Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-10-28

creatures surpass us in the gifts we
hold in common, but speech Is the
glory of man alone. As this gift IS SO
truly remarkable, for tne use OF 1t we
shall be held strictly Accountable. by
thy words thou shalt be justified, and
by thy words thou shalt be con-
demned:" and For every idle word
men shall speak they shall giveaccount
thereof in the day of judgment"
But it is not of the abuse of speech
/ would speak, but of its use in our
social intercourse with one another, of
its proper employment by Christians,
whose tongue is mostly utilized in dis
course about the passing things of the
day, and who look forward TO the tire
when, before his throne, this same
tongue shall announce his praise.
How, then, can Christians carry out
the apostolic injunction mentioned in
the text? Can there be grace or SAVIOR
discovered IN the conversations of daily
life? Can our ordinary speech be not
only free from blame but can it also
have in it that which is good to The
point Of edifcation?
Yes. "There is one that holdeth his
peace. that is found WISE" one who
lived thirty years in ordinary life and
whose tongue gave no offense. lie
made doors and bars TO his mouth and
kept his tongue from evil, and In every
word was pleasing to his Father.
While the eyangellsts have given US no
account of our Lords words during
those thirty years. yet there are three
instances related that unfold to as
fact that our Lord mingled freely in
social intercourse with others-first,
when he tarrled behind after the fes-
tival IN Jerusalem; next, at the mar
rage feast in Cana; and then the
words "The Son of Man came eating
aud drinking" These instances show
Sbat cur Lord did not shun social
meetings with his neighbors. For all
that he was in no way odd, but chose
to be like unto the mass of his breth-
rem and to pass through life as most
of us have to pass through. lie took
part In all things not sinful in which
our daily lives are spent. and thereby
gave us the comforting assurance that
our lowliness and earthliness need not
make us sinful. either. He proved
conclusively that we need Tot separate
ourselves from our ordinary calling to
be acceptable to God.
So Jesus Christ walked with men for
many years without separating him
self from them in speech, for his
speech was always with grace, sa-
vored with salt" Surely we can learn
q lesson after the manner of Christ!
Many honest minded persons have an
erroneous idea that conversations can
not be righi .ous, unless religious topics
are spoken Of and they regard all who
are not prompt in such speech as I'M
spiritual How unlike Christ is this
class! For thirty years Christ drew
others toward what was good, yet 1t
was so done as not to attract extraor-
binary attention to himself; so done
that he seemed to those to whom he
spoke as none other than what his out
carpenters SON" This class, however,
constantly attract attention to them
selves by placing too much value on
religious talk In every day life
The action of Christ, on the other
hand, suggests that our ordinary CON
versations are vastly more important
than our direct religious comments-or,
in other words, 1t is of greater conse-
quence that we watch over our COM
mon talk on ordinary matters than that
we be often talking religiously, for
there is no need Of religious conversa-
tons to reveal the true inwardness Of
a man. What is really in man will
be felt in his ordinary discourse. "Out
of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speal1eth. A good man. ont of
good treasure, bringeth forth good
things, and an evil man. out Of an evil
treasure, bringeth forth evil things"
For truly religious man, will have his
words always seasoned with salt"
AS in our ordinary meals little salt,
though 1t does not appear. yet savors
the food. so, too, without protruding
itself the influence of a good man who
has the love and fear of God in his
soul will be felt. On the contrary, the
man who talks religion, constantly
dwelling especially upon himself, his
feelings. lis experiences. his fitness to
teach and guide others. has his speech
overseasoned with salt and leaves an
unpleasant SAVIOR; for if any man think
himself religious, met bridling his
tongue. but deceiving his own heart,
this mans religion is vain"
Let us strive, then, to use Alright this
gift of speech, so that in the resuuec-
ton. amid the projections Of the fu-
ture state, our tongues may be deemed
worthy to be everlastingly employed
In giving glory, honor, praise and
Thanksgiving TO him who sits upon the
throne, and let our prayer be the
words Of the Psalmist. ''Set watch.
o Lord, before my mouth and a door
around my lips forever bearing in
mind that "a peaceable tongue is a tree
of life, but that which is immoderate
shall crush the. Esprit"
DC { "RINE OF PLEASURE.
BY Rev. David Beaton.