The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-01-21
PnSCNCNL SYMPATHY.
Jan. 81. 'oo-tActs a;1-2G.

cal kind. The sentimental kind, at
the sight Of suffering drops tear,
the practical kind drops dime. The
yell-wisher says. | feel for you!
The well-doer feels In his pocket
hook. There are plenty Of people
whose emotions are easily stirred at
the recital of q pitiful tale. but who
are so busy wiping their eyes after
the story is ended, that they fail to
see the contribution box gathering
up financial relief.
Streams OF Bcncfccncc.
Let II not be overlooked, however,
that the great river OF benevolence
that has flowed through the ages
has been produced by ten thousand
tributary streams flowing from the
followers OF Him who gave Himself
as the water of life to the world.
Trace back the vast majority of the
worlds benefactlons to their source
and the spring will be found In the
heart OF some who have been inspired
to help their fellows by the teachings
and example of Him who went
about doing good"
Infidelity builds no hospitals,
trains no nurses, ejucates no or
phans, wipes away no widows tears,
feeds no hungry, clothes no naked.
buries no dead 1t has always been
true that real christianity softens the
heart, loosens the purse strings,
makes the eye quick to see, and the
hand quick TO relieve the distressed.
OF course there are individual ex-
ceptions. There are mean profess
sors of religion, and great. generous
hearted disbelievers. but these ex-
ceptions only prove the rule.
\ Favored Location.
The need of practical sympathy
early showed itself in the primitive
church. Peter and John going up
to the Temple to worship saw help
less cripple lying at the Beautiful
Gate. This man was born a cripple,
and every day he was carried by his
friends and tenderly placed close to
this door of entrance that his miser-
able plight might appeal to those
who frequenteJ that sacred spot.
Evidently 1t was well-chosen loca-
tion, or it would not have been con-
tinued. 1t speaks loudly OF the gen.
erosity of Trmple worshippers that
he was brought continually to that
favored spot. The worshippers did
not scowl at him and hurry past. The
church officials did not call for the
temple police and have him elected
from the sacred edifice. They gave
him of their worldly goods, and
thanked heaven that they had 1t to
give.
Healing Better Than Money.
But here comes Peter and John,
protesting to have a better religion,
a grander conception of the Father
hood Of God and the brotherhood OF
man, than the bigoted Jews who
went In and out to worship. What
will they do? VIII they be SO
charmed with the architecture of the
Beautiful Gate, a sight worth going
round the world to see, that they will
not look in the cripple's direction?
VIII their minds be so fixed on heav-
enly things that they will be obliyi-
Gus of earthly things? VIII they
sigh, Poor fellow, how we pity
you," and pass on and forget him?
Not they! See them. They stop,
they fasten their eyes on the cripple.
and Peter says, Silver and gold
have | none: but such as l have give
] thee; In the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, rise up and walk" And
instantly the mighty miracle was
wrought and with a shout of rapture
the deformed one leaped to his feet.
every whit whole.
That was practical sympathy. That
was sympathy according to the New
Testament standard. The cripple
asked for aims, and the Lord gave
him good pair of legs. That is
blessing, exceeding. abundantly.
above all we can ask or think Give
what you have, that is the lesson.
Others gave this man money, silver
and gold, but when the money was
gone, he was cripple still. Peter
gave him something infinitely better
than money, strength to go and make
an honest living for himself. That
Is the true philosophy OF giving.
Help other people to help them
selves.
Some Giving Curse.
Much Of the haphazard giving OK
modern times Is positive curse. IL
puts premium on laziness, shift
iessness. To give some men gold and
silver is to strengthen them in their
pauperism and encourage them in
vice. The dime that you drop into
The hand of the poor wretch on the
street corner Is turned into liquid
damnation before you are out of
sight. The saloonkeeper gets the
benefit OF your sentimentalism and
the wretched inebriate Is only hast
ened to his doom. Develop charac-
Ter by insisting upon every man
making at least an honest effort to
kGt WhAn pytanH ha1ninQ