95. Meekness

"And be ye kind to one another, merciful, forgiving one another." (Eph. 4: 32.)

Youthful impetuosity is a fierce adversary to the necessary and amiable virtues of meekness and peacefulness.

Why is young blood so hot? Quickly it bubbles up, hurrying along the young man's unguarded heart to indignation, anger, and rage.

Oftentimes, the slightest offense is sufficient to embitter you; to fill you with thoughts of aversion, rancor, and hatred; to make you give vent to inconsiderate expressions, noisy speech, abusive language, threats, and violence.

When the passions are raging, the voice of reason is no longer heard; excitement gains the upper hand; enmity ferments quarrels, excites to words and deeds, such as nothing but blind rage is able to suggest.

Like a hurricane, anger takes possession of the unguarded heart. Dark clouds have suddenly arisen; it storms; the tempest rages. Thus, we can see what wrath and anger can do. A spirit that is easily angered, who can bear? (Prov. 18: 14.)

Often, that concealed anger, that suppressed rage, leads to something far worse. For long days and nights, passion seethes and boils in those impoisoned hearts. Woe! to the closed up, corroding wound if it should suddenly burst open!

Irascibility prevents a great deal of good. No virtue can thrive upon such volcanic ground. Grace loves a peaceable soil. It thrives and flourishes only in love; and where there is no peace, there is no love. Where envying and contention is, there is inconstancy and every evil work. (James 3: 16.)

What is to be done? Let each one watch carefully over himself; especially that irascible one who is well aware of his weakness, and who has often been prostrated by those sudden cyclones of ill temper.

Never engage in a quarrel, young man! Should you be naturally quarrelsome—naturally of the number of those who cannot bear the slightest contradiction or insult; who are hasty in judgment, inconsiderate in speech, rash in deeds of violence—sullen, dogmatic, provoking,—for ever making discord wherever you appear; if, like Ismael, your hands are against all men (Gen. 16: 12),—I beg of you to restrain yourself by the meekness and gentleness of Christ! (2. Cor. 10: 1.) If any one provoke you, stand on your guard; do not quarrel or revile; learn, at least, to keep silence, and to remember the words of Holy Writ,—the lips of a fool intermeddle with strife (Prov. 18: 6), and, it is an honor for a man to separate himself from quarrels. (Prov. 20: 3.)

Moreover, you must be careful never to enkindle bad feelings in others. Do not provoke any one by untimely taunts, bitterness, irony, malicious sarcasm, rude attacks on his honor,—by censure, slander, or a spirit of contradiction.

Guard, as much as possible—especially in the presence of certain, irritable people—against imprudent expressions, which might be misunderstood, and sow discord. If meat scandalize my brother, I will never eat flesh, lest I should scandalize my brother, (1. Cor. 8: 13.)

Once more. If any one gives you an occasion of anger, if you are attacked unjustly, try not to lose your temper; do not suffer yourself to get angry or violent; endeavor rather to adjust the difficulty by friendly words; for a mild answer breaketh wrath, but a harsh word stirreth up fury. (Prov. 15: 1.) Such conduct, far from lowering you, (as you might imagine,) in the estimation of others, rather exalts and ennobles you. He who remains lord over himself, always stands higher than he who by quarrels and insults, degrades himself, and manifests the greatest of all weaknesses,—want of self-control.

To hinder an insult; if possible, not to mind it; to act as though you had not noticed it; to attach no weight to it; to forget it quickly,—is more prudent and meritorious than to become excited, to insult, or threaten. This is especially to follow the example of him who has imprinted upon meekness the seal of true nobility; and who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not. (1. Pet. 2: 23.)

This is true nobility; this is heroism; this is greatness of soul ' Children make a noise, but men remain quiet; weak persons go out of themselves with shrieking frenzy, and are the more despised for their weakness; strong souls possess themselves in peace, and are highly esteemed in consequence.

O be ye kind to one another, merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ. (Eph. 4: 32.)

It is true, much has to be borne here below; and there is no end of human frailties. For this reason, the peacemakers, that is, those who do not lose their own peace, nor disturb that of others, are called the children of God (Matt. 5: 9), imitators, friends, favorites of him who is the God of peace. For he is not the God of dissension, but of peace (1. Cor. 14: 33); and he sent his only-begotten Son into this world for the sake of peace. How highly important the spirit of peace is for your maturer life, for the family circle, for the state, and for neighborly intercourse!

On the contrary, what an extremely pernicious member of human society is not the hot-headed fellow,—that disturber of the peace, that man of discord, who construes everything wrongly, who is always in the right, who must always have the upper hand; who offends every one, and is so easily offended himself; who is satisfied with nothing, interfering in everything, and who, at the same time, refuses to endure anything! Abominable egotism!—to demand concessions from every one, but to grant concessions to none.

Let us earnestly strive to check an ungovernable temper. The fruits of such efforts are so sweet, that to acquire peace the greatest sacrifices should be most joyfully made.

The fruits of the Holy Ghost are,—Charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. (Gal. 5: 22, 23.)