The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-01-11

shown with his pen what so many
have with their lives that sympathy
is an integral part Of our nature.
Svmpathy, to feel with another. is a
prerequisite of love. The tragic stimu-
lates it. Accordingly, in the Christian
religion the death of Jesus IS most
prominent. His betrayal, triple denlal
by Peter, stripped Of His robe: mocked.
scourged, carrying the cross. bound to
it. nailed; His agonizing cries, death.
burial-the whole is detailed with
minutiae. Add to this the remem-
brance of a young man radiant with
hopes that are stifled; the long-for
Messiah, Son of God, founder OF a
religion, whose life was all for human
veal. crucifed in the populous capltal
of His nation as malefactor, and the
tragedy Of Calvary becomes pathetic
in the extreme If the Oberammergau
play is so heartrending. the loved dis
ciples of Jesus must have had an ex-
perience in pathos rarely felt by NOR
tai. 1t is wonder some OF them dld
not die from sheer pity.
To-day we observe Passion week
and the forty days of Lent. Art. lit
erature and sermons picture the pa
thetic profile Of Jesus and melt our
hearts. The courageous man OF Cal
vary is less viewed, and wisely SO.
We need to be infused with the pas
sion of Jesus to give us the heart to
feel. The melted heart first.
Darwin ruled sympathy out OF order
in this world Of struggle. A recent
reputable sociologist shows how SYM
pathy evidenced in mutual aid has
made possible the life Of the animate
world and the progress Of man. In
the highest form Of life the offspring
is fewest and weakest. Pity absent
and such would perish. God pity1ng
perishing man brought redemption.
Jesus magnifed sympathy. 1t melts
the heart to love. There is false SYM
pathy. A sect, the Jainists. so pity ven
omous insects as not to kill them. The
Doukhobors absurdly pity the putting
engine. Sentimentalists so pity the
perpetrators of horrible murder as to
foil Justice; parents their disobed1ent
child as to spare the rod and spoil.
False philanthropists feed the lazy
and pauperize those who ought not to
eat because they do not work. we
must sympathize Alright.
The woman who cares for the Or
phan: the nurse who ceases not her
visils in the epidemic; the neighbor
who grants loan to deserving man
in a hard place; the friend with his
fitly spoken word to tighten the
weighted heart and gladden. the record:
ing angel-these are all illustrations or,
sympathizing Alright. The highest form.
is the poor sympathizing with the rich
in their loneliness, and the rich with
the Door in their needs. When the
highest and lowest feel as one, sym
pathy has it's perfect work. The heart
thus sympathetic will go down in pity,
out in love to enemies and up in love
to God, and throughout envieth not.
Thus this most blessed faculty OF the
heart is pure. We preach Lore one
another with a pure heart, ferventiy."
Love. the most prominent thread warp,
is more than mere morality" knoWi-
edge of the good does not overcome
the inertia to its doing. The impera-
tives of duty must be dlvinely SPOKEN
and warmed. It's not the act, but the
motive that gives quality. The love
of God to us in Christ Jesus drawing
as into fellowship with the Infinite
heart imparts the highest quality to our
deeds.
Hate is another thread in the warp.
We have earned advanced university
degrees in this accomplishment In
stance civil wars and religious inquisl-
tons. There is an Orientallsm IN
Thuyism, whose votaries worship the
sword as the Greek his Icon. Killing
is worship wherein they do the Will
of their goddess. Asceticism could
have a patent Office all Its own for IN
struments of fagellation devised 10
scorge monks into hatred Of this
beautiful world. Count the number OF
those you hare. We naturally love
friends and hate enemies. From
Christ we learn to hate Alright,
The Pharisee's law was: BE holy,
as the Lord your God is holy" Jesus
sat at meat in a Pharisee'S. house.
There were good Pharisees. There
were others whom the Master branded
as generation of vipers. straining al
a gnat and swallowing camel; with
out whited sepulchres, and full OF
dead mems bones within" Not the
Pharisees, but their sins, Jesus hated.
The cross shows Gods immeasuraDle
hatred of sin. Paul delivered the most
drastic philippics against sin, the de-
stroyer Of soul. To describe sin as
the glory Of the imperfect is worse
than criminal. We ought to hate sin
with all passion.
Work is a prominent thread in the
warp. Love, hate, fear are emotional.
John Wesley, in his experience OF
saving faith, says the heart was
strangely warmed The Sermon on the
Mount is q message 10 the heart. The
feelings have reared the great faiths.
"Out Of the abundance Of the heart
the mouth speaketh." Tonurse our feel
ings for themselves is irreliglous.
They must issue in acts. Hunger leads
US, to. eat, not for the titillatien OF, the
palate. but to restore lost tissue and
complete the body. The blessing OF
ehungering and thirsting after right
eousness is in leading to the activity
that fills US with the fuliness OF COO.
True character is within. But no
man liveth to himself" "Let your
light shine" is the command to OBJ
;oo+;fr +hot character To be seen. 1t