THE WORDS WE SPEAK by J. S. MILLER

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 14, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 31, No. 18.

Read the full edition

THE WORDS WE SPEAK.

By J. S. MILLER

BY J. S. MILLER.

TEXT.—James iii, 2: “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

In making some remarks on this subject, I shall notice:

I. The effect our words have in deciding our cases in the Judgment.

In whatever sense we understand the apostle’s phrase, “perfect man,”—whether he uses the word perfect in an absolute, or only in a limited sense,—one thing is certain: God’s chosen people of to-day—the modern Israel—are far from being perfect in any sense. It is equally certain that they must become perfect before the coming of the Lord; for such was the company that the Revelator saw, and thus describes: “And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. And they sung, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders; and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Rev. xiv, 1–5. Thus we see that if we belong to that company that will at last stand on Mount Zion, we must, previous to that time, arrive at a state where it may be said of us, “In their mouth was found no guile.”

One solemn fact here presses itself before our minds; and that is, that we are in the Judgment hour. In 1843–4 the solemn cry was sounded, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come.” Simultaneously went forth the proclamation that there should be time no longer. And although they who sounded that cry did not fully understand its import, they gave the cry correctly, and at the right time. As proof that their position was correct, they presented the prophecy of Daniel: “Unto two thousand three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed;” reasoning that the sanctuary was the earth, that its cleansing would be in connection with the second advent of our Lord, and that time would then end, and the Judgment take place.

They were disappointed in their expectations, and that disappointment has developed the scoffers that Peter prophesied should come in the last days. But with that proclamation, time did end—not probationary time, as they supposed, but prophetic time, as measured by the periods. At that time the cleansing of the sanctuary did commence—not by the burning of the earth, as they thought—but by the entering of our High Priest into the holy of holies in the heavenly sanctuary. The hour of God’s Judgment did then come—not as they expected to see it, by the resurrection of the dead and the assembling before the throne of God to receive sentence, but then commenced the investigative judgment, when the dead of all past ages were to have their cases decided, and when the living saints should undergo a preparation for translation. They were not then ready, as they supposed, to enter the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem. There were many sins of ignorance that it was necessary for them to be enlightened upon. From that point arose the third angel’s message. Since that time “the commandments of God and faith of Jesus” have been revealing to us many sins not before discovered, and a general work of reformation has been going on, and must continue to go on, and must run much deeper than it has ever gone yet, before the Lord will come to take us home.

That we have many sins to overcome is lamentably true, but none stand more in the way of our salvation than the improper manner in which we use our tongues. According to the apostle’s teachings, the overcoming of this sin will bring us to a state of perfection. There seems to be a connection between this teaching of the apostle and the vision of the 144,000

that John saw. James says in the text, “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” Peter says: “For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Pet. ii, 21–23. John says of the company he saw, “In their mouth was found no guile.”

That the words we speak do have much to do in deciding our cases in the Judgment hour, is further apparent from the teaching of our Saviour in Matt. xii, 36, 37: “But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” But is it really true that every word we speak—good, bad, or indifferent; momentous or trifling; guarded or unguarded; at home or abroad; in public or in private—all, all are faithfully recorded, and are to seal our justification or condemnation in the court of Heaven? Such are the teachings of the words of Christ—words spoken by Him who now stands as our advocate before the Father, and who shelters us from the punishment our sins would call upon our heads, were it not for his mediation.

But how is it so much importance attaches to our words? The first glance at the subject would lead us to conclude that it was our acts that must turn the scale of our justification or condemnation, and that words were of but comparatively little importance. But if we look closely, we shall find that there is a principle underlying this statement which gives it all its force. The occasion that drew forth this expression from our Saviour, is recorded in verse 22: “Then they brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb; and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.” This blasphemous talk of the Pharisees called forth from the Saviour a short, pointed discourse, in which he showed them the awful sinfulness of the words they were speaking, and that it was the wickedness of their own hearts that prompted them to speak thus. Having shown them that the curse of Heaven would more surely visit them for that sin than for any other, he proceeds to verse 33 to further explain, thus: “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit.” Having succeeded in getting this idea clearly before their minds, he asks them the pointed question: “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things.” Thus we see that the importance which attaches to the words we speak arises from their being the index that points to what is in the heart. This idea is further brought out in the 15th chapter, where the Pharisees raise the question, why the disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders by eating with unwashed hands. In verse 11 he tells them that it is “not that which goeth into the mouth that defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” In explaining this to his disciples, he tells them, in verses 18–20: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man.” In this list of heart-sins our Saviour mentions the violation of no less than five of the commandments contained in the decalogue. No wonder that from the abundance of a heart filled with such evil thoughts the words should be sinful.

