The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-01
THE THIRD BEATITUDE.

Rev. F. d. Kelsey addressed his congrega.
ton last evening on the above subject. He
said in part: Weakness is not at the found
alton of human activity; it is not the MAIN
spring of mans action. Weakness may be
defined as submission to God, willingness
to be led by God, Rentleness toward man,
not easy to be provoked, 1 return of good
for evil. So tl
proud in spirit, naughty in bearing, resent
full for injuries and bitter for wrongs en-
dured. - In their relations to God men are
unteachable and unsubmissive. Hence it
was our Savior constantly held up before
his disciples little child, saying: Except
ye be converted and become as little chill
dren, ye shall not enter the kingdom of
heaven" Children are teachable, wiling
to be instructed, eager to be led, but adults
are set in their ways. unteachable. unsub.
m nIl' Over against this Jesus says,
world who imagine that the proud
and self-assertive are blest; they despise
the meek and lowly in spirit as those who
are almost beneath contempt. A blow for
blow, an eye for an eye, an insult for an
insult, giving as good az is sent-these are
the principles Of the world. Jesus brushes
sA40AaA uAAt ooAS0 0uyAAkS DAoSS6U AEo the
meek"
Many maxims are praised even where
men do not follow them. Weakness as q
virtue is seen in the motto, "a soft answer
turneth away wrath" This is one form of
meekness; mon praise the motto even where
they do not practice it. Yet the motto is
grounded on absolute truth and sense.
Which is better, to endure with meekness
an affront. or to bristle up in anger and re-
turn anger for anger, word for word, epithet
for epithet? What Satisfaction do Won oct
IN having the last word iii an 1angfY en-
counter? What satisfaction is there any-
way in the spirit of naughty selfshness,
spirit Of Christ, the gentle spirit Of love- is
far better. as any man is willing to allow,
when cool judgment is allowed to speak,
Ambition on our part begets ambition in
others, or il met by another's ambition.
The naughty look of pride begets the
fire: revenge pays itself back in its own
coin and with compound interest; anger
stirs up strife: self seeking sel6shness and
self assertiveness beget jealousy. bitterness
and contempt. These things make unhappy
homes and saddened hearts.
But wherever men act towards each other,
each esteeming others better than them
selves. they make heaven here below.
Blessed are the meek; they have sunshine in
their own hearts and they spread IL NIL
round about them. It is hard to be selfish
in the presence ora martyrs it is hard to
scowl in the presence of a CHEEKY smile; it is
hard to be angry with one who returns a
soft answer; 1t is hard to be mean and
satanic in the presence of the spirit
of Christ. Blessed are the meek; they
turn all to glow of sunshine, as
said recently member of the Salvation
Army: II have smile all over my face,
since me and the devil fell out" When
the meek and lowly spirit of Jesus is upon
us and with us, it will change earth with all
its bitterness to heaven with all its bless
edness.
Many of our rules and practices of social
life are at variance to Christ's rule Of
meekness; pride, not meekness, reipns
there, and the result is tears, intriRues,
heart-aohes, envy and bitterness. The
meek spirit of Jesus in both rich and poor
would be mutually hopeful. The same
spirit introduced into the relations of capi-
tai and labor would change the lurid as
pect of affairs at present. Force often
fails where love wins; selfshuess often ia
where meekness wins Weakness
is the mark of strength. Greater is he that
ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh
CITY,"