The Moral Value of Praise and Censure
Praise is not always sweet; nor is censure always bitter. The moral value of either praise or censure depends greatly upon the moral value of the person who proffers it. The steady-going Christian would not be greatly flattered by the praise of the regular frequenters of the drinking-saloon, nor would he feel much discouraged to know that the same body of persons had passed a unanimous vote of censure upon his over-righteousness and lack of the spirit of good-fellowship. To be praised by some people is reason enough to make us ask what evil we have done; to be censured by them is a mark of honor. When we are praised, then, or when we are blamed, is it not worth while to ask ourselves who does it, and why?—Sel.