The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-16
Sunday Sermon.

but let patience have her perfect work. |
st. James, l.. 4.
Patience is generally classed among the
minor virtues, but so much of LIES hap
piness depends on it that we ought to
give it a more prominent place. TO pa
tientIy endure an environment which in
cludes suffering and hardship is moth
ing less than heroism, and there are
unseen and unrecorded instances in
which men and women have even shown
the courage, of the martyr
Patience is always yoked with other
high qualities of character. Its nearest
ally is self-control, and self-control is
as important when you are building
character as q rudder is when ship is
launched. 1t is literally the steering
apparatus which keeps us clear of the
rocks and shoals of an impetuous and
reckless temper. l would rather have
patience with perfect self control than
to have genius, for while genius is err
ratio and often unbalanced. these other
qualities give us poise and equilibrium.
Patience is grounded on resignation to
the inevitable, which results in a calm
endurance under eXasperating circum-
stances, and in the conviction that it is
safer to bear the ills we have than to
fly to others that we know not of. When
man cultivates patience, therefore,
he becomes master of himself and mas
ter of whatever may possibly happen. 1t
is kingly, a royal virtue, and more
depends on it's possession than We are
| apt TO think
You can reckon it's value by consider
| ing it's opposite. Impatience is dan
| gerous quality 1t constantly places
| your self-respect and your relations to
your dearest friends in peril. Moreover,
it makes unhappy circumstances more
unhappy still. You can't rebel against
your surroundings with complaining
heart without rendering yourself weak
to oppose or change them. Look your
/ life over calmly and impartially and you
will find that where you have been at
odds with your lot you have made that
| lot so much the worse and more diff
! cult to get away FROM whereas if you
| had accepted the bitter experience and
made the best of it you would have
| reaped q benefit otherwise impossible.
| 1t is equally true that where you have
! been impetuous of speech you have had
! cause for regret, while a curbed tongue
has been cause for rejoicing. When
| you have been silent you have done bet
ter than when you have spoken. A bit
| ter word suppressed strengthens the
! character, while a reckless utterance is
! like a bomb, which is sure to injure if
! it does not kill a friendship.
IT is an memorable law that three
| quarters of the world must drudge in
order to live You may wonder why this
should be Sc, but you will find no solu-
tion of the puzzle The simple, stub
! born fact faces you, and it ends all con-
| troversy. Moreover, all the world, with
| out exception, must sooner or later bear
heavy burdens of sorrow and bereave
n.ert The normal condition of man is
| to be burden bearer, and / had almost
said it is the only healthy condition.
| There is no smooth road laid down on
the chart of life. We all trudge through
storm and sunshine. Poverty, sickness,
trouble, death are to be found every
where. Kings and peasants alike have
their sorrows. 1t is the common lot.
There is only one question to be asked
and answered: How shall we make
| these experiences contribute to strength
of character, and possibly to our well
fare? Not, surely, by a restless contro
Versy with the inevitable and the mex
orable. That state of mind only aggra-
Yates the evil without even the shadow
| of a good result 1t is your attitude of
| mind and heart which decides your hap
piness or misery.
/ Fight fate and you will surely
be defeated; not only defeated, but
soured on the other hand, make
| the best of the wrost, calmly and
patiently use events, and extract from
them whatever of good they may con-
tain, and your days will swing along
with a smoothness that will surprise
you. More and better than that, your
calmness and patience will have a ten
dency to draw to you the help of the
other world, and if you and the other
world come to harmonious under
standing the very complexion OF your
adverse circumstances will change.
In word the soul which follows in the
footsteps of the Christ and in poverty
and hard work and misfortune bravcly
meets a1G nobly endurcs will find light
in unexpected places and joys where only
fears were looked for. There is a subtle
law here, and if we can discover it and
he guided by it the clouds will have a
silver lining and even our sorrows will
prove blessing.
God is still with us, and so are the an