THE DUTY OF REPROOF

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 15, 1859

THE DUTY OF REPROOF.

WE have recently met with an obituary, the writer of which seems to have got entirely out of the stereotyped common place of such performances. Describing the subject of his notice just as he was, he gives currency to some traits of character which are alike rare and worthy of commendation. One of these is thus mentioned:

“He was a bold reprover of infidelity, and of profanity, especially that which seemed to be intended as an insult to God and religion. He would reprove any man of his acquaintance, let his position be ever so prominent, who was in the habit of ridiculing religion even in a public hotel where he said such conversation was abusive to all the travellers who had been brought up in Christian morals.”

Would that there were more such! Few duties of the Christian profession are so generally neglected, even by sincere and earnest men as that of reproof. Private expostulation with a wrong doer is unfrequent, while public rebuke of public sins is still more rare. And yet it is in reality not difficult to perform. The reprover has the conscience of the offender on his side; he has the general sense of the community, the claims of propriety, and the demands of duty all with him. What he needs is “meekness of wisdom,” a mild but firm representation of the wrong done, and a sense of dependence on God for strength to perform the duty, and grace to make it effectual.

Profanity and abuse and ridicule of religion, are sins so gross and inexcusable, so painful to all devout and well bred persons, so opposed to all decency, so injurious to the young and thoughtless, and so gratuitous in themselves, that no Christian should ever hesitate a moment in reminding the transgressor of his sin, and his exposure to Divine wrath. “Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.” “He that rebuketh a man, afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with his tongue.”—Christian Inteligencer.