peace of God will keep his heart." He may be unable to clear
himself, but still he will know that he has a loving and merciful
Father in heaven, who has allowed distress and difficulty to come on
him only as a lesson and an education. That this distress came
because God chose, and that when God chooses it will go away--and
that till then--considering that the Lord God sent it--it had better
NOT go away. He will believe that God's gracious promises stand
true--that the Lord will never let those who trust in Him be
confounded and brought to shame--that He will let none of us be
tempted beyond what we are able, but will always with the temptation
make a way for us to escape, that we may be able to bear it. And so
the peace of God which passes understanding, will keep that man's
mind. And in whom? "In Jesus Christ." Now what did St. Paul mean
by putting in the Lord Jesus Christ's name there? what is the meaning
of "in Jesus Christ"? This is what it means; it means what
Christmas-day means. A man may say, "Your sermon promises fine
things, but I am miserable and poor; it promises a holy and noble
rejoicing to everyone, but I am unholy and mean. It promises peace
from God, and I am sure I am not at peace: I am always fretting and
quarrelling; I quarrel with my wife, my children, and my neighbours,
and they quarrel with me; and worst of all," says the poor man, "I
quarrel with myself. I am full of discontented, angry, sulky,
anxious, unhappy thoughts; my heart is dark and sad and restless
within me--would God I were peaceful, but I am not: look in my face
and see!"

True, my friend, but on Christmas-day the Son of God was born into
the world, a man like you.

"Well," says the poor man, "but what has that to do with my anxiety