Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Christianity in word, or Christianity in deed.



To love an enemy, and forgive an evil-speaker, is a higher attainment than is commonly believed. Christianity in theory, and Christianity in practice, are very different things! It is easy to talk of Christian forgiveness among neighbors—but to practice it ourselves, proves us to be Christians indeed.

Solitude Sweetened
by James Meikle, 1730-1799

Monday, December 10, 2012

Pray That You May Be



Able to suffer without complaining,
To be misunderstood without explaining;
Able to endure without a breaking,
To be forsaken without forsaking;
Able to give without receiving.
To be ignored without grieving;
Able to ask without commanding,
To love despite misunderstanding;
Able to turn to the Lord for guarding,
Able to wait for His own rewarding!

-          Unknown

Saturday, November 24, 2012

LOVE REMAINS

Love that stands the test of time,
Endures the greatest pain;
Standing firm against the storm,
And yet, still love remains.

A calm among the storm tossed winds,
A peace down deep inside;
Will keep that faith alive and strong,
As long as love abides.

Love that conquers anything,
Knows only how to give;
Asking nothing in return,
A love that will forgive.

It looks past any sorrow,
Much stronger than the wind;
The faith that stands the storms of life,
Will be there in the end.

Faith that's given everything,
With nothing left to gain;
Will find the strength to give yet more,
When only love remains.
      
©  
Allison Chambers Coxsey
(Used with permission.)

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

In the Morning of Life


In the morning of life, when its cares are unknown,
And its pleasures in all their new lustre begin,
When we live in a bright-beaming world of our own,
And the light that surrounds us is all from within;
Oh 'tis not, believe me, in that happy time
We can love, as in hours of less transport we may; --
Of our smiles, of our hopes, 'tis the gay sunny prime,
But affection is truest when these fade away.

When we see the first glory of youth pass us by,
Like a leaf on the stream that will never return,
When our cup, which had sparkled with pleasure so high,
First tastes of the other, the dark-flowing urn;
Then, then in the time when affection holds sway
With a depth and a tenderness joy never knew;
Love, nursed among pleasures, is faithless as they,
But the love born of Sorrow, like Sorrow, is true.

In climes full of sunshine, though splendid the flowers,
Their sighs have no freshness, their odour no worth;
'Tis the cloud and the mist of our own Isle of showers
That call the rich spirit of fragrancy forth.
So it is not 'mid splendour, prosperity, mirth,
That the depth of Love's generous spirit appears;
To the sunshine of smiles it may first owe its birth,
But the soul of its sweetness is drawn out by tears.

by Thomas Moore

Monday, October 15, 2012

Word for Wives


Perhaps it may be your luckless lot to be united to an unkind husband — a man who cares not whether he pleases or displeases, whether you are happy or unhappy. If this is the case, hard is your fate, gentle lady, very hard! But the die is cast; and you must carefully remember that no neglect of duty on "his" part can give a legitimate sanction to a failure of duty on "yours". The sacredness of those ties which bind you as a wife, remain equally strong and heavy, whatever is the conduct of your husband; and as galling as the chain may be, you must only endeavor for resignation to bear it, till the Almighty, by lightening it, pleases to crown your gentleness and efforts with success.

When at the Throne of Grace (I address you as a Christian woman), be fervent and persevering in your prayers for your husband; and by your example endeavor to allure him to that Heaven towards which you are yourself aspiring: that, if your husband "obeys not the word", as the sacred writer says, "he may, without the word", be won by the conduct of the wife.

There are very few husbands so bad as to be destitute of good qualities, and probably, very decided ones. Let the wife search out and accustom herself to dwell on those good qualities, and let her treat "her own" errors, not "her husband's", with severity. I have seldom known a dispute between man and wife, in which faults "on both sides" were not conspicuous; and really it is no wonder; for we are so quick-sighted to the imperfections of others, and so blind and lenient to our own — that in cases of discord and contention, we throw all the blame on the opposite party, and never think of accusing ourselves. In general, at least, this is the case.

