HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1936-10-22, Page 3“THE CENSORIOUS MIND”
Sermon preached by Rev. D. C. Hill
S-ADVOCATE 1TI.URSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1936
■Old Age Sees TJn'ough Glamorous
Harm in Fault-Finding—Intelligent Persons Guilty«-Pei,sons Who Hav
JFWflcd Console Themselves-
Reinedy is Christian Chnrity
THE EXET
For Security and Stability—Insure with the
The following sermon was deliv
ered in Caven Presbyterian Church
Bunday evening by the .Minister
Rev. D. C. Hill and is one that is
applicable to all.
the
(1st Corinthians XIII 7.)
Charity . . , believetli all things
"The Censorious Mind” that is the
theme for this evening. Once upon
a time I was in the company of a
man well-informed concerning
cj<flrch activities, the possessor of a
sharpy tongue. I confess that for the
firgi .quarter of an hour I rather en
joyed his clever, if somewhat cutting
comments about various leaders in
different churches. But as the stream
of fault-finding continued uncheck
ed for a couple of hours I became
exceedingly weary, not to say dis
gusted. Appartenly there was no
man or woman prominent in any
church who was worthy of praise,
There was no minister who could
preach. Nobobdy of intelligence,
None who were not actuated by un
worthy motives, or lackingin honesty
or soon discouraged,
Now nobobdy is perfect. Doubt
lessly all these people had faults
and limitations. Yet I know that the
vast majority of them are good men
and women, men and women who
are making this world a better place
to live in, in many cases at the cost
■of considerable self-sacrifice. I know
this I say. Yet at times this man’s
cynical remarks concerning them
will come to my mind. And just be
cause they stick because they can
not be completely forgotten, they do
harm. They act as a poison in my
judgment.
I mention this to illustrate what I
mean by the censorious mind. A
fault-finding mind. One that is ap
parently incapable of sincere admir
ation.
It does harm; immense harm. We
frequently speak of the harm that
is done by gossip. Well, gossip often
dees harm, more harm than can be
remedied, although much gossip is
no more than an innocent passing on
of news. But this love for fault
finding is comparable to gossip in its
worst and most aggravated form,
^.deed it amounts to nothing more
'less .than downright
gossip.
vWe are all of us liable to fault
finding, to deliberately ....... ..
other people and. their accomplish
ments. But thei’^are two or three
types of people who are especially
liable.
Intelligent persons Liable
First, people of superior intelli
gence. This is one of their chief
temptations. Just because they have
brains, because they can see thro’
shams, because their standard of
judgment is a high one, they are apt
to engage in fault-finding. They see
the mistakes that people are making
continually. Their judgment has .to
condemn the efforts of so many
people that they easily slip into the
habit of condemning
They recognize so many
that they jump to the
that everyone who claims
tention is a montebank.
It is easy for an intelligent per
son to become a chronic fault-find
er; but it is none the less fatal. The
gentleman I referred to in the be
ginning has above the average in
telligence. But he has never won
the position that his brains entitle
him to. Ahd the reason is that no
body can stand his continual fault
finding.
You see, this attitude antagonizes
people. They are afraid to assoc
iate with such a man, lest on some
future occasion he hold up their
foibles to public derision. Now it is
difficult to accomplish anything use
ful without the help of others. There
is hardly a business so small that it
does not require the cooperation of
at. least two people. The fault-find
er cannot work with others, and so
his sphere of usefulness is strictly
limited, even though he be himself a
capable man.
Advertising Your Owen Failure
Again, fault-finding is apt to be
the weakness of men and women
who have failed. Not able to suc
ceed themselves, they find satisfac
tion, at anyrate compensation, in as
cribing the fortune of others to auy-
thihg but ability. Luck or favori
tism is the usual explanation. I sup
pose it is a form of jealousy, and
jealousy, while widely prevalent, is
■one of the unloveliest of human'
characteristics. If you are templed
to belittle the achievements of others
bear in mind, that by yielding to
the temptation you will be adver
tising your own failure.
Then the censorious mind is often
found in those who are growing old.
