Democratic messenger., 1906-10-13

back those who nave betrayed your
trnsty' No. That is not Chrlsts com
mand. Listen how he describes the
way In which you should welcome
some of your angelic visitors. These
are Christ's words. not mine: Love
your enemies" That means give them
the best places ut your table and your
warmest welcome. Bless them that
curse you" That means 20 out of your
way To speak II kind word for those
who are denouncing you and trying to
undermine your character "Do good
10 them who hate you and pray for
them which despitefully use you" DO
You hear III My Lord aud my God.
have we read thy words Alright? How
few how very few of us have wei
coined nj our doors those who have re-
viled us and prosecuted US and have
saidall manner of evil things against us!
Now, you have read many essays and
heard many sermons upon the theme
"1he blessings of Having an Enemy"
but | want 10 tell you that the great
est blessing of I'M enemy after all Is TO
teach us to forgive those people who
have treSpassed against US as we ex-
ppct God TO forgive our trespasses
Unless we can learn this lesson of for
gi,cness we can never learn to he like
Christ. Are you willing TO live as that
faiuous lrlshman lived who recently
passed away? Did you read the last
will and testament of Michael Davitt?
He did not have any money TO give,
for he spent most of his life In the
struggle of home rule for the Emerald
Island So he made up his last will
and testament thusswise. do wish |
had IL verbatim. He said in part:
This Is my last will and testament. /
have not any money to give. but I
leave my blessing TO all mankind. l
first ask forgiveness frcm all those
whom may have injured In life or to.
ward whom | have acted unJustly.
Then leave my forgiveness TO all
those who have done me any injury.
Then ask that when my literary ex-
e,utor publishes hereafter any OF my
works lie will cull from them any BIT
ter words which might wound the
heart of any living man or the hearts
OF the loved ones OF any of my polti-
cal foes" Did you ever read II scnti.
ment more beautiful and ChristlIke
than that? My brother. you have
greeted many friends In your home.
They have dined with you and you
with them. But have You ever spoken
the words of Davltt: Alas. II not.
then fear you have shnt ont angelic
visitors who. IL they should enter your
home. wonld bring to YOU the greatest
of spiritual blessings. These angelic
messengers may he men who have
spitefully used YOU. Cannot you give
them Il loving welcome for Christ's
sake. as Abraham asked the three
strangers TO rest with him under the
shadow of his eastern tent?
should Not End There.
But should our hospitality end here?
Oh. NO. II you turn 10 the fourteenth
chapter of Luke YOU find these words:
when thou makest II feast ar "A sup
per. call not thy friends nor thy breth'
ren. neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich
neighhors. lest they also bid thee again
and a reconlpense he made thee. But
when thou makest Il fenst call the
Door. the manned, the lame. the blind"
Now. who are the manned and the
lame and the blind: Are they simply
the poor who 20 around on crutches or
feel their way with a staff? | think
not. Christ would not here say "the
poor aGd the MANNED and the halt and
the blind il that was the case.
think the MANNED and the halt and the
blind mean the moral cripples.
think these words to II great extent
mean the spiritual outcasts. think
they mean those who are like the sew
en- deviled Mary and Zacchaeus, whom
honest people shun as the healthy
physical man would run from laZa-
retto or loathsome plague. Yes. we
are 10 give cordial welcome even 10
the yilest OF sinners, such "A welcome
as Abraham gave the three strangers
at his home.
These words mean that we should 20
forth In the name of Christ and try TO
save those who have sunk so low In
the quagmires of sin that. befouled and
reeklng with immoral filth. like wild
beasts of prey. they seem to be stag
gerlng alone through a dark wilder
ness of despair. They seem TO he
alone. all alone in their crimes. When
the great Roman orator Cicero was
hurting his condemnation against the
sins OF Catiline. so overpowerng was
the scene that no senator would SIT by
the conspirator and destroyer of young
mems virtues. One by one they left
the bench upon which the cringing
| Catlline crouched. There he trembled.
with no friend by his side. while the
Edmund Burke OF Caesars reign was
denouncing him as Warren Hastings
centuries later was denounced In West
| minister. Thus as we see the wrong
doer cringing under the lash as he sat
alone we can see the modern Catilines
Stunned and forsaken ON account OF
their sins. We can see the poor har
lots. the braZen faced llbertnes aud
the immoral lepers reekIng with sin
| Christ bids us To 20 TO them. even To