Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-13
A SOFT ANSWER.
A Lay Sermon! on a Familiar Text.

GA soft answer turneth away wrath but griev-
GUS words stir up anger Prov. 10, -
This little proverb is recipe of inesti-
mable value. It contains the preventive
OF more human misery in neighborhood
and home, than can elsewhere be found
1t prescribes simple way of avoiding a
large part of the unhappiness, annoyance
and vexatlon incident to the social state.
1t is prescription to secure for you
good neighbors, pleasant fresides, genial
companions, and the admiration and re-
spect of all.
To "give as good as is sent" is the mot
TO of pride that is false and of weakness.
One speaks TO you in peevishnes, in
petulance, perhaps in impotence or AFRO
gance. 1t wounds your sensibilities. The
blood hushes to your cheek and a feeling
that you mistake for pride and self
respect prompts you to retort in bitter
ness. This adds fuel to fame. Rage
rises on both sides and hot words of hate
are spoken. You have both descended
to the same leve!, lost your tenn pers, be-
trayed your lack of self-control, banded
epithets, possibly changed blows, both
shown the weakness of human nature,
both shown lack of dignity and that pride
which is the pride of the fool.
How much mental superiority, how
much true greatness of character there
Is In the power to repress the rising
anger and give "tbe soft answer" that
'turneth away wrath" It shows great
ness of character, for she that ruleth his
own spirit is greater than he that taketh
CITY," When one speaks to you in the
weakness of his rage, his spirit agitated,
unnamed by his temper, with the rudder
of his mind out of hand, and his thoughts
drifting helpiessly on sea of passion,
the soft answer" reveals to him that you
are the greater and the stronger. He has
tried to strike you in weak place and
found you invulnerable. He is humiliat-
ed and ashamed. He has sought to goad
you to lose your temper, and in return
you have appealed to his reason. He has
found your spirit butressed and
fortified against his spiteful assault,
and under the mastery of self
command. Did you ever think of itf
The men who stand out as the examples
of the race, to whom mankind bow in
reverential homege were the men who had
the magnificent self-control to give the
timely soft answer. To go no farther
back, think of Washington, the proud
high-spirited soldier. His seven years.
hard struggle for our independence was
one loGg struggle for himself. Fault-fnd-
ing on every hand. Congress finding
fault, governors of states complaining.
generals plotting and carping. Every
thing combining to try his temper, touch
his pride, wound his feelings. The temp
tation was strong everywhere to let loose
the walls of manly indignation and rage
al the peevishness and weakness of those
with whom he must communicate. But
to complaints, to carpings, to i'm patience,
to SANDER, to libel, TO taunts and SCOTS,
he gave the soft answer of reason and
dignity. He kept his head level. Stand
ing superior to weakness, the wickedness,
the i'm patience, the thousand ANNOY
ances that fretted his great spirit, he
answered them not in anger, nor resent
ment, he lost not his self control, and he
rose in majestic grandeur the kingliest
figure of the age. At the close of the war
and for the remainder of his life he was
the masterful mind of all his countrymen.
Anslyze the elements of his greatness 3D.
you find greatest of all that calm, resoluie
fibre of mind which gave him self control
when all about him was vortex of toss
ing passions. He could give a soft
answer and thus control wrath.
Think of the sublime Lincoln. Was ev-
er man more trieds Was ever man more
tempted to retort fire and fire, to hurl
back hate and lose his temper in holy in