Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-10-22

won their pardon for past crimes. not
by repcntant hearts. but by trying to
brn. the outlaws of Mexico men like
themselves To justice. In the scene of
my text these scribes and Pharisees.
sinful men ut heart, sinful in their
past lives. We're striving by their ac-
cusation of this wicked woman To gain
a character for virtue and purity that
they knew they did not deserve.
But what did Christ do: Did he
say: "ihariSec. thou art libertine.
Scribe. thou art morally corrupt" Oh,
no! lie turned and simply held up be-
fore their countenances the mirror of
convicting conscience. in which they
could see their own sinful selves.
Christ said. lie that is without sin
among you. let him first cast n stone ut
her. Then one by one they skunk
away. So. my friends. when you and l
today. going forth into Il sinful world.
are trying To prove this woman is bad
and that man is bad and that young
boy is bad and that young girl is bad.
we are not deceiving God as to our
own characters. We do not improve
our standing at his bar by dcnouncing
others. Rather by our harsh and I'M
charitable judgment we are proving
ourselves deserving of condemnation.
Let u; refrain from casting stones ut
the sinner. We must all answer for
our own deeds mt his bar who said.
HE that is without sin. let him first
cast II stone ut her" And without one
exception we must all either stink
away before the flashing eye of Christ
or. like the poor publican in the temple,
moan. "G od. be mercful to me. n sinner!"
The divine law l.; Omniscient. Evil
deeds That Tie world does not know of
are known to Cod. and at his judg-
ment bar the evidence Of them will
confront the wrOngdoer il they have
not been pardoned through Christ
Even in this world crimes long ago
committed and successfully hidden
have heen unexpectedly disclosed and
brought home to the perpetrator. The
Rev. DR.. Dome I'm one of his sermons
gave Il very dramatic incident OF his
early life. During his first passionate
he was one day watching the sexton
digging grave by his village church.
Suddenly he threw out of the grave
the skull of Il man. When DIR. Dome
picked ii up he found II headless nail
sticking in the top of the skull. He
said nothing about the nail. but asked
the sexton. ITO whom did this skull
belong?" He found that it was the
skull of drunken fellow who one
night was found dead in his bed from
the results. as the people supposed, Of
an attack of delirium tremcns. DIR.
Dome asked: Had he a wife? Was
she living yet! What character was
she!' Very good" said the sexton.
with one exception; the neighbors do
say she married her second husband
on the day after the funeral of her
first husband" DIR. Dome walked from
that graveyard to where the woman
was then living. who was once the
her Mortified eyes the skull and the
nail sticking in the skull. Woman"
said he. do you know this nailI' She
acknowledged that she did. She con-
fessed to the crime of murder commit
ted many years before. And on ac-
count of her confession and the con-
victing evidence she was hanged for
that crime. Oh. my friends. be not
among the scribes and Pharisees who
have no mercy. no charity for sinners!
Have our lives been immaculate! Is
there any evidence against us that may
confront us when we are mercilessly
assailing our erring brother or sister?
1t will be shameful. humiliating.
position to stand convicted before
Christ Of those sins DO you not feel
that Jesus is speaking to us. as he
spake to the prosecutors of old. HE
that Is without sin. let him first cast
a stone at herT'
Gentlencss For the Repentant.
But. though the divine law was and
is so hard upon the unrepentant sinner.