Eastern proverbs and emblems illustrating old truths

Preface

The materials from which this little work has been compiled are scattered over more than looo volumes, some very rare, and to be consulted only in libraries in India, Eussia and other parts of the Continent^ or in the British Museum. The field has been so wide and the materials so immense, that the work of condensation has been almost as difficult as that of collecting ; many statements are, therefore, simply suggestive; amplification would require several volumes. The Author has spared neither time nor labour in collecting and classifying the treasures drawn from the rich and new storehouse of Eastern Emblems and Proverbs, with the view of helping those who have neither the means of collecting a large reference library nor the time to spend in the search.

This work, begun a quarter of a century ago in the jungles of India for the instruction of peasants and women, is designed to afford some help to the following classes — Orientalists, Lovers of Folk-Lore, Teachers, and Preachers. The former desire to open a vista into the recesses of Eastern thought on moral and religious subjects, especially in relation to women and the masses ; the latter are anxious to fix in the school, the pulpit, or the press great spiritual truths by means of emblems and illustrations drawn from the depths of the popular mind. Those classes may.

470174 vi PREFACE.

in the pithy and pointed illustrations of Proverbs, find a quarry out of which to draw some of their materials.

Orientalists are at last recognizing the truth* that Proverbs are as deserving of their research as coins and inscriptions ; and that whereas the latter refer chiefly to kings and the upper classes, Proverbs throw a light on \ the dark recesses of social life, on archaisms, old customs, history, and ethnology. Even the Zenana, barred to the stranger, opens its portals to let man have a peep in and spy out the thoughts and feelings of woman, who, in the

\ East, depicts her feelings and thoughts in Proverbs and racy sayings.

The Proverbs selected in this book, though limited to those serving to illustrate moral and religious subjects, show how widely scattered nations under similar circum-

^ stances have come to similar conclusions ; many of these resemblances arise from the identity of human nature, or are a portion of the spiritual heritage which men brought away with them from the cradle of the human race, and improved on by subsequent communication ; by shewing

' the acute observation and sharp moral sensibility of the masses, they prove God has not left himself without witness in the human breast; they, therefore, form a

f basis for those who are labouring to bridge over the gulf between Eastern and Western thought.

The nineteenth century is pre-eminently distinguished .for the attention it gives to elevating the masses by knowledge conveyed to them through the acceptable medium of parable and illustration. On this one point East and "West concur — that, to tell on the minds of millions, we must make full use of illustrations* from Nature and

PREFACE, vii

picturing by words. Buddhist preachers and Sufy teachers alike hoist the flag of Emblems, Parables, and Proverbs. Even the Divine Founder of Christianity Himself adopted the same method ; for " without a parable spake He not to the people."

The modern missionary in the East, Spurgeon, Trench, and Eyle in England, bear, in their preaching and writings, testimony equally with the Buddhist and Biblical writings to the value of the Emblem, Parable, and Proverb. The following statement of Scarborough, in his " Chinese Proverbs," echoes the same sentiment from far-off Kathay : —

" Used as quotations, the value of proverbs in China is immense. So used in conversation, they add a piquancy and a flavour which greatly delights the Chinese, and makes mutual intercourse more easy and agreeable. But it is to the missionary that the value of an extensive acquaintance with Chinese proverbs is of the highest importance. Personal experience, as well as the repeated testimony of others, makes us bold to assert that even a limited knowledge of Chinese proverbs is to him of daily and inestimable value. A proverb will often serve to rouse the flagging attention of a congregation, or to arrest it at the commencement of a discourse. A proverb will often serve to produce a smile of good nature in an apparently ill-tempered audience, and so to call forth a kindly feeling which did not seem before to exist. And very often a proverb aptly quoted will serve to convey a truth in the most terse and striking manner, so obviating the necessity for detached and lengthy argument, whilst they fix at a stroke the idea you are wishing to convey."

The proverbs in this book have been selected for the illustrations they contain. Proverbs are not the productions of the book-worm or the midnidit oil. Proverbs viii PREFACE.

were 'before looks — they come from the great books of Nature and common sense — from powers of observation, not blunted by book-cram ; hence among the Proverbs in this book, though principally Eastern,"^ there are very few that are not intelligible to the European mind; like the Proverbs of Solomon, the Psalms, Bunyan's " Pilgrim's 1 Progress," and the Arabian Mghts, they speak in a language " understanded by the common people."

