The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-07-16

Text: Let patience have its perfect
Work.--James l., 4.
Patience Is one of the most impor-
tant virtues mentioned in the Scrip
lures. We hear a great deal 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 expert
ence, its proper time, and so makes
life 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 equipoise spirit which enables
us, though in feverish haste, to pass
calmly from one event to the next,
awaiting TRANQUILITY 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 pur-
poses, for all the ages Of eternity are
His.
We should have patience with the
sins, the follies, the eccentricities Of
others in all the relations of life. HUI
man nature is full of sharp corners,
rough edges and bewildering perplexi-
ties. We must make allowances for
people. We should be patient with
the evolution of character as we find
it in the Church. Christians are in
all stages of development, as is most
natural in state of immaturity. Dis
approval of confessedly immature dis
! ciples should not cause us to cast re-
Elections upon the Church itself. Christ
was patient with His disciples, though
one was a traitor and all in cowardly
timidity forsook Him and fled. He
knew that the evolution of character,
like the creation of universe, is a
slow process, but that patience would
finally have it's perfect work."
We need an abundant supply of
patience, truly, in all departments of
life - employers and employees,
buyers and sellers, teachers and
scholars, parents and children, hus-
bands 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 order that the domestic
machinery may work harmoniously.
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, patient with 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 de-
velopment. 1t is a Christian duty to
forgive others; it is equally impera'
tive, when we have done great
wrong and have confessed to God,
and have made reparation to others,
that we forgive ourselves, making the
same allowances for our own 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. 1t is by patient con
tinuance in we'll doing that we obtain
glory, honor and immortal life"