The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1844-11-07
From the Advmsir Of Moral R.form.
How 10 Overcome Evil with Good

From the Adv.rste Of Moral R.form.
How 10 Overcome Evil with Good
Where is The individual, laboring in any
department Of benevolent effort, who is
not thankful for every lesson in this hea-
venly aril Who does not feel, in looking
over The face Of society, that IL the mass
Of evils which Cypress and disheartcn us,
are ever TO he removed, il must be done
by the principle Of love, overcoming evil
with good! Every word and action LEFT
on record in the life Of the Great Teacher,
bears attestation TO this truth, and exhibits
the omnipotent power Of this weapon,
forged and tempered in heavens own ar
mory. II was this principle, carried out
TO its full extent, which gave to primitive
Christianity, its reslsiless power and its
miraculous success. When from that up
per chamber in Jerusalem, the twelve
apostles looked out upon the world for
which their Divine Master had just died,
and from which he had in their sight as
cended to the throne Of glory, what did
they behold! Out Of Judea, where alone
tibet rue God was known and worship
ped, Though even there darkness cover
ed the earth, and gross darkness the peo-
ple,) a splendid and imposing system Of
paganism, interviewer with the very frame
work OF society, and upheld by the whole
weight of political power and influence,
stood directly in the way Of that religion
whose interests had been solemnly confid-
ed to their care. Giant forms Of sin, grown
hoary with age, and guarded with jealous
care by all the worst passions Of human
nature, were to be removed, before the
simple but sublime truths Of the gospel
could find access to the hearts of men.
Where among the proud mobiles and sages
of Greece or Rome, could one be found to
listen to the humbling story of the cross,
told by an uneducated, obscure Jew! How
shall mission, on the success Of which
a worlds salvation depends, be carried
forward, and accomplished, under such
circumstances! In the affecting record OF
the Acts of the Apostle, We have the ans.
wer TO this question. They went oui
armed with quenchless love to God and
man, and in its exercise they continually
orercame euH Nth good, until the evil
gave way, and the good was established
in its stead. AT all times, and in all places,
in palaces and in prisons, living and dy.
ing, they uniformly met evil with good,
and in so doing achieved a greater con.
quest than the world had ever before seen.
i Is not human nature the same now, that
it was in the days of Peter and Paul!
Why, then, do not all who are followers
of Christ, and who seek to leave the
world better than they found it, initiate
these illustrious examples! Why do we SO
seldom see the full power of lour, brought
to bear on the ten thousand evils which
now afflict and destroy mankind! Is ii
not because those who would thus follow
in the footsteps of Jesus, must first be
baptized with his baptism Of self-denial
and suffering! Is it not because such
course requires perseverance IN doing
good, which involves more effort than mosl
professors ofrcligion are willing to'expend
in the cause of benevolencc! They heal
the cry of suffering, perishing humanity
/. they look on the picture drawn perhaps
by a master hand, of world lying IL
wickelness, and are reused by the natura
: impulse to energetic action. In pr osecut
! ing the work thus commenced, unlocked
J for obstacles occur-the lions in the way
look very formidable, and in the absenct
. of the stimulus which first excited to &C
, ton, how many faint and grow weary Ii
, well-doing, or turn aside into some less
: rugged path, leaving few to bear the
J heat and burden of the day alone. Does
, not this tell the story Of many So
: ciety, formed for some benevolent pur
pose, under most favorable auspices, bu
suffered to languish and die, until now no
| a vest,ge is left to perpetuate the memory
of its brief existence! Oh, if we hat
= more of the Spirit of our Divine Redeem
r er; il our hearts were brought into sym
: pathy with his heart, we could not 81
Y soon tire or become discouraged in lal