this earth but man. It is the source of much pleasure, instruction and usefulness. "Therewith bless we God, even the Father," and with it, we comfort and encourage each other through this vale of tears.

Thus we see that the tongue is alike the author of much mischief and of much good. We need not go to the Bible to learn this, for even pagans acknowledge it. For proof of this, I will relate an occurrence said to have taken place many hundred years ago among the heathen. Esop, who was born a slave, was one day told by his master to procure the best victuals the market afforded, as he intended to make a feast. At dinner-time a dish of tongues was served up; and when the second course was called for, Æsop brought forward another dish of tongues. His master asked him if he had procured nothing else but tongues. He replied, "You told me to procure the best things I could find. I did; a tongue is the best thing a man has." The next day the master ordered him to serve up a dinner of the worst things he could find in the market. At the appointed time behold another mess

of tongues appeared on the table. When asked for an explanation, Æsop replied, "I followed your direction; for there is nothing worse than the tongue. It is the source of all contentions and troubles."

Of course, if the tongue is the occasion of so much trouble in the world, it is our duty to govern it; for God never intended that we should give the reins to our passions and propensities, when they lead us astray. But here arises a great difficulty; for God has declared in his word, "The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." The apostle James, in the third chapter of his epistle, has much to say about this "little member," and the great difficulty of governing it. He alludes to the horses' bits, which "turn about their whole body;" and also to the great ships, which, though driven by fierce winds, are governed by a very small rudder. But the tongue, a little member, much smaller than the horse or ship, cannot be governed. He then tells us that "every kind of beasts and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of

mankind." But, alas, no man has ever tamed that little and apparently insignificant member, the tongue. He also compares it to a "fire, a world of iniquity;" for it "setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell." What a strong assertion is this! and yet it is true. As a spark sometimes sets fire to a forest, or prairie, which burns for days, and lays waste miles of verdant land, so the tongue, by one wrong word, sometimes kindles a fire of passion and anger, which lays waste the fairest portions of our nature.

We see by this how difficult it is to govern the tongue. Yet we ought not to despair, for we may greatly subdue and tame this troublesome member, though we may not bring it into perfect obedience. Besides, if it is not checked, it will daily become more unmanageable, until at last it will be of little use to try to govern it. Should men begin early to bridle it, and continue their watchfulness over it every day of their life, they might do much towards bringing it into subjection to the will. Young reader, will you not do this? There are several pas

sages of Scripture which I will quote for your encouragement. Solomon says, "He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips, shall have destruction." James says, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body." Peter says, "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile."

Let us now look at some of the more prominent abuses of the tongue. The first one we will consider is,

FALSEHOOD. This is so common a sin, among old and young, that I need not define it; but those who practise it are none the less guilty on that account. Let us see what God says of it. In Proverbs, it is said, "Lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord." "The lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment." David says, "He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight." In the Revelation it is said, "All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth

with fire and brimstone." Many more passages might be quoted to show God's abhorrence of this sin; but we have enough already. We will now turn to one or two instances, in which he has punished those who have been guilty of it.

When Naaman the leper had been cleansed by washing in the Jordan, you will recollect that he urged Elisha to accept a present, which he refused. But when Naaman was returning back to his own country, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, followed after him, and told him that his master had sent him to ask for a talent of silver and two changes of raiment. This was a falsehood; but Naaman did not know it, and gave him more than he asked. When Gehazi returned home, Elisha asked him where he had been. He said he had been no where, and thus told another falsehood. But he was punished most severely; for the leprosy of Naaman clung to him, "and he went out from Elisha's presence a leper as white as snow."

In Acts we have another example. Ananias and Sapphira, after selling their