The Red Cloud chief., 1912-05-23

mood, speak ye trutli each man with his
ncighhor for We are members one Of
anothcr."-Eph. 425.
In this lesson Jesus makes a still
further application. or rather gives us
another illustration OF the rightcousi
ness OF his new kingdom, which must
be greater than that taught by the
Pharisees. We have studied tho "a
cred relations OF tho righteous life.
now we are to consider the matter OF
truth. We have first n paragraph from
Jesus. then an ethical teaching and ap.
plication from the writings OF James
the apostle.
Under tho 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 1.-Two In these new relations. with
this new consciousness 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. plainest speech win
be- the only necessary and the alto.
gether satisfactory medium or giving
and OF creating assurance. How about
oaths In court? Jesus is speaking to
the members OF his new kingdom. Ne.
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 admoni-
tion not to take an oath in court.
Should BE Swift to Hear.
'De not many teachers We now
turn to II 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 great many more disciples
Uearners) than teachers. Every man
should be swift to hear, but the posi-
! tion of teacher carries with 1t such
a burden OF responsibility that no one
should audaciously assume II, sec
Eph. All, etc. With this responsible
ity Is also q correspondingly heavier
judgment II We stumble. He that
stumbles not In teaching. in the use
of his tongue, is indeed perfect mar
| and one that Is able to bride the
whole body; to guide the ship OF life
of state, and OF the church. amidst
the flercest storms.
"The tongue Is a fire." II Is in
deed for 1t inflames with anger the
whole body, the family. society and
the nation. History Is ablaze with the
co1ilagrations that arc consequence
of untimely words and OF unbridled
tongues, Prov. 1871. etc. The tongue
giving utterance to the thoughts OF the
heart (for out OF the abundance OF the
heart 1t speaks). will inilame lust
wither purity and consume strength
It fires jealousy and burns the sweet
bonds OF friendship. II will sever the
ties OF home, burn away the founda'
tions OF character, OF commercial in
tegrity, social purity and destroy the
bonds OF civic righteousness. 1t is
indeed "a world OF iniquity among oul
members" Let US quote from DR.. X
A. Torrey: "The fires Of hell are
kindled by idle words that set mer
thinking wrong about God and sin and
Christ and the Bible. Men usually
careful in handling fire are careles:
about the tongue. Whence come the
words that intiame the Imagination
and the passions? Whence come the
words that undermine faith and the
credibility OF the Bible? II any mar
question James words that the tongu,
can no man tame he has evidentl,
never tried 1t himself" This does no
mean, however, that the tongue car
not be tanned, for what Is impossible
with man Is possible with God. James
draws q frightful picture OF the un
tanned tongue and OF Its evil conse
quences.
Profane Men Classified.
"These things ought not to be-
No moro can a fountain yield frest
and salt water at one and the same
time, or a fig tree yield olives, thar
for q Christian to bless God and witt
the same tongue curse his fellow men
Not only is 1t unkind but it is un
Christlike. Sarcasm means literally
ito tear flesh like dogs" the chart
oteer's whip tore the flesh, so We use
the tongue as lash. biting the sens.
tive spirits of men; verify these things
fought not to be-" Phillips Brooks
said, Tell me the words man uses
and reproduce his tone OF voice ant
I'll tell what sort OF man he is."
It Is a literal fact that the truthful
man Is he who usually exemplities al
other virtues and We cannot EN-
phasize too strongly that no gentle
man swears. Profnne men are o
three classes; those who are thought
less, those who are ignorant OF Ian
guage and have paucity OF expires
sions at their command, and those
who use profanity to emphasize lie
and generally the greater the lie the
| v,,oro opd ctroppar tho Oatha Wa must