Milford chronicle., 1905-08-25
Tanning the Tongue.

AAuAAMB AME
But, though man cannot tame his sin
full tongue, thank God, the Lord God
Almighty can tame it, and will tame
it by the power of the Holy Spirit, if
we will only let him. He will make
the vindictive tongue the tongue Of
forgiveness; the tongue Of vileness the
pure tongue; the tongue Of deceit the
truthful tongue; the tongue Of bias
phemy the praying tongue, and the
tongue of condemnation the tongue Of
! charity. 1t is said that many years
ago in a hotel dining room the late
/ DR.. Annesley heard some men cursing
| God and their fellow men at an ad-
/ joining table. The good doctor bade
/ the waiter carry a glass of water to
the blasphemers with his compliments.
What is that fOr?" they asked. Il
thought" said DR.. Annesley gravely,
that you would like to cool your
tongues in it, after the fiery language
YOU were uttering." That may have
been a Just rebuke But if we today
will thrust our eYil tongues into the
water of life" we shall not only cool
them, but by the power of the Holy
Spirit we shall change them. Oh, my
friend, will you not today let God
change your evil tongue into the
tongue Of purity, the tongue of prayer,
the tongue OF love ana the tongue Cf
gentleness?
But. p says some one. how can God
make this change?" 1 do not know
how it is done. but I do know he can
do it and ne VIII do it. if you will only
tax with Rim and ask his help. He
can change your evil tongue in the
same way fiat your Christian mother
used to change It. You remember,
when you look back TO your bOyhOod
life, how angry you used to get 1
can see yOu iiDw ia one of your guar
reIs with your brother. Your little !
fists were clinUhed. Your eyes were
flashing. Your breast was heavfng: |
You had raised your arm to strike a |
blow when yoln booked up and saw
your mother. She looked at you so
benderfy and reprovfngiy as she said,
Charley" At first you could not an
swer. Then the 'muttered imprecationi
left your lips. Your hand was low
cred Then you burst into tears as yoUl
said: '-SIOtherl OH motherl Forgive
me-; mothery' So with this evil tongue
Of ours II we only use it to daily
talk with God If we only use it to-
pour out our desires into his ear, I'M
stead OF being the organ Of hate and
of Blasphemy, it VIII become the or
gan Of kindness, the. orEan Of gentle
ness and forgiveness; and mercy and
love- Oh my friends. viii you not let.
God todaF conquer your evil tongue?
Would that this daily habit Of talk
ing with God might become ours! Il
once re@d of a mother who tried to-.
stop the evil tongue scattering its
poison by her fireside by writing;
DOWN. day after day, every evil say
ing which she heard her children
speak Then, in the evening hour, she.
would read to her fMnily the evin
words Of the day. That may be one.
way to halt the evil labit OF sinful
tongue, but believe the best way 10,
the tongues evil deeds is not
to, make a record of its faults, and
eErOrs, but to get our tongues In the
v !
ing. private conversations with God
When we are about 10 do something
we should LIT up our voices invoIun-
arily and say, lord. would you Ike
me to. do this?" When we are about
10 speak, we shouldi ask, Lord, shall ]
Z say this?7 When wa are. about tore
5uke brother, we Should say, Lord, I
shall denOunce this evil deed ~ Then, |
with the close touch Of our tongues
with Gods ear, Gods tongue will be- !
rome our tongue. Lord God Almighty.
may we never tiFes of talking with
thee! In Christ's. name, we ask thee
10 govern our speech, and then we
know thou shalt rule our lives. Tame
hem, O God! Tame our evil tongues
for thy divine service.
Copyright, 1906. by Louis Klopsehl