The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1860-08-08
WEAKNESS AND HARsHNEss.

There are two faults which alternate IN
human character; that Of weakness ana that
OF harshness. We sometimes IND person
who is extremely amiable, kind and sympa-
ihizing, gentle and affeetlonate, always rea'
Nv to conclude OF 10 receive tale OF woe
or confession OF intrmity; person ln,aiua-
BILE in hours Of distress, to whom we fly IN
sorrow. for whom We send in sickness, with
whom we need have no concealments, and
who by hall anticipating, more than halt de-
stroys the difficulty of any revelation which
we may have 10 maSt y! umidy, folly, or
sin. Aud yet, IN th,s character, 50 attrac-
tive, al first sight So perfect, there may be
great, almost fatal defect. There may be
want OF strength. The tendency Of anna
hluy, not ia necessary result, but rs Ten
aencs, Is towards weakness; towards what
Ne CAL Indulgence: a sympathy, not only
With The efriEg, which is right, but with the
e.rof, which - wrong an appreciation I'll the
iorre ~ temptation, and q the ira,lty "a
human nature, which beng mi,applled, or
excessive, becomes IN lnstas,blily u the
claims Of duty ana Il the snfdiness d s.a
On the other hand, We sometimes see .
person Of the greatest elevation and purity
OF character; one who has completely tri-
umphed over, or, as we may almost suspect,
been by nature exempted from the common
infrmities of human nature; we hear his
judgment upon right and wrong, We find him
treading beneath his feet the subterfuges and
sophstries Of crooked conscience; we feel
ourselves, in his society, 10 be breathing a
pure and invigorating air, and fancy our own
moral tone 10 be braced and strengthened
BY the influence of his principles and his ex-
ample. Surely this is well. Surely il all
men were like him this world would be very
different from what i IS; virtue would be
dominant, and vice a6ashed, where now the
one is SO often discouraged, and the other 81
bold faced and brazen tonsued. And yet
here, too, there NAV be something wanting !;
somethieg for want of which little may be
really affected by this unwurdly, this super,
human. The character described may be
harsh character. 1t may have the elect OF
driving N upon itself, but not of correcting.
not Of Graduating, that which y wrong and
sinful in another. We feel. perhaps, that il
would be impossible for Us to confess fault,
or to betras weakness, 10 such person I;
therefore in his company we assume per force
4 tone not our own, We cease 10 be natural,
we are tempted to deceive him If not our
selves also. and that which Is evil sinks the
deeper in for being thus driven from tile sur.
face. Thus in the one case tenderness be-
comes weakness, aud IN the other strength
degenerates into harshness. See character
which, by Gods grace, combined both these
virtues. and ayoIued both these faults. BY
nature, il was strong character. Those
whom he regarded as in error, ST. Paul once
prosecuted to the death. That vas his way OF
showing concern for them; he knew no 9th
er. Bat, al soon as the love Of Christ touch
ed bis heart. without losing one particle OF
strength he learned TO add to it tenderness.
knowing how much he had been forgiven,
he knew how to forgive. Knowing too what
he calls the terror Of the Lord, he knew the
danger Of those who disregard and desPised
IL. From Memorials 9f HGrr0U Slaiays."