“Let us then guard our hearts, let us guard our mouths. Both have been written about. In this place we are bidden to take heed to our mouth; in another place you are told: “Keep your heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23).
If David took heed, will you not take heed? If Isaiah had unclean lips — who said: “Woe is me, for I am undone, for I am a man, and have unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5) — if a prophet of the Lord had unclean lips, how shall we have them clean?
But for whom was it written, unless it was for each one of us: “Hedge your possession about with thorns, and bind up your silver and gold, and make a door and a bar for your mouth, and a yoke and a balance for words” (Sirach 28:24-25)?
Your possession is your mind, your gold your heart, your silver your speech:“The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in the fire.” A good mind is also a good possession.
And, further, a pure inner life is a valuable possession. Hedge in, then, this possession of yours, enclose it with thought, guard it with thorns, that is, with pious care, lest the fierce passions of the flesh should rush upon it and lead it captive, lest strong emotions should assault it, and, overstepping their bounds, carry off its vintage.
Guard your inner self. Do not neglect or contemn it as though it were worthless, for it is a valuable possession; truly valuable indeed, for its fruit is not perishable and only for a time, but is lasting and of use for eternal salvation. Cultivate, therefore, your possession, and let it be your tilling ground.
Bind up your words that they run not riot, and grow wanton, and gather up sins for themselves in too much talking. Let them be rather confined, and held back within their own banks. An overflowing river quickly gathers mud. Bind up also your meaning; let it not be left slack and unchecked, lest it be said of you: “There is no healing balsam, nor oil, nor bandage to apply.”
Sobriety of mind has its reins, whereby it is directed and guided. Let there be a door to your mouth, that it may be shut when need arises, and let it be carefully barred, that none may rouse your voice to anger, and thou pay back abuse with abuse. You have heard it read today: “Be angry and sin not.” Therefore although we are angry (this arising from the motions of our nature, not of our will), let us not utter with our mouth one evil word, lest we fall into sin; but let there be a yoke and a balance to your words, that is, humility and moderation, that your tongue may be subject to your mind.
Let it be held in check with a tight rein; let it have its own means of restraint, whereby it can be recalled to moderation; let it utter words tried by the scales of justice, that there may be seriousness in our meaning, weight in our speech, and due measure in our words” – (On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter III).
Faith Unto Ages 