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Ailtet, 9.9. \ ' C)' ~5 "- ' ; 1 tCoronto: UmtteO The gentle mindc by gentle deeds it knowne. ^ut-t •>r \ 1 The battle was over. Two mighty armies had met in terrific conflict, and the earth had quivered beneath the shock. Great destinies had been decided. After the battle, gentle women came upon the field, and went quietly and quickly among the wounded and dying with water and wine and food, and words of cheer and kindness. There was diviner power in the ministry of these angels of comfort who came after the battle, when all was still, than in the awful force of the battle itself. We are strong only as we are gentle. Gentleness is the power of God working in the world. J. R. M. Thy gentleness hath made me great* David, The Lord's servant must ... be gentle towards all. St. Paul. He shall not cry aloud, nor lift up his voice, Nor cause it to be heard in the street. The bruised reed shall he not break, And the glimmering flax shall he not quench. He was so tender with fragile things. He saw the sparrow with broken wings. r^ENTLENESS is a beau- tiful quality. It is es- sential to all true character. Nobody admires ungentleness in man or woman. When a man is harsh, cold, unfeeling, unkind, rude and rough in his manner, no one speaks of his fine spirit. When a woman is loud-voiced, dictatorial, petu- lant, given to speaking bitter 9 A GENTLE HEART words and doing unkindly things, no person is ever heard saying of her, < * What a lovely disposition she has ! " She may have many excellent qualities, and may do much good, but her ungentleness mars the beauty of her character. No man is truly great who is not gentle. Courage and strength and truth and justness and righteousness are essential elements in a manly character ; but if all these be in a man and gentleness be wanting, the life is sadly flawed. We might put I 10 A GENTLE HEART I the word gentleness into St^ Paul's wonderful sentences and read them thus : «« If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not gentleness, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not gentleness, I am nothing. And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have A GENTLE HEART not gentleness, it profiteth me nothing." THE CROWN OF LOVELINESS A beautiful legend says that one day the angel of the flowers — the angel whose charge it is to care for the adorning of the flowers — lay and slept beneath the shade of a rose-bush. Awaking from his sweet repose refreshed, he whispered to the rose, O fondest object of my care, Still fairest found where all are fair; For the sweet shade thou gavest me Ask what thou wilt, 'tis granted thee. 12 A GENTLE HEART The rose requested that another grace might be given to it. The angel thought in silence what grace there was in all his gifts and adornments which the rose had not al- ready. Then he threw a veil of moss over the queen of the flowers, and a moss-rose hung its head before him, most beautiful of all roses. If any Christian, even the Christliest, would pray for a new charm, an added grace of character, it may well be for gentleness. This is the crown of all love- 13 A GENTLE HEART liness, the Christliest of all Christly qualities. THE GENTLENESS OF GOD The Bible gives us many a glimpse of gentleness as an attribute of God. We think of the law of Moses as a great collection of dry statutes, re- ferring to ceremonial observ- ances, to forms of worship, and to matters of duty. This is one of the last places where we would look for anything tender. Yet he who goes carefully over the chapters 14 ii A GENTLE HEART which contain these laws comes upon many a bit of gentleness, like a sweet flower on a cold mountain crag. We think of Sinai as the seat of law's sternness. We hear the voice of thunderings, and we see the flashing of lightnings. Clouds and dark- ness and all terribleness sur- round the mountain. The people are kept far away be- cause of the awful holiness of the place. No one thinks of hearing anything gentle at Sinai. Yet scarcely even in 15 A GENTLE HEART ji-^ the New Testament is there a more wonderful unveiling of the love of the Divine heart than we find among the words spoken on that smoking moun- tain. ««And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and truth ; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sm. >> There is another revealing of divine gentleness in the i6 RT A GENTLE HEART there a iling of le heart e words f moun- passed :laimed, God full racious, enteous keeping )rgiving on and ;vealing in the story of Elijah at Horeb. A great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks — ^but the Lord was not in the wind. After the storm there was an earth- quake, with its frightful ac- companiments — ^but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a fire swept by — but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was heard a soft whisper breathing in the air — a still, small