“AS A MAN THINKETH SO IS HE.”
So think no evil, if not evil thou wouldst be,
For as thou thinkest, so wilt thou e’en be.
If hate thou thinkest, hate will thee control.
If love thou thinkest, love will fill thy soul.
If seeking ill, ill in thy friend thou’lt find.
If seeking good, to good thou wilt him bind.
Instead of seeking in thy friend for sin,
O turn a retrospective glance within.
For what thou seekest thou wilt surely find,
For good, or evil is in thine own mind.
For as thou thinkest, thou wilt surely be
Then seek for good, and happier thou wilt be.
Mayhap thy friends may evil think of thee,
Then look within, and shocked thou mayest be
At thine own faults, and then some good may’st see
In friend or foe, whichever he may be.
Before thou censurest friend, it doth behoove
Thee to correct thyself; thy ways improve.
Thou’lt find thyself no better than thy friend,
And thinking good, thy conduct will amend.
Love’s search-light turn upon thy bitterest foe,
And thou mayst find in him such utter woe
That all thy anger mayst then turn to love,
And gentle be thy thoughts as gentlest dove.
And thou shouldst study self with greatest care;
Though heart mayst seem most pure, some fault is there.
The faults in others, thou shouldst aye condone,
If thou art perfect, thou mayst cast a stone.