SUNDRY WARNINGS

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and in giving and receiving let all be in writing. Be not ashamed to instruct the unwise and foolish, and one of extreme old age that contendeth with those that are young. And so shalt thou be well instructed indeed, and approved in the sight of every man living.

§14. The discipline of the tongue.-Ben Sira follows in the wake of Proverbs in speaking a good deal about the tongue and its discipline. Here is an example. In the third line of this 'sonnet,' as Mr. Moulton calls it, 'it' refers to the 'watch'; in the sixth line, 'their' refers to the 'lips'; in the tenth line, 'they' refers to scourges'; and in the eleventh line, 'their' refers to 'ignorances.' But the text is probably corrupt.

Who shall set a watch over my mouth,
And a seal of shrewdness upon my lips,

That I fall not from it,

And that my tongue destroy me not?

O Lord, Father and Master of my life,
Abandon me not to their counsel:
Suffer me not to fall by them.

Who will set scourges over my thought,
And a discipline of wisdom over mine heart?
That they spare me not for mine ignorances,
And my heart pass not by their sins:
That mine ignorances be not multiplied,
And my sins abound not.

Ben Sira warns earnestly against idle oaths and coarse speech.

Hear ye, my children, the discipline of the mouth; and he that keepeth it shall not be taken. The sinner shall be overtaken in his lips; and the reviler and the proud man shall stumble therein. Accustom not thy mouth to an oath; and be not accustomed to the naming of the Holy One. For as a servant that is continually scourged shall not lack a bruise, so he also that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be cleansed from sin.

A man of many oaths shall be filled with iniquity; and the scourge shall not depart from his house; if he shall offend, his sin shall be upon him; and if he disregard it,

he hath sinned doubly; and if he hath sworn in vain, he shall not be justified; for his house shall be filled with calamities.

There is a manner of speech that is clothed about with death: let it not be found in the heritage of Jacob; for all these things shall be far from the godly, and they shall not wallow in sins. Accustom not thy mouth to gross rudeness, for therein is the word of sin.

And another essay 'On the Tongue' runs as follows:

A slip on a pavement is better than a slip with the tongue. If thou blow a spark, it shall burn; and if thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched: and both these shall come out of thy mouth. Curse the whisperer and double-tongued : for he hath destroyed many that were at peace. A third person's tongue hath shaken many, and dispersed them from nation to nation; and it hath pulled down strong cities, and overthrown the houses of great men. A third person's tongue hath cast out brave women, and deprived them of their labours. He that hearkeneth unto it shall not find rest, nor shall he dwell quietly. The stroke of a whip maketh a mark in the flesh; but the stroke of a tongue will break bones.

Many have fallen by the edge of the sword; yet not so many as they that have fallen because of the tongue. Happy is he that is sheltered from it, that hath not passed through the wrath thereof; that hath not drawn its yoke, and hath not been bound with its bands. For the yoke thereof is a yoke of iron, and the bands thereof are bands of brass. The death thereof is an evil death; and Hades were better than it. It shall not have rule over godly men; and they shall not be burned in its flame. They that forsake the Lord shall fall into it; and it shall burn among them, and shall not be quenched: it shall be sent forth upon them as a lion, and as a leopard it shall destroy them. Look that thou hedge thy possession about with thorns; bind up thy silver and thy gold; and make a balance and a weight for thy words; and make a door and a bar for thy mouth. Take heed lest thou slip therein; lest thou fall before one that lieth in wait.

But Ben Sira is equally alive to the importance of speaking out when speech is difficult, and with a wise discrimination he also

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points out that a slip from the tongue need not come from the heart.

Reprove a friend; it may be he did it not: and if he did something, that he may do it no more. Reprove thy neighbour; it may be he said it not: and if he hath said it, that he may not say it again. Reprove a friend; for many times there is slander: and trust not every word. There is one that slippeth, and not from the heart: and who is he that hath not sinned with his tongue?

§ 15. The virtues of benevolence and forgiveness.-There is nothing more characteristically Jewish and Rabbinic in Ben Sira's book than his insistence on benevolence and charity.

