Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-01
SELF GOYERNMENT.

The merit or value Of any work or
achievement depends upon its relation to
mankind and its permanence. The labor
spent in carrying out whim or idle fan
oy. like the erection of the Trianon, the
DAIRY house of Frances Inflated queen, Ma
RE Antoinette, or the ice palace at Montreal,
was proftless labor, and the form of the
builders was as ephemeral as their work.
One reason why the man that ruleth his
spirit is greater than a conqueror Of cities
is, that the work is UNNECESSARILY more
difficult. The 'pomp and circumstance of
war;" its glitter and glory sustain a sol
der in the midst of carnage and urge
him on to the assault, and to victory. In
subduing ones own spirit, the plan of
the campaign must be very different; the
enemy are not drawn up in line in front,
but they are in possession of the strongest
citadel of a mans being, and they know
all the weakest points, and when they seem
most subdued are only getting ready for
a vigorous onslaught.
A city may be taken by one fierce bat
tie, but a mans spirit once seemingly sub
dued, returns again and again to the
| charge. With most men it is much easier
to knock an obnoxious individual down
than to pass him in silence. It is more
than easy to return railing for railing, or
as is often said 'to give a person a piece
of his mind rather than to hold the
tongue. Naturally a mans temper may
be quick, irritable, sullen or,
revengeful, and long indulgence has
| strengthened these traits until they have
things all their W way. Let such a man
try to govern himself, to restrain his tenn
per, to keep back hasty words, to forgive
his enemy, and he will find how difficult is
the task of ruling the spirit. Giving free
| rein to the spirit not only falls in with a
mans inclination, he has also a powerful
ally to help him. The devil is an invalua-
BILE assistant to any oae who yields to his
guidance; and a willy unsleeping enemy to
fight against. Besides, in'the battles with
ones own spirit there is no earthly glory
or renown to be won, as in taking
a city. The heroes of history, Alex
ander the Great, Gustavus Adolphus
and Napoleon First never fought such bat
ties, they conquered nations. but their OWL
spirits they could not rule, and so they
" ere ''like cities broken down and withou
walls"
The motives for self conquests are no
desire for fame or glory, but simply thu
resolution to do right, to bring the body il
subsection to the will of God. No person
can be an exemplary Christian, who can no
rule his spirit. To scold and fret ant
quarrel and bully others can not be covered
by any amount of public praying or piou
exhortation. The first duty of a Christian
is self government. and if he cannot gov
ern his temper, or hold his tongue from
back-biting any active work in the church
would be premature, and only bring {
reproach upon the name of Christ
A mother once remarked "that she di
not know what She reason was that he
children seemed to dislike everything con.
nected with the church. She had brough
them up to attend church and Sunda,
{ school, but now, they were grown up, the.
l would not 60" The good woman did no
, know, perhaps, that she had made Sunda
and its services hateful to her children
Every Sunday morning they ha
: a sort of rough-and-tumble fight t
; get ready for church. The mothe
+ full of cares, fretted, and scoldeC
2 and boxed the children's ears, an
the father added MS part to th
general unpleasantness by fault-fnd
S ing, until they were all in a better fran
3 of mind for & bull fight than to worship
t loving, compassionate God.
The importance of self-government ca
:, not be over estimated when its influenC
over others is considered. Aman, who
a the master of himself, who can bride hi
own tongue, is a hero, who, while conquer
S ing himself, conquers others. There j
: probably no time in a persons life when h
feels more severely rebuked, or entertain
a poorer opinion of himself, than whel
Q after addressing another with vitupera
tive words, he is answered with silenc,
Said a husband, who was in the habit
castIgating his family with his tongue, t
his wife who never replied to his abuse
"Why don't you speak and not sit and loo
@ at me? You make me feel 80 mean" Tn;
individual who can keep his mouth and b
}, tongue has acquired a power that will nc
d only lift himself, but, in a measure, all VII
, know him to a plane above the mean an
d selfish level of this world. "To keep tt
" heart with all diligence" is to possess IL
most excellent as we'll as the rarest
Christian graces. How is this power to /
gained and this grace to be won? III
" Bible says, swatch and pray lest ye ente
d into temptation.' There is no other wa
g but to trust in God and resist the devil.
q The performance of this work shoul
q should commend it to the attention
i mankind. Aspirit conquered and brougl
a under the rule of God becomes an heir
Il immortality and shall have a share in tn
n kingdom which endureth forever.