J.R. Miller again.....

.....this time about our conversation:

If every word that is spoken were only a good word, what an incalculable ministry of blessing would there be in a lifetime of speech! But too much of it is only idle words, and too much of it is not pure, good, and sweet. The subject is worthy of very earnest, serious thought. We should not be willing to misuse our gift of speech, or to fail to use it to bless the world.

"Plant blessings, and blessings will bloom,
Plant hate, and hate will grow;
You can sow today, and tomorrow shall bring
The bloom that shows what sort of a thing
Is the seed - the seed that you sow."

There should be great care taken, first of all, with the manner of speech. Many persons speak most important words, words full of wisdom, and yet utter them in such a way that they make almost no impression. Their voice is harsh and unmusical, or their grammar or punctuation is defective, or they speak indistinctly. In some way, at least, the faultiness or ungracefulness of their speech mars, sometimes almost destroys, the value of what they say. On the other hand, there are some persons whose manner of speech is so graceful and winning that even their most commonplace words fall like music on the listener's ear. Young people cannot give too much attention to voice-culture, and to the whole manner of expression. Manner is more than one half in speech.

Matter is also important, however. We must have something to say, or the most musical tones will soon fail to please and bless. Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Hence we must get our heart right if we would speak words that are worthwhile. A bitter heart cannot give out sweet words, nor an impure heart bright, clean words.

It is an interesting fact that on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in the form of tongues of fire, resting on the heads of the disciples, and that one of the first manifestations of the Spirit was in a new gift of speech - immediately they spoke with new tongues. This was all supernatural; but it is true evermore that, when one becomes a Christian, one gets a new tongue.

Although he doesn't mention it in the chapter, the last sentence brings to mind James 3:8-12:

But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Convicting.