your conduct to others, be guided by the rule that you should never cause useless pain. In the minds of the best men, there is, always has been, and, perhaps, always will be, much difference of opinion as to what is true; but every body knows and feels what is kind, and truth itself is most likely to be found, when it is sought for by tolerance, and benevolence." JOHN BOWRING. In the days of knight-errantry and paganism, one of our old British princes set up a statue to the goddess of victory in a point where four roads met together. In her right hand she held a spear, and her left hand rested upon a shield; the outside of the shield was of gold, and the inside of silver. On the former was inscribed in the old British language, "To the Goddess ever favourable;" and on the other, "For four victories obtained successively over the Picts and other inhabitants of the northern islands." It happened one day that two knights completely armed, one in black armour, the other in white, arrived from opposite parts of the country at this statue just about the same time; and as neither of them had seen it before, they stopped to read the inscription, and observe the excellence of its workmanship. After contemplating it for some time, "This golden shield," said the black knight-" Golden shield,” cried the white knight, who was as strictly observing the opposite side, "why, if I have my eyes, it is silver.""I know nothing of your eyes," replied the black knight; but if ever I saw a golden shield in my life, this is one.”. "Yes," returned the white knight, smiling, it is very probable, indeed, that they should expose a shield of gold in so public a place as this! for my part, I wonder even a silver one is not too strong a temptation for the devotion of some people who pass this way; and it appears, by the date, that this has been here above three years." The black knight could not bear the smile with which this was delivered, and grew so warm in the dispute, that it soon ended in a challenge; they both, therefore, turned their horses, and rode back as far as to have sufficient space for their career; then fixing their spears in their rests, they flew at each other with the greatest fury and impetuosity. Their shock was so rude, and the blow on each side so effectual, that they both fell to the ground much wounded and bruised, and lay there for some time as in a trance. A good Druid who was travelling that way, found them in this condition. The Druids were the physicians of those times as well as the priests. He had a sovereign balsam about him, which he had composed himself, for he was very skilful in all the plants that grew in the fields or in the forests; he staunched their blood, applied his balsam to their wounds, and brought them, as it were, from death to life again. As soon as they were sufficiently recovered, he began to inquire into the occasion of their quarrel. "Why, this man," cried the black knight, "will have it that yonder shield is silver." "And he will have it," repeated the white knight, "that it is gold." And then they told him all the particulars of the affair. "Ah," said the Druid with a sigh," you are both of you my brethren, in the right, and both of you in the wrong. Had either of you given himself time to look on the opposite side of the shield, as well as that which first presented itself to view, all this passion and bloodshed might have been avoided: however, there is a very good lesson to be learned from the evils that have befallen you on this occasion. Permit me, therefore, to entreat you never to enter into any dispute for the future, till you have fairly considered both sides of the question. BEAUMONT. The highest of all characters, in my estimation, is his, who is as ready to pardon the errors of mankind, as if he were every day guilty of some himself; and, at the same time, as cautious of committing a fault, as if he never forgave one. It is a rule then, which we should, upon all occasions, both private and public, most religiously observe; to be inexorable to our own failings, while we treat those of the rest of the world with tenderness, not excepting even such as forgive none but themselves. MELMOTH'S PLINY. It is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression.— PROVERBS XIV. 11. Thus wisdom speaks aloud, and yet Pride hardly will resign; Though to forgive, and to forget, When injur'd, I can scarce tell how My angry spirit will not bow, The heaving billows swell within, But come my proud, my selfish heart, Just the reverse: his generous breast Although by wicked hands he died, Jesus! I hide my head in shame; That I, who wear thy sacred name, No more conform to thee. O! the sharp pangs He underwent And shall I trifling wrongs resent? I'll seize th' offending brother's hand, My angry passions I'll disband, And ev'ry quarrel end. Why should we differ by the way? While others their punctilios boast; Fain would I imitate my Lord, Humility's its own reward, But pride's a punishment. Come, blessed Spirit, heavenly dove, Descend on balmy wings! Come, tune my passions all to love, And strike the peaceful strings. Jesus, my longing soul shall wait, WAR. make war ; HOSTILITY; state or act of opposition. to be in a state of hostility. WARFARE, military service; military life. To WAR, to The state of Christians, even when they are not actually persecuted, is a perpetual state of warfare and voluntary sufferings. ATTERBURY. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds. 2 CORINTHIANS X. 3, 4. In the old Dutch language WAR is spelt WERRE, and in French it is GUERRE, to which of these derivatives the word may be attributed, is uncertain; perhaps to both. If we turn to the Latin tongue, we find BELLUM is significant of this word of direst import, hence we have BELLIGERENT, waging war; REBEL; REBELLION; REBELLIOUS, &c. WAR is threatened by God in Scripture as one of the greatest judgments, and may justly be reckoned among the many dreadful miseries which sin has entailed on mankind. CRUDEN. Scatter thou the people that delight in war. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth: he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder: he burneth the chariot in the fire. PSALM XLVI. 9. ? From whence come wars and fightings among you Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? JAMES IV. 1. SPIRITUAL WARFARE.-The common acceptation of war in scripture, is a state of hostility between nations, states, provinces, or parties, as in 1 Kings xiv. 30; Luke xiv. 31; and many other places. But it is also taken in a spiritual sense, as in 2 Corinthians x. 3, where the apostle says, "We war not after the flesh," that is, "We do not use outward force and strength; but as the end of our warfare is spiritual, so are the means; the gospel we preach has its effects on the minds and inward parts of men, and through the power of divine grace is made effectual for the subduing and sanctifying their corrupt and sinful natures." The Son of God is gone to war, His blood-red banner streams afar; Who best can drink his cup of woe, Who boldest bears his cross below, The martyr first, whose eagle eye He pray'd for them that did the wrong : A glorious band, the chosen few, Ön whom the Spirit came; CRUDEN. Twelve valiant saints, the truth they knew, They met the tyrant's brandish'd steel, The lion's gory mane; They bow'd their necks, the death to feel : A noble army, men and boys, The matron and the maid, Around their Saviour's throne rejoice, In robes of light array'd; They climb'd the dizzy steep of heaven, Oh God, to us may grace be given To follow in their train. HEBER. WARS OF THE JEWS NO AUTHORITY FOR CHRISTIANS. -The Hebrews were formerly a very warlike nation. |