While illustrations by Emblem and Proverb are indispensable as media for conveying instruction in the East, they are highly valued in Europe also. The following observations of Archbishop Trench will find a response with all those who have aimed at winning the attention of the working classes, the peasantry, and " the Arabs of Society :" —

" Any one who by after investigation has sought to discover how much our rustic hearers carry away, even from sermons to which they have attentively listened, will find that it is hardly ever the course or tenor of the argument, supposing the discourse to have contained such; but if anything has been uttered, as it used so often to be by the best Puritan preachers, tersely, pointedly, epigrammatically, this will have stayed by them, while all the rest has passed away. Great preachers to the people, such as have found their way to the universal heart of their fellows, have ever been great employers ofproverls."

The Author will feel greatly obliged for any corrections or additions to this work forwarded for him to the Publishers.

* Many Eussian Proverbs are given, whicli were collected by the Author in Moscow; but tbe Eussians are a semi- Oriental people, and their Proverbs have an Eastern ring about them.

Part I. Proverbs And Emblems Chiefly Moral

PAO

The Ant teaches the Sluggard i

Appearances Deceitful — Avoid the appearance of Evil. . 2

Angry as a Bear robbed of her Whelps .... 3

Man a Wild Ass's Colt 4

Beauty in the Ignorant as a Jewel in a Swine's Snout —

Beginning and Unable to Finish 5

The Glutton's God his Belly 6

Book Oram — Anger rests in the Fool's Bosom ... 7

Braying a Fool in a Mortar 8^

The Shameless have a Brow of Brass 9

Deceitful Brethren as a Brook — a Busybody, as one taking a

Dog by the Ears 10

The Hypocrite's Words Smoother than Butter — Strife from

Wrath as Butter from Milk 12

Caste — Ceremonialism 13

The Wicked are Chaff— Cheerfulness 15

The Body a Clay House crushed before the Moth . . t6 The Wicked are Clouds without Water — A Boaster like

Clouds without Eain 18

The Fickle Hke the Morning Cloud and Early Dew— A Forgiving Spirit as Coals of Fire on an Enemy's Head . 19 Contentment with Godliness, Great Gain — A Threefold

Cord of Brotherly Unity 21

Worldly Joy is the Crackling of Thorns . . . . 22

Courteousness — A Cruel Man troubles his own Flesh . . 24 The Cursing of the Wicked Vain — Bad Company the

Unfruitful Works of Darkness 25

Owe no Debt but Love — Decision ; No Serving Two Masters 27

:e contents.

