The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-14
:.5atSelf-t1ustification.'
(selected for rhe Times Dispatch,)


.'But lie willing to Justify himself
u What words do you insert after the
word "sald? 81 ,IIowSis it with Your sci II
!justifying and self-excusing heartF f
Do you say.G5."1f I am sincere in my
spirit and convictions, Il 10 mater Wi1e eth til-i
err i believe in the Bible or not. all will
be we'll with the here and Hereafter e..
Is tina. correct statement Of your
thoughts? IT sounds we'll IT sounds coll
elusive Yet, let me put q question that
/ may fully understand your postio
You speak Of sincerity. ask in what
are you sincere Does anything turn
upon the object Of your 2sincerity23 ~ Sup
pose you sincerely give to your customer n
over your counter, what YOU believe he
asked for; will you be Justified In the
dayfthat you find you have poisoned M. the
man: What does your sine rity go for
there? ia Il $
If you indicate to a traveller sincerely nee '
and to The best Of your knowledge. the
road by which he should reach q GER
tain destination; If IT be the wrong road.
or If by some sudden turn in the dark
ness the man falls over a precipice, will
your sincerity save you from self-re-5
proach Were you sure At was the road?
S.sNo, but y was sincere in thinking It
VAS. Did you ex pla in to the man that
you were speaking upon an assumption?
NO. thought there Swassno need to do
SO. i felt so sure But3now you see that
sincerity goes a very short way in cases
of that kind. 5.
We love sincerity. Without sincerity
life Is but a mockery. But Nv hat are
we sincere in? Is the object Of our sin
iccrity real and true and " deserving Of
our confidence? 81 Remember, we are 8fe-l
sponsible not only for the Il light we have.
but for the brighter light we may reacil
III the future.
Some young man will say and think he
is wise in saying, i intend to, walk ac-
icording& to- the light i have. and Ike Iii
consequences, The man who 50 speaks
talks In mock eries. You SO into some
way about It well enough. 7 offer yol
a light before YOU enter, which you re-
fuse. trusting to your own powers to
grope your way In the dark. You trip
and arc thrown down. greatly injurlns
yourself. WHO will be to blame ?1sYou
walked according to the light You had,
but tho light that was in you was dark
ness. Jt5 si5.
DO speak one word a gainst sincerity?
Certainly not. God is a spirit, and they
that worship Film must worship Him in
spirit and in5truth. 8
"But DO willing to Justify yourselt,
said - # II have been looking around,
and 1T strikes me that am every whit
rs good as other people. e" 'sH h s3 Il
Mould 1t be rude to contradict you?
Will 1t he polite to admit the truthf1l-
ness generally Of what you say
If the question only lay between you
and mo, it would DO right for each tc
! compare himself with the other. But5thc
case is not between one man and another
/ we greatly err In oircumscriblng Tho
.nucstlon thus.F The question lies be-
tween tho soul and God; between NAL
and Jesus Christ; between right ant
wrong, How does the case stand whet
| viewed thus2
We are to come to tho law and the
Testimony. We areto proceed to the cross
of Jesus Christ. We are to be- tried by
1 the balance standard of the sanctuary.
We are TO shut up ourselves with God
alone! He, then. who can boast must bf
a mad man, or N devil!
1 The flippant or cruel man will say; Il
this is your Christianity. II doubt that
4 i shall have much to do with 1t.
4 Yet all the While he knows perfectly
A well. that the wrong doing has beer
a done, not because Of their Christianity
4 A man looks over a LOT of money and
sees once bad penny in It, and, says
"Well if this is your currency, dosnoi
think shall have anything TO do With
IT. What would you think Of that man
u Would you introduce himsto your family
Would you make him no tutor OF your
i Iboys?
Il A man goes forth into your orcharS
and picks up q rotten apple. saying; q
{ shall Judge your crops by thls:" Wha
, would you think Of him Do you Say III
is wonderfully wisej q counsellor 10 b,