Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-05-14
THE GENTLE LOVE OF CHRISTI
BY Canon C. e. Fisher.

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"By the gentleness of Christ. -
Cor, x, 1.
1.-The love of Christ constraineth u.s.
p Cor, ", IA.
There Is nothing so strong as gentle
ness and nothing so gentle and loving
as real strength. How true are these
words In the incarnate life of our
Lord Jesus Christi He was a perfect
union of gentleness and strength. But
what Is gentleness? 1t is quite differ
ent from meekness. Weakness is called
forth by provocation, insult. Gentle
ness is not that Still less Is 1t kind
ness. Many man and woman Is over
flowing with kindness, liberal in aims
giving constant In acts Of charity, yet
they are not gentle. True gentleness
is that habit of life which Is the out
come of prayer, of communion with
God, and careful study of our Lords
human character; it is not gained by
copying another; we cannot make our
selves gentle, we cannot be gentle in
manner or speech apart from the grace
Of God; we must mediate on the life
OF Christ and on that attribute espe-
cially, for it is not merely gentleness
that is desirable, but 1.-The gentle
ness of Christ" Consider a few cases
of special gentleness In our Lords
dealings with men when he was on
earth.
Take the case of Nicodemus. Christ
did not say to him, Coward afraid to
confess me before men, No; he ac-
cepted that earnest desire of his to
have deeper knowledge, and before
Nicodemus was aware our Lord was
teaching him the wonderful doctrine of
regeneration. Gentle Teacher.
Think of Chrlst's way of dealing
with the young man who came run
ming to him and said: "Good Master,
what shall do to inherit eternal life?'
How wise and gentle was Jesus with
him! He knew the overmastering
temptation in the young mans way,
the corrupting love of riches, such a
snare to the soul. How he longed to
snatch this brand out of the fire that
he should set his affection on some
thing higher! We read: "And Jesus,
beholding him loved him, and gave him
the best of advice; but the young man
loved himself better than God, turned
his back on unequaled tenderness, and
went away again into the world"
Think of the Savior's dealings with
Peter. When Jesus walked upon the
flowing waves of Galilee he said,
Come" in answer to the impusive
apostles request; and as Peter walked
upon the waters right up to Christ,
when the boisterous waves arose. he
lost faith; so Jesus put forth his hand
and caught him. What gentleness
againl But that voice still says,
Gomez" that heart, which knows our
weakness, our readiness to fall, still
beats with human sympathy; that
hand, strong to control the waves. is
still stretched forth with that touch
so perfect in strength, so winning in
gentleness. Peter felt it, and knew
he was safe
Let us also think how Christ dealt
with the Magdalene-that pattern for
penitent souls. She knelt at the feet
Of the Savior and heard his tones of
gentleness-those tones still so gentle.
so wise, waiting for penitent souls as
they come to his feet, saying to them.
as he said to her, go in peace" Why
do speak so much of gentleness? Be
cause 1 wish, from the depth of my
heart, to draw you still nearer to the
heart of Jesus.
In coming to mediate on the love
of Christ we cannot but feel our help
lessness in undertaking such a task.
We are reminded Of what Augustine
said of the child attempting to empty
the sea into the hole 1t had dug In the
sand. The best way to realize in any
measure the love of God is by trying
to fathom the depth of our sin and the |
love required to wipe it all
out. If we place ourselves In the |
presence of God and look back upon |
the years gone by and try to recall the |
proofs of Gods patient forbearance |
with us, in spite of our rebellion. in |
gratitude, and forgetfulness of him. we
shall be much helped to realize the |
love of God for us. We can also see |
In mans dealings with his fellow crea-
lures something of the love of God. |
If a fellow man goes on putting I'D |
with us in our ingratitude, our love of |
our own way, our unwillingness to
earn or make any response to his
that man is still tender,
patient, and forbearing, we cannot
all to believe in the love of such q
nan. What, then, must be the love
f God to each one of us? 1t will do
is good to mediate upon some Of the