Spirit of Christ, we bear this fruit. "Well," says one, "in my very make
-up I am rough, harsh, and hasty." You need to be made anew. When God finds
a man that is rough, harsh, and severe in his make-up, He will, if the man
will yield to the operation of the Holy Spirit, make him mild, gentle, and
peaceful. People go to a hospital and by a scientific operation have
abscesses and tumors removed from the stomach and other internal parts.
God, by a blessed, wonderful, and successful operation of the Holy Spirit,
will take that roughness, harshness, and severity out of your nature, and
instil mildness, tenderness, softness, and gentleness instead. Harshness
and roughness are a corruption that God, in his gracious plan of
salvation, is pleased to remove. If you will allow the Holy Spirit to work
in you that which is pleasing in God's sight, he will make you gentle.
What is gentleness? It is blandness, softness, mildness, and meekness. It
is the opposite of harshness, roughness, etc. It is sweetness of
disposition, mildness of temper, softness of manner, kindness, tenderness,
etc. Those who are of a gentle disposition act and speak without asperity.
They are not morose, sour, crabbed, and uneven, but are smooth, mild, and
even. Good manners are intimately connected with gentleness, and good
manners are no dishonor to Christianity.
The apostle Paul by way of testimony said to the Thessalonian saints, "We
were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." 1 Thess.
2:7 Such was his manner. As a kind mother is to a delicate child, so was
he to those whom he loved. Vastly different was he then from what he was
when he was persecuting and wasting the church of God. He had been changed
by grace. He exhorts servants of the Lord to "be gentle unto all men" (2
Tim. 2: 24) and to be "gentle, showing all meekness unto all men" (Tit.
3:2). David, in his sublime tribute of praise to God in 2 Sam. 22: 36
says, "Thy gentleness hath made me great."
Would you, my reader, like to be more gentle in your manner? Are you too
harsh and rough? Are you, if a parent, as gentle to your children as you
should be, at all times? Husband, are you as kind and gentle toward your
wife as you should be? Do you believe you fill the Bible measure in this
particular? Are you as gentle to your domestic animals as you should be?
or do you have impatient feelings and act in a hasty, abrupt manner
towards them? If you meet with something quite provoking from your wife or
the children or the animals, do you keep as mild and sweet as you know you
should? Now, I hope you will examine closely. I do not mean to condemn
you; I want to help you. There are many professing saints today who are
not nearly so gentle as they should be. Why not be in earnest, and seek
God for help, and make improvement? Why go along with crossness, and
coldness and snappishness in your life? Be gentle toward all.
Gentleness is a beauteous grace. Her excellence is great. By culture this
grace is capable of much improvement. Too few saints experience it to the
extent they should. I beseech you by the gentleness of Jesus to be in
earnest and improve upon your gentleness. Never allow a frown or a scowl
to settle for a moment upon your brow. It will leave its mark if you do
so. Learn to be gentle in your home. Sometimes when far away from home,
you picture to yourself how gentle and kind and loving you should be at
home. By God's grace you can be just as gentle as you see in the picture
you should.
TENDERNESS.
In order for life to be what it should, it must flow from a heart full of
tenderness. This is that quality of soul which enables us to give kind
attention to others, to be willing and eager to do good, to exercise great
carefulness to give no offense, and to be soft and gentle in every
expression. Like all other good qualities, this is found in perfection in
the character of God. "The Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy."
Because of his pity he never lays upon his trusting child a greater burden
than he can bear, and in his tender mercy he always gives to each trial a
happy ending.
It will be helpful to study for a few minutes the principle of tenderness
as an attribute in the nature of God. "Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." It is the father who
sees his little child in deep pain that knows what pity is. It is that
feeling which makes the father desirous of bearing all the pain. It was
the pity or compassion of God for the lost in sin that caused him to give
his only Son to suffer and die for them. When God saw the wretchedness of
men, he had such a feeling in his heart that he could find relief in no
way but in providing the only means of their rescue. Oh, think of this!