AGE

Deeds, not Words — The Double-Minded ; Unstable as a

Wave 28

Cast not Holy Things to Dogs 29

Meek as a Dove 30

The Wicked are Dross 31

Man's Corruption like the Ethiopian's Skin . ... 32

The Eye of Faith 33

The Fire of the Tongue 34

Little Sins like Dead Flies in Ointment . • • • 35

Life a Flood 3^

Life passes as a Flower 37

God-fearing the Fountain of Life— The Heart the Fountain

of Action — The Wicked are Foxes 38

Friendship, like Perfume, rejoicing the Heart • • • 39

The Wicked like Goats— All Flesh is Grass .... 40

Gratitude the Memory of the Heart 41

Idleness makes the House drop through .... 42

The Inner and the Outer Man 43

The Lamp of the Wicked put out — Man Fades as a Leaf . 44

Lip Love as Sounding Brass — Use the Means ... 45

Gravel of Deceit fills the Mouth 46

The Safe Guide 47

The Hoary Head of the Eighteous a Crown of Glory — The

Body a House 48

Hearing, not Doing, as a House on the Sands . . . 49

Moderation, i.e., Avoiding Extremes 50

The Mote in a Brother's Eye, a Beam in your Own — Stiff-necked 51

Woman's Ornament the Hidden Man of the Heart . . 52

Patient as the Husbandman ....... 53

Cast not Pearls before Swine 54

Perfection — Sin as a Poisonous Serpent • • • • 55

Man as Clay ; God as the Potter 56

Prudence . 57

Punctuality, or Work while it is Day 58

God's Influence as Rain on the Mown Grass • • • 59

Redeeming the Time — Sparing the Rod, hating the Son . 61

The Root of all Evil is the Love of Money 62

Rottenness of the Bones is Envy 64

Hypocrites' Hope a Rush in the Mire — Hypocrites are

Whited Sepulchres 66

The Righteous the Salt of the Earth 67

Our Days on Earth a Shadow — God a Shepherd ... 68

Sowing to the Flesh Reaping Corruption .... 70

CONTENTS. xi

PAGE

The Hypocrites' Hope a Spider's Web 71

The Lord the Stay of the Eighteous 72

The Nick of Time Taught by the Stork— The Sting of Death

is Sin 73

The Sinner's Heart Stony 74

The Swallow knows her Time, not so the Ignorant . . 75 Slander is a Mall, a Sword, and a Sharp Arrow — False

Sympathy 76

Temperance or Self- Control 77

Avoid Temptation 79

The Body a Tent 80

Life a Vapour 82

The Wages of Sin is Death — Providence a Wall of Fire to

protect the Good ^'^

No Discharge in Death's Warfare 84

The Beginning of Strife the letting out of Water ... 85

The Dead as Water spilled upon the Ground . . . 86

The Wicked pass away as a Whirlwind . . . . 87

The Worm of Conscience 88

Man a Worm 89

The Tongue Fires the Wheel of Nature .... 90

PAKT II.

PKOVEEBS AND EMBLEMS MOEAL AND EELIGIOUS.

The Wicked deaf as an Adder to the Charmer's Voice . . 93

The Anchor of Hope 94

The Arrows of God's punishment — The Axe of punishment

at the Boot of the Tree .96

Sinners are Blind 98

The Book of Life 99

Who are Brands plucked from the Burning — Doing Good is

Bread cast on the Waters .100

God a Builder loi

The Burden of Sin — Trusting in Eiches compared to a Camel

passed through a Needle's Eye 102

The Wicked are Captives 103

Choked with Care — Chastity 104 xu CONTENTS.

PAGE

God chastises Ms Spiritual Sons 105

Humble as little Children 107

Death of Righteous as a Shock of Corn . . . .109 Charity covers a Multitude of Sins— Let the Dead bury

their Dead iii

The Congregation of the Dead and the Fool — Drunkenness. 113

Riches have Wings like an Eagle 114

Education, or Bending the Twig — The Righteous are

Epistles not written with Ink 115

Providence guards the Righteous as the Apple of the Eye . 116

God our Father 117

Faith without Fruits is Dead .119

The Earth waxes old as a Garment 121

The Strait Gate and Narrow Way to Eternal Life— The

Girdle of Truth 122

Seeing through a Dark Glass 124

Hearers not Doers gazers in a Looking-glass . . .125 The wild Goat on the Mountains protected, so the Righteous 127 The Tongue a Helm — Providence as a Hen sheltering her

Chickens 128

Honesty — Hospitality — Who are God's Jewels . . .129

God a Judge 131

Knowledge 132

Sin, a Leprosy . . 133

God's People graven on the Palms of his Hands . . -135

Light — The Righteous Bold as a Lion 136

Time like a Mail-post, Swift Ships, Eagles . . . .138

An Oppressor like a Crouching Lion 139

A Living Dog better than a dead Lion — Man and Wife one

Flesh 140

The Miser — False Peace like Untempered Mortar . . 141

Mountains 142

The Spiritual Net — The Night of Life and Day of Eternity. 143

The Sensualist's Old Age 144

Oppressing the Poor a Sweeping Rain 147

The Righteous as the Palm Tree 148

Perseverance as the Husbandman — Polygamy . . .150 Prevention better than Cure — Pride . . . . .151 Punctuality and Watching opportunity — The Heavenly

Race 152

God will not Break the bruised Reed 154

God a Refuge and Shield 155

Rend the Heart not the Garment .156

Resignation — God's Grace a River ..... 157

CONTENTS. xiii

PAGE

"The Sacrifices of the Body and of Praise . . . 159

The Troubled Sea of Evil Passions 160

Conscience seared as with a Hot Iron . . . . .164

The Seed of God's Word 165

Self-conceit — Selfishness 168

The Righteous as Sheep 169

The Shipwrecked Soul — Silence 170

Death a Sleep to the Righteous — Conscience Asleep . . 171

The Smoke of God's Anger 172

The Righteous a Soldier 173

The Righteous shall Shine as the Stars . . . .174

The Rich are only Stewards 175

The Stronghold, Faith in God 176

The Death of the Righteous an unsetting Sun . . .177 Earthen Vessels hold the Soul's Treasures .... 178

