Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-06-12
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IMPORTANCE OF PATIENCE.
By Rev. Dewitt L. P

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Let patience have its perfect work.
james 4.
Patience is one of the most impor-
tant virtues mentioned N the scrip
lures. We hear a great deal about
faith, salvation, repentance, love, but
not so much about the subject
Patience corresponds to time in
music. The events Of the world and
the events of our life succeed one an
other as the notes do on the score.
Each note requires a certain definite
amount of time Each note in the
worlds symphony, which we call his
tory, requires a certain amount of time
before we can pass on to the next. That
time will be taken no matter how much
we worry or fret.
So in the individual life patience
gives to each event, to each experience,
its proper time, and so makes life a
symphony. The events of life cannot
be hurried, however much we try to
hurry them. Patience is the learning
of this, and the gaining of that equi-
poise of spirit which enables us, though
in feverish haste, to pass calmly from
one event to the next, awaiting tran
gully the onward swing of life. The
virtue Of patience has many practical
applications. We should have patience
with the progress Of good in the world.
God is the God Of all patience" a
day with the Lord is as a thousand
years" We should give God time to
carry out his purpose for all the ages
of eternity are his. We should have
patience with the sins, the follies, the
eccentricities of others in all the rela-
tons of life. Human nature is full of
sharp corners, rough edges and bewild
ering perplexities. We must make al
lowance for people. We should be
patient with the evolution of character
as we find it in the church. Chris
tians are in all stages of development,
as is most natural in state of imma
turity Disapproval of confessedly i'm
mature disciples should not cause US
to cast reflections upon the church it.
self. Christ was patient with his dis
cples, though one was a traitor and
all cowardly forsook him and fed. He
knew that the evolution Of character,
like the creation Of a universe, is
slow process, but that patience would
finally have its perfect work"
We need an abundant supply of pa
tience, truly, in all departments Of life
employer and employe, buyer and
seller, teachers and scholars, parents
and children, husbands and wives
Especially we need patience In the
home, where lives are brought into
such intimate contact and where the
incest adjustment is necessary in or
der that the domestic machinery may
work tremendously. Particularly we
need patience with ourselves. There
are many who are quite ready to be
patient with the progress of good in
the world, patient in business life, pa
tient in the church, patient in the
home, who are yet very impatient with
themselves. No problem requires such
infinite patience and persistence in
working out as the problem Of our
own development. 1t is a Christian
duty to forgive others; it is equally
imperative that, when he have done a
great wrong and have confessed it to
God, and have made reparation to
others, we forgive ourselves, making
the same allowances for our weak
nesses as we make for the weaknesses
of others.
Many give up the struggle of the
Christian life because they have not
sufficient patience with themselves.
Persistence is the quality that is lack
ing in them. Wisely did the apostle
put patience on the same plane as faith
and love- It is by patient continu-
ance and well doing that we obtain
glory, honor and immortal life"