| The Way of Victory |
Chapter 3 |
Page 4 |
Words are thoughts expressed. What is in the heart in feelings, imaginings, desires, comes out in speech. The speech of the righteous is pleasing. But the wicked are wanting in love. They have only hate in their hearts, and their words betray them. They are envious, jealous, resentful, and full of all bitterness. They cannot be trusted. There is no real friendship in sin. With one hand it draws its fellow to it in close embrace, and with the other it strikes the concealed dagger into his heart. Or like Judas it gives the kiss, which to one little company seems the kiss of affection, tender and true, but to another party it is seen as the kiss of betrayal.
The Wise Man gives another word of warning on the subject of speech; he says that in “the transgression of the lips is a snare to the evil man.” There certainly are people who are brought into very much trouble through their tongues. The tongue is always saying things it ought not to say. It makes trouble for those who speak. They utter hasty words, indiscreet, foolish, false, unjust words, which make new enemies of others for themselves. Besides, these unguarded, uncontrolled tongues work a vast amount of trouble for other people.
A characteristic of the righteous man is set forth in the unexpected statement that” he regards the life of his beast.” So,the movement on behalf of God’s dumb creatures is not altogether modern. A long while ago it was known that goodness showed itself in gentleness toward animals. A boy who likes to stick pins through flies or pull out their wings, or who takes delight in throwing stones at dogs or cats, or robbing birds’ nests, or is cruel to his pony, has not a kindly heart. If you could see into it you would find something very unbeautiful there. Many stories are told of great men who have shown kindness to birds and other creatures at much cost to themselves. A king left his royal tent standing once when his army moved, because a bird had built her nest in it and was sitting on her eggs. Mr. Corliss, the famous engine builder, when engaged in preparation for the erection of large shops, noticed that a bird had made her nest in a bank which had to be dug away. He gave orders that the work should stop until the mother bird had hatched out her young, and until they were old enough to flyaway. Boys need to study this verse very closely. They should learn its lesson well. If they ever drive horses they should not treat them cruelly, beating and abusing them, but should be their kindest friends. It is a question, too, whether girls should wear birds’ wings in their hats after studying this verse. Millions of innocent little birds have to be killed every year just to get adornments to gratify Christian women’s taste for lovely bonnets!
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