 
- Timothy Shay Arthur

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Find Us Faithful


We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us light the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

 
-        Selected

Monday, October 1, 2012

Words to Rest On

But, thanks be to God, there are in the Christian church still some in whose words men do trust, men who are as transparent as the clearest crystal, and as reliable as the best steel. These are the kind of men I want to describe; and this man who won the confidence of the people of Jerusalem shall serve us as a type thereof, and enable us to discover the kind of man whose words are likely to be rested on. . .

Men will put great trust in the words of one whose life agrees with his teaching. If they can detect something inconsistent in his character, the man's power is ended; but if a man is evidently carried away with the one idea of being and doing good, and consumed with the purpose of glorifying God, then his utterances have power. . .
It is not what he says, but the man who says it, that makes the impression. It is the life behind the words, the holy confidence in God every day exhibited, the calm restful walk with God which everybody can see in his very face, which, to a thoughtful man, makes his feeblest accent more powerful than the most furious declamation of a mere rhetorician. As Dr. Bonar says,—

"Thou must be true thyself,
If thou the truth wouldst teach.
Thy soul must overflow, if thou
Another's soul wouldst reach:
It needs the overflow of heart
To give the lips full speech."

. . . Oh, my brothers and sisters, may you have the courage of your convictions! May you be brave enough to do right, and to speak right, and to stand up for the gospel, whoever rails at it! If you do, you have only to bide your time; and you will be master over meaner men who cannot be trusted. He that will but "hold the fort" when others are giving up their castles, shall by-and-by, God helping him, behold a race of valiant men, who, like himself, shall believe in their Master's coming, and will not quit the field until he appears. God grant to many here to be bold in the way of holiness, in their own circle, in their own families! They must be assured that there will be found some who will rest upon their words, because they see their courage. . .
Here a word of caution is necessary. Since men are permitted to say words upon which other people rest, let us be careful how we speak. There may be some here, who have attained, by years of holy living and deep experience, to a position of great influence—one of you in a Bible-class, another in a village station, several of you, perhaps, in your pulpits. Brothers and sisters, what a very responsible position we occupy when young people and others are resting upon your words! I will not say whether they are altogether right or wrong in doing so; but I know this is their habit; therefore, what manner of people ought we to be, how choicely we should use language, how determines we ought to be to let all our teachings be Scriptural, and not to mingle the precious with the vile; remembering the promise, "If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth."! Do not let us even sportively say what may injure others. I have known children take in earnest what others have said in jest. It were often better that some things were not said even in sport; for such flippant utterances have either misled the children, or they have injured the influence of those who have uttered them when they have spoken another time. Since it so happens that many of those around us are of feeble mind, and need a strong mind to guide them, let those who lead be doubly careful of their conversation and conduct. Since those who know their own weakness lean perhaps too much upon their teachers, let their teachers cry to God that they may be helped to teach nothing but what is right. May you and I never lead another even one inch astray! May none of us ever be in communion with that which is not true! May we stand right out from all connection with that which we feel to be contrary to the mind of God! Let us try to live in such a way that, if another were to take us for an example, he might copy us through and through and do himself no harm.  I set before you a very high standard, and one which no man will reach except under divine instruction; but since the necessary teaching is freely given to all who seek it, I would urge you to be quick scholars in the school of grace. I fear very few of us have ever reached this excellent standard, but that is no reason why we should not study our lesson with redoubled energy. . .

Words to Rest On - C. H. SPURGEON

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Run if you want to


"Chorus"

"Run if you want to, run if you will, but I came here to stay.
When I fall down I'm gonna get back up,
Cause I didn't start out to play,
It's a battlefield, brother, not a recreation room,
It's a fight and not a game,
Run if you want to, run if you will,
But I came here to stay."


"Old Goliath marched for forty days,
Crying "Send me a man to fight".
The Israelites said "We've got a brave heart,
But our feet are sorta full of fright".
Then a boy with a sling, and a pocket full of rocks,
That knew how to trust and pray,
Said 'If you're gonna run, Goliath, take off now.'
'Cause I came here to stay."


