Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-11-16
"JupeE MOL"

How the conscientious Christian Exer-
cIses a Self-Restraint for tho General
Good and Thus Feels the Weight OF the
World Upon Him.
Many restraints are imposed on HIM
self by the carefully conscientious
Christian. Our Lord pointed to one
of these when He said: Judge not
that ye be not judged. 1t is warn
ing that we will get back as good as
We send if we flourish the lash of crit
icism too vigorously; but it is much
more. Aprofound philosophy under
lies all our Masters injunctions, and
in this case practically simple rule
rests on the deepest foundations. A
world In which men never restrain
their judgments-made up of men who
render quick verdicts on all the items
in the observed conduct of each other
is n morally impossible world. The
victims will retaliate, and scene of
disorder will issue from the war of
Judgments. We are compelled to re-
strain our judging by that law of re-
tallation which we read into a doctrine
of self-defcnse. If one hurls the stone
of condemnation, the man who is hit
will hurl it back; and presently the air
will be full of stones, and peace will
become impossible. How far a man
surrenders 10 society what belongs to
him, in order that society may protect
the rest OF his rights and possessions,
may be discussed forever without u
settlement
The philosophers of the "social COM
pact have undertaken an impossible
task, for no man can find any basis for
giving part Chat one may keep the
rest) which is different from the COM
promise he might make with a high
way robber. 10 this robber he might
say: Take my watch and let me keep
my clothes. " 70 society he might say:
Take my money and leave me my
liberty" or Take as much of my
property as you like and leave ME the
rest" but there is no ethical basis for
such compromise. Our Lord reveals
solid moral foundation for self-im-
posed sacrifice of so-called rights and
privileges; and this basis is the simple
necessity Of self-restraint as condition
of well-bcing.
If we judge harshly we shall be
harshly judged. A society conducted
on the principle of unlimited Judgment
and speech would be intolerable. Free
dom in such a world would have no
value. Liberty begins to be precious
only when we restrain ourselves of it.
Parting with it in self-restraint, we
keep all of it which is valuable in pro-
lection of our reasonable and practical
BILE claims to freedom; but the simple
rule reflects higher truth out
of its eloquent face, for the re-
strained judgment would not be
righteously restrained by the Master
rule if it were not necessarily an UNI
righteous Judgment; and it is unright-
eous for at least three reasons: /. 1t
is not, and can not be, certainly true
and sound As the judgment of 40
imperfect intellect it must be liable to
defects. 2. 1t can not be certainly and
entirely free from the bias of wrong
feeling. Few men of fine conscientious,
ness will trust themselves in all iudg-
ments upon all men. In some cases
the feelings of the best man will warn
his verdicts to injustice. 8. In a great
multitude of cases we have no right to
Q judgment The man is another
mans servant, and it Is not our bust
ness. God will Judge that matter, and
we blaspheme when we decide it in ad-
vance OF the day of Judgment These
defects of Judgment and misapplica-
tons and impudences of judgment re-
veal highest reason for self-restraint.
We do not know; we may possibly be
preiudiced; it is the Lords business.
10 pass any and every hasty judgment
and to do it as an exercise of liberty
would be to convert liberty into a
cloak for unrighteousness, and there
can not be any right to such liberty.
In substance, then. the surrendered
rights never existed. No man yields
up to society any thing which belongs
to him. 1t was never his right TO CON
denim without evidence, and to crafty
his passion by vindictive Judgment.
All the judgments from which he is
restrained may fall under one or the
other head, if, indeed, some of them
are not attempts to exercise the office
of the judge of all men; but is the
motive, that We be not judged, high
oneP Yes; but high and low are terms
relative to ones moral nature. The
man who sees no dignity, elevation,
moral sublimity, in rule which, so TO
say, pivots the world on self-interest,
is probably incapable of high and holy
self-judgment and self-restraint For
our part, we confess that there Is on
inspiring power in the thought that
Jesus appeals to the sensitive moral
nature on this side of its self-interest,
and teaches the individul man that the
order and peace of the world depend
on his self-restraint. II burdens each
man with the weight of the world.
Each becomes responsible for the din
and clash of world of warning iudg-
ments.
Is not this the very simplicity of the
teaching Of Christ-the very difficulty
withal which stumbles the sinful world?
He surely goes into the individual soul
to accomplish the redemption of the
world. He saves men only as He
saves a man; and this man He saves