The Lord is good to all; His tender mercies are over all his works. Be ye therefore merciful, As your Father also is merciful. The merciful man doeth good to his own soul, But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Ps. xxxv. 5; cxlv. 9; Luke vi. 36; Prov. xi. 17; xii. 10; Lam. iii. 22; Matt. v. 7. 275. Put away Evil Speaking. SPEAK not evil of another, What if others told of you All the ill they thought or heard ;— (7's.) Harshly judged each thought and word? It would seem to you unkind ;- Spread not tales that cause distress. Envy of a neighbour's good 276. Their Tongue is a sharp Sword. THOU shalt not raise a false report: Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Keep thee far from a false matter. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, Nor honour the person of the mighty. As a talebearer among thy people. But thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 277. Judging our Neighbour. JUDGE not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; And with what measure ye mete, It shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote Thou hypocrite! First cast out the beam out of thine own eye, And then shalt thou see clearly To cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.-Matt. vii. 1. 278. Charity thinketh no Evil. SPEAK not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, Speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: Who art thou that judgest another? James iv. 11; Eph. iv. 31. 279. Honour to whom Honour is due. (7.5's.) BLESSED is a lowly mind, And a modest heart; But a spirit proud and blind, Pleasant 'tis to see the young Gladly help with hand and tongue, Pay respect where it is due, To your Queen be ever true- To the passing stranger show To your betters, high or low, 280. Honour the Aged. THOU shalt rise up before the hoary head, The beauty of old men is the grey head. 281. Children Mocking. A MAN of God to Bethel came, But Israel had forgot God's name, (C. M.) O, were there none to teach the young Or had they learned with scornful tongue Alas! the godless children flocked The prophet spake God's dreadful curse, For God sent from the wood two bears, I WENT by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, Then I saw, and considered it well; 283. Not Slothful in Business. ALL idle children stand And evils lurk on every hand, To wile their souls astray. (S.M.) |