Article March 4, 1911 Issue

BRIDLING THE TONGUE

G. L. MC NEILL.

Many wonderful inventions and discoveries in the material world have followed one another with such rapidity that what, not many years ago, would have been considered "miracles" are now accepted without special notice. The world is ready for the improvement which is being made in means of communication, transportation, and manufacture; hence is receiving them. Electricity has been harnessed, water-powers have been controlled, and the air is now being mastered.

All of these inventions and discoveries are of great importance to the world, but all of them combined are not equal to the discovery which is teaching mortals to birdle that which is referred to in the third chapter of James as "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison"—the tongue. We can realize to some extent the great importance to the world of this discovery, when we consider the disastrous results which have followed in all ages from the unguarded use of that "unruly evil." It has incited to bloody wars, has pitted nation against nation, brother against brother, and in the home it has been the cause of thousands and thousands of tragedies.

The Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, teaches that the tongue is to be bridled not simply by guarding our speech, but by correcting that which causes speech, viz., our thoughts. It is clear that if we do not think evil we shall not voice it; if we are unconscious of self-righteousness, envy, hatred, and jealousy, we shall not give expression to them. Christian Science brings to its faithful students a greater sense of love for their fellows than they had before. It emphasizes the value of kindly and helpful thoughts and words. It enables us to be more charitable, and to recognize the impersonal nature of evil, which may be manifested through some friend or acquaintance, showing us that while we condemn the sin, we shall know its nothingness and thus be ready to love and help our brother.

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