Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-08-26
Caln1aSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Prank De Witt Talmase, d. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal, Aug. 20.-In this
sermon the preacher rebukes the prev
alent vice Of loose and censorlous ut
terance, and especially Of slander In
business and social life. The text is
James iii, 8, Full Of deadly poison
Never did inspired writer feather his
verbal arrows of truth with more dra-
matte comparisons than the author OF
nv text. He seems to take us out
TO the corral Of an eastern Bedouln
chief Methinks | see the leader OF
this nomad tribe looking over his herd
of fine lmbed, high spirited, mettle-
some thoroughbreds. Then he turns to
one of his men and says, John, l
think we will bride yonder colt today
and break her to the saddle" AYE,
answers the man. "That is sooner
said than done. Never did we have
higher strung, uglier four legged
beast than that colt. She will KICK
and bite and snort and foam at the
mouth whenever we go near her" is
that so?" answered the chief. Then
the sooner we break her the better"
l see the ropes flung over the colt )
neck. | see her attempt to kick ana
bite the hand that puts the bit INTO
her mouth and the saddle upon her
hack. I see her eyes fash. see her
rear. plunge and roll on the ground
and afterward bolt, and for miles run
away over the hills. Then l see her
gradually subdued until at last tnat
nomad chief makes her his pet riding
mare. / see her finally under perrect
control, like Jobs mighty war charger
smelling the battle from afar, ana as
7 see all this transformation the author
Of nv text says, Behold, we put bits
in the horses mouths that they may
obey us. and we turn about their whole
body. but the tongue can no
man tame"
Then the author places us upon the
deck of one of the Alexandrian corn
shins. He pictures one Of those awful
Mediterranean euroclydons that played
such havoc with the shipping OF old,
and which destroys so many ships OF
the present day. The wind is blowing
q hurricane. The sails are whipped
into shreds. But though that ship Is
tossing about In the mighty, heaving
billows, yet she is under complete CON
troll of the steersman, who, with MS
single hand, moves the rudder to the
right or TO the left. Then the author
Of nv text says, Behold also the
| shins. which though they may be SO
great and are driven Of fierce winds'
vet are they turned about with very
small helm, whithersoever the gov
arnor listeth. but the tongue
no man can tame"
Then he takes us away up In the
mountains. He gathers together Few
dried grasses and strikes spark ana
ienites them. No sooner are the
grasses afire than the evening winds
fan them into great coniagration'
which sets all the forests OF those
mountains ablaze. Aye, for nights you
can see them burning, as we have seen
the mountain fires burning up in the
Adirondscks or upon the Berkshire
hills. Then he says, "The tongue is
little member" 1t Is almost as III
dgnifcant looking as small spark
But "behold how great a matter a III
tie fire kindleth." The damage wnicn
the tongue or the spark can do Is IN
finite. Then he compares the evils OF
the tongue to the awful ravages oi
physical disease-to those or hideous
leprosy or cholera or the buDoniC
nlague-"It deflleth the whole body
Then. In the four words of my text
he compares the evil tongue OF man tC
the poisonous fangs Of Kissing ser
pent The reason l have drawn fol
YOU all these different comparisons
used in connection with the comparison
NJ nv text. is this: I want you tC
know that no symbol Is too demonlac
no comparison is too destructive or toC
rpnulsiye for the author to cite as
criterion by which to judge the rata
effects of the human tongue when i
ia evil. May God help me today e
show You some Of the dark dens anC
caverps in which this evil tongue Of
man. as a serpent's fangs, hides itself
and where it Is most able to strike III
deadly poison into the flesh and hearts
j Of Its helpless victims.
A vindictive Tongue.
The evil tongue of man, in the mrs
|, place. is a vindictive tongue. 1t ha'
t stored up among its deadly pOisOns th'
accumulated malice, not only OF days
but of weeks and months and years
Like the North American savage O
old. It never fOrgets supposed in1ur!
which some one has done against II
II will 20 out Of its way hundred
miles. q thousand miles, aye, 1t vii
stealthily lie in ambush for years, Il
get a suitable opportunity to strike. |
is not like an ordinary snake, wnicl
will leave you alone unless you trampl
upon II. but 1t is like a panther stalk
ing its prey. 1t is like hound on tn
track Of a deer. II Is IKE a llones
following the man who has robbed he
of her whelps. 1t will pursue a sup
: posed enemy for miles and miles, ant
for years and years, always seeking
the right moment when 1t can bury 1t
fangs in the hearts Of its foes. AM
! when that time comes, like Shylock,
will always strike for the vital poun
of flesh nearest to the beating hear'
Oh, the abject mercilessness OF yir
dictive tongue You well know its ur
forgiving, relentless nature; for 1t ma
be that such a vindictive tongue ha
haan following von for years.