"The decree had been signed by the hand of the king,
But Daniel still prayed to the Lord,
The hungry lions were pacing the den,
"Here comes supper" one roared.
But if you'd been standing 'round anywhere close,
You'd heard brother Daniel say,
"If you're talking 'bout me, forget it boys,
'Cause I came here to stay"

"Now the boys wouldn't bow and the King got mad,
He said "Turn the furnace up high,
Tie 'em up and throw'em in,
These Hebrew boys are gonna fry",
Then a little while later he looked in the furnace,
And he heard brother Shadrach say,
"Pull up a chair and warm your hands,
'Cause I came here to stay."


Sometime back I listened to some friends sing and play the above song.  Some of the words got stuck in my head though I couldn’t understand all of them from the recording.  I requested the words, and they were kindly sent this morning.  If I had just read the words somewhere, I might not have liked the song very much due to its word styling and how it has biblical characters saying non-direct quotes.  Yet, there are reasons, that I like it anyway.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Conflicting Laws


If the State were to pass a law requiring anything to be done which is against the law of God, it would be the duty of the Church to censure any of her members who should obey the law.  Men must then choose, according to their private consciences, which of the Two authorities they will obey.  If they choose to obey the State, the Church can do nothing but exclude them from her pale.

   Such collisions are not very likely to occur.  The laws of the State which contravene the Divine law chiefly relate to marriage and are not very numerous.  They are practically only permissive.  The State leaves every person at liberty to marry or not at his or her choice, and, with a few exceptions to marry whomsoever he or she will.  But it compels no person to marry, still less to marry any particular person.  When a person contracts a marriage which is against the law of God and not against the law of the land, he has offended and is liable to Church censures; but if he do not contract such a marriage he offends neither the Church nor the State, for the law of the State is only permissive.  It is more correct to say that there is no State law on the subject.  When, therefore, the Church censures a person for a marriage which the State does not forbid, there is no collision between the Church and the State.  What one permit’s the other forbids, and a person who is subject to both ought to obey the stricter law.  There is really no difficulty until a case shall arise in which one forbids what the other commands.

   Thus the laws which allow the dissolution of a valid marriage, and the marriage of the parties to it to other persons without waiting for the death of either, are really only permissive.  No person is obliged to apply for a divorce, or having obtained one, or having been forced to submit to one, is obliged to marry again.  The State does not command either of these things, and the Church does not provoke a collision by forbidding them.

   The legislation of the American Church is peculiar.  Its discipline is applied to offenses which are not defined in the canons otherwise than by the most general reference to the Divine law.  The effect is that the interpretation of the Divine law is committed to the judges who administer Church discipline.  Public opinion requires that they shall take the law of the land for their guide, or, as the framers of public opinion prefer saying, that they should obey the law of the land.  They should obey the law of the land when it is not in conflict with the law of God; but they should not subject the law of God to the law of the land.

   When a question arises whether the law of the land conflicts with the law of God, it cannot be decided by the law of the land, which is of inferior authority to the law of the God.  The law of God, which is the higher law, must be the rule, and conscience the judge to apply that rule.  Every one who is called upon to act upon the question must decide it for himself, as every one who is called to act upon any question must decide it for himself.  The private man must decide it according to his conscience.  The officer of the Church, who is called to advise, direct, or judge the conduct of the private Christian, must decide according to his private conscience, unless the Church has furnished him with a rule.  The Church herself, in her legislative capacity, must be governed by what may be called her aggregate, or public conscience.

   If the two laws do not conflict, every one, including the authorities of the Church, must obey both.  If one permit what the other forbids, men should respect the prohibition.  If one command what the other forbids, we must obey God rather than man.  Suppose a man should apply to be received into the communion of the Church who had married after a civil divorce which was contrary to God’s law.  How ought the rector of the parish to act?  Public opinion would perhaps say that the twice-married man should be received, because he had done nothing not allowed by the law of the land.  But the true question is, Has he done an act contrary to the law of God?  The law of the land, which is, at best, an interpretation of the law of God made by temporal rulers for temporal purposes, has nothing to do with spiritual questions.

