The New South., 1898-01-15
TWO EMINENT DIVINES.
TIER SUNDAY SERMONS BRIEFLY GIVEN
70 OUR REaDERs.

The sixth Of the New York ucrAid'- cosa-
petisspn Sermons is en "rhe Power OF
ceasieness"-Ees. pr. rAimaee Dis.
courses ON Christ Village Lad
Tfxr: Thy reatieness hath made me
great. -psaisas xviii. IS.
There Is little IN the popular idea Of gen
tlencss 70 make it desirable Tor God or man.
We think Of Il ~ lacking IN vicor and \
long way removed from greatness. SO sug-
gestise Is II Or weakness and sofgness that
We want very little 10 do with IT,
Our ideas q gentleness need roctifyfne.
We speak often of a gentle horse. What
do We mean by NJ That horse Is gentle
that Il neryy and full of msttle. able to pass
anything on She road. and YET 40 easily
suedned that the voice Of little child
would bring him 70 sfandstill at once,
That man Is gentle who has the strength Ol
0enilcness Is power Withholding Itself and
spending itselfin goodness.
A coed Illustration Of censleness was
that on spanish battle ncld A gaiiau,
French soldiers swo rd was npiifted 20
strike his Zoe 10 the "a rth. hnt be saw as she
sword was about to descend that his an.
tagonist bad hnt one sarm. Instantly he
stayed his sword er0ugh. lt to a salute
and rode on
Gentleucss IN woman i loves mighty
magnet. and will attract it, own from the
ends OF the earth. A woman without n Is
a monsiroslty, warrior with II Is greater
far than he who shows his power by lurn-
ing villages, destroying crops, executing
prisoners. The great general al Appomat-
tox, considering the Interests OF The men
In gray. treating them as his countrymen,
silencing the salute already under ay TO
celebrate victory lest they should be fur
ther humiiiafed, and snpdlnc the defeated
ones home well fed and equipped for labor
on the farms, declaring himself d gentle
man ns well ns a great soldier and aid
more In that hour TO make his country
great than other great men have done in "A
lifetime. Grant could baye crushed the
South in that hour; instead, he caresscd It
as mother her weak and wnyward child,
und meited It to tears.
We speak often OF the power OF God. hnt
II Is the gentlencss OF God that works the
greatest wonders. II IA this that makes
men great. See the centleness OF God at
the beginning. II Il not the strong arm.
but the tender heart, that concerns itself
with fallen man. 1t is not a kings voice
that We hear In Eden, but a fathers.
Pathetic cry that. adam. Adam. where art
thouf" When God came down in human
flesh to save lost world He came Ia the
same spirit. A still and quiet night Il was
when the Saviour WAS born. The stars
looked down peacefully upon the shepherds
was wrapt In slumber. II was into this
stiffness and quiet that Gods angels came
and Gods glory Hhone around. Gentle
words those were the angel spokc---t'Be no;
afraid" So sweet and gentle was the music
Of the angelic host that no one save the
shepherds heard it.
The spirit OF the Gospel Is the same. II
Is summed up In the words: "A bruised
reed will He not break: the smoking flax He
Will not quench." II IL by gentieness that
God seeks to win the world to righteous
ness and truth. "The Lord God ~ sun. ;"
Sooner or later cold and fey hearts must
give way before Him. We need more gen
tleness before the earth can become like
heaven gentleness on the part OF parents.
You can shout at your children and bring
them into trembling submission; you can
thrash them into obedience; you can stnrye
them into submission. The strong can
bring the weak to terms for a while by any
OF the methods. But II you want 10 show
your child the sweet reasonableness Of
your position and to make him docile obe.
dent, frustful, sit down and talk gently
with him and seek to make his heart your
own.
We need more gentIeness on the mart OF
preachers. The servant Of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle toward all men,"
The Great Preacher was so gentle that 81
mon the Pharisee asked him to dine with
HIM the poor harlot fingered near II Is feet
caressingly; Zaccheue and Matthew, the
publicans, became His loyal disciples, and
even thief, In the agony OF crucihxion.
cried, Lord, remember me-" The world
needs nothing more than 1t needs gentle
ness and love. Human hearts are hungry
for the music Of gentle voices and the touch
Of tenderness. Why should we not ali try
to show that we are the sons and daughters
OF the gentle God?
Rough rude boys have been made great
for time and eternity by the sweetness and
gentleness OF mothers and sisters Dull,
wilful, petulent scholars have been made
thoughtful and earnest by the tender pa
tient love Of self-denying teachers. Souls
small, mean, selfish, sinful nave been
made great by the gentle, faithful labors
OF those not willing that any should perish
The night Of life is coming on apace. II
will be sweet to have the gates swing in
ward at our approach to the city eternal
and to be welcomed by some watching for
our home coming. and to hear from joyful
lips SUCH words as these: "rby gentleness
hath made me great"
RIcHAap G. WooDuRrDoE,
Pastor Central Congregational Church
Middleboro, Mass.