The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-06-04
THE POWER OF
THE TONGUE
Sunday School Lesson for June 6, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

mouth ana his tongue, kccpctl ms SOul
from troubles. prov. q :23.
T1ME-It is believed the cplstle was
written between a. -. 40 and 30.
pLACE.-Believed to be at Jcrusalem.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Philosophers have striven to discov-
er what faculty most clearly separates
man from the brute; as, that man is
the only animal that laughs, or the
only animal that cooks, or the only an-
ina that stands upright. Most think
ers, however, agree that the power OF
speech, with all that has grown Ult OF
It, is the clearest and most important
distinction of mankind, and the surest
Indication of the superiority that God
has conferred upon the human race.
The passage we are to study Is n OF
the finest in the Bible, and is the
crown of all writings upon the sub.
ject.
VS.. 1, "a. Why did James urge his
readers not to be many masters
(teachers, as in "schoolmasterS')? l..
Because the young church met that
danger continually (see Acts 1924;
l Cor. 1872; 14:26; Gal. 2:12). In the
Jewish church the function OF the rab.
hi was jealousy guarded, but the lib
erty of p%rophesying Ueaching) in
Christianity was liable to become Ii.
cense. And the more the idea pre-.
vailed that faith, without correspond
ing obedience, was all that is ncedlul,
the more men would eagerly press for
ward to teach."-Alford. This thought
joins our present lesson with the last.
To illustrate perfect speech, to
what'does James compare the tongue?
To a horses bit or bride, which,
though small, turns and governs the
whole body of the great animal; and,
similarly, to a ships helm or rudder,
which, though SO small in comparison
with the great ship, and so weak in
comparison with the fierce winds, yet
turns the ship, in the face of the
winds, whithersoever the governor
Or. V. "steersman') listeth (R. V.
"willeth"). Even so dixie the bride
and the rudder) the tongue is a little
member, and boasteth great things.
'vaunts great words, which bring
about great acts of mischief."-Alford
What is the point of the compari.
son? The power of the tongue in the
guidance and direction of life-our
own lives and those of others. And
we are never to forget that the
tongue includes the pen. deems.
What is the neXt comparison used
by James? The ~tongue-that world
OF of iniquity-is a fire, sprung from
the fires of Gehenna. 1t is a little fire,
o. IT, 1,,A. I,t 4, 1.,.1z A. ... I.-ll-
n great forest. So the tongue can ruin
the whole body-nay, the whole life,
in its revolving course from the cradle
to the grave" The tongue is called a
world of ~iniquity because "all kinds of
evil that are in the world are exhibited
there in miniature" barnes.
What is the point of his COMPARE
son? 1t pictures the destructive power
of the tongue, as the first two compari-
sons pictured the tongues guiding
power. Little words, mere puffs of
air, are insignificant as small sparks;
but as the flame and smoke may
spread everywhere, so the baneful eff.
feet of evil speech may penetrate all
life.
What is James next comparison of
the tongue? To al untamed beast; all
other living things have been mastered
by mankind-the four divisions of AMI
mails, according to James rough
zoology, namely, quadrupeds, birds,
reptiles and fishes. Blu the tongue is
an exception. No man can tame IT;
only God, who made it, can keep it
under control. 1T is an unruly (rest
less) evil, full of deadly poison" and
so to be classed with the animals most
hated and feared, the serpents.
What is the point of this compare
son? AS the first emphasized the
guiding power of the tongue and the
second its destructive power, so this
comparison emphasizes its unre
strained power.
If the tongue canno be tanned, are
we to blame for our ungoverneC
speech? Yes, as James himself says
". 10). These things ought not so t.
be-" IF we be truly Christ's, though
'reviled' by the unruly tongues o.
others, we shall, like him, 'revile no
again Il Peter 2:23). And as the
whole body is the Lords to be sancti
fled to him q Cor. 6:19, 20), SO partic
ularly must the tongue be kept from
'evil-speaking, lying and slandering.
and used rightly for the service o
God. Thus may we truly offer TIL,
calves of our lips (Hos. 14:2), NOR,
acceptable thar the blood of victim,
slain on a thousand altars."-Ellicott.
Why does James drop comparison:
when he comes to his last points Be
cause there are no comparisons in ma
ture to mans inconsistency in speed
only contrasts. The constancy o
nature was as well known in James
day as in ours. But the tongue is sadl,
different! "Out of the same moutl
proceedeth blessing and cursing!"
What is the point of this contrast