the struggles are greater than we can ever know. We need
more gentleness and sympathy and compassion in our common human life.
Then we will neither blame nor condemn. Instead of blaming or
condemning we will sympathize, and all the more we will
"Comfort one another,
For the way is often dreary,
And the feet are often weary,
And the heart is very sad.
There is a heavy burden bearing,
When it seems that none are caring,
And we half forget that ever we were glad
"Comfort one another
With the hand-clasp close and tender,
With the sweetness love can render,
And the looks of friendly eyes.
Do not wait with grace unspoken,
While life's daily bread is broken--
Gentle speech is oft like manna from the skies."
When we come fully to realize the great fact that all evil and error
and sin with all their consequent sufferings come through ignorance,
then wherever we see a manifestation of these in whatever form, if our
hearts are right, we will have compassion, sympathy and compassion for
the one in whom we see them. Compassion will then change itself into
love, and love will manifest itself in kindly service. Such is the
divine method. And so instead of aiding in trampling and keeping a
weaker one down, we will hold him up until he can stand alone and
become the master. But all life-growth is from within out, and one
becomes a true master in the degree that the knowledge of the divinity
of his own nature dawns upon his inner consciousness and so brings him
to a knowledge of the higher laws; and in no way can we so effectually
hasten this dawning in the inner consciousness of another, as by
showing forth the divinity within ourselves simply by the way we live.
By example and not by precept. By living, not by preaching. By doing,
not by professing. By living the life, not by dogmatizing as to how it
should be lived. There is no contagion equal to the contagion of life.
Whatever we sow, that shall we also reap, and each thing sown produces
of its kind. We can kill not only by doing another bodily injury
directly, but we can and we do kill by every antagonistic thought. Not
only do we thus kill, but while we kill we suicide. Many a man has
been made sick by having the ill thoughts of a number of people centred
upon him; some have been actually killed. Put hatred into the world
and we make it a literal hell. Put love into the world and heaven with
all its beauties
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