voice, a sound of gentle stillness. And that was God. God is 17 A GENTLE HEART gentle. With all power, power that has made all the universe and holds all things in being, there is no mother in all the world so gentle as God is. Gentleness being a divine quality is one which belongs to the true human character. We are taught to be perfect as our Father in heaven is per- fect ; if we would be like God, we must be gentle. THE WORLD'S NEED This world needs nothing more than it needs gentleness. z8 A GENTLE HEART All human hearts hunger for tenderness. We are made for love — not only to love, but to be loved. Harshness pains us. Ungentleness touches our sen- sitive spirits as frost touches the flowers. It stunts the growth of all lovely things. We naturally crave gentle- ness. It is like a genial summer to our life. Beneath its w^arm, nourishing influence beautiful things in us grow. Then there always are many people who have special need of tenderness. We cannot 19 A GENTLE HEART I? know what secret burdens many of those about us are carrying, what hidden griefs burn like fires in the hearts of those with whom we mingle in our common life. Not all grief wears the outward garb of mourning ; sunny faces ofttimes veil heavy hearts. Many people who make no audible appeal for sympathy yet crave tenderness — they certainly need it, though they ask it not — as they bow be- neath their burden. There is no weakness in such a yearn- 20 A GENTLE HEART ing. We remember how our Master himself longed for ex- pressions of love when he was passing through his deepest experiences of suffering, and how bitterly he was disap- pointed when his friends failed him. Many a life goes down in the fierce, hard struggle for want of the blessing of strength which human ten- derness would have brought. Many a man owes his vic- toriousness in sorrow or in temptation to the gentleness 21 -•• A GENTLE HEART i which came to him in some helpful form from a thoughtful friend. We know not who of those we meet any day need the help which our gentleness could give. Life is not easy to most people. Its duties are hard. Its burdens are heavy. Its strain never relaxes. There is no truce in its battle. This world is not friendly to noble living. There are countless antagonisms. Heaven can be reached by any of us only by passing through serried lines of strong enmity. Human 22 A GENTLE HEART help is not always ready when it would be welcomed. Too often men find indifference or opposition where they ought to find love. Life's rivalries and competitions are sharp and ofttimes deadly. One writes : — Our life is like a narrow raft Afloat upon the hungry sea, Whereon is but a little space; And each man, eager for a place, Doth thrust his brother in the sea. And so the sea is salt with tears. And so our life is worn with fears. We can never do amiss in showing gentleness. 23 There A GENTLE HEART I i I: is no day when it will be untimely ; there is no place where it will not find wel- come. It will harm no one, and it may save some one from despair. The touch of a child on a woman's hand saved a life from self-de- struction. THE NEW ERA OF LOVE It is interesting to think of the new era of love which Jesus opened. Of course there was gentleness in the 24 I i A GENTLE HEART world before he came. There was mother-love. There was friendship, deep, true, and tender. There were lovers who were bound together with most sacred ties. There were hearts even among heathen people in which there was gentleness almost beautiful enough for heaven. There were holy places where af- fection ministered with angel tenderness. Yet the world at large was full of cruelty. The rich op- pressed the poor. The strong 25 n u A GENTLE HEART I crushed the weak. Women were slaves and men were tyrants. There was no hand of love reached out to help the sick, the lame, the blind, the old, the deformed, the in- sane, nor any to care for the widow, the orphan, the home- less. Then Jesus came ; and for three and thirty years he went about among men, doing kindly things. He had a gentle heart, and gentleness flowed out in his speech. He spoke words which throbbed with tender- 26 A GENTLE HEART ness. Mr. Longfellow said that that was no sermon to him, however eloquent or learned or beautiful, in which he could not hear the heart- beat. There was never any uncertainty about the heart- beat in the words which fell from the lips of Jesus. They throbbed with sympathy and tenderness. The people knew always that Jesus was their friend. His life was full of rich help- fulness. No wrong or cruelty ever made him ungentle. He 27 ;! , 11 i i r. 11 11 w A GENTLE HEART scattered kindness wherever he moved. The best of men That e'er wore earth about him was a sufferer, A soft, meek, patient, humble, tranquil spirit, The first true gentleman that ever breathed. One day they nailed those gentle hands upon a cross. After that the people missed him, for he came no more to their homes. It was a sore loss to the poor and the sad, and there must have been grief in many a household. 