The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-29
SERMON ON THE SIN
OF DESPlSING OTHERS.

the prize series now being published by
the New York Herald:
TIE SIN OF DEsPIsING OTHERS.
''He that desplseth his nsighbor sin
meth. PROV. xiv, 81.
There Ia great deal of sin In the
world which the ordinary conscience
nsithor recognizes nor CONDEMNS With
most of us the standard Of right and
wrong is purely conventional. III we do
not preak the letter of the len Com
mandments; il we keep clear OF acts
which public opinion forbids;if We main
tain a character upon which society sets
no brand, then we feel at peace within
ourselves ami make sure that We are
Gods elect
reaching things good and evil are-how
they Intervene themselves into all our
acts. our words and III olives, and secrat
thoughts even; and how they depend,
not upon the fashion Of the hour or the
place, but upon eternal and unchange-
able principles. An enlightened and sen
sitiye conscience would see sin In
jority as Indifferent, II not actually praise
worthy. II is not In nice points OF re-
ligious observance that places our moral
character above suspicion half SO much as
In those weiRhtier matters OF justicl and
mercy and truth which are involved In
all the business aud inter c)urse Of daily
life Thousands who would tren Dle to
ttpip nf ha al a
ments of society, and who are as strict
and ostentatious as the Paarisees in re-
gard to prayer and othor duties, are yet
living in such an atmosphere of un-
charitableness and wrong that they are
actually further from the kingdom OF
heaven tnan the very prbiicaDs and hfr-
lots. In terse, direct and emphatic
wav form cf guilt is poinred out by
Solomon whioh we seldom think Of, yet
which we are all very prone TO fall into,
and which Is one OF the peculiarly be-
setting sins Of that large class OF men
who are disposed TO be religious without
being godly. The chief characteristic OF
these reoIle Is u trust in themselves that
they are righteous. and To treat others In
way which Enthusiastically declares.
"Stand aloof. fol We arc holier than
you;" and they are SD far from thinking
such spiritual haughtiness sinful that
they regard il as an actual proof OF their
divine sonsbip. such conduct never fails
To insure moral resentment ana TO elicit
the rebuke. "He that despiseth his noigh-
or sinre H.
Ihe parable OF tie Good Samaritan
supplies a most beautiful explanation Of
the word "neighbor. 1t teaches that
every man with whom we come in contact
or relation Is to be regarded and treated
as our "neighbor " The fact that know
of mans existence. anu that l can In
any way teach and influence him. is
enough to bring me under responsibility
IN regard 10 him. The broad Atlantic
may roll hetwsen us, wbols continents
and burning deserts and deadly sNamps
may separate US: hut il there Is any chan
mel Of communication between us-anv
electric current, so to speak, bv which
sympathy may be created and love may
act--that man Ia as truly my neighbor as
IL we met in the same market or lived In
the samo street.
Notice what il is to despise our neigh
Dor. 10 entertain mean and contemptu-
Gus thoughts of our neigabor Is obviously
10 desplss him. We should ALWAYS re
mem ber that thore IN vastly more in COM
mon than tsere' is OF difference between
the highest and most cultured ard the
lowest and most ignorant Frequently,
however, We forget this, and from mere
diversity of outward circumstances we
look upon each other with feelings Of
naughty superiority and contempt. AS
n consequence the rich and the great some
times unuervolue and Insult tho poor and
the lowIy; and tho poor and the lowly in
return hate the rioh and the great. and
ascribe all their importance solely to their
wealth and rank. Surely. In both cases.
tais ia despising their neigh bor-forget-
ting their common humanity, tEeir COM
mon dignity and their common origin.
10 treat your noigh5or with indiffer-
ence. as IL there were no tics binding you
together, and no sympathy due from one
tn the other. Is TO despsie HIM. The
nfiinities of human nature are such that
IL is treason To place ourselves In proud
isolation from the race To which We nat
urally belong. and gaze upon tue suffer
ings and helrlcssness Of our kind with
stoical Indifference. Suca conduct is not
only reprehensib!e. it Is actually sinful
IL is siif ful because 1t is great wrong
done Co humanity. 1t rouses within man
bitter, bad. rssentful feelings, which set
class against class, It's tendency is to de-
stroy s,lf-respfct ant lot o man once lose
thnt ana there is no telling what he may
tecome.
Again, to Gcspise ones neighbor is an
offsnce against social unity The social
orsauisin can hly be held together by -
true and proI4r recognition of the useful
ness and ncceSsity OF each Individual To
the whole. SocIeoy Is one body Its mem
ieIs are manifold, but taey are all knit
together in the closest bonds.
There IL no such thia as roal iudepond-
.,-a Aud bapco for anv ,,.,, A., d.. a.,