Peaceful, Wise, Harmless.
By T.
IN His commission to His followers, the Master says to them, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matt. 10:16. If ever in the history of the world this injunction of the Master was needed, that time is right now. The world is rapidly filling with violence. Men are becoming more and more turbulent and hot-tempered, and their irritable dispositions are making the times perilous. In view of this situation, Christians must learn to walk in the light of the Lord’s words with particular carefulness. To have the wisdom to stand firmly, unyieldingly, and yet have the docility of the sheep and the harmlessness of the dove, is the clear problem before the follower of Christ. It is very easy to get into heated discussions about the right and wrong of strikes and other broils that the warring factions of society are engaged in. These discussions, dissensions, and strifes may seem very necessary for the men who are wholly of the world, or even for the Christian who has not studied the prophecies of the Bible that he may know the meaning of this turbulence. But the Bible student that has stood under the lamp of prophecy until he knows the meaning of these things and what they will ultimately result in, will see a striking significance in the Saviour’s admonition to seek the wisdom that will enable him to stand with harmless self-possession in the midst of wolfish conditions. The peace of God that passeth all understanding is the only thing that will enable a person to be peaceful and harmless in the midst of warring and violent conditions. And this peace of God can only be secured by a close study of His word, and by carefully and prayerfully and resolutely doing the things that we learn from the study of the inspired Book. The exercise of the fierce destructive instincts of war is the world’s great ideal of the highest type of manly courage and greatness. But that which the Christian seeks to attain is a vastly different and broader courage. His is the courage of gentleness—the gentleness that is so conspicuous in the life of power lived by the Master. The beautiful poetry of the psalm expresses it in9this way: “Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation; and Thy gentleness hath made me great.” The greatness of gentleness must ever be the Christian’s lofty aim. This has always been the only right course; and in these times of extreme peril it is doubly true that it is the only safe course. T.