The Tupelo journal., 1903-12-04
THE MULTITUDE OF WORDS.
Man, Too often, Has Turned the Bless
ing of speech Into "a Curse to
Himself and Others.

"In the multitude of words there
wanteth not sin," says King Solomon
and his of life leads us to con
clude hat his W use of words was
not always as ideal as in the instance
OF his prayer at the dedication of the
temple, or as in the case of his notable
proverbs. In regard to the multitude
Of wives which he took INTO himself
and in the multitude of words which he
used during his long reign, he proba-
bly, ofttimes had occasion to feel that
he set an unworthy example to his peo-
pie. But we deal now with words, and
reflection leads to the conclusion, says
the New York Observer, that it takes
a very wise man to refrain at all times
from words that are displeasing and
dishonoring to God and hurtful to
ourselves and others. We are appalled,
as we think of the great stream of
words falling day by day from human
lips and flowing on to the judg-
ment. And surely God takes ac-
count of words or it would not
be written that by our words
we are to be justified and by our
words condemned. We live in a world
of words. John the Revelator says
there was silence in Heaven once. for
he space of about half an hour, but it
is a long time since the earth enjoyed
even that brief space of intermission,
If it ever did since man began to null
tiply upon the face thereof. To-day we
talk more than ever. There are more of
us to do the talking. Ourlegislatures and
law courts, Jul marts and offices, our
mills and factories, our highways and
byways, our churches and homes, are
constantly contributing to the broad,
deep tide Of words. Only Divine rec
ords can keep account of them
all and only Divine wisdom sift
and sort them, and say which
shall be commended and which con-
demned. Alas, that while we may
be justly condemned for many of the
words we speak. we may often be
equally guilty of wrong by reason of
the words we ought to utter but allow
to remain unspoken!
1t was a wise prayer which the
psalmist offered when he said: "Set
a watch, o Lord, upon my lips and
keep the door of my mouth" If the
sentinel is needed anywhere it is need
ed just there. God gave man the en-
dowment of speech and intended it to
prove a blessing, but man has far too
often turned the blessing into a curse
to himself and his fellows. Could the
sins of u words be eliminated, a
huge portion of the transgressions of
mankind would disappear. We do we'll
to pray for Divine control of Il
thoughts. and to seek Divine restraint
of the active and aggressive members
of our mortal frame. but in the possess
sion of a tongue that can talk, we car
ry around a burden of responsibility
the thought of which may we'll cause
us to tremble. God speaks in no mild
terms of the natural heart when He de-
clares it to be "deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked" but
the Apostle James, under the guidance
of the Holy Spirit, is equally unsparing
in his Judgment of the human tongue.
The power of speech has in it wonder
ful capabilities for good or evil. Words
spoken, sung, words written, words
printed. words read, words heard, are
doing their work angelic or their work
diabolic, day after day, night after
night, the year through. Words of
love and words of hate; words of COM
| plant and words of cheer; words of
cursing and words of blessing: pure
| words and foul words; words that help
and words that hurt: words that make
Heaven glad as it hears them, and
words that regale hell, crowd one an
words that turn the solitary place into
a garden and make the wilderness to
blossom as the rose. There are words
again that blast and blight, and mil
dew and slay. A word has paralyzed
many an arm raised to do good, and a
word has broken many a human heart.
A word has sent many a soul on the
downward track or started it on a ca
reer that ended in life immortal n
everlasting felicity. "a word spoken
in season how good it isl" Some of
| Gods dear children will be astonish-
| ed with a blessed establishment, at the
last day, as they realize how a word
here and a word there, has proved as
| good seed sown in productive soil and
born a harvest of incalculable value.
1t is written concerning Christ that
call wondered at the gracious words
which proceeded out of His mouth"
Many of His protested followers have
caused their hearers to wonder, that
words so void of grace could flow from
the lips that have taken upon them the
name of Jesus as Lord and Leader, as
Example and Redeemer. The men of
the world hear our words of penitenee
and prayer and praise, but marvel how
little we make the words of our daily
life consort with those which bespeak
our holier words. There is such album
dant opportunity for clarifying God
and blessing fellowmen by words.
that it is matter for marvel that we use
them so little to good purpose. We can
so readily meet the words of hopeless
ness and despair. with the words of
love and sympathy and hope and help