The herald., 1894-03-05


when he was rejected. as an ordinary
man would have done; nor did
he inhict vengeance on his foes
when he was prosecuted. He did not
upbraid his disciples when he WAS for
eaken by them, deserted, betrayed. On
the other hand. he gave all the while
new evidences Of his tender affection
and regard. He prayed for his
murderers: Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do" When
lie was reviled, he revileth not again
when he suffered, ne threateneth not.
He went to Jerusalem riding upon the
toal of an ass. fulfilling the prophecy :
TELL ye the daughter OF Zion, behold,
thy King cometh.'" " Not az the kings OF
the EARTH not richly caparisoned and
in state; but "tell the daughter OF Zion,
behold, thy King cometh unto thee
meek and sitting upon an ass, and
colt the foal OF an ass.'"
He was led, this same Jesus, "as a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep
before her ehearers ie dumb, SO be
opened not his mouth" In Revela-
tions he is not less than 20 times called
the Lamb" His triumph. and victory
and exaltation are there set forth, yet
He seems to be the meek Savior, still.
Remember, the resouees ef omnipotence
resided in Christ, and that, too, beyond
all doubt. He accepted the attributes
OF omnipotence they are attributed to
him in the scriptures: "By Him we're all
things made, and without Him was not
anything made that was made"
Some OF you, perchance, have
thought OF meekness as allied to cow
ardice, defective self-respect. weakness
OF will. Dismiss such thoughts. The
Omnipotent One is the meekest OF all.
"You shall have other illustrations OF
incarnate meekness. Take, If you please,
Joseph, who strongly illustrates il, even
after he has been raised to the pinnacle
OF power. He never uttered word, that
is recorded, certainly, against Potiphar's s
wife, hlH betraYer; nor concerning the
cruelty OF his brethren, who had sold
him into bitter bondage; nor concern
ing the chief butler, who was his bene-
ticiary, but he forgave him. When he
had come into the prime ministry and
could easily have taken revenge, he filed
the sacks OF mis- brethren with grain.
He welcomed them with their father to
the land OF Goshen and shared with
them his prosperity. Moses was q man
bold enough in defending the divine
fonor, but modest and meek in defend
ing his own honor when it WAS assailed.
David was not effeminate, and yet he
was noble in his meekness under great
provocations.
ut would appear that meeknees is the
substance OF a mans faculties raised up
into tenderness and sweetness and
power, shining out, as the sun shines,
to cheer, to nourish, to bless, but never
to scorch or wither. 1t reetrains our
anger and all our evil passions; 1t gives
sweetness to our tempers, and dignity
and kindness and graciousness to our
words and to our manners. 1t is OPP
posed to all censoriousness, to all that
is Pharisaic; for though the Hebrew
nation is collapsed, Pharisaism is Just as
thoroughly alive today as it ever was in
the history of the world. We see it here
on the Pacific coast.
"Meekness is not easily ruffied by
provocation. Marcus Aurelius, that
heathen who came 80 near being a
Christian. said: Whatsoever any one
says or does, must be good and true. ,
As the emerald might say, and always
keep saying: Whatsoever happens,
must always be emerald and keep my
color.'
"It you use the word rightly, every.
thing shall contribute to your we'll
being. Meekness teaches man how to
take offenses and unkindnees and cru
city; to think such thoughts about
them and so use them as to uplift him.
self into Christ-like character. There ia
a legend that Nimrod once thrust Abra-
ham into burning, fiery furnace, and
no sooner had the body of Abraham
reached the Goals than they became a
bed of roses to the man OF faith, The
legend has its truth. Let one have the
spirit of Christian meekness, and the
love of God shall pillow his sorrows and
comfort his griefs until he shall rest
sweetly on them. A reverend doctor
who died not very long ago, when on his
death bed said to q friend: Il have
learned a new way to spell disappoint-
ment. use an 'h" at the beginning
instead of "d"-His appointments !:
His appointments To him who be-
lieves that God rules the world and au.
points even the functions of his ene-
mics, to such man trials and grief in
cite not revenge or retaliation. They
are not dissppointments, but His ap-
pointments.
The manufacturers of lighting gas
knew not what to do with the coal tar
that was left in the retorts. But the
chemist at last found not less than SO
marketable articles which can be made
from coal tar; and the most exquisite
fiavore OF some of our confectionery.
and the most delicate fragrance, as the
otto of roses, comes from coal tar; and
If man takes the annoyances, affections
and prosecutions of life very sweetly.
God makes him chemist to transmits
these trials into things delicious and
fragrant and beautiful in his character.
Alexander the Great had in his boyhood
Leonidas as his preceptor, and when the
preceptor saw him on one occasion take
two handfuls of frankincense and throw
them upon the fire of the altar he repri-
manded Alexander for his extravaganza.
But later on, when Alexander began to
conquer and had taken possession OF
Judea, the very home of frankincense.
he sent not less than 500 talents of
frankincenee to Leonidas and said, "Be
not niggardly in divine service"
Sometimes meek man needs to eur
render ardently, with great surplusage
OF surrender, aa if he had taken both his
hands and filed than with frankincense
for his sacrifice, giving up comfort and
peace for the sake OF those who have
wronged him. 1t seems az if he were
making an extravagant blunder, but
God knows how to provide whole land