The times., 1898-06-13
Thoughts On the Problem of
Human Suffering.
E2M0N At PEOPLES C,:UR. Il
Rev. Alex. Kent Delivers nm Able
Discourse to An Appreciatiye Com
ereSntion-The Needless Suffering
of Our Soldiers in the Various
Camps-other Church Services.

ms. Nan Is not alone In his SGDjectiOn 10
this evil-evil considered as an end, but
good considered as a means
He shares this with all sentient beings.
AID under the same law which brings
IL on them. Ii used 20 be thought that
suffering, and evil of every sort. came
on ali lower orders on account of mans
transgression. But we now know that
hundreds OF thousands of years before
mans appearance this earth teened with
creatures engaged in tbs struggle for
existence; that III this strue gle many sue
cunbed while others survived; higher and
higher orders arose with larger powers
Of adaptation to changing environment
until at last man was evolved. Sufferir
hen must have existed through all tima.
II IS not a unique phenomenon confined
to man, nor the result of any sin or
biunder on the part of the first human
pair 1T is a great fact" as Prof. LIE
Canto says. ''pervading the whole econ
ony OF nature, and a part of its very
constitution" 1t took place under the
very same law-the law of evolution
which makes us liable to it today
Pain is the necessary counterpart of
pleasure. The ability TO enjoy implies the
ability, or liability. to suffer. That some
conditions may be favorable to life and
health, other conditions must necessarily
tend TO disease and death In other words
life and health are conditioned. Some
things tend TO enlarge and promote them
others TO diminish and destroy them.
Pleasure in Itself is good. 1t is an end
in itself. and therefore, TO be desired for
its own sake. as well as for its whole
some effect on the general health. Pain
On the Other hand is not good in itself.
IT is not desirable for its own sake. but
only on account of something other than
itself. which we may gain through it. 1t
IS highly essential, often. as a mzans.
but never as an end.
We have had reason, many times. 20
be glad and thankful that it came to rs
because ii taught US some lesson that we
needed TO learn. and so helped us TO
the realization Of some larger happiness,
or greater joy, that else we would have
missed. But We never rejoice in pain for
what it is in itself. Our JOY is always
! in view Of what it brings. other than
]
1t is well as for what il does and
| brings
! Most people have learned to see the
/ Justice and necessity of suffering in con-
nection with personal wrongdong
They are willing to suffer, and feel that
/ Il is only right that they should suffer
/ for their own faults. but it is a sore puz-
/ Zle and trouble TO them that they have
TO suffer also for the faults OF others
4 But one only needs little careful think
/ ing TO see the justice and wisdom Of this
/ arrangement. There could be no rational
or moral order-and, therefore, no uni
yerse-based upon such a thought or plan
/ OF Individual separations and independ-
/ ence. as this feeling demands. a world
! in which all the bad consequences of my
/ neighbor's evil deeds should fan upon
him alone, would necessarily be world
/ in which all the good consequences of his
righteous doings would be limited TO him
also My neighbOr's power to benefit me
can exist only in connection with the
| power 10 do me injury. If / am not con-
| tent to suffer for his faults / must also
| be content 10 forego any benefit from his
! virtues. Indeed in such a world as the
| objector imagines neither vice nor virtue
/ rs We now know them, could have any
| existence.
They arise only in human relations. and
| ful nor harmful, they can be neither just
| Eor unjust. righteous nor unrighteous
/ The law under which / suffer for my
neighbor's faults is the law under which
| I profit by his goodness. If ! am to enjoy
| the good / must be liable TO the evil. On
no other condition is it possible. It is
| not in the power of the Infinite to bind
| men together in the bonds of that mutual
/ respect and confidence, essential to hu-
man society, except as they are bound
! together in the bonds of mutual sympa-
thy mutual responsibility and mutual
suffering.
Without this cement they would be no
! more TO each other than so many grains
! of sand-destitute of power to unite or
cohere. That which holds men together
| in enduring bonds is the deep sense of
their common brotherhood. a realization
| of the fact that they are one in interest.
/ so linked together that If one member
| suffer all must suffer, and that if one
has real occasion for rejoicing every
other one has reason TO participate in his
joy If we were so independent of each
other that we could in no way he
| affected by each others conduct or char
acter. we would be utterly Indifferent TO
! each other, veal or woe. We could have
no care for any one but self and that
self would be SO poor and mean that one
wouldn't even be able to cherish decent
respect for that.
But now we are so bound together that
we can only climb to the heights OF
manhood as We seek to take all our
brothers and sisters with US; We can only
| enjoy the best that life can yield as these
share with US the good that We enjoy.
| Apart from them we cannot be made
| perfect.
| Progress in civilization brings complete
ness of satisfaction to the most favored
or advanced, only as ii lifts the whole
body of the people to higher and diviner
levels. If civilization has accomplished
| anything worthy for us and in us. it will
not be enough that we have wealth
and health and friends with every com,
fort If others are miserable and wretch.
ed. ragged and hungry. despairing, des-
perate, degraded, there will be bitterness
in our cup. Their sorrow will be oul
sorrow, Their misery our misery.
The men and women who have en-
shrined themselves in human heartS-ir
1 humanity's heart-are those who have suf
fered for sins not their own-the just fe
the unjust-that they might win them I,
righteousness and win righteousness fol-
them. This is the law Of human life no
Of the animal life but Of the human life
If we ignore II, If we close our ears to tn,
cry Of human distress. the fountains o.
sympathy and affection, which are the
fountains of life, are dried up within us
Indifference 10 others is wrong TO self, and
next to cruelty to others the greates-
wrong we can infiict. The speaker dealt a.
some length with the causes Of suffering
in ourselves. in others and in natural
| causes beyond human control and point
ed out its power as a warning. as an in
element to acquaint ourselves with ma
fures laws and 10 conform TO her de
nands