A MEEK AND QUIET SPIRIT.
By F. W. Morse
The word of God calls a meek and quiet spirit an “ornament,” and declares that it is of great price in the sight of God. 1 Pet. 3: 4, 5. There is no doubt but that a meek, quiet, and holy trust in God is equally precious and lovable in all, men or women, old or young. There is no virtue in an ease-loving, listless inaction in God’s work,—a spirit that fears the storms of opposition and the frowns of popular prejudice so much more than God, that it does simply nothing to advance the truth. Those are slothful servants who keep always on the sunny side of popular opinion, keep just as quiet as possible about unpopular Bible truth,—not truly meek, but cringing, and servile toward errors and wrongs upheld by popular opinion. No honor or ornament this sort of meekness and quietness, not in the records of Heaven, certainly. “Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8: 38. But there is a calm, meek, and heavenly trust in God, the very soul of true energy and power, which we all must have in order to honor God and advance his cause. Oh, how saddening to see and hear contention and strife among those who profess the truth! Often there are feverish anxiety and chafing, aggravating broils in the family and out of it. With many who profess Christ there is a fair outside show to the world, but in the family they are like hot water and firebrands. Oh, the value of a meek and quiet spirit! It is worth buying, even if it costs all. F. W. MORSE.