Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-09-07
The Enthusiasm of Humanity.

Sunday at Home.
The Enthusiasm Of Humanity.
One the chapters in that somewhatre-
markable book, "Ecce Homo" which was
the forerunncr Of rapid succession vol
umes upon the life and work of Christ, and
in many respects, the most original and
striking Of them all, is entitled "The En-
thusiasm Of Humanity" In it the author
sets forth the unselfsh love for man as
man, uninfuenced by his social condition,
and the imprisoned interest for his we'll
being, as expressed in the life of Christ,
and infused by him into the hearts of his
sincere disciples. Nicodemus of the San
he1rim and Peter the fisherman, Joanna
the wife of Herod's steward, and Mary of
Magdala, out Of whom seven devils were
cast, were equally welcomed to the sympa
thy and spiritual offices of the Lord Jesus.
Not as if in the discharge of an appointed
service, or meeting reluctantly the de-
mands Of an unwelcome duty, but for the
very love Of the work. and urged on by an
undying passion for humanity, Christ went
about doing good, and finally voluntarily
laid down hi, life for the race. The early
disciples exhibited the same enthusiasm Of
humanity, rising above national sympathy,
conqucring, by love and suffering, the hate
Z Il 1. 81,
sought, counting not their lives dear unto
themselves that they might finish the min
istry Of love which they had received of
the Lord Jesus 1t was an all conquering
passion overriding love for home, all
worldly ambition, and the natural desire
for ease and shrinking from pain, and find
ing its only and lmtterable relief and joy
in this self sacrificing work of securing the
salvation Of others; constantly experience
ing the fulfillment Of the memorable words
of the Lord Jesus, which were so familiar
to the first disciples "a not to require writ
ten record of them in the Gospel. at is
more blessed to give than to receive"
1t would be the height of folly to assert
| that the christian church has throughout
its history excmplifcd this spirit; but just
in so far as it has been pervaded with the
grace Of the gospel it has presented this as
| pect to the world. There has always been
! a remnant of the true faith left upon the
earth in all the sad and general lapses that
have occurred in the history of the chris
| tian church. The world has not been left
without examples of unscltish, holy, enthu-
sastic love for man, and self sacrificing eff
forts for his well being Christianity, as
far as it has had its legitimate influence,
has broken down all national barriers, all
the divisions of caste, all the unfounded
distinctions of society, and drawn men into
4 common brotherhood. 1t is the Spirit OF
Christ that has produced all the enthusi-
asm Of humanity that now urges the bos-
oms Of modern reformers in the work of ell
eyating the neglected classes, relieving the
suierings of the miserable, securing for all
their legitimate rights and opportunities
and bringing all the families Of earth into
fraternal relations with each other. No 9th.
er faith or philosophy has accomplished
such results. Other religious systems may
have exercised a wholesome restraint over
their own people; they were ethnic, bu
christianity is Catholic. They only infu
cnced for good limited portion of thei
believers, and inspired hatred for others
while christianity goes to the lowliest, anC
embraces "every creature" in the mercifu
provisions of its gospel At this moment
there is scarcely spoken language int
which it has not translated its loving anC
divine words; or a people, however de
pressed or benighted to which it has no
sentits representatives with proffers ofsym
pathy and the offers of common sal
walton.
1t is not by an act Of the will, by a reso
lutte purpose, that the affections are moved
They are instructive and involuntary.
is not all obedience to a command tina
man exhibits this enthusiasm ofhumanity
The heart naturally turns away from un
congenial persons; it shrinks from the dis
gushing presentations of a debased, be
nighted, uncultured humanity. 1t seek
fellowship ofspirit and communion in com
mon tastes and pursuits. What, then, il
the secret of this transcendental and hOl
passion? Christ himself, the Son of man
the Saviour of the world, enters into tn,
heart and breathes his spirit over his affec
tons The love that dwelt from the begin
ming in the bosom of the Father, that ex
pressed itself in the gift of the Son, tina
became incarnate in the only begotten, anC
uttered itself in the agonies of the cross
enters, in its infinite measure, into the be
levers heart, and glows and burns towar,
every human being, in its degree, as it ur
ges the infinite heart of God. | live, saw
the Apostle, with this fire shut IN in hi
bones, but not it is not the pulsation o
a natural life that courses in my veins
Christ liveth in me, and the life / liveth il
the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God
The divine character of the new life is seel
in this, that it overcometh both the fore
and the inertia Unnatural affection. 1t sub
ordinates its passion for every other thinj
to the one great affection for human well
being, and it arouses and inspires it to he
role endurance, without the inducement
of any earthly considerations. The Ian
guage of every truly regenerated heart is
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do {?
and the ambition of every sOIl inspired b
Christ is uttered in the expressive word
of the founder of our section Of the chris
tian church. "The world is my parish"
The other inspiring element is this en-
thusiasm of humanity is the obligation
which the disciple owes to his Master. II
is bought with price, and when he appre
hends it he is seized with an Unsuitable de
sire to offer every return in his power. III
ever sees before him the legend that tn
German nobleman read under picture c
| the crucifxion, "This have done for thee
e what hast thou done for me?" His hea
e pants 10 reach his Saviour, and to preser
c the gift of his redeemed affections and Sc
/ vices to his Lord. And "here / am" r.
e spends the Master, Gin the form of evel
{ human being to whom an act of nero
!. may be shown, either to his body or b