Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-06-22
By Rev. Andrew f underhill

ny heV. Andrew +. Underhill.
"And the Lord said unto Oain, Where
Is Abel, thy brother? And he said, |
know not: am l my brothers keeper?"
Genesis 4: 0.
Emerson has said in one of his es-
says: "The power of man consists in
the multiture of his affinities." And he
might have added that this was the
measure of mans goodness.
When man has that something which
draws men to him and impels him in
sympathy and comprehension toward
other men, then he has wi hin him the
possibility of all that is best in life.
When a man has that within him
which turns him, in deliberate isola-
ton of spirit from those closer rela-
tiOnships which make for the mutual
happiness of all, then he possesses the
possibility of all that is worst in life.
In the story of Cain and Abel is 4
lesson deeper and broader of applica-
ton than the mere setting forth of the
facts of the first violent death at the
hands of murderous human being.
The narrative bears out this interpreta-
ton. Cain and Abel bring their Of
ferings to God. The Offering Of the
former is rejected-not because Of
what it consists of, but because sin and
selfishness lie at the door
Gains object was to use God for his
selfish purposes, not to submit him
self to Gods purposes. His religion
was a gift to God by which he might
eXalt himself and gain something; and
when the possibility of gaining his
selfish end was denied, his brother,
whom he thought stood in the way, be-
came the victim of his sordid pur-
pose.
Thus the history of Cain is not the
story solely of single bloody incident,
but the revelation of a souls attitude
toward life, the consequences which
such a soul inflicts upon the world and
the misery it brings upon itself 1t
depicts the type of man who chooses
his path regardless of human aftinities,
determined that his power and happi,
ness shall be attained by using God
and men instead of serving them
"'Where is Abel, thy brother| And
he said: 81 know not; am my
brothers keeper"
All sin and misery are the outcome
of state Of mind that has by pro-
gressive steps led to them. So Christ,
reading the secret of mems hearts, at
tempted not to give a law, but an in
spiration. 1t is not alone the knife,
or the deadly weapon, or the angry
blow which lays its victims low, but
It's the spirit that breathes behind
these and all forms of aggression-the
spirit which says: "The earth is mine
and the fruit of it, the joy and the
happiness of 1t are all mine. Let 9th
ers serve me or take the consequences" ."
Let my brother look out for himself.
Am l his keeper? What danger, think
you, we are under in this era in which
we live? The chief danger is the los
ing of our atfinities In this day of
ambition and requirement, when the
work of each man becomes specialized,
the possibility of losing touch in SYM
pathy with one another Is immensely
heightened. Never has the world
needed more of love and of close rela-
tionship than it does to-day.
We are our brothers keeper and re-
sponsible for him, as he for us. His
life is a dear and precious possession
for our lives. When our selfishness
forgets his life and assails it, however
Indirectly, then if our conscience be
not burdened we shall hear the voice
of God whispering, "Where Is thy
brother?"
The crimes, the sins, the miserles of
the world, are not isolated facts; they
spring from the prepossessions of mems
souls, their unworthy aims and aspira-
tions For one catastrophe nature
brings there are thousand wrought Of
the unsound desires of the human
heart If we mellow our hearts and
are kind, If we fortify our hearts for
Justice, If we cease to think the world
is ours only to exploit, If we believe
not that our offerings to God should
be preferred to other mems, If we live
In the spirit Of Jesus Christ, the world
will know no human tragedies; the
mark of Cain shall be removed from
1t, and the service Of every soul ac-
ceptable to him who now asks the
question, "Where is thy brotherT
LABOR AND CAPITAL PROBLEM.