The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-06-03
A Sermon and Its Application.

sThe homily of Pastor James, of
First Church, Jerusalem, on the
subject of The Tongue is a sug-
gestiye and instructive, not to say
amusing, bit of sacred literature.
He begins with a warning to
would-be teachers. You need
not imagine, he says 1--WE venture
to put his remarks into modern
forms), that we teachers have
such smooth sailing. 1t looks
like an easy thing to stand up
from Sabbath to Sabbath and tell
other people what they ought to
do. 1t is easy But other people have
tongues, too. Nobody is criticised
so generously and so savagely as
the public teacher. People sit
still at church but when they get
out they take their turn. If there
are any flaws in the sermon or in
the man. they will find them.
Why, the man who can thus speak
from week to week without laying
himself open to misunderstanding
and rebuke is perfect man. You
need not concern yourself about
his conduct. He has already met
the seve est possible test
All of which sounds very much
as if it had COME out of the writ
sner own more or less bitter expe-
rience. If might even suggest to
some that he had been editing
weekly church paperl The Jews
had never been noted as wanting:
in power of speech. The Psslms
are a permanent exhibit of their
skill in expressing uncomplimen-
2 tary opinions. The political and
religious turmoilsof James day
had not, we take it, tended to les
sen the national capacity for plain
talk. James was good Jew, and
had espoused cause dear to
many in his. nation. But there
many others, who scorned 1t with
a great scorn, and could hardly
have been backward in expressing
their views. Moreover, among
the Christian converts themselves
controversyafter contr )versy arose
about each one of which MUCH
heat was enge: d red. On the )
lations between Iew-and Gentle S
especially, and the proper place OF
the ritualistic law, no teacher
could open his mouth without
danger of causing an explosion.
Some personal experience of this
kind probably suggested to James
his rueful figure: See how
great forest is set on fire by a
little spark!' az
AS the good preacher. moves
onward his theme opens up. and
he warns to its consideration.
Long-tongued people, sharp,
tongued people come to his mind.
He forgets that he had begun
talking about, the troubles of
preachers and other. teachers and
expounds at large on the tongue
any bodys tongue, everybody's
tongue. {, His humor is dry and
acrid. (The dear brethren who
are afraid that they will find hus
i, NOR in the Bible had better skip
Nthis chapter His thesis, is: The
tongue is little, but it does big
things-m st y mischievons."s
From the figure of the ship and
its rudder apd the. figure of the
horse and his bride he passes to
that of the fire and the spark.
The tongue is fire. he says,
not merely like a 6re-a real
spark, a. fire of he'll, scorching all
that it touches, unrulyy demoniac,
growing to be like a wild conAa
grafton in the forest, Nobody
can stop it or tame it. = ,s.s,.
Whose tongue is that" inter,
rupts a hearer. .N ~.
Our tongue--alas that it should
be sol-the,s Ch. .istian's. tongue, j,
He blesses God with it while in
church; outside he, blasts fnenasb
Gossip, slander; backbit ng 4 faint
praise, innuendo,i. whisperihgs,:
hints, questionings, concerning
, those not present third personsa
affronts, cruel disparagement rude,
criticisms ,knifelike,thrusts angry
contradictionssoi i;thoseswith whom
we deal-are not these. common
Christian sins even to this day2
Do we not ourselves know many
Christian who has. not yet learned
to keep Christian tongue in his
head? 50 s.,.
What strange heart it must
be, says James, to send forth'these
two streams of talk If a spring
gaveAsalt water one day and fresh
the next, we should think it 2be4
witched. ButA there are people
who ceert1 to fancy thataa sweet