The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-08-19
On the Judging of Others.

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Did you ever notice two people taking
for any length of time and observe how
much of the conversation is made up OF
reference to others, their acts and ways!
And further, how much Of that plentiful
criticism is adverse?
Go back over yesterday and trace, ii
you can, the kind judgment you put upon
record-either in your own mind or in the
minds of others-concerning your fellow
dency when you have done this viii be TO
at once defend yourself for the Judgments
you have made, and in many cases perhaps
they would seem justifabie think!
Are you willing to be judged by the same
Judgment? To be measured with the same
measure with which you have condemned
him? Perhaps even this you may say IN
your righteous wrath you are willing 70 DO,
but think once more! Given that mans
ditary tendencies. his weaknesses, his tenn
permanent, and, above all, his temptstione
Leaving out. of course, all advantages
that you have had and he has not then,
would you be willing to be judged as se-a
verely as you have judged him? Y
And it may be true, if all truth were
known, that he deserves such lndgment;
but even so, Christ says, that, Judgment 10
not for us to give, but for Him.
There are two reasons why this law OF
Christ's is right. The first is because it ls
upon this earth, should with our earthly
vision and understanding, know all the
circumstances of any mans acts but our
own. There is one person whose Judgment
has been committed to our care If We
choose to look into it, and that is our own.t
There is no great danger that our judg-
ments of ourselves will be too severe.
The second reason is that the Judge
should be without fault. Can any one OF
US aspire to that position?
And if we needed any more Of Christi
words upon this subject, after the lesson
that we have before US, we have them IN
the chapter where the sinful woman was
brought to Him, and He said to her ae-
cusers: HE that is without sin among you,5
let him first cast stone at her. g
And yet to-day we cast our stones az
gayly as though they were not crushing
the life from some heart for whom Christ
died.
But when YOU think OF the long years
of careful training your parents gave you,
of your fathers patience and your moth-
er's prayers. do YOU think it can be any
greater in Gods eyes than the way you
lose your temper every day? You spoke
roughly to your mother this morning, or
to your friend Wait until day comes
when you have not lost your temper, or
yielded in the least to your besetting sin,
before YOU presume to Judge your neigh;
bor. If this. rule were c.mmon among
Christians it would make vast difference
not only in our conversations. but In our
feelings one toward another. Harsh judg-
ments, even though they may be true
often lead to misunderstanding and life
long arrangements between people who
were meant to be help to one another.
The time is coming when we shall have
the right to judge; when We shall sit on
thrones and Judge. But it is not yet. For
in that day We shall be washed whitot
from every spot and blemish.
And it may be that just the beam that
is in our own eyes is the very beam Of not
loving our neighbor. So. without love,
how could we rightly Judge? For our judg-
ments differ vastly when the case is our
own. 1t is the old story of whose OK is
gored." 1t is the love that Christ bears to
souls aQd His knowledge of their tempta-
tiops that makes Him the righteous Judge.
And God has given JUDGMENT into His
hands-Grace Livingston Hill, in the New
York Mail and Express.