268 THE NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HERB DOCTOR. 
God. Ifyou do not love Him, then a knowledge of His tove 
should be the first thing you seek—love as revealed in Christ 
Jesus. Do this, and you cannot fail to be happy now and for 
ever. 
8. Always be complete master of your passions, they were 
given for your control, and to become their slave is to sell 
yourself to the devil for nothing ; therefore be not soon angry, 
for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 
A great man speaking to his oppressed countrymen said, ‘ Be 
of good cheer, brethren, God permits evil, that by fighting 
it we might find favour in His sight;” in other words trials 
develop the moral excellencies of man. 
9. Be careful what kind of physic you swallow, for much oi 
it is not fit to be thrown to the dogs. Ifa doctor is going to 
give you mercury in any of its forms, unless it bethe 1000th 
dilution of the homceopaths, tell him that you perfer keeping 
the disease you have, to taking stuff that may and 
often does create a worse. We deny that mercury can cure 
disease that other harmless remedies cannot. 
10. If you are a parent, or if not, don’t put off the study 
of at least the first principle of medicines till you or some of 
your beloved ones are sick. Always be ready to take the stitch 
in time which will often save the othernine. For this purpose 
keepa family medicine chest and make yourself acquainted with 
the properties ofeach medicine; this will give you confidence in 
using them. Under this head we would recommend the 
friendship of a doctor in whom you have confidence, for it 
is not always desirable nor safe for aman to be his own doctor 
any more than his own lawyer. It is best, bowever, to prevent 
the need of either by walking discreetly. 
11. Watch against avarice in your heart, as you would 
against a plague. Remember that in the eyes of the great 
God the avaricious man is an idolator and worse, as it starves 
thousands and shuts up the bowels of compassion against the 
cry of suffering humanity. “The gold of the miser shall eat his 
flesh as doth fire.””—Jas. y. 3. 
