Words: , 1875. Bick­er­steth was va­ca­tion­ing in Har­ro­gate, England, where he heard a ser­mon on Isaiah 26:3 by Canon Gibbon. The min­is­ter re­lat­ed that the He­brew text used the word peace twice to in­di­cate ab­so­lute per­fect­ion. The idea was still on Bick­er­steth’s mind when he vis­it­ed a dy­ing rel­a­tive that af­ter­noon. To soothe the man’s emo­tion­al tur­moil, Bick­er­steth opened his Bible to read from Isaiah 26:3. He wrote down these lyr­ics, just as they ap­pear today, and read them to the man: per­haps the last thing he heard before Jesus called him “to Hea­ven’s per­fect peace.”

Music: Pax Te­cum, & , 1876.

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.

Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
In Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and they.

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus call us to Heaven’s perfect peace.

After one of Bick­er­steth’s sis­ters point­ed out that there is no­thing spe­ci­fic in the hymn about phy­si­cal suf­fer­ing. “That is soon rem­e­died,” he re­plied. He took up an en­ve­lope and wrote the fol­low­ing verse (ap­par­ent­ly ne­ver pub­lished) on the the back…

Peace, perfect peace, ’mid suffering’s sharpest throes?
The sympathy of Jesus breathes repose.