The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour: he coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. Ch. xxi. 25. [69] _Shame, which our aid or injury we find._] The verse No shame is his, Shame, of mankind the injury or aid, occurs in the Iliad, 24; and in the Odyssey, 17, we meet with An evil shame the needy beggar holds: but Le Clerc should have known better than to follow Plutarch in the supposition of the lines being inserted from Homer by some other hand. It is one of the proverbial and traditionary sayings which frequently occur in their writings, and which belong rather to the language than to the poet. The admirable Jewish scribe, in that ancient book of the Apocrypha entitled Ecclesiasticus, uses the same proverb: Observe the opportunity and beware of evil; and be not ashamed when it concerneth thy soul. For there is a shame that bringeth sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace. WISDOM OF JESUS THE SON OF SIRACH, iv. 20, 21. [70] _But shun extorted riches._] He that hasteth to be rich, hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. PROVERBS, xxviii. 22. He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. Ch. xxviii. 8. [71] _Who spurns the suppliant._] The ninth book of the Odyssey exhibits a beautiful passage illustrative of the high reverence in which the Grecians held the duties of hospitality. Illustrious lord! respect the gods, and us Thy suitors: suppliants are the care of Jove The hospitable: he their wrongs resents, And where the stranger sojourns there is he. COWPER. [72] _If aught thou borrowest._] Lend to thy neighbour in time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again in due season. Keep thy word and deal faithfully with him, and thou shalt always find the thing that is necessary for thee. WISDOM OF JESUS THE SON OF SIRACH. [73] _Who loves thee, love._] Far different is the spirit of the Gospel. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” MATTHEW, v. 43. If ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. LUKE, vi. 32.