“Of Some have Compassion, Making a Difference.”
SUCH is the direction of the apostle Jude. And this instruction is worthy of our continued remembrance. Some persons have been carefully instructed in the nature of evil, and all their lives long have been warned against it. Others meet temptation without any warning, and are overcome before they were made acquainted with the nature of their danger. Now it is plain that those who have never been warned nor counseled concerning their foes that lie in ambush to surprise them, are entitled to our compassion as those cannot be who have been faithfully warned before. And this is only one circumstance in the cases of such persons. While we should show no partiality in dealing with those who depart from God, we should nevertheless take the circumstances of all transgression into the account; and when justice and equity are not sacrificed, we should have compassion of some, making a difference. Unless men can have wisdom in this very thing, they are poorly prepared to deal with those who have erred from the right way in the church of Christ.