The Brinkley argus., 1912-05-24
INTERNATIONAL ,SUNIlAYSC[bNE
 LESSON
By E. o. SELLERS. Director or EVsn- ing Department, Tho Moody bipie iii- stitute of Chicego.)
LESSON FOR MAY 2e.
TRuTHFuLNEss.

TRuTHFULNESS.
 LESSON TEXT-Matt. 5:a3-s7; James ~; t-12.
 GOLDEN fEAT-"Putting away raise hood speak ye truth each man with ms ueiehhorj for we are meBbers one oA netAer."-Eph. 4:26.
 IR this. lesson Jesas makes stiii further application, or rather gives us another Illustration of the rigbteeas' ness of his. new kingdom, whish}must be greater than that taught by tao Pharisees. We have studied the sa- cred relations of the righteous ilfer now we are to consider the matter Of truth. We have first 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 footstool, 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 tn 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 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 Will be the only necessary and the alto gether satisfactory medium of giving and of creating assurance. How about paths 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 admoni- ton not to take an oath in court.
 Should Ee Swift to Hear.
 Be not many teachers" We now turn to q paragraph from the Epistle of James which has it's 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 Nearners) than teachers. Every man should be swift to hear, but the posi- tion of teacher carries with it such a burden of responsibility that no one should audaeiously assume it, see Eph. 4:11, etc. With this reslonsibil- ity is also correspondingly heavier judgment If We stumble. He that stnmbies not in teaching, in the use of his tongue is indeed perfect man and one that is able to bridle the whole body; to guide the ship of life, of state, and of the church, amidst the fiercest storms.
 "The tongue is a fire" It is tn- deed for 1t lnf1ames With anger the whole body, the family, society and the nation. History is abiaze with the conflagrations that are consequence of untimely words and of unbridIed tongues, Prov. 15:1, etc. The tongue giving utterance to the thoughts of the heart (for out of the abundance of the heart 1t speaks), will infiame lust. wither purity and consume strength. It fires jealousy and burns the sweet bonds of friendship. It will sever tho ties of home, burn away the founda- tions of character, of commercial in- tegrity. social purity and destroy the bonds of civic righteousness. It is indeed "a world of iniquity Emong our members" Let us quote from Dr. k. A. Torrey: The fires of hell are ,kindled by idle words that set men ling wrong about God and sin and
 and the Bible. Men usually s1 shandllng fire are careless
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