Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-14

dispensation. Peace and love took the
place of strife and hatred. The Son Of
Man commanded, Glove your enemies
do good to them that hate you"
That the love enjoined in this command
is not the love one friend feels for another
both reason and divine revelation prove.
In the first place itwould be impossible tc
love an enemy as one loves friend. Trust
friendship, and what part have they in the
feelings man entertains for his enemies
The instructive repulsion which a person
often feels on meeting stranger is only
intensified between enemies. No argument
can reason it away, prayer and fasting
will not drive it out. Would it be possible
for man to love person for whom he
felt this antipathy, to trust him? No. II
he were a Christian he could wish him
well, could feed him if he we're hungry, il
he were thirsty could give him drink, bul
as a man he would say to him, in the
language of Abram, Separate myself
pray thee from me; if thou wilt take the
left hand, then will go to the right; or if
thou depart to the right hand, then will
go to the left.''
Does Christ, the Great Exemplar, love
his enemies as we'll as his
friends? He died to save sin
ners, but, unless they become his friends
they will not be saved. Only those who
believe in him have everlasting life.
God is good to the evil and unthankful
he sends his rain and his sunshine on the
unjust as well as the just, but hear his
words, 81 love them that love me, and they
that seek me early shall fnd me-"
These facts show that the love We are
commanded to feel for our enemies is a
feeling of benevolence and good will, but
not the trust and tenderness of friends and
comrades,
Two reasons may be given to show why
it is best for men to obey this command
One is 1t is Christ like. Christ was the
realization Of perfect manhood; perfect in
honor and truth; perfect in mercy and hu-
milit; perfect in love. To be like Him is to
attain to the statue of perfection.He bless
ed those who cursed him, he kept silent
when they rallied against him, and dying
he prayed for them. To his disciples
he said 81 have given you an example,
Another reason is that hatred and re-
venge dwarf a man. To treasure every
slight and injury. and to watch for an OPP
portunity to pay them back with interest
is to give great deal of time and thought
to an ignoble object. If man believes
his enemy to be a low dishonest
fellow, trying to cover him with his slime,
will he enter the list to fight with him, to
throw dirt too? One practice of the olden
time, which has fallen into disuse but
which deserves a resurrection, Is that the
only foemen worthy of knights and gen
tlemen were those of their own order.
No nobleman could quarrel with the base
born.
When one man wrongs another wilfully
and maliciously is it qualification to in
iure him? What his enemy said of him
may be false. What he said of his enemy
may be true, but was he pleased with him
self afterwards? No, he would say if he
told the truth that he felt small and mean
and deservedly so, for he lacked strength
to rise above the instinct of savage and
keep silence. To get the better of another
in a war of blackguardism Or vituperetive
words is ruinous victory gained with the
loss of self respect and manliness.
1t is such tests as these which try q
mans Christianity and manhood.
If person is cast in such small pat
tern that he must return every slight or
sting he receives, he has San immense
amount of work to do before he can claim
to be g man.
Besides the time employed in avenging
wrongs and getting even with ones enemies
can be put to pobler uses. Life is so
short, and relentless death is after us ALL
With art and science opening their myriad
doors for our delectation, with. the sweet
and delightful association of friends, with
the work Christ left for his followers to
finish, there is no time for revenge.
There is one way to conquer our enc
mics, Paul said, "If thine enemy hunger,
feed him; if he thirst give him drink;
for in so doing thou shalt heap Goals of
fire on his head" How hot such Goals are
every individual can prove from his own
personal experience, if he has received
good from those for whom he has wrought
i'll. To receive kindness from one we have
injured is to suffer, the deepest humilia-
ton.
Are we so guiltless ourselves that we
should be so severe with those who have
wronged us? How small are our enemies
sins against US, when compared with our
sins against divine love and mercy. "For-
give us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who trespass against u.s..