THE SLANDEROUS TONGUE

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 17, 1876

THE SLANDEROUS TONGUE.

The tongue of slander is never tired. In one way or another it manages to keep itself in constant employment. Sometimes it drips honey and sometimes gall. It is bitter now, and then sweet. It insinuates, or assails directly, according to the circumstances. It will hide a curse under a smooth word, and administer poison in the phrase of love. Like death, it “loves a shining mark.” And it is never so effective and eloquent as when it can blight the hopes of the noble minded, soil the reputation of the pure, and break down the character of the brave and strong.

What pleasure man or woman can find in such work, we have never been able to see. And yet there is pleasure of some sort in it, to multitudes, or they would not betake themselves to it. Some passion of soul or body must be gratified by it. But no soul in high estate can take delight in it. It indicates lapse, tendency toward chaos, utter depravity. It proves that somewhere in the soul there is weakness, waste, evil nature. Education and refinement are no proof against it. They often serve only to polish the slanderous tongue, increase its tact, and give it suppleness and strategy to do its death-work.—Sel.