SWEEP BEFORE YOUR OWN DOOR.
By Sel.
Do we heed the homely adage handed down from days of yore?
“Ere you sweep your neighbor’s dwelling, clear the rubbish from your door;
Let no filth, no rust there gather, leave no traces of decay.
Pluck up every weed unsightly, brush the fallen leaves away.” If we faithfully have labored thus to sweep without, within,
Plucked up envy, evil-speaking, malice, each besetting sin—
Weeds that by the sacred portal of the inner temple grow—
Poison weeds the heart defiling, bearing bitterness and woe; Then, perchance, we may have leisure o’er our neighbors watch to keep—
All the work assigned us finished, we before his door may sweep;
Show him where the moss is clinging—token ever of decay—
Where the thistles, thickly springing, daily must be cleared away. But, alas! our work neglecting, oft we mount the judgment seat,
With his failings, his omissions, we our weary brother greet;
In some hidden nook forgotten, searching with a careful eye,
We the springing weeds discover—some slight blemish there descry. For his slothfulness, his blindness, we our brother harshly chide,
Glorying in our strength and wisdom, we condemn him in our pride.
Ask not why he has neglected, thus before his door to sweep;
Why grown careless, he has slumbered, failed his garden plot to keep. On the judgment seat still sitting we no helping hand extend
To assist our weaker brother, his shortcomings to amend:
For his weariness, his faltering, we no sweet compassion show—
From our store no cordial bring him, no encouragement bestow. But, while busied with our neighbor, urging him to ceaseless care,
Calling to the thoughtless tillers, to their labor to repair—
Lo! unseen the dust has gathered, weeds are growing where of yore
Flowers rare and sweet were blooming when we swept before our door. Ah! how easy o’er our brother faithful ward and watch to keep!
But, alas! before our dwelling hard indeed to daily sweep;
Harder than to share the conflict, “by the stuff” at home to stay,
Easier far to sit in judgment than to humbly watch and pray.
—Sel.