le of a living Father who is always with us to
infuse new heart into us, and to give us effectual counsel and aid.
While we put forth our own efforts to win this self-conquest, and so
school all within us as to enter into peace, Christ is with us securing
that our efforts shall not be in vain, giving us the fixed and clear
idea of peace as our eternal condition, and giving us also whatever we
need to win it.

These words our Lord uttered at a time when, if ever, He was not likely
to use words of course, to adopt traditional and misleading phrases. He
loved the men He was speaking to, He knew He was after this to have few
more opportunities of speaking with them, His love interpreted to Him
the difficulties and troubles which would fall upon them, and this was
the armour which He knew would bear them scathless through all. That His
promise was fulfilled we know. We do not know what became of the
majority of the Apostles, whether they did much or little; but if we
look at the men who stood out prominently in the early history of the
Church, we see how much they stood in need of this peace and how truly
they received it. Look at Stephen, sinking bruised and bleeding under
the stones of a cursing mob, and say what characterises him--what makes
his face shine and his lips open in prayer for his murderers? Look at
Paul, driven out of one city, dragged lifeless out of another, clinging
to a spar on a wild sea, stripped by robbers, arraigned before
magistrate after magistrate--what keeps his spirit serene, his purpose
unshaken through a life such as this? What put into his lips these
valued words and taught him to say to others, "Rejoice evermore, and let
the peace of God which passeth understanding keep your heart and mind"?
It was the fulfilment of this promise--a promise which is meant for us
as for them. It will be fulfilled in us as in these men, not by a mere
verbal petition, not by a craving however strong, or a prayer however
sincere, but by a true and profound acceptance of Christ, by a
conscientious following of Him as our real leader, as that One from whom
we take our ideas of life, of what is worthy and what is unworthy.

FOOTNOTES:

[16] "In this designation of the teaching Spirit as holy, there lie
lessons for two classes of people. All fanatical professions of
possessing Divine illumination, which are not warranted and sealed by
purity of life, are lies or self-delusion. And, on the other hand,
cold-blooded