Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-14

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, hypocritical and unjust judge would |
be submerged under a tidal wave OF
popular scorn. Such dishonest judge |
would be treated as mercilessly as was
that Judge who in the darkest days OF
Rome's infamies undertook to sentence
some conspirators to death while he
himself was one Of the conspirators.
He would be dragged from the judi
cial bench. And yet this sin Of con-
demning others when we ourselves are
guilty of sin Is habit which can be
laid at many n door. We supercilious
ly demand perfection in others while
we ourselves are imperfect.
Judge Not.
To illustrate the truth that the more
we ourselves have gone astray the
more we are apt to condemn short
comings in others, I would read from
a leaf out of the book Of memory. I
remember many years ago lady's
character was being assailed on hotel
porch. A member Of the party at
that time denounced the absent woman
80 severely that I turned and said:
Madam, you have no right to pub
licly make n charge like that against
any one. Even If you had positive
proof that what you say is true, you
should keep your lips firmly sealed,
because no one knows but that some
day the bloodhounds Of Islander may
be hunting your own tracks" This
lady was very indignant. She said
that l charged her with the same
crimes Of which the absent woman
was supposed to be guilty. Within one
year that woman who was so bitter
in her criticism Of her sister was
proved guilty Of the same offense
which she charged against another.
My father in his younger days had
almost the same experience. When he
was about to be licensed for the Chris
tian ministry, minister was being
tried before the church court. While
my father stood waiting to be called
for his examination he heard CONVEX
sation between a merciless old minister
and forgiving young minister. The
old minister was very bitter against his
brother minister who was UP for trial.
old minister, perhaps there is some
mistake" "Now exclaimed the old
minister. IT do not want to hear any
thing in that mans favor. feel and
know he is guilty and therefore should
be condemned" within one year."
said my father, that old minister who
was so hard in his criticisms upon his
brother minister was charged with the
same crime. Within one year not only
was that old minister condemned in
the church court, but in the criminal
court of the state he was convicted by
jury which did not leave their seats"
| So my text has a more farreaching eff
feet than at first might be supposed.
The words Judge. not, that ye be not
Judged" imply that when we are harsh
and unforgiving and merciless and bit
ter and cruel in our criticisms OF 9th
ers then we ourselves are in all likeli
hood goaded on by our own sins in
making these criticisms about others.
Therefore II you and feel bitter
against the sins Of others 1t is high
time for us to examine our own sinful
hearts; It Is high time that we fall upon
our own knees in supplication and plead
with the Lord God Almighty that he
might cleanse us, that he might purify
us, that he might forgive us. 1t is the
sin in our own lives that urges us on to
condemn the sins in others. 1t is our
own evil eyes that are able to see only
the imperfections in others.
De Not Hasty to Condemn.
No man should rashly condemn an
other, because 1t is often impossible for
him to realize THAT were the mitigat-
ing circumstances in which the sin was
conceived. II all men were born free
and equal, as the American Declare
ton Of Independence optimistically de-
clares, you could judge them in the
bulk. You could Judge any two men
as you might test two bars Of steel
which come from the same mold. You
could Judge them, as you might say
that pound Of coffee ought to weigh
as much as a pound Of tea; but all
men are not born free and equal. We
are different In hereditary tendencies
Only a short time ago at convention
of the Women's Christian Temperance
union a delegate read the record Of a
woman with criminal tendencies who
died in 1927. The name Of this won-
an, for obvious reasons, was not told.
This woman Of criminal tendencies
has had up to date over 800 descend
ants. Seven hundred Of these descend
ants have been criminals and all were
convicted at least once and most Of
them more than once for crime. Thir-
ty-six of those descendants have been
murderers. And" said the speaker,
1.-The blood of that one woman Of Grim
inal tendencies has cost the nation In
eighty years over $780, 900 for trials
and executions and for the property
stolen or destroyed" Is not the blood
that flows in your veins happily differ
ent from that which flowed in the
veins Of those children?
We are different In the surroundings
Of babyhood and boyhood and young
manhood. Some men never knew the
love Of parent. Their father and
mother died when they were very
young. Instead Of being able to get
an education, as you and have been,
they were pushed out into the great
world unprepared for the struggle of
life and told to shift for themselves.
We are as different MS flowers are DIFF
ferent Some are planted In rich soil
1xN to- pNv ~,