December Twenty-seventh.
PEACE.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth give I unto you."—John xiv. 27.
THE peace which the Lord giveth, and the peace of the world, have but little in common. Worldly peace connects itself, to a greater or less extent, with the comforts, conveniences, and elegancies of this life; and the more abundantly these are enjoyed; the greater appears the peace and happiness of those who possess them. But the peace which the world cannot give—that which originates in the Lord alone, and which is the result of overcoming our evils by the power of the Lord's truth—is an internal serenity, an inward satisfaction, independent of every worldly advantage, and which keeps possession of the mind, even though all worldly prosperity should be suddenly swept away. It is the state of confiding love in the Divine goodness, which enables the soul to say, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" It is a state in which angelic influence is especially felt.
Angels are in the stream of providence, and they are content in God, and possess themselves in peace. Murmuring is unknown to them; care never saddens their countenance; anxiety for the future enters not into their thoughts. The man who receives the peace which Jesus gives, is also in the stream of providence, and feels himself perfectly secure amidst all the changes and vicissitudes of this lower state. Though he can-
