Graham guardian., 1912-04-26
INTERESTING SERMON
Delivered by Rev. Gardner
in M. E. Church, South,
Last Sunday

Sermon delivered by Rev. p. D..
Gardner in the M. E. Church South,
Sunday, April 21st.
The Sermon on the Mount was deliv-
cred to all sorts and conditions of
people. Jesus had word for the poor,
full of comfort, word of encourage
ment tosthe faint-hearted and weary,
and message of cheer for the perse-
cuted.
In one respect, however, his audience
was identical, all had sinned and come
short of the glory of God. In that con-
gregation where some who were profane
some dishonest, some impure in heart
and life, but all in some way had brok-
en- the moral law. On the outskirts of
the multitude where some Pharisees
who esteemed themselves better than
expression in the words God, we thank
thee that we are not as other men are.o
These Pharisees where universal CEN
sore, proud, cynical, fastidious, con-
temptuous, self-complacent, hypercrit-
ical. Minimizing their own faults. they
magnified their neighbors peccadillos.
The faults of others were virtues, in
comparison with their huge over
shadowing sin, consciousness. Cen
seriousness overshadows every other
fault. The slander spirit stands first in
the catalogue of deviiism, and is the
devils last resort to stain spotless
character, one that be cannot touch by
theconseht of the victim. Jesus had a
word for these Pharisees.
"Judge not that -ye be not judged. !"
srFor with what judgement ye Judge,
We shall be judged; and with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured
to you again.
"And why beholdest thou the mote
that is in thy brothers. eye, sbut con-
siderest not the beam that is in thy
own eyer"
"Or how wilt thou say it to thy broth
er, let me pull out the mote out of thine
eye, and, behold, beam is in thine own
eyer"
'Thou hypocrite, first cast out the
beam out of thine own eye, and then
thou shalt see clearly to cast out the
mote, out of thy brothers eye."
The critics, like the poor, are ubiqui-
tous. Heathen mythology tells us
that when the Gods had determined to
engage in the work of creation, that
Jupiter made man, Neptune, bull, and
Minerva house. Momus standing by,
found fault With the man because there
was no window in his breast, with the
bull, because his horns were not below
his eyes, and with the house because, it
was not upon wheels, so that the in
habitants might move away from un-
pleasant neighborhoods. For this CEN
serious, fault-finding spirit, Momus was
unceremoniously cast out of the divine
councils, and ever since he has been
wandering up and down the earth. And
to-day his name is legion. There are
multitudes of people who are adopts at
criticising others. The critics never
work only certain muscles of the face,
, and that unruly member the tongue.
| asked young lady one time If she
could sew and she said, 81 do not know
how to sew, but can rip most beauti-
I! fully" There are many who can break
down, destroy and rip, but many fail
ures come when it is time for construc-
| tive work.
! To fill the Office Of critic, requires
wisdom and tact. Fault-fnding is not
a sin within itself. 1t sometimes be-
comes an imperative duty. The scrip.
lures enjoin it in these words, "Reprove,
rebuke, with all long-suffering and
doctrine. Then what are the essentials
to a successful censor? How can 9
critic remove the mote from his broth.
er's eye? How can he fill the self-ap-
pointed Office in manner to be helE
to his neighbors, benefit to the com.
munity, and maintain his own respect
and priority2 Permit me to offer the
following suggestions:
Get right yourself. Christ says,
"And why behoidest thou the mote
that Is in thy brothor's eye, but con-
sderest not the beam in thine own eye,
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother,
let me pull out the mote out of thine
eye, and behold beam is in thine own