Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-05-03


dressing the members Of the Christian
churches. Those churches were situ-
ated in Galatia. The members-sturdy,
warm hearted, but hot headed noun
taineers-had internal dlssensions. In
the course Of his letter he lays
down the broad statement that each
member must bear with the faults
and frailties Of other members. They
should especially do this because they
were brethren and members Of a
church family Of which God was the
Father and Jesus Christ the elder
brother. The bond of a belief in
common Saviour certainly ought to
help the members of a church family
to bear with each others weaknesses.
Worldly societies help their unfortu-
nate members. l am told that the Ma
sons not only bury their dead; they
care for living Masons who need help.
They have certain signs and hand
clasps.
During the bitterness Of the Ameri-
can civil war the Masons In gray re-
membered that they were the brothers
of the Masons in blue Many life was
saved on account of their Masonic
oaths. A Mason in good and regular
standing can find friends In any city
of Europe to which he may Journey
friends who will not only greet him
with a smile, but friends Masonic
friends, who will do all they can to
help him in his travels. Many other
orders pledge their members to the
same brotherly regard for one another.
We have respect, too, for national ties.
A traveller in foreign lands always
speaks to and greets fellow country
man. The farther away from home the
warmer is his salutation. We nave
family ties. When brother or sister
goes wrong, If we are sincere IN our
affections we try in every way to bring
the wanderer home to our earthly IA
TIERS house.
A Lesson For Christians.
As grow older | am the more
disposed to judge the spiritual condi-
tion Of a truly religious church men,
ber by the way he treats those who
have gone astray. He is more apt to
! condemn himself than he Is to accuse
his unfortunate brother. When Il Sun
day school pupil goes astray. the truly
good Sunday school teacher says: An
that is too bad | wonder II did my
full duty? Perhaps, If only had call
ed on the lad and invited him to my
home and had seen where he spent
his evenings, this awful sin would not
have happened. | must not be too
hard upon the lad. Yes, l, too. am to
blame"
When IL minister goes astray, the
truly good elder does not upbraid him.
Ali. no. He knows too much about the
weakness of human nature to do that.
The old member of session will sit by
the fire, with tears streaming down
his furrowed cheeks. reproaching him.
self when he says Here | have been
n professed follower of the Lord for
forty years. | ought to have looked
after the young man; ought to have
been his guide and protector" When
Peter played the coward and denied
his connection with Christ the Saviour
did not call a meeting of the apostles
for n heresy trial and make Peter de-
NIT the ministry. BY his treatment OF
Peters sinful act Christ taught the
lesson Of forgiveness and mercy for
the penitent wrongdoer. He reordained
Peter to 90 forth and feed his lambs.
"Bear We one another's burdens and
so fulfill the law of Christ" is especial
" an appropriate lesson for Christians
to learn who take no interest In the
welfare Of fellow Christians who are
the members Of the household of faith.
1t isn't the thing you do. friend.
It's the thing you leave undone
Which gives you a bit OF heartache
At the setting OF the sun.
The tender word forgotten.
The letter you didn't write,
The flower you might have sent. friend.
Are your haunting ghosts at night
Accept the Lords Promise.
But my text clearly means also that
every one should try in manful. wo-
manly. Christian fashion to bear
his own burdens. We are very apt
TO think that our own troubles are
heavier to bear than any other persons
troubles. But If we were allowed, as
in the old legend. to go to the plain OF
I
sorrows, and were compelled Instead to
take I'D the sorrows Of some one else,
In all probability we would carry away
from the mountain Of difficulty the bur-
den pack which our backs have been
accustomed to carry. Now. we cannot
help our brother to bear his burdens by
trying to pile upon his stalwart shoul'
ders our own burdens in addition.
No man ever becomes a healthy man,
mentally or spiritually. who is a men,
dicant by choice, crawling from door
to door. begging and whining. Yet
there are some burdens that are abso
Iutely impossible for us to bear In our
own strength. Some of us have had
so much trouble-such an awful. awful
,ot of trout LEI We have suffered again
and again. We have had to go to the
family plot, as l went two weeks ago
and to leave there loved one. The
grave did look so big, and the black
hole was dug so deep. But there is
way we can all carry our own burdens
That way is to cast them upon the
Lord, and he will sustain US. He has
promised, and he will do it. If we
will only cast our burdens upon him
Dur own hands will be free. Then we
can go forth like athletes stripped fol
the fray. We can go forth to help our
brothers and sisters, our parents and
children and all our friends, carry their
burdens.
Help One Another.
Let US return to the good old coun
try times when every one helped every
other person in the community. In those
good old times every one was ready II
halve a friends sorrows as well al