Some people are mellowed by age,
but others are not. What they say
may be intended as an expression of
loyalty to a generation that has
passed away, but it manifests itself
by seeing no good in. what the pres
ent generation does. As a matter
of fact, one generation is very like
another. As a student of history,
I cannot see that human nature has
changed fundamently since the earl
iest generation of which we have
record. But we see the past thro’
a glamorous mist, that in itself
malicious
belittling
everybody,
impostors
conclusion
public at-
of
to
We
are stupid
Admittedly
stu-
out,
his
suc-
But
who takes more delight in
out the faults than in
on the good qualities can
likened to a man who re-
lack of
sort of
others,
the be-
Out of
does no harm. However it does do
harm when it leads people to dis
parage the present. Unfortunately
it often has that result, and so
fault-finding is often characteristic
of older people. Indeed fault-finding
and greed are the outstanding tem
ptations which old age has to meet.
This readiness to find fault, this
censorious attitude of mind, this
tendency to belittle what other
people have done is peculiarly un
pleasant for several reasons ,
Kills Enthusiasm
It kills enthusiam. One person
this type in a group is enough
paralyze all their enthusiasm,
often use the expression ‘wet blan
ket’ without particularly thinking of
its meaning. (Suppose you have a
bonfire blazing brightly. Dip a blan
ket into water. Soak it thoroughly.
Then take it out and press it down
over the fire. You know what will
happen to the fire. A person of this
sort is a perfect wet blanket to the
enthusiasm of his or her associates.
Another thing. It usually isn’t
true. Foi’ that reason it is a slan
der. Admittedly there
people in the world.
also there are people who have sel
fish motives for the most part of
what they do. But the favorite tar
gets for the belitter’s scorn are us
ually people who have won some
eminence, And I submit that it is
rarely that a man or women reaches
prominence in- our competitive world
without possessing genuine talents
of some order. If he were as
pid as the fault-finder makes
then someone else would take
job from him. Most people who
ceed possess ability, and the fault
finder who refuses to see the ability
is not a competent witness.
Faults as Well, as Virtues
Moreover, this censorious mind is
unpleasant simply in itself. People
have faults as well, as virtues,
the one
pointing
dwelling
only be
■fuses to look at the gardens in front
of houses and prefers to take the
lids off the garbage pails at the back.
It is an unpleasant mind, a mean
mind. And just in itself it arouses
distaste.
There is one kind of fault-finding
that I would especially counsel you
against. Betlittling an opponent,
sneering at him, attacking his mo
tive
disa
otln
in t
to attribute mean motives, sir j»b.
Barrie warns us never to attribute
to an opponent meaner motives than
we claim for ourselves. Personally
I have found that I can disagree
with a man on subjects as delicate
as politics or religion without los
ing his friendship as long as I make
it clear to him that I believe he is
as sincere, as much concerned- for
the public welfare as I am.
We are of course strongly tempt
ed to find fault with an opponent.
Remembeer, to do so always weakens
your own cause. When you throw
mud you cannot have clean hands.
Lack of Faith
Now let us come to what lies be
hind this censorious mind, which is
so .objectionable. If we find what
lies behind it, then we may be able
to provide a remedy. It is hard to
find the right team. It is something
negative, a basic lack. A
faith in people, I suppose, a
disbelief in the integrity of
in their good in-tentions, in
nevolence of their purposes,
this disbelief, this lack of faith the
habit of belittling, of finding fault,
of blaming, has its growth.
So if this bad habit is to be cured,
this negative attitude must be.
changed to a positive one, this lack
must be supplied. Somehow , we
must acquire faith in- our fellows.
We must become able to believe in
their honesty.
Remedy is Christian Charily
And the remedy, says the Apostle
is 'Christian Charity. I hesitate to
use he word "love” because it has
become associated in our minds
with romantic affection, and that is
■not what the apostle was thinking
about. Christian charity or Chris
tian love is a kindly attitude, a
sympathetic interest, a benevolent
disposition. That is why you can
have Christian love, .or charity, to
wards people you do not even know.
