"Thy Speech Bewrayeth Thee."
By W. N. Glenn
NOTWITHSTANDING Peter's denial, his speech disclosed the fact that he was a Galilean. On a more ancient occasion, forty-two thousand Ephraimites were slain by the Gileadites because they could not pronounce the word "shibboleth." When they had escaped from battle and come to the Jordan, the Gileadites, who held the passages, tested them on this word, and when they said "sibboleth" they were taken and put to death. Thus the speech will tell the story of one's identity when every appearance may prove deceptive. So we may often meet in close relationship those whose "citizenship is in Heaven," and those who are "children of this world." They may be in the same church—apparently of the same nationality. Again, they may be strangers to us and to each other, yet so very similar in outward appearance that with the eye we cannot tell the Gileadite from the Ephraimite, the Galilean from the denizen of Jerusalem. But the speech is generally an unerring indicator. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." The conversation will naturally tend to that which is uppermost in the heart. If the mind be set upon the affairs of the world,—upon the accumulations, the amusements, the fashions, the gossip, the carnal attractions of the eye and ear,—and only upon the kingdom of God and his righteousness when involuntarily attracted by others, the speech will betray the real allegiance. When "foolish talking" and "jesting" (Eph. 5:4) are the characteristic communications of one who has named the name of Christ, his speech "bewrayeth" him. When the Christian's only words for Jesus are those uttered under urgent circumstances at the prayer-meeting, his speech even then "bewrayeth" him. When the professed follower of Christ becomes a "despiser of those that are good" because, forsooth, "no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous," that disciple's speech betrays him. When the backslidden heart begins to measure the faith of Christ and his work by the frailties of imperfect humanity, his speech betokens his unfortunate condition. When the tongue is dumb in the presence of duty to utter praise and thanksgiving, or to defend the cause of the Master, or to encourage the convicted sinner, there is a speech born of faithless silence that casts a doubt over the loyalty of the enlisted soldier. The day has come when again the call, "Who is on the Lord's side?" is going to the world, and those who would stand in the company of his courtiers, must learn perfectly the language of his court. The time for the enemy's fiercest attacks upon the "little flock" is at hand, and no lisping, stammering accents will admit the fleeing ones to the place of refuge. And none will be able to sing the song of redemption but those who have learned it during the trying hours of probation. "The Lord is coming! let this be
The herald note of jubilee,
And when we meet and when we part,
The salutation from the heart."
W. N. GLENN.