"Cast out the beam from thine own eye, then shalt thou see clearly to
cast the mote out of thy brother's eye."
Mary's mother cheerfully gave her leave to go home with Clara, the next
day. She knew and highly esteemed Mrs. Spaulding, and was very glad that
her daughter should be intimate with her family.
Mrs. Spaulding greeted the girls with a smile and a kind word; then
said, "Mary, you began last evening to make a remark about Emma
Woodbury. Will you tell me what you were going to say?"
"Certainly," replied Mary; "I was going to say that Emma scarcely ever
asked the advice of her mother, or her consent to do anything or go
anywhere; and I know a great many girls who act in the same way."
"And I," added Clara, "intended to say that Jane Clifton's mother was
one of those whom you spoke of, as never conversing with children in a
rational and reasoning manner."
"I guessed as much," said Mrs. Spaulding. "I told you," she continued,
"there was another point upon which I wished to say a few words to you.
Can you think what it is?"
"I cannot," said Mary. "Nor I either," said Clara; "certainly, I see no
harm in the words we uttered."
"True," responded Mrs. Spaulding, "there was no harm. It was not the
words you spoke, but the tone in which they were spoken, that attracted
my attention; as if you were _glad_ to be able to point out somebody to
whom the reproof could be applied. This failing is a common one, and our
Savior may have had it in view, when he said to his followers, on the
mount, 'Cast out the beam from thine own eye; and then shalt thou see
clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye.' My object now, my
dear children, is to caution you against a failing, which is almost
universal, namely, of seeing distinctly and reproving faults in others,
while we appear to be quite unconscious that we ourselves are in the
practice of the same or worse defects.
"This blemish develops itself in a variety of ways. The pastor preaches
an excellent sermon, wherein is contained some allusion to faults which
ought to be corrected. If the people had treasured up in their hearts
all his exhortations, they would not have forgotten one which he has
often endeavored to impress upon their minds; I mean, the duty of
self-communion, self-examination; and when he should have occasion to
allude to faults, they would, one and all, ask themselves, 'Am I guilty
of this wrong? Let me see; and if I am, let me correct it in future.'
Instead of this, how frequently do we hear such expressions as these:
'The remarks in the sermon this morning applied to Mr. A or Mrs. B, very
well, and it is to be hoped they will see it, and profit by it.' Now if
such individuals, instead of trying to find others who are guilty of the
wrong indicated, would only carefully look within themselves, ten
chances to one they would find that they deserved the rebuke as much as
any one else.
"Children insensibly contract the same bad habit of looking very sharply
for the faults of others, never once thinking that they may have some,
which, if not precisely the same, may be even worse. Thus if the pastor,
superintendent, or one of the teachers, addresses the Sabbath school,
calling the attention of the scholars generally to any fault, each
scholar ought to ask himself at once, 'Is it I?' and not look round
complacently and ask, 'Who _can_ it be?' or say, 'I guess the speaker
means to refer to Lilly A or Edgar B.'"
"Well," said Mary, "I must confess that I have done this often, and
without being conscious of any wrong feelings; some how or other, I did
not consider that the reproof belonged to me; or ever ask myself if I
had committed the fault which was exposed."
"For this reason, I remarked," continued Mrs. S., "that children
insensibly contract this habit from their parents; and the defect
extends to physical as well as moral errors. Not long since, I had an
interesting conversation with Mr. R., a well-known philanthropist and
physiologist, who is devoting his life to the alleviation of some of the
ills of human existence. He told me that, a short time before, he
delivered a lecture to parents on the physical training of their
children, and pointed out the great mistakes which are often made. On
retiring, said he, I overheard many remarks, but not one spoke as if I
had addressed him. Every one could point to some one else who might well
profit by the lecture; but not one would believe that I meant to say to
each individual present, as Nathan said unto David, 'Thou art the man.'"
"I am sure," observed Clara, "I never felt the full force of this saying
of our Savior before, although I have read it a hundred times. I shall
read the whole chapter again, carefully, to-night."
"And so will I," added Mary.
"Do so, my children," said Mrs. S., "and read in the same careful spirit
the whole Sermon on the Mount, and all our Savior's teachings. Many
people, old and young, read the New Testament because they are told to,
without thinking that there is an active, living principle in it, a
thought to be treasured up and carried out in our daily lives, in almost
every word the Master uttered. Those who _do_ read it in the true
spirit, find new pleasure and new instruction every time they peruse it.
"And finally, to come back to our subject, when you hear your
schoolmates making uncharitable remarks about others, use all your
influence, especially by your own example, to make them correct the
habit. And when you hear a sermon in church, or an address in the
school, where any faults are exposed, ask yourselves if the rebuke
applies to you; and if it does, set about correcting the fault
immediately. Do this always. 'Cast the _beam_ out of thine own eye,'
correct your own errors, then will you see clearly to 'cast the _mote_
out of thy brother's eye.'"
Mary returned home that evening well pleased with the two conversations
she had taken part in; and better still, she and Clara profited by them.
I am happy to add, that their schoolmates are gradually correcting many
evil habits by the good example of these two girls; and thus Mary and
Clara have the double satisfaction of improving their own conduct, and
of being instrumental in improving that of others.