|
Physicians judge to a great extent as to the health or disease of
a man by the state of his tongue, and our words are a true test of
the state of our soul. "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and
by thy words thou shalt be condemned," (1) the Saviour says. We
are apt to apply the hand quickly to the place where we feel pain,
and so too the tongue is quick to point out what we love.
If you love God heartily, my child, you will often speak of Him
among your relations, household and familiar friends, and that
because "the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his
tongue talketh of judgment." (2) Even as the bee touches nought
save honey with his tongue, so should your lips be ever sweetened
with your God, knowing nothing more pleasant than to praise and
bless His Holy Name,--as we are told that when S. Francis uttered
the Name of the Lord, he seemed to feel the sweetness lingering on
his lips, and could not let it go.
But always remember, when you speak of God, that He is God; and
speak reverently and with devotion,--not affectedly or as if you
were preaching, but with a spirit of meekness, love, and humility;
dropping honey from your lips (like the Bride in the Canticles (3)
) in devout and pious words, as you speak to one or another
around, in your secret heart the while asking God to let this soft
heavenly dew sink into their minds as they hearken. And remember
very specially always to fulfil this angelic task meekly and
lovingly, not as though you were reproving others, but rather
winning them. It is wonderful how attractive a gentle, pleasant
manner is, and how much it wins hearts.
Take care, then, never to speak of God, or those things which
concern Him, in a merely formal, conventional manner; but with
earnestness and devotion, avoiding the affected way in which some
professedly religious people are perpetually interlarding their
conversation with pious words and sayings, after a most
unseasonable and unthinking manner. Too often they imagine that
they really are themselves as pious as their words, which probably
is not the case.
|