Sticks & Stones

[Ecc. 7:21] Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
Since we all make mistakes from time to time, we ought to take what other people say about us with the recognizable grain of salt.
Also - Do not strictly search into them, nor listen to hear them.
Take no heed to all words that are spoken - set not your heart to them. Vex not yourself at men's peevish reflections upon you, or suspicions of you, but be as a deaf man that hears not, Ps. 38:13-14.
Be not concerned or inquisitive to know what people say of you; if they speak well of you, it will feed your pride, if ill; it will stir up your passion.
See therefore that you approve yourself to G-d and your own conscience, and then heed not what men say of you.
So wisdom teaches us not to be quick sighted, or quick scented, in apprehending and resenting affronts, but to wink at many of the injuries that are done us, and act as if we did not see them.
Lest thou hear thy servant curse thee - Hearkeners, we say, seldom hear good of themselves; if you heed every word that is spoken, perhaps you wilt hear your own servant curse you when he thinks you do not hear him; you will be told that he does, and perhaps told falsely, if you have your ear open to tale-bearers, Prov. 29:12.
Or, perhaps you may stand behind the curtain and hear it for yourself, may hear yourself not only blamed and despised, but cursed, the worst evil said of you and wished to you, and that by a servant, one of the meanest rank, of the hopeless, nay, by your own servant, who should be an supporter for you, and protect your good name as well as your other interests.
Perhaps it is a servant you have been kind to, and yet he requites you thus ill, and this will vex you; you would have been better if you not have heard it.
Perhaps it is a servant you have wronged and dealt unjustly with, and, though he dares not tell you so, he tells others so, and tells G-d so, and then your own conscience will join with him in the reproach, which will make it much more uneasy.
The good names of the greatest lie are much at the mercy even of the meanest. And perhaps there is a great deal more evil said of us than we think there is, and by those from whom we little expected it.
We do not consult our own repose, no, nor our credit, though we pretend to be jealous of it, if we take notice of every word that is spoken diminishingly of us; it is easier to pass by twenty such affronts than to avenge one.
As therefore you being far from perfectly "just" yourself, hast much to be forgiven by G-d, do not take too strict account, as the self-righteous do (in verse 16; Lk. 18:9, 11), and thereby shorten their lives (verse 15-16), of words spoken against you by others, for example, your servant: You are their "fellow servant" before G-d (Matt. 18:32-35).
[22] For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
Wisdom puts us in mind of our own faults: "Be not enraged at those that speak ill of you, or wish ill to you, for oftentimes, in that case, if you retire into yourself, your own conscience will tell your that you yourself has cursed others, spoken ill of them and wished ill to them, and you reap what you have sown.
When any affront or injury is done t0 us it is seasonable to examine our consciences whether we have not done the same, or as bad, to others; and if, upon reflection, we find we have, we must take that occasion to renew our repentance for it, must justify G-d, and make use of it to qualify our own resentments.
If we be truly angry with ourselves, as we ought to be, for backbiting and censuring others, we shall be the less angry with others for backbiting and censuring us.
We must show all meekness towards all men, for we ourselves were sometimes foolish, Matt. 7: 1- 2; James 3:1-2.
O, who is free from evil speaking, from uncharitable speaking; from detailing their neighbour's faults, from whispering, tale bearing, and backbiting? Do not wonder if G-d, in His justice, permit you to be calumniated, seeing you have so frequently calumniated others.
Ps. 15:1-5The scope of this short but excellent psalm is to show us the way to heaven, and to convince us that, if we would be happy, we must be holy and honest. By the question in verse 1 we are directed and excited to enquire for the way. By the answer to that question, in the rest of the psalm, we are directed to walk in that way.
1. L-RD, who shall abide in Thy Tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?
2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.
4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoured them that fear the L-RD. And he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5. He that putt not out his money to usury, nor takes reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
Every true living member of G-d’s body, like the place of worship itself, is built upon a rock, which the gates of hell cannot prevail against: He that dos these things shall never be moved; shall not be moved for ever, so the word is. The mercy of G-d shall always be sufficient for them, to preserve them safe and blameless to the heavenly kingdom. Temptations shall not overcome them, troubles shall not overwhelm them, and nothing shall rob them of neither their present peace nor their future bliss.
In singing this psalm we must teach and admonish ourselves, and one another, to answer the characters here given of the citizen of Heaven, that we may never be moved from G-d’s Tabernacle on earth, and may arrive, at last, at that Holy Hill where we shall be for ever out of the reach of temptation and danger.