(Continued from p. 195)

THE PEACE OF CHRIST

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

The child of God never fails to be filled with delight as he contemplates his Saviour. The more he gazes upon the matchless character and perfection of the Son of God, the greater grows his wonder and adoration. At times, the glory of God, as revealed in Jesus, is overwhelming. Our poor finite minds cannot fully comprehend it, but we worship in His blessed presence and exclaim as Thomas did of old, "My Lord and my God."

When we speak of peace, how the sound of the word soothes our hearts. Peace suggests a contented mind, a satisfied heart and an unruffled spirit. Peace brings thoughts of our Lord to our hearts, for we know that no one has real peace who is a stranger to Him. As we meditate upon His life, as it is recorded for us in the gospels, we realize that He lived in an atmosphere of perfect peace. Wandering about as He did from place to place, misunderstood by His friends, tormented by His enemies, who plotted against Him continually, He, nevertheless, maintained a spirit of perfect peace. He was conscious of the Father's satisfaction in Him and of His own obedience to the will of the Father. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee" (Isa. 26:3). When He was led before Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod and when He was mocked, scourged and crucified, He still evinced a peaceful serenity, which we could not explain, if He were not the sinless Son of God. When the soldiers and Pilate taunted He answered nothing. We behold Him in all His loveliness, The Man of Peace, resting our souls, as He says, "Peace be unto you" (John 20:19).

Christ's peace may be ours, if we, like Him, are willing to fulfil the conditions. A life wholly yielded to God in the power of the Holy Spirit will most surely be a peaceful life. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7). When we are abiding in unbroken fellowship with Jesus, we experience a heavenly calm, and a holy serenity of which those of the world know nothing. "But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Eph. 2:13,14). May we all experience more and more of the peace of Christ.

O, precious Saviour, our dear Lord Jesus, Thou art our peace. The mere contemplation of Thee brings peace to the troubled heart and rest to the weary spirit. Help us to separate ourselves from all that is carnal, worldly and unholy, all that will spoil our fellowship with Thee and mar our peace.

May we be found in peace. May those about us see the peace of God reigning within us. We thank Thee for the peace Thou hast bestowed upon us, that wonderful gift from above. O, Jesus, Lord, we adore Thee. Accept the homage of our hearts, we pray, in Thy Name. Amen.

THE LONG-SUFFERING OF CHRIST

"Love suffereth long and is kind" (1 Cor. 13:4). "But consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Heb. 12:3).

Our Saviour's life was one of suffering and misunderstanding. He was willing to suffer long and to endure patiently, for He looked to the recompense of the reward. He, Who was in the form of God, made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:5-8). We adore Him for His long-suffering.

In Heb. 2:9,10, we read of what He accomplished by His sacrificial death. We begin to understand why He was willing to suffer long. "We see Jesus Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became Him for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." What did He not endure, with such amazing long-suffering, in order to bring many sons to glory! O, the wonderful grace of God! How it is revealed to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord! "He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied" (Isa. 53:11). He "endured the cross, despising the same" (Heb. 12:2) in order that He might be able to say, "Behold I and the children which God hath given Me" (Heb. 2:13).

How long-suffering He was with His disciples! They did not understand Him. Their hearts were hardened with unbelief so that they could not comprehend the great truths which He uttered. They believed that He was their Messiah, but when they first heard of His resurrection they were filled with doubts. But Jesus bore with them patiently and "beginning with Moses and all the prophets He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27).

Now He is seated on the Father's throne, and He is showing to us the same long-suffering and patient love, for, "the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25).

O, may we never forget what He endured for us. We cannot fully understand what the cross meant to our blessed Lord. Only the Father Himself knows what His Son endured. However by the help of God's holy Word we can realize to some extent how deeply He suffered. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow His steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously; Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Pet. 2:21-24). May we never forget at what price our redemption was purchased, with all long-suffering. May we look into our hearts and see if we have that most beautiful and Christ-like grace, the blessed fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Jesus, Who has opened up a way into the holiest by His blood. We thank Thee that we can draw near and reverently look upon the wonder of our redemption. Nothing satisfies our hearts but our Lord Jesus. When we-are occupied with Him our hearts are filled to overflowing with holy joy. Give us a clearer understanding of our salvation through Him and of our position in Him. Father, it is most blessed to be a Christian. Use us to bring others into this blessed way. In Jesus' Name, we pray, Amen. E. W. Carlile

(To be continued, D. V.)