7.31.2011 TALKATIVENESS

recently i came upon a bequest from my father which i found tucked, as a marker (?), in one of the books from his library. i thank God for helping me find and read this. it is entitled 'talkativeness', tract no. 113 from the Christ's Home press, warminster, pa. where my father taught a weekly Bible lesson to the orphans in the school there.

'I thessalonians 4.11 (and that ye study to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you) talkativeness is utterly ruinous to deep spirituality. the very life of our spirit passes out in our speech, and hence all superfluous talk is a waste of the vital forces of the heart. in fruit growing it often happens that excessive blossoming prevents a good crop, and often prevents fruit altogether; and by so much loquacity the soul runs wild in word blooms and bearers no fruit. i am not speaking of sinners, nor of legitimate testimony for Jesus, but of that incessant loquacity of nominally spiritual persons - of the professors of purifying grace. it is one of the greatest hindrances to deep, solid union with God. notice how people will tell the same thing over and over - how insignificant trifles are magnified by a world of words; how things that should be buried are dragged out into gossip; how a worthless non-essential is argued and disputed over; how the solemn deep things of the holy Spirit are rattled over in a light manner - until one who has the real baptism of divine silence in his heart, feels he must unceremoniously tear himself away to some lonely room or forest, where he can gather up the fragments of his mind, and rest in God.

not only do we need cleansing from sin, but our natural human spirit needs a radical death to its own noise and activity and wordiness.

see the evil effects of so much talk.

first, it dissipates the spiritual power. the thought and feeling of the soul are like powder and steam - the more they are condensed, the greater their power. the steam that if properly compressed would drive a train 60 miles an hour, if allowed too much expanse would not move it an inch; and so the true action of the heart, if expressed in a few Holy Ghost selected words, will sink into the minds to remain forever, but if dissipated in any rabling conversation is likely to be of no profit.

second, it is a waste of time. if the hours spent in useless conversation were spent in secret prayer or deep reading, we would soon reach a region of spiritual life and divine peace beyond our present dreams.

third, loquacity inevitably leads to saying unwise, or unpleasant or unprofitable things. in religious conversation we soon churn up all the cream our souls have in them, and the rest of our talk is all pale skim milk, until we get alone with God, and feed on His green pasture until the cream arises again. the holy Spirit warns us that 'in the multitude of words there lacketh not sin'. it is impossible for even the best of saints to talk beyond a certain point, without saying something unkind, or severe, or foolish, or erroneous. we must settle this personally. if others are noisy and talkative i must determine to live in constant quietness and humility of heart; i must guard my speech as a sentinel does a fortress, and with all respect for others. i must many a time cease from conversation or withdraw from company to enter into deep communion with my precious Lord. the cure for loquacity must be from within; sometimes by an interior furnace of suffering that burns out the excessive effervescence of the mind, or by an over-mastering revelation to the soul of the awful majesties of God and eternity, which puts an everlasting hush upon the natural faculties. to walk in the Spirit we must avoid talking for talk's sake, or merely to entertain. to speak effectively we must speak in God's appointed tiem and in harmony with the indwelling Holy Spirit.

'he that hath knowledge spareth his words; and a man of understanding is of a cool spirit'. (prov. 17.27 RV)

'in quietness and confidence shall be your strength'> (isa. 30.15, eccl. 5.2-3)