The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-04-07

&2s28a8 ~ & believers. We find
Paul saying to
the church ut Corinth: 81 fear lest
there be among you debates, envyings,
backbitings. whisperings, swellings,
tumults."
The evil speaking we have to guard
against is not so much the fragrant lie
and the reviling speech, but the pri-
vate ways of calumny-the unground-
ed and false rumors the unkind cnn-
structions, the ready acceptance Of
bad reports, the carrying Of tales and
the disposition to dwell upon the worst
rather than the best in people.
There are some lives so blameless
that even malice is ashamed to vent
Its spite against them, and yet there Is
a way of accomplishing the evil pur.
pose even In their case. Their whole
character may not be attacked but as
saults made upon parts of 1t. The
edges will be nibbled at and the bor-
ders of their good name clipped away.
All Are Exposed to It.
One would think it would deter us
from evil speaking of another to re-
fleet how we ourselves are exposed to
the same danger. The Scripture says.
take heed If We bite and devour one
another that We be not consumed one
Of another" 1t Is game that two can
play at The devil who instigated your
SANDER against your neighbor can en-
ploy your neighbor to instigate SINH
lar SANDER against you.
And then there is the other thought
that when we search into the corners
of our life and ransack the garnet and
cellar of our corrupt nature many
Things may be +foahd' FOR oeesssis4ss
against us as we'll as others. AS Paul
said to the Galatians. IF man be
overtaken In fault, We which are
spiritual restore such an one in the
spirit of meekness. considering myself
lest We also be tempted"
We shall find that as we cease being
evil listeners we lessen the temptation
to be evil speakers. All conversation
is kept up by exchange, and If one
brings you a story it will seem as in
civility not to repay him with an
other. Therefore If he accuses A.
you will condemn B and
thus 1t goes. The Scripture says
again, ''Thou shalt not receive a
false report"
Keeping the Balance.
| OF course there Is prudent observa-
ton of each others conduct which
should be practiced by Christians and
there may be useful importation to
each other of what we have seen and
known not what we have heard or
guessed. For self-defense for the sake
of justice, for the love Of others, it
may be necessary to proclaim our tes-
timony. But this Is not speaking evil
Of one another for it is done with an
honest purpose and harmless mind.
AS William Cullen Bryant says:
Dear ties of mutual sliccor bind
| The children of our feeble race,
! And II our brethren were not kind,
This earth were but a weary place.
| We lean on others as we walk,
LIES twilight path with pitfalls strewn,
And 'twere an idle boast to talk
OF treading that dim path alone!
In vain. however, does the Chris
tian preacher inveigh against wrong
thing like this, or exhort to a righteous
one, except as he points out the power
by which the one may be avoided and
the other attained. That power is
Jesus Christ. To the Christian, l. e.,
the truly regenerated man, there should
be no mystery In this. He should know
that If he surrenders himself to the
Spirit of the Lord who dwells within
him, he will receive power to become
child of God In deed as well as In
name.
And to the man who is not Chris.
tian, the advice Is practically the same
Let him accept Jesus Christ by faith
as his Savior and confess him as his
Lord, and he win discover that he lie
able not only to redeem him from the
guilt of sin, but keep him day by day
from its power. Yes. even from its
power as expressed in an evil tongue.