Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-03-14
ABUSE OF THE TONGUE.
Sermon Preached IN JOnesbOrO Baptist
Church by Rev. Jasper Howell.

A'N i'Ope BO"tiiu
man ever welded is the tongue. Com
par, the social enjoyment OF those no
are dumb with those who are not. By
it the youth are instructed, the aged
are comforted, the oppressed are con-
soled. In this chariot happiness may
ride from life to life ard from home to
home. Thought is king, the tongue is
the sceptre and public opinion is the
empire.
The Apostle James calls it "fre, a
world of iniquity;' Solomon declares,
Life and death are in the power OF the
tongue, " and Jesus Christ hangs upon
it the destiny of the immortal soul:
by thy words thou shalt be justified
and by thy words thou shalt be con
demned." | refer you TO its record in
history. Mo es pleads in the court of
Pharaoh. Jonah cries on the street of
Ninevah. Paul appears before Agrip-
pa ON Mars Hill. Cicero's laundering
from the Italian forum, Martin Luther
in the Reformation, William Pitt in
the London Parliament. Whitfield in
the English pulpit, Patrick Henry plead
ing ior independence. Spurgeon preach
ing to the eager multitude, John b.
Cough thrilling European and Ameri-
can audiences to the highest pitch upon
Temperance. This little member not
only brought on the civil war but it
is now spanning the chasm and healing
the breech and uniting once divided
nation into an abiding brotherhood.
Through the strife that the tongue has
sown mighty empires have crumbled
and fallen. But likewise to it is due
the civilization of the world today. Its
most blessed mission has bee the es.
tablishing of the christian religion in
nearly every cline of the globe. In
the tongue verify lies the possibility of
the race. Language is the study of
mankind. 1t may be the evangel of
peace or the herald of hatred and strife.
1t may be the flower of innocence or
the fang of malice and deadly poison.
Too often is the tongue ''full of dead
ly poison"
Flattery. This is detestable. John
son declared ''of all wild beasts pre-
serve me from fatterer. Job prayed
to be delivered from being a flatterer.
The Psalmist David says 1.-THE Lord
shall cut off all fiattering lips, and the
tongue that speaketh proud things. 4"
Solomon says "a flattering mouth work
eth ruin" He that rebuketh man,
afterwards shall find more favor than
he that fattereth with the tongue. -
"A man that fattereth his neighbor
spreadeth net for his feet" The wis
est and the best have been destroyed by
flattery. 1t lifts them upto vanity and
pride. If you would ruin your friend
flatter him. 1t is great evil, worse
than slander. 1t will change the hum
BILE to conceit The fiatterer is the great
est traitor known to human society and
human happiness. 1t is the fountain
head of all iniquity. The fiattery of
the serpent in the gar den of Eden led
Eye, the mother OF the race, to eat the
forbidden fruit in the vain hope that
she might be wise and live forever. By
fair speeches and courtesies Absalom
stole the hearts and affection of Isreal
from his father David the King who
was thus dethroned and fled from Jeru
salem and went upon the Mount of Oil
vet weeping. Some one has said fiat
terry makes man think himself wise
when he is foolish; holy, when he is
profane; free, when he is a prisoner
rich, when he is poor; high, when h is
low; full, when he is empty; happy,
when he is miserable. Oflatterer, curb
thy tongue. And ye who are flattered
close thine ears lest thy footsteps lead
thee 10 ruin.
Criticism. While some tongues drop
hattery Others deal out criticism. One
is raise, the other is abuse. One sees
the good in man and overrates. The
other sees the faults and makes them
darker still. He thinks the world is
going to the bad. He gives no one
credit OF good motive or a good deed.
To such a one, humanity shows no no
BILE trait or virtue. No cloud for him
has silver lining. He has no charity
for falling brother. He seeks not to
hide any fault with the mantle OF char,
ity, but to expose to the ridicule of q
irowning world. He attends church
the people, the preacher, the prayer
the sermon, the choir is criticised. In
business he regards all men as dishon
est. Jesus said Judge not that We be
not judged" For with what judgment
ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with
what measure We mete, it shall be mea
sured to you again"
The Apostle Paul says therefore
thou art inexcusable, o man, whose
ever thou art that judgest; for wherein
thou judgest another, thou condemnes
thyself; for thou that judgest doest the
same things" "And thinkest thou
this, o man, that judgest them which
do such things, and doest the same
that thou shalt escape the judgment o
Gody" Often the church member VIII,
is SO grieved on account Of the sins o.
his brethren and crihcises them is otter
the guiltier of the two. The most piou
are the most lenieRt with the weakness,