The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-05-01

| he had wrought. exciaim, 81 6ld not THean
| to injure anybodyt1 He Is a mailman,
scattering arrows frebrands and DEATH
God DEGREES mills holy Word, If any
man among you seem to be religious, and
| bri9dleth not his tongue but decelveth his
own heart this mans religion is vain"
! A wicked, scoldng, nagging, fault-find-
| ing, uncharitabla tongue distressful to
hear, marring the sweet peace of home; de-
| flaming and back-biting the absent, Is "a
| fire, world of iniquity and setteth on fire
| the universe of nature, and 1t Is set on
| fire of he'll"
| The greatest of treasures to man or wo-
man is a gentle tongue, and especially to
woman, is a low, gentle and sweet voice
| a possession inestimable and joy to her
| home. Solomon, perhaps, had had some
experience when he wrote, refiectively, 1T
Is better to dwell IN the corner of the
housetop than with a brawling woman
and in a wide house!" And as TO one who
gave way to violent temper and was con-
tentious it was better to have no house at
ALL but to take to the wilderness, than to
live with herl Perhaps had Mrs solomon
written some proverbs, she would have
used the masculine gender, where ne nus
band used the feminine.
Then there are the "whisperers," the
slanderers, the gossips, the back-pitefs,
both men and women with perhaps more OF
the former in this mischievous and mischief
breeding class. How much unhapplness
they bring upon the world' How many
pure and innocent women have suffered In
reputation and poignantly, with bieedlns
heart because of these "whisperers, Whom
Paul classes with murderers and thieves.
Are they not worse than those VINO SIMPLY
steal ''the trash of ones purse? NO one
is allowed to escape the tongue OF the gos-
sip and scandal monger.
John Wesley, one OF the pest
men that ever lived, and VINO gave
to benovolence most of his mea-
ger salary, was accused of unlawfully sell
ing LIQUOR; and of receiving vast sums from
Spain with which to raise a mighty army
to aid the expected Spanish invasion OF MS
country.
and author of the Pilgrims Pro-
gress, who, rather than offend ms
conscience, lay for twelve years IN
Bedford jail, and who was one Oh tne
purest men on earth, was accused by those
who envied him of being potn an adu'eerei
and a high-wayman!
Is it not strange that some people dehght
In the vilest ISLANDERS, rather than IN u"ei-
ing upon the best in the lives OF nople men
and women? If a puncheon Is raised up
what a scampering of the vermin OIL oaih-
nessi Tt seems strange that these beetles
and moths and spiders should prefer the
damn and decay and rottenness ana dark
ness to the sunshine and flowers OF that
nearby meadow, where the pultsrh,es
those '.angels of the flowers and the Dees
in their CAV work-a-day "roundabouts,
gather honey; but such is the difference IN
creatures.
The Bible in telling who should at last
reach heaven-"ascend the hill OF |the
aforementioned that one ''bacK-piteth no.
with his tongue nor taketh up a reproacn
against his neighbor." II we near re-
proach against our neighbor, let us NOT
spread It, These gossips and gadapouts
and tatlers and scandal mongers, now they
bring trouble into families and separate
neighbors, and destroy the peace ana mar
mony of churches. How hateful are they
in the eyes of the angels and all good men
and women! These tale-bearers, now de-
testable these murderers of regulations.
these venomous tongued tattlers, these
vendors of deadly nghtshade and nux
vomica, these everlasting snoops.
Do not encourage the slanderer and tale
bearer by listening to them. Some one has
said both ought to be hung. the one by the
tongue and the other by the ear!
Let me say word to encourage any who
are innocently talked about. Your Savior
did not escape. They insinuated that ne
drank too much, and kept bad company!
1t was even said that he had devil. PAU
was outrageously slandered Time will vim
dictate you. You have trusted God with
your immortal soul, believing that on ac-
count of the death of Christ for you. you
shall be saved; trust Him also with your
reputation. Jesus answered nothing to all
his accusers. When you are spoken evily
against let your answer be life filled with
good works. 49,
Let us use these tongues only in the
cause of truth and righteousness and hap
piness, and let us be among the number
who can say with the sweet poet,
"And when this feeble. f1attering torg1s
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in nobler. sweeter song,
I'll sing Thy power to save. +-a