San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-26
BUTTON YOUR LIP.

some degree of satisfaction at the
general approval with which his
last Sundays sermon was received.
AT the same time he fears that this
approval largely arises from not
making personal application Of
the central truth, that 1t Is not the
lip Of your neighbor that is to be
buttoned, but your own. To those
svergenerous souls who give the ad-
monition to their neighbor, retain.
Ing none for themselves, the LIGHT
preacher admonishes that there is
that which giveth more than is
meet and it is not healthy. Dear
ly Beloved! 1t is not so much
matter how your neighbor buttons
his lip, so long as your own re-
mains unbuttoned. For once in
your life be a little miserly and
keep to yourself the share Of the
sermon that belongs to you.
Pondering yet more deeply upon
the commandment Of the text, it's
growing necessity magnifies itself
as the evils Of its disobedience are
seen. 1t is not alone that the indi-
.vidual who accepts the truth and
acts upon it may find greater man.
hood and q higher order Of woman
hood growing from the roots OF
obedience thereto, that the text
Is urged upon your attention to-
day. but that those who are in
the<2rison house Of their fears on
U nrftths unkindly comment
lie who have 9Qt learned the
divineness of this chsrissyrth
thinketh no evil and speaketh no
i'll, may escape stherefrom and re-
joice In that freedom that heaven
designed they should enjoy, but OF
which he'll robs them as man is
robbed OF his birthright for some
miserable mess Of pottage.
There is no evil that is done I'M
der the sun that passes in the
1 deeps OF its resulting misery a
,oughtless or fragrant violation
! this command, button your lip.
I There has been no philosopher Of
ancient or modern times, discours.
ing upon the duties Of the citizen,
who has not dwelt in some form or
another upon the need Of obedience
to this divine precept. The Naza-
rine, the most positive and uncom-
promising OF reformers, was not
without his words OF warning on
this subject. The wisdom OF Greek
and Jew and Roman alike found
expression in a like command
The Persian and Hindoo and
Chinese sages and moralists have
inculcated the lesson on thousand
occasions, and illustrated 1t under
every conceivable metaphor and
trope and parable.
Deplorable as are the results OF
disobedience In the walks OF bust.
ness and professional life, it is in
che sacred precincts of home and
in the closer relations of social
communion that the most fatal
consequences OF disregarding this
plain admonition are seen. In the
home, disobedince thereto is the
fruitful germ from which springs
that eternal contention that des.
oys domestic peace, sets at vari-
hce the father against the mother
Id the children one against The
her and makes of husband and
life opposing forces, armed with
bill the poison Of asps that is un
der the unruly tongue, for the
destruction of their own comfort
and the numbering in cold blood OF
the peace Of their home.
AS the tongue of .zantippe was
the destruction Of the domestic
happiness of Socrates, SO the liz
that is not properly buttoDed il
the open port hole out of which
the anathema maranathas o.
those who cannot rule their owl
spirits are fired, In perpetual
broadsides at all who cross theil
hawse. 1t is as true today as in
the hour that it was given from
the lips Of the Jewish sage, that
he who ruleth his own spirit is