Leviticus 19:17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart: you shall in any wise rebuke your neighbor, and not suffer sin on him. Can a physician show his love better than by telling his patient his disease, and declaring unto him the means whereby to cure it? Can a man, meeting his brother wandering out of his way in hills and dales, in woods and wildernesses, show his love better unto him than by bringing him into the way, and laying his error before his face? So that no man can give a sounder testimony of his sincere heart and unfeigned love toward his brother than by dealing plainly with him when he walketh not uprightly. For a friend is unto the soul as physic unto the body, and the admonishing of our brother is as the director of a traveller. Let us therefore suffer the word of exhortation. Knowing that such as are out of order must be admonished, the feeble-minded must be comforted, the weak must be strengthened, the evil must be reproved, the obstinate must be terrified and threatened. And let us not fret and rage against our brethren when we are checked and controlled for our sins. It is a sign we are persuaded and resolved to continue in our sins when we cannot abide to be reproved, but are ready to say with Ahab: "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" The Word of God is good to him that walketh uprightly; and we shall find in the end, that open rebuke is better than secret love; yea, that the wounds of a lover are faithful, and the kisses of an enemy are pleasant. (W. Attersoll.) Parallel Verses KJV: Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. |
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