The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-20
Like as a Father.

A pcTSOu vi SeioHS Shoh"StSA " rrSS
to despise those of whose lives folly
and frivolity, inconstancy and lncon-
sistency, are marked features. A per-
son of very strong character is likely
to pity rather than to despise. This is
Gods attitude; and because of the hu-
man tendency to censoriousness and
harsh judgments, Infinite Holiness Is
more kind and tender and forbearing
than Finite Righteousness. GOD ls
more humane than man, more patient
with trangressors, both great and small;
more ready to make allowance, and far
more willing to forgive and forget.
At first thought one might suppose 1t
to be otherwise. For Gods standard is
higher than ours. He sees sin where
we do rot. Every violation OF the
law is known to him, and the line sep
arating righteousness from unrlght-
eousness 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 unuuenchable hatred, and having,
so to speak, a superlative sensitiVeness
to wrongdoing, is it not marvellous That
he can regard the sinner with the least
degree of allowance Why is he not
tenn pted to sweep away utterly from
his universe all traces of sin and sim
ners? We cannot tell, we only know
that it is not 80. For he has told us
"Like as q father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear
him." This is pity we can under.
stand, for it is like that which we feel
for our own children. And under
what circumstances do we who are pit
iful feel most pity for our children ?
Is it not for those who are most unfort-
unate; who suffer most from wrongdo-
ing, or from natural causes? one OF
family of five sons became in chlidhood
u half idiot, as the result OF disease.
The other four were intlligent, studious
and excellent boys, with promise or use
full lives. One was to enter the minis
try. One after another they died, leav-
ing only the imbecile to the stricken
parents. Though not vicious, the
Door fellow was troublesome and hard
to manage. But father and mother
never lost patience with the irrespons-
ible 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 teat-
ed him all the more tenderly because
of his sad condition.
Why say such conduct is beautiful.
So it is. It is more than humane; 1t ls
of the divine pattern; and it helps US
TO understand Gods attitude of loving
kindness toward those who live foolish
lives. and seem as little subject to the
rule of reason as does the poor idiot.
There are parents who, In rigor OF
Righteousness, denounce and dlsoWn
their children who have done FOOLISH
ly and wickedly. There are others,
more godlike, who exercise more Tor
bearance and show more tenderness 10
the wayward 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
lender, and never ceases to hope.
Like as such father pitieth, 80 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 v hom 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
ther condition is pitiable? The Lord
pitieth US, because "he knoweth our
frame, he remembereth 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 sympa ny to US.
And he bids us not to lie down In our
sins as hopeless, helpless outcasts, but
to let his fatherly goodness infold US,
and restore US to the divine likeness
through divine forgiveness and divine
regeneration. His mercy is boundless,
"As the heaven is high above the
earth, so great is his mercy"; and las
far as the east is from the west so far
hath he removed our transgresslons
from u.s."
Asone who sees and knows us alto
gether; as one who understands the
nature of sin and its unhappy results;
az One who remembereth that we are
dust as One who loves purity and
hates sin: as One who made US anu
loved us and gave himself for us-so
does the Lord look upon us. 1t is out
of his very strong character that is
pity and love and mercy and our SAL
vation come.