Taking this view of the subject, we can see plainly why the apostle James, in the discourse from which the text is taken, says, “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.” Chap. iv, 8.

There is no middle ground. Says Jesus, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Matt. xii, 30. The words we speak indicate either that the law of God is written on our hearts, and that we are striving to obey it, or that we are walking “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit which now worketh in the children of disobedience”—that we are “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world,” since by our words we are justified or condemned in the Judgment hour.

“How careful, then, ought I to live, With what religious fear, Who such a strict account must give, For my behaviour here.”

This brings us to consider.

II. The immediate effects of our words on ourselves and those around us.

Says James, “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.” James iii, 3. Now, it is not to stop the horses from moving forward, that we put the bits in their mouths, but that they may obey us—that they may go in the right direction; even so the tongue is not to be bridled to stop our talking, but to restrain us from speaking those things that we ought not to speak, and at the same time prompt us to speak those things which should be spoken.

If a horse is untamed and unbroken, the stronger he is, the more dangerous he will be; but subject him to proper training, and the more powerful he is, the better. “So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind; but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Verses 6–8. Truly, the tongue, untamed by God’s grace, is untamable, and entirely beyond the control of man. How many instances loom up before the mind where a few words have been the means of destroying the peace of individuals, families, and even whole communities. I dare say, there is not an individual who reads these words, who has not, at some time, had a cloud thrown over his pathway by words unduly spoken, either by himself or others.

Says the wise man, “A froward man soweth strife; and a whisperer separateth chief friends.” Prov. xvi, 28. “A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Chap. xi, 13. How many of us have witnessed the truthfulness of these sayings. How many of us have seen lawless and disobedient individuals whose delight it was to stir up strife, who gloried in catching up the imperfections of others, and whispering them around in the ears of this one and that one, and if, under the impulse of the moment, some one dropped an unguarded word, it was caught up and carried back to the one about whom it was spoken, until sometimes the most intimate friends have been brought into the most serious trouble by their meddling. And, sad as it may be, these whispering talebearers are sometimes found among God’s professed people. Prominent among the things that the Lord hates, as enumerated by the wise man, are, “a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Prov. vi, 19.

Sad as may be the results of tattling in the community at large, it is nothing, compared with what follows when Christians go peddling the imperfections of their covenant brethren and sisters; and whenever we see this spirit at work among God’s people, we may be assured that the love of God is on the wane, or at least, is not burning as brightly as it should. Says James, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” Jas. iii, 14–16.

There have ever been seasons in the history of the church when even those professing godliness have acted the part of hypocrites, and spoken falsely with their lips. To such a time as this, David evidently refers in the twelfth Psalm, when he says, “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseeth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” Verse 12. But from contemplating this state of things, his mind at once reaches forward to the destiny of such persons, for he says in verse 3: “The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things.”

That David fitly describes the state of things in the nominal churches at the present day, no one will deny; but there can be no hope of seeing a better state of things, except as the honest ones renounce their false creeds, and adopt the whole truth that is being brought out in these last days, even all the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

But it is not especially with these that we have to do at this time. Those whom I am now addressing have professed to come out from among them, and to be living out all the truth of the third angel’s message. How is it with us brethren? Are we as careful as we should be when conversing one with another, and with those who do not believe as we do?

I have thus far confined my remarks chiefly to those who may be termed backbiters and tattlers. But there are other ways in which we are apt to speak amiss, that do not come under this title. Some who have embraced the present truth, and have become posted up in theory, delight in argument, and driving people who oppose them into short corners, and think that by so doing they are exceedingly smart. But Solomon says, “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright.” Prov. xv, 2. It may be fairly questioned whether we use knowledge aright, even when we present Bible truth, if we present it in such a way as to irritate and leave an opponent with ruffled feelings.

Then again, we are apt to speak hastily when something is said to irritate us; our hasty words irritate the other party, and he in turn says something a little sharper still, until what commenced in friendly chat, ends in bitter epithets. Now, all this might be avoided, if we would heed the wise saying, “A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger.” Prov. xv, 1. It may sometimes be a little humiliating to take this course, but “he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James i, 19.

