Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-05-11

The result was that the shining faith
and love grew into strength and
boldness.
There came day when even the
Apostles had lost their hope and cour-
age and dared not confess themselves
his friends. Judas had betrayed him
and was dead. Peter had denied him
and was weeping somewhere in secret
over his sin. Jesus was dead and his
body would soon be taken down with
the bodies of the Others who had been
crucified with him. and all would be
hurled together in dishonorable
grave. Who came to rescue the body
of Jesus from dishonor? 1t was this
same Nicodemus with another secret
disciple like himself. Timid faith had
grown into heroic strength and cour-
age. Christ's gentleness had made
him great.
These cases illustrate Gods method
in all his .training of men. He deals
patiently with us in all our slow
learning. He gives the same lesson
over and over again until we have
learned it. When we fall, he does
not cast us away, but accepts our
penitence, helps us to rise again, for
gives us, washes off SINS ASSORTMENT
and leads us more gently than ever.
Said Benjamin West: GA kiss from
my mother made me an artist" Had
his mother discouraged him in his
first poor attempts, the genious in
him would never have succeeded
against the difficulties and hindran-
ces. Many a life is dwarfed and
stunted by harshnes and discourage
ment. On the other hand, many of
the worlds richest lives owe all their
rich beauty and noble power to the
atmosphere of love which surrounds
them in their formative periods.
So it is true in all life that it is
gentleness that makes men great ;
that only in the warm atmosphere of
love will any life reach its best
possible outcome. 1t is true in home
nurture. No life ever comes to its
best in despotic home. There must
he authority and discipline; firm
! hand mnst hold the sceptre, but il
must be sceptre of love. The same
is true in the school. The only
: eacher truly qualified to touch the
life of a child and to train it, is one
/, who thquiet firmness and decision,
yet has a mothers gentleness.
In the reforming of criminals and
3 of the fallen no system will avail
, save that in which the divine gentle.
3 ness mingles with divine righteous
|, ness. The superintendent of an inc
, briate asylum said "Some men are
9 sent here under compulsion-almost
0 driven here by their friends, and nj
!, such men are reformed. No mar
has ever gone from this asylum cured
y of his inebriety unless there was
8 some one-a sister, a mother, wife
q maiden-who prayed for him
# and wept for him at home" Ifther'
r were more divinely gentle dealing
# with those who tread in sims darl
g ways, more long-suffering love, ther,
d would be fewer to 60 down int
C c9iminality. Sternness never reache
d a hardened heart, while the bases
:, and most depraved natures ar
y touched aud conquered by. strong
t true sympathy. A kindly wore
spoken to an abandoned outcast ha
many times turned all the tides O
l. his destiny. There are souls perish
ing all over the world that a littl
human love would save.
These are hints of the lessons to b
le learned from the divine method Q
d saving and training human lives
i. The way God makes men great is b.
s. dealing gently with them. And al
g. his Treatment of us is marked b.
It gentleness. 1t does not always seen
G. so ; sometimes hisways with us ar
8 pear to be severe, but really there
re always love in them. Unless W
Or resist and rebel, our sorrows do nc
or harm us, and they are even so use
err of God to make us better, truer. w
A. learn onr best lessons in our times {
h, trial. Even in the sorest disciplinar
I'd experiences there is love tia
ty watches every moment, never allow
" ing the tasting to be more than ca
" be borne, never permitting this fiji
lie to become hot enough to cause injur
If. to the life, and in the end producin
n, only good. If we truly submit
Gods discipline, we shall continual
ne grow into fairer beauty and richie
of life. Gods ppntlpnpsS makes ne urno