Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man. When we consider the importance of speech, the ease with which we speak, and the pleasure we derive from this faculty, no wonder so much labour has been taken to improve it. Hundreds of rhetoricians have giving rules respecting "the art of speaking well." But that is really a Christian grace. Christianity alone lays down the fundamental rules of good speaking, and puts us in the way of doing most good with the talent of speech. I. THE PRECEPT shows — 1. The character of Christian converse. It must be gracious. (1) Good words flow from grace no less than good deeds. When God gave you a new heart He gave you a new tongue. Words are the pictures of thought, and "out of the abundance of the heart the month speaketh." When grace is in the heart means will be employed to forward the work of grace in others (Psalm 66:16). (2) Speech is always to be with grace, not now and then. How many Christians there are whose words at times are all they ought to be, and at others the reverse. 2. Its properties — "seasoned with salt."(1) Salt is an article of food, so our conversation should be morally and in tellectually nutritive. (3) Salt gives a relish to ordinary food. How helpful may converse be in making the dry monotonies of life and the hard fare of affliction palatable. (3) Salt preserves, and so should speech preserve the family, neigh bourhood, country. How many a family, society, nation, have been preserved from corruption by the wise counsels of a father, citizen, statesman. (4) Salt heals (2 Kings 2:21), and so a few gracious words of meekness have healed the most serious breaches. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." II. THE END AND USE OF THE PRECEPT — "That ye may know," etc. How much wisdom is needed for this. Many a good man has done much mischief for want of prudence here; by ill timed zeal, dogmatism, offensive statement of truth, wrangling discussion. For the better ordering of speech — 1. Consider the end of it. Speech was not given to man for God's sake. He can tell the meaning of the heart without words; nor for our own sakes — it is unnecessary for the perception of individual wants; but for the benefit of others. Recollect, then, when you open your lips .that it should be for the good of those who hear you. 2. Meditate before speaking. "If you think twice before you speak once, you will speak twice the better for it." 3. Be moderate in speech. It is evident by the design of providence that the faculty of speech should be used less than most others. We have but one tongue, but two ears, two eyes, etc. "Let thy words be few." "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak." "A fool is known by the multitude of words." The weakest minds are often the most garrulous; they unconsciously make up in number of words what they lack in wisdom; whereas the wisest try to say much in few words. There is far the most depth where there is least noise. (T. Watson, B. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. |
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