   The State may interpret the law of God for her own purposes; but she has no right to interpret it for those of the Church.  She may decide what actions are injurious to the spiritual welfare of the agent.  Moreover, it is notorious that the rulers of States do not now even pretend to interpret the law of God.  They avow that they act only upon their own notions of expediency.  This is an abuse of power, but the legitimate authority of the State is not impaired by it.  To suppose that her authority could be forfeited by abuse, would render all government impossible.  The laws of the State, however they may conflict with the law of God, are binding in the courts of the State.  A judge whose conscience will not permit him to execute a law of the State should resign his position.

   In the supposed case the second marriage is not legally bigamy.  The husband has the same legal control over his de facto wife and her property as any other husband.  The so-called wife has a legal right to be supported by the de facto husband according to his means and condition.  At his death she will be entitled to a wife’s share of his estate.  The true wife has lost her right to a support and to a share in the distribution of her husband’s estate.  The children of the second marriage are legitimate.  All these effects the act of the State can produce; but it cannot make a sin to be no sin.

   The Church has neither the right nor the power to interfere with these civil matters; but she has a right to declare that such an union is sinful and prejudicial to the spiritual interests of those between whom it has been formed.  It is not necessary that the declaration should be a legislative act, which would give no additional force to a Divine law, though such an act might be of great service to individual clergymen as a defense against public opinion.

   The true idea of a legislative act is that it is an exposition of the Divine law, if the meaning of which, or of its application, there may be some doubt.  St. Germain, an old writer on the Common Law, states this truth thus: “The law of man (the which sometimes is called the law positive) is derived by reason as a thing which is necessary and probably following of the law of reason and of the law of God.  And that is called probable, in that it appeared to many, and especially to wise men, to be true.  And therefore in every law positive well made, there is somewhat of the law of reason, and somewhat of the law of God.”

   A legislative act is binding upon all persons who are providentially under the authority of those by whom it is made, so far as their jurisdiction extends, but no further.  The jurisdiction of the State does not extend to spiritual matters, except just so far as it may be necessary to protect herself, or her citizens or subjects, from injuries attempted to be cloaked under spiritual forms.  Even then it does not extend to the decision of what is, and is not sin.  Her exposition of the law of God for such a purpose is without authority.  The exposition of the Divine law for spiritual purposes, belongs to the Church.  But a legislative interpretation of a plain Divine law is unnecessary.  The church may therefore leave such a Divine law to be interpreted by her judicial and administrative officers.  It does not follow, that they are to follow the interpretation of the State, when it contradicts the true sense of the Divine law.


      by - -  H. D. Evans

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

ALL'S WELL


The clouds, which rise with thunder, slake
Our thirsty souls with rain;
The blow most dreaded falls to break
From off our limbs a chain;
And wrongs of man to man but make
The love of God more plain.
As through the shadowy lens of even
The eye looks farthest into heaven
On gleams of star and depths of blue
The glaring sunshine never knew!

John Greenfleaf Whittier
 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Angry words


Angry words! O let them never,
From the tongue unbridled slip,
May the heart’s best impulse ever,
Check them ere they soil the lip.

Refrain

Love one another thus saith the Savior,
Children obey the Father’s blest command,
Love each other, love each other,
’Tis the Father’s blest command.

Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moment’s reckless folly,
Thus to desolate and mar.

Refrain

Angry words are lightly spoken,
Bitterest thoughts are rashly stirred,
Brightest links of life are broken,
By a single angry word.

Refrain

Words and Music by Horatio R. Palmer.  Listen to the tune here.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Seeing a man for what he wants to be


I read the following on another blog and thought it worth posting here.

Smith said that family ought to see a man less for what he is, and more for what the man wants to be. Said that’s called grace. I reckon he’s right.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Speak Gently


Speak gently! it is better far
To rule by love than fear;
Speak gently! let not harsh words mar
The good we may do here.

