John Ploughman's Talk by C. H. Spurgeon
He who boasts of being perfect is perfect in folly. I have been a good deal up and down in the world, and I never did see either a perfect horse or a perfect man. You cannot get white flour out of a coal sack, nor perfection out of human nature; he who looks for it had better look for sugar in the sea. Every head has a soft place in it, and every heart has its black drop. If we would always recollect that we live among men who are imperfect, we should not be in such a fever when we find out our friends' failings; what's rotten will rend, and cracked pots will leak. Blessed is he who expects nothing of poor flesh and blood for he shall never be disappointed. The best men are men at the best, and the best wax will melt.
Some people like rows - I don't envy their choice; I'd rather walk ten miles to get out of a dispute than half-a-mile to get into one. Solomon says, "Leave off strife before it be meddled with;" which is much the same as saying, "Leave off before you begin." When you see a mad dog, don't argue with him unless you are sure of your logic; better get out of his way, and if anybody calls you a coward, you need not call him a fool. Meddlers are sure to hurt their own characters: if you scrub other people's pigs, you will soon need scrubbing yourself. Other men's imperfections show us our imperfections, for one sheep is much like another. We ought to use our neighbours as looking glasses to see our own in and mend in ourselves what we see in them. I have no patience with those who poke their noses into every man's house to smell out his faults and put on magnifying glasses to discover their neighbour's flaws. What we wish to see, or think we see. Faults are always thick where love is thin.
As for our own faults, it would take a large slate to hold the account of them; but, thank God, we know where to take them, and how to get the better of them. With all our faults God loves us still if we are trusting in His Son; therefore, let us not be downhearted, but hope to live and learn, and do some good service before we die. Though the cart creaks, it will get home with its load. There's no use in lying down and doing nothing because we cannot do everything as we should like. Faults or no faults ploughing must be done, and imperfect people must do it too, or there will be no harvest next year. Bad ploughman, as John may be, the angels won't do his work for him, and so he is off to do it himself. Go along, Violet! Gee Woa! Depper!"