"Bear ye one another's burdens." A Plain Sermon on the Lancashire Distress

"Bear ye one another's burdens." A Plain Sermon on the Lancashire Distress by James Galloway Cowan is a sermon that shines a light on the trials of working-class individuals in Lancashire during difficult times, probably in the Victorian era. The sermon zeroes in on the hardships they faced due to the blockade of American cotton. Cowan focuses on the importance of helping each other during tough times and calls on those who are better off to help those who are struggling. As the sermon goes on, Cowan separates the burdens people must face alone, which are usually from their own mistakes, and the burdens that are caused by outside problems, which need community support. He brings attention to the horrible circumstances the Lancashire workers find themselves in because they lost their jobs through no error of their own. Cowan strongly asks for charity, pushing listeners to give money and spiritual support, and stresses that real Christian love means helping each other when things are really bad. He also provides practical advice which pushes people to actively participate in easing the burden on the Lancashire workers while at the same time seeking to awaken his listener's sympathy.