Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-04-01
Gods Sympathy.

md the COUNTRY won DS WOlUu q mann
Gods Sympathy.
He will hear their cry, and will save them!
Psalms, civ, ~.
One of the most impressive facts In
connection with Christ is His loneliness.
To large large extent He was lsolaIeo
from human sympathy. Not even Ills
nearest friends could appreciate either
His motives or His work. and it was
therefore impossible to make conf
dant of any one. What personal SUI
fering was consequent upon this entire
lack of contact, either mental or splr
itual with His kind we shall never
know. but certain we are that His only
sources of consolation were the minis
try of angels, who, imagine, were al
WAYS visible and always near at hand,
and the presence of the Father, OF
which He was conscious all the time.
There are some epochs in our own
little lives when in a far away manner
we resemble the Christ in this respect;
AS a general thing, and with regard
to ordinary experiences, we not only
look for but find an abundance OF hu
man sympathy. 1t is one of the most
beneficent of DEGREES that we shall not
bear our burdens alone. In the emer
gency friendship is quick to offer its
Services, and the moistened eyes of our
neighbors respond to our grief. When
there is Grape on our door other house.
holds are hushed, as though they shared
to some extent our affiictton, and ready
hands are held out and generous and
helpful words are uttered which make
us feel that there is a great deal OF
kindliness in the world, after all.
And this sympathy is very marvel
lous and at the same time very pre-
cious thing. We never 60 alone to the
churchyard to leave the body of loved
one there. 1t would be a strange thing
and unaccountable to go alone on such
an errand. We should wonder what it
meant, and feel that the grief which
had fallen on US had somehow been
doubled by the Indifference of our
friends. 1t is always procession that
goes to the cemetery. There are many
who go with us. and they reverently
stand by our side ready to do what may
be done for our consolation and com
fort.
Neither are we alone when some
malady stalks into the house and lays
it's iron hand on one of the family
When our hearts quake the same stroke
makes other hearts tremble with sym
pathv. If there are two pianos in {
room, you cannot strike the chords OF
one without awaking responsive vibra
lions in the other. Heartstrings vi
brate even more quickly. What il
more natural than to run to the aid o
one who is falling, and what is NOR
divine than to make personal sacrifice
inorder to carry comfort to some tlre(
soul? 1t is by such deeds that we ar
made to feel the brotherhood of tn
human family, and therefore the faith
erhood of God, and it is a glorious fac
that though we find it sometimes diff
Quit to rejoice in the good fortune o
another, since shameful envy block
the way, it seldom happens that W
fail to be sorry for another's misfol
tune.
Bnt there are certain eXperen &C
which we feel it necessary to bear alone
and they are doubly severe for tina
reason. 1t is impossible to take an
one into our confidence, partly becaus
no one can fully appreciate the situs
ton and partly because we are unwil
ing to communicate the facts. Ho
many griefs there are the records {
which are only kept in the hieroglyphit
of wrinkled brow, or dimmed ey'
or faltering step! Not time, but trol
BILE, whitens the hair sometimes, an
changes the whole outlook upon lif
and what that trouble is you must loo
up in your hearts profoundest vault.
There are two kinds of sorrow-tha
which all the world is free to know an
that which you cannot tell. When tt
son dies the news spreads itself, bI
when he goes wrong you protect hi
by keeping silent. That story cannt
pass your lips, neither can it be wrun
from you. You never needed sympath
more, but the sympathy that is huma
you cannot have. There are other so
rows of like nature, and they con
to young and old alike-sorrows to
kept close and never uttered. The
are found everywhere, and if you coul
lift the wide worlds curtain and S,
them you would be sorely troubled
How many griefs we suffer alone, al
what strange burden they are
1t is a great comfort, however,
know that what we cannot find belO
comes down from above laden with
blessing It is not that we cannot hi(
the secret from Him, and thereto
pray, but that we know it is safe wit
Him, and that His sympathy is perfec
Every door on earth closed, but tt
windows toward heaven wide Ope
Not the ear of the profoundest frien
ship may listen. but we gladly tell
all to Him. There are some thin
which only God and we may know, ar
religion establishes such relationsh
between us and Him that We can feel
friendly arm underneath us and hei
with our hearts the voice OF good chez
That vital religion, practical to the la
degree, is to the soul what air is to tt
lungs-a something absolutely nece
sary to comfort, contentment, happ
ness. You can live without the syI
pathy of your fellows, and in the dee
est experiences you rather shun~th
sympathy: bnt you cannot live witho'
the sympathy of the Father, nor y
without the watchful care of His a
gels. With confidence in Hin Thu
never waivers, and faith in the unsee
agents whom He sends to your rescu
you not only need fear no danger, b.
you can also be peaceful and quiet
very troublous times.
GEORGE H. HEPwORTH.