The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1900-12-07

has patience" The English proverh
declares: "When one door shuts, an
other opens" All these proverbs only
put in another way Paul's terseness
when he says: "Ye have need of pa
tience."
First, patience with the faults OF
others. No one keeps the Ten Com
mandments equally we'll Ones tenn
permanent decides which command
ments he shall come nearest to keep
ing. If we break some of the COM
marslments ourselves, why be so hard
on those who break others of the ten
If you and l run against one verse
of the twentieth chapter of Exodus,
why should we so severely excoriate
those who run against another verse
of the same chapter? Until we are
perfect ourselves we ought to be
lenient with our neighbours Imperfect
tions. Yet it is often the case that
the man most vulnerable Is the most
hypercritical. Perhaps he is profane,
and yet has no tolerance for theft,
when profanity is worse than theft,
1Ol IuS ldIGCL 10 lODOSAJ - -
man, the former is robbery of God.
Perhaps he is given to defamation and
detraction, and yet feels himself bet
ter than some one who is guilty OF
manslaughter, not realizing that the
assassination of character is the worst
kind of assassination. The LAYER for
washing in the ancient tabernacle was
| 81 81 10 Oh Cd 1lyo looking
| glass, so that those that approached
that LAYER might see their need of
washing, and if by the Gospel looking
| glass we discovered our own need of
moral cleansing we would be more
economic of denunciation.
Again, this grace is needed to help
in time of physical ailments. What
vast multitudes are in perpetual pain
while others are subject to occasional
paroxysm! Almost everyone has some
disorder to which he is occasionally
subjected. 1t is rheumatism or neu-
ralgia or sick headache or Indigestion.
A draft from an open window or
hasty mastication or overwork brings
on that old spell, and you think you
would rather have almost anything
else, but that is because you have not
tried the other. Almost everyone has
something which he wishes he had
not. There are scores of diseases ever
ready to attack the human frame.
They have been in pursuit of our
race ever since Adam and Eve re-
signed their innocence as well as the
worlds health. 1t is amazing how per-
sistent and methodic those disorders
are in their attack on the world and
how regular is the harvest which
with the sharp scythe of pain they
NOV. down for the grave. No such
disciplined and courageous army ever
marched as the army of physical suf-
fering. They do their work in the or
der name, and you may depend upon
their keeping on in that same order
for a good while yet; first of all tu-
berculosis, next organic heart dig
ease, next pneumonia, next in number
of its victims is apoplexy, next
Bright's disease, next cancer, next
typhoid fever, next paralysis. Those
eight diseases are the worst despoil-
ers of human life. The doctors with
solutions and lancets and anodynes
and cataplasms are in a brave fight
against the physiological devils that
try to possess the human race. But
after all the scientists can do there
is a demand for patience. Nothing
can take the place of that 1t is need
ed this moment in every sick room
and along the streets and in business
places and shops where breadwinners
are compelled to toll when physical
ly incompetent to move pen or cal
culate a column of figures or control
shovel, But every pastor could
show you instances of complete hap
piness under physical suffering. He
could take you to that garnet or to
that hospital or to some room in his
parish where sits in rocking chair or
lies upon pillow some one who has
not seen well day in ten years and
yet has never been heard to utter a
word of complaint. The grace of God
has triumphed in her soul as it never
triumphs in the soul of one who is
vigorous and athletic.
That grace helped the soldier dur
ing the American civil war. His arm
had been amputated, and he said to
delegate of the Christian commission:
ut seems to me I cannot be grateful
enough for losing my arm. 1t made
me thoughtful and opened the way
for your delegates to visit me-" This
grace was well demonstrated by a
prominent Christian man who was
laid aside by severe illness during
a revival when his services were most
needed, and when some one deplored
this he said, cheerfully: my part is
to lie here and cough" My friend,
do not give up useful activities be-
cause you are in pain. Some of the
worlds best work has been done
while in physical distress. Walter
Scott was in agony of pain while writ
ing "Ivanhoe." Oh, beautiful grace of
patience! 1t takes discords and turns
them into harmony. 1t smooths the
sea. 1t Hndles gloom into
glow. 1t turns requiem into grand
march. 1t trusts when it cannot I'M
derstand. 1t forgives before forgive
ness is asked. Gracious God! Give it |
to us, give it to US now, give it to us
in abundance.