The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-10-09
HELP YOUR BROTHER.
A LESSON IN BROTHERLY
LOVE AND CHARITY.

n LLO0ON IN DnO \ " EMIL
LOVE AND CHARITY.
Ministry to Others q Prime Evil
dence Of the Possession Of the
Religion Of Jesus Christ.
lRaleigh Biblical Reeorder.J
The apostle says, Brethren, if a
man be overtaken in a fault, ye which
are spiritual, restore such one in the
spirit of meekness; considering thy
sell, lest thou also be tempted. {"
Again, we are exhofted TO ts bear one
another's burdens and to confess our
"faults one to another, and pray one
for another" These, and many other
similar passages from Gods word, go
to prove that we as Christians have a
great deal to do one with another even
in this world. We are not Our broth
er's keeper in the sense Of being ap-
pointed by God to supervise his af-
fairs, control his person or his prop
erty; but we are his keeper in the
sense of feeling for him lively inter-
est, and being so interested in him as
to do what we can to help him bear
his burdens, both of a temporal and
religious kind.
The lawyer that asked Christ who
was his neighbor, was answered by the
parable of the good Samaritan, and
the evident teaching of that parable is,
that any one of our fellowmen is our
neighbor, and that we have no right
to pass him by, wounded and helpless
on the highway of life, without render
ing the needed help. This is true of
man in general way, and especially
of members OF the church. Paul says,
GAS we have, therefore, opportunity,
let us do good into all men, especially
unto them who are of the household of
faith" The decalogue requires that
we should love our naighbors as our
selves, and the New Testament idea is
summed up in the words, :" All things
whatsoever ye would rhsr ,aen should
do to you, do ye even SO to them"
After careful study of the subject, we
are prepared to say that we think there
is no commandment in the New Tes-
lament more frequently broken, than
the one just quoted. Even some good
men seem at times to ignore it, when
it clashes with their interest or plans.
How hard it is for US to treat our
brother under all circumstances, Just
as we would desire that he should treat
us, If our cases were reversed!
How easy and how natural it is for
professed Christian sometimes to
pass his brothers heritage and envy
him its possession. Ahab, coveting
Naboth's vineyard, has many modern
representatives., and we fear that there
are some Ahabs among the ministry
Ahab's efforts to obtain Naboth's vine
yard were finally successful, through
the Vaccinations of mis- wicked queen
yet the terrible manner in which God
punished their treachery and sin helps
us to understand that no such unholy
envy of others or lust for their posses
sions, can bring to its possessor any
good, even if the unholy desire seem
to be realized. alt is written, Ven
geance is mine, l will repay, saith the
Lord" Of the good man, it may be
said, "No weapon formed against thee
shall prosper"
Christians. are serving the Prince of
Peace, and their treatment one of an
other should be in accordance with
the peaceful spirit of him whom they
serve. All, what reproach is often
brought upon the cause of religion
when brethren OF the same church rush
into the courts with cases that could
be settled by any two or three of their
fellow Christians, more in accord with
justice than by those outside Of the
brotherhood! The tongue is indeed
an unruly member, and will wag, some
times wisely, but often unwisely. A
man always treads on dangerous
ground when he attacks the character
or impugns the motives Of another.
Instead of troubling your brother in
stead Of trying to stain his character,
why not help him? 1t is nobler to
build up than to tear down. And it
would be well for people to think oft
ener of the true light in which they
exhibit themselves when they attack
man who may happen to be aoaon.
Any cur can attack the lion when his
teeth and claws are gone. Admit that
your brother has made mistakes-do
you never make them Admi, that
lie has, for the time, yielded to tempt
ation-do you never yield to the
same?
Let the character and happiness of
your neighbor, then, be dear to you.
Read again the parable of the good
Samaritan to find out who your neigh
Dor is. With all of our sympathy, all
our help and encouragement, our
brother will stumble and fall often
enough. Christ came, not to tear
wider the wounds that sin and sorrow
make in the human heart, but to bind |
them up. He came not to be minis
tered unto but to minister. His life |
was utterly unselhsh, and his life was a |
standing rebuke to the sel6shness OF
the human heart. Selfshness is one
Of the most common and disagreeable |
sins of which men are guilty. Too
often it abides in the heart of the
Christian man, but like all other evil
tendencies, will gradually, if not at
once, be expelled by the religion of
Christ. Ministry to others, then, is
prime evidence of the possession of the !