Madame Jeanne Guyon: Deep Peace

One of the experiences of Madame Guyon in her inner relationship with Jesus Christ was that of being extraordinarily peaceful within, even while the storms of life raged without.

Not only that, but within she could be full of peace, while at the same time, outwardly, i.e. her mind and emotions, could be troubled.

Guyon said:

I had a deep peace which seemed to pervade the whole soul, and resulted from the fact, that all my desires were fulfilled in God. I feared nothing; that is, considered in its ultimate results and relations, because my strong faith placed God at the head of all perplexities and events.

So when Guyon says she feared nothing, she's separating fear related to ultimate results, and those temporal circumstances with can incite fear in a person, and evidently did in Guyon.

Her comments here seem to point to being surprised and unsure of temporary, unforeseen events, even though within she is at peace concerning whatever would emerge from her circumstances. This is important because it can sometimes be misconstrued concerning Guyon that she was saying she had overcome all fear, which from what she says above ... she hadn't.

So while perplexed and concerned over immediate situations she faced, in the long term she was very much as peace.

Throughout her writings, Guyon distinguishes between the peace she had attained in all circumstances within, but still had perplexities arising in her outward man; referring to short-term involuntary thoughts and emotions coming from various events acting upon her.

In other words, it appears Guyon was very peaceful within, but face temporary fear in outward man.