San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-04-19
Look for Good Rather than Evil IN
Humanity.

The following is from late SER
mon OF Rev. james Freeman Clarke:
To reverence God we must first
reverence man. The profound in
sight OF the apostle John brought
him TO this conclusion when he for
mulated the memorable statement,
aHe that loyeth not his brother,
whom he hath seen, how can he love
God, whom he hath not scent" We
climb to the nights OF heavenly piety
from the low-lying plain OF human
charity. We can only become ac-
quainted with goodness by seeing it
as it is manifested in our fellow-men.
The innocence of the little child en-
ables us to see something of higher
purity above. The self-sacri6cing
devotion Of o good man to the law
of right gives us hint of divine JUS
tice. The generosity in man which
goes out OF self in sympathy with
ones neighbor is suggestion OF the
inexhaustible love of the heavenly
father, The idea of goodness dawns
on the soul from the sight of human
fidelity, honesty, truth. 1t is. by
this stairway, composed OF earthly
goodness, genuine though imperfect,
that our thought and heart go up to
the sight of the infinite good
It follows from this law that every
thing which makes us doubt or deny
human goodness prevents us from
hallowing the name OF God. The
cynicism which prides itself on find
ing selfish motive for every good
action; the worldly wisdom which
works with mercenary and low ar
guments for its ends, shuts the heart
against the sight Of what is good in
man. That wisdom Of the world
does not see the inspiration which
comes down from heaven; the tender
ness of human sympathy, the patience
of the poor, the courage OF convic-
ton, the martyrs faith, the apostolic
vision. From the sight of this cyni-
cal, criticising, contemptuous view OF
man all his nobler qualities disap-
pear and with them disappears also
the power of recognizing the
goodness and the love OF God.
He who hardens his heart against
man also hardens his heart against
God.
This is why we ought to look for
good rather than evil in our fellow
men. We find that for which we
habitually seek. If we seek for faults,
follies and sins, no doubt we may
find them. Nor is it necessary to
close our eyes to the fact OF human
error and evil. But let us have
faith that evil is not the essential
thing in man, that he is more weak
than wicked, a creature of impulse
and passion, swayed by circum
stances, often overpowered by temp
tation; but not deliberately prefer
ring evil to good. Burns well says;
What's done we partly may compute,
But know not what's resisted.
If all human goodness is a partial
revelation of the goodness OF God,
we find the highest revelation in the
highest souls. Jesus thus becomes
to us the best revelation OF God. In
him we find united and harmonized
perfect truth and perfect love. Far
above us in his entire devotion to
the will of God, he is all our own in
his tenderness and compassion as q
brother man. Dwelling in the at
mosphere of divine love, he spent his
days in seeking and saving those
who were lost. Not by outward
rank or position, but by these har-
monies OF soul and character he has
become the best revelation OF the
truth and love Of God.