Scribes and Scriptures

"Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto Him, Yea, Lord. Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth out of his treasure things new and old" (Matthew 13:51,52).

Precious truths as gems abound
In Scriptures which were once concealed
As we search them and have found
By grace these wondrous things revealed.

Have we understood these things?
Then as a scribe does, let us write.
Let understanding that God brings
Be worth the effort in our sight.

It's not because we are so smart
We understand what we have heard,
For God is searching every heart
To see who trembles at His Word.

All the treasures of this earth
Cannot with wisdom be compared.
If you value wisdom's worth,
Then why not write what God has shared?

Soil Scenarios

"Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places... dureth for a while: for... by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he the heareth the word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit" (Matthew 13:18-23).

This parable taught by our Savior referred
To the sower who sowed the good seed,
To illustrate hearts which were hearing His Word,
With responses quite different indeed.

The seed by the wayside is caught by the thief
From the hearts that will not understand.
The seed where it's stony finds shallow belief
When there's trials that had not been planned.

The seed among thorns is then choked by the cares
And the riches that surely deceive.
The seed in the good ground, our Savior declares,
Is in hearts that sincerely believe.

O Lord, give us hearts like that fruitful good ground
Where the seed of Your Word can take root!
Grant us Your mercy that we may be found
With obedient hearts bearing fruit!

Wiser Way

"Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Thy law graciously.... I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart" (Psalm 119:29,32). "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool, but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26).

The one who's trusting in his heart,
The Scripture calls a fool.
The wise will from that way depart,
Delivered by God's rule.

How graciously the Lord reproves
Our hearts by testifying,
As by His Word He thus removes
From us the way of lying.

Walking wisely thus requires
A heart God will enlarge
To purify our heart's desires,
Since He has taken charge.

Complete in us this work begun,
And grant us, Lord, Your way.
Enlarge our hearts to thereby run
Obediently today.

Countering the Counselors

"Princes also did sit and speak against me: but Thy servant did meditate in Thy statutes. Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors" (Psalm 119:23,24). "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by Thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:36,37).

We could listen all day long
To the princes who malign
And declare that we are wrong,
As the truth they redefine.

But we serve the living God,
Who shall have the final Word,
And His counsel is not flawed
Like those princes we have heard.

Thank God! We have His Counselors,
Which counter their disdain:
His Spirit whom He freely pours
And His testimonies plain.

So let them sit and ridicule;
Yes, let them have their say.
Our God will judge them by His rule
Accountably one day.

His promise surely won't be broken
When all before His throne
Shall give account for what was spoken,
With every falsehood known.

So may our speech be purified
With everything we do
To counter all who have denied
What God declares is true.

Waste not the Word

"I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes. I will not forget Thy word" (Psalm 119:14-16).

The Word of God is such a treasure
That may be used or sadly wasted.
We use it when we do God's pleasure;
We waste it when it's merely tasted.

Therefore let us meditate
Upon His precepts day and night
To know if we should act or wait;
His word is to our path a light.

Therefore let us have respect
To all God's counsel and His ways.
The word that scorners will reject,
The wise in heart at once obeys.

Therefore let us now delight
In every statute that He gives.
The counsel of the Lord is right,
And by His word His servant lives.

Therefore let us not forget,
But hide His word within our heart,
That we may live without regret
And from our sinfulness depart.

Hidden from the Hardened

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2). "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and has revealed them unto babes.... Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:25,28).

How great are the treasures that God has concealed,
And great is the honor for kings
That God shall bestow by His glory revealed,
As humbly we search out these things!

We are the monarchs, who govern our hearts,
Who earnestly ought to be seeking.
When we've surrendered is when the Lord starts
Revealing the truth He is speaking.

We thank You, O Lord of heaven and earth,
That You were compelled by Your love
To show us Your Fatherhood through our new birth
With glories unseen yet above.

As kings we surrender; as children we come
Like those You once lovingly blessed,
To search for hid treasures; how great is their sum!
And great is Your wonderful rest!

