Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/454

 you be  one  of  those,  "  who  will  not  hear  the  voice  of  the charmers." (Ps. lvii.  5.)

II. It is  recorded  of  this  man,  whose  hearing  and speech were  restored  to  him,  not  that  he  simply  spoke, but that  "he  spoke  right." Hence we  are  taught  toplace  a  particular  guard  on  our  tongues,  which  St.  James pronounces to  be  "  a  world  of  iniquity." (St. James  iii.  6.) He speaks  right,  who  announces  the  praises  of  God,  who. speaks on  things  that  regard  salvation,  and  whose  tongue is not  employed  in  conversation  on  vain  or  idle  affairs  or in  detractions  or  murmurs. Examine how  you  employ your tongue,  and  remember  the  assertion  of  the  psalmist, " A  man  full  of  tongue  shall  not  be  established  in  the earth." (Ps. cxxxix.  12.)

III. Christ upon  this  occasion  also,  "charged  them that  they  should  tell  no  man,"  in  order  to  teach  His  followers to  shun  the  applause  of  men;  "But  so  much  the more,  a  great  deal  did  they  publish  it,  and  so  much  the more  did  they  wonder." (Mark vii.  36.)  They  were  not in this  instance  disobedient  to  Christ,  because  Christ  did not command  with  an  intention  of  obliging  them,  but only did  what  humility  required  on  His  part,  whilst  they by honoring  and  glorifying  Him,  performed  on  their part the  duty  of  gratitude. On this  occasion  it  was  said of Christ,  "  He  hath  done  all  things  well,"  in  order  that you may  learn  to  seek  perfection  in  every  thing,  and  not to do  well  some  things  only,  and  neglect  others. " In all  things,"  writes  St.  Paul  to  his  Corinthian  converts, " let  us  exhibit  ourselves  as  the  ministers  of  God." (2 Cor. vi.  4.)