Scraps of Thought and Feeling Author:Jane Johnson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " TAKE HEED WHAT YE HEAR." This exhortation, preserved among the teachings of the blessed Jesus, is full of deep meaning, and calls to a close watchfulness. I... more »t may be supplemented by the testimony, " The tongue of the slanderer, so full of deadly mischief, would be silent were there no ears open to hear." This also calls us to watch earnestly at the door where the desolating evil of tale-bearing seeks entrance. This scrap is not expected to meet the eyes of those who have, so to speak, given themselves over to the practice of this "deadly mischief," but it is designed as a word of caution to some of us who may sometimes be, perhaps unconsciously beguiled into a willingness to listen to and repeat a statement whether it be true ornot, againsta friend or neighbor. " Report and I will report," is practically the language of many who, did they realize the applicability of the charge, " Thou art the, man," would be shocked at being thus judged. Few of us see ourselves as others see us, and few of us allow ourselves to be searched by the free and clear iushining of that Light which would make manifest all the hidden works of darkness, and perhaps fewer still would be found on the list of those who strictly do unto others as we would they should do unto us. Were our everyday walking a practical exemplification of this Golden Rule, did we wear it as a frontlet upon the brow, the tongue of slander would soon be silent, for there would be no ear to hear. Do we allow ourselves to realize this fact? Do we, in our social intercourse, firmly withdraw the ear from hearing the idle chatthat derogates from a brother's standing, even though our doing so involves the necessity of a candid acknowledgment of the ground we occupy in endeavoring to live up to the Golden Rule? There is reason...« less