The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-02

wishes Ia deliver us from everything. one
al the most beautiful deliverances Is that
Of fear by the spirit OF trust. But there
is n fear that the Gospel teaches us, that lie
,tprocla Inns, thatitsnoculntes, fear that
the Gospcl would wish TO put INTO all
souls-nnd that is tic fear Of doing harm
TO others, the fear of making a mistake,
when Judging ones fellow men q
Now, we arc generally afraidaof many
things which we ought not to- dread;
but OH that formidable point We arc III
trcpld.
OIL / can always see that l'harisee 60
ing up to tho temple, wlth2his heart bound
with tho triple culrass Of lie own j tee !
nothing renders ono more unjust than tc
ID TOO sure of ones own justice. can
geo him; lie Is there; lie stands before
God. 1'he knowledge That he is under
9aze that allows OF no sin, does not
trouble him. lie Is so blind that the
light does not dnzze hin, but nc sees
clearly into the wrctchedncss OF his rel
dow men; Ills contempt has wide-opeh
eyes, if his repentance has closed them.
t,rhen he prays and thanks God that lie
4 Ia not.an unjust man. lie says 1t III MS
own words, amongst tho sins OF Which
lie feels himself exempt, amongst the un-
cleanliness that has no place on MS
spotlcss and pure body. II thank thee,
o God" the Tharisce says, that - snm
not unjust" and rs he renders thanks
for not bcing unjust he commits the
most inhuman, tho most cruel, the most
revolving of all injusticcs toward the poor
man, who stands trembling and ashamed
by his side.
Pause before this immortal object lesson,
and then go and Judge, pass sentences.
make II your! business TO condenns no,
there is but one Judge. Let me not 'f ftl
into the hands OF men, but In your
Tathcrly hands. Q God, let me- fail.
II we cannot, for the love Of others,
make up our mind to leave off this
habit OF Judging, let It's do 80 for our our
own sake. Every false Judgment in our
mind Is a step toward death. False judg-
n,cnt u.s. In the mind, what a bad bank
note Is In a SAFE or u lcaden coin IN a
purse The moral fortune OF n man Is
seriously compromised by the great NUM-
her Of false bills In the coffcrs Of his
heart, In tho shape OF false judgments
upon men, cases and institutions.
"a Why do we nourish our soul with, doubt
full Judgments? Why go forward in the
world with our steps constantly ham
pered by all that we have done that i is
incompetent or wrong or hypocrltcal IN
Judging our fellow mon? We do not
+ see clearly. our judgments Of all about
us become thick forest, which arrests
our onward progress which conccals the
sun above our heads. In time, we bury
ourselves beneath the false judgments
passed upon our nelghbor, As the SPADE
fuls OF earth fall upon the cot fin. 50 does
each false Judgment which VIC hurl at
tho heads OF our fellow men recoll upon
us and bury US. sst
a public institution, a church. for In
stance, does itself great harm by judging.
without q mandate the faith Of others,
inasmuch as 1T sometimes excludes what
might nourlsh it, and retains the poison
that destroys It. ,G
Lot us be prudent. my brethren. A razor
+. in the hands Of a child is n dangerous
weapon, and a judgment In the hands Of
men, as they are made; that is; to say.
not qualified to be Judges, Is a MORALLY
dangerous instrument,
Let us allow ourselves to be corrected
by the One who has said Judge not
Let Sus learn from Him better justice,
"a moro merciful Justice. Not only is our
Justice coarse and liable to wound and
kill, It is also Impure and corrupted.
Human Justice is very often like the
rag that the great Tolstoy speaks or,
which, being soilcd itself cannot be used
to clean anything. Everything that
touches the foul rag is sulied. Our human
justice stains and soils what 1t pretends
TO clean.
Cease, therefore, from Judging, quit the
tribunal seat, let God alone preside there,
and be yourselves merciful. If you can
not help having an opinion, for It seems
impossible to think without Judging, do
not allow yourself to Judge without APP
pcal--kccp at the bottom OF Your heart
n Higher Court. Remember that our
opinions, like ourselves, are subject to
error. All judgments are subject to the
necessity OF revision by the only colnpe-
tent Judge. DO not set yourself up as
supreme judge. and do not lay a hand
ontthe work OF the Eternal Father. Our
Justice is an usurpcr--it usurps the throne
OF God. III what an abyss does 1t not
run the risk OF being cast?
This my brethren, is what have felt
myself called upon to say TO you to-day.
We prefer to hear more anlinble and
softer words; buff some truths are like
oil, which soothes and allevates wounds,
thcro are others that are like wine. whose
effect upon wounds Is painful. You know
that tho Good Samaritan, whenlle heipcd
the man who lay stunned and bathing in
his blood on tho wayside poured oil and