The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1901, Page 26

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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.