Your habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me,
says the LORD.
Read Chapter 9
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
What do we do with such a useful member? With it we pray to God. With it we make amends. With it we utter praises. With it we sing with one voice in harmony to God. With it every day we show ourselves kind and considerate when we talk to others or give them advice. What are we doing at this very moment? This very tongue of mine is performing you a service. What are we to do, in order not to transgress with the tongue? Especially as it is written, “Death and life are in the hands of the tongue,” and again it is written, “I saw many fall by the edge of the sword, but not like those who fell by the tongue.” Again it is written, “And the tongue is established among our members, as something that defiles our whole body.” And yet again the same Lord says, “They have taught their tongues to speak lies.” - "Sermon 16a.2"
The insincere are to be admonished to learn how heavy is the labor of deception. They endure it with guilt. They are afraid of being found out. They are ever seeking dishonest defenses. They are agitated by fearful suspicions. But there is nothing safer to defend than sincerity, nothing easier to say than truth. For, when obliged to defend its deceit, the heart is wearied with hard labor. For it is written, “The labor of their own lips shall cover them.” For what now fills them then covers them, since it then presses down with sharp retribution one whose soul it now elevates with a mild uneasiness. It is said through Jeremiah, “They have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.” Said more plainly: “They who might have been friends of truth without labor, labor to sin.” - "Pastoral Rule 3.11"
Everyone is so inflamed by the love of sin and desire to carry out what they like, that they look out with watchful care for an opportunity to commit wickedness. They are afraid of being too slow to enjoy their lusts, even glorying in their shame and the great number of their crimes, as the apostle says in censure. They seek credit for themselves out of their own confusion. The prophet Jeremiah also maintains that they commit their heinous crimes not only willingly and with ease of heart and body but with laborious efforts to such an extent that they come to toil to carry them out. They are even impeded from their deadly quest of sin by the burdensome effort the actualizing of their evil desires requires, as he says: “They have labored to do wickedly.” - "Conference 3.23.1"
“For every brother will utterly supplant, and every friend will walk deceitfully. And a man shall mock his brother, and they will not speak the truth, for they have bent their tongue like a bow for lies and not for truth.” But often a pretended patience excites to anger more keenly than words, and a spiteful silence exceeds the most awful insults in words. The wounds of enemies are more easily borne than the deceitful blandishment of mockers, as is well said by the prophet. - "Conference 2.16.18"
