Govern The Temper By J. J. Thorne

Hold your temper for self sake.
This is the prudent way:
Often when it is not controlled,
It hands the body down to the clay,

When passions condemn our feeble hearts,
And conscience asks the mind to obey;
We find our selves vain and defiled.
And in sin have gone astray.

Temper governed and tongues withheld,
Keeps peace day by day;
When the body discharges the violence of temper,
Friendship tears away.

Eternity is for ever and ever,
Life is only a short stay;
If we control our tongues and temper,
The less we will account for judgment day.

By holding the temper we learn
A pleasant and prudent way;
Temper held dliscloses the bloom of life,
With a fragrant savor that never will decay.

Perverted temper kindles the tongue
Ambition leads to a fight or fray;
But bravery is caution, wisdom reflects.
And makes no trouble to pay.

The best we can do we cannot avoid,
And drive all temper away;
But thought and meditation will help to restrain.
And finally peace and comfort will pay.