Bring to the meeting three rules,—one of them painted black, to represent iron; another, silvered; and a third, gilded.
The first rule should have printed on it, in white letters, “I will do to others what they do to me.” Show what a common rule this is, and how mean and un-Christlike it is. This rule is followed when we return the cross word for the cross word, when we give a blow for a blow, and a sneer for a sneer. This rule is followed, also, when we give presents just because others have given presents to us, and smile only at those that smile at us, and are kind only to kind people.
The silver rule has printed on it, in black letters, “I will do to others what I think they want me to do to them.” This rule is better than the other, but still it is not a perfect rule. If our brother is sick and asks for candy, this rule will lead us to give him candy,—even though we know that candy will make him worse,—just because he wants it. If we know our friend likes to be flattered, this rule will make us flatter him,—even though he has done nothing worth praising,—just because we want to please him.
But on the third rule—the golden rule—print, in pretty blue letters, the words, “I will do to others what I want them to do to me.” We do not want them to do to us anything that will hurt us, and, therefore, we will not in any way hurt them. We want them to be perfectly honest with us, and so we will be absolutely honest with them. We want them to keep us from doing wrong things, even though we may desire to do them, and so we will try to keep them from evil, even though they may be bent on it.
This is the best rule of all, you see, children, for it is Christ’s rule, and that is why we call it the Golden Rule. Let us all take it as the rule of our lives.