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Worldliness in the Church
169
in any person. It is unprofitable and positively sinful. It tends only
to evil. The enemy knows that if this course is pursued by Christ’s
professed followers, it is opening a door for him to work.
I saw that when sisters who are given to talk get together, Satan
is generally present, for he finds employment. He stands by to excite
the mind and make the most of the advantage he has gained. He
knows that all this gossip, and tale-bearing, and revealing of secrets,
and dissecting of character, separate the soul from God. It is death
to spirituality and a calm religious influence. Sister U sins greatly
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with her tongue. She ought by her words to have an influence for
good, but she frequently talks at random. Sometimes her words put
a different construction upon things than they will bear. Sometimes
there is exaggeration. Then there is misstatement. There is no
intention to misstate, but the habit of much talking and talking upon
things that are unprofitable has been so long cherished that she has
become careless and reckless in her words, and frequently does not
know what she is stating herself. This destroys any influence for
good she might have. It is time there was an entire reform in this
respect. Her society has not been prized as it would have been had
she not indulged in this sinful talking.
Christians should be careful in regard to their words. They should
never carry unfavorable reports from one of their friends to another,
especially if they are aware that there is a lack of union between
them. It is cruel to hint and insinuate, as though you knew a great
deal in regard to this friend or that acquaintance of which others
are ignorant. Such hints go further, and create more unfavorable
impressions, than to frankly relate the facts in an unexaggerated
manner. What harm has not the church of Christ suffered from these
things! The inconsistent, unguarded course of her members has
made her weak as water. Confidence has been betrayed by members
of the same church, and yet the guilty did not design to do mischief.
Lack of wisdom in the selection of subjects of conversation has done
much harm. The conversation should be upon spiritual and divine
things; but it has been otherwise. If the association with Christian
friends is chiefly devoted to the improvement of the mind and heart,
there will be no after regrets, and they can look back on the interview
with a pleasant satisfaction. But if the hours are spent in levity and
vain talking, and the precious time is employed in dissecting the