COMPARISON
We accuse others to excuse ourselves. We are such fools as to dream that we are
better because others are worse, and we talk as if we could get up by pulling others
down. PP15
Dear friend, why compare yourself with the dwarfs around you? If you must
compare yourself with your fellow men, look at the giants of other days; but, better
still, relinquish the evil habit altogether; for Paul tells us it is not wise to compare
ourselves among ourselves. 998.368
Perhaps your power to find fault arises from your having so many faults yourself;
and if you were more sanctified, and more like Christ, you would fix your eye as well
upon the beauties of their character as upon their defects. 1522.105
Above all, do not begin to censure others; and when you see a poor brother down—ay,
when you see a child of God who has erred, and grossly sinned, do not begin
censuring him in bitterness, and giving him over to despair. If you had been in his
case, you might have done worse. Do I speak harshly? Any man who says, “If I had
been in that brother’s place I should have done better,” is a fool. He does not know
himself. The probabilities are that he would have done worse. Ah, Sir Pharisee!
you—yes, oh yes, you are a wonder! Marvellous is your purity! Splendidly you act!
What a paragon you are! If you were to see yourself in God’s light, you would see that
you are a mass of corruption, smelling of pride. That is what you are. The man who
begins to exult over his fallen brother is the likeliest man to fall himself. 1953.166
What if others are worse than you are, does that make you the better, or the less
guilty? What if others are not all they seem to be, perhaps neither are you; at any
rate, their hypocrisy shall not make your pretence to be true. 2445.617