God, by a blessed, wonderful, and successful operation of the Holy Spirit,
will take that roughness, harshness, and severity out of your nature, and
instil mildness, tenderness, softness, and gentleness instead. Harshness
and roughness are a corruption that God, in his gracious plan of
salvation, is pleased to remove. If you will allow the Holy Spirit to work
in you that which is pleasing in God's sight, he will make you gentle.
What is gentleness? It is blandness, softness, mildness, and meekness. It
is the opposite of harshness, roughness, etc. It is sweetness of
disposition, mildness of temper, softness of manner, kindness, tenderness,
etc. Those who are of a gentle disposition act and speak without asperity.
They are not morose, sour, crabbed, and uneven, but are smooth, mild, and
even. Good manners are intimately connected with gentleness, and good
manners are no dishonor to Christianity.
The apostle Paul by way of testimony said to the Thessalonian saints, "We
were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." 1 Thess.
2:7 Such was his manner. As a kind mother is to a delicate child, so was
he to those whom he loved.
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