The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-04-06

Judge not tina; ys be not Judged
Matt al
In the command. Judge not lest We
be judged" Jesus does not mean that
We are not to form judgment at all
upon persons or their actions. That
would be an abnegauon OF reason and
col7mon sense. We must form an In
telligent opinion of the conduct Of
others or progress would be impos-
sible in business, in literature, In art
or in society in general. A careful.
confederate, mature judgment is not
ruled out BY the command, Judge
not"
! It does not mean that We are not
to judge ourselves. for this Is an i'm
perative duty. The famous maxim.
Know thyself." was claimed as an In
SEPARATION from heaven itself. Such
knowledge can come only from self.
examination and a dispassionate iudg-
ment Of our own natures.
The reference. then. positively
viewed. Is plain forbidding Of a
harsh. censorious. uncharitable judy
ment Of one another. It is a peremp-
tory disapproval or bitter denuncia-
ton, OF prematurely formed state
ment. and Of the hastily performed
action consequent upon the minds
preripitate decision. 1t cuts up by
the root any tacit or ayowed claim to
personal infallibility We may have
been entertaining or putting forth con-
corning our views. It shows US that
We cannot place ourselves justly in
position where we can assert that
everybody differing from US is of ne.
cessity in the wrong. either in thought
OF in action.
It has been said with a great show
of tTath that men have not only many
OF the physical features Of the lower
animals in their own faces. but also
the characteristics of these. their poor
relations. It is a sure sign of the Turk.
ing or open depravity OF human nature
that such muldtudes seek out the
Weaknesses, the foibles, the failings OF
their fellow-men. There is no con.
sheraton OF the motives which may
have led men to do that for which
they are so severely denounced, no
weighing and balancing tho arguments
by which they may e been led
to their decision; no putting OF ones
self in their place. and looking at
things from their point OF view, and
no regard paid to the temptation or
the difficulty which may have been
before them.
1t was the constant violation of this
ever-pressins command OF Christ which
made the poet cry out: Cruel ans
cold Is the judgment of man." but by
and by will the deed and the plan be
judged by the motive which lieth be-
low.
That gentle-hearted. yet lion-hearted.
Caroline Fry. who ION her way by fol.
lowing her Saviour's precept and ex.
ample to the better nature OF the lost
ones OF earth. has told US to consider
the dangers and the sorrows that lie
in the path OF all to their eternal
home; to think OF their secret pangs.
their untold agonies, their hidden
wrongs. Then will the heart grow
soft with pity toward our kind. How
can -tell what the censured person
suffers? That fault will cost dear
enough without my aid. So we shall
fear by harsh word to add to that
which is too much already. as one
would shrink from putting his finger
into a fresh wound"
We are not to forget. in considering
this Injunction of Christ, that It is
very probable that the faults or the
conduct in general. and in particular.
Of others, are never presented to our
innernost selves without distortion or
exeggeration, or. to say the least. with
OFT strong coioring from the media
Of our own moods. whims. peculiari.
ties. conditions. or feelings.
-Four things" said Socrates. BE
long to the judge-to hear courteous
". to answer wisely, to consider sober
". End to decide impartially." And
Lord Bacon maintains that Judges
ought to be more learned than witty,
more reverent than plausible. and
more advised than confident. Above
all things. integrity is their portion
and proper virtue"
The ideas of the greatest philoso-
piers are substantially alike. and
should be the governing principle in
private as well as in official life. And
these are put together in an admirable
canon by that eminent thinker. John
Locke: "He that judges without in.
forming himself to the utmost that he
is capable of cannot acqult himself OF
judging amiss."
The spirit that our divine Lord
breathed and exemplifed must be our
spirit. II we must obey his voice and
be in deed and truth Christians. He
said: 81 came not to Judge the world"
1t is the same term used In the Judge
not" OF his sermon on the mount; as
though he had said: T, who might