Page:Sermons for all the Sundays in the year.djvu/316

 not one of these little ones; for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father." (Matt, xviii. 10.) 9. Be attentive, then, my brethren, and guard your selves against speaking immodestly, more than you would against death. Listen to the advice of the Holy Ghost: ” Make a balance for thy words, and a just bridle for thy mouth; and take heed lest thou slip with thy tongue and thy fall be incurable unto death." (Eccl. xxviii. 29, 30.) ” Make a balance" you must weigh your words before you utter them and ” a bridle for thy mouth" when immodest words come to the tongue, you must suppress them; otherwise, by uttering them, you shall inflict on your own soul, and on the souls of others, a mortal and incurable wound. God has given you the tongue, not to offend him, but to praise and bless him. ” But, ”  says St. Paul, “fornication and all uncleanness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints." (Ephes. v. 3.) Mark the words ” all uncleanness. ”  We must not only abstain from obscene language and from every word of double meaning spoken in jest, but also from every improper word unbecoming a saint that is, a Christian. It is necessary to remark, that words of double meaning sometimes do greater evil than open obscenity, because the art with which they are spoken makes a deeper impression on, the mind. 10. Reflect, says St. Augustine, that your mouths are the mouths of Christians, which Jesus Christ has so often entered in the holy communion. Hence, you ought to have a horror of uttering all unchaste words, which are a diabolical poison.  ” See, brethren, if it be just that, from the mouths of Christians, which the body of Christ enters, an immodest song, like diabolical poison, should proceed." (Serm. xv., de Temp.) St. Paul says, that the language of a Christian should be always seasoned with salt. ” Let your speech be always in grace, seasoned with salt. ” (Col. iv. 6.) Our conversation should be seasoned with words calculated to excite others not to offend, but to love God. ” Happy the tongue," says St. Bernard, ” that knows only how to speak of holy things!" Happy the tongue that knows