The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-11-19
Chapel Services.

Rev, J.H. Albert conducted divine
services in the prison chapel Sunday.
The opening hymn, "Jnst Word for
Jesus" was sung by the congregation,
after which duet was rendered by
members of the choir in an acceptable
manner. The scripture lesson was TAX
en- from the first ten verses of the fiji
teenth chapter of Luke. Following
prayer the choir sang Scatter Smiles
of Sunshine" The chaplain took his
text from Luke XIX. IL: "And when He
was come near, He beheld the city and
wept over it,"
Tears are more often regarded as a
sign of weakness than of strength.
1t is usual to consider them as some
thing peculiar to children and women,
whose natures are sensitive and easily
affected by the pathos aroused by love,
pity or sorrow. But this idea is a mis-
taken one, for tears represent manli-
ness in the highest sense-the manli-
ness that can feel sympathy, compass
sion and sorrow for what appeals to
the emotions and touches the soul.
There are two kinds of sympathy that
affect us. Tears may be drawn by suf-
feriDg, anger or longing for revenge,
or anything which revOlts or
causes distress. But the weeping that
flows from the soul, the well spring of
our being, is what exalts and brings
US nearer to our Creator. Love and
pity for those in misfortune, in sin and
in depravity are what prompt the noble
mind to weep with sorrow and COM
passion for the evil that effects the suf-
fering, misery and degradation.
Christ, as He beheld the city of Jeru-
salem, foresaw the ruin which would
shortly overwhelm it, which would de-
stroy its grand temples, walls and pal
aces and which would scatter it's peo
pie to all parts of the world. He knew
of the coming of the Romans, with
their conquering legions, to destroy
the city of His people and wept as He
thought of the misfortune soon to
overtake them. But more than this
He wept for the evil that was drag
cling them down in ruin. He hated
their sins, but pitied their misfortune.
He saw what was eating into their life
and destroying them. Christ was su-
perficial in nothing, but probed into
the core of every question and every
evil, casting aside the surface decora-
tions and peering into the root which
caused the growth and pointing out
the evil and suggesting the remedy.
In the whole universe He hated moth
ing but sin. Sin was the enemy of God
and man and His mission was to fight
it, strangle it and Danish it from the
world.
In our own lives we have something
to weep over to pity and to fight. The
cancer of sin eats into our moral ma
ture, fastening its growth on the soul
and bringing IN it's train multitude
of SORROWS and evils. Our troubles and
ulS1Ol oAC CAO AOouIC Va
sin, but this we are loath to admit.
Every cause but the right one is blamed
for our woes, and we lead ourselves to
believe that others and not we are re-
spOnsible for them. But if we follow
Christ, His teaching and the inspira-
ton of His religion, we must 60 to the
root of the evil, remove the cancer of
sin and apply the remedies of morality,
of virtue and Of right living. All the
misery of this world originates in sin.
Selfishness, anger, hatred and unchaste
thoughts, allied to vice and crime,
cause evil to reign and tears to be she'd
And as we avoid them by self-conquest
and the lessons of religion, so will mis-
cry avoid us.
The chaplain's sermon was unusually
we'll delivered, and his historical refer.
ences connected with the story of the
destruction of Jerusalem and the peri
: cd Immediately preceding it, were OF
an instructive character. Services ended
by the congregation singing the gospe
hymn, bringing in The Sheaves."