CHINESE SCRIPTURES-GENERAL SELECTIONS. SELECTION I. God the parent of men, compassion ate, wise, and pure; integrity of heart, justice, charity, and kindness toward all men are the offerings acceptable to him. GOD He en has an intelligence which nothing escapes, and that Its decrees are without appeal. I know that It regards all things; that It enters into all; that It is present incessantly to all. OD is the Parent of men. 7 Heaven penetrates to the depths is compassionate and unwearied of all hearts, as daybreak illumines in blessing. He inspects kingdoms, the darkest room. We should strive and makes no mistakes. Clear- to reflect Its light, as two instruseeing and intelligent, He dwells ments in complete harmony respond with men in all their actions. He to one another. is offended with wrong-doing. 2 The reason which can be reasoned is not the Eternal Reason. The name which can be named is not the Eternal Name. 8 Life and death depend on the law of Heaven, which is immutable. Poverty and riches are dispensed by Heaven, who cannot be compelled. A wise man reveres the dispensations of Heaven, and thus enjoys inward tranquillity and peace. 3 Man takes his law from the earth; earth takes its law from heaven; heaven takes its law from reason; reason takes its law from within itself. Use the light to guide you home to its own bright-sists solely in integrity of heart, and ness. 4 Heaven exercises men with trials, holds in its hands the issues of things, and determines men's lot according to their conduct. 5 Only they who carry sincerity to the highest point, in whom there 9 A disciple of Confucius being ask ed concerning his teaching, replied: "The doctrine of our master con treating his neighbor as he himself wishes to be treated." IO If one strives to treat others as he would be treated by them, he will not fail to come near the perfect life. II What you would not like to remains not a single hair's breadth have done to yourself, do it not of hypocrisy, can see the hidden unto others. When you labor for springs of things. others, do it with the same zeal as if it were for yourself. 12 That which you dislike in su 6 I know that one must watch incessantly over himself; that Heav periors do not practise it toward treating others as you would not like inferiors; and what you dislike in to be treated by them. inferiors do not practise it toward superiors. This is the law for measuring others by ourselves. 5 Of all noble qualities, loving compassion is the noblest. To love and serve all men is to delight in God. 13 To become the superior man, I must serve my father as I wish 6 Tread not in crooked paths. my son to serve me; I must serve Deceive not in the secrecy of your my elder brother as I wish my house. Rectify your own hearts, younger brother to serve me; I that you may improve others. must serve my prince as I should wish my minister to serve me; and I must behave toward my friend as I would wish him to behave toward me. 14 The good man loves all men. He loves to speak of the good of others. All within the four seas are his brothers. Love of man is chief of all the virtues. 15 The mean man sows, that himself or his friends may reap; but the love of the perfect man is universal. SELECTION II. 7 To know a thing is right, and not to do it, is a weakness. When you know a thing, maintain that you know it; when you do not know it, admit the fact: this is wisdom. 8 Fear not poverty, but fear missing of the truth. Let not thy tongue say what thy heart denies. 9 Never allow yourself to do a wrong thing because it seems trifling, nor to neglect doing a good action because it seems to be small. 10 Let no man do what his own sense of right forbids him to do; and let him not desire what that forbids him to desire. The virtues both of ourselves and of II All men have in themselves others are what we should commend and feelings of mercy and pity, of shame cultivate; but faults and wrongs should and hatred of vice. They are a part be covered, and at the same time gradu-of the organization of man, as much ally rooted out. HIDE IDE the faults of others, and 2 When you hear people talk of the wickedness of mankind, partake not of their pleasure. When you hear people speak of the virtues of mankind, approve and rejoice therein. 3 The disease of men is neglecting to weed their own fields, and busying themselves with weeding the fields of other people. as his limbs or his senses; and they may be trained as well. 12 The mountains naturally bring forth beautiful trees; even when the trunks are cut down, young shoots will constantly spring up. If cattle are allowed to feed on the mountain, it looks bare; shall we therefore say that bareness is natural to the mountain? When the lower passions are let loose, they eat down the nobler growths of love and reverence in the heart of man; shall we 4 True politeness consists in never therefore say there are no such feel ings in his heart? Under the quiet, with a disease of your own body. The object of punishment is to make an end of punishing. peaceful atmosphere of morning and evening, the shoots that have been browsed tend to grow again. 13 Humanity is the heart of man; justice is the path of man. To develop the principles of our higher nature is to know heaven. SELECTION III. 7 They who remember the benefits bestowed by parents are too grateful to remember their faults. 