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THEME LXIII.

INTRODUCTION.

He who makes mention of an old Offence separates Friends.

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1ST REASON.-Because he probes an old sore, or rakes up an old grievance, which often causes more pain than the original offence.

2ND REASON.-When a friend has received an injury, he gets weary of having it constantly cast in his teeth, and will rather give up the pleasure of friendship than abide the nuisance of being constantly bantered about it.

3RD REASON. The revival of an old grievance very often brings forth new differences, and thus adds fuel to a fire, which would have gone out otherwise of its own accord.

4TH REASON.-It mortifies the pride of him who gave, and of him who received the wrong, to hear it talked of; and nothing is more difficult to heal than mortified pride.

5TH REASON.-It forces both parties to enter upon an exculpation or apology; but men would much rather really forgive, than seem to excuse an injury.

6TH REASON.-When a matter is repeated, it shows that the rumour has gone ahroad, which, probably, the parties concerned had fondly hoped was known only to themselves.

SIMILES. He who makes the edge of a razor visible, must destroy its keenness.

He who probes an old wound prevents its healing.
He who blows or pokes a slackening fire revives it.

A door will never shut if a stone be laid at its threshold.

Continual dropping will wear away adamant, or change the most delicate textures into stone.

Repeated volcanic disturbances have severed even solid rocks from their cognate strata.

A fly irritates a wound by constantly lighting upon it.

HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS. Gen. xxi. 9, 10.

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1 Sam. xxiv. 9, &c

QUOTATIONS.-A whisperer separateth chief friends.

Prov. xvi. 28.

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.-Prov. xvii. 9.

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; so where there is no tale-bearer the strife ceaseth.-Prov. xxvi. 20. Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.-Prov. xxii. 10.

The words of a tale bearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.-Prov. xviii. 8.

Whether it be to a friend or foe, talk not of other men's lives. . . for he heard and observed thee, and when time cometh he will hate thee. If thou hast heard a word, let it die with thee, and be bold, for it will not burst thee.— Eccles. xix. 8, 9, 10.

There are two ways of composing differences and reconciling the minds of men,-the one beginning with oblivion and forgetfulness, the other with a recollection of the injuries, interweaving it with apologies and excuses. -Lord Bacon.

A tale-bearer fixes the evils themselves, which would otherwise have blown over.-Lord Bacon.

The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity... and setteth on fire the course of nature.... it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.—James, iii. 5, 6. 8.

A sinful man disquieteth friends, and maketh debate among them that be at peace.-Eccles. xxviii. 9.

Curse the whisperer and double-tongued, for such have destroyed many that were at peace.-Eccles. xxviii. 13.

In families, some one paltry tale-bearer, by carrying stories from one to another, often inflames the mind, and discomposes the quiet of the whole family.-South. Garrula, lingua nocet.-Ovid.

CONCLUSION....

THEME LXIV. Only a Fool turns aside to Deceit.

INTRODUCTION.

1ST REASON. A deceitful, tricking man is deprived of confidence and trust, the two main instruments of success in business.

2ND REASON.-How specious soever deceit may appear for a time, yet the most cunningly devised schemes are generally frustrated by some untoward or unforeseen incident.

3RD REASON. Deceit is very troublesome; and it requires daily inventions to bolster up old devices as they fail and become exposed.

4TH REASON.-Artifice deprives a man of self-confidence and independence of spirit, both of which are essential for happiness and worldly prosperity.

5TH REASON.—It is proverbial among all merchants and tradesmen of every nation, that "honesty is the best, policy;" and "only a fool" will throw away his best card for the sake of a silly finesse.

6TH REASON. Deceit is at all times a bad speculation; for if it succeed it succeeds as honesty, and if it fail it is punished as deceit.

7TH REASON.-The knave and the fool both "say in their heart there is no God:" But what can be a greater proof of infatuation than to risk a whole eternity for the chances of deceit ?

SIMILES.It is better to travel by the high-road, than to venture through bye-ways under the hope of finding “a short cut."

Rouge on the face may resemble natural colour; but every man feels that a woman loses respect when she "rents her face with paint."

Deceit is only a "castle in the air."

An ass in a lion's skin may be discerned without spectacles.-Maunder's proverbs.

Artificial flowers may be beautiful, but the knowledge that they are artificial greatly disparages their charm. A painted fire gives out no heat.

Every child feels disappointed when informed for the first time that Robinson Crusoe is not a true story.

A hypocrite is as a ship in a storm.-Eccles. xxxii. 2. Deceit is like the wall of Jehoiakim, "painted with vermillion, but rotten at the base."

HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.

QUOTATIONS.

xiv. 8.

The folly of fools is deceit. - Prov.

As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. -Ps. cxxv. 5.

They have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.-Isa, lix. 8.

The congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate. . . . . they conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.-Job. xv. 34, 35.

Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood: he made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch that he made: His mischief shall return upon his own head.-Ps. vii. 14,15,16.

Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered

perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth They trust in vanity and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity; They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web. Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works.-Isa. lix. 4—6.

The poor and the deceitful man meet together.-Prov. xxix. 13.

The hypocrite's hope shall perish.—Job, viii. 13.

The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.—Job, xx. 5.

Corruption wins not more than honesty.-Shakspeare. Lying is a bad trade.

Crafty counsels, though pleasant in expectation, are hard to execute, and unhappy in their execution.-Tacitus. Craft bringeth nothing but shame.

The arts of deceit grow continually weaker and less serviceable to them that use them.-Tillotson.

Cheats never thrive.

Dissimulation is but short wisdom.-Lord Bacon.

Good, my lord,

But when we in our viciousness grow hard,

(O misery on't!) the wise gods seal our eyes:
In our own filth drop our clean judgments; make us
Adore our errors; laugh at us, while we strut,
To our confusion.-Shakspeare.

Plain-dealing is a jewel.

Deceit is the cloak of a little mind.

Prudens advertit adgressos suos: Stultus, divertit ad dolos.

Statua vervecia.-Plautus.

Facile secerni possunt fucata et simulata a sinceris atque veris.-Cicero.

Ex omni vita simulatio dissimulatioque tollenda est.— Cicero.

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