28 A GENTLE HEART But while the personal minis- try of Jesus was ended by his death, the influence of his life went on. He had set the world a new example of love. He had taught lessons of patience and meekness which no other teacher had ever given. He had imparted new meaning to human affection. He had made love the law of his kingdom. As one might drop a hand- ful of spices into the brackish sea, and therewith sweeten its waters, so these teachings of Jesus fell into the world's un- 29 t; A GENTLE HEART loving, unkindly life, and at once began to change it into gentleness. Wherever the gospel has gone these sayings of the great Teacher have been carried, and have fallen into people's hearts, leaving there their blessings of gentleneijss. INFLUENCE OF THE DEATH OF JESUS The influence of the death of Jesus also has wonderfully helped in teaching the great lesson of gentleness. It v/sls 30 A GENTLE HEART love that died upon the cross. A heart broke that day on Calvary. A great sorrow al- ways, for the time at least, softens hearts. A piece of crape on a door touches with at least momentary tenderness all who pass by. Loud laughter is subdued even in the most careless who see the fluttering emblem which tells that there is sorrow within. A noble sacrifice, as when a life is given in the effort to help or to save others, always makes other hearts a little truer, a little 31 A GENTLE HEART braver, a little nobler in their impulses. No life Can be pure in its purpose and strong in its strife, And all life not be purer and stronger thereby. The influence of the death of Jesus on this world's life is immeasurable. The cross is like a great heart of love beat- ing at the centre of the world, sending its pulsings of tender- ness into all lands. The life of Christ beats in the hearts of his followers, and all who love 32 A GENTLE HEART him have something of his gentleness. The love of Jesus kindles love in every believing heart. That is the lesson set for all of us in the N e w Testa- ment. We are taught that we should love as Jesus loved, that we should be kind as he was kind, that his meekness, patience, thoughtfulness, self- lessness, should be reproduced in us. GENTLENESS IN HOMES There is need for the lesson of gentleness in homes. There 33 3 A GENTLE HEART love's sweetest flowers should bloom. There we should al- ways carry our purest and best affection. No matter how heavy the burdens of the day have been, when we gather home at nightfall we should take only cheer and light. No one has any right to be un- gentle in his own home. If he finds himself in such a mood he should go to his room till it has vanished. The mother's life is not easy, however happy she may be. Her hours are long, and her 34 A GENTLE HEART load of care is never laid down. When one day's tasks are finished, and she seeks her pillow for rest, she knows that her eyes will open in the morn- ing on another day full as the one that is gone. With chil- dren about her continually, tugging at her dress, climbing up on her knee, bringing their little hurts, their quarrels, their broken toys, their complaints, their thousand questions to her, and then with all the cares and toils that are hers, and with all the interruptions and 35 A GENTLE HEART annoyances of the busy days, it is no wonder if sometimes the strain is almost more than she can endure in quiet patience. Ncivertheless, we should all try to learn the lesson of gen- tleness in our homes. It is the lesson that is needed to make the home -happiness a little like heaven's. Home is meant to be a place to grow in. It is a school in which we should learn love in all its branches. It is not a place for selfishness or for self-in- 36 A GENTLE HEART dulgence. It should never be a place where a man can work off his ill-humour after trying to keep polite and courteous all day outside. It is not a place for the opening of doors of heart and lips to let ugly tem- pers fly out like ill-omened birds, and soar about at will. It is not a place wh^.re people can act as they feel, however unchristian their feelings may be, withdrawing the guards of self-control, relaxing all re- straints, and letting their worse self have sway. Home is a 37 n A GENTLE HEART school in which there are great life-lessons to be learned. It is a place of self- discipline. All friendship is discipline. We learn to give up our own way — or if we do not we never can become a true friend. LEARNING TO LOVE The great business of a true Christian life is to learn to love. Mr. Browning, in his «« Death in the Desert," puts into the mouth of the dying St. John these words : — 38 A GENTLE HEART For life, with all it yields of joy o^ woe, And hope and fear — believe the aged friend — Is just our chance o* the prize of learning love, How love might be, hath been indeed, and is; And that we hold thenceforth to the uttermost Such prize despite the envy of the world. It is well that we get this truth clearly before us, that life with all its experiences is just our chance of learning love. The lesson is set for us — «< Thou shalt love " ; «* As I have loved you, that ye also 39 A GENTLE HEART lit love one another.