The apostle says that- this, call it
charity or call it Jove, believetli all
things. A more literal translation of
his language would be "Has faith in
all things.”
Now that does not mean that
charity is easily deceived or impos
ed on. You may recognize that a
man does wrong and still have faith
in him. That is the attitude of
practically all parents towards their
children. That is wliat the apostle
meant by "Charity believetli all
things”, not that it will swallow any
cock and bull story, but (that it
trusts people, has faith in them.
You can see at once that such
charity is the death of the censor
ious mind. _
ing towards your fellows, quite ob*
viously you will have no delight in
If you have that feel-
Confederation Life
Head. Office Association Toronto
F. J. DELBRIDGE, Representative, EXETER
expressing their weaknesses to pub
lic ridicule. You will have no joy
in tearing reputations to shreds. All
that sort of thing
impossible to you,
More than that,
that a man’s faults
important thing about him,
of Christian charity you have faith
in him you will judge his faults
rather as the spots on the sun. The
spots on the sun are real. Never
theless the sun gives light and heat.
S.o a man’s faults are real. But it is
his qualities which are chiefly im
portant,
better if
stead of
mistake,
by seeing his
take people by judging them
cording to their faults a
times for every single mistake we
make judging them by the good
that is in them.
There is a story about Jesus, not
found in the four gospels. I do not
vouch for its truth. At anyrate it is
a story in character, the kind of a
story which might be true
Him.
One day Jesus was walking
the street. A crowd of men
standing around a dog, either dead
or dying. Just an oriental street
dog, half starved, covered with
sores. With oriental callousness
the men were discussing the dog.
They spoke of its thinness, of the
protruding ribs, of the loathesome
sores. Then Jesus spoke "His
teeth are white as pearls.”
■kind of mind saw what was
Another mind saw what was perhaps
the only good point.
How to Acquire Love
Love then, is the remedy for
censorious mind. But how do
acquire love? There is only
way, You cannot nave Christian
’ —— .,„iAOO vn„ flrR a> Christian The
should become
you will realize
are not the most
If out
And you will know a man
you see his qualities in-
his blemishes. Make no
You will not be deluded
good points. We mis-
ac-
hundred
about
down
were
One
ugly.
of
is
50 YEARS AGO
October 28th, 1886
Mr. M. M. Rosebrngh, manager
the Telephone Company, Toronto,
in town visiting friends.
Mr. John Farmer has returned
home from his extended visit East.
Mr. Cartwright has purchased
from J. N. Hooper the office on
James .Street erected for Dr. L. L.
I-Iooper. deceased.
Robert Bell, Jr., of Hay, shot a
fine large deer on Friday last in a
swamp in Hay Township. It was sold
in small quantities by R. Davis, the
butcher.
Mr. G. W. Holman has been en
gaged to teach the Winchelsea school
for another year.
Mr. Geo. Turnbull, Usborne, has
puichased from Mr. Hugh McDon
ald, of Tuckersmith, his farm con
taining 100 acres, being lot
2, paying $7,150 for it.
Mr. Alfred Liddicott and
Elimville, have moved to St.
where he has got a job in the Can
ada Southern R.R. shops.
Husking bees and coon hunting
are the favorite pastime at present.
Wm. Wm. Bawden, of Goderich,
has purchased J. N. Hooper's resi
dence on James Street, paying there
for a good figure..
I
ihe
we
one
is found in Jesus Christ. It is ever
more perfectly found in us the more
we make progress in. Christian grace
The more the Spirit of Christ
dwells in your heart, sweetening it,
the more completely you will be able,
to free yo-urself from bondage to
this evil habit. It is John who says
"Hereby we know that we have pass
ed from death unto life, because we
love the brethren.”
EXETER COUNCIL
Saturday, October 10th, 193 6
special meeting of the Council
held in. the office of the Clerk
i
A
was
as called by the Reeve for the pur
pose of discussing letters and replys
regarding the erection of the Com
munity-Hall and the submitting of
the By-law to the Provincial Board
of Municipal affairs, Toronto.
