The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-06-10
gelisiam, asturals, Belle gtttrts
The Sins ON the Tongue.
BIT REV. THEo. L. cuYLEH.

The gift Of speech is marvellous gift. For
five whole days of creations first week the
Almighty was clothing the newborn earth
with light and verdure, and covering it with
the myriads of animal life. Rut It was a
noiseless world. Atlength God made man in
His own image, with not only a soul to ap-
preciate his Creator, but a tongue to give ex-
preston to his homage, and " as the new
formed being gazed around him, the silence
was broken, and creation thrilled with the
melody of speech"
Philosophers tell as that every uttered
word produces vibrations in the atmosphere;
an ingenious theory has therefore been
broached that these vibrations never entirely
ceasei If this were true we should still be
moving among the inaudible words of all our
progenitors. This seems fanciful in natural
philosophy; but there is sense in which
every uttered word lives forever It lives in
its influence On she sPeaker--in Us influence
on others. Paul's voice echoes stilI; millions
of Gods faithful messengers, being dead, yet
speak.
When Latimer was on trial for heresy, he
b ard Il Q scratch Of pen behind the tapes
t y. IL moment he bethought himself that
every word h. spoke was taken dO'o", and he
says that he was very careful what words he
ute ed. Behind the val that hides eternity
is record-book, in which our every syllaDh
is taken down. Even the most trivial are not
forgotten, for the Lord Jesus tells us that
"every idle a0ord that men shall speak, they
shall give account thereofin the Day Of J,tdg-
mentl If our words have an eternity ef ex-
istcnee--if good words have SO potent an in
huence 10 save-if idle, or profane or poison
GUS speech work such perennial mischief,
how needful is the perpetual utterance Of the
prayer, Set watch, o Lord, before my
mouth; keep the door oil my lips"
l. Among many sins of the tongue are idle
isords. Avoid foolish talking sEgs tae
wise Apostle, and let your speech be always
with grace, seasoned with salt" There is a
peculiar sin in idle talking when we remem-
| ber that the same expenditure Of breath
might be productive Of 50 much blessing
When we contemplate WhIteield in the
full rush of his resistless oratoryr-now start
ling guilty sinner from his slumber On the
verge OF hell-now leading a bewlldered wan
derer to Christ-now kindlinga saint into
rapture, and now melting srebbl into peni-
tence-we grow indignant at the thought
that this prerogatiye vi speech should 50 Of
ten be spent in silly jests and sontemptible
| frivolities.
| Are time and eternity 80 laeking m the
themes of importance that we shall spend
our precious breadth in tuning emptiness?
Surely if we would but reflect how soon our
tongues will lie silent in the tomb and how
speedily the dust will gather u5un cur lips,
we should be swed into more s,briety, and
purity, and carefulness of speech
| Shall we never jsstf Does MT pleasant
Luke sometimes do good like naedicine?--
Very true. Thereis more narrsw in a wise
mans jokes than in FOOLS solemn 'inanities
But a wise man "sets watch on his lips
even when he utters a pleasantry,k Especial
ly, he never jests at the wrong TIME, or about
sacred things. He never 'utters puns and
parodies on the Bible; for what men have
once laughed at, they seldom revFenoe.
Heartily do wish that l had meier uttered
a ludicrous application of Scripture line,
and had never heard one; for the Jrofane or
indecent burlesque will often shoos into my
mind in the midst of sermon or aprayers-
Wit and humor ara allowable whenlcontrolled
by. good sense and by reverence for God; but
when we venture into the susiime domains of
Revelation, we should put our shoes Aom off
our feet, for the ground whefeon we stand is
h ly. From my soul abominate herriment
in the pullit. Shall he court o grin who
should be be Winning souls to God? Wien
an ambassador of Christ descenda to mako
sport in the sacred desk, the devil hughs..
III. Malicious words are cousinslin sir, to
idle and profane words. Paul saysE "Lst all
bitterness and evil speaking be brb away
from you, with all malice" Kind words are