The Lord is good to all;

His tender mercies are over all his works. ye therefore merciful,

Be

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,
Never spread a bitter tale;
Judge not even a faulty brother,
But in silence him bewail !

(7's.)

What if others told of you
All the ill they thought or heard
Fancied sin in all you do,
Harshly judged each thought and word?

;

It would seem to you unkind ;-
Will your neighbour feel it less?
O resist a judging mind;
Spread not tales that cause distress.

Envy of a neighbour's good
Often makes us wrong his name;
Things not rightly understood,
Cast upon him unjust blame.

276. Their Tongue is a sharp Sword.

THOU shalt not raise a false report:
Put not thine hand with the wicked
To be an unrighteous witness.

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.
Thou shalt not go up and down
As a talebearer among thy people.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge
Against the children of thy people,
But thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Exod. xxiii. 1-7; Levit. xix. 15—18.

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
That is in thy brother's eye,
But considerest not the beam
That is in thine own eye?

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,
Has with God no part.

Pleasant 'tis to see the young
Reverence the old ;

Gladly help with hand and tongue,
Courteous and untold.

Pay respect where it is due,
Honour give to all;

To your Queen be ever true-
Loyal at her call.

To the passing stranger show
Courtesy and aid;

To your betters, high or low,
Reverence be paid.

280.

Honour the Aged.

THOU shalt rise up before the hoary head,
And honour the face of the old man,
And fear thy God: I am the Lord.

The beauty of old men is the grey head.
The hoary head is a crown of glory,

If it be found in the way of righteousness.
Lev. xix. 32; Prov. xx. 29; xvi. 31.

281.

Children Mocking.

A MAN of God to Bethel came,
Holy and true and old ;

But Israel had forgot God's name,
And worshipped calves of gold.

(C. M.)

O, were there none to teach the young
Before old age to rise?

Or had they learned with scornful tongue
God's servants to despise ?

Alas! the godless children flocked To scoff with one accord; Despised the aged head, and mocked The prophet of the Lord.

The prophet spake God's dreadful curse,
It came upon them there;

For God sent from the wood two bears,
Their little limbs to tear.

282.

The Slothful.

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, And nettles had covered the face thereof; And the stone wall thereof was broken down.

Then I saw, and considered it well;
I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Prov. xxiv. 30.

(S.M.)

283.

ALL idle children stand Full in temptation's way; And evils lurk on every hand, To wile their souls astray.

Not Slothful in Business.