Better Builders

"The Stone which the builders refused is become the Head Stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" (Psalm 118:22,23). "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.... Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house" (Proverbs 24:3,27).

There is a better way to build
Upon a Sure Foundation,
Since God instructs as He has willed,
To grant us His salvation.

The builders of this world refused
Our Lord, to their destruction.
We dare not follow their confused,
Unthinking, blind instruction!

We see the plan of God so wise
That builds on Jesus Christ.
O Lord, it's wondrous in our eyes,
That You were sacrificed!

We stand amazed! How can it be?
And yet we know it's true!
How strange is this insanity
Of those refusing You!

So teach us, Lord, to build aright,
Since now our eyes can see,
Because You clearly give us light
With truth that makes us free.

End and Expectation

"Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off" (Proverbs 23:17,18). "Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32,33).

There is an end not far ahead
That comes with expectation.
Shall not the words our Lord once said
Provoke examination?

For every soul shall give account
Of things they've said and done.
To what then shall men's praise amount
When we shall face God's Son?

All those who in this world confessed
Our Savior before men
Shall hear their names that He'll attest
Before the Father then.

But those who won't confess the name
Of Christ whom they deny,
Shall then lament their choice with shame
Forever when they die.

There is an end with expectation
For all who will confess
And trust the Lord for their salvation,
Whom God will surely bless.

The Liars v. The Lord

"I said in my haste, All men are liars" (Psalm 116:12). "That Thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made know to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:19). "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

I said rather hastily that all men are liars;
And after a long time, I still think it's true!
I found all the evidence that my faith requires,
Yet not in mere men, Lord, but wholly in You!

Though liars abound among men that we've heard,
And even our own hearts are filled with deceit,
Our Lord is still true, as we see in His Word
Each promise fulfilled that He said He'd complete.

Though all men be liars, the Lord surely proved
That God cannot lie or deny who He is,
And this is the anchor that cannot be moved
Embedded in certainty; not ours, but His!

Spreading His Splendor

"All Israel heard of the judgment which the king (Solomon) had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment" (1 Kings 3:28). "There came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live.... [Jesus] went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all the land" (Matthew 8:18-26).

The people spread the news abroad
That Solomon the king
Obtained the wisdom of our God
For judgments He would bring.

And how much more went forth the fame
And splendor that was spread,
When Jesus Christ our Savior came
With power to raise the dead!

O let us spread His splendor now,
That He may more increase!
Why shouldn't the redeemed say how
Our Savior gave us peace?

For we who once were dead in sins
Are quickened by Christ Jesus.
Receiving Him, new life begins,
And He will never leave us.

Help us, Lord, in these last days,
To spread abroad Your splendor,
As we exalt You with our praise
From hearts that we surrender.

Dominion over Doubt

"When Israel went out of Egypt... Israel was His dominion. The sea saw it, and fled... Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord" (Psalm 114:2-7). "The men marveled, saying, What manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?... The devils besought Him saying, If Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And He said unto them, Go. And... they went" (Matthew 8:27-32).

Marvel at Christ, and behold His dominion,
Commanding the winds and the sea!
Cast away doubt and the darkened opinion
Persuaded by blind apathy!

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of God
Whom the demons most certainly fear.
Doubting our Lord seems amazingly odd
As we're viewing His evidence here!

What manner of Man is our Lord Jesus Christ,
Whose dominion has surely been proved?
Have not all the witnesses here yet sufficed
To ensure every doubt is removed?

What manner of love did He show on the cross
When He suffered for us in our stead?
Let this be the furnace that purges the dross
Of unwarranted doubt from our head!

What manner of power did our Savior show
When at last He had conquered the tomb?
Are there any doubts left? Let this bid them, "Go!"
His dominion affords them no room!

Praises of Princes

"Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised.... His glory is above the heavens.... He humbleth Himself.... He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, that He may set him with princes" (Psalm 113:2-8).

The reasons for praising our Lord's name abound;
His glory is higher than we comprehend,
And yet He has humbled Himself to be found
The Savior of sinners, whom He would befriend.

