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


goes John Newton unless he had been
saved by the grace Of God" Hontjo
Seymour, twice governor Of New York.
in large religious meeting once SOL
cmnly declared: "In my time, rs the
chief executive Of the state Of New
York, have had to examine hundreds
Of applications for pardons. After !
had carefully examined them and fully
entered into the lives of the convicted
and realized the influences which
caused those crimes I am free to con-
fess that had had the same influ-
ences about me as those men had in
every case I should have committed
the same crimes, II not blacker ones"
Oh. my brother. instead of condemn
ing your brother put yourself in your
erring brothers place. Get down on
your knees and offer a prayer Of graf
itude that you have not been tempted
as he Is tempted. You ought to get
down on your knees and thank God
that even in your lesser temptations
you have been saved solely by an in.
spring faith in a divine love which
brothers sinful heart.
No human being should condemn his
neighbor, because 1t is only the loving
tear Of pleading sorrow that can
quench the fires Of sin and not the
sharp tongue which "breaketh the
bone" 1t is only the warm, gentle,
protecting. outstretched arm Of
friend that draws the sinner toward
God and heaven; not the clinched fist
of an enemy. Did you ever see
minister who became a better min
lister through the fault finding of his
congregation? Did you ever know Of a
wife who became better wife be-
cause her husband talked against her
to his neighbors? Do you know of one
human being who was brought closer
to your heart and to God by being
demeaned In the eyes Of his fellow
men through bitter denunciations that
you hurled against him? No! No!
SANDER and vili6cation and traduce-
ment and disparagement and evil ru-
NOR, repeated by your lips, never soft
ened or purified sinful heart. They
only drove the sinner farther away
from you and farther from God.
Guard Carefully the Tongue.
Most people are Influenced in life by
sharp words and fault findings a great
deal as was the little boy who was left
in the care Of an elder brother by the
death Of his parents. The older broth
er wanted to bring his younger brother
up to be a good man, SO he was very
sharp and strict with him. Whenever
the younger son would do wrong the
older brother would scold or punish
him. The result was that the younger
instead of growing better seemed to
become worse. One day the elder
brother was going down street, utterly
discouraged, when be met the village
minister. What is the matter, JohnT'
said the pastor You look very blue"
WELL" answered the young man, Il
am blue. You know father died some
months ago and left Charley in my
care. 1t seems as though I can do
nothing with the boy. He becomes
more and more perverse every day.
whip and scold him. punish him IN
every way. 1t seems to do no good"
Then the old minister, with a twinkle
in his eye. placed his hand upon the
young mans shoulder as he said: my
boy, have you ever tried the power OF
lover Have you ever praised Charley
when he did we'll? Have you ever
kindly sat down by his side when he
did wrong? Instead Of scolding him,
have you ever tried to be gentle with
him? Go home, my boy, and try the
power Of praise and love. Perhaps
you have been too severe with your
tongue upon your younger brother"
mind that he would try the power Of
praise and love. Instead Of scolding
Charley he tried to help him by kind
ness. He played with him in his
games; he helped him in his lessons;
he praised him when he did we'll. The
result was that Charley became a diff
ferent boy. One day the little fellow
looked up into the face of his big
brother and said. with happy smile
"Why. Jack, l never knew until lately
that you loved me-" SO by our harsh
words and censorious criticisms we
drive men farther and farther away
from God, but by loving, kind and gen.
tie words We can save men instead OF
destroying them; we can lift men ur
instead Of casting them down; we can
inspire men with hope instead OF rem.
dering them helpless with despair; we
can bind the human race together by
ties of holy affection instead Of an
tagonizing them as mortal foes.
1t is possible to criticise even thu
best Of men. The story is told that
Zeuxis, the famous Greek artist
painted a wonderful picture of a boy
holding a dish of grapes. The pic
ture was so wonderful that the birds
flew through the open window ant
with their bills pecked at the grapes
which the artist bad drawn. Blu,
though there were thousands ready t.
praise, there were still many censo
rious critics who condemned the pic
ture For" said the evil minded
critics, 1T the boy had been painted
as perfectly as the dish Of fruit thu
birds would have been afraid to ap
proach the dish which the lad Is sup
posed to hold in his hand" 1t is pos
sible to harshly Judge the actions O
even the best Of men. Therefore 4
is very easy by bitter criticism t.
destroy thousands who might be saved
by the gentleness Of loving, forgiving