“WHAT would I not give to have this peace of which you speak,” said one, calling himself an infidel, to a Christian. “I would give my right arm at once to be able to say, ‘I have peace.’” But, blessed be His name, we have not to give aught to God in order to obtain peace; for He has Himself so loved us, as to give His only begotten Son to die for our sins.
Peace follows faith; “being justified by faith we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Poor guilty sinners that we are, without strength even to think one good thought—much less to perform one good deed; we can never have peace with God save through His blessed Son. See, dear reader, in the following testimony from the lips of a dying youth, what a blessed thing it is to believe God’s word, and what holy peace real faith in God gives.
The dear youth had few of the comforts of life to call his own, and but little sympathy to soothe him in his dying hours. Perhaps his choicest earthly treasure was the few flowers which stood upon the windowsill of his humble room, but the blossoms of the true Hearts-ease were his! Oh! that every dear reader might be as rich as this poor youth! “And how is it, Mike, that you know your sins are pardoned.” “Because,” said he, “I now believe in Jesus; and ‘He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life,’ and Jesus never told a lie.” Happy, happy youth. “Blessed―happy―is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”
There is a danger of seeking to obtain peace by wrongful mean. We heard yesterday of one who after trying to be good, trying to please God by his religion, got so tired of trying, and became so miserable, that he gave it all up as a hopeless undertaking, and sought afresh the pleasures of the world. This may be your case, dear reader, so we warn you. “I don’t know how it is,” said another, “I can’t get peace. I try hard enough; I go to chapel whenever it is open; I pray almost all night; I read nothing but my Bible, and I am a tetotaller; what more can I do?” “Try Christ,” we say with a rejoicing Christian. Yes, try Him. “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”