Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-06-28
MistflIanp.
Scandal.


Scandal is one of those sins which, seldom,
by any chance, gets its full dessert of con-
dcmnation. 1t is usually, when mentioned at
all. tackled on to long list of other sins, and
is lost in the crowd or the worlds opinion
puts it so low in the scale Of iniquity, that the
conscience is easily persuaded to let it rest se-
cure from the lash that whips offences regard
ed more fragrant. 1t is like subtitle gas,
pervading with its insidious power every part
and portion of society. 1t is found in the
world and in the church, in the city and in
the farmhouse. The palace counts it as
among the pastimes Of royalty; the cottager
halls it to supply the lack of useful topics Of
conversation in all lands and in all classes it
is favorite and common vice. 1t is as
baneful as it is universal, and there is need
that Christians contemplate its real character
and bearings upon morals and religion.
What is scandal To satisfy ourselves on
this point we need only consider its constitu-
ent parts, viz acquaintance with the affairs
Of our neighbors, CONTRARY to the injunction
of the apostle to mind our own business J
pleasure in hearing their sins, shortcomings
and foibles commented on and discussed; rash
judgments passed upon imperfect knowledge
Of facts; (; and last, though far from least, the
satisfaction of having discovered that others
are, if not worse, at least as bad as ourselves.
If such be the nature of the vice, what must
the motive be which prompts to its indulgence1
What but 'envy, hatred, and malice, and all
uncharitableness Or, if it 60 not to this ex-
tent, it must be ascribed to the coolest indifer-
ence for the feelings of others, or the gross
selfshness of cleaning amusement from the
suffering or the degradation Of our fellow-men.
Other vices stand alone in their deformity,
and their unhappy victims are shut out as it
were from their fellows by ban-lepers
withou. the camp-but the scandal-monger is
permitted to pass unrebuked among the purest
and best, and to drop poison and death when
and where he will-alas too often not un-
welcome guest.
Scandal is respectable sin; in fact, it
often puts on the garb of grave moral cen
sor, not unfrequently of the grieved and wound
ed friend. Legitimate scandal is always filled
with regret and the piquant dish for which
a dozen regulations have been ruthessly slain,
is served up with salad of sighs and saneti-
monious. reluctance that would fain hide the
secret triumph that turks beneath. Your true
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wight have the temerity to hint such thing,
the best authority is always at hand 10 put
him down. No lawyers brief is more care
fully prepared than the gossip's material for
case there is this difference, however-your
gossip never appears for the defence, whatev-
er the nature of the theme in hand it is the
dark, and not the bright side of the shield it
falls to his lot TO behold. As the bee is said
to possess the power of extracting honey from
poisonous flowers, SO he may be said TO have
the faculty of extracting poison from the fair
est, sweetest blossoms.
Society smarts under this evil as under a
scorpion lash the church needs to mourn over
il in dust and ashes. OF what u state of NOR
ais is the prevalence Of such a vice indicative |!
OF purity Of garments and washing Of
hands, and inward 'ravening and cruel,y-a
righteousness of having name to live while
it is dead-of hypocrisy that, for pretence,
makes long prayers. The soul of religion, as
it is in Jesus, is love-tender, forgiving, all
embracing love. How opposed, in essense, to
the spirit of censorious, slanderods, back-bit-
ing scandal! How can the heart that has
dared to call Jesus Lord, entertain for mo-
ment the spirit, or encourage in others the
practice of this shameless, degraded, and de-
grading sin! Alas even in the Christians 3
heart the serpent whispers still the ghost of
evil will not down. Yet for this, as for all
else of sin, there is an antidote. IT'S love
love divine. Christians seek it seek to have
it in thy heart of hearts, warm from the foun-
tain; strive to pour it into that of thy neigh
Dor, and in this atmosphere OF heaven thou
wilt learn that charity which .'hopeth all
things, cndureth all things and be like Him
who foreiveth iniquity, transgression and sin,
is long suffering, and of tender mercy.-Phi-
adelphia Presbyterian.