Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

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BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
other" (Mai. 3:16). "Foolish talking," or "jesting," is "not
befitting" (Eph. 5:4). This does not mean innocent joking,
pleasantries, etc., which are, at times, as inspiriting and healthful
as recreation, but the useless babble of the fool, the ceaseless
punning upon all questions, secular or sacred. There is a need
for reality, naturalness, truth, sympathy. Thus, conversation
may be used to cheer the sorrowing, instruct the ignorant, reclaim
the fallen, and prove a most valuable auxiliary to Christian
212. It is unnecessary to point out all the pests of conversation,
or to dwell particularly on the sensibles, who pronounce
dogmatically on the most trivial points, and speak in sentences
the wonderers, who are always wondering what o'clock it is, or
wondering whether it will rain or not, or wondering when the
moon changes; the phraseologists, who explain a thing by "All
that and t' other"; and lastly, the silent persons, who seem
afraid of opening their mouths lest they should catch cold, and
literally observe the precepts of the gospel, letting their conversation
be only "Yea, yea," and "Nay, nay."
We should endeavour to turn this particular talent to our
advantage, and consider the organs of speech as the instruments
of understanding; we should be very careful not to use them
as the weapons of vice, or tools of folly, and do our utmost to
unlearn any trivial or ridiculous habits, which tend to lessen
the value of such an inestimable prerogative.
Steele.
213. The Greek declares:
"The boneless tongue, so small and weak,
Can crush and kill."
The Turk asserts: "The tongue destroys a greater horde
than does the sword."
214. "A Christian minister was once visited by a very loquacious
young lady, who, forgetting the modesty of her sex and
the superior gravity of an aged preacher, engrossed all the conversation
of the interview with small talk concerning herself.
When she rose to retire he said: 'Madam, before you withdraw
I have one piece of advice to give you, and that is, when you
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