Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin

Jesus we know and He is on the throne!

The Blood of Jesus whispers peace perfect peace.

Bless those that persecute you. Ask the Lord to forgive them. Bless them and their families. Bless bless bless.

The Blood of Jesus whispers peace perfect peace❤

We are burying my younger brother on the 31st of July. I'm currently sorting out the hymns that will be sang and the pastor has picked this hymn.

I really need this perfect peace for me and my family as we mourn and as we travel home to bury our brother.

Lord, please grant us all peace to know that our brother is with you eternally. Amen

My dear cousin passed away last week on February 10, 2021. On the night of her death I was lying in bed thinking abt her; couldn't go to sleep when all of a sudden a calming sensation of peace came over me and I drifted off into a Sweet; Sweet sleep. The best sleep I had in a long time. God came to me and said "Your Cousin is okay and I mean REALLY OKAY." I knew then that she was in Peace Perfect Peace. Thank you Lord. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

I long for this perfect peace some day in yonder, please pray for me that God will grant this to me

For years this song was associated with the burial of the dead. One Sunday morning, nearly 15 years ago, it was introduced as a hymn of praise. Only less than 20% of church members agreed to sing it. The others, in superstition felt it may cause them harm.

I am glad I joined the 20% that sang this song that day because, now any time I feel lost, distressed and confused, I go back to the words of this song.

In whatever situation we find ourselves, there is PERFECT PEACE TO BE FOUND IN JESUS. Glory and praise to you O Lord. Amen

After preaching to our neighborhood this morning. We tuned on the set as we were going back home, and this hymn peace perfect peace started singing and it was suiting to the message we declared this morning, both to us preachers and to the people we preached to. Jesus is all-in all.

"Peace peace" . . in Egypt : When I see the blood I will pass over you."(Exodus 12:13). Much much better now the Blood of the Lamb speaks of better things . . . from Heaven. '(Hebrews 12:24, 25)

Back in 1969 we were missionaries in a remote part of Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia. One evening missionary friends, who were taking a break from their demanding schedule, came to our home, and while there we sang "Peace, perfect peace in this dark world of sin." Yesterday they wrote to say thank you for that "seemingly insignificant moment with lasting implications" saying that the "recent events in the world brought back the memory of that hymn sung at your place." Fifty-one years ago, this hymn touched their hearts -- and ours -- and its truth still rings loudly today in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.

Edward H. Bickerseth was born on January 26, 1825 in London, England of an influential clerical family. His father, also named Edward Bikerseth, was a clergyman in the Anglican Church. Previously, he had been a missionary to West Africa and later the first secretary to the Church of the Missionary Society. He was also a poet and editor of the “Christian Psalmody, ” the choice evangelical hymnal of that time. Four of his also sons became prominent ministers in their day.

Edward Jr. , attended Trinity College in Cambridge where his poetry earned him high- honors. In 1848 he was ordained a minister of the Anglican Church and later was appointed Bishop of Exeter from 1885-1900. Throughout his ministry Bickerseth was known for his works of literature which included sermons, hymns and poetry. In 1870 he was appointed editor of the “Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer, ” a hymnal which surpassed all other evangelical hymnals of Great Britain.

One Sunday in August, 1875, while he was on vacation in Harrogate, England, Edward listened to a sermon by Canon Gibbon, the Vicar of Harrogate. It was on Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in ‘peace peace’ whose mind is stayed on Thee. ” Bickerseth was impressed by the Vicar’s explanation of the original Hebrew text. The point of the sermon was that in repeating the word twice, the Hebrew conveyed the idea of absolute perfection. Later that day, Edward went to visit a dying relative, Arch Deacon Hill of Liverpool. He found the aged man in a state of depression. Wanting to be of help, Edward began to read the verse in Isaiah from where the sermon, still fresh in his mind, was found. Then taking a piece of paper from the Deacon’s desk, he began to write the lines of his new poem and read them to his dying relative. The poem has remained the same as it was first written.

From the Hebrew version “peace peace” came the first phrase for each stanza, “Peace, Perfect Peace. ” The lines of this poem greatly comforted Deacon Hill as he passed from this life on to be with the Lord.

Bickerseth asks five questions in this poem:

Is it really possible to experience a life of ultimate calm and tranquility in the midst of “this dark world of sin? ” or when “pressed by thronging duties? ” or when surrounded by “sorrows surging round? ” or when “loved ones are far away? ” or when “our future is unknown? ” For these poignant questions, the author provides helpful spiritual answers in the second half of each stanza:

The blood of Jesus whispers peace, to do His we will find rest, in His bosom calm is found, in Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and to know He is on the throne.

The tune “ Pax Rectum, ” Latin for “ Peace be with You, ” was written especially for this text by George T. Caldbeck, a young missionary student, in 1877. It is a simple tune well-suited for this hymn.