Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-05-04
TheSin andFony
Of Fault-Finding

In these words Jesus finds fault
with fault finding. criticises the censo
rious critic. Judges the self-compla.
cent Judge. satirizes the blind oculist
In the sermon on the mount he re.
serves his rebuke of consciousness
to the last. He has condemned anger
lust, perjury, violence. hypocrisy. GOV
etousness and worry; but his final
censure Is spoken against the crime
OF the tongue" probably because II is
the most prevalent and poisonous of
all sins.
Fault finding is as common as the
tmperfections Of human nature. But
we must discriminate. There is a CEN
Serious fault finding and there Is q
Christian fault finding. Censorious
fault finding is vice; Christian fault
finding Is virtue. Censorious fault
finding grows out Of desire to de-
stroy: Christian fault finding grows
out OF desire to save. Censorious
FAULT finding is illustrated In the Phar.
isees slandering Jesus: Christian
fault finding Is seen in Jesus point
Ing out the sins of the Pharisees.
censorious Fault Finding WRONG.
Censorious fault finding has certain
features by which it may be easily
recognized. Jesus says 1t has a beam
In its own eye while 1t is trying to
cast the mote out of the other mans
eye. A man with mote in his eye
may pass undetected, but a man with
beam in his eye Is marked. No
pious goggles can hide his glazing ex-
crescence
The familiar figure of Uncle Sam,
as drawn by the cartoonists, cannot
be mistaken. Neither can this man
as cartooned by the Master. The
beam is always there. 1t is the beam
Of self-complacent pride, pious ego
tism, harsh criticism, malicious SIAN
der. The censorious critic denounces
drunkenness while he himself is in
toxicated with pride, condemns lar.
ceny while he himself steals and de-
stroys good regulations. reprimands
lying while he himself is a walking
lie. Faul finding is no accident with
him; 1t is his business. and IL he can
not find faults he will create them
and peddle them like smugglers who
deal In cOntraDand goods.
The field of fault finding is a large
one. Things and opinions and per-
sons offer a wide opportunity. II a
man belongs to this class of critics
there is hardly a thing in heaven or
earth that he will not criticise.
1t Is something like this that Jesus
means when he says. with what
judgment ye judge. ye shall be
judged; and with what measure We
mete 1t shall be measured to you
again" When Shakespeare said:
Who steals my purse steals trash
But he that flches from me my good
name.
Takes that which I,ot enrlches him
And makes me poor indeed
he uttered a great truth, but there is
an additional truth not expressed by
Shakespeare, viz, that the inevitable
result of fault finding impoverishes
and embitters the man who finds
fault. 1t is, therefore. the most mex.
cusable folly.
The bitter judgment has an echo,
the cruel criticism has a shadow, the
slanderous word Is boomerang.
Whatsoever a man soweth that shall
he also reap" Sow a crop of preju-
dices and you will surely reap them,
measure out libel and II will not fail
to be measured back to you, invest
in falsehood and it will be paid back
to you with interest compounded.
Christian Fault Finding Helpful.
Christian fault finding is character
lied by three qualities, viz: II begins
at home, 1t is tempered with mercy,
II aims to save. The only man who
is qualified to Judge others is the
man who has first rightly Judged him
self Self-judgment which is Just and
thorough is the most difficult kind of
judgment II is hard to get an lndict-
ment against ourselves and harder to
get conviction.
But in the case OF the other man
the fault is the only thing else we
see. There is profound philosophy
back of this self-judgment.
He secs his own unhappy plight.
Corrects his own defective sight.
Then tries to set his brother right
In tender mood.
40 posing attitude he takes
While pointing out "A friends mistakes.
. Inc evil news ne EenIly breaks.
And seeks the good.
IT spot upon the sun appears
n discord in the song he hears.
II calm is Killed by ugly fears
or rumors wild.
lie sees the light. the shadows ny.
lie hears the music. dlscords die
Faith brings the heavenly Father nigh
To guard his child.
And so he grows from day 20 day.
Not blind TO errors devious way.
Nor lost In some ethereal ray
To sins deep pain.
tie finds the flaw, describes the cure.
Reveals the faults to make them fewer
re seeks with goodness to allure.
And cleanse the stain.
This is versb1ed description Of the
only man who is qualified TO find fault
What y beautiful world this would be
II this spirit could be substituted for