In the Cultivation of Christian Character
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Contents
1. TO THE MEEK, HUMBLE, CONTRITE
THE MEEK
"Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger" (Zephaniah 2:3).
"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. He that is slow to anger appeaseth strife" (Proverbs 15:1, 18).
"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1Peter 3:3, 4).
"He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding" (Proverbs 14:29).
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).
"The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way" (Psalm 25:9).
"The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground" (Psalm 147:6).
"The LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation" (Psalm 149:4).
"The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (Psalm 37:11).
"With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth" (Isaiah 11:4).
"The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever" (Psalm 22:26).
"The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 29:19).
"It is an honour for a man to cease from strife" (Proverbs 20:3).
"The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression" (Proverbs 19:11).
"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" (Proverbs 16:32).
TO THE HUMBLE
"He shall save the humble person" (Job 22:29).
"He forgetteth not the cry of the humble" (Psalm 9:12).
"LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble" (Psalm 10:17).
"Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly" (Proverbs 3:34).
"When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2).
"Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6). See 1Peter 5:5.
"Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off" (Psalm 138:6).
"By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life" (Proverbs 22:4).
"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit" (Proverbs 29:23).
"The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility" (Proverbs 15:33).
"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility" (Proverbs 18:12).
"Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud" (Proverbs 16:19).
"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:4).
"Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). See Luke 18:14.
THE CONTRITE AND MOURNERS
"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit" (Psalm 34:18).
"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).
"Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better" (Ecclesiastes 7:3).
"To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isaiah 66:2).
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalm 51:17).
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:3, 4).
"Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isaiah 57:15).
2. TO THEM THAT SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE
"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 10:39).
"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him" (2Timothy 2:12).
"Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life" (Matthew 19:29).
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew 5:10-12).
"If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:17, 35-37).
"Persecuted, but not forsaken" (2Corinthians 4:9).
"If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; for it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing" (1Peter 3:14, 17).
"For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward" (Hebrews 10:34, 35).
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified" (1Peter 4:12-14).
TO THEM THAT ARE EXCOMMUNICATED UNJUSTLY
"Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed" (Isaiah 66:5).
"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven" (Luke 6:22, 23).
3. TO PATIENCE AND SUBMISSION
"That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12).
"26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. For the Lord will not cast off for ever" (Lamentations 3:26-29, 31).
"The hope of the righteous shall be gladness" (Proverbs 10:28).
"We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope" (Romans 5:3, 4).
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him" (James 1:2-4, 12).
"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (James 5:7, 8, 11).
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 4:10).
"If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God" (1Peter 2:20).
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (1Peter 5:6).
"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Hebrews 10:35-37).
4. TO PERSEVERANCE
"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9).
"Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" (2John 8, 9).
"He that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 10:22). See Matt. 24:13.
"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32).
"My beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1Corinthians 15:58).
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward" (Hebrews 10:23, 35).
"Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1John 2:24, 28).
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).
TO HIM THAT OVERCOMES
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7).
"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).
"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Revelation 3:5, 12, 21).
"He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star" (Revelation 2:11, 17, 26-28).
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