The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-02-28
Our Young People
BY REV. R. H. RIVERS. D. D.
The Tongue-Its Use and Abuse.
LESSON THIRD.

that he was called upon by his king
to have served for him and his
friends a sumptuous dinner. That
dinner was to be the very best that
could be cooked and placed on a
royal table. The time came, and
the guests were on hand. The
dinner consisted of nothing but
tongues. He had tongues of every
animal that was to be found, and
which was used for food. He had
tongues fried and baked and broiled.
"Chis is your best dinner?" said the
king ''ThIs is my best, for the
tongue is the best thing in the
world" answered the philosopher.
''WelA l appoint another feast, and
l wish YOU to serve the meanest din
ner that you can possibly get up"
said the king. So another feast
was prepared. When the guests
went into the dining, room they
found nothing on the table but
tongues. Show is this?" said the
king. When L asked for the best
you gave US tongues, and when l
asked for the worst you gave US no.
thing else. Is the tongue the worst
as well as the best?" EYES," said
the philosopher, ''there is nothing
SO bad as the tongue. 1t can bless
or curse, bring joy or sorrow, peace
or war; 1t can lead to virtue or Sc
duce to sin. 1t can utter truth or
speak lies. 1t can be harsh or
mild, rough or smooth, refined or
vulgar, pure or impure.
Let us now look at the pious
tongue. 1t honors God. 1t never
takes His holy name in vain. 1t
never curses either friend or foe,
either in jest or IN earnest. 1t of
ten calls on the Father in Heaven,
but not in anger, and 1t calls not for
curses, bnt for blessings. The
words of piety never lose their
power. If they fall from the lips of
a mother calling her prodigal boy
from the haunts of sin, they will
continue to call him long after the
tongue that spoke them lies silent
in the grave. If they arise in prayer
from the family altar. as a venera-
BILE father calls upon God to bless
his home, his wife and children.
they go up to the throne OF God
and will return in richest blessings
long after the father has gone down
to the grave. A pious tongue tells
of pious heart; it speaks of pure
| life; it is reverent to God and re
spectful to man. 1t is sober and
discreet, just and true. 1t is silent
when prudence requires, and only
speaks when it is proper and right.
1t loves the Bible and speaks it's
praises. The apostle James speaks
of the tongue as wild and hard to
tame. 1t is as hard to tame as a
lion. 1t is harder to govern than a
ship.
Here we have the wicked, bias.
phemous tongue. 1t takes the
name of God in vain. 1t is fool
ish tongue. 1t has no reason. 1
once heard of a preacher who hap
pened to he in the presence of a
swearer that had an oath in almost
every sentence. He determined to
show him the folly of thus mingling
profanity with his conversation. So
instead of using the name of God
he put ''shovel and tongs" in every
sentence. "Mr. Smith and Mrs
Jones, shovel and tongs, were mar
ried last week, shovel and tongs, at
the Episcopal Church" ibid you
hear, shovel and tongs, the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, shovel and
tongs, preach when you were last,
shovel and tongs, in New York;"
The swearing man said to him,
"Please just leave off shovel and
tongs. 1t seems extremely ridicu-
lous to hear a man saying shovel
and tongs in every sentence he ut
ters." Il will stop it," said the
preacher, "if you will just quit
swearing and taking the name of
God In vain" The profane man
never before had seen how foolish
must be a habit that common de-
cency should have prevented him
from INDUCING. 1t is not only
foolish, but it is very wicked. The
profane tongue is one of the black
est ever found in a human mouth.
| 1t is reckless. 1t has no respect
for God or man. IT uses language
fit only for demons. 1t is such a
tongue as Saint James says is set
on fire of hell. 1t can never enter
heaven. 1t has no excuse for its
wickedness. 1t brings no good Ell
Their here or hereafter. 1t is vile as
TIE old serpent himself. 1t has the
poison of asps. 1t wounds the
good. 1t distresses the pious. 1t
corrupts the innocent 1t dishon-
ors God. Sometimes boy has this
tongue; he thinks it manly To curse
and swear. pity him. l pray for
him. | beg you to pray for him;
and l beseech you never to allow
your tongue to take the great name
of your Heavenly Father in vain.
And here we have the lying
tongue. 1t is cowardly; it is afraid
to tell the truth; 1t is fond of mis-
chief; it tells tales; it gossips; it
! slanders. il fistters. il deceiyes: il is