest-tossed, let me recommend th?a peace to you, It is given, it is left us. W©. claim it now. Jesu, Lover of my soti), Let me 1o >hy t-oacm fly. While the ncaier waters roll, While the tt-mj eat still is hifcbt Bide me, O my Saviour, hide, Till the stoim of life bo paar, Safe into the hav< n guide, Oh, receive my soul at last. Possessed of this peace, life ie 2>reaoi(s. and worth living in every aspect. If ever we needed it, we need it to-day. There is unrest everywhere. In the social wokld there are great upheaving ; the popular passion is roused, and men driven to the verge of despair, bring riot into thoee places where before was peace. In the--political world great schemes are being • pubhed forward, and, 'mid this suggestion, and that plan, there is no ]>cace. In the religious world sects are multiplying, fierce controversy rages. Kew ideas areformulated, and perhaps wisely co ; some of the old dogma and superstition is disappearing before the advance of clearer light, and fuller knowledge. But, above all this turmoil, all this unrest, a voice is heard, not in the rolling thunder, not in the fiery flame, not in the earthquake, but in the still small voice — the voice of tho Prince of Peace — and. amid it all, when the heart, faint and weary, scarcely know which way to turn, His voice exclaimß, "It is I, be not afraid." How often have we heard the echo, no, not the cch, but the real voice of the Master speaking these words, "It is I, be not afraid." We know not what awaits us, God kindly veils our eyes, but at the same time He has promisedpeace. The Master will guide the weary feet ; Choosing for each, and choosing aright, The noontide rest in the summers iut>t, For come, the Klory of Alpine height. For some, the breez -p, frebh and f ee. Ana the cbang -fui churm of wm c and sea ; For some, the hußh. and the toothing spells Of harvest fields, and woodland dells ; For some it may bo the quiet gloom Of the suffering couch, and^the shaded room. But with it all, " My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." Time fails us to look at our text in detail, but one word mote, "Not as the world.giveth," &c. Christ's peace transcends the peace which we think we find, but miserably fail in finding. Christ's peace is real. "How do you know?' says the worldlyminded philosopher. Come with me for a moment. Keview the ages, briefly : — Abraham, severely tried, is y6t filled with peace. Theie is Joseph cast into prison, yet with innocence and right there is peace. There is Job : home destroyed, property taken, children slain, yet, with it all, he exclaims, " Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.'' Daniel, quietly seated in the £en of lion?, sustained by God-given peace. To you say this was courage, not peace ? Christian' courage dwells with Christian peace. From a thousand martyrs at the stake enmes the cry, " Christ's peace is real !" From broken hearts, and mourniDg onescoroe3 the cry, " Christ's peace ia real !s! s From a bright and happy girl, whom \*e helped to carry to the tomb, passing out of this world, comes the. dying message, " Safe, safe in the arms of Jesus." From a darling brother who passed from our side, comes a message to our hearts, with peace: "Do jou think Jesus lovevS you, Willie ?" With a tear, he said, "I knovj He does !" Tho dying MissHavergal exclaims : Splendid ! why should a child be afraid to go home ?" My friend, is it well with thy soul ? Thanfc God it may be well.