The Alaska citizen., 1916-05-01
BY THE REV. G. C BRUCE


and b-oodnl compassion in their hour Of grief How did you feel when you looked ou, on the seas of faces 9" asked the secretary of Abraham Lincoln when he had con
 cludcd his second inaugural ad
 dress. after he had uttered the words With malice toward none and with charity for all" Inthat vast emancipatcd. and their masters. and there were also lowly patricians
 and the poor statesmen high in of
 ice and tramps looking about for crust of bread. All sorts and conditions of men in that swaying crowd Thinking of all their cares and sorrows, of all their pains and | problems. so big and so black, Lin ooln. with his sad smile and marred lace. answered. IT was the 'eeline of compassion Jesus had come to bind up the broken hearted, to heal the sick. to preach the gospel to the poor and He ever had an audience. There was no prodigal so low and no girl so bruised that they could not hear His voice in words of help, with full lack of condemnation for the penitent. It Was easy for Him to forgive From the dwelling is driven a girl crazed by drugs and wines that had been served in the house that should insane by Irink she wanders into the street, frequents the lowest dives and becomes care ot the state Father, mother and husband blot her name from the family rec ords and try to forget her By the time she is thirty she is rescued by Christian nurse, and within a year almost recoyers her former health and beauty. But those who should have protected her would not receive her back, but insisted that she was dead. If a child fool iShly jumps into the river. will the parents seize a club and strike the struggier striving to get back on shoreo Think of a mother turning her back upon this woman her daughter, with the words You have made your bed and you must lie i'll it" It was the spirit of Jesus in the worker that sent her into the dark places of the city to nurse the sick and give assistance to the same sun, full of warmth and en- ergy- In July the earth turns her face towards the sun and reaps a harvest. but in December her face is turned away and the snow piles high upon her surface. The angle is everything. Jesus was always abroad on missions of blessing. To those who turned their faces to- ward Him they found light and love and life; but to those who turned away from Him love congealed and hate found a vent in writhings and wounds. To the overtures of Jesus the soul made instant re- sponse and the fisherman became the rock, Peter; and John, the teacher; and Saul became Paul, and the prodigal became a hero in ser vice and the poor penitent woman, stripped of her accusers became a saint under the influence of His love and forgiveness.
 ". The sentleness of Jesus was loved Him. A critic of Christianity laments the lack of masculinty in the Beatitudes He thinks that the Sermon on the Mount would have been improved with a powerful in fusion of iron and blood Sad that anyone should find a lack of mascu- Unity i'll the silent prisoner falsely accused before Herod, Who would deny courage in Jesus when he was in the hands of the mob. What iron endurance in the moments of His torture on the cross! The nerves of youth are exceedingly sensitive to wounds of nails, but never did i Jesus lose His self control under the hammer. He met blow with pity and torture with forgiveness. His friendship and generosity toward the people has been the pattern for ages. So wonderful is His mas culinity and bravery under fire that brave men on the battlefield are not to be compared with Him in drcility and steel for the temper il takes. Jesus courage had the tenderness of silk, the tenacity of the Damascus blade, and yet His strength was tempered by gentle ness What chivalry ill the hour when He lifted shining shield above the shining woman! You must have strength before you can have gentle ness. When Nelson fell he whis then his life busted out Weakness is rough because il tOtters. Gentle ness is an infection of gianthood
 In the Third century 10000 gladiat