He raises the poor in their hopeless estate
From out of the dust and their dunghill abhorred,
To set them with princes who likewise relate
That they were each lifted by Jesus their Lord.

So why should we waste any time in our days
With anything other than lifting His name?
Upon the sun's rising may we give Him praise;
Until the sun's setting may we do the same.

Friend and Father

"Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.... There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:1,2,24). "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.... how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7,11).

I could have died, as does a fool,
Without delight in understanding,
Content to let my own heart rule,
So blindly led by its commanding.

Fearful days! I was so weak,
And hopelessness had filled my heart!
But God then prompted me to seek
The truth in Him He would impart!

What a Gift I found in Christ:
A better Friend than any other!
For me this Friend was sacrificed
And holds me closer than a brother!

I did not find religion then,
But a relationship with favor.
For God became my Father when
I thus received my Lord and Savior.

I never thought my search would end
In granting me a new relation
With God as Father and my Friend,
The Author of so great salvation!

Thank You, Lord, for prompting me
To turn to You and seek Your face
To find the truth that made me free
And saved me by Your wondrous grace.

These Things

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

Seek first the kingdom of God as you should;
Seek now His righteousness too,
And all of these things that our Lord knows are good,
Shall surely be added to you.

Its not about striving with worldly greed;
We're called to just follow our Lord,
For thereby our Savior will meet every need
With grace He alone can afford.

Thank You, dear Lord, for the great satisfaction
We find when we're seeking You first.
We turn from pursuing this world's distraction,
Which never could quench our soul's thirst.

Prince and Priest

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.... The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:1,4).

Jesus is Lord and the God of salvation,
And therefore we thus understand:
The Lord said to my Lord, in His conversation,
To sit down at His own right hand.

Thus He is seated and thus He shall rule
Forever, the great Prince of Peace!
All who oppose Him shall be His footstool;
His glorious reign shall not cease.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for we know as well
That You are forever our Priest,
Ordained as the One who would free us from hell;
Praise God! We're redeemed and released!

Better to be Blessed

"Let them curse, but bless Thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let Thy servant rejoice" (Psalm 109:28).

O how much better it is to be blest
By God who still reigns on His throne,
Than having esteem from the brightest and best,
Whose foolishness God has made known!

So let sinners curse till they're blue in the face;
God's blessing shall brush them aside.
We need only know that we're saved by His grace
And that in His will we abide.

Though sinners arise, they will soon be ashamed
When all of God's servants rejoice.
Then shall the cursing that sinners proclaimed
Be seen as just powerless noise.

Salt of the Saved

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men" (Matthew 5:13).

We who are saved are the salt of the earth,
As salt that preserves and salt giving flavor.
What is our impact for Jesus Christ worth
If we lose our passion, as salt without savor?

Spare us, O Lord, from these tragedies feared:
A heart that has lost its compassion for souls,
A first love for You from which we have veered,
And a life that Your Spirit no longer controls!

Fishers Follow

"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep" (Psalm 107:23,24). "And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19).

The waters of humanity
Are filled before our eyes
With souls that meet eternity
The moment each one dies.

We see the love our Lord begets
Depicted in the deep,
As fishermen who spread their nets,
Alert when others sleep.

Follow Me, our Savior said,
And as He promised then,
We shall also learn to spread
Our nets for catching men!

We see eternal souls that swim
So aimlessly away
That God would have us draw to Him
While it is called today.

We hear the call to follow You,
Assured, Lord, You will make
Each one of those who therefore do
Like fishers on Your lake.

Teach us, Lord, to fish and wait
With training that You gave,
As fishers spreading nets with bait
To catch those You would save.

Proclaiming His Praise

"Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise?" (Psalm 106:2).

Who can utter all the acts
Attributed to God our Lord?
Who can marshal all the facts
To show why He should be adored?

We see this task is far too great
To ever utter all His praise,
When we begin to contemplate
His mighty acts and wondrous ways!

Still we have the invitation
To ponder things we have explored
Throughout the wonders of creation,
And O what praise all these afford!

