ONE Sabbath afternoon, Miss Slander’s pastor preached a very plain and faithful sermon from the text, “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell.” (James iii. 6.) He pretty strongly urged the doctrine, that a tongue badly governed was an injury to its owner, and mischievous to the whole community. Miss Slander was greatly offended, and on the following morning called on the pastor, and charged him with being “personal in his preaching.” “Why do you think so?” asked the worthy pastor. Somewhat off her guard, she answered, “You know, sir, you meant me.” “Why do you think so?” was his repeated inquiry; and when she was somewhat calmed down, the worthy man, instead of explaining away his sermon, or assuring his hearer that he did not mean her, spoke of the dignity and responsibility of the servant of God, and exhorted her, as she clearly felt the suitability of his preaching to her character and conduct, to go home and humble herself before God on account of her sins, and seek grace henceforth to live to His glory. She went greatly exasperated to brother Gravity, to tell him of her troubles, who only said at the end of her narrative, “Well, I don’t know, but I can’t think the pastor meant me.” For once she failed in her attempt to injure the pastor, for all to whom she complained thought that due reproof had been very skilfully administered.
She always professed to be sorely grieved at any improper action of the pastor, the office-bearers, or any of the other brethren and sisters, but some how or other took special care that all their imperfections should be fully known. It was really astonishing, too, to see how readily she acquired information of new members coming into the church, and of candidates for fellowship. It was said, indeed, that some persons actually declined uniting with the church, because of the mischief they were afraid she might do them. And yet she always assured her friends that no one more earnestly desired the prosperity of Zion than herself.—Christian Treasury.