Sins of the Tongue.

For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed, of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. [Pr. 11: 11.] [See 198, 416, 702.]

729. Censoriousness, railing, tale-bearing, whispering, backbiting, slander, and other sins of the tongue forbidden — Threats.

Lev. 19: 16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor; I am the LORD.

Ps. 101: 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

Pr. 4: 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.-10: 8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.-24: 28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

Rom. 14: 10 Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.

1 Cor. 5: 11 Now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such a one no not to eat.

Ep. 4:-29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.-5: 3 Fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Col. 3: 8 Now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

2 Tim. 2: 16 Shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Tit. 3: 1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, 2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Jam. 4: 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren.

1 Pet. 2:1 Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings, 2 As new

TONGUE.

Railing at Dignities - Bridling the Tongue.

born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.-3: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing but contrariwise, blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

:

Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. [See 200, 417.]

730. Railing at dignities, and reviling superiors forbidden.

Ex. 22: 28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

Ac. 23: 4 They that stood by, said, Revilest thou God's high priest? 5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

2 Pet. 2: 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judg10 But chiefly them that walk after the ment to be punished: flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

Jude 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. [See 10.]

731. Bridling the tongue enjoined and exemplified.

Ps. 34: 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.-39: 1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

Pr. 10: 19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.—13: 3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.-21: 23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.

Ec. 10: 20 Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the

matter.

Mic. 7: 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

Jam. 1: 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and

513

Forbidden-Tendency of.

bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

1 Pet. 3: 10 He that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.

UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

732. Unrighteousness and dishonesty forbidden

Lev. 19: 11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. 13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. 35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in mete-yard, in weight, or in measure.. 25: 14 If thou sell aught unto thy neighbor, or buyest aught of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another.

Dt. 19: 14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's land-mark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.-25: 13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. 14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small: 15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have; that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.-27:17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark: and all the peo ple shall say, Amen.

Ps. 82: 2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?

Pr. 11: 1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

1 Th. 4: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. [See 629, 636.]

733. Unrighteousness, extortion, etc., inexpedient, or the tendency of sin to ruin sinners here and hereafter — Threats.

Num. 32: 23 If ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

2 Ch. 28: 19 The LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel: for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.

Job. 21: 17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out?

Destructive tendency of.

and how fi coth their destruction upon them? God distributeth sorrows in his anger. 18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. 19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it. 20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.-27: 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. 14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. 15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. 16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

Ps. 1: 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish.-9: 15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.-34: 16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.-55: 23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days.-58: 11 Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.-73: 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world. 18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. Pr. 3: 33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked but he blesseth the habitation of the just.-11: 31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.-13: 5 A righteous man ha teth lying but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. 15 Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard.-28: 8 IIe that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that shall pity the poor. 18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved; but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

Jer. 17: 11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth

Destructive tendency of.

them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.-22: 17 Thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. 18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! 19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Ezk. 22: 12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD. 13 Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thec. 14 Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it. 28: 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

1 Cor. 6: 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Jam. 5: 3 Your gold and silver is carkered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

2 Pet. 2: 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly. [See 87, 138, 303, 362, 381, 478, 486, 489, 497, 513, 551, 555–6, 630, 735.]