My son, deprive not the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long. Make not a hungry soul sorrowful; neither provoke a man in his distress. To a heart that is provoked add not more trouble; and defer not to give to him that is in need. Reject not a suppliant in his affliction; and turn not away thy face from a poor man. Turn not away thine eye from one that asketh of thee, and give none occasion to a man to curse thee; for if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, he that made him will hear his supplication. Incline thine ear to a poor man, and answer him with peaceable words in meekness. Deliver him that is wronged from the hand of him that wrongeth him; and be not fainthearted in giving judgement. Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of a husband unto their mother: so shalt thou be as a son of the Most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.

To the poor man stretch out thy hand, that thy blessing may be perfected. A gift hath grace in the sight of every man living; and for a dead man keep not back grace. Be not wanting to them that weep, and mourn with them that mourn. Be not slow to visit a sick man, for by such things thou shalt gain love. In all thy matters remember thy last end, and thou shalt never do amiss.

In the following passage the doctrine of Ben Sira is again quite Rabbinic. It says in the Talmud: To whom is sin pardoned? To him who forgiveth an injury. Every time that thou art merciful, God will be merciful to thee; and if thou art not merciful, God will not show mercy to thee.'

One that casteth a stone on high casteth it on his own head; and a deceitful stroke will open wounds. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and he that setteth a snare shall be taken therein. He that doeth evil things, they shall roll upon him; and he shall not know whence they have come to him. He that taketh vengeance shall find vengeance from the Lord; and he will surely make firm his sins.

Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done thee; and then thy sins shall be pardoned when thou prayest. Man cherisheth anger against man; and doth he seek healing from the Lord? Upon a man like himself he hath no mercy; and doth he make supplication for his own sins? He being himself flesh nourisheth wrath: who shall make atonement for his sins? Remember thy last end, and cease from enmity: remember corruption and death, and abide in the commandments. Remember the commandments, and be not wroth with thy neighbour; and remember the covenant of the Highest, and wink at ignorance. Abstain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins: for a passionate man will kindle strife; and a man that is a sinner will trouble friends, and will make debate among them that be at peace.

§ 16. Miscellaneous maxims.—At this point I will bring together a few miscellaneous adages and maxims from Ben Sira's book.

Be not hasty in thy tongue,

And in thy deeds slack and remiss.

Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive,
And closed when thou shouldest repay.

Do no evil, so shall no evil overtake thee;

Depart from wrong, and it shall turn aside from thec. My son, sow not upon the furrows of unrighteousness, And thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.

Laugh not a man to scorn when he is in the bitterness of his soul;

For there is one who humbleth and exalteth.

Intreat not evil a servant that worketh truly,
Nor a hireling that giveth thee his life.

Let thy soul love a wise servant;

Defraud him not of liberty.

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There is one that keepeth silence, for he hath no answer to

make;

And there is that keepeth silence, as knowing his time.

Prate not in the multitude of elders;

And repeat not thy words in thy prayer.

Change not a friend for a thing indifferent;
Neither a true brother for the gold of Ophir.

A faithful friend is a strong defence;

And he that hath found him hath found a treasure.

There is nothing that can be taken in exchange for a faithful

friend;

And his excellency is beyond price.

A faithful friend is a medicine of life;

And they that fear the Lord shall find him.

He that feareth the Lord directeth his friendship aright;
For as he is, so is his neighbour also.

If thou hast drawn a sword against a friend, despair not; for there may be a returning. If thou hast opened thy mouth against a friend, fear not; for there may be a reconciling; except it be for upbraiding, and arrogance, and disclosing of a secret, and a treacherous blow: for these things every friend will flee.

He that revealeth secrets destroyeth credit, and shall not find a friend to his mind. Love a friend, and keep faith with him but if thou reveal his secrets, thou shalt not pursue after him; for as a man hath destroyed his enemy, so hast thou destroyed the friendship of thy neighbour. And as a bird which thou hast loosed out of thy hand, so hast thou let thy neighbour go, and thou wilt not catch him again; pursue him not, for he is gone far away, and hath escaped as a gazelle out of the snare. For a wound may be bound up, and after reviling there may be a reconcilement; but he that revealeth secrets hath lost hope.

Blame not before thou hast examined: understand first, and then rebuke. Answer not before thou hast heard; and interrupt not in the midst of speech.

My son, to thy good deeds add no blemish;

And no grief of words in any of thy giving.