November 29, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people . . . Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." — Leviticus 19:16, 17 · KJV

Talebearing emits a threefold poison, for it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person the tale is told about. Whether the report is true or false, we are by this command of God's Word forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our sight, and we should count it a shame to help the devil dishonor the Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if by that they raised themselves. Noah's wise sons cast a cloak over their father, and he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We ourselves may, on one of these dark days, need forbearance and silence from our brethren; let us render it cheerfully to those who need it now. Be this our family rule and our personal bond: speak evil of no man. The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way we are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christlike, and, under God's blessing, will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from it? Then we must press it the harder on our conscience, and keep ourselves to the task, lest by allowing sin in our friend we become partakers of it ourselves. Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by the timely, wise, affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and brethren. Our Lord Jesus set us a gracious example of how to deal with erring friends, in the warning He gave Peter, the prayer with which He preceded it, and the gentle way in which He bore with Peter's boastful denial that he needed such a caution.