The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-30

some LIE, is IN constant interchange dLu relationship
without this, your life is not life, but only inertia and
death. Touch and sympathy with men-that which will
make you a blessing to men-this your life ought to have.
Now, there are a number of things that separate us from
our fellows; that raise a barrier between US and them,
and DESTROY all contact and relationship. And first is a
sense and feeling of superiority towards many about us.
This too often arises up between US and many who need
our help and sympathy. Now l do not object to your
sense of superiority to the masses of men about you.
If you are to help them, you ought to be superior to
them; YOU ought to be more intelligent than they-better,
purer, more self-sacrifcing. l. do not object then to
YOUR sense of superiority to those about you, provided this
superiority is real, and not assumed. But | do object that
of this sense of superiority you should have a contempt
for men about YOU, half way despise them as being inferior
to YOU. 1t is wrong that because of this sense of super
iority, belt fancied or real, you should stand apart from
your fellows, leave them, and withdraw into yourself. 1t
is wrong, from whatever cause 1t may arise, whether from
a sense of personal superiority to others, or a superiority
based on rank and position in life. If that stands between
you and your fellows, and prevents you from helping them,
you are leading a life cut of. and unreal yours is not god
likeness, an existence of association and communion as
that between the Persons of the Trinity. But yours is an
existence of isolation, which is not life but death. Let
then no thought of superiority stand between you and your
fellows. Our divine Master did not. Christ was vastly,
infinitely better than men around Him yet this did not
come up to shut Him off from men. He was superior
oh how infinitely beyond those masses that crowded
about Him vet, how open and approachable He was to
them all ever with them, ever responsive to their appeals
for help, ever yearning for them, and rejoiclng't to impart
His message of truth and life. He was called the friend
and associate of sinners and outcasts. Nothing ever stood
between Christ and men and my friends, you are not
following His example, if you allow anything to separate
YOU from your fellows, or to interrupt that contact and
sympathy that you should always have for them?'
Again, others allow a feeling of difidence and sensl-
tiveness so to possess and control them that they live very
far awav from their fellows they shrink away from men,
live apart from them, they therefore do not fulfil
for their fellows that which they ought they do not en-
ter into the lives Of those about them at all. So they
do not affect them for good. Nervous shrinking back,
and dread of meeting and mingling with others as though
it were some great shock or trial. That we ought to
avoid. And if we have that feeling, we should get rid
of it. Such an existence is not an ideal one; 1t was
not the life of Christ, and it is not a proper lite tor a
follower of His. The remedy for this is simply to 60
out and take your fellow men by the hand, IN simple
%frendliness and good fellowship, if for nothing else. The
remedy is to open our ears to the many voices of ,hu-
manity about US, it's tones of joy and hope, its tones OF
regret, and grief, and sorrow, so to listen that we shall
hear nothing else, that we shall forget all else, all thought
of self with its sensitiveness, and shrinking; and we shall
live only in the lives of those about US. That is sweet
and wholesome life that only is lite.
Once more, others have withdrawn into themselves,
cut themselves off from life about them because some
great wrong, or injury has been done them. They have
lost faith in men the thought of having anything to DO
with others is distasteful and so they live by themselves.
In the language of our every day life, we say that they
have become 'soured.'' Now, very few men, or none
perhaps, are giving up wholly to such a feeling and att-
tude as this vet many perhaps do feel it in some meas
IRE. And so thew are Indifferent to men and things, or
thew maintain an attitude of criticism and opposition.
Now nv friends 1 need not tell you that such a life as
this. such an attitude of mind and spirit, is a terrible
one to contemplate. 1t is barren and desolate it is un-
blessed in itself, it is without blessing to others. And
so NV friends, let me ask you, no matter what injustice
you are suffering under, do not turn away and hide your
selves from humanity about you. To do this IS lndeea
to have a name to live, and behold you are as though
dead, like those for whom all relations have ceased.
Under all. wrong and injury keep your heart open TO lie
and men. And let the thought of Christ be to you a
help in doing this He who was indeed injured, Dut
was never hardened thereby, or made bitter. Let the
thought Of God be to you an inspiration to do THIS ne
who exists in one unceasing relationship between the
Persons of the Trinity.
Finally, we are not merely individual Christians;
but we are also members of a corporate body, the Church,
and il is through us that the Church must 60 out to fnd
and contact with men. Without this the
Church cannot do it's work without this it must de.
Are we doing our part towards making this relationship
and affective ? Every man ought to feel, not mere
" that he is welcomed here, not merely that there IS a
here for him, but that the Church is his, ne has
a share in it, that Christians are his friends and Dreth-
rem, Every man ought to feel that and find that, every
man, however ignorant he may be, however lacking IN
culture, and in that subtle thing you call refinement and
GOOD FORM. And if a man does not find this here, if he
finds that because of his own Deficiencies and lacks, 1t
is unpleasant and uncongenial for him here, why, then,
in this respect, we are no congregation OF Christian
people, and our claim to be a part of the catholic Church,
means the Church for all men, that claim is empty
presumption. Are we in this community commencing
this gospel of Christ which we profess, and this HIS
+o oil cor+c and conditions of men insist on