By-law No. 18, 1936, was given its
first and second reading and in
struction given to forward the same
to the Provincial Board for approv
al.
Adjourned by Morley
J. Senior, Clerk
Tuesday, October 13, 1936
A regular meeting of the Muni
cipal Council was held. As Monday
was Thanksgiving Day the meeting
was set for the above day and date.
Absent Reeve Pryde and Councillor’
Hern. Councillor Morley was voted
acting Reeve on motion of Dignan
and Middleton. Carried.
The minutes of the meeting held
■September 2Stli together with the
special meeting held Saturday, Oc
tober 10th, were read and adopted
on motion of Dighan and Middleton
and ’Carried.
Mr. Morley reported that a car of
supplies, fruits and other commodi
ties intended for the West would be
packed at the Freight shed during
the week of 19th in,st. Parties wish
ing to contribute kindly govern
themselves accordingly.
The following accounts were read
and ordered paid:
Traquair’s Hardware, road broom
$1.00; Dominion Tar and Chemical
Co. Ltd., road tar $60.37; Hewitt
labor $4.38; Jno. iStire labor $.3.88;
Harry (Smith labor 63c.; Jno. Morley
$2.75; Wm. Andrew labor $19.50.
Passed on motion of Middleton &
Dignan.
Tho prepaid account of cartage on
Road Tar of $13.20 was approved.
Adjournment by Dignan.
J. Senior, Clerk
Renew Now!
44, con.
wife, of
Thomas
25 YEARS AGO
October 29th, 1911
On Friday morning last the Grand
Trunk Station was completely des
troyed by fire about two o’clock in
the morning with a loss of about
$2,500.
Mr. James Sparks is back to work
at Jones & May’s after a two-weeks’
holiday.
Mrs. Jno. McInnis left this week
for New Richmond, Wis.. where she
will remain fni’ ilip wi
On Monday while Miss Clara Oes-
tricher was running on a cinder
path at the Crediton school she had I
the misfortune to fall and have the5
skin badly torn from her face and
hands.
Miss Hilda Hoskins, of Kirkton,
is visiting her grandparents Mr. and
Mrs. W. Treble.
Mr. J. S. Tom, who has
iting her son W. H. Tom,
cine Hat, returned home
"West on Friday evening.
Miss Hattie Hunter, who
visiting her sister Mrs. Clark,
’Salvador, returned from the West,
Tuesday.
Miss Matthews and Miss Rela
Dew, of Toronto, returned home on
■Saturday after visiting Mr. and
Mrs. Saxon Fitton.
Mr. and Mrs. D. Cobbledick have
returned home after visiting
eial days in Toronto.
Mr. Earl Brickwood left
ay foi’ Petrolia where he
cured a position with the newspaper
there.
Last week the Jackson Mfg. Co.,
received a large consignment of
cloth from the Old Country,
factory at present is full
orders.
Mr. Gordon Manns, who 1
employed as tinsmith with
kins & Son left Friday for
ford where he has secured a simil-
iar position.
Mr. Anderson has purchased from
tMr. Wm. Davis the store on Main
Street north.
Mr. Wm. Jaobi is leaving Exeter
North and moving onto a farm near
Parkhill while Mr. M. Amy is mov
ing into the house he recently pur-
purchased from Mr. Jacobi.
to the home of her parents at Har
row.
Exeter High School held their an
nual field day on Friday last which
was one of the most successful in
years. About 175 pupils were pres
ent from Lucan and Parkhill High
Schools.
SEAFORTH TO HAVE TWO
HOCKEY TEAMS
RECTOR RESIGNED
beloved rector
St. Marys, has
after fourteen
the
Rev. A. B, Farney,
of St. James Church,
resigned his charge
years of devoted ministry in
Anglican Church.
MRS. MITCHELL IMPROVED
The condition of Mrs. Leo
chell, of R. R. No. 3, Lucan,
was severely injured in a traffic
accident near her home last Sunday
is still serious but more favorable.
St. Joseph’s Hospital authorities re
cently noted improvement for the
first time since her admission.
