Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-04-06

Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talrnase. D. ..

able temper and shows how the mis-
directed energy of those who are vic
Tins of the habit may be transformed
into blessing. The text is Proverbs
xvi. 80, Gle that is slow to anger Is
better than the mighty and he that
ruleth his spirit than he that taketh
city"
Popular enthusiasm Is most easily
kindled when the admiring multitudes
are allowed to bend the knee before a
human idol clothed in soldiers uni
form. The most inspiring call for the
common people is the bugle blast
sounding the cavalrymans charge.
Ills true, the most beautiful monument
of Edinburgh is the one erected to Sir
Walter Scott. the writer, and in Lon
don it is the one erected to Prince Al
bert. Queen Victoria's consort. and In
some respects the most conspicuous
monument in Brooklyn is that erected
to the memory of Henry Ward Beecher.
the preacher But where there is one
monument erected in prominent cities
TO the memory Of statesman. n sci
enlist. poet or an artist there are five.
ten, twenty monuments erected TO the
memory of military heroes 1t is right
to honor the heroic deeds of these
chieftains. but the heroes of peace
should be honored also.
King solomon recognizes this fact in
the words of my text. lie is not depre-
ciating such triumphs as that of Cyrus.
who 800 years later laid siege to the
city of Babylon and captured it by
turning the Euphrates river from its
course and by marching under the city
gates by night. when the king and all
his courtiers were bemuddied at a
drunken carnival. He is not sneering
at military genius such as was display
ed by Titus. who captured Jerusalem
in 40 A. D.. but he is exalting the noble
work of n man of God who can cap
ture the citadel of his own heart and
hold his will and life i'm subsection to n
higher law. SO today 1 want to show
you why self control is so important
for successful life and why "he that
is slow to anger is better than the
mighty and he that ruleth his spirit
than he that taketh city,
The unrovernable temper is TO be
dreaded and feared For the time be-
ing IL undermines mans thinking and
reasoning powers. 1t may even be-
come suicidal 1t puts n man i'm the
position OF fighting against
and DESTROYING himself. AS n snake
when teased by an enemy 1t cannot
reach will in its frenzy bury its pol
sonous fangs I'm It's own body. so the
slave of ungoverned temper becomes
the victim of his own rage and chagrin.
Dependent ON Each Other.
The brain in its action is very sim
liar to the organs of the body. All its
different parts are interdependent, as
the heart. the brain. the Kidneys, the
lungs and the stomach act and react
upon each other. When the heart stops
its regular steady pumping. then every
other organ languishes on account OF
this weakness. Then the water of the
blood exnCes Trough tie tissues, and
dropsy sets In. When the lungs refuse
TO do their work. then the digestive APP
paratus is affected stomach trouble
can cause nervous prostnt ton. Once
get the nerves ont OF tune and you
may have nervous dyspepsia The or
gans OF the body are like the under
stones OF n great arching bridge Take
away any OF the substones and the
whole arch tumbles into n ruin. Such
is the mterdependence OF the different
parts of the brain. Let the will pow
er once lose its grip and the reasoning
faculty, or the seat of Judgment. is
gone. Then n man in his actions and
words becomes like n runaway horse
taking the bit In his teeth. He is lust
as apt TO smash up against stone
fence or 10 leap a precipice or to dash
before the oNrrShing locomotive as he
Is TO keep The -. II road OF safety.
At such times j.. man viii do some
thing on the spur of the moment which
he is apt to regret ali the days of his
life. He is Ike Il drunkard drawing
Il knife in saloon brawl. He is like
a general intrenched in some impregna-
Die Gibraltar who deliberately opens
the gates and makes a foolish sortie.
He is like an army which goes or and
leaves its fortress unguarded to be
pounced upon by waiting foe.
Now, life under the very best of con-
ditions is such an awful and close
struggle that you and I cannot afford
TO make any mistake on account of an
unconquerable temper. When we are
in conflict with n skilled foe we can
not afford 10 let our contempt get the
better of us. as did Goliath when he
went forth to attack David. II you
do, just as sure as you live you will
place yourself at the mercy of your
antagonist. When you are preparing
for life's work because something goes
wrong or an Injustice has been done
you have no right to lose-your temper
as did Philip III. Sheridan at West
Point when he thought sergeant had
insulted him. So fiery was the young
lrishman's temper at that time that he
made an attack upon his officer with
n murderous bayonet and by that act
was In danger OF being expelled from
the academy. and his glorious services
TO his country would have been lost.
Because some enemy has been umre-
ientinS in his attacks, you cannot af-
ford. no matter how great or little YOU
may be, to lose your temper as did
James G.. Blaine when he once attack.
III Roscoe Conkling in congress and
thereby destroyed forever all his own
prospects of entering the White House
rs chief executive. Every time a man
let's his anger get the better OF him he |
does not injure his enemies nearly as
much as he damages himself. If you /
would be great in your influence over
others, you must be great in your pow
er over yourself. This means Aiat. no |
matter how great the provocation, you
must learn to suffer injustice in ST.
ence. You must learn to bare your
back for n castigation If you deserve
It and grimly hold your tongue even
when the lash is fetching the hearts I
blood.
An UngovernnbIe Temper.