The Tongue | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 12, 1866

The Tongue.

“It ’pears like I can’t do nothin’ but sin in dis world,” said a colored man to me a little while ago, when urged to be a Christian. How many professing Christians there are who indeed say, “It ’pears like I can’t do anything with this tongue of mine but sin.” The Bible says, “The tongue can no man tame.” See James iii, 8. True enough, but there is One, dear brother, dear sister, who can tame this unruly member, that so often bears witness that “it is set on fire of hell.” To go to the root of the matter, all your powers of body and soul have not yet been consecrated, or God’s bit would ere this have been put into your mouth. You must give all to the Lord, even your tongue, and then watch, for God himself will not help you if you do not watch. As for me, I desire not a religion that cannot control my tongue so that though a servant should speak disrespectfully and perplex me, I can return a soft answer or none; so that if even my husband should be exacting and thoughtless I can easily refrain from the (as I once thought) just reply; so that if my children should try my patience to the last point of endurance, I can, instead of pouring the oil of anger on their fiery natures, lift my heart to God for strength, and wisely divert their attention, forgetting not, at the precious twilight hour, to point out the wrong, directing them to my blessed Saviour. Then they will not say or think, “Mother provokes, mother quarrels;” then eloquently will my example plead for the religion of Him who was meek and lowly in heart.

Mother!—almost divine priestess of the family temple!—govern thy tongue!