Christian Tenderness

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 9, 1865

Christian Tenderness.

An old writer has truthfully remarked that we may say what we please, if we speak through tears. Tender tones prevent severe truths from offending. Hence when we are most tender at heart, our words are most powerful. Hence one great reason why our words have so much more power during a revival than at other times. Our hearts are more tender then, than they usually are; we feel more, and it is easy for the impenitent to see and feel that our hearts are interested in their behalf. They feel that our words are not mere lip-words, but heart-words.

It is then very hard to exasperate us. Men may rail at us as much as they please, but their railing does not hurt us—it does not bring railing in return. They may treat us as they please, but their unkindness brings tears, and not unkindness in return. It is then easier to drive us to the mercy-seat, than to utter harsh, unkind words.

When we get near to Christ, it makes us tender, and it is then very hard to hurt our feelings. We are then more easily hurt through Christ than through ourselves. We feel indignities which are cast upon Christ; but even they excite in us pity, and lead us to pray for them, rather than utter harsh, unkind words. The further we get away from Christ, the more sensitive we are, the more touchy, the more easy to hurt our feelings, the more easy to exasperate us, and cause us to render railing for railing, harsh, unkind words for unkind words, and to say severe, cutting things.