THE JUDGMENT OF THE JUST ONE.
By New World
THE Pharisee a sinner brought,
And to Jesus made this plea:
"Shall we, as our fathers taught,
Take her life, or set her free?"
But the Saviour, who discerned
All the evil that they planned,
No answer to their plea returned,
But, stooping, wrote upon the sand. Then they said, "The law divine
Bids us punish such as she;
But we wait for word of thine;
Shall we stone, or set her free?"
Then these words the plotters heard,
In the Saviour's sternest tone,
"Let the man who ne'er hath erred
Be the first to cast a stone." And, again, he, stooping, wrought
With his finger in the sand,
And each saw his inmost thought
Written by the Master's hand.
Ah! how often, Lord, do we,
Like those Jews of olden times,
Bring our erring friend to thee
To be judged for all his crimes,
Saying, "Lord, this man hath done
Evil things against thy name;
Let him for his guilt atone."
Still the judgment is the same
As those ancient Hebrews heard;
He to whom all hearts are known
Answers, "He who ne'er hath erred
Be the first to cast a stone."