Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-12-07
LACK OF PATIENCE.
DR.. TAlMAoE SAYS 1T is OUR GREAT.
EST FAULT.
Faith, Hope and Charity Bioom Tn
Many Hearts Where the Grace OF
Patience Is Wnnting-PIty Rather
Than Condemn the ErrIng.

Than Condemn the Erring.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-This discourse
of DIR. Talmage Is n full length portrait
OF a virtue which all admire. and the
lessons taught are very helpful; text,
Hebrews X, SO, aye have need of pa
tience."
Yes. we are In awful need of II. Some
Of us have little of il, and some of us
have none at all. There Is less of this
grace In the world than Of almost any
other. Faith. hope and charity are all
abloom in hundreds of souls where you
find one specimen OF patience. Paul
the author of the text. on conspicu-
Gus occasion lost his patience with a
coworker, and from the way he urges
this virtue upon the Hebrews. upon the
Corinthians. upon the Thessalonians
upon the Romans. upon the Colossians
upon the young theological student
Timothy, / conclude he was speaking
out of his own need OF more of this OK
cellcnce. And only wonder that Pau
had any nerves left. Imprisonment
flagellation, Mediterranean cyclone, ar.
rest for treason and conspiracy, the
wear and tear of preaching to angry
mohs,, those at the door of n theateI
and those on the rocks of Mars hill, left
him emaciated and invalid and with n
broken voice and sore eyes and nerves
a-tangle. He gives US q snap shot OF
himself when he describes his appear
ance and his sermonic delivery by say.
ing. "In bodily presence weak and in
speech contemplate" and refers TO his
&. Fntrnd nvnlfIc e IL
ardent friendship of the Galatians, he
says. "If it had been possible, We would
lave plucked out your own eyes and
have given them TO me-"
We all admire most that which we
have least of. Those Of us with unim
pressive visage most admire beauty
those of us with discordant voice most
extol musical cadence; those of us with
stammering speech most wonder at ell
oquence; those of us who get provoked
at tribes and are naturally irascible
appreciate In others the equipoiSe and
the, calm endurance of patience. So
Paul, with hands tremulous with the
agitatioDs of n lifetime, writes of the
"God of patience" and Of ministers of
God in much patience" and OF patience
VI hOPC anu NtilS 10 IOliOW UIl-
er patience" and wants them TO run
with patience" and speaks Of those
strengthened with all might 10 all pa
thence" and looks us all full In the face
as be makes the startling charge, "Ye
have need OF patience"
Do Not Boast
Some of the people ordinarily most
excellent have n deficit In this respect.
That man who is the representation of
amiability. his mouth full of soft words
and his face n spring morning, IL a
passing wheel splash the mud across
his broadcloth. see how he colors up
and hear him denounce the passing
1ehu; the Christian woman. an angel
OF suavity. now that some social slight
is put upon her or her family. hear how
her utterance increases In intensity.
oh, II is easy enough TO be patient
when there Is nothing to be patient
about When the bank account Is
good and In no danger of being over
drawn, and the wardrobe is crowded
with apparel appropriate for the cold
or the heat or the wet, and all the fam
lily have attested their health by keen
nppetitcs Mt loaded table, and the
newspapers. IL they mention us III all.
put right construction upon what we
do or say, and we can walk ten miles
without getting tired, and we sleep
eight solid hours without turning from
Side TO side, the most useless grace car
think of Is patience. IL has no bust
ness anywhere In your house; you have
no more need of II than OF life pre-
server while you are walking the pave
ment OF city. no more need OF II than
or m umbrella under n cloudless sky,
no more need or II than OF Sir Hum
phry Davy's safety lamp for miners
while you are breathing the tonic air
or an October morning. Do not boast
that you are placid and optimistic and
free from the spirit OF scold. III those
who are unfortunate could change lots
with you, they would be Just rs sun
shiny. IL is not religion that makes
you so happy, but capacity to digest
your food In three hours. and enough
coupons cut or TO meet all your ex-
penses. and complimentary mention
and capacity to leave your horses 10 the
stable because you need brisk walk
down the avenue.
Easy to Go Down.
The recording angel. making n pen
out OF some plume OF bird OF para.
disc. Is not getting ready TO write op.
posite your name anything applauda-
tory. All your Sublime equilibrium OF
temperament Is the result OF worldly
success. But suppose things nightly
change with you. as they sometimes do
GhnnTn hA.rfp a Al
aud II Is amazing how many there are
10 help you down when you begin to
? 80 In that direction. a great Invest.
ment fails. The Colorado silver mine
ceases 10 yield. You get land poor:
your mills, that yielded marvels OF
wealth. are eclipsed by mills with new
ly Invented machinery; you get under
the feet OF the bears OF Wall street.
For the first time in your life you need
10 borrow money. and no one Is willing
20 lend. Under the narrowing worri-
ment you get n distressful feeling Mt
the base OF your brain. Insomnia and
nervous dyspepsia lay hold OF you.
Your health goes down with your for
tune; your circle OF acquaintances mar.
rows. and where once you were Cd
pressed by the fact that you had not
time enough 10 return one-half OF the
social calls made upon you now the
card basket In your hallway Is empty.
aud your chief callers are your credit.
ors anh the family physician. wEe
comes to learn the effect Of the last
prescription. Now you understand
how people can become pessimistic and
cynical and despairful. You have reach
ed that stage yourself. Now you need
something that you have not. But I
know OF reinforcement that you can
nave II you will accept 1t. Yonder
comes up the road or the sidewalk
messenger of God. Her attire is UMPIRE
tending. She has no wings, for she is
not an angel, but there is something In
her countenance that Implies rescue