Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

"And
—
"
and
BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
walked on and on, until at last God said to him, 'Enoch, you are
a long way from home ;
you had better come in and stay with
me/ and he went." That is the truth. The child had got to the
heart of the matter. "And Enoch walked with God : he was
not ; for God took him." G. Campbell Morgan.
210. "A young, unknown artist desired to copy a beautiful
picture that hung in a palace in Rome. He was refused permission
to copy it in the palace, so he set to work to reproduce
it from memory. Hour after hour he would sit before the picture
until it took possession of him, and then, hurrying home,
would begin to paint. Each day he spent some time gazing on
the original, and each day saw some new loveliness. As he
looked and toiled, his power grew. At last there stood in his
studio such a wonderful copy that all who looked said : 'We
must see the original.' This should be the ultimatum of all our
Christian service : so to reproduce the Lord Jesus Christ that
men will say, 'We must see Jesus.'
CONVERSATION
211. To converse rationally is a power distinguishing man
from the brute. "Speech is silver: silence is golden;" but if
silence is unbroken by conversation, it becomes unendurable.
Care, however, is needed, lest men fail to use this talent profitably.
James writes of the man who offends not in word, and
puts a tight rein upon his tongue (Jas. 3:2).
One of the highest
attainments is the proper government of our speech. Christians
should avoid slander, falsehood, prevarication, provocation, and
all mischievous and unprofitable conversation.
Jesus said : I say unto you, that every idle word that
men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment" (Matt. 12:36). Paul wrote: "Let no corrupt speech
proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as
the need may be" (Eph. 4:29). "Let your speech be always
with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought
to answer each one" (Col. 4:6).
All conversation evil in tendency should be avoided, that by
our speech we may "bless, and curse not." Of the church it is
proclaimed : "They that feared the Lord spake often one to an-
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