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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
to rule their own spirits. After conquering nations, the world’s so-
called great men fell, one of them through the indulgence of appetite,
a victim of intemperance, the other through presumption and mad
ambition.
God calls upon you to yield pride and stubbornness, and to let His
peace rule in your hearts. A meek and quiet spirit must be cherished.
Carry Christ’s meekness with you in all your labors. An excited temper
and cutting censure will not impress the people or gain their sympathy.
If we have the truth, we can afford to be calm and unexcited. Our
language should be modest and elevated. The spirit you have cherished
within has left its impression upon the countenance. Christ, enthroned
in the soul-temple, will efface that fretful, peevish, unhappy look;
and as the cloud of witnesses look upon a man reflecting the image of
Christ, they will realize that he is surrounded by a pleasant atmosphere.
The world will see that amid storms of abuse he stands unmoved, like
the lofty cedar. That man is one of God’s heroes. He has overcome
himself.
The largest share of the annoyances of life, its daily corroding
cares, its heartaches, its irritation, is the result of a temper uncontrolled.
The harmony of the domestic circle is often broken by a hasty word
and abusive language. How much better were it left unsaid. One
smile of pleasure, one peaceful, approving word spoken in the spirit of
meekness, would be a power to soothe, to comfort, and to bless. The
government of self is the best government in the world. By putting on
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, ninety-nine out of a hundred
of the troubles which so terribly embitter life might be saved. Many
excuse their hasty words and passionate tempers by saying: “I am
sensitive; I have a hasty temper.” This will never heal the wounds
made by hasty, passionate words. Some, indeed, are naturally more
passionate than others; but this spirit can never harmonize with the
Spirit of God. The natural man must die, and the new man, Christ
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Jesus, take possession of the soul, so that the follower of Jesus may
say in verity and truth: “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
Self is difficult to conquer. Human depravity in every form is not
easily brought into subjection to the Spirit of Christ. But all should be
impressed with the fact that unless this victory is gained through Christ,
there is no hope for them. The victory can be gained; for nothing is
impossible with God. By His assisting grace, all evil temper, all human