Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-10
hE11GHT IN H o R
...n,s Mistakes in Judging and
Condemning.

Dre.d and Dislike Him - What
1t Is to Delight In the
Almighty.
,rrom a Recent Sermon by Rev. Charles n,
Spurgeon.l
"For then shalt thou a thy delight In
..o Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face INTO
Coo. lob 22:2
THE MISTAKE Of EL1PHAz.
Mliphaz and his friends had judged Job
trom their own point of view, making
their own experience to be the standard.
They themselves had prospered, and
therefore they inferred that il a man
served God he must necessarily prosper in
worldly things; and that if he did not
succeed as they had done, he must have
been guilty of great crimes. Though they
could not discover any actual fault in Job,
they concluded, without further evidence,
that lie must have been q hypocrite, and
have acted oppressively to his servants,
or have been unmindful of the claims of
the poor, or in some other way have
brought upon himself the wrath of God.
1t never entered their mind that so terri
pe a sickness and such a list of dreadful
ca!amities could nave o%efallen anv man
except as a punishment for special sin.
They inferred virtue from prosperity,
and sin from adversely. Unrighteous
aud cruel logic! Atonce false and brutal!
1t renders them at once false wit.
nesses and Pharisees; condemning the
innocent because Of their sorrows, and
hattertng themselves because of their ease.
To Judge according to outward circum.
stances has been the tendency of men in
all times; wen David could not under.
stand how it was that the wicked were so
free from troubles, while all the day long
he was himself plagued, and chastened
every morning. A right principle lay at
the bottom of this wonder; for, indeed,
the Lord will reward the good and punish
the wicked; but a great mistake is made
when we suppose that this life is the time
for netting out rewards and punishments.
We must not judge according to the sight
Of the eyes, or according to present condi-
tons, or we shall make gross mistakes.
The richest may be the most wicked. and
the poorest may be the most gracious;
those who suffer least may deserve to
suffer most, and those who are most afflict-
ed in this life may have the highest glory
in the life to come.
Isuspect that Eliphaz ard his friends
had enjoyed smooth sailing. How should
they judge the man who had done business
amid tempests? Their mental life was not
disturbed by great conflicts; they had not
gone deeply into things, nor searched to
the bottom of spiritual matters; they had
no knowledge of their own hidden corrup.
tions, and had endured but little of the rod
OF ch~astisement, and, consequently, they
had been at ease. Their mistake was that
they sat in judgment upon another who
was more tried than themselves, and con.
demned him for being in sore distress.
Their own serenity led them to judge the
troubled one very harshly. This ought
not to be. Ii any Of us are inclined thus to
Judge and condemn, it is time that we put
this mlschievous spirit far from US. If we
judge others, others will judge US. Gods
children always play the fool when they
play the Judge; they are never in order
when they act as if they were the head of
the family of grace. The Father knows
all His children. ALI who observe careful
ly will also know that while some are
strong in the Lord and in the power
Of His might, 9th ers are weak in faith
and mere babes in grace. These little
ones are not one jot the less precious in the
sight of the great Father than the more
1uliy grown ones. Let none of the strong
cattle push the weak cattle with horn and
with shoulder; for when the weak ones
complain unto God He will regard them,
and Will average them upon the proud. If
thou be strong, God keep thee so, and
make thee stronger; but use not thy
strength for %treading down the weak. If
thou BE- weak, the Lord strengthen thee
and deliver thee from this malady; but do
NOT envy the strong, and begin to speak
Nightly OF those who excel thee. The more
vi light, the more of joy, the more of holy
confidence, the more of faith, the more
CORY to God: therefore covet these things
earnestly as among the best gifts. May
,ae Holy Ghost help US to attain the
highest degree of grace; but may He aver
prevent us from judging our brethren.
mere was the fault of Eliphaz. He was
i'snt IN many of his statements, but he
was wrong in his ungenerous application
Oh them to holy Job.
Many men forget God: He is no object
=. delight to them, for they ignore His ex-
is'ence, and they would aver think it a
great relief if it could be proved that there
were no God-no God to observe them, no
you to record their misdeeds, no God to
.a'l them to Judgment, no God to punish
spein Tor their iniquities. Let US pity the
mu,'itudes who claim to be happy without
you; Tor it is the last extreme of deprav-
NY when, b~lotting out God from his soul, a
ASa obtains a wretched comfort as the
eonsequence of his folly. To be without
wv Is to be without rest in the present
"'u without hope for the future.
0feat numbers of men go a stage further:
lucy believe in God, they can not doubt
tl ID mere is a Most High God who judgeth
~ children of men; but their only thought
M m"'fas Him is that of dread and dislike.
+hi 10 not want to bear of him: if the
Jugs OF God are forced upon their atten-
tf ,, .ney are soon weary Of such distaste-
aiu .uehes, for they only look upon God as
;usO and terrible Judge, who will GER
Aniy punish them for their transgres-
H. ns 1t is woe to them even to think Of
sn sreatGod. Though this dread of God,
nau 'hls neglect of God, can not deliver