Then there is a disposition with many of us to engage in light and trifling conversation. But if we find ourselves enjoying such things, we may be sure we are not fully awake to the solemnities of the Judgment hour. If it was necessary for the Ephesians to refrain from foolish talking and jesting, it certainly becomes us to be sober and watch unto prayer, if we believe, as we profess to, that the end of all things is at hand.

Much more might be said in reference to our improprieties in conversation, but enough has been said to show that we need to reform in this respect. This brings us to notice.

III. The duties of the hour.

That we are in the Judgment hour, no one in present truth denies. That we still, in one way or another, offend in word, and hence have not arrived at that state of perfection which the text contemplates has been fully shown. That we must become perfect in this, as in all other respects, is also clearly brought out in the Scriptures. With these facts before us, the question of present duty becomes an important one. “Be zealous, therefore, and repent,” is the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodicean church. Repentance, then, is the work in order. But the question may here very properly be asked, What is repentance? The popular idea of repentance seems to be, a deep and overwhelming paroxysm of grief over a sort of an indefinite idea of something called sin, lasting a longer or shorter period, as the case may be, or until the divine wrath has been appeased. But with us, the important question is, What is the Bible idea of repentance? Says Paul, in 1 Cor. vii, 10: “Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of.” From this it would seem that repentance is not simply sorrow, but the result of a certain kind of sorrow. Says the Witness to the church of Ephesus: “Repent, and do thy first work.” Rev. ii, 5. From this it would seem that repentance has something to do with our works. This is just what is out of order in the Laodicean church. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.” Chap. iii, 15. Said John to the scribes and Pharisees, “Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance.” Says Paul to king Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but showed unto them at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” Acts xxvi, 20.

Repentance, or the Greek word metanoeo, translated repentance, signifies to reform, and is so rendered in the Emphatic Diaglott. Hence, to be zealous and repent is to be zealous and reform.

To reform all bad habits is now the work of God’s people, but especially is this true with regard to our conversation. The objection is sometimes raised, that we cannot govern our tongues—that we speak before we think; but Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Phil. iv, 13. Before we decide that we cannot govern our tongues, let us inquire whether we have put forth the necessary effort. The idea of overcoming involves the idea of a persevering effort; and when our strength fails, we have the assurance of the Master that God’s Holy Spirit shall be given to assist us. “If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke xi, 13. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, then, we can overcome, and when we summon the resolution to say, “God helping me, I will overcome,” the battle is half fought.

One means of help in overcoming this disposition to say things we ought not, is to keep the mind so busily engaged in contemplating God’s goodness, and in striving to assist those around us into the way of truth, as to leave no room for evil thoughts, and hence no occasion for evil words.

Then, again, if we have in the past spoken things that we should not about others, we should hasten to make amends; and the very act of making amends will become a powerful means in preventing errors of this kind in future.

But we cannot expect to overcome until we first obtain forgiveness from God for past offenses; and let us bear in mind, that “if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.” So that we must not only “cease to do evil and learn to do well” ourselves, but we must forgive those who have trespassed against us in speaking evil of us, before we can expect forgiveness of our Heavenly Father.

With regard to light and trifling conversation, before we can take any steps in reform, it is necessary that we should be aroused to the fact that our minds are not duly impressed with the solemnity of the Judgment hour. No person who has a deep and abiding sense of the solemnities of the hour in which we live, can, for a moment, indulge in idle jesting. I would not be understood as saying anything against cheerfulness, for if there is a person in the world who should be cheerful, it is the child of God. For our Saviour has told us that when certain things come to pass, we should lift up our heads and rejoice, for our redemption draws nigh. Those signs are mostly in the past, and in process of fulfillment; so that we have many reasons to be cheerful. But we should make a distinction between cheerfulness and a light and trifling spirit.

In short, the reason why people are not more careful in their conversation is because they are morally asleep, and are not aware of the impending destruction. But Paul, alluding to the times in which we live, says: “Ye are all the children of the light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thess. v, 5, 6. In verse 17, he gives us another very important admonition: “Pray without ceasing.” Peter gives the same remedy, thus: “But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.” 1 Pet. iii, 7.

Our duties, then, in the Judgment hour are, to be sober, to pray without ceasing, and to watch unto prayer; all of which may the Lord help us to do. Amen.