The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-10-16

day, October II.
James 3.
Christian speech requires the
control and conservation Of the
tongue, and Christian conduct
calls for wisdom in word and
work.
CHRISTIAN SPEECH
(Verses l-l2)
Be Christian in WORD. Slips of
speech, involving goodness rather
than grammar, are to be regret,
ted in everybody and reprehended
especially in any who pose as
teachers, since they are judged
with greater strictness and by a
severer standard than others. Is
he not in perfect control Of his
powers and his person who never
slips or stumbles in speech? On
the contrary, the tongue out OF
control is like poison gas or wild.
fire. We note here ten traits OF
the tameless tongue:
Cd 1t is a stumblingblock IN
the path to success. 1t is a rock IN
the road or a wire across the path.
One loses his position because he
talks too much. Another is feared
and hated in the social circle for
the same reason. In a thousand
ways many reel to failure on ac-
count of their tongues.
(2) 1t is a little member, 1t is
hut a fraction of the body's
weight. But it is like the helm of
a ship, guiding the ocean monarch
on TO its destination or to its
ruin. 1t is like the horsebit; it is
little, but the powerful steed
obeys it. :.
(3) 1t boasteth great things. 1t
boasts of q power out of all pro-
portion to it ssize. 1t boasts OF Its
position at q post strategic IN the
physical organism. 1t boasts OF a
past that may be red with the
blood of wounded hearts or muir
dcred reputation. Who does not
despise the pretense of pride! Is
not conceit always contemplate!
ca 1t is fire. Under control,
il gives out light and warmth,
But uncontrolled, it is a confla1
grafton which sweeps prairie or
reduces a city to ashes. 1t Is the
torch of an incendiary burning
up the good name and happiness
of a fellow man. And it is a flame
lit from the eternal fire.
go 1t is q world of iniquity
among our members. There is
more crookedness in our words
than in any other segment Of our
lives. And this moral iniquity is
not a country or continent, but
a world. How many slips and sins
of the tongue!
(6) 1t defiles the whole body.
Can the tongue express the vile
thoguhts Of a corrupt mind ana
remain clean? And it not only de-
files the speaker but the nearer as
well. 1t throws mud and slime on
his garments. 1t makes him
breathe a stench-filled atmos-
phere. How defiling!
(O 1t is untamed and tameless.
No human will has ever yet abb
solutely conquered it. Man has
trained the beasts of the field and
the birds of the air and the very
serpents which trail their way
through weeds and rocks. Even
the denizens out of the depths Of
the sea have been taught to obey
man. but the tongue can no man
tame" A higher power must help
81 1t is a restless evil. There
is a tattler who receives a bit OF
sensational news which can be
colored to create a stir. See now
restless he is! 1t takes but little
time for the breath of scandal to
pervade an entire community. The
restless tongue is responsible. 1t
even outruns the argus-eyed and
wing-footed newspaper.
(9) 1t is full of deadly poison.
It assumes a thousand shapes UNI
der myriad names but none label
ed with skull and crossbones.
it is the tasteful dam
ty of friend, accompanied with
the germs Of death. Now it is
poison oak, emitting upon you its
calculations through the morning
dew. Again it is the venomous
fang of a serpent waylaying your
path. The poison of asps is in the
unframed tongue. 49,,
(1O) 1t is inconsistent. It is the
chief citadel of all our hollow
hypocrisies. The same tongue
sings in the sanctuary and curses
on the street. 1t flatters a man
before his face and SANDERS him
at his back. 1t may denounce cru
city to the poor brute that is
beaten and dragged to the slaugh-
ter pen, yet scold in bitter tones
the family circle at home.
Capture it! Control it! Conse-
crate it! And so make it a power
for good and for God!
CHRISTIAN CONDUCT
(Verses 1879
Be Christian in WORK. That
wise and understand
ing in everything desired, devised
and done. But what is wisdom? 1t
is more than knowledge, or skill,
or Judgment, or prudence; it is,
in fact, the right use of them
all; it implies the highest and
noblest use of all ones powers,
physical, intellectual, moral, and
spiritual. Therefore, to be Chris
ton in work one must live the
life of wisdom. We find ten things
here about such a life and and we
put them in the form of impera-
tives: :.
Q) Live the life of goodness.
nc course there must be goodness