The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1901, Page 30

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30

‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

La

(For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.)

The Ninth and Tenth Commandments.

( Continued.)

As we saw last month, the Ninth and Tenth
Commandments are very closely related to
each other, both, namely, forbidding covet-
ousness, the desire for those things which
We then,
however, also heard that these two Command-
ments are not identical, but that there is a
distinction to be made, the Ninth Command-
ment being directed against actual lust, the

God does not wish us to have.

Tenth against original lust.

ments, Luther mentions such sinful acts and
deeds as directly flow out of evil lust. When
our Catechism says in the explanation of the
Ninth Commandment that we shall not ‘‘craft-
ily seek to get our neighbor’s inheritance or
house, nor obtain it by a show of right,’’ and
in the Tenth, that we must not ‘‘estrange,
force, or entice away from our neighbor his
wife, servants, or cattle,’’ it makes mention
of the direct outward marks of the evil lust
of the heart.

We shall not craftily seek to get our neigh-
bor’s inheritance or house, nor obtain it by a
show of right. We notice that the sin for-
bidden here has a great similarity with the
sins forbidden in the Seventh Commandment ;
and yet there is a great difference. The trans-
gressors of the Seventh Commandment can be
reached by the law of the state, but the trans-
gressors of the Ninth Commandment are so
crafty and understand so well to give their ac-
tions the show of right, that the law is obliged
to protect them and even lend them a hand in
their evil designs.

1 Kings 21 relates a case in point. King
Ahab desired the vineyard of Naboth. But
Naboth would not part with the inheritance of
his fathers. Ahab, however, does not cease
; to covet the plot of ground. Jezebel, his un-
godly wife, works out a plan to get it. The
plan is executed, and Ahab gets possession of
the coveted vineyard with a show of right and
by the help of the law, which declared that a
man who had blasphemed God and the king
should be killed and his property confiscated
for the benefit of the king.

In a city in Germany lived a saddler of
moderate means, whose neighbor, a rich man,
was very desirous of increasing the grounds
about his house. This rich man had offered
the aaddler a fine price for his property, but
the latter refused to sell because he had in-
herited it from his father. Years passed by
nd still the rich man cast his covetous eyes
pon his neighbor’s house. In the meantime

The rich neighbor knew of this
his plans accordingly. In a conver-

an, which was gratefully accepted.
ionths the rich man suddenly de-

In his explanations of these two Command-

neighbor’s fence, I may coax his chickens over
into my yard; or by dropping a rail and let-
ting fall a few ears of corn, I can easily entice
his hogs into my field. So also I can beg and

horse or pig till, to get rid of me, he finally

manded his money, claiming that he needed it
at once. Of course, the poor saddler did not
have it. He begged the rich man to grant him
a few months’ respite, but in vain. The rich
man went to court, the saddler was requested
to pay, and as that was impossible for him,
his property was sold at public auction. The
rich man bought it.

We shall not estrange, Jorce, or entice away
from our neighbor his wife, servants, or cattle.
While in Rome, King Herod met his brother
Philip’s wife, Herodias. He soon cast covet-
ous eyes upon her and desired to have her for
his wife. As long as Herodias loved and re-
spected her husband, there was no danger that
she would leave Philip. This Herod knew, and
so he did all he could to undermine Herodias’
love for her husband, to estrange her from her
husband. No doubt he also showed Herodias
how much greater honor would be hers as his
wife, how she would be surrounded with royal
splendor and enjoy his kingly riches. And
in this way he enticed Herodias away from
Philip.

So also unprincipled people estrange and en-
tice servants away from their masters by slan-
dering their employers, offering them higher
wages with less work, and the like. Or it may
be that they work upon the employers instead
of the servants, and force them to give up their
servants either by means of incessant begging
or by threats. Thus I read some time ago of
a man who was very anxious to get a servant
that was inthe employ-of another. Being a
very influential man and the other more or less
dependent upon him, he threatened to with-
draw his patronage if the other did not give
up his servant to him.

Likewise, our neighbor’s cattle, horses, and
the like may be estranged, forced, or enticed
away from him. By throwing grain near my

May God grant us His grace and blessing
that, putting away selfishness, we day after
day more and more strive to follow the ex-
ample of these holy men. F. J. L.

— ++ eo - —e
(For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.)

Festival Days at Greensboro.

The writer of this article was recently pres-
ent on two joyful and festive occasions at our
mission in Greensboro, N. C. One of these
was the school entertainment given on the
twenty-fourth of June, and the other was the
annual picnic on the fourth of July.

The entertainment was the first of its kind
ever given by our schoolchildren at this station,
and of course a great many people ‘‘turned
out’’ to see and to hear what the Lutheran
schoolchildren had learned. All were well
pleased with what they heard and saw, for
our efficient teacher, Mr. E. Buntrock, had
trained his children well for this occasion.
There were quite a number of recitations, hu-
morous dialogues, and several solos by the
girls. One pleasing feature was the flag drill,
interspersed with marching and the singing of
patriotic songs.

The annual picnic was, of course, a day of
joy for both old and young. The children with
their parents and friends began to assemble
early in the school, each with their dinner bas-
kets in hand, to be ready for the procession to
the picnic grounds. Each child was provided
with the national flag. Under the leadership
of their pastor, Rev. J. C. Schmidt, and their
teacher the happy throng of children and
friends proceeded with shouts and the way-
ing of flags to a beautiful spot in the woods
near by. It was a truly Lutheran picnic pro-
cession, such as our friends in the North and
West have often witnessed.

Having arrived at the grounds the remainder
of the day was given over to sport and enjoy-
ment. There was of course plenty of ice cream
and cake to delight the children. Some friends
of the colored mission had been kind enough
to supply the pastor and teacher with funds for
presents. Sack races, running ‘races, speed
matches, etc., were the sports which enthused
the hearts of the children, and it was late in
the afternoon before the enjoyment came toa
close.. There was enjoyment also for the grown
people, several of whom captured such prizes
as a teapot or some other necessary article.
It was a day of joy for all. The whole throng
once more formed into 1 long procession and
marched back to the school, where they dis-

beg my neighbor s0 long to sell me his cow or

consents to the sale. —

What do these two Commandments ask of
us? We shall help and be of service to our
neighbor in keeping his own, and urge his wife
and servants to stay and do their duty. We
shall not every man look on his own things,
but also on the things of others, Phil. 2, 4. By
love we shall serve one another, Gal. 5, 13. We
shall not only think of ourselves, how we may
better our own condition and increase our own

possessions, but we must also think of our| banded and went to their homes. R. P. O.
neighbor, earnestly desire his welfare, help him ——_—<-~+ o-oo —___
and be of service to him whenever and wher- Prayer.

ever we can. When Abraham hears of Lot’s
misfortune, he does all in his power to get
back his nephew’s stolen possessions, Gen. 14,
12—28. Joseph reminds Potiphar’s faithless
wife of her duty, Gen. 89, 8.9. Paul urges
Onesimus to return to his master, Philemon,
Philem. 13.

Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
However dark it. be;
Lead me by Thine own hand,
Choose out the path for me,
Smooth let it be, or rough,
It will be still the best;
Winding or straight, it leads

Right onward to Thy reat. Bonar.