JAMES gives us a valuable dissertation on the tongue. He begins by telling us that "if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." Then he goes on to say: "The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" He further tells us that it is "a fire, a world of iniquity," and "is set on fire of hell;" and finally declares that no man can tame it, for "it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Thus he begins by announcing that if we can control our tongues so as not to offend in word, we shall be perfect; but immediately proceeds to portray all the evil to which tongues are inclined, and then declares, "The tongue can no man tame"! This would leave us in a practically hopeless condition, had not Jesus, when his disciples cried out, "Who then can be saved?" comforted them with the assurance, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." So when we are confronted with all the unhappy positions into which our tongues may apparently betray us, we flee to this safe place and thank God that He is able even to tame so obstreperous a member.
Now James is not the only one who has warned us of the unruly nature of the tongue and of the trying situations it seems able to bring about; for from the beginning of childhood most of us have been warned that we should watch our tongues, lest they lead us into all sorts of difficulties. We have been taught very carefully of what we should allow them to talk. We have been told to avoid certain topics entirely and to touch others but lightly, until we have been quite ready to accept the statement as true that speech may be silver but that silence is gold.
Two helpful couplets have become almost proverbial in their good advice concerning right speech. They never fail, however, to carry a lesson with them; and so even at the risk of presenting what some might call platitudes, here they are again:—
