Lalita Vistara.-Everything compounded is soon dissolved; frail as a vessel of earth or a city of sand. Prashotar Mala.-What is unsteady as the water drops on the lotos leaf? Youth, riches, life. Education, or Bending the Twig.-PROV. 22. 6. Japan.-Pearls unpolished shine not. Malay. A pestle by chiselling at last becomes a stick. Malay.-Sores are not to be shown to flies, and children are not to be taught to lie. Malay-You may place on the lap a betel-nut but not a betle-nut tree. Malay. To give a calf to be brought up by a tiger. Chanak.-Parents are the enemies of their children if they refuse them education; for they appear in society as herons among the flamingoes. Prov. 22. 6. Bulgarian.-We bend the tree when young, Japan.-Like learning to swim in a field, The Righteous are Epistles not Written with Ink. 2 COR. 3. 3. God's writing things in a book denotes his perfect knowledge, exact remembrance, and continued just regard to them. His writing bitter things against one, signifies his gradual afflicting of him with severe and lasting troubles, as he did Job. His writing his law in men's heart, and sealing them with his Spirit, imports his applying his word by his Spirit to their heart, that they may be conformed to his image and law, and comforted by his influence, Rom. 2. 15. His writing men's names in heaven in his book of life, with the living, with the righteous, imports his particular and fixed choice of them to obtain everlasting life, Luke 10. His writing his name in their foreheads imports his rendering them like him in holiness, and enabling them to make an open profession of his truth, Rev. 14. I. His putting their tears into his bottle, and marking them in his 20. book, imports his kind observation, and careful rewarding. thereof. Afghan.-What is white shines best amid black. Providence guards the Righteous as the Apple of the Eye.-Ps. 17. 8. The ball of the eye is secured by the eyebrows, which turn aside the perspiration of the forehead from the eye, while dust and insects are kept off by the eyelids; the socket of bone the eye is placed in, protects the apple or pupil of the eye, which is in the centre of this, surrounded by the white of the eye. Such is God's protection. Bengal. He who has given life will give food. The Single Eye of pure Intention.-MAT. 6. 22. Turk.-The eyes are a balance of which the heart forms the weight. China.-A hair's breadth at the bow is a mile beside the butt. Arab. The contemplation of vice is a vice. Prov. 23. 31. Turk.-The chimney catches fire from within. Veman.-A feast given without kindness is a mere waste of flour-cakes; worship devoid of piety is a waste of the sprouts used in sacrifice; and gifts devoid of charity are a mere waste of gold. I Cor. 10. 31. Oriental. You cannot drive a straight furrow without a straight eye. Telugu.-Observances void of purity of heart! to what end are they? to what is the preparation of food without cleansing the vessel? Mat. 15. 8. Telugu.-Those who mortify their bodies, calling themselves saints, are yet unable to cure the impurity of their hearts. If you merely destroy the outside of a white ant hill, will the serpent that dwelt therein perish? Telugu. The hypocrite's meditations are like those of a dog on a dunghill. Tamul.-Like a jackal going round the grave of a child-i.e.,. not from respect, but to tear up the corpse. Shanti Shatak.-Praise to the stomach which is satisfied with little food, but shame to the heart, which, though it has a hundred desires satisfied, is pursuing after more. Sanskrit.-As the spokes of a wheel are attached to the nave, so are all things attached to life. God our Father.-HEB. 12.9. Authority and dignity belong to a father, hence the rulers of Israel were called fathers. Abraham commanded his children, and was hence called the Father of the Faithful. God like a good father in fifteen points : 1. Compassionate to children, so were the Apostles, I Thes. 2. II; hence Paul calls Timothy his son, Tit. 3. 4; John 3. 16; Ps. 103. 13; God treats them as lambs, Is. 40. II. 2. Reverenced by children and not rebuked. 3. Governs with wisdom. 4. Gives being, so Jacob to the twelve Patriarchs, so Abraham to the Jews numerous as the sand of the sea, Acts 7. 