Yet now we come to search His love
And find His Gift unspeakable
In Christ who left His throne above
To pay the sinner's debt in full.

The praise we offer just begins
To scratch the surface of His deeds!
The love it took to purge our sins,
Our finite thinking far exceeds!

Lord, we delight to search Your fame
As we explore Your grace and power.
So give us help, Lord, to proclaim
Your praise unending every hour.

Wise to Win

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30).

He who wins a soul is wise;
There is no greater treasure.
The soul has value in God's eyes
That's infinite in measure.

For Christ displayed the soul's great worth
By dying on the cross.
He came from heaven down to earth
To ransom souls from loss.

In view of souls that would have perished,
The cross is God's display
Of just how much our souls are cherished
By how much He would pay.

The worth of souls is thus declared
By what our God would do;
So how then is their worth compared
For our own point of view?

Fill us, Lord, with Your own love
And with Your estimation
For souls that brought You from above
To purchase our salvation!

Need of His Name

"Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.... And they shall call His name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matthew 1:21,23).

How great was our need
When our Lord Jesus came
That He met indeed
Through each marvelous name!

They called His name JESUS:
From our sins He would save.
From judgment He freed us
And He conquered our grave!

EMMANUEL also,
Meaning here: God with us.
He never will leave those
Who will in His name trust!

Christ JESUS, our Savior,
Our EMMANUEL, Lord,
We thank You for favor
That Your names thus afford!

How matchless Your names are,
And how comforting too!
For we who were once far,
Are now brought near to You!

Days of David

"Now these be the last words of David. David... the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue" (2 Samuel 23:1,2). "As for man, His days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.... But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children" (Psalm 103:15-17, A Psalm of David).

The days of David ran their course;
How briefly he was young,
And yet God's Word retains its force
And sweetness from his tongue.

As David likened all our days
To grass and fading flowers,
So it is; our pomp and praise
Declines with all our powers.

How good it is to know the truth
That blesses and assures;
The Word of God, unlike our youth,
Forevermore endures!

His mercy is from everlasting
Throughout eternity,
Unlike the fleeting things contrasting
That human eyes can see.

Thank You, Lord, for David's Psalms
With promises that last
With all Your precious Word that calms
And keeps us standing fast.

The Call to Come

"The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.... He which testifieth these things saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:17,20).

There is a universal call
With urgency to come;
The invitation is to all,
Not limited to some.

Come, the Spirit says today;
The bride of Christ as well,
Which is His church, is heard to say,
Come; now flee from hell!

For how shall we escape from wrath
If we refuse to heed
The call of God to choose His path
In Christ who met our need?

The call to whosoever will
Invites the best and worst
To come for cleansing and to fill,
Through Christ, their inner thirst.

Come! His living waters flow
For all to freely drink!
Come, and His salvation KNOW,
Not merely hope or think.

And now the call turns heavenward:
Lord Jesus, come! Amen!
Until His shout above is heard
We'll pray this prayer again.

Washing of Worship

"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.... Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land (Psalm 101: 3,6). "And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads... I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God" (Revelation 22:4,9).

There is a simple method shown
For cleansing us inside:
Worship God, and Him alone,
And sin cannot abide.

This will change our point of view
And who we choose for friends.
Worship God in all you do,
Considering the ends.

One day we shall see His face;
All else shall seem so dim!
Worship God: for by His grace
We now draw near to Him!

If we would no more waste our time
On things below unclean,
Worship God, and thereby climb
To heights before unseen!

Upon the Lord we fix our eyes,
And to His face we look.
Worship God with those who prize
The sayings of His Book.

Grateful at the Gates

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name" (Psalm 100:4). "And the twelves gates were twelve pearls; every gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was of pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" (Revelation 21:3,21,22).

There was a day we entered in
The gates of God's salvation
And lost the burden of our sin
With all its condemnation!

His love continues to amaze
And thrill each grateful soul,
As in His courts we lift our praise
For grace that made us whole.

