The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-05-23

further application, or rather gives us
another illustration Of the righteous!
ness of his new Kingdom, which must
be greater than that taught by tho
Pharisees. We have studied the sa
cred relations OF the righteous life,
now we are to consider the matter OF
truth. We have first a paragraph from
Jesus. then an ethical teaching and ap.
plication from the writings Of James
the apostle.
Under the old law men swore by
heaven which is Gods throne, by the
earth which is his footstooi, by Jeru.
salem which was his peculiar chosen
city, They swore by the head and
yet they could not change one hair
white or black. Jesus contrasts all
OF this with his new kingdom in
which absolute simple veracity in our
speech is all that is to be required.
This makes all oaths profane When
men live In these new relations, with
this new consciousnesn OF God they
will speak the truth naturally and OF
necessity. To such there will be no
need for any form OF speech or oath.
for the simplest. plaincst speech will
be the only necessary and the alto
| gether satisfactory medium OF giving
and OF creating assurance. How about
oaths in court? Jesus is speaking to
the members Of his new Kingdom. Be
tween them yea and nay is sufficient,
but as between them and others we
must adjust ourselves and therefore
We do not read into this any admont
ton not to take an oath in court.
Should BE Swift to Hear.
BE not many teachers" We nov
turn to paragraph from the Epistle
of James which has its peculiar value
and interest as showing the difficulty
OF mastering the tongue In the
church of Christ there must OF neces-
sity be a great many more disciples
uearners) than teachers. Every man
should be swift to hear, but the posi-.
ton OF teacher carries with IL such
a burden of responsibility that no one
should audaciously assume 1t, see
Eph. All. etc. With this responsible.
ity is also correspondingly heavier
judgment II we stumble. lie that
stumbles not In teaching, in the use
OF his tongue, is indeed perfect man
and one that is able to bride the
whole body; to guide the ship OF life,
OF state, and OF the church. amidst
the iiercest storms.
THE tongue is a fire." II is in
deed for 1t infiames with anger the
whole body, the family. society and
the nation. History is ablaze with the
confagrations that are a consequence
OF untimely words and of unbridled |
tongues. Prov. 1871. etc. The tongue !
giving utterance to the thoughts of the
heart flor out OF the abundance OF the |
heart II speaks). will infiame lust, |
wither purity and consume strength. |
II fires jealousy and burns the sweet
bonds of friendship. II will sever the |
lions of character, of commercial in.
tegrity, social purity and destroy the
bonds of civic righteousness. II is
indeed "a world OF iniquity among our
members" Let us quote from DIR. K
A. Torrey: The fires OF hell are
kindled by idle words that set men
thinking wrong about God and sin and
careful in handling fire are careless
about the tongue. Whence come the
words that infiame the Imagination
and the passions? Whence come the
words that undermine faith and the
credibility OF the Bible? II any man
question James words that the tongue
can no man tame he has evidently
never tried Il himself" This does not
mean. however, that the tongue can
not be tanned. for what is impossible
with man is possible with God. James
draws a frightful picture OF the un.
tanned tongue and OF its evil conse
quences.
Profane Men Classified.
These things ought not to be-"
No more can a fountain yield fresh
and salt water at one and the same
time, or a fig tree yield olives, than
for Christian to bless God and with
the same tongue curse his fellow men
Not only is II unkind but II Is un.
Christlike. Sarcasm means literally
W year uObsp hht
oteer's whip tore the flesh. so We use
the tongue as a lash, biting the sensi.
tive spirits of men: verify these things
Ought not to be-" Phillips Brooks
said, Tell me the words a man uses
and reproduce his tone OF voice and
I'll tex what sort OF man he is"
II is a literal fact that the truthful
man is he wao usually exempliiies all
other virtues and We cannot EN-
phasize too strongly that no gentle
man swears. Profane men are OF
three classes; those who are thought
less. those who are ignorant OF Ian.
guage and have a paucity OF expires,
sions at their command, and those
xhoNuse profanity to emphasize a lie.
and generally the greater the lie the
more and stronger the oaths. We must
not forget, however. that by our ST.
ence We may bear false witness ano
hat a positive obligation rests upon