Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-06-03
THE POWER OF
THE TONGUE
Sunday School Lesson Ter June 6, 1909
Specially Arranged Tor This Paper

| mouth end his tongue. kccpcth his soul
| from tToubieE--Prov. 2l.Z3.
| TlMB.-It Ia believed the eplstio was
| written between a. -. " and ~.
PLAcE.-Bollcvod TO bo at Jerusalem.
| Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Philosophers have striven to discoy.
or what faculty most clearly separates
man from tho brute; as, that man 10
the only animal that laughs, or the
only auimal that cooks. or the only an.
imal that stands upright. Most think.
ers, however, agree that the power OF
speech, with all that has grown out OF
II, 10 the clearost 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 70 study Is one OF
the finest in the Bible. and is the
crown OF all writings upon the sub.
iect
We. 1. "a. why did James urge his
readers not to be many masters
(teAchers. as in "schoolmasters'') |.
Because the young church met that
danger continually (see Acts 1924;
l Cdr. 1872; 1926; Gal. 2:12). In the
Jewish church the function OF the rab.
bi was jealously guarded. but the lib
ert, OF prophesying (teaching) in
Christianity was liable to become H.
cerse. And the more the idea pre-.
vailed that faith. without correspond.
Ing obedience. was all that is needful,
the more men would eagerly press for.
ward to teach. Afford. 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 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. whithersoeyer the governor
(R. V. "steersman'D listeth tR. "
"wslleth'O. Even so like 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.
sou! The power OF the tongue in the
guidance and direction OF life-our
owr lives and those OF others. And
I'VE are never to forget that the
tongue includes the pen. deems
What is the next comparison used
by James? The tongue--that world
OF CT iniqulty--is n FIRE, sprung from
the pres OF Gehenna. II Is little fire,
to the eye; but little fire can kindle
a great forest. So the tongue can ruin
the whole body-nay, the whole life.
in it, revolving course from the cradle
to the grave" Tho tongue is called
world OF iniquity because all kinds OF
evil that are in the world are exhibited
there In miniature"
What is the point OF this comparl.
son? II 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 Ss the flame and smoke may
spread everywhere, so the baneful Of.
feet Of evil speech may penetrate all
life.
What is James' next comparison OF
the tongue? To an 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. But the tongue is
an exception. No man can tame Il;
only God. who made Il, can keep Il
under control. 1t Is an unruly (rest.
iess) 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 compari.
sonf AS the first emphasized the
guiding power OF the tongue and the
second its destructive power, so this
comparison emphasizes its unre.
strained power.
the tongue cannot be tanned, are
We to blame for our ungoverned
speech? Yes. as James himself says
". l0l. These things ought not so to
be-" IF We be truly Christ's, though
'reviled' by the unruly tongues OF
others, we shall. like him. 'revile not
again q Peter 2:23). And as the
whole body Is the Lords to be sancti.
ned to him q Cor. 6:IS. 20), so partic.
ularly must the tongue be kept from
'evil-speaking. lying and slanderinE,'
and used rightly for the service OF
God. Thus may we truly ofFer the
calves OF our lips (Hos. i4:sl, more
acceptable than the blood OF victims
slain on thousand ltars."--Elllcott.
Why does James drop comparisons
when he comes to his last polnt9 Be
cause there IRE no comparisons in ma.
ture 10 mans Inconsistency in speech
only contrasts. The consistency OF
nature was a. well known In James
day as in ours. But the tongue IL sadly
dinerentl 'out of the same mouth
proceedeth blessing and curslnEi"