LITTLE SINS—SINS OF THE TEMPER.
By E. L. Derby
BRO. SMITH: I thought the following might be acceptable to the readers of the Review and Herald. E. L. DERBY. Vergennes, Vt I have recently read a small volume of sermons by Bishop Jackson, of England, which has much interested me. It has passed through nine editions in that country, and has been reprinted here by A. D. F. Randolph, whose press supplies much valuable reading to those who love our Lord Jesus Christ. It is encouraging to know that a volume of sermons, so spiritual as these, which search the very secrets of the heart, should have found so many readers. Their object is not to dwell on those sins that are of so obvious a nature as almost to preclude the possibility of ignorance, but to direct attention to those sins which, being little thought of by the world, and less obtrusive in their own character, are more likely to escape our observation, and to be poisoning our soul's life, while we are scarcely conscious of their existence. Of this nature, in a greater or less degree, are sins of the temper, sins of pride and vanity, sins of the thoughts, sins of the tongue, and sins of omission. They are stealthy foes. They master us before they alarm us, and often become habitual before we feel the chain they have been winding around us. Perhaps, as a family sin, no one class of these is so common, as that first mentioned—sins of the temper. Parents too often get out of patience with their children, and the children with each other, and sharp, quick words are heard, where above all others, words of love and kindness should prevail. The sin is contagious—one unruly tongue will often bring discord into what might otherwise be a harmonious and peaceful family. We have all of us felt the effect of ill-temper in others upon ourselves. We know how it rasps the nerves, and makes them quiver in acute agony, and how much strength of resolution it requires, not to yield ourselves to the fierce impulse that is upon us, as the evil spirit was upon Saul. We can only be released and strengthened by listening to a mightier than David, who sings to us of the patience and long-suffering of God, and bids us be perfect as he is perfect. The many cares and vexations of daily life, I well know, are often harrassing, but I at the same time know that we cannot be placed in any circumstances where God's grace is not sufficient for us. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He does not require anything which he will not, if we seek it aright, give us the ability to perform. I think no christian father speaks with unnecessary sternness to his children without at some time regretting it. Decision is often necessary—harshness never. Love should blend with the severest tone, that the heart may not be so torn and lacerated as never to heal. These ever-festering wounds bring with them no good. The poison of death is in them. I am sure no christian mother can speak impatiently to the child of her love without feeling, on reflection, that she has injured her own soul and the soul which but for her would never have been exposed to the trials and temptations of life. A mother is particularly in danger of committing sins of fretfulness and impatience. Her strength is too often over-tasked—her physical energies are exhausted—she sees before her more to be done than her feeble hand can accomplish, and nervous and depressed she becomes easily irritated and speaks angrily to those who should hear from her lips only the gentle tones of love, or the firm words of command. I pity mothers who are thus worn and over-burdened, and I know God pities them infinitely more than I do, for he is "very pitiful and of tender mercy," but he cannot overlook sin—it is to him, who sees it as it is, exceeding sinful; and while he loves the sinner, he must frown upon that which made it necessary that he should send his Son into the world, not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. Worn and nervous mother, it was for just such sins as those that tempt you that Jesus died, and his death need not be in vain. Through him you can be more than conqueror over the foes of your own peace and the peace of your family, and none, more than you need to stay the heart on a Saviour. Anger, fretfulness, discontent, moroseness and incivility, and a petulant and unforgiving spirit, Bishop Jackson classes among the sins of the temper, which are not of the most obvious and self-condemning kind, as are hatred, malice and revenge, and yet are undeniably opposed to the requirements and spirit of the gospel. That these may be found, not only in those whom we consider irreligious, but even in those we cannot but hope are christians, does not detract from their sinfulness. Each heart has its own easily besetting sin; but there are few that are not tempted in some way from a temper not perfectly under the control of reason and religion. Many professed christians are made disagreeable and repulsive by these unlovely qualities, and thus misrepresent the religion of Christ, and prejudice their acquaintances against it. It is true that we should go to the Bible to see what God requires his children to be, and we should form our own idea of the christian life from its holy pages; yet it is natural that we should look to those who profess to be governed by its precepts, and guided by its spirit, as an example of what it can do for the human heart. The unloveliness of christians has done more than all else to give false impressions in regard to the beauty and grace of christian life, and has driven many hearts away into darkness and unbelief. The child receives his idea of religion from what he sees of it in his parents and in those about him; if it is not a continual joy to those who profess it, bearing them up in every trial and supporting them in all the vexations of life—if it does not lighten every burden and brighten every sorrow, it does not commend itself to the young heart. Childhood and youth have no fellowship with gloom and melancholy—they fly from it as from an ogre. A religion that does not raise one above anger, fretfulness, discontent, moroseness, incivility and a petulent and unforgiving spirit, has no attractions for them. A religious life is made distasteful, and all they wish is to become christians just in season to escape the consequences of a life spent in the pursuits and pleasures of the world. It is with infinite wisdom that God requires his children to be holy. