Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-01-28

tears of joy because a "son who was
lost is found, and having been dead,
is come tt life agafn!"
But nothing is more manifest in
the Gospel than the sympathy Of
Jesus for the poor. He wished to
stamp with condemnation the spirit
of the world, which estimates a mans
dignity by his wealth, and his degra-
dation by his poverty. He chose to
be born of humble ~parentage, in an
obscure village, in a wretchsd stable.
Nearly His whole life was spent in a
town which was locked on with con
tempt. The saying was: "Can, any
thing good come out Of NAZARETH"
He led a life of poverty, not from me-
cessity, but from choice. He could
say to Himself what could hardly be
of a tramp: "The foxes have holes,
the birds Of the air nests, but the
Son Of Man hath not wherein to lay
His head" He chose His twelve
apostles from the humblest walks Of
life; men without wealth or learning
or influence or any Of the qualifca-
lions regarded as essential for the
success OF any enterprise. He COM
manded them to preach the Gospel
especially to the poor. He wrought
His greatest miracles in their behalf.
His choicest promises are made to
them: BLESSED are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom Of
Heaven" "The Spirit of the Lord is
upon Me. Wherefore He hath anoint-
ed Me to preach the Gospel to the
poor; He hath sent Me to heal the
contrite heart"
I have set before you these fea-
lures of the life of Christ not merely
for your admiration, but still more
for your e~dification and example. He
is the ideal we are to follow. The
closer we resemble the divine model,
the nearer we shall approach Chris
tian perfection.
We are social beings, we we're Gre
ated to live in society. No man is
sufficient unto himself. We are all
, mutually and reciprocally dependent
/ one on another, just as the organs Of
> our body are sustained by one an
) other. AS an injury to nj organ
I involves a shock to- the entire human
system, so should the community at
large feel a practical sympathy for
their fellow beings In any grievance
: by which they may be oppressed.
I care not how rich and powerful
+ you are. You might possess the
= wealth of a multi-millionaire, but
what would it profit o if you had
no servant to minister to you, no
A companion to cherish you, no friend
. to grasp your hand? You would be
poor and miserable and blind and
naked.
f What would it benefit a man to
. own all the coal coal mines of West
n Virginia and Pennsylvania. if there
4 were no hardy sons of toll to work
q those mines, to extract the coal from
q the bowels of the earth and transport
it to the various centres of pOpula-
q ton?
n I care not how limited may be your
resources, or how circumscribed your
influence, you have personal mission
from God in the Christian common.
h wealth, and you can exert SINE good
in your day and generation.
l. Society is like the planetary sys.
TEN, which is composed OF greater
r and lesser bodies, held together by
It reciprocal forces. The moon is the
smallest body of our system; and vel
what control she sways in the flow
If n ebb Of the ocean tides; how
4 much we would miss her monthly
" visits, when she sheds over the eartf
her pale and silvery light; she gen
;s erously shares with us the effulgenct
she borroWs from the great orb O.
% the day.
81 And SO. no matter how insignif
can O may be, you "a exert som.
re- benefcent power over the tide AM
f. flow Of human passions, and diffuss
f. a calm and blessed light, on thos;
that fall within your environment.
to The benevolence of Christ was no
exercised in Dromiscuous %almsgiving
10 His benefactions usually consisted il
removing diseases from the bodies O
"a men. or in bringing them such timel.
~ relief as would enable them to stant
Fe on their feet and resume some homes
avocations of life. Thus we find Hin
re healing the paralyzed man hat h
might use his arms to support life
lie cleansing the 1eper that he nigh
1g take his place again in, society, an
K feeding the multitude to enable then
to to return to their respective homes.
But perhaps you will say: VIII
I'd should l concern myself about othe
peoples affairs? I have my ow.
er business to attend to. "Am I m
e. brothers keeper" These were tn
I'll words Of Cain, the first murderer
ne What would have become of you an
in me If Christ the Lord had said, "Ar
I my brothers keeper" We woul
of be cropping to-day in the darkness q
n idolatry or infidelity. What woul
ho have become Of society if the apostle
he had said, Are we our brother
an keeper" and If they had returned t
20 their homes and closed their ministr
lis after the death of their Master? w
lis would be deprived to-day of the price
ar- less blessings of Christian ~civiliza
de ton.
v I say you are, you ought to bt
he your brothers keeper. You canno'
is indeed. like the Saviour of the worle
on give sight to the blind, or hearin
he to the deaf, or speech to the dumb, Q
strength to the paralyzed limb. BIZ
~: you>can work miracles of grace an
TO- mercy by relieving the distress c
DIS your suffering brethren. And neve
lis do o approach nearer to God tina
,se when you alleviate the sorrows {
ng others. Never do you prove your
uf- selves to be the children Of you
heavenly Father more effectuall
70 han when you bring sunshine t
If hearts that were darkened by tn