8; believers are begotten by the word of truth, Jas. 1. 18; 1 Cor. 4. 15; God is the father of all men, especially of all regenerate, Gal. 4. 6; Eph. 4. 6. 5. Nourishes, believers as new-born babes receive the milk of the word, 1 Pet. 2. 2; a father gives a fish, not a serpent, Mat. 7. 10; Ps. 34. 8-10. 6. Clothes, so Jacob made for Joseph a coat of many colours. God clothes the grass, so will He us, Matt. 6. 30; He gives the robe of salvation, Isa. 61. 10. 7. Protects, covers them with his wings, so David, I Chr. 16. 21, 22. 8. Delights even in their lisping, so prayer the language of a sigh, Rom. 8. 26; though they chatter like a crane, Isa. 38. 14; the publican only smote on his breast, yet God delighted in his humility, Luke 18. 13. 9. Sets a good example, merciful, Luke 6. 36; patient, Col. I. II. 10. Loves best those most like Him, so Daniel was greatly beloved, Dan. 9. 2; so David a man after God's own heart, Acts 13. 22; John the beloved disciple. II. Educates; God's word makes wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3. 15; sends Prophets, Eph. 4. 11; in Christ hid treasures of wisdom, Col. 2. 3. 12. Ready to hear requests, 2 Cor. 6. 2; grants not injurious things, Jas. 1. 5,6; but takes away hurtful things, so hedges their way with thorns, Hos. 2. 6. 13. Regards them even at a distance, so in the parable of the Prodigal son, Luke 15. 20. 14. Patient; values sincerity; the children have rebelled, Is. 1. 2-5. 15. Chastises, Prov. 22. 15; He rebukes transgression with a rod, sometimes he only remonstrates, Mic. 6. 35 to be without chastisement a note of bastards, Heb. 12. 8; punishment a mark of love, Rev. 3. 19; for our profit, Heb. 12.10; even then he is pained; this chastisement is in measure. 16. Makes provision for. Earthly fathers, often passionate, though they be kings, yet of poor dignity,. often know not the condition of their distant children, who may become poor, Is. 54. 10; cannot convert, Heb. 2. 14; Ex. 36. 26; estate divided or only given to one; are mortal. The wickedness of a child does not estrange the heart of a parent, so God remembers we are but dust, Ps. 103. 14; he pities; Christ our High Priest is touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Bengal.―The tree feels not its own fruit weighty. Badaga.-Mix milk with water, it is still milk. Your mother might behave badly, still she is your mother. Arab.-A blow from a lover as sweet as the eating of raisins. Bengal. If you love me do not beat my dog. Afghan.-Though a mother be a wolf she does not eat her cub's flesh. Raghuvansa.-The father can no more destroy his son than the cloud can extinguish by its water the lightning which proceeds from itself. Faith without Fruits is Dead.-JAS. 2. 17. Faith is the root, works are the fruit: to try to do works without faith is like what the Bengali proverb states, "Cutting away the root and watering the branches." The Egyptians painted a tongue with a hand under it, to show that knowledge and speech are efficacious and good, when that which is known and said is done. We must be golden-handed as well as golden-mouthed. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, Rev. 22. 14. Knowledge without action is a man without arms; it is wine shut up in the vessel, that does good to none, and will corrupt at last and mar the vessel. Such knowledge will be like the poison that lies long in the body and at last kills without remedy. So she that liveth in pleasure, I Tim. 5. 6. In rain, not mere water fructifies, but a secret spirit or nitre that descends with it. Doing is the noblest improvement of being. The soul's essence is action. Religion, if confined to the heart, is not so much entertained as imprisoned, that, indeed, is to be its fountain but not its channel; fountains would not be so much valued if they did not produce rivers. God planted religion among men as a tree of life, which though it was to spring upward directly to himself, yet it was to spread its branches to the benefit of all below; like incense, which, while it ascends to heaven, it perfumes all about it. Not like the man who tells me his heart is right with God when his hand is in my pocket. |