Mit-
who
The Executive of the Seaforth
Athletic Association have decided to
put both a Junior and Intermediate
0-H.A. hockey team in the field this
coming season. C. P, sills will man
age the juniors with D. H. Wilson
as assistant, while the intermediate
manager will be appointed.
ANNOUNCE WINNERS IN BOYS
FOAL CLUB
Results of the Boys’ Foal Club
held at the Seaforth Fall Fair were
as follows:
1, Stuart D, McKinnon, 5 Clinton,
$8.00; 2, Alvin W. Rowe, 1 Exeter,
$7.00; 3, Milton Taylor, Brucefield,.
$6.00; 4, Ervin Sillery, 2 Seaforth,
$5; 5, Leslie Pepper, 3 Seaforth, $4;
6, Orville Storey, 2 Seaforth, $3.25;.
7, Joseph Morris, 1 Staffa, $2.75; 8,’
John R. Murphy, 2 Dublin, $2.50;
9, Richard Downey, 5 Seaforth $2.
for sev-
I
/
C <’
- ’
< V
been vis-
of Medi-
from the
has been
T. Haw-
’ Brant-
The
of rush
has been,
of
on Fri-
has se-
\ less simple ancL
V recipes. Ar-”0™
’ ’ Caj
HEALTHFUL!
LENERGIZING!
• Vary your
15 YEARS AGO
October 27th, 1921
Mrs. W. T. Amos has returned
home after an extended trip to Tor
onto and Bowmanville,
Mr. and Mrs. Rob. Kydd, of Us-
borne, returned home last wook af
ter spending several months in the
West.
Miss L. Johns, who has been vis
iting in Exeter, left Wednesday for
■Sarnia, prior to leaving for Calgary
to spend the winter with her sister.
Mr. James Hern picked a rasp
berry branch on Monday on which
there were a number of raspberries.
Mr. Ed. Davis, of the Canadian
Bank of Commerce staff, has been
transferred to the branch at Forest.
Little Betty DeJoan, who has been
under the care of nurse Johnson at
Dr. Hyndman's Hospital, was taken
2 ' diet with
the healthful, appetizing
goodness of Canadian
Fish and Shellfish. Serve
Fish Foods more often during
the week. Whatever form is
most available to you... fresh,
frozen, canned, smoked, pic
kled orjfriecl ... you will find
it an^asily digested food ,..
ridf in proteins, vitamins,
fifmerals, iodine and other
Ljyhe al th-giving elements. .
m You’ll find its variety
flavour adaptable to
■ > 1— ------i_ ------1 -jg^BHOUS
idjp^u’il find
vKn Fish and
P^ive you full value
md nourishment fop
ery cent spent.
DEPARTMENT of FISHERIES
OTTAWA ,
- SALT FISH DE LUXE
I 1-lb. package of boneless Cod or other Cana
dian salt-fish freshened. Butter
hot water 2 hard-boiled eggs
peppei 1 tsp. of dry mustard
Flake freshened fish into pieces.
Turn three-quarter cup of hot
water in which fish was freshened,
over fish, which has been placed on
platter oY shallow dish. Sprinkle
with teaspoon of dry mustard and
half teaspoon of pepper. Chop
hard-boiled eggs over fish and dot
generously with butter, Servo with
tomato sauce.
Write M
FOR FREE BOO
Department of FishdHes
Ottawa J®
Please send me yojjs tree 52-p
book, "Any Day a ijfeh Day&
tain mg over 100
Recipes.
A'ame............................................
Address.
AMY DAY I S H DAY”
Dr. Woods
NORWAY
PINE
SYRUP
A Harsh, Hacking Cough
A Menace io Health
They wall 'hasten recov
of serious complaints
On the first si
to your dm
Wood’s Noi$
to loosen tlio! ___ ____
cough, end the tickling in the tliyoat# and soothe tho
mucous membrane,
On the market for 44 years. You don’t experiment
When you get it.
Early attention, and eag^of a cough are imperative.
'J and. eliminate the danger
ileginj stop the irritating', rasping