GUARDING THE TONGUE by Mrs. N. A. Merrill

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 20, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 20.

GUARDING THE TONGUE.

By Mrs. N. A. Merrill

BY MRS. N. A. MERRILL.

"The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursings." Death and life are in the power of the tongue; for "by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." If the heart is right, out of the mouth will proceed blessings, for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." "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." "He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his life, but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction." Then if what proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart, how necessary that our thoughts should be pure!

One says, "I cannot help my thoughts; they will come." But we can place our wills against evil thoughts, fight against them, and through God's grace control them. "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor; nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor." If we would have pure thoughts we must cultivate them. Never say a word of harm against any, nor indulge in idle, foolish talk, or gossiping, "nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." The Saviour has said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness," so let us devote more of our time to studying his word, treasuring up those precious truths and promises in our hearts, and living them out in our daily lives. "Do all things without murmurings and disputings; that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life."

If we try living only one hour at a time, and watch our words, we can overcome. Oh, how easy the words slip away from us, and they are gone; they can never be recalled; so let us watch and not speak upon the impulse of the moment! If we will stop when tempted to speak out, and whisper a silent prayer, we will gain that strength from above. He will help us to keep such thoughts from entering the heart. "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me." Through Christ we can overcome. Prayer keeps out temptations all through the day. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice." It calls the Spirit of God to our homes, and angels guard us and keep our feet from straying.

I am so thankful we can come to him with all our little discouragements. How light the cares, and how bright the day seems after holding sweet communion with Him who knows all we have to bear! "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." It is so easy to make mistakes; then, instead of criticising our brethren, let us have sympathy for them when they do wrong. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Amboy, Minnesota.