The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-03
IA STRONG SERMON
REV. MCQUEEN PREACRES ON QUALITY OF MEEEkNESS.
By Following Christ as Model, Says Di- vine, People Will Prepare Them- selves for Inheritance of
 Eternal Happfnesss

A strong sermon was preached by Rev. Stewart Mcqueen at the Church of the Holy Comforter The text se- lected was. Blessed are the Meek for They Shall Inherit the Earth" Matt. ,Y:5. pr. Mcqueen spoke as follows: | This is the third blessing our Savior promises to the Christian life. The i three words which stand out like bea- con lights in the text are, blessed, meek" inherit" The blessedness con- sists in inheriting the earth on the part of those who are meek.
 We must first appreciate what meek ness is in order to see why the meek shall inherit the earth. This we do l through a study of its manifestations, that Is. the practical forms which 1t assumes. Meekness does not mean sim ply and solely lowliness or humility. They do not necessarily involve doing anything. whereas meekness does. The meek are lowly and humble, 1t Is true. but they are also more than that. For meekness is positive in it's nature. | Gentleness is its essence, and true gen. | tleness has an active element in 1t which makes it not only bear but do, which makes it not only receive but give forth Not only is it patient and forbearinR in itself. it seeks to practice patience and forbearance towards oth- CTS.
 This. you observe, does not mean we mefely pear Oi harshness, or injustice. Of course. 1t
 means that, but 1t means also great deal more, for it means that we prac- tice forbearance towards the persons
 who thus deal with us. There Is a great difference between bearing wrong
 in a sullen, dogged, hopeless kind of spirit, and showing cheerfulness, pa
 tience. genueness towards those who
 wrong us. This latter is meekness. for
 meekness looks not only at the things
 of It's own but also on the things of
 others. And so meekness Is ever ready
 to believe there is some good, even in
 those who wrong ds, and to do every
 thing possible to help develop and
 strengthen that good
 One of the means of doing this is
 to bear with them gently. And this
 begets in us the spirit of loving faith
 in our fellow man. while at the same
 time it prompts ns to bear all things
 from them and . lso to believe" and
 to hope" all rood things of them. And
 this is indeed the spirit of Christ Him
 self. It draws us nearer to Him even
 as it draws us nearer to them.
 A Noble Temper.
 How much of this most noble tenn per of meekness have we, my friends
 I say most noble temper, for there is nothing which does so much to smooth while 1t cheers and beautifies daily life For it inspires us with what l may call Christian good nature" by which mean that heaven-born quality thai
 enables us to rise above envy and jeal' ousy of others because of their su' periOr good fortune-one of the rarest
 of virtues. It also enables us to beai with people who are exacting. or un' reasonable. Or dictatorial, and to show the opposite spirit towards them. Il helps us to be patient in our intercourse with others away from home. whether in business or in society. It restraints us from speaking the bitter word. the sarcastic retort, which so often forms in our hearts and rises to our lips Nay, more, when our friends deceive us, when they betray our confidence ycs, when they are guilty of wilful sin even, it prompts us to treat them with courtesy and gentleness, difficult as Il is, although we may not be able tc trust them altogether. If this spirit
 be in us, then. the hlessedness which
 the Master promised to meekness Is
 ours.
 Moreover, we are following His ex-
 ample. for He was gentleness and pa tience itself. When He was reviled you remember, He Teviled not again
 and when He suffered He threaten eo
 not. but bore all things in that spirl'
 of meekness which we must have If we
 be like Him.
 - But is our fellOwman the only being Ii towards whom we should show meek ness or eentleness? Is he the only be ling to whom we sustain relationship? II Surelv not. for there is God our Faith CT A certain form of gentleness IS Edue Him from us. a gentleness which IS | tw o-fold in its nature and breathes d 1 tUo-foId spirit-the spirit of gentle | thankfulness and of gentle resigna- tion The former engenders in our | hearts lively gratitude for the many good things of life together with nnrnose to prove ourselves worthy of them. such as health, friends, food and raiment. These are material blessings $.