The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1895-12-08
WITH A FATHER,s LOVE.

God Loves Purity aud Hates Sin. Yet Pities
Them That Fear Him.
A person of strong character is apt
TO despise those of whose lives folly
and frivolity, Inconsistency and incon-
sistency, are marked features. per-
son of very strong character is likely
to pity rather than despise. This is
Gods attitude; and because Of the hui
man tendency to consciousness and
harsh judgments, Infinite Holiness is
more kind and tender and forbearing
than Finite Righteousness. God is
more humane than man. more patient
with transgressors, both great and
small; more ready to make allowance,
and far more willing to forgive and
forget.
At first thought one might suppose
it to be otherwise. For Gods stand
ard is higher than ours He sees sin
where we do not. Every violation of
the law is known to Him, and the line
separating Righteousness from I'M
righteousness is as plain to Him as the
line which separates the atmosphere
from the ocean is to human vision.
Being infinitely holy Himself, hating
sin with an unquenchable hatred, and
having. so to speak, a superlative SEN
sitiveness to wronP-doing, is 1t not
marvellous that He can regard the sim
ner with the least degree of allow
ance? Why is He not tempted to sweep
away utterly from His univere all
traces of sin and sinners2 We
can not tell, we only know
that it is not so, For He
has told us that Like as a father
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth
them that fear Him. This is a pity
we can understand, for it is like that
which we feel for our own children.
And under what circumstances do we
who are pitiful feel most pity for our
children? 1t is not for those who are
most unfortunate; who suffer most
from wrong-dOing, or from natural
causes? One of a family Of FIVE sons
became in early childh ood a half idiot,
as the result of disease. The other
four were intelligent, studious and
excellent boys, with promise Of useful
lives. One was to enter the ministry.
One after another they died, leaving
only the imbecile to the stricken par
ents. Though not vicious, the poor
fellow was troublesome and hard
to manage. But father and mother
never lost patience with the irrespon-
sible boy and man They never sent
him away when visitors came, never
apologized for him, never seemed
ashamed Of him They pitied him,
overlooked his many follies, and
treated him all the more tenderiy be-
cause Of his sad condition.
We say such conduct is beautiful.
So it is. It is more than humane; il is
Of the divine pattern; and it helps us
TO understand Gods attitude OF loving
kindness toward those who live fool
ish lives, and seem as little subject to
the rule Of reason as does the poor
idiot. There are parents who, in a
rigor of righteousness, denounee aud
disown their children who have done
foolishly aud wickedly. There are
others, more godlike, who exercise
more forbesrance and show more
tenderness to hayward son or
daughter. For the effects Of
sin are pitiful as are those
Of disease. If It is beautiful to
see the fatherly love which surrounds
the driveling idiot with watchful care,
is it not much more beautiful to see
the fatherly pity which is poured out
on unrepentant prodigals. and which
yearns to forgive, becomes ever more
tender, and never ceases to hope2
Like as such q father pitieth. so the
Lord pitieth not only them that fear
Him, but those Of His children who
have put Him out Of their thoughts.
Many Of these were in the multitudes
over whom Jesus had compassion, and
refused to send away fasting, lest they
perish by the way. Why does God pity
the sinner Ask the father Of the
idiot why he pities his son; ask the
father Of the fallen woman why he
pities his daughter. Is It not because
their condition is pitiable? The Lord
pitieth US, because He know
eth our frame, He remem bereth
that we are dust" Out Of
the fullness of His knowledge Of
us, out Of the plentitude Of His mercy,
out Of the depths Of His pity. comes
the Divine sympathy to us. And He
bids us not to lie down in our sins as
n