The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent | Page 8

we are told, "Jesus was
troubled in spirit." But the moment the evil one among the Apostles
was cast forth, the glorification of the Son of Man began.
So it is now, and so will it be hereafter.
Now, as long as there is evil in the Church, as long as there are sinners
who will not amend, as long as there are tares growing up with the
wheat,--so long "Jesus is troubled in spirit." But when the great Day
comes, when our true Joshua will lead the people of God into the
Promised Land, then He will sanctify His people by casting out from
among them the Achans; then from the company of His Elect the
Judases will be banished, and the Son of Man will be glorified indeed.
CONCLUSION.--Therefore, my Brethren, be careful to amend. You
may have been strayed sheep who have been mercifully brought back
to the fold, if so, amend your ways, and grow in holiness and in
spiritual health; or in the Last Day you will be thrust forth as incurable,
and the Children of God will be sanctified, whilst you are buried in the
valley of Achor.

XLI.
RASH DECISIONS.
4th Sunday after Trinity.
S. Luke vi. 37.
"Judge not--condemn not--forgive."
INTRODUCTION.--Our Lord here condemns all rash judgments. We
know not the motives of other men's actions, and therefore have no
right to pass a sweeping condemnation upon them. From our ignorance,

we ought to be cautious and merciful in our judgments, and from our
own weakness, we should be forgiving to those who have trespassed
against us.
Rash judgments arise from pride. It is because we are puffed up with a
high opinion of our own selves, our own goodness, the soundness of
our judgment, the sharpness of our perception, that we are so prompt to
pass judgment on others.
SUBJECT.--This same Pride urges us to something else, Persistency in
maintaining that on which we have determined, even after we know it
is unwise. It is of this which I am going to speak to-day. This fault is so
closely akin to rash judgment of others, that I may well address you on
the subject upon a Sunday when our Lord warns against the other.
I. Many a man, out of pride, sticks to what he says after he knows that
it is wrong. He will not admit that he is wrong, or he is moved by a
false sense of what is due to himself to hold to his word, or to his
opinion, when his conscience tells him that he is in error. You must
have met with those stubborn persons who are not to be moved by any
argument, not to be convinced by any proof, that they are wrong. They
have made up their minds once for all, and are no longer open to
reverse their decision.
Let us look to Scripture, and see if we have any examples of such. I
find two; and one of these is in a man of whom we might have hoped
better things--King David.
I. When David came to the kingdom, he was very anxious to show
kindness to any son of Jonathan whom he might find; and he heard of
Mephibosheth, who was lame in both his feet, and at once made over to
him all the landed property that had belonged to King Saul, his
grandfather. After seven years, Absalom, David's son, conspired
against his father, and David was obliged to fly from Jerusalem, with a
few friends. As David was escaping, there came to him Ziba, a servant
of Mephibosheth, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two
hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and an
hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. Then David asked Ziba

what these were for, and Ziba answered that he had brought them to the
king as a present, thinking he might need them in his flight. And the
king asked after Mephibosheth; then Ziba said, "O! he is at home in
Jerusalem, he said in my hearing, A good time is coming to me. To-day
shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father." Now all
this was a wicked lie. Mephibosheth had sent the present, and Ziba had
promised to tell David why his master could not come with him,
because he was crippled in both his feet, and could not get about. As
for any idea of recovering the throne of Saul, it had not once entered his
head. Now when David heard the slander of Ziba, he was very angry
with Mephibosheth, and at once he judged him, and condemned him,
without waiting to hear more, and said to Ziba, "Behold, I will give
thee all that belonged