The Works of the Late Aaron Hill ... In Four Volumes. Consisting of Letters on Various Subjects, And of Original Poems, Moral and Facetious. With An Essay on the Art of Acting |
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St. Matthew, Chapter vii
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 | The Works of the Late Aaron Hill |  |
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St. Matthew, Chapter vii
Condemn not, rashly, all that looks, like ill,
Lest you are forc'd to drink the cup, you fill.
As you sow judgment, you shall reap it, too;
And, as you measure, God will measure you.
Why, with such nice discernment, dost thou spy,
The growing mote, that clouds thy brother's eye?
Why is such zeal, to cure his blemish, shown,
When beams, instead of motes, have fill'd thy own.
Thou hypocrite! first, thy own blemish cure,
And, then, the needful help, for his, procure?
Lest you are forc'd to drink the cup, you fill.
As you sow judgment, you shall reap it, too;
And, as you measure, God will measure you.
Why, with such nice discernment, dost thou spy,
The growing mote, that clouds thy brother's eye?
Why is such zeal, to cure his blemish, shown,
When beams, instead of motes, have fill'd thy own.
Thou hypocrite! first, thy own blemish cure,
And, then, the needful help, for his, procure?
If, still, more plain instruction you require,
The following form will guide your just desire:
Wisely distinguish, when you mean to teach,
Nor, vainly, to th' unlist'ning scorner preach.
Permit not dogs, on holy fare, to dine;
Nor, madly bountiful, throw pearls to swine.
Lest they despise the worth, they cannot taste,
And turn, and tear thee, for thy treasure's waste!
The following form will guide your just desire:
Wisely distinguish, when you mean to teach,
Nor, vainly, to th' unlist'ning scorner preach.
Permit not dogs, on holy fare, to dine;
Nor, madly bountiful, throw pearls to swine.
Lest they despise the worth, they cannot taste,
And turn, and tear thee, for thy treasure's waste!
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Ask, and the thing thou ask'st, shall granted be;
Search, and the object sought, thou soon shalt see.
Knock, and, in time, thou shalt admission gain,
For none e'er ask'd, or sought, or knock'd, in vain.
What man, among ye, by deceit, misled,
Would give his son a stone, instead of bread?
Or, when an infant does a fish demand,
Would reach some serpent, to his tender hand?
If, therefore, you, by nature, dark, and weak,
Chuse, for your children, the good things they seek,
Ought you not, far more justly, to expect,
Your heav'nly father will not his neglect?
Search, and the object sought, thou soon shalt see.
Knock, and, in time, thou shalt admission gain,
For none e'er ask'd, or sought, or knock'd, in vain.
What man, among ye, by deceit, misled,
Would give his son a stone, instead of bread?
Or, when an infant does a fish demand,
Would reach some serpent, to his tender hand?
If, therefore, you, by nature, dark, and weak,
Chuse, for your children, the good things they seek,
Ought you not, far more justly, to expect,
Your heav'nly father will not his neglect?
If, from God's will, you would your practice draw,
This one short maxim sums up all his law:
That very thing, to others, always do,
Which you, so plac'd, would have them do to you.
This one short maxim sums up all his law:
That very thing, to others, always do,
Which you, so plac'd, would have them do to you.
Broad is the gate, and wond'rous wide, the way,
Through which mistaken men, to ruin, stray:
Too many that way chuse, because 'tis fair,
And the strait path, to shun its Thorns, forbear:
But happy they, who hit the narrow gate,
That leads to life, and enter, tho' 'tis strait.
Beware, lest lying prophets make you sin,
Who, cloath'd like sheep, are rav'nous wolves, within.
Closely observe 'em, when such men you see,
And, wisely, by the fruit, discern the tree.
Do thorns bear grapes? or figs, on thistles, grow?
Plants, by their product, best their nature show.
Through which mistaken men, to ruin, stray:
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And the strait path, to shun its Thorns, forbear:
But happy they, who hit the narrow gate,
That leads to life, and enter, tho' 'tis strait.
Beware, lest lying prophets make you sin,
Who, cloath'd like sheep, are rav'nous wolves, within.
Closely observe 'em, when such men you see,
And, wisely, by the fruit, discern the tree.
Do thorns bear grapes? or figs, on thistles, grow?
Plants, by their product, best their nature show.
Not
ev'ry one, that owns, or spreads, my name,
Shall, thence, have right, a seat, in heav'n to claim:
But he, who well performs my father's will,
His cup, with blessings, shall my father fill.
Crowds of pretenders, on my judgment-day,
Swell'd, with the pride of zeal, these words shall say:
Lord, see thy servants, and thy prophets know,
Who, in thy name, did mighty things, below;
Calling on thee, thy wish'd assistance came,
And Devils have fled before us, at thy name.
Them, will I answer thus—vain is your plea;
Prophets, thro' love of pow'r, not love of me!
I know ye not—and the reward ye gain,
By short-liv'd pride, is everlasting pain.
Hear, with attention, therefore, what I say;
Hear, with attention, and, with judgment, weigh:
He, who now hears me, and observes me well,
Does, on a rock, like the wise builder, dwell:
Tho' rains descend, and rising floods o'erflow,
Tho' raging winds, in hourly tempests, blow;
His house stands firm, secure, and free from shock,
Safe, in foundation, on its central rock.
But he, who hears, and does not understand,
Builds, like a fool, upon the failing sand:
To storms, or floods, or rains, his fabrick yields,
And the loud ruin shakes the neighb'ring fields.
Shall, thence, have right, a seat, in heav'n to claim:
But he, who well performs my father's will,
His cup, with blessings, shall my father fill.
Crowds of pretenders, on my judgment-day,
Swell'd, with the pride of zeal, these words shall say:
Lord, see thy servants, and thy prophets know,
Who, in thy name, did mighty things, below;
Calling on thee, thy wish'd assistance came,
And Devils have fled before us, at thy name.
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Prophets, thro' love of pow'r, not love of me!
I know ye not—and the reward ye gain,
By short-liv'd pride, is everlasting pain.
Hear, with attention, therefore, what I say;
Hear, with attention, and, with judgment, weigh:
He, who now hears me, and observes me well,
Does, on a rock, like the wise builder, dwell:
Tho' rains descend, and rising floods o'erflow,
Tho' raging winds, in hourly tempests, blow;
His house stands firm, secure, and free from shock,
Safe, in foundation, on its central rock.
But he, who hears, and does not understand,
Builds, like a fool, upon the failing sand:
To storms, or floods, or rains, his fabrick yields,
And the loud ruin shakes the neighb'ring fields.
Here, the great Jesus stopt:—th' astonish'd crowd,
In humble rev'rence of his doctrine, bow'd;
Confess'd his pow'r, tho' strangers to his law,
And own'd his godhead, by their inward awe.
In humble rev'rence of his doctrine, bow'd;
Confess'd his pow'r, tho' strangers to his law,
And own'd his godhead, by their inward awe.
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