The child of God never has a pain or a sorrow but that God has a feeling
of pity. The knowledge that some one has pity for us and fellowships our
suffering goes far toward alleviating our pains. Recently while I was in
deep soul-suffering, I received a letter containing these words: "We
suffer in spirit with you." This was a great relief. If in a time of trial
we could know how God was suffering with us, it would be a great
consolation.
Again, we read, "As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you;
and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." Who is it that knows not the
comfort of a mother? When we hear of a young man's meeting with a sad
accident away from home, we have great pity; but when we learn of his
mother's having gone to him, we feel better. Ah, the comfort of a mother
is surpassed only by the comfort of Jesus. "If Mother were only here!"
says the troubled daughter. Nothing else so fittingly represents the
nature of the comfort that God gives as the comfort of a mother. O child
of God, you will never have a sorrow nor a pain but that the tenderness of
God will cause him to come and comfort you. Let us lift up our hearts and
praise him for his mercy and comforting love. A mother may forget to
comfort her child, but God will never forget.
The tenderness of God is revealed in these touching words: "How often
would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings." The imagery is homely, but oh! so impressively
sublime. I can not do better than to use here the words of another. "Was
ever imagery so homely invested with such grace and such sublimity as this
at our Lord's touch? And yet how exquisite the figure itself of
protection, rest, warmth, and all manner of conscious well-being in those
poor, defenseless, dependent, little creatures, as they creep under and
feel themselves overshadowed by the capacious and kindly wing of the
mother bird. If wandering beyond hearing of her peculiar call, they are
overtaken by a storm or attacked by an enemy, what can they do but in the
one case droop and die, and in the other submit to be torn to pieces? But
if they can reach in time their place of safety under the mother's wing,
in vain will any enemy try to drag them thence. For rising into strength,
kindling into fury, and forgetting herself entirely in her young, she will
let the last drop of her blood be shed out and perish in defense of her
precious charge, rather than yield them to an enemy's talons. How
significant all this of what Jesus is and does for his helpless child!"
Under his great wing he tenderly, lovingly gathers his little ones and
there they are secure. He is a safe retreat.
From the song of Moses we learn still more of God's tender care. "As an
eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad
her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did
lead him, and there was no strange god with him." This metaphor
beautifully expresses the care and the tenderness of God toward his
children. The eagle is noted for her great attachment to her young. Her
care is extraordinary. When the little eaglets have attained age and
strength to leave the nest and learn to fly, the mother bird bears them
up, when weary, on the top of her wing.
These all express to our hearts the wonderful tenderness of God to his
children. But there is nothing in the material world that forms a full and
perfect analogy for the things in the spiritual world. These are too high.
If we do not have the tenderness of God in our hearts, our life comes
short of being a full and true life. The Bible tells us to "be kind one to
another, tender-hearted." There is no true holiness of life without
tenderness. As we get deeper into God, we become more tender of heart.
There are some things that will prevent this tender-heartedness. Just a
little feeling of resentment, a little desire for retaliation, or a secret
wish for something to befall those who have done us an injury will callous
the heart and harden the affections. When we have been slighted by some
one or misjudged, oh, how Satan strives to get us to thinking much about
this, and to work a "hurt" feeling into our heart. Even to think about the
meanness of others will bring a harshness and coldness into the inner
life. That which we condemn in others will, if we think and talk much
about it, creep into our own hearts.
You say you are saved and sanctified. Thank God for such a blessed
experience; but you have much yet to gain. You have not yet attained to
the full depth of anything. There is yet a tenderness of heart you can
reach only through many and varied experiences. There is tenderness of
voice, tenderness of manner, tenderness of feeling, tenderness of thought,
you will attain to only through much and deep communion with God. It is
those intimate and familiar talks with Jesus that fashion us into his
glorious image. A brother minister related to me a few mornings ago his
experience of the night before. He lay awake, he said, for a long time and
had a sweet talk with the Lord. So intimate was the communion that,
turning over to go to sleep, he said, half unthinkingly, "Good night," as
if parting from a dear friend. Such close union with Jesus gives us
clearer visions of his character and stamps his beauty upon our souls.
