The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-09-24
apt TO blame others strongly for mis-

apt TO blame others strongly Tor MIS-
/ deneanors of which they themselves
are guilty. The man whose words re-
! specting others do not condemn him.
: self is to he congratulated as happy
man indeed. The person whose crit-
| ciSm of others is SO kindly. so gener-
I Gus. so merciful as TO not involve a
condemnation of his own course is
| certainly an exceptional man or wom-
| an. We call TO remembrance our
Lords words. with whatsoever meas
ure We mete it shall be measured 10
you again." and. interpreting our text
in harmony with this. if our words are
| generous and kind. loving and benevo-
| lent we shall receive similarly kind
| treatment of the Lord. If our Ian
| guage respecting others be harsh. Gym
! ical. critical. unkind. we may expect
reproofS from the Lord Why? Be
cause all mankind are by nature fallen,
/ imperfect. depraved; and the person
who sees the faults of others and fails
| to see his own. needs the correcting
| Establishments of the Lord to show him
/ his true condition reflected in his
| course of conduct and language to-
ward and respecting others: he indi-
/ Gates that he himself needs to be
taught some very important lessons
without which he will not be prepared
! to make progress toward the Divine
standards of character.
On the contrary. the person who is
kind. gentle. forgiving. forbearng.
sympathetic. disposed to make allow
| ances for others shows that he has
learned an important lesson already
and that. to considerable extent. his
heart is right. Whatever there is
wrong with such n generous soul is
! unintentionally wrong. a wrong which
! is intrenched in his flesh. but with
! which his heart is not in accord. BY
his kindly words respecting others he
marks himself. indicates his character
! as Of the kind which God can approve:
| their neighbor as themselves and thus
/ imply also that they love God. because.
as the Apostle points out. "He that
| loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen. how can he love God whom he
hath not SEEM" Contrariwise he who
loves his neighbor speaks generously
/ of him. is merciful toward him. and
compassionate. undoubtedly would
greatly respect and love the Divine
character in its perfection Of Justice.
| Wisdom and Love.
Blessed Are the MercifuI.
&c, Ilpin m infr %
of similar tenor: blessed are the mer-
ciful. for they shall obtain mercy" 1t
is true that God gave to natural Israel
code of laws which defined the course
of life for them. saying. Thou shalt not
do this and that. Yet that Law was
intended in great measure to show to
F! Israel and to the world the impossi-
biIity of an imperfect man or woman
! keeping perfectly the Divine require
ments. When the Lord would state his
| Law from the other StandpOint-pOsi-
lively and not negatively, he sums the
matter up i'm few words. Thou shalt
love the Lord supremacy and thy neigh
Dor as myself. He who is merciful is
i'm the condition to be blessed of the
Lord. because he more than others ap-
proximates the standard of the Divine
| Law-Love; for mercy is the express
sion of love.
We see. then, that the Divine prom
Use that he who is merciful to his
neighbor will receive the more mercy
from the Lord is not mere ipse DIRT,
nor a mere rewa riding of such proper
| course. Rather it is i'm harmony with
the principles aud essence of the divine
government. because the more gener-
Gus and loving the heart, the nearer to
the perfect condition.
If this principle could be rightly seen
by Christian people it would work an
almost instantaneous revolution in the
hearts and conduct of all who desire
Divine approval and favor. Instead
of burning one another ut the stake;
instead of putting on thumb screws;
| instead of condemning one another to
eternal torment. Christians would be
| seeking to bless one another. to think
and feel kindly respecting one another
and disposed to pray Gods blessing
| upon those who despitefully use them
and prosecute them. Instead of SLAM
| der and Misrepresentation and enyious
insinuations. the spirit of love and
| kindness and mercy and gOdlikeness
would more and more prevail amongst
those who have named the name of
Christ and have profeSsedly enlisted
under his banner and covenanted to
walk in his footsteps.
Nor would the blessing stop with the
Church. The world. seeing such an
example of love and kindness. would
be ready to take knowledge OF the fol-
lowers of Jesus. as they did in the
days of the apostles. saying. Behold.
how these Christians love one anoth-
err Then our Lords words would
have practical illustration. "A new
Commandment l give unto you, that
We love one another. as have loved
you'''-to the extent of laying down our
/ lives for each other. AS the Apostle
declares. I'VE ought also to lay down
our lives for the brethren"
1t has seemed at times as though
some of those who profess relationship
to Christ as members of his Church
do even more Of petty evil-speaking
and slandering and busy bodying than
do the worldly who make no profess
sion whatever. According to the stand