8 They are happy who can return to father and mother the care they received from them in infancy; still happier are they who can return their smiles and caresses, and feel for Goodness, duty, and peace belong together; friendship, filial piety and kindness toward them the same love they have reall living things, together with humility ceived. and self-control, constitute the sum of all virtue. THE good should be met with 9 Old age sometimes becomes second childhood: why should not filial piety become parental love? 10 The fidelity of the dog should shame men who are forgetful of goodness, and the not good should also be met with goodness. The upright should be dealt with benefits. uprightly, and those who are not upright should also be dealt with uprightly. The wise man avenges injuries by benefits. II Do not kill a bird three springs old; the little ones in the nest are awaiting the father's and mother's return. Do not frighten sleeping birds, nor kill those with young, nor break eggs unnecessarily. 2 The path of duty is near, yet men seek it afar off. The way is wide, it is not hard to find. Go 12 Be humane to all animals, even home and seek it, and you will not to insects. Harm not even plants lack teachers. 3 Peace is the highest aim of the superior man. Begin to regulate before disorder comes. Where legions are quartered briars and thorns grow. 4 Have only such friends as will advance you in piety and virtue. Friends should give each other good counsel, and stimulate each other to the love of goodness. 5 Do not exact from others that they love you as much as they can, or as much as they ought; but exact from yourself that you thus love them. or trees. 13 One who shot a stag and hit his own son, while he was grieving, heard a voice say, The stag loves his child as you love yours. 14 He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own. 15 One forgives every thing to him who forgives himself nothing. 16 To indulge a consciousness of goodness is the way to lose it. 17 Be not sorry if men do not know you, but be sorry if you are ignorant of men. 18 Not to correct our faults is to 6 Deal with evil as you would commit new ones. 19 Very near together are hearts that have no guile. 4 A man should not say, I am concerned because I have no place; but, I am concerned how I may become fit for one. 20 The truly great man is he who does not lose his child-heart. He does not think beforehand that his words shall be sincere, nor that his actions shall be resolute: he simply high station, shows disrespect to always abides in the right. 21 When you have learned how to live well, you will know how to die well. 5 To see a man of eminent virtue, and not to promote him to a virtue. To see a base man and not dismiss him, not send him to a great distance, is an error. 6 Virtue is the root, and revenue 22 Religions are many and dif- the branches. If you lightly esteem ferent; but reason is one. We are the root, and attend principally to all brethren. the branches, you spread disorder and rapine among the people. 23 Maintain a love of harmony, that through your families the common speech shall be, Let us help one another! SELECTION IV. Virtue and wisdom cultivated in the 7 Advance the upright, and set aside the crooked, and the people will be submissive to the laws. 8 A ruler must first have virtue in himself, then he may require it in others; he must be free from vice individual will purify and establish the himself, then he may reprove it in family, society, and the state. others. 9 Things being investigated, knowledge became complete; knowledge being complete, thoughts were sincere; thoughts being sincere, hearts were rectified; hearts being rectified, persons were cultivated; persons being cultivated, families were regulated; families being regulated, states were rightly govern ed; states being rightly governed, the whole nation was made tranquil and happy. GRECIAN SCRIPTURES.-GENERAL SELECTIONS. SELECTION I. The one God, omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal, wise, benevolent, holy,—the Father of Men. THERE 7 There is One Supreme Intelligence, who acts with order, proportion, and design; the Source of all that is good and just. He is the HERE is One Unknown Being, Eternal Living Being; the most prior to all beings, and ex- noble of all beings; distinct from alted above all. He is the Author matter, without extension, without of all things, even of the ethereal division, without parts, and without sphere, and of all things below it. 2 He is Life, Counsel, and Light, -which three names all signify One Power; the same that drew all things, visible and invisible, out of nothing. 3 We will sing that eternal, wise, all-perfect Love, which brought order out of chaos. The empyrean, the deep Tartarus, the earth, the ocean, all that is, all that has been, and all that will be, was originally contained in His fruitful bosom. 4 He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. All beings derive their origin from Him. 5 He is the Primeval Father, the Immortal Virgin, the Life, the Cause, the Energy of all things. There is One Only Power, One Only Lord, One Universal King. 6 There is One Eternal God, the cause of all things. He is the Divine Mind, the Infinite Wisdom, who brought matter out of chaos into order, and produced the world we see. succession; who understands every thing, and gives motion to all things, continuing Himself immovable. 8 This is the genuine doctrine of the ancients, which has happily escaped the wreck of truth, and the rock of vulgar errors and poetic fables. 9 God is the Author of all things. He is too great to owe his existence to any other than Himself. Nothing is hidden from His sight. Night and slumber never weigh upon that Infinite Eye, which alone looks upon the truth. By Him we see; from Him we have all which we possess. 10 Giver of all good, Ordainer of all that is, and of all that happens, it is He who makes all, and who gives all. In Him are the beginning, the end, the measure, and the destiny, of every thing. 11 God is, by nature, the Father of men; and the best men He calls His sons. 12 When we sin, God does not turn from us. He is not angry. |