The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-19

are situated that way concerning our neighbors'
duties The battle of life is more compli-
Gated and obscure than the battle of Shiloh
and we do not know much about that
Commanding generals say that the assault
OF the enemy was not surprise. The men of
the Sixteenth Wisconsin, four miles in 'front.'
thought it was surprise until they were dead.
1t remains surprise to my dead chum, who, two
weeks from home, dressed his company as coolly
as if at home. Hewas an exception. If we can
not at this short distance understand the con-
duct OF individuals in the battle of Shiloh, is 1t
wise TO undertake to judge the conduct of our
comrade in the battle of life9 There came to an
Eastern city, some years ago, graduate OF the
penitentiary. He had served his term and came
back and announced himself ready for an honest
life, but the fact was against him-he had been
prisoner; but he held on, and was SOON firing
on locomotive. Now, when you take his birth,
Ignorance, associations and history into consid
Grafton, he has a right to say, II have fought a
good fight" He has not gone very far, but we
must consider the road.
But our charity, one for the other, need not
lapse into indulgence that is stupid. Charity is
not fool. Christ could condemn; and he could
praise He said of one woman, ''she hath done
what she could" the highest eulogy yet ac-
corded to one of our race. cannot say that of
anyone. The same blindness is upon me to your
opportunities for good and your use OF them; as
to your opportunities for evil and your consent
to them. Here are the principles. the theories,
the precepts--I can only undertake to make
them plain. Your life, how you are handi
capped-how much lead is slipped into the sad
parable cannot say, ''Thou art the
man." because, in the last place, the modern
preacher is not only not like Nathan in in
sight, but, unhappily, he is not like him
marked off and divided from his people. He
is also a common, mortal man; not infrequently
he is as fond of the things of the world as any
one. He thus breaches to himself as one OF the
congregation, and says 1--WE" instead of you
and so includes himself in PRAYER and sermon.
Even though he were Simon Peter, the modern
preacher refuses to be knelt unto, and says to
one who does kneel: 'Stand upon thy feet; /,
myself, am also a man."
Many man reads the Bible story and par
able, and directly, with great satisfaction, ap-
plies the story to his neighbor, whereas, the
Bible was not given to US that we might see
our neighDors' faults and sins, but distinctiyely
that we might see our own very wicked
old man was to make a profession of
religion and be baptized in the river,
and there was great gathering of the
neighbors to hear his confession of inquity. He
came UP out Of the water and said: My friends
and neghbors, hereafter when you see anything
wrong or even dubious in me, look to home, :
and walked serenely away. A lot of bigots
hemmed in one poor woman and eagerly
stated her sin and the law of Moses in reference
to it, and Christ stopped over and wrote with his
finger in the sand, and then raised himself and
said something that sent them one by one quiet
ly away. One who has not met temptation and
is innocent is not qualified to be a judge. One
who has met temptation and has yielded is not
qualified to be judge. A sinner deserving hell
himself is not qualified to deal out damnation.
Christ is the only qualified person to be judge.
He was tempted in all points and so has sym
pathy; he was without sin, so he can be just To
Him and not to our neighbor, we commit our.
selves. So we shall be in peace every evening
OF every day; very peaceful, but not at all
proud.