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Speak Reverently

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 14, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 19.

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Speak Reverently.

WHEN Prince Bismarck, the great German statesman, was a lad, his father once overheard him speaking of the emperor as “Fritz.” He reproved him for the familiarity, and added, “Learn to speak reverently of his majesty, and you will grow accustomed to think of him with veneration.”
The words made a deep impression on the boy, which was never effaced. Even in his old age he lowers his voice and assumes a respectful tone whenever he speaks of his sovereign. If a message is brought to him from the palace, either verbal or written, he always stands to receive it.
What a lesson is the custom of this great statesman to boys who speak so lightly, if not profanely, the name of the King of kings!
The fault is not confined to them. The growing irreverence of the age is very marked. The words of God are bandied about in the daily prints as lightly as if they were the words of the court-jester. Some fine-spun piece of political sarcasm, parodying some scene in Scripture, is often found in a morning paper, and is laughed over by thousands. The travesty will ever after be associated with the sacred words, especially in the minds of the young. A full-page picture in our best illustrated newspaper one morning represented St. Peter as seated in a great arm-chair before the gate of Heaven, with keys hanging by his side, busily reading the daily paper, and deciding not to admit certain parties. It was only one of many similar pictures. It is not enough that Christian parents should seek to hide their smiles over such caricatures, or should mildly deprecate the irreverence. They should set their faces like a flint against them. Such a course would be felt, as in the case of the prince.
It is very easy to lower our standard of reverence for anything. We have only to speak of it habitually in a light way. There is nothing like it to take the life out of the most precious texts of Scripture. We may repent of such sin with bitter weeping, but those words can never be to us again what they were before. We may have cut down a bridge we shall some day vainly long to cross.
A gentleman of keen wit used often to point his remarks with some apt quotation from the Bible. A friend who greatly admired him was present in his last hours, and asked with deep sympathy what was the future outlook.
“Very gloomy, indeed,” was his response.
Surprised and deeply pained, he hastened to quote some promises suited to the occasion.
“I have spoiled them all for myself,” was his answer. “There is not one but is associated with some jest.”
His light went out in darkness, though his name was on the church-roll. What a lesson is here for all who are willing to be taught by it! Lay it to heart.—The Life Boat.