Have you not seen those who are harsh, rough, and unfeeling in their
speech and manner. No one wants to be like them. We are glad to get away
from them. They measure a person by their standard, and if he is not what
they think he should be, they speak about him in an unloving and unfeeling
manner. We feel that something coarse and flinty needs to be taken out of
their nature. We do not say they are not sanctified, but they are too
bitter and severe. They need to be bathed in the love of God; they need to
be immersed in the sea of his gentleness. We have seen, on the other hand,
those who were so feeling, so quiet, tender, and gentle, that their
presence was like the breath of a sweet spring morning. There was a
tenderness in their eye, a softness in their voice, a pathos in their
feeling, that cast over your soul a sense of delight.
There is much for us to gain. But we can gain it only at the end of the
bayonet. If we would win, we must fight. There is no victory without
battle. One brother, after gaining a decisive victory, said, "The devil is
dead." He was so victorious and free that he thought the devil must be
dead. In a short time, however, the brother learned his mistake. The
prince of the power of the air still lives, and we still have our
humanity. If we are not prayerful and watchful, we become disposed to
contend for our way; to feel a little bitter if we are trampled upon.
Jesus tells us to "resist not evil." We are not only to not resist evil
outwardly, but to have no resisting feeling in our hearts. If we would
have holiness of life, we must have tenderness of spirit. If you desire
your life to be like the oasis in the desert, where the weary traveler is
refreshed, be tender of heart, be compassionate, bear every trial with
patience, endure all suffering without a murmur, commune much with God,
and he will bring you out into that tenderness of soul that will make your
life, everywhere you go, like the atmosphere of heaven.
THE CHRISTIAN WALK.
Life is termed a walk in the Scriptures. Where they say that we ought to
walk as Jesus walked, they have reference to our manner of life. The way
in which a Christian walks is called the way of life. It is called the way
of life because it leads to a land of life--a place where death never
enters, where all is life, and life forevermore. The Christian walks in
the way that leads to that land of life. There is also a place of death,
and the way there is called the way of death.
The way along which the Christian walks is a narrow way. "Strait is the
gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life." But we need have no
fear; for although it is narrow, it is not dark. "Thy word is a lamp unto
my feet, and a light unto my path." I would rather walk in a narrow way in
full light than in a broad way in the dark. The Word of God lights up the
Christian's pathway. How beautifully the electric lights light up the
walks in the city park! There is no danger of stumbling. The Bible is a
light along the way of life, and it lights the way beautifully. Not one
step need be taken in the dark. There is light for every step of the way.
Sometimes the Christian may think he has reached a dark place; but if he
will open his Bible, he will find a light to lighten that very spot.
THE CHRISTIAN IS TO WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY.
"See then that ye walk circumspectly." Eph. 5:15. To walk circumspectly is
to walk cautiously; to look where one is stepping; to be vigilant,
watchful, diligent, attentive. Be our pathway ever so light, if we do not
look where we are stepping, we may stumble. Conybeare and Howson render
the above text in these words: "See then that ye walk without stumbling."
We are to walk not as foolish people but as wise. We would say that the
man acts foolishly who does not look at all in the way he is walking.
Those who are wise in business walk carefully; they look where they are
going; they take advantage of every opportunity to make their business a
success. In our Christian walk we are to seize upon every opportunity to
make progress. There is no time in this short life for ease. Carelessness
and indolence are dangerous and destructive to spirituality. An indolent
man will never accomplish much for God nor be of any great benefit to his
fellow men. But oh, how easy to become careless!
