The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-11

our fanc1eS with pr1Qe because OF ChoSe
things which are His gifts: He did not
make those gifts ours TOR the purpose of
miniStering to our pride. What are we
before God? Sinners. Alas, each one
which he has lived and notice sin. In
iquity, forgetfulness of God. II we are
sinners, ii We realize that fact, how easy
for us is the virtue of humanity. RMS
ton of humility is truth; it Is humility
to know ourselves as we are. to feel for
ourselves as We deserve, to be what we
are before God who knows US as as no other
intelligence could know us. This is hui
mility in ourselves. And what Is our
neighbor in the eyes of God? Gods child.
The soul of the neighbor has been pur-
chased by the precious blood OF Christ.
True, you may say, the ne1ghbor Is also
a sinner.
Yes, but God wishes you to, consider
your defects when you are looking into
yourself, more than your merits, whatcy-
er these may be, and when you are looK-
ing into the neighbOr to consider more
what he is through Christs grace than
what he may be through his own raining.
You are not asked to love the ne4-n DOR,
to be kind to the neighbor for the nelgn-
boris own sake. but Tor the sake Oh COO,
and consequently you are asked to see IN
the neighbor the child, the servant OF God.
See in him one whom God has created,
whom God has redeemed, and treat MIN
accordingly. 1t matters not VINO the
neighbor is; whatever else he is, ne IS the
u.
with the love of God in our hearts, there
is no difficulty in being gentle and KIND to
others; there is no difficulty In allowing
others to be above US, II Such IS thelr po-
sition, or even such is their will. We do
not lower ourselves when we are char1ta-
BILE for Gods sake, and when we are num-
bic because of the knowledge OF our own
shortcomings. How sweet would life be
for all of us, if we remembered and prac-
ticed the counsels of charity and humility
given in Chrlsts gospel: How pleasing
would be the family life if each one
thought of others; if father and mother
had for supreme preoccupation to please
each other; to please the little ones; to
please those who may be serving them.
1t is not wealth that brings charm to
the family circle; it is not health; 1t is
not fame. 1t is the smile of kindness,
the word of charity. The word Of charity
is more than the sunshine of EARTH 1t is
sunshine from heaven. There are men
who believe that they do honor to them
selves by being harsh, by being unkind,
by having those around them tremble be-
fore them. Such was the demand of ty-
rants OF paganism; such might be the de-
mand of the wild beast of the forest. If
the wild beast is the stronger whatever is
near him is taken by him to exist for his
benefit But that is not the Christian.
Learn of Me that | am meek and humble
of heart" said Christ Jesus.
The first place for the exercise of char
lty, OF Difference towards others, is In the
home. If charity reignS supreme at home,
II lAldllSIS IIOl Wndt ne TIE SIOIllS OuISluS,
there will be happiness, there will be
charm in the family circle that nothing
else can replace.
Especially let us be gentle and kind
when we come in contact with the poor,
the weak, the afflicted; especially when
we are in contact with those who, for enc
reason or another, are our interiors, who
are bound, if you wish, by contract TO
serve us. All, here is the great occasion
for Christian charity, kindness, and hui
m1l1ty. There are men and women who
are most obsequious in presence of bene-
factors, or of persons of power, but who,
the moment they lay their hands on infe-
r1ors, are cruel and hard-hearted. They
wish to make up by harshness towards
the inferior for their obsequiousness to-
wards those above them. If ever you
wish to put forth pride and ambition, put
1t forth in the presence of those who can
defend themselves, but never in the pres
gnce OF those who are weaker than you.
In the presence of the weak there is the
opportunity for magnanimity of SOUL the
opportunity for heaven-born life. The
pressed Lord was the master of all, and
yet how sweet and gentle. He was the
lord of heaven and earth, and yet He.
washed the feet of His disciples.
Indeed this is one of the evidences of,
the divine origin of the Christian re-
lifts upward humanity. while the So
called human philosophy indicates darlzly
only what would be for its benefit, and
saved not through indulgence towards
It's weaknesses. but through contradiction
OF those weaknesses and through placing
before it of an ideal higher than itself,
which will bring out all the best germs
in our nature
Now, This is what the Christian religion
has done. and what nothing else has
done in history Wherever the Christian
religion did not appear selfishness reigrs.
There may be a sort of outward varnish
OF ,pollteness; peer well through it; 1t
is based on selfishness. Men will say
we cannot live together unless we are
kind to one another. Such a considera-
ton is very we'll for a while, but in tho
presence Of some great propagation. in
of selfishness, it is incapable to keep
man in the pathway of humility and of
charity. The more human society de-
parts from religion, the more hard
is of the weak and the charitable. 1t
will still, perhaps. boast of its human
ltarian ideas, it will still perhaps pre-
f f6e1 70 help the weak How will it help
dollars and making little sacrifice of
self. When. there is a question of Civ
ing sacrifice of self in the service of
the poor. Of the miserable when there
is question of subduing ones pride in
the service of others, question of sery-
ing others who have injured us, of serv-
ing those from whom no benefit can ever
come human philanthropy is a failure.
Even what little life there is in human
philanthropy. so called has come frorn
the CHRISTIAN education of humanity dur
ing 1000 years; and gradually, as society
draws apart from Christ. society will go
backward into habits and customs of old
paganis1n, and again self will reign,
and others will be esteemed only in as
much as they contribute to our pleas
ures and our interests The sending out
of ones self in charity and kindness to
others is prompted. by the gospel Of
Christ; hence for the sake of civiliza-
tiOn itself cling o1nca1Ir 70 hot
gospel
My brethren. each one of US is a dis
ciple of Christ; we owe it to Christ to
give evidence in our daily life of fidel-
ity to his principles. Let us be hum
BILE; let us forget ourselves; let us sub
due pride. Let US care nothing for hon
winds. Let us care for Gods approval;
let us look out upon the world of fell
low men and see in them the children OF
God, the redeemer Of Christ, and act
acted, as He wishes US to act: let us be
towards them kind, gentle, polite, doing
what we can for them and showing them
favors all the more readily when those
spised Then the reward will come
''He who humbleth himself will be ex
allied" The man who is truly unselfish,
truly humble, truly charitable, has joy
in this world. The pleasure which he
spreads around him comes back to him
self. Whatever value there is in the
esteem of men he obtains that esteem.
For selfish and hard as humanity is, it
is compelled by the force of truth and
the beauty of virtue to admire unselfish-
ness whenever unselfshness comes be-
fore it. This blind hardened world will
bow before you if you are truly hum
BILE and truly charitable. But, of course,
for the Christian the approval of this
world is but little. 1t is God who will
reward you. Every act of unselfishness,
of kindness for others is noted by Him
who is to be our judge. On the last day
the great reward will come. My brethren,
it is not by great acts, such as martyr
dom or heroic missionary work, that we