And God hath put you in a blessed place, even His
wondrous and fruitful world, which praises God day and night, fulfilling
His word; for it continues this day as in the beginning, and He has given
it a law which cannot be broken. He has made you citizens of a blessed
kingdom, even the kingdom of heaven, into which you were baptised; and
has given you the Holy Bible, that you might learn the laws of the
kingdom, and live for ever, blessing and blest.

And the Head of this blessed race, the Maker of this blessed world, the
King of this blessed kingdom, is the most blessed of all beings, Jesus
Christ, the only-begotten Son, both God and man. He has washed you
freely from your sins in His own blood; He has poured out on you freely
His renewing Spirit. And He asks you to enter into your inheritance;
that you may love your life, and see good days, by living the blessed
life, which is the life of self-sacrifice. But not such self-sacrifices
as too many have fancied who did not believe that mankind was a blessed
race, and this earth a blessed place. He does not ask you to give up
wife, child, property, or any of the good things of this life. He only
asks you to give up that selfishness which will prevent you enjoying
wife, child, or property, or anything else in earth, or in heaven either.
He asks you not to give up anything which is AROUND you, for that which
cometh from without defileth not a man; but to give up something which is
within you, for that which cometh from within, that defileth a man.

He asks you to give up selfishness and all the evil tempers which that
selfishness breeds. To give up the tongue which speaks evil of your
fellow-men; and the lips which utter deceit; and the brain which imagines
cunning; and the heart which quarrels with your neighbour. To give these
up and to seek peace, and pursue it by all means reasonable or
honourable; peace with all around you, which comes by having first peace
with God; next, peace with your own conscience. This is the peace which
passeth understanding; for if you have it, men will not be able to
understand why you have it. They will see you at peace when men admire
you and praise you, and at peace also when they insult you and injure
you; at peace when you are prosperous and thriving, and at peace also
when you are poor and desolate. And that inward peace of yours will pass
their understanding as it will pass your own understand