For in His courts are sacrificed
The offerings that displayed
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Upon the cross portrayed.

Another set of gates we see
In heaven that are pearled.
We enter these eternally
When we shall leave this world.

There is no temple seen therein,
For Christ is in its place,
Who by Himself has purged our sin
And saved us by His grace.

Thank You, Lord, for wondrous love
And for Your Word that states
That we shall dwell with You above
Within those pearly gates!

The Book and the Bride

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.... And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband" (Revelation 20:12, 21:2).

I saw the dead, both small and great,
As told in Revelation,
Who from the books would learn their fate
Who stood without salvation.

And yet there was another book,
Which is the book of life,
Confirming those the Lord God took
To be His holy wife.

She is the new Jerusalem,
Containing those He bought.
The blood of Christ washed all of them,
Removing every spot!

How great the contrast in this vision
Between the saved and lost,
Who see the worth of their decision
By its eternal cost!

Thank You, Lord, for such a choice
Your grace to us affords,
To choose the Lamb and thus rejoice
To know we are the Lord's!

Out in the Open

"The Lord hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly showed in the sight of the heathen" (Psalm 98:2).

Out in the open our Savior had spoken:
In three days He'd rise from the dead.
Three days elapsed; His word was not broken:
He's risen indeed as He said!

Out in the open the stone has been moved;
Come see now the place where He was.
This is the showcase where our Savior proved
Whatever He's promised, He does!

Out in the open is God's declaration,
With proof that has more than sufficed,
There's only one name that affords us salvation:
The name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Out in the open, O Lord God and Savior,
In newness of life we now walk.
Help us to show this by outward behavior
And openly, too, in our talk.

Latter Linen

"All the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared" (Proverbs 3:15). "Alas, alas, that great city of Babylon.... that was clothed in fine linen.... for in one hour so great riches is come to nought.... The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints" (Revelation 18:10-17, 19:7,8).

Alas, alas, for Babylon!
Behold her fleeting pleasures:
Their worth holds no comparison
To God's eternal treasures!

The linen that she proudly wears
Shall vanish in an hour.
The riches that consume her cares
Shall perish by God's power.

Behold, the linen of the bride
That God in mercy gives
Is righteousness that shall abide
Because our Savior lives!

How clean and white this linen is
That God will thus afford
With righteousness, not ours, but His,
To all who trust the Lord!

The latter linen, clean and white,
The Lamb with grace procured
To makes us blameless in His sight,
Eternally secured.

You clothed us, Lord, from all our shame
With Your own righteousness!
Our confidence is in Your name;
We need no more or less!

Among this Audience

"Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory AMONG the heathen, His wonders AMONG all the people" (Psalm 96:2,3).

Among this audience we stand
Of nations who have known
That God accomplished what He planned
In Christ, so clearly shown.

It's not as if our Lord had stayed
In heaven out of sight.
He came and openly displayed
His love, His life, and light.

Declare His glory day to day
With ample evidence.
Be ready always to convey
Our cause for confidence!

Among the people now declare
His love to every nation:
God gave his Son! He didn't spare
This Price for our salvation!

His life, His death, and resurrection
Are all on history's page.
His empty tomb has passed inspection,
Despite this world's rage.

Among this audience, Lord, we see
This world You invaded.
We take the truth that made us free
That souls may be persuaded.

Hearkening or Hardening

"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart" (Psalm 95:7,8). "Turn you at My reproof.... The turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil" (Proverbs 1:32,33).

Today if you will hear His voice
There is a gracious pardon.
How sad for those who make the choice
Instead their heart to harden!

Their foolishness turns them away
From true prosperity.
The prize they hold shall soon betray
Their souls eternally.

But those who hearken to the Lord,
Not to this world depraved,
Shall have the peace He will afford,
And be forever saved.

O turn now at the Lord's reproof;
He calls you to obey!
The apathy of those aloof
Themselves shall surely slay.

There is no wiser choice to make
Than trusting Christ today.
There is no greater fool's mistake
Than turning Him away.