HEARKEN UNTO ME by A. W. Jenson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 1, 1879

HEARKEN UNTO ME.

By A. W. Jenson

“Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it,” Ps. 34: 11–14; 1 Pet. 3: 10, 11. I know of no man who is not willing to pronounce this good counsel; but I know of thousands who, saying Amen to this advice, still live and act in open disregard of it. To such I would say, Remember that “if any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1: 26. “Evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not.” 1 Cor. 15: 33, 34.

But guile and deceitfulness are not the only evil communications spoken of in the Bible. Paul, in Eph. 4: 29, says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.” Chap. 5: 4. Jesting and foolish talking can, I understand, properly be called corrupt communications. Dear brethren and sisters, how often you have disregarded the solemn warning against this sin I know not, and care not to know; for I have enough to do with myself. I tremble when I look at the past, and ask, Will all my foolish talking, jesting and idle words meet me in the Judgment? Oh, what a question! But, praise God, “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2: 1. To him let us go for the past; but let us for the future remember the solemn saying of our Saviour, “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.” Matt. 12: 36, 37. The apostle James tells us, “The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Chap. 3: 8. Let this, therefore, be our constant prayer, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Ps. 141: 3.

A. W. JENSON.

Kaufman Co., Texas.