Many begin the Christian walk in carefulness and diligence, but soon give
place to carelessness and neglect. How prone people are to lose interest
in anything when the new has worn away! They take great interest in the
new preacher, but they will become so familiar with him and so accustomed
to him that they will lose interest. They have never heard any one preach
so well as the new preacher, and what he says has such weight and
authority; but behold, after the new has worn away, he can not preach any
better than any other they have no more regard for his words than they
have for the words of others. There is an old adage which says, "A new
broom sweeps clean." The boy is eager to cut wood with the new ax. A child
will carefully write like the copy for the first few lines; but the
farther down the page, the greater the carelessness. The young lady takes
great interest in the music lessons at first; she wants to practise all
the time; but it soon gets old, and then it is hard to keep up an
interest. The husband is very loving, kind, and attentive to his wife for
a while; but alas! in a little while she becomes old to him, and then he
lets her shift for herself. This need not and should not be; but it seems
to be the nature of man.
In the Christian life there is a strong tendency to let things run down.
Some persons hear a sermon and they are awakened, but they are soon lulled
to sleep again. Perhaps the example of some one has shown them that they
do not pray enough, and they resolve to pray more, but they soon drift
into the same careless way. Maybe they see that they do not read enough
and improve themselves, and they are greatly stirred to do better, but
alas! how soon they allow that resolution to weaken and become as
negligent as ever. Nothing but the greatest diligence and unyielding
determination will save us from getting weary in welldoing. Keep up a
strong faith. Hold your mansion in the skies well in view and let nothing
hinder you in your journey home.
There are professed Christians who, I am sorry to say, never take a good
look at their mansion in heaven, and it is to be feared that many who are
really God's children do not view their home above as often and distinctly
as they should. They see more of temporal things than of eternal things.
It is by faith that we see eternal things, but if we have too keen a
vision for temporal things, it dims our spiritual vision. If you knew you
had a fine home in an adjoining State, and you had never seen it, you
would want some one who had seen it to give you a description of it.
Perhaps you would want a photograph of it. You would take a look at the
picture often, and would learn all about it you could, and would think of
the time when you could go and live there. Now, Jesus tells you that he
has prepared a mansion for you in heaven. He does not tell you much about
it, but you know full well that a mansion that Jesus prepares is perfect
and complete. Why not think much about this mansion? why not view it often
by faith? why not learn all about it you can? Getting too much engaged
with the things of this life is the reason why. To walk circumspectly is
to see that every step bears us heavenward, to have our faces set toward
God, to have our eternal home in view, and to be journeying that way. We
are not to be sauntering along, but to be industriously living for God and
heaven.
How often have you decided that you would be more prayerful, would read
more, would love God more, and the souls of men, would do more for the
cause of God! How often you have decided to walk more worthily of God, to
be more patient, to live a higher life, to be slower to speak, to
cultivate a spirit of love and kindness, to be more like Jesus! You
started out well and with great diligence, but alas! ere long you became
weary in well-doing; you became less vigilant; you did not walk so
carefully and were less attentive to your way. One day a circumstance
occurred that caused a brother to see that he was not as attentive to
others as he should be and let many opportunities of helping others in
little things go by unimproved. He decided that he would be more watchful,
and thus be more helpful; but, as he said, he soon became as negligent as
ever. Time after time he resolved and as often became negligent. Do not be
discouraged. A little more determination, a little more faith in God for
help, and you will triumph.
THE CHRISTIAN'S WALK A WALK WITH GOD.
"He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require
of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy
God." Micah 6:8. The life of Enoch is descriptive of the Christian's life,
and it is said that he "walked with God." Hand in hand with God, heart in
heart, and life in life, is the true Christian way. In order to walk thus
with God, we must be in agreement with him; for two can not walk together
heart in heart unless they be in agreement. To be agreed with God implies
submission to the divine will. It is to go where he leads.
