The Neshoba Democrat., 1910-04-14

NEV MNW cAo'ASA . W., pu1 NoioAN
&SM crest not the beam that Is
II in, in thine own eye?-Matt
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, COW
etousness and worry; but his final
censure is spoken against "the crime
OF the tongue" probably because 1t is
the most prevalent and poisonous OF
all sins.
Fault finding is as common as the
1mperfections Of human nature. But
we must discriminate. There is cen
serious fault finding and there is a
Christian fault finding. Censorious
fault finding Is vice; Christian fault
finding Is virtue. Censorious fault
finding grows out Of a 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 it has beam
In It's 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
a beam in his eye is marked. No
pious goggles can hide his glaring 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 If he can.
| not find faults he will create them
and peddle them like smugglers who
| deal in contraband goods.
The field of fault finding is large
| one. Things and opinions and per.
sons offer wide opportunity. II a
man belongs to this class of critics
there is hardly 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 ye
mete 1t shall be measured to you
again" When Shakespeare said:
Who steals my purse steals trash
| But he that filches from me my good
| name,
Takes that which not enriches 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 shadow, the
slanderous word is boomerang,
Whatsoever man soweth that shall
-
dices and you will surely reap them,
measure out libel and it will not fail
to be measured back to you, invest
in falsehood and 1t will be paid back
to you with interest compounded.
Christian Fault Finding Helpful.
Christian fault finding is character
lied by three qualities, viz: 1t begins
at home, it Is tempered with mercy,
it 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. 1t Is hard to get an indict-
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 sees his own unhappy plight.
| Corrects his own defective sight,
| Then tries to set his brother right
| In tender mood.
| No posing attitude he takes
| While pointing out a friends mistakes,
| The evil news he gently breaks.
| And seeks the good.
If spot upon the sun appears.
| If dscord in the song he hears,
| If calm Is killed by ugly fears,
Or rumors wild.
| He secs the light, the shadows fly,
| He hears the music, discords die,
| Faith brings the heavenly Father nigh
| To guard his child.
And so he grows from day to day.
Not blind to errors devious way,
| Nor lost in some ethereal ray
To sins deep pain.
He finds the flaw, describes the cure,
,lr@