Speak gently! Love doth whisper low
The vows that true hearts bind;
And gently Friendship’s accents flow;
Affection’s voice is kind.

Speak gently to the little child,
Its love be sure to gain ;
Teach it in accents soft and mild;
It may not long remain.

Speak gently to the young, for they
Will have enough to bear;
Pass through this life as best they may,
‘Tis full of anxious care.

Speak gently to the aged one,
Grieve not the careworn heart;
The sands of life are nearly run,
Let such in peace depart.


Speak gently, kindly, to the poor;
Let no harsh tone be heard.
They have enough they must endure,
Without an unkind word.

Speak gently to the erring; know
They must have toiled in vain;
Perchance unkindness made them so;
Oh, win them back again!


Speak gently: He who gave His life
To bend man’s stubborn will,
When elements were fierce in strife,
Said to them, “Peace be still!”

Speak gently, ‘t is a little thing,
Dropp’d in the heart’s deep well;
The good, the joy, that it may bring,
Eternity shall tell.



-        by George W. Hangford

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Love means following the commands of God


It is Christ who is to be exalted, not our feelings. We will know Him by obedience, not by emotions. Our love will be shown by obedience, not by how good we feel about God at a given moment.  And love means following the commands of God.  "Do you love Me?" Jesus asked Peter. "Feed My lambs." He was not asking, "How do you feel about Me?" for love is not a feeling. He was asking for action.

Elisabeth Elliot in Discipline - The Glad Surrender

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Hearts, like doors,. . .

Hearts, like doors, open with ease
To very, very little keys.
And don't forget that two of these,
Are "Thank you, sir," and "If you please."

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

To Keep Your Marriage Brimming


To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever your're wrong admit it;
Whenever your're right shut up.

- Ogden Nash

Monday, July 16, 2012

It's in the valleys I grow


Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe,
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.
If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love,
And would be living in vain.
I have so much to learn,
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.
I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing ...
My Lord will see me through.
My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.
Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low,
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.
Continue to strengthen me Lord,
And use my life each day,
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.
Thank you for valleys Lord,
For this one thing I know ...
The mountain tops are glorious,
But it's in the valleys I grow!

~ Jane Eggleston ~

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Be not angry. . .

'Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be!' 


Friday, June 29, 2012

Love Needs You


Love will befriend a stranger, love will go the extra mile,
Love will look after others -- and when hurting, will still smile.
Love will forgive and forget, love will turn the other cheek,
Love happily goes last, and another’s well-being will seek.
Love will deliver flowers, love will send a special gift,
Love calls in on others -- when someone’s down, it’ll pause, uplift.
Love will display affection, love greets and leaves with a hug,
Love also fetches a blanket, thoughtfully puts on the jug.
Love will vacuum and tidy, love will do the dishes too,
Love will put out the rubbish, do things some are loath to do.
Love is quick to say sorry, and love will shoulder the blame,
Love will take time to listen -- and love, its love will proclaim.
Love will share all it has left, love’s prepared to go without,
Love’s generous to a fault, sows confidence where there’s doubt.
Love is good to its neighbours, love is kind to creatures too,
Love will seek out the hurting, love is faithful, love is true.
Love will honour a promise, love will also keep its word,
Love goes out in all weathers, love endures, is undeterred.
Love makes time when it’s busy, and love will wait up all night,
Love will exercise patience -- when upset, is still polite.
Love is tender and gentle, love gives others a fresh start,
Love believes when others don’t, brings joy to another’s heart.
Love will open up its home, love a helping hand will lend,
Love’s always there when needed, cheery messages will send.
Love has an eye for beauty, love joins children in their play,
Love lets others shine instead, love lets others have their say.
Love has a sense of humour, love delights in fun-times too,
Love gives cuddles and kisses, love gives praise where praise is due.
Yes, there’s so much love will do, but to succeed, LOVE NEEDS YOU!