Christ the Lily among the Thorns 179

Treasures laid up in Heaven — Death's Shadowy Yalley . 180

The Spiritual Warfare 182

The Righteous are Watchmen 184

The Waterer Watered, or Fatness for the Liberal . . 186 The Wedding Garment, or Meetness for Heaven — The

Wilderness World . .187

The Wicked are Wolves and Locusts — The Words of the

Wise Goads and Nails 190

Part III. Peoverbs And Emblems Religious

Who is the Altar for Believers ? — Who has the Everlasting

Arms? 192

What Bags wax not Old 193

How Born again ? — Who is the Bread of Heaven ? . ,194 Who are Buried with Christ ? — Satan in everlasting Chains

of Darkness 195

The City in Heaven — Content 196

Christ drank a Bitter Cup . . . . • . . . 197 Hell is the Blackness of Darkness — Death-bed Repentance,

or making Swords when the War comes , , .198 xiv CONTENTS.

PAGE

Sin as a Debt Blotted out — The Dew of God's Providence . 199

The Spiritual Life mounting on Eagle's Wings . . . 202

The Earnest of the Spirit 203,

The Angelic Encampment — Example 204

The Great Family of Believers — Satan the Father of Lies . 205

Keep the Feet in God's House 206

God's Name on the Believer's Forehead — Christ the sure

Foundation 208

God the Fountain of Living Waters 210

The Fowler of Souls 211

Christ the first Fruits of them that Slept — Affiction's

Furnace 213

The Church a Garden enclosed 215

Faith more Precious than Gold 217

The Eighteous groan in their Bodily Tabernacle — The right

Hand of God dashes in Pieces his Enemies . . . 21S

The Soul thirsts for God lilce a Hart 22a

The Heavenly Home 221

The Righteous are God's Husbandry 222

The Incense of Prayer 224

Begotten to an Unfading Inheritance 225

Christ has the Keys of Death and Hell .... 226

The Eighteous are Kings 227

Christ's Kingdom Immovable 228

Who knocks at the Door of the Heart ? — Christ the Lamb of

God 229

The Spiritual Legacy 23a

Who comes as the Lightning ? 231

Christ the Lily of the Valley 232

Looking to Jesus 233

Meekness — Church Membership 234

Who are Spiritual Merchants ? 236

The Church compared to the Moon 237

The Holy Spirit's Influence like Oil 238

Who is the Great Physician ? 239.

Who are Pilgrims on Earth ? 241

Providence Eescues from a Horrible Pit — Atonement a

Propitiation through Faith in Christ .... 243

Death Eest to the Eighteous 244

Sparing the Eod hating his Son ...... 246

Who shall see God ?— Sins like Scarlet made White as Snow 247

Who are the Sealed Ones ? 248

The Woman's Seed bruises the Serpent's Head — Self-respect — Who are Servants of Christ ? . . . . 249

CONTENTS. XV

PAGE

The Shield of Faith . 250

Aflaiction refines as the Fire does Silver . . . .251

What are the Dead sown for ? 252

Who is the Morning Star ? 253

The Storm of God's Wrath 255

Who are Strangers on Earth ? 256

The Sun of Eighteousness with Healing on his Wings . 258

The Sword of the Spirit 26a

Heavenly Treasures in Earthen Vessels . . . .261

Man revives not as a Tree — ^Who walks with God ? . . 262

The Holy Spirit like Water 263

The Way to Heaven 264

Christ a Well of Water— The Holy Spirit's Influence like

the Wind 266

Christ's Yoke easy and his Burthen light .... 267

QrESTIONS ON AND HeADS OF THE EMBLEMS , . .268

Scripture Similes Illustrative oe Texts . . . .271 Illustrations in the Bible of Oriental Customs . . 274 Index ... 276

EASTERN PROVERBS AND EMBLEMS.