Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-05-27


took: Because you hate him do you
think he will be influenced to be a
better and IL nobler character: Because
you hate him do you think the old
bonds of affection will be knitted to-
gether again! Oh. no. Continued
wrath asay destroy, but 1t never yet
purified. DIR. Adams once said, 1.-The
angry man is like a ship sent to sea
which hath Il devil for pilotw l say
In our dealings with n brother, a bitter,
vindictive. hating man is like pirate
sailing under Il black flag, whose only
purpose is to wreck and not to help or
rescue or save.
We should renounce all our hatreds
and bitterncsses and animosities to-
ward our brothers because these ha-
treds are cursing our spiritual lives as
well as theirs. You can denounce your
neighbor for doing wrong. You can
hate him or despise him. Oh. yes. But
when you do be well aware that your
own spiritual life is gradually ebbing
away. Week by week. month by
month. year by year. on account of that
bitterness you have been lifting higher
and higher and higher an unsurmount-
able wall between you and God.
Brother. sister, II Is high time you tore
down that obstructing wall. 1t is
high time you consumed that hatred in
the conhagratiOn Of the setting sun. 1t
Is destroying your spiritual hopes.
10, rk
love your God with all your soul and
mind and strength and hate your
neighbor ut the same time.
Forgiveness of Others.
Can you not forgive others as you
would have Christ forgive you? Not
many years ago. wrote famous writ
er. missionary was preaching to a
crowd of natives in faron India. Sud
denly Il native who stood behind him
lifted huge stick to crush in the mis-
sionary's skull. but happily the blow
fell short. The crowd would have torn
this would be murderer to pieces. but
the speaker commanded them to stop.
xii him. Kill him." cried the multi
tude. No" said the missionary, ~
will not allow you to kill him." Then,
turning to the affrighted man. he said {:
Brother. my religion commands me to
love my enemies and to do good to
those who injure me. l forgive you,
brother. But remember that though
you escaped punishment at my hands
you cannot escape punishment at the
hands of God unless you repent of your
SINS" Men. women. can you forgive
as this missionary forgave? Christ
bids you to forgive. Can you not feel.
as the missionary taught. that when
you are hating your brother you are
hating Christ! There Is no escape
from eternal punishment unless you
repent of your sins and forgive those
who have injured you. See. the sun is
set. 1t Is now the twilight hour. Hear
We not the divine commandment: BE
We angry and sin not. Let not the sun
60 down upon your WRATH"
In closing I would draw picture of
the evening hour which we used to
spend In our childhood days and find
in it a symbol of our evening relation
ship with God. The breakfast was
nearly always a hurried meal. The
children had to get off to school. The
father had to rush away to business.
The mother had no servants In those
days. and all the Homework had to be
done with her own hands. Many cares
came with their imminent demands and
said, "'Tend to me; tend to me now"
Then when the lunch hour rolled
around the dining room table was set
only for two or three. Most of the fam
lily were away. But in the evening
hour father came home from the store.
Then mother had her work finished.
She had put on her clean dress. The
boys were home from school or work.
and the girls were all ready for the
games and innocent pleasures of the
evening "IIow did you get on, father?
mother asked. "Oh," said he. things
We're kind of topsy turvy at the store.
1t did seem as though I had to scold
and find fault an awful lot. But after
all, mother, | think the boys at the
store will improve If only continue to
teach them right" Then mother told
her experiences Of the day. The chill
dren had all their happy stories to re-
peat. Then one Of the girls began to
tell how some one had treated her bad
ly, and she said, Mother. am just as
mad at Clara as l can be-" There.
there. there. child" said your mother;
stop that. You have no right to bring
home disagreeable things and feel I'M
happy toward any one. Let Us leave
all our cares and worries and bitter
nesses on our front doorstep. This Is
family night. Let us all low every
body and love one another and be hap
py."
Love One Another.
Love one another and be happy you
did. No one who ever came In touch
with mothers sweet smile could ever
do anything but love. Thus Col wants
us to come TO him in the twilight hour.
Employer. you have scolded that clerk
enough because he broke the glass
counter: check your anger. Business
man. many hours ago you denounced
that cuisines; associate who did you