The Progress., 1898-04-09
SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS.
Rev. DR.. Talmage Discourses on
Criticism of Human Conduct.
circumstances We Should Take Into Con-
sideration In Estimating the Short
comings Of Others-Meas-
ure for Measure.

Rev, L. Dewitt TaImage, in the TO
lowing sermon, talks upon the prevail
ing disposition to measure others b
ones own yardstick. The text is:
with what measure ye mete. it shall b
measured to you agatn.-Matthew vii 2
In the greatest sermon ever preached
"a sermon about Is minutes long, &C
cord1ng to the ordinary rate of speech
"a sermon on the Mount of Olives, thu
PREACHER, sitting while He spoke, &C
cordlng to the ancient mode of oratorv
the people were given to understand
that the same yardstick that they EN-.
ployed upon others would be EMPLOYED
upon themselves. Measure others by a
marsh rule, and you will be measured
by harsh rule. Measure others by a
charitable rule, and you will be meas
ured by charitable rule Give no
mercy to others, and no mercy will be
given to you. with what measures
we mete, it shall be measured to vo,,
again
There is a great deal of unfairness
In criticism in human conduct It was
to smite that unfairness that Christ
uttered the words of the text. and nv
sermon will be a re-echo of the Divine
sentiment. In estimating the misbe-
havlor OF others, we must take into
consideration the pressure of circum-
stances. 1t is never right to do wrong,
put there are degrees of culpabilitv.
"hen men mlsbehave Or commit some
atroc1ous wickedness we are disposed
1ndiscriminately to tumble them all
over the bank OF condemnation. Suf-
Ter they ought and suffer they must.
but in a difference Of degree.
/, In the first place, in estimatinp the
n n
calculation the hereditary tendency.
There is such thing as good blood.
and there is such thing as bad blood.
There are families that have moral
twist in them for a hundred wears
Dack. They have not been careful to |
eep the family record in that regard.
mere have been escapades, and ma
hudlngs, and scoundrelism, and moral
'oenclts all the way back, whether YOU
call 1t kleptomania, or pyromania. or
olpsomania, or whether it be in a mild
er form, and amount to no mania at all.
The strong probability is that the pres
emit criminal started life with nerve.
muscle and bone Contaminated. AS
some start life with natural tendency
20 mobility and generosity and kind
ness and truthfulness, there are others
who start life with just the opposite
and they are born liars, or
,o4n malcontents, or born outlaws. or
,orn swindlers.
There is in England school that is ,
allied the Princess Mary school. All =.
he children in that school are the
hlldren OF convicts. The school is un-
er high patronage. had the pleas ,
re OF being present at one of their an
lversaries, presided over by the earl G
kintore. BY wise law in England.
tier parents have committed a certain =
lumber of crimes, and thereby shown
lemselvcs incompetent rightly to n
ring up their children, the little ones -
re taken from under pernicious influ- %
ices ana put in reformatory schools, n
here all gracious and kindly inf1n. :"
ices snail iught upon them OF %,
urse' the e. l'iinent is young, and A
mas got oe demonstrated how :.
rye perceI ge of the children of .,
nvicts may brought up to respect .,
iiity ana fulness. But we all | =,
low that it 1ore d;f}c,,l+ 60. In W