Is such a one seated among us in this church
to-day? Let him go down on his knees, and pray to be forgiven for
failing in the primary duty of life, the duty of being loving and
sympathetic at home. There are many courteous enough and popular
enough outside, who yet at home utterly break every day of their lives
the law of kindness. Let us face it on our knees, if it is so, and
pray to be forgiven. It is self that does it, that miserable self
which stops and chokes, as it were, the spring from working. We are so
anxious to have a little more credit or a little more comfort. And it
is because our eyes are fixed upon ourselves that we do not see that
wounded man in front of us, and do not hear his cry for aid. It is a
first condition of having sympathy to have a heart "at leisure from
itself to soothe and sympathize." There are some whose lives are
confined to their home circle; some girl, perhaps, who longs to go
outside, but is thought too young to work for others, and thus she can
do nothing in her home that seems worthy of being done for her Saviour.
I would say to such, what an aim to be in the home circle, the most
unselfish girl there! What an inspiration to have brothers and sisters
say what a brother that one is! what a sister that one is! he or she
never fails us in our hour of need.

And then in our private charity, is not this the secret of the
worthlessness of so much so-called charity that constantly we give not
really to help the sufferer, but to save ourselves? That careless gift
to the beggar in the street, or to someone who asks us for a gift--is
it not constantly, not really to help that person, but to ease our own
minds and consciences? It is really given to ourselves. No; what we
must practise--and God knows it is hard enough in this crowded city and
in this crowded life we live--what we must practise is getting down by
our brother's side. We must save him from the temptation which is a
curse to him; from the temptation to drink, it may be, that is ruining
him. Get down by his character, look at him as Christ would look at
him. What does he need? How can we help him, that poor wounded man
brought across our path? We must try and give him, in the name of
Christ, the very thing he needs, the character which he lacks.

And so, again, with our public responsibilities. There are three
figures very prominently before our eyes just now. There is, first,
the overcrowded dweller in our slums