The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-10-06
"JUDGE NOT"

How the Conscientious Christian Exer- |
cises . Self Restraint for the 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 We 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. A profound philosophy under
lies all our Masters injunctions, and
in this case a 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 . 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-
taliati0n which we read into doctrine
of self-defense. If one hurls the stone
of condemn alton, 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 to society what belongs to
him, in order that society may protect
the rest of his rights and possessions,
may be discussed forever without a
settlement.
The philosophers of the "social COM
pact" have undertaken an impossible
task, for no man can find any basis for
giving a part Chat one may keep the
rest) which is different from the COM
promise he might make with high
way robber. To this robber he might
say: "Take my watch and let me keep
my Clothes" To 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
a 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-being.
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 S
rule if it were not necessarily an I'M
righteous judgment; and it is upright
eous for at least three reasons: l. II
is not, and can not be, certainly true
and sound. As the judgment of an
imperfect intellect it must be liable tc
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 judg,
ments upon all men. In some cases
the feelings of the best man will war;
his verdicts to injustice. 3. In grea
multitude of cases we have no right te
Judgment The man is another
mans servant. and it is not our bust
ness. God will Judge that matter, anc
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 a highest reason for self-restraint
We do not know; we may possibly b,
prejudiced; it is the Lords business
To pass any and every hasty judgment
and to do it as an exercise of liberty
would be 70 convert liberty into /;
cloak for unrighteousness, and Their,
can not be any right to such liberty.
In substance, then, the surrendered
rights never existed. No man yield
up to society any thing which belong
to him. 1t was never his right TO con
denim without evidence, and to gratif,
his passion by vindlctive judgment
All the judgments from which he i
restrained may fall under one or tn,
other head, if, indeed, some of then
are not attempts to exercise the offic
of the judge of all men; but is tn
motive, that We be not judged, higl
one? Yes; but high and low are term
relative to ones moral nature. Tn
man who sees no dignity, elevation
moral sublmity. in rule which. so t
say. pivots the world on self-interest
is probably incapable of high and hol
sell,judgment and self-restraint. Fo
our part, we confess that there is a
inspiring power in the thought tina
Jesus appeals to the sensitive mora
nature on this side, Of its self-interes'
and teaches the individul man that tn
order and peace of the world depen
on his self-restraint. Ii burdens Gao
man with the weight Of the world