*' Our one thing is to master this lesson: We are not in this world to get rich, to gain power, to be- come learned in the arts and sciences, to build up a great business, or to do large things in any line. We are not here to get along in our daily work, in our shops, or schools, or homes, or on our farms. We are not here to preach the gospel, to comfort sorrow, to visit the sick, and perform deeds of charity. All of these, or any of these, may be among 40 i\ A GENTLE HEART our duties, and they may fill our hands ; but in all our oc- cupations the real business of life, that which we are always to strive to do, the work which must go on in all our experi- ences, if we grasp life's true meaning at all, is to learn to love, and to grow loving in dis- position and character. We may learn the finest arts of life — music, painting, sculp- ture, poetry, or may master the noblest sciences, or by means of reading, study, travel, and converse with refined 41 A GENTLE HEART i i people, may attain the best culture ; but if in all this we do not learn love, and become more gentle in spirit and act, we have missed the prize of living. If in the midst of all our duties, cares, trials, joys, sorrows, we are not day by day growing in sweetness, in gentleness, in patience, in meekness, in unselfishness, in thoughtfulness, and in all the branches of love, we are not learning the great lesson set for us by our Master in this school of life. 42 I A GENTLE HEART THOSE WE LOVE BEST We should be gentle above all to those we love the best. There is an inner circle of affection to which each heart has a right without robbing others. While we are to be gentle unto all men — never ungentle to any— there are those to whom we owe special tenderness. Those within our own home belong to this sacred inner circle. Much is said of the importance of religion in the home. A home without religion is dreary and unblest 43 f ^ A GENTLE HEART indeed. But we must make sure that our home religion is true and real, that it is of the spirit and life, and not merely in form. It must be love — love wrought out in thought, in word, in disposition, in act. It must show itself not only in patience, forbearance, and self- control, and in sweetness under provocation, but also in all gentle thoughtfulnesses,and in little tender ways in all the family intercourse. No amount of good religious teaching will ever make up for 44 A GENTLE HEART the lack of affectionateness in parents toward children. A gentleman said the other day, «< My mother was a good woman. She insisted on her boys going to church and Sun- day-school, and taught us to pray. But I do not remember that she ever kissed me." She was a woman of lofty principle, but cold, undemonstrative, re- pressed, wanting in tender- ness. It matters not how much Bible -reading and prayer and catechism -saying and godly 45 A GENTLE HEART teaching there may be in a home, if gentleness is lacking, that is lacking which most of all the young need in the life of their home. A child must have love. Love is to its life what sunshine is to plants and flowers. No young life can ever grow to its best in a home without gentleness. Yet there are parents who forget this, or fail to realize its importance. There are homes where the sceptre is iron, where affection is repressed, where a child is never kissed 46 ) A GENTLE HEART after baby days are passed. A woman of genius said that until she was eighteen she could not tell time by the clock. When she was twelve her father had tried to teach her how to know the hour; but she had failed to understand him, and feared to let him know she had not understood. Yet she said he had never in his life spoken to her a harsh word. On the other hand, however, he had never spoken an en- dearing word to her ; and his marble-like coldness had frozen 47 A GENTLE HEART her heart. After his death she wrote of him, << His heart was pure— but terrible. I think there was no other like it on the earth." HOME LOVE I have a letter from a young girl of eighteen in another city — a stranger, of whose family I have no personal knowledge. The child writes to me, not to complain, but to ask counsel as to her own duty. Hers is a home where love finds no adequate expression in afFec- 48 A GENTLE HEART tionateness. Both her parents are professing Christians, but evidently they have trained themselves to repress what- ever tenderness there may be in their nature. This young girl is hungry for home-love, and writes to ask if there is any way in which she can reach her parents' hearts to find the treasures of love which she believes are locked away there. << I know they love me," she writes. «