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Precious Words to Awakın the Age.
MAY,
be some forbearance between them; a little impatience may create a grent evil.
Whoever calls himself my friend, and yet behaves himself unkindly towards another of my friends, I can no longer regard him as my friend; though he treats me well, it must be, I think, because he de- pends upon me for somewhat. Had he nothing to expect from me, then I could not expect him to treat me better than he treats my friend.
There are people in the world who by raising cattle and horses, seek to accumulate wealth for their posterity ; but the folly of such is manifest even in this world. But those who seek by oppressing the poor to accumulate for their posterity, will after death suffer endless punishment in hell. They will never escape to any other state of being, and their children can not happily enjoy their wealth. How, too, shall they ever reform. Being now at the "nine fountains," it is too late for repentance ever to reach them. How then can the oppressors of the poor neglect early to awaken to the consideration of these things!
In the world there are many dishonest schemes for attaining to the possession of wealth and honor. This happens from the circumstance that the virtue of ancestors often has succeeded in accumulating large possessions, and then also from the circumstance that the present condition is often a reward for past conduct, and that the future pros- perity or adversity moreover is about to be a reward for the present conduct. For example, the grain which affords us sustenance in a year of famine, is that which was laid up in a year of plenty, and on account of the present year's dearth, those who live in the next year must suffer the evil of starvation. Again, suppose a case in which a man has inherited a magnificent patrimony, then although he should be habitually extravagant in his manner of living, still he would not immediately become poor, but in a short time he turns out to be so poor that he has not a place so large as the point of an awl to stand upon, and now we can perceive the result of his extravagant expendi- tures. Moreover, we may instance the case of the tall tree upon the mountain; the root is deep, and the trunk is firm. But wait until a long time after, when within the heart has gradually become hollow, and without the skin has much of it peeled off; the branches and the leaves are yet green and fresh, its root is large, and its strength vast. But wait until another time when its living powers are exhausted, and the top is shattered by the thunderbolt, and it is completely up- rooted from the earth by the violence of a tempest, then how different is the appearance. Is the evil-doer able to comprehend this ?
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