The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-08-22
LOVE YOURSELF LESS.
A STRONG PLEA AGAINST THE SPIRIT
OF Sci FISHNESS.
Man Responsible in Some Degree for
the Comfort of Others-The Need
of Broader Christianity in the
WOrid-Too Much Theology of the
Apostles and too Little Religion of
the Lord.
New York lierald.i

ocltlSDncSS IS the cause OI nine
tenths Of the misery in the world anG
of nine-tenths of the other tenth.
you carefully analyze the vice a:
it EXHIBITS itself in your own life yor
will see that it is closely allied to cru.
city. That is to say, you are willing
to be cruel to some one in order to
obtain qualification for yourself
Selhshness is despicable and de.
moralizing form of depravity. 1t i:
the cracked tire of the wheel of prog
ress, the broken shaft in the engine
OF moral improvement, kind of spir.
itual earthquake which turns every
thing topsy turvy and make harmony
brotherliness and true religion uttera,
bly, impossible.
An unselhsh world has been the
dream of the poets and prophets for
centuries. They saw the divine posi-
billties of human nature, the noble
qualities, both intellectual and moral,
with which we are endowed. They
had visions of an earth that was both
earth and heaven, of a race which
boldly marched from the low lands OF
base passion to live on the uplands,
with the stars forever above it, unob-
scured by clouds.
The millennial energy is driving US
in that direction: but we make as slow
progress as man who climbs noun
tain with heavy burden on his should
ers. The instances of selfsacrifce and
patriotism and philanthropy and large
charity which we see give us aglimpse
of the etheral plateau which it is our
manifest destiny to attain sometime,
but as yet we are racked and torn and
riven and disrupted by curious kind
of greediness for ourselves and a per-
sistent Indifference to the fate of
others. We feel no personal response
bility for the guilt or misery of our
neighbors. We have enough of the
grace OF God to hope every one may
be content and happy, but not enough
to help them to attain unto their de-
sire. In word, the genuine Christ
spirit is not strong factor either in
society or in our individual lives.
Christ, who busted himself in doing
good, and whose teaching may be
summed up in the injunction to think
less of ourselves and more of others, is
still stranger to us, although we have
known him for nearly two thousand
years. We believe more in the theol-
ogy Of the apostles than in the religion
of the Lord.
Let US think a moment. What do
we mean by seldshness? Certainly
not self-love, in any true sense, because
selfishness is not the building up of
self, but the destruction Of self. In
deed there is very little self-love, in
the world. The man who is in love
with himself is a poor sort of creature,
who must be demented. We cannot
love ourselves if we have any sense, for
no one knows better than we do that
we are not worthy of love. Selhshness,
therefore, is not pure love of self, but
an ignoble passion for grasping more
than our share, regardless of the rights
and claims Of Others. 1t indicates a
criminal indifference whether any man
enjoys himself or has the means of
doing SO provided all our own wants
are gratified. 1t means that brother
hood is myth and that if our table
is we'll supplied our neighbors may
starve, or if we keep ourselves from the
commission Of crime our fellow men
need not look to us for any help to
resist temptation. We hold ourselves
irresponsible for everything except
our own personal comfort.
But you say, if we are really ap-
preciative Of the suffering about US life
would not be worth living, and we
should all have broken hearts if we lit
orally bore each others burdens The
answer is: The sooner our hearts are
broken from such cause the better.
If it would be very hell on earth to
have keen realization of the crime
and wretchedness of mankind, then
let US live in that kind of hell until we
can make it heaven.
You have no right to do anything to
keep yourself from realizing the con-
dition Of others, for they and you be-
long to the same family; and you have
no right, in the sight of God, to eat
your bread in peace if you know that
some one is starving. What kind of a
world are we making? Is it a God s
world, Christ's world, or a world
filled with demons; a world in which
the chief purpose is to get everything
and give nothing? Why should we
not suffer if Others are suffering?
Suppose that by some magic our
selhshness were eliminated ana a divine
and plying love should take its place.
Suppose We were filled with holy de-
termination to give needed protection
to every young man who now seeks in
vain for the good cheer Of an honest
life, and to hold in our sisterly en-
brace every poor girl who is driven by
desperation to an unholy career, would
the world be any worsee
Suppose the Church should say,
We are too busy to talk about theolo-
gy, we will do that when We have eter-
nifty before US. We must get out the
lifeboa,s and save the tempest tossed
and shipwrecked-what then? What
then? Why for the first time We