The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-10-10
while an unfrjendlv epiris wounds

while an unfriendly epirit wounds
itself with IFS Owa fwor.i.
l don't believe II man can ha
thoroughly happy who tries to be
happy without also trying to make
some one else happy.
We are all travelling the same
road, toward the same goal. 1t is OF
no consequence that one is in fine
linen and another in rags. The sun
shines on rags and linen alike, aud
rhe rain pours on them with equal
fury But it is IL matter OF very
great consf quence whether We speak
a. kindly word to some one who is
over2eary, comforting word to
some one who is weeping, or On
encouraging word to some one who
has stumbled and fallen.
These small things reckon for
good dc al, and | would rather go to
heaven with an armful OF them than
with a warriors fame or d poets
Tenown. You cannot enjoy a filial
relation to God unless you show
traternal regard for His children.
What He looks upon with favor is
not your greatness, but your good
ness The essence of Christianity is,
first to be good and then to do good.
After that you need not seek after
happin. s-, for it will come OF its own
accord land abide with YOU"
Let me illustrate. One of the
cardinal vices OF humanity is un
charita bleness of Judgment. 1t is a
spiritual disease, infectious in char
scter and fatal to our best welfare.
For GONE inexplicable reason most
OF US rather like to think ill of our
neighbors, and find it easier to
attribute an evil motive than a good
one. We may not be willing to
admit it, but the human heart is
desperately wicked" in this respect.
If a young man commits an indis
cretion, do we hasten to his side to
help him repair his fault or for
| authority to deny the charge if it is
not true? Is there a pang in the
| heart because the poor fellow has
stepped into the mlre, end do we
| extend willing hand to help him
| out? Rather are We prone to cry
"Ah, hal' We forget that we our
selves might do still worse under like
circumstances and that our present
| good condition depends, not on our
superior probity, but on the lack of
temptation. If we had the genuine
| Christ spirit we should sink the
tendency to judge him harshly in the
| desire to fortify him against a
repetition of the fault We are not
yet Gods childrea, or at least do not
bear ourselves as such We cannot
successfully deny the deplorable fact
that when a man has gone wrong we
let him drop into the pit and accom-
pany his fall with shrug of the
shoulders. In such cases he may he
a criminal, but what are we? We
are infidel to all that is pure and
true and heavenly. The Five Insti
tutes of Calvin in our heads may
proclaim our orthodoxy, but Oh,
Indifference in our hearts renders us
heretics of the deepest dye.
Or suppose a young woman be
comes entangled in extreme pressur,
OF circumstances, is Iured, deceived b,
false p omises, and sits by the way
side in despair! What say we ant
what do we do? There are rea
tragedies of this kind every day, an
mothers and fathers in the othe
world look down with weeping eyes
God pitits her. Christ cries one
more, LET him who is without sill
cast the first stone," but how do W
stand? Her grief can only b
"Lulied in the graves forgiving
, ness" for human help there is littl
. or none. She may stretch forth he
hands, but who will take them? Sh
may cry piteously for assistan nee
, but we merely answer, ooh, mol
, and pass by on the other side, Inca
descendants of hypocEitical Pharisee
as We are.
, 1t il a prime duty to cultivate
the worlds sake and for our OWL
1t was the Masters unique peculiar
ty that He encouraged rather tina
, | condemned His whole life on cart
might be fifty represented by help
ing hand
1t is SO much more ennobling t.
think we'll of a person rather than ii
+ To be constantly critical, to look Il
the worst side instead Of the best, T.
, impute bad motive when 1T
, | possible to impute a good one,
, To put yourself out of accord wit
> Go1's plan and to do your soul
, positive injury. There may b
? depravity in the world, but see a
! little of it as you can; there certainl
is goodness in the world, and yo
should see as much of it as lies i
your power. 1t is physically an
spiritually unhealthy to feed O
r suspicion, for under it's influence th
whole nature becomes contracted
while under kindliness and sympath
: the soul expands. There are cloud
aud tempests, and sometimes th
elements run riot, but there is ais
| sunshine and stars and green fields
No man loves God as He should b
!, | loved until he loves Gods children
aud no man has tasted the sweets c
pure and undefiled religion who doe
, not do what he can to make burden
lighter his daily walk The req
Christian is he who has a word 70
; the fallen and a heart that beat
,, with divine pity for every poo
!, creature who crosses his path bowe
down by grief or disfgured by sin
GEORGE 81. HEPwoRTH.