Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-14
TALNAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

Chicago, Aug 1O.-A plea for for
bearance and the magnanimous treat
ment Of offenders is made by Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage in this ser
mon on the text Matthew vii. /.
Judge not, that We be not judged"
After Massillon, the great court
preacher of France. had finished one
of his sermons Louis XIV. summoned
him to his side and said: "Massillon,
how is 1t you impress me as you do!
have heard many great orators
preach. They nearly always please
me. But when you preach, instead Of
being pleased with you am always
discontinued with myself. always
feel that want to be better man
as we'll as a better king" We'll"
answered the great preacher, 1.-The
only way can account for it. your
preaching against myself. When
am about to make up sermon, l say
to myself, 'Massillon, what is the sin
which you have hardest work to battle
todayT And when l preach against
my own sins generally find that there
are similar sins in other hearts which
l am also preaching against" II there
is any truth In the words which Mas
sillon spoke to Louis XIV, this sermon
will carry n message to every pew
OF all sins there is none more cas-.
for speaker as well as nearer to fa,
into than the sin Of hypercriticism,
The sin Of censorious criticism is a
most universal because one Is apt
commit 1t at frst unconsciously an
without generalization or foreth0ughr
If party Of young people are toget
err, it Is not hard to find fault with H.
minister, and the doctor. and the dresS
maker, and the neighbours wife An
child and house and all that he has
1t is not difficult to lay the reputatio
of an absent member upon the dissec'
ing table Of traducement and cut an
hack 1t into pieces with cruel. sharI
merciless tongues. 1t is not always :
disagreed BILE opportunity to repeat thr
ISLANDERS and the vili6cations and tn
defamations and the Wholesale con
demnations which have been circulated
about the neighborhood in reference tt
other peoples characters.
Now, my text Is divine protes
against the hasty and the unjust Judg
ments with which we condemn our fel
low men. 1t is a divine protest t.
bring men and women to the realiza
ton Of the awful damage they are do
ing themselves, as we'll as others, b.
the pernicious habit of censorious crit
icism. 1t is protest to prove that
though we can honor men and low
men and praise men and help men, ye
we must not hate men or deride mel
or condemn men. Condemnation Is
divine prerogative. Condemnation l
thunderbolt which will shatter ever
human hand that tries to grasp 1t an
to hurl 1t. Condemnation Ia a poison
GUS fang which will destroy our ow1
lives as we'll as lacerate and instill tn
{ fatal poison into their flesh.
{ SIN of Hypocrisy.
Personally we should not condem
{ men. because. having imperfections 4
ourselves, we have no right to expec
, and demand perfection In others. NV
J were holy, perhaps we might have
u right to expect other people to be holy
I II we were pure minded, we Nigh
have a right to expect other people {
J be pure minded. II we loved the Lor
{ our God with all our heart and sol
{ and mind and strength; II we wer
: perfect husbands and perfect wives
{ perfect parents and perfect children
perfect In our love for our fellow mel
g we might expect others to be perfec
b But what right has the kettle to con
s plain about the pot being unclean
4 What right has the raven to croak b.
cause her young have wings as blac
4 as the night? What right has ii
Pharisee to stand up and condemn tt
!. poor publican, who stood afar of an
beat his breast. moaning. "God be me
II ciful to me, a sinner" when the Phai
d see himself was so sinful that he WI
4 like whited sepulcher. (which indee
!. appeared beautiful outward. but WI
u within full OF dead mems bones and q
, unclean" And what right have 20
a o hearer, to say your neighbor is
, bad man or a bad woman and shou
|. be condemned when you yourself hay
an evil eye and have not yet, by II
grace OF God. plucked It out2 wht
a you yourself have an evil hand or 70
II and have not yet amputated IT. Wht
you yourself have an evil tongue
- speak or an evil ear to listen again
a the deeds of your neighborsP
- What would you think Of dissolu
- judge condemning prisoner Mt Il
. bar for the same sins of which he biz