The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-12-22
ADD to Temperance, Patience.

Forbearance is to be exercised, not once
only, or twice; to meet the measure proposed
by the Apostle, it must be habit. There
may be cases in which forbearance ceases to
be virtue, but they are not usually those
in which Christian is required to resist the
temptation to personal resentment. When
they stand in this relation to knowledge, and
denote bearing with ignorance, if the Apos-
tie fixes any limits, they are still in the DO
main of patience-add to temperance, pa
tience-add to temperance, patience; and
thus the duty widens, for patience must have
her perfect work. She suffers not only con.
tradiction with meekness, but for the blessed
Lords sake, she endures all that malice,
envy, or ill will, engendered of any evil mo-
tive, can put upon her, and seeks to convince
the gain-sayers only by her willingness to
suffer when the wrong is done to herself
alone. Not so when it affects the Masters
honor, or the truth of His gospel. Patience
shows her power in the indomitable mainte.
nance of truth and right. She stands by
the oppressed, and links her hand in theirs.
She shares their sorrows while she pleads
their cause. She is not to be awed by
threats, nor can she be moved by batteries,
for her essence is steadfastness.
Some virtues have masculine character,
while others are womanly in their nature
So patience is a mother virtue. The best
living illustration of the power of this grace
is in the gentle life of Christian mother
controlling and guiding her house by the
. constraint Of living example, bearing with
the frowardness of her little ones, soothing
their fretfulness, mindful ever of others
forgetful only of herself; and so it is thai
men deemed strong, are often most at faul,
in this very respect; but to be impatient is
to be weak, and this is the very truth which
is taught by the precept, "Add to temper
ance, patience" eye that are strong ought
to bear the infrmities of the weak"
This patience is one of the lustrous quail
ties which make those who are strong" Eo
in themselves, but Sin the Lord" For thil
grace, surely, no man has of himself. 1t il
only when he has been brought into the mos
intimate of all fellowship with his blessed
Lord, and has learned something of the
power of His grace to uphold in suffering
and in sorrow and sore disappointments and
bereavement, and has been trained in the
discipline which afliction brings, that he is
prepared to bring forth, as good tree, the
ripe fruits of patience. He must have been
taught that the Lord must have His way
and not man; and that the path He chooses
is the right one, though it lead through fire
and blood. Patience is the maturity of tenn
perance, or forbearance; it ripens not in
day. 1t is like those fruits which are never
sweet until the frost has touched them; ant
SO it is found usually never ripe until tn
winter is setting in with its bitter rain ant
cold.
And yet it is indispensable to the symme
try of the Christian character, and thougl
it be hard to win, the grace of the Hol.
Spirit can crown the faith which is His gift
and make the cross light by the strong arm
of patience. So add to temperance, pa
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