Year: 1873

as toward those who are high; not t.


let the external condition oyerrul,


the sense Of the personality Of thos,


who are around about us. We ar


told to prefer one another to honor


to have what We all know to be tn,


impulse Of generosity. We teacl


our children-and have not only t,


teach them but to drill them--t,


give the largest orange to the littl,


sister, and SO on. We teach them


with laborious care, to be generous


that is, ito esteem others better tha,


themselves" to do more for other,


than they do for themselves; t,


think more Of others happiness thar


Of their own. ssIn honor preferine


one another" seeking to build other!


up, rather than ourselves-this is the


isSasear. hsSops e.. 9! 9! oeE .g. Lord. teach
"a sensibility to the welfare Of 9th


ther mon, to their good, to their ad


vancement-out of that one fountain
what wonderful results spring, OF
may be made to


Then there is another element
that sof confession. "Confess your
faults one to another" There is not
single person who does not know
that lie is just as subject to fault as
the sparks are to fly upward; but
the probability is that there IS not
one of us who likes to fulfill this
command of Christ and acknowl-
edge his faults. l do not understand
that this means that we are to 60
around and make business Of con.
Tossing our faults, but that in the
ordinary ways of life we are to be
ready, instantly, to own and rectify
those faults and intelicities which
spring from our disposition.


Look, tor moment, at the way in
which things work in the household.
See how disputes begin. See how
each person defends his side; how
one makes charge against the 9TH
er; how it is denied; how each forti-
fies himself; how both send out fiery
lances of words at each other; bow
the assumption on each side is. "a
proper spirit demands that l should
not give up; and am not going to
confess that | am to blame in
this, that, and the other thing
The spirit of Scripture is quick,
facile, yielding; 80 that if you have
bruised, if you have pierced, if you
have hurt another, there shall be
that feeling OF love, that tendency to
self.sacrifice, by which instantly you
shall recognize your faultiness, your
blame-worthiness, and make repara.
tion for the injuries which you have


How little do men think OF this
text as referring to their ordinary
lifel They have an impression that
faithfulness IN Christian life demands
that they should soar higher than
Jacobs ladder went that they
should compass the great themes OF
the Godhead; but let me tell you
that you will realize God more by a
perception Of these simple preceptial
elements of divinity, in their relation
to our daily lite, than you will by
mere meditation. 1t is by practice
of tho new man, it is by introducing
the new life into all our daily thought
and feeling, and conduct, that we
csme to know how God feels, what
is the divine nature, what are the di
vine motions, If ono may SO say. The
frictions of life. constant interpola
tions between one and another-how
they wear away the peace, the COM
fort, which men take in each other.


Now, there are two points in
respect to this last element-taulti-
ness. He who assumes that he is
not liable to fault knows nothing
shout himself, There is not a per.
aon who is we'll attunsd. There is
not person who is not out Of tune
in spots pretty much all the time.
What with temperament and educa.
ton, what with the cares and burdens
of life, what with temptations and
annoyances, almost everybody is off
from his balance more or loss every
single day. So that The general recog.
nitlon of our personal faultiness ought
to be a part Of tho inward conscious
ness Of every one, every single day.
Then, when those who are hurt by
US in the family-children by those
who are above them or equals by
each other, in the distribution OF the
Offices OF life and its duties; or,
friends by friends, or neighbors by
nsighbors; when men with whom
you are brought in contact, and on
whom your hand las fallen heavily
complain OF you, then the true spirit
OF Christ is not arrogance, is not self
defense, is not impatience, but is q
ready acknowledgment, sweet con.
fession of our blameworthlness.


Not that we should think that we
are to blame when others think that
we are; but it is worth our while te
consider what other people think o
US; to make 1t such food tor refso
ton as will oftentimss lead Us to dis
cover faults, infolicitieus ways in our
selves, which otherwise we shoulG
| remain ignorant OF. While 1t is mo-
necessary that every body else'l
opinion should guide our opinion
the presumption is that no persei
outside Of us will complain Of or fee
q fault in Us that has not some exist
ence, some root. So that one Of tn


most salatary, though not one Of th'


most pleasant experiences Of men, i


that examination by which they de


tect in themselves the cause OF tha


which produces pain or suffering i