CIRCULAR LETTER
The Franklin Baptist Association, to the Churches by which this body was created.BELOVED BRETHREN: Our minutes will advise you of the business we have done, and the state of the Churches in our community. The subject of our address will be, the use or abuse of the tongue. "Bridle your tongue." The first text we will name, is, (1st chap. of James, 26th verse,) "If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." As pure and undefiled religion is spoken of in the next verse, it would seem there was or might be false religion among men, and is what the apostle calls here, seeming to be religious; and whatever this man may say for himself otherwise, if he bridle not his tongue, God himself proclaims in this text, that his religion is vain, a mere self-deceiver, thinking himself something when he is nothing, and thereby deceives his own heart. Look at the text again and again. The tongue is the instrument of speech, by which one man communicates ideas to another. It may be very useful, or it may commit great mischief among men, and especially in religious society. We can make no estimate of what it has already done, in stir[r]ing up strife in the church. One prating Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence, (3rd epistle of John, 9th verse,) if he cannot be stopped, may much confuse any community of people. We need not travel out of the book of James; the subject is brought to a point in his third chapter, where the whole character of the tongue is laid open at once. It there seems an ungovernable instrument, more hard to manage than the wildest horses or the swiftest ships. Small as the tongue is he calls it a world of iniquity, setting on fire the whole course of nature, and itself set on fire of Hell. Only by the grace of God, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer to God, can we overcome it. But when the victory is gained, God himself pronounces that to be a perfect man, and able to bridle his whole body. 3d chap. 2d verse. Should any say that this mastery is over my power, we are authorized to say, as in the text above, "this man's religion is in vain," and all he has professed or done beside, is but seeming to be religious, and be a mere self-deceiver. Though he speak with the tongues of men or angels, he is but as sounding brass or a tinkling sumbol. I Corinthians 13 chap. 1 verse. The whole book of God, gives the same descriptionof the tongue. Perhaps the book of Job is the oldest writing now in the world. The best of judges think he wrote it before Moses was born. In the 5th chapter of Job the tongue is spoken of as a scourge: in the 20th chapter it is compared to a viper and the poison of asps: in the 52d psalm it is spoken of as deceitful, and whetted like a sharp razor: in the 57th psalm, it is spoken of as spears, arrows and a sharp sword; in 120th psalm, it is spoken of as false or lying, and that sharp arrows of the Mighty, should be inflicted on it, with coals of Juniper, or a kind of fire unquenchable; In Prov. 6th chap. God hateth a proud look, and a lying tongue. Pride and falsehood are very apt to go together; for a proud man will accuse falsely, to sink the credit of others that his own might swim. In Proverbs 25th chap. it is spoken of as a backbiting instrument. Paul, also, speaks of backbiting. We know of no practice more wicked, cowardly and mean, thatn for one man to speak evil of another behind his back. Paul in 3rd of Romans, "The poison of asps is under his lips," goes to the same point.
What is said above, is uniformly applied to the tongues of wicked men; but from men of grace, we look for something different. Converting work that comes from God makes this difference; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. How marvelous is that grace, that effectually turneth so base a member as the tongue, into the most useful instrument in the service of the Lord! The church spoken of in Canticles 4th chap.11th verse, "they lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey comb; honey and milk are under the tongue." Under this sweet temperature is the church spoken of again, in Proverbs 31st chap. 26th verse, "in her tongue is the law of kindness." And in this same heavenly current, run the hundreds of love lessons through the whole of the New Testaament. Time would fail to cite the tenth part of them. One of the strongeth evidences of our passage from death unto life, is, our love to the brethren: and love never speaks ill of its neighbor, or the objects of its tender sympathy. And christian love does not stop here; for, according to the new doctrine of the Saviour, (Matthew 5 chap. 44th verse,) "I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitfully use and persecute you." This heaven-born temper, never did occupy the bosom of an unrenewed heart, and without it, as in the next verse, Christ will not allow any man to call his father; for all this, says he, is to be done, that you
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may be the children of your father which is in heaven. With this heavenly furniture in your heart, dear brethren, it will be an easy lesson to you, to speak evil of no man; for this cures the evil venom of the tongue. This man is no longer hateful by hating other men; he is now fitted to dwell in the house of the Lord, knowing how to behave himself there, with meekness of wisdom, esteeming others better than himself. He now comes under the description given by David in the 15th psalm, beginning thus: "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle, who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" The answer follows in the 2nd and 3rd verses: "He that walketh uprighty, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart: he that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor." By reproach here, we understand a report. Therefore, he who gives currency to a report against another, that he has no right to believe, is himself a liar, and ought to suffer as such before God and man. Only the above described blessed characters, have a right to dwell in God's holy hill, or spiritual house. If the discipline of the church were extended to detraction or backbiting, as it is to drunkenness and murder, who would continue in the church? And, indeed, John makes it murder to hate a brother, of which, speaking against him is an evidence; and he further adds, such an one hath not eternal life abiding in him. 3d chap. 15th verse. And it is no come-off, according to the law of those professed christians, who, in all circles of life, are so profuse in speaking against other men! How will they, at last, face that ever present Judge, who now stands at or before the door, (James, 5th chap. 9th verse, and Titus, 3d chap. 2d verse,) saying "speak of judgment." Matthew 12th chap. 36th verse. And in 35th verse, the Savious says, "the man, out of his evil treasure, bringeth forth his evil things." The way these good and evil things are brought forth, is by use or abuse of the tongue. A house of merchandize,an expression of what is in the man, and is the landing port of all the cargo of the heart, whether the landing be good or bad; for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Dear brethren, do please to examine what kind of lading is dicharged at tongue port by you. Is your conversation seasoned with the salt of grace? Colossians 4th chap. 6th verse, says the Saviour "have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another." Mark 9th chap. 59th verse, "remember what will take place at the day of judgment;["] Matthew 12th chap. 37th verse; "for by thy words, thou shalt be justified, and by they words thou shalt be condemned." It seems according to the use of the tongue, we shall stand on the right or left hand of Christ, on that awful day. Let it never be forgotten, that all liars, and whosoever maketh a lie, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Remember, you are not only to believe in your heart the Lord Jesus, but confess with your tongue, that God has raised him from the dead, if you would expect salvation. When Jesus healed the dumb man, he spoke plainly. O, ye children of God, learn to speak for Christ, and speak for him with warmth of zeal, warning and iniviting all men to repent of their sins, and come to him for salvation. O learn to speak to God in the name of Jesus, in daily prayer; watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, "keep yourselves in the love of God," (Jude 21st verse,) and then brotherly love will continue; "keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace," Ephesians 4th chap. 3d verse; and in 31st verse, "let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from among you, with all malice, and be kind one to another, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you."Dear brethren, let us pray our Heavenly Father, that we may long enjoy the happiness of the general union of Baptists in Kentucky; Fare ye well.
S. M. Noel, Moderator
James Ford, Cl'k
[From the Archives and Special Collections, James P. Boyce Centennial Library, SBTS, Adam Winters, Archivist; via Internet. Transcribed and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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