them, for this or that part of their conduct, when perhaps they are entirely innocent of any such intentions! Is not this "bearing false witness?" How often do we take a kind of evil delight (which we do not acknowledge to ourselves or even distinctly perceive) in dwelling upon the little faults of others, or on some trifling mistake or error in their conduct! Let us examine ourselves in regard to these things: we need such a self-examination—all of us—and a thorough one. If I mistake not, it will be found that we have all sinned deeply on this head: and we have need to ask humble forgiveness of the Lord, for the past, and to commence a new course in the time to come. We must break up this evil habit; we must put this sin away from us.
And how is this evil to be overcome? like every other evil,—by combating it, by resisting it, when the tempter comes upon us—in no other way can it be overcome. We must watch ourselves, and stand ready to resist, as soon as the evil thought comes into our minds, and the unkind word to our lips. For instance: two persons are talking together:—the name of a third person is mentioned. Now comes the temptation. If either of the speakers has been in the habit of indulging himself in making uncharitable remarks about his neighbor, the evil spirit that was sleeping in his heart now rises, and at once commences searching about the memory, to see if it cannot discover some piece of information, which has been laid up there, to the prejudice of that person: if it can, it rejoices, and at once brings it out: if it cannot, its next thought
