SELECTIONS by Presbyterian

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 21, 1858

SELECTIONS.

By Presbyterian

Censoriousness.

Do professing Christians exclude censoriousness from the catalogue of sins? We should judge so, from the extent to which some of them practice it, and their apparent unconsciousness, whilst indulging it, that they are doing any wrong. Some who make a loud profession, and are terribly scandalized at other people's sins, are sinning in this way all the time. It is the staple of their conversation. They can never talk about things, but only about people, and this to present their characters in the worst possible light. There are certain persons in almost every community, with regard to whom any one may positively conclude without any further information, that he is the object of their animadversions whenever he is so unfortunate as to be the object of conversation where they are present. They do it in his hearing as to the absent; why should he not share the same fate when his back is turned? The butcher knife is always in their hands; why should it not be thrust into him?

Unsparingly do they cut and mangle the good names of their neighbors. A word of praise spoken of any one, however meritorious, is but the signal for these vultures to bring out their tainted morceau as a set-off to the compliment. None escape their leprous touch, except the favored few whom they are pleased to regard as special friends. No presence can silence their busy tongues. The pent-up gall and acid must find constant vent. The unfortunate husband of a censorious wife is doomed to listen from day to day to doleful acrid diatribes on the stupidity of Mr. A., the extravagance of Mrs. B., the bad housekeeping of Mrs. C., the pretension and snobbishness of Mr. D., the frivolity of Miss C., the unruly children of Mrs. E., the dull sermons of Dr. F., the neglect of pastoral duties of Dr. G., or the ambition of the Rev. Mr. H. Even in the presence of her own children she cannot refrain from laying the lash on any and every body, and other guests are entertained with the same edifying conversation.—Presbyterian.