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Nothing short of this can satisfy any heart that truly loves him. No christian, with an enlightened understanding, would wish the requirement less, and it is only when we feel the importance and necessity of it, that we at all feel the exceeding sinfulness of even the smallest sins. Nothing short of this perfection satisfies our own souls, and nothing short of an earnest seeking for it, by constant prayer and watchfulness, will commend us as worthy followers of Christ. The higher the attainments we may make in christian life the more deeply we shall feel that we owe all to infinite grace—that in us is no good thing which God's love has not bestowed upon us. This dependence only draws our hearts more closely and gratefully to him, and we cling to his love to save us from the fearful abyss we so often see gaping before us. The stronger our trust in God, the less our trust in ourselves. We feel that without his hourly care our feet will slide, and our conscience be darkened by guilt. We cannot for an instant keep ourselves. Our Father and our Saviour must keep us, or we are lost. We must strive, even in the most minute acts of life, to be like him who is our perfect pattern, and be satisfied with nothing less than entire conformity to his requirements. How easily are we provoked by slight offences, fancied neglects, and the trifling inadvertances of others! How soon is the mind thrown off its balance and the smooth surface of charity ruffled, by every little thing that thwarts our inclinations, or even goes contrary to our expectations! And what is most to be considered, we are apt to regard these ebullitions of temper not as sins, but as trifling foibles and scarce worth the remembering. Persons suffer themselves to be vexed and ruffled by trifling occurrences and trivial mistakes. They feel peevish and discontented, and indulge the feeling, instead of resolutely shaking it off. In this mood they perversely oppose the wishes and hurt the feelings of others, for the most trifling causes or for no cause at all. They are vexed and unhappy themselves, and do their utmost to make those about them so too. These little trials of temper are part of our daily probation. Their effect may last throughout eternity. In overcoming these by watchfulness and the grace of God, lies our duty, our safety and our happiness. Harshness, moroseness, and incivility are inconsistent with our duty and profession, even when they proceed not from ill-will but from habit. Such ought never to be the habit of a christian. Courtesy is the outward expression of charity; and though courtesy may exist where charity is not, yet charity should ever show itself in kindness, meekness and gentleness to all men. We are to let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven; but who will believe that the tree is planted in love, when harshness, moroseness, and incivility, are the visible and forbidden fruits? Children are great sufferers from the ill temper of parents, and upon them is often vented the irritability of feeling excited by others. The child cannot defend himself; he may not answer back, or if he does, the hand may be lifted in anger and the little one made to suffer where the parent was much more to blame than himself. Then his own temper is ruined—he is injured by a sense of injustice, and the delicacy and tenderness of the cords that bind him to the parent are sadly impaired; home is not his house of refuge; he seeks enjoyment and sympathy elsewhere; he yields less readily to parental government, and grieves less over acts of disobedience; his course is downward, and unless his steps are arrested by divine grace, he becomes an open and hardened sinner. If parents would not fail in their great work of training mortals for heaven, they cannot guard their own hearts too jealously against the indulgence of the smallest sin; and they must strive to be, in all things, what they desire their children should become. A parent's work is not only a great work, but one requiring consummate wisdom, and exceeding delicacy in its conduct. Who is sufficient for these things? Our sufficiency is of God; all we need we shall find in him, and we must live so near to him, and walk so humbly and attentively before him, that he can speak to us, and our souls hear the still small voice that shall guide us into all truth. We must learn to have inner quiet—such quiet that the storms of life, its trials, vexations, and unkindnesses, shall have no power over—shall not even ruffle its peaceful nature. If it were not that the soul may trust in God, if it had not an anchor both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the vail, the human heart might well cry out in despair and bitter agony; but God's promises are sure. All we have to do is to believe, and we are safe, and our children are safe. We learn to overcome our easily besetting sins, and through God we can do valiantly, for he it is that treadeth down our enemies.—Advocate and Guardian.