# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1901_S26 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) £ 26 The Lutheran Pioneer. (For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.) The Ninth and Tenth Commandments. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. What does this mean? We should fear and love God, that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, nor obtain it by a show of right; but help and be of service to him in keeping it. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. What does this mean? We should fear and love God, that we may not estrange, force, or entice away from our neighbor his wife, servants, or cattle; but urge them to stay and do their duty. I. Both these Commandments forbid coveting. ‘Thou shalt not covet,’’ these are the first words of the Ninth, and also the first words of the Tenth Commandment. And yet there i3a difference between these two Commandments. An examination of these two Commandments, namely, shows us that the Ninth mentions only one object, while the Tenth, after mention- ing several objects, adds the words, ‘‘Any- thing that is thy neighbor’s.’”’ From this we conclude that the Tenth Commandment for- bids that inborn disposition of ours, which is always begrudging the neighbor whatever he has, because it is at-all times dissatisfied with its own. This covetous spirit dwells in every man, it being our inheritance from Adam. In distinction from this inherited lust, we also speak of an actual lust, which centers its whole desire upon one certain thing which it is for- bidden to have, and does not rest till its desire is fulfilled. This actual lust is forbidden in the Ninth Commandment. The particular ob- ject of actual lust mentioned in this Command- ment as given in our Catechism is our neigh- bor’s house, according to Exod. 20,17. But to show that /iouse is only given as an example, and that the distinction between the Ninth and ‘Tenth Commandments does not depend on the objects named, but that the Ninth forbids the coveting of one certain thing, and the Tenth the coveting of all forbidden things, Deut. 5, 21 gives wife as the forbidden object in the Ninth Commandment, and house in the Tenth. As before said, in every man’s heart lives an inherited and inborn lust and inclination to eyil, and this lust is the fountain of all actual sins, evil desires, words, and deeds. Now, liowever, man is only too prone not to regard lly sin, wherefore God has deemed it ary to give the Ninth and Tenth Com- iments. ‘hese two Commandments shall, refore, bring home to us the awful truth it grow all evil desires, as plants eir seed. Yes, every sin is born of is inclination to evil and his sinful desires] - desire, and this intense desire, which would gain its end at any or every cost, is the foun- tain whence flow all the sins forbidden by the Commandments. It leads to idolatry, blas- phemy, despising of God’s Word, dishonoring parents, murder, adultery, stealing, and lying. This also James confirms when he says, ‘‘Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin.”’ The inborn lust when aroused conceives, that is, excites in man pleasure in sinful desires and causes him to yield his will to its temptation, and thus brings actual lust into being. Lust which before, as it were, lay dormant and un- recognized in the heart is now consciously and voluntarily entertained and yielded to. By these two Commandments we are then reminded, first of all, ‘‘that in God’s sight mere evil lust is indeed and truly sin.’”’ They are to bring home to us the spirituality of the Law, its strictness and extent. They are to teach us that God’s Law deals with sins of thought, that the imagination of evil is sin. The Law penetrates into the inmost recesses of the heart, tracks our every thought and desire, and if it discovers the least sign of departure from the path of holiness, it con- demns it. These two Commandments, there- fore, further remind us, ‘‘that we should have no evil lust whatever in our hearts, but only holy desires and love of God and of all that is good.’’ ‘hus these two Commandments im- press upon us how utterly all our powers are depraved, how thoroughly our will is per- verted, how completely vicious our nature has become. We are not to think merely of the sins that grow on the surface, but learn to know that if we could turn our heart up to its core and center, we should find it fully per- meated with sin as every piece of putrid flesh is filled with worms and rottenness. It shall become more and more plain to us that man is a reeking mass of corruption; that his whole soul is by nature so debased and depraved, that no adequate description can be given of his utter sinfulness. Aye, when we think of the Law of God and our depravity, we may well be overwhelmed with horror, and fall down and ery, ‘‘Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Thou desirest truth in the inward parts. O God, be merci- fal to me, for to keep Thy Law is altogether beyond my power. Therefore, merciful God, cleanse me from my secret faults; save me by Thy grace in Jesus, for by the Law I can never be saved.’’ F. J. L. — > oe Our Father. Do you all know the Lord’s Prayer? Do you all say it every day? Have you ever thought of the first two words? ‘There is something truly wonderful in the fact that we are to call God our Father. No doubt many say these words and do not stop to think what they mean. A minister was once making an address at an Orphans’ Home. He stood upon a platform, while all the children were seated before him. He began in words about as follows: ‘This is an Orphans’ Home. You are all what we call orphans. If I were to ask you, Have you a father? you would all say, No, sir; would you not?’’ All the chil- dren answered, ‘'Yes, sir.’’ ‘Then you have no father, have you?’’ All again answered, “No, sir’? ‘Well, do you know the Lord’s Prayer?’’ ‘‘Yes, sir,’’ was the ready response. ‘“‘Let me hear you repeat it.’’ All reverently arose, folded their hands, closed their eyes, and began as with one voice, ‘‘Our Father who art in heaven.’’ ‘‘Stop,’’ said the minis- ter; “begin again.’? Again all said, ‘‘Our Father who art in heayen.’’ ‘Stop; have you not made some mistake? You just told me you had no father, and yet you all say, ‘Our Father.’ How is this?’’ Then the minister went on to tell the chil- dren just what you and I should also be re- minded of. ‘These little orphans, and you and I, yes, everybody has a father. We have the very best father that can be imagined. Never was an earthly father so kind and lov- ing as He. He watches over us by day and by night, and never forsakes us, and never forgets us. He is a strong and mighty Father. He can do whatever He pleases. Nothing is too hard for Him. -No enemy is so strong but that He is still stronger, and can protect us. He is a rich Father. He owns all things in heayen and inearth. What a blessed thing to have such a Father. i And just think of it, He is our Father in Christ Jesus. He tells us so. He says to us, I want you to call me Father. We are there- fore His children. We are therefore to trust Him with all our hearts. When we pray we must bear in mind that we are praying to 4 kind and loving Father. When we are sick, or are in trouble, we must bear in mind that our Father knows it all, and is able to make all things work together for good to them that love Him. Dear reader, never forget this. Luth. Child’s Paper. God’s Love. : God, then, is more earnest for me to be saved than I am to be saved! ‘‘He so loved the world that He gave His Son.’? He loved not saints, not penitents, not the religious, not those who love Him; but ‘the world,” secular men, profane men, hardened rebels, hopeless wanderers, and sinners! He gave not & mere promise, not an angel to teach us, not aworld to ransom us, but His Son—His Only Begotten! So much did God love the world, sinners, me! I believe this. I must believe it; I believe on Him who says it. How can I then do otherwise than rejoice ?— Luther. ——. o-oo Dancer past, God is too often forgotten.