The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-02-10
THE PULPIT.
a SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
CARDINAL GIBBONS.
Theme: Bearing Burdens.

liyered a sermon at the Cathedral
Sunday morning. There was a large
congregation and thu choir gave spe-
cial music. The subject of the Car
dinal's discourse was: "Bear Ye One
Another's Burdens" His text was
from St. Matthew 11:2-1O. Inc Gar
dinal spoke as follows:
John the Baptist is one OF
noblest and most striking figures that
appear on the pages OF q new
Testament. AS the minister OF GOD
he has the courage to rebuke Herod
for his i%ncestuous life. mt fulnll-
ment of his sacred duty cost him MS
liberty and his head. What a strlk-
ing contrast between John in prison
and Herod on his throne! John,
though immured in a dark dungeon,
is cheerful and resigned, because he
has the testimony Of a good con-
science. Herod OF his royal seat is
gloomy and detected and eaten up
with remorse. Though John is In
chains, his soul roams with the free
dom of q son of God Herod, though
commanding a kingdom, is a slave to
his passions.
John utters no word Of murmur
or complaint from his prison. He
does not plead for sympathy or re-
lease. He is so entirely forgetful or
his own sufferings and wrongs that ne
Is concerned only about his Masters
business. He sends two Of his dis
ciples to ask our Saviour whether or
not he is the true Messiah. John
does not need tais information for
his own sake. He knows that Christ
is the promised Redeemer, for, on a
previous occasion, when he met our
Lord, he exclaimed: behold the
Lamb of God; behold Him that
taketh away the sin of the world"
But he desired that his disciples
should learn from the lips of Christ
Himself that He was the Redeemer
who was sent to save the world.
When the disciples asked Christ II
He was the true Messiah, what an
swer did He give? Did He say to
them: know that I am the Son of
God, because I revel in the splendor
of imperial majesty, I dwell in pala-
tial mansions, I am surrounded by an
immense army, I am attended by a
retinue of courtiers, and kings and
princes minister unto Me-" He said
none Of these things.
But. this is the test and the proof
that He gave Of His divine mission:
"Go," He says, land relate to John
what We see and hear. The blind
see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise
again, the poor have the gospel
preached unto them. And blessed Is
he that shall not be scandalized In
Me-" Blessed is he who shall recog-
nize My divinity through the frail
wall of My humanity.
OF all the virtues that shine forth
In the life of our divine Saviour there
is none so prominent, none so on
spicuous, as His compassion for hu-
man suffering. This was His char
acteristic virtue; this was the salient
point in His character, II we may
apply the term to One who was per-
feet in every virtue. On every leaf
Of the Gospel that golden word
mercy shines forth, Frightening every
page, cheering every heart.
Our Saviour exercises His
divine power as Moses did, by chang
ing rivers into blood and destroying
the frst-born of the land. He never
initiates Joshua by commanding the
sun to stand still in the heavens. He
does not, like Elias, call down light
ming from heaven to consume an Of
tending people, though He was en-
treated to do so by His disciples, to
whom He said: aye know not what
spirit ye are; the Son Of Man came
not to destroy, but to save"
No, but the miracles of Jesus were
wrought to lessen the sufferings and
tighten the burdens Of men. He
manifested His power by going about
doing good. He gave sight to the
blind that they might rejoice in be-
holding the beauties Of creation. He
gave speech to the dumb and hearing
to the deaf. He gave power Of walk
ing to the lame. He gave health to
the sick and life to the dead. He
dried up the tears of the widow and
gave His blessing to children. Above
all, He displayed His merciful power
by receiving with open arms the re-
penting sinner, by relieving her soul
of the burden of her sins, and saying
to her: "Be Of good cheer. Go in
peace. Thy sins are forgiven"
How correctly does the parable Of
the good Samaritan portray the COM
passion of Jesus toward those who
suffered from bodily diseases; for the
good Samaritan Is none other than
Jesus Himself. A traveller, while 60
ing from Jerusalem to Jericho, falls
among thieves. They rob him Of his
money. They strip him Of his gar
ments and leave him on the roadside
covered with wounds. His country
men pass by, but pay no heed to the
bleeding man. A Samaritan who is
of a different country and religion
also comes along, and lifts up the
wounded man; he pours medicine
into his wounds and binds them;
places him on a beast of burden, pro-
vides for him in an inn, and sends
him back to his family. Is not this
an epitome of the life Of Jesus, whose
public career was spent in healing
diseases and mitigating physical suf-
fering?
Not less marked was the benevo-
lence Of Christ toward those who suf-
fered from mental anguish. What a
notable example Of His mercy to this
class afflicted is furnished by the
raising to life of the widows son.
She is following to the grave the re-
mains Of her only child, the solace of
her declining years. Jesus, as if by
accident, meets the smournful pro-
cession. He sees the d%esolation of
the widows heart. His omnipotent
hand touches the bier, and that same
almighty power which, in the begin
ming, infused a living soul into Adam,
calls back the spirit into the lifeless
hndY of the ynnnp man and restores