Peter in his first epistle [2 v 11] writes/, Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul/.The first thing that struck me was the graciousness of these words,dearly beloved,Peter the great apostle,speaks with a gentleness to them. This same Peter had denied his Lord,failed Him miserably,had been forgiven,and restored,and recommissioned, was very aware of his own failings,was not adopting and attitude of holier than thou,but as Baxter said,he was speaking as a dying man to dying men .He does not speak to them in a dogmatic overbearing manner , but in a loving pleading way.I use to be a blood and thunder preacher, but I have changed,blood and thunder may scare people,but I wonder how effective it is?.Our dear Saviour wept over Jerusalem, one of the aspects of the Messiah was,that,He shall not strive nor cry,neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets [Matthew 12 v19]. Spurgeon writing on this,/ The wrath of man in hot controversy, the frenzy of wild rhetoric...He disdained such weapons in establishing His kingdom./He also comments on the following verse,/A bruised reed , shall He not break,and smoking flax shall He not quench[v20] He is gentle,and exercises no harsh severity. He bears and forebears with those who are unlovely in His eyes./
A prayer.../ Dear Saviour help us to speak the truth in love,to show a gentle and meek spirit with all men, to conqueror by thy gentleness. Amen /
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