By Lance Landall

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The worthiest discipline we can put ourselves to


Addison writes of Lord Somers as follows—'One of the greatest souls now in the world is the most subject by nature to anger—and yet so famous for a conquest of himself this way that he is the known example when you talk of temper and command of a man's self.’ To contain the spirit of anger is the worthiest discipline we can put ourselves to. When a man has made any progress this way, a frivolous fellow in a passion is to him as contemptible as a froward child. It ought to be the study of every man for his own quiet and peace. When he stands combustible and ready to flame upon everything that touches him, life is as unpleasant to himself as it is to all about him.

- ATreatise on Temper—its Use and Abuse

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Keep Thy Heart With All Diligence

*
Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. - Proverbs 4:23


My Friend, the choices that you make
The many things you do...
Decisions, though they may seem small,
End up defining you.
The books you read, the things you buy,
The places that you go...
You face decisions every day;
You answer "yes" or "no."

Each choice you make is like a seed;
That seed will surely grow;
For what you plant within your heart
Takes root within your soul.

That angry word when caught off guard--
An accident? -- Oh no!
It just exposed the heart's true state,
Laid out for all to know.

"But, that's really not me," you say,
Oh no? Then may I ask,
Where did it come from - truly, friend--
If not behind the mask?

Can words or thoughts or actions come
From where they've never been?
For what goes in comes surely out;
This is a proven thing.

The secret pleasures you delight in,
On which your spirit feeds,
Those things which occupy your thoughts
Will soon show forth in deeds.

What you will do when no one sees 
Is who you really are;
And like a mirror actions will 
Reflect the state of the heart.
You make a choice-- that choice makes you--
A law of life that stands.
So think about each choice, my friend,
When you are making plans.
And so that heart of yours, beware,
And diligently keep.
For issues that pertain to life
Will flow from out of it!

~Sarah Raber

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Let the angry person have the quarrel to himself


The Rev. Clark, of Frome, was a man of a remarkably cool and peaceful temper. He was one day asked by a friend—how he kept himself from being involved in quarrels? He answered, "by letting the angry person always have the quarrel to himself."


Friday, June 8, 2012

Fidelis


You have taken back the promise
That you spoke so long ago;
Taken back the heart you gave me--
I must even let it go.
Where Love once has breathed, Pride dieth:
So I struggled, but in vain,
First to keep the links together,
Then to piece the broken chain.

But it might not be--so freely
All your friendship I restore,
And the heart that I had taken
As my own for evermore.
No shade of reproach shall touch you,
Dread no more a claim from me--
But I will not have you fancy
That I count myself as free.

I am bound by the old promise;
What can break that golden chain?
Not even the words that you have spoken,
Or the sharpness of my pain:
Do you think, because you fail me
And draw back your hand to-day,
That from out the heart I gave you
My strong love can fade away?

It will live. No eyes may see it;
In my soul it will lie deep,
Hidden from all; but I shall feel it
Often stirring in its sleep.
So remember, that the friendship
Which you now think poor and vain,
Will endure in hope and patience,
Till you ask for it again.

Perhaps in some long twilight hour,
Like those we have known of old,
When past shadows gather round you,
And your present friends grow cold,
You may stretch your hands out towards me,--
Ah! you will--I know not when--
I shall nurse my love and keep it
Faithfully, for you, till then.

- Adelaide Anne Procter

Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Dangers of Impulse

All very impulsive persons live perpetually among thorns. They do and say things almost daily that cause themselves, or somebody else, most sore disquietude. When they are so stupid as not to see the improprieties of their own course, they may be causing frequent and deep wounds in the hearts of all who love them best. How often an impulsive person wounds the feelings of his truest friends! His thoughtless words, poisoned, it may be, with the gall-drops of a fit of anger or jealousy, envy or pride or a momentary flash of displeasure, may cut like two-edged swords to the heart's core. Or, wanting that sweet refinement given by self-control, their very roughness and harshness may "grate horrible discord" in the ears of those that love him, and would gladly be charmed by his sweet words of wisdom and goodness. How much, oh, how much unhappiness is thus caused by the uncontrolled waywardness of impulsive natures!

Hopes and Helps for the Young of Both Sexes by G. S. Weaver