do nothing rashly by J. R. Miller. You ought to be quiet
and to do nothing rashly. The town clerk was wise when
he urged the people of Ephesus to do nothing rashly. He told
them they might do injustice to the men concerning whom the
disturbance had arisen. He said there was a right way
to proceed, if the men had done anything wrong, and the courts
were open. and it would be easy to have
them tried and convicted. Rashness, he assured them, might
bring upon themselves serious trouble. This was good advice
that day, and it is good for us to-day. Most of us are inclined,
at times at least, to act rashly. We are readily carried off by
excitement or by feeling, and we do things then which cost
us no end of trouble before we are through with them. There
are many rash words spoken. People get angry, and in anger
the tongue is too often like a runaway horse. The driver has
lost control, and the horse rushes along the street, perhaps trampling
down children, perhaps dashing the vehicle to pieces, and injuring
the unfortunate driver himself. A runaway tongue may do even
more serious harm than a runaway horse. It may speak words which
will hurt lives irreparably, and it may do incalculable injury
to the speaker himself. Rash words hurt tender hearts. They alienate friends. They start
suspicion concerning good people, and blast reputations. What cruel
things are rash words! When words are many, sin is not
absent. But he who holds his tongue is
wise. Proverbs 10 verse 19 Reckless
words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings
healing. Proverbs 12 verse 18 A man of
knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is
even-tempered. Proverbs 17 verse 27 everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak, and slow to become angry. James 1, verse 19. How much better it would be if
we all learned never to speak hastily. It were good to be slow
of speech in a way, for then we would not talk rashly, we
would take time to think before speaking. We were never sorry
for not saying the hot word that flew to our lips when we were
excited. It would have been bitter, unloving,
and ungentle. It could have done no good. It
would have wrought only pain and harm. It would have dishonoured
our Master, for it would have been an exhibition of unchristlikeness. Jesus never spoke a hasty word. He kept silent under insult,
pain, reproach, and sorest injury. Not sullen silence, but silence
sweet, with patient, peaceful love. We are never sorry for
following this perfect example and restraining the cutting words,
but we are sorry always when we have spoken hastily. If we
had taken a little time to think, we would not have made the sharp
retort which has done so much harm. There are other rash words
besides those spoken in hot temper. There are people who never wait
to hear all of a story before they express an opinion. Their
judgments are only half formed, for they wait for but half the
information they need to form a fair opinion. They jump to
a conclusion, when they have only a part of the facts before
them. As a consequence, But they are
often wrong, and not infrequently do serious injustice to others
whom they condemn on only one-sided evidence. We have no right to
form an opinion in which the character or interest of another
is concerned, until we have gone patiently and conscientiously
over all the facts. so as to be able to judge fairly. Hastily formed judgments of others
are most likely to be unjust judgments. There are also those
who make rash decisions and enter into rash engagements. They are
carried off by their emotions and in their excitement give
promises which afterward they find themselves unable to keep. Failures in business and losses
of money result oft-times from rash investing. Men are deceived
by illusionary prospects, and rush into schemes which prove
unprofitable. Many people make like mistakes
in choosing friends. Young men are charmed by a pretty
face or a pleasant manner. and fall in love, only to find,
by and by, what silly fools they were. A great many broken engagements,
and many unhappy marriages, would have been averted, if there had
been more deliberation at the beginning. Many people have a
reputation for not regarding their promises. Those who know
them put but little dependence upon their word, for it is broken
as frequently as it is kept. Sometimes the trouble lies in
a lack of conscience on the subject. Men seem to think that it is
not wrong to break a promise, to fail in an engagement, or
to disregard a pledge. Sometimes, however, it is because
they make promises rashly, not considering whether they can
keep them or not. A truly honorable man never breaks
his lightest word, but he never gives his word without having
first thought through the matter carefully. Even in religion,
Jesus teaches that men should count the cost before they make
their decision. Not that there can be any doubt
regarding their duty, but because great harm results from beginning
to follow Christ and then giving up and turning back. It is better
not to vow than to vow and not pay. It is better not to profess
to follow Christ, than, having made the profession, to fail
in keeping it, and to go back again into the world. Thus, in
many different departments of life, mischiefs are wrought by
rashness. People do not take time to think,
and then they do foolish and reckless things which bring them
into trouble, and do incalculable harm to others. We should train
ourselves to greater deliberateness in speech and act. We should
get such mastery over ourselves that our tongue shall never betray
us by any unadvised word, and that neither appetite nor passion
shall ever lead us to do anything we shall be sorry afterward for
doing. It is a safe rule to do nothing
in excitement. If one speaks sharply or bitterly
to us, we would better not give any rejoinder for some hours,
until there has been time for the bitterness to pass away.
If we receive a letter which contains something that hurts
us, we would better lay it aside, not answering it at once. Then,
after we have written our reply, It would be well if we laid that
away at least overnight, and read it again before sending
it. When young people begin to imagine
that they are in love, they had better place a firm hand on their
feelings, and put a bridle on their tongue, waiting a reasonable
time before they make any declaration or confession. Nothing will suffer
by delay, and perhaps there will be one less folly committed if
time is taken to think over the matter before saying anything. If some new project is proposed,
with its glowing visions of success and wealth, and young men are
tempted to embark at once in this splendid enterprise, perhaps
putting all their money into it, they had better wait. They
had better be sure that it is not a mere bubble which will
burst to-morrow. Nothing ventured, nothing won,
may be a wise enough maxim, in some lines. but often it is a
very foolish motto. At least, before the venture
is made, it should be known, of a reasonable certainty, that
the project is not a mere visionary one, nor a fraudulent scheme,
to get the money from credulous investors. We may well write
town clerk's bid of sage-council down, among our maxims, for self-government. You ought to be quiet, and to
do nothing rashly. We shall never be sorry afterward
for thinking twice before we speak, for counting the cost
before entering upon any new course. for sleeping over stings
and injuries before saying or doing anything in answer, or
for carefully considering any business scheme presented to
us before putting money into it. It will save us from much
regret, loss, and sorrow, always to remember to do nothing rashly. You ought to be quiet and to
do nothing rashly. This concludes Do Nothing Rashly
by J. R. Miller.