"He leadeth me" is the sentiment of the Christian heart. He may sometimes
lead in a laborious path; nevertheless we go. He may lead in a way that
brings suffering and self-denial; he may take our loved ones from us; he
may call somebody dear to us to a foreign field, or he may call us. If we
would walk with him, we must not draw back, but say, "Lord, thy will be
done. I will go with thee all the way." Such a walk may lead over some
thorny paths and through some waters and fiery trials, but it pleases God
and ends in heaven, So onward let us go.
THE LATEST IMPROVED.
As we walk along the streets of villages and cities, we see machines of
different kinds exposed to view and bearing a card with these words: "The
Latest Improved." For our life to be perfect every day, it must be our
latest improved. The world is getting worse, we say, but you and I as
Christians can daily grow better. Our life today can be an improvement
over our life of yesterday. The Christian life is a real life, and is as
capable of development as any life. The same law that develops us
physically is necessary to our development spiritually. Day after day we
can be built up into stronger spiritual beings. We can become more like
God, possessing a firmer Christian character and having an integrity that
will not swerve for a life nor a world from the path of virtue. Constant
progress is constant peace and happiness. It is the triumphant life.
Dear reader, I am going to ask you to lay aside for a few minutes the busy
cares of life and come and have a talk with me about spiritual and
heavenly things. Now, if you feel that you scarcely have the time, and can
not fully dismiss the temporal concerns of life from your mind, then I
will excuse you. I do not care to speak with you unless you can give me
your undivided attention. I desire to help you if you need help. I want to
talk to you about your every-day life, and I do want your calm, serious
attention. Surely by God's help we can spend a few minutes to some profit.
Some people hesitate to look closely into their life, lest they find such
a delinquency as will disquiet them. Some fear to give a close
examination, lest it give Satan an opportunity to accuse them. This need
not be. We can look closely into our daily life and not allow Satan to
whisper one word to us. We can not make improvement upon our life without
close examination in order to discover weakness and imperfections. When we
discover them, we must set earnestly to work to correct them. The
discovery alone is not sufficient. If we do not correct a fault that we
have discovered, we soon lose consciousness of the fault. There are times
with every one, no doubt, when it seems that they are making no progress,
but these may be the times when we are making most progress.
If we have just one fault, we ought to desire to get rid of it. Our desire
should be so great that we shall set about at once to correct that fault.
Now, if we say, "Oh, it is such a little thing," then we shall not get
free from it, and that little thing may become a greater thing. To be too
quick to speak is a fault. The Bible says, "Be slow to speak." If we have
the fault of speaking too quickly, we should correct that. We can if we
will.
The Bible tells Christians to watch and pray. Christians do not need to
watch and pray lest they rob a bank. They would not rob a bank if they
never prayed. But we do need to watch arid pray lest we do some little
thing that we should not do. I will relate to you the experience of a dear
brother who desired to live for God, but who neglected to watch and pray
as he should. An evil thought was presented to his mind. Not seeing the
evil of it, he indulged the thought, and found pleasure in the indulgence.
After a few minutes he felt the reproving of the Spirit of God and so
dismissed the thought. Later it came again. It was so pleasing that he
indulged it a little longer than before. Again the Spirit reproved him. In
a few evenings the thought came again. It was only a little sensual
thought, a little imaginary indulgence of the flesh. But it came again and
again. It was indulged a little longer and a little longer. Eventually it
worked a fleshly lust into his heart, and after two or three years he was
led into actual commission of a sinful deed. It was an apparently innocent
thought in the beginning, but it ended in sin committed.
There are little yieldings to lightness, impatience, aircastle building,
exaggerations, frettings, murmurings, idleness, etc., that prey upon the
soul and rob it of peace and the sweet consciousness of God's presence.
But there is progress in the divine life for every one of us if we will
only give attention to our life as we pass along. The first thing is to
have a deep interest in making spiritual gain, and then to be full of
faith and encouragement.