The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08


must be very carefully avoided if YOU
hope 10 maintain either physical or
spiritual health. They may MI b. cata-
logueQ under the general term hatredS.
for envy. coyctouSneSS. ill-temTer and
Ill the moods Of which discomfort forms
4 part have something which strongly
resembles hatred IT the root Of them.
II | covet what is my neighbours it is
with the feeling that he has more than
his share, that | have less than my
share. that God has been unfair in the
distribution. There may be 4 partition
wall between these feelings and 4 posi-
tive hatred. but it is Il very hin wall.
Every phase Of Ill temper. from the
snarl and growl Of habitual sullenness
To the volcanic outburst which pours -
lava stream of hot imprecation. i close
~ allied to hatred. For the few brief
moments when YOU lose your Self-control
YOU have in your heart the elements of
the criminal. The man who IS in prison
lives in an envioronment which develops
/. precisely the feelings III which You have
INDUCED.
The Scriptures say a great deal about
hatred in its various aspects. and warn
Us in the most impressive language never
to let it enter cur hearts. They insist.
on the other hand. that love IS the ideal
state Of mind to be cultivated, and go
to the incredible extent Of enjoinin-
us to love even those who deal out ha-
tired to Us. 1t is Il ~friGhtfuliy difficult
thing to DO. but the logic of it IS that
to love your enemy does YOU more good
than any amount Of hatred would do
him harm.
When / have travelled along a country
road my horse has once in a while got
4 stone in his shoe. He was made lame
by it and rendered unfit to continue
the journey. There was no peace or
comfort until that stone was removed.
Now. any form of hatred in the heart
is like the stone in the horses shoe. It
interferes with Your right relation to
God. to yourself and to your neichbors.
It debases YOU. lowers YOU to the level
of the ANIMAL. dcpriveS Won Of your self
respect and is wholly unworthy Of YOU.
/ do not refer simply to that hatred
which would revenge itself Ivy murder
or personal injury. but to that modified
phase Of it which we all experience
from day to day. There is the tale of
gossip to which we listen with ca GER an
petite and which we circulate in the
S~trictost confidence. And vet We hear
+ie preacher say: DO unto others rs
vc would that they should do unto YOU"
We even 90 so far as to think ourselves
Christians at q time when. under some
/ NtSltSt ti Ot1tI. We are ShEeiItll0 Il
scandal.
Thcro is also the mood Of nntulance.
Of irnatience. when we wound Nv word
or haSty act those whom wn really cara
for, Thcre are some horses which aro
/ @cnerally kind. docile and tractahlo. hut
once IL a while. under 4 sudden Impulse.
thnv will kick the dashboard ont Of the
wagon. On the whole. whatever Other
qualities the horse mav have. Won viii
not set a high price on him. There
are men and women in the world who
would be Inundated by the comparison
which is suggested. hut who thoroughly
deserve TO have the comparison made
and emphasized.
Al these states of mind are destruc-
tive Of peace. and there can be no hap
! DineSS or dignity of character until we
get out of them. 1t must be done. even
If we have to be born again in order
to accomplish it. They are not the
proper belongings of a noble soul. fer
they are like weeds in q flower garden.
You lave no more right to indulge your
self i'll them than YOU have to push your
neighbor downstairs or over the river
bank: no more right to injure him spiritu-
ally than to iniure him physically. Be
cause you are III a bad mood why should
YOU feel justified in making your mood
epidemic and spreading it throughout
the household?
1t sometimes seems as though the
Christ was an impractical dreamer when
He placed such emphasis on love in all.
without exception. the relations of life.
But q second thought teaches us that t
is the miracle working power of the
universe. Think of a philosophy of life
III which love is proclaimed the fulfill
ing of the law in which it is called
''the royal law and in which we are
commanded to bear one another's bur
dens.' This is q new field for cXplorl-
ton. We are not to be companions Of
animals, but the peers of angels.
Love is a thoroughly revolutionary
element. 1t not only turns our natural
impulses upside down. but throws them
overheard, and substitutes 4 state of
mind that IS supernatural. or seems to
be. though it is really normal. No more
hunting for the disagreeable in the char
acter of a neighbor, but a kindly charity
for his faults and q clear sight of his
good qualities. No more envy because
he has what we would like to have, but
4 feeling Of gratitude that somebody
has it though we have it not. No more
GriZzle Of bad mood which renders every
body uncomfortable. but the sunshine OF
good temper. No more Impotence and
peevishness and sullenness. but gentle
Hess OI ulSpoSlllOl, Il WILLINGNESS TO lend
q helping hand and speak Il word of
encouragement. Self-control, self-poise.
but no s~elfishneSs.
is the ideal which Christ pre-
sents, and toward which o1r hearts
yearn. That is the true religion. the
only true religion. which needs no theolo-
gy to give it architectural symmetry.
Love produces its own symmetry, for It
is god-like.
Get rid of this base uncharitv. Stop
your ears to all complaints. Look on
the bright side. and see that you your
self are a part Of it. Thus shall we
have 4 heaven on this earth.
GEORGE II. HEPWORTH.
THE ARMY'S WISHES.
Havana. Oct. 31.-Adyicps received