Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-06-27
SUNDAY READING.
lCommunicated.
Sermons ON the commandments.
UTHoU SHALr NOT Srz,r.n

Sermons ON the Commandments.
"THoU SHALT NOT srzAL."
This is one Of the first and most important laws
that God promulgated to man; and it is as indelibly
written upon every human heart, whether Christian
or Pagan, as it is sternay proclaimed in the sacred
Scriptures. lis divine principle, and is acknOvl-
edged as such BY all men Of all nations, and any
infraetiOn Of this principle is declared crime by
the laws Of every nation In christian lands steal
ing is regarded as q two fold crime-as sinful in
in the sight Of God and as feonious in the eyes Of
man BarbarOus nations and those whose path Of
life has never been illumined By the Bible, regard
it as an efsnos against society and as an individual
WrOngi and as such, it universally punished In
ancient times it thought SO heinous crime that
it was punished by the penalty Of death and though
in modern times it is not soseverey punished IL snot
regarded as less criminal Z" Thou shalt not steal
says God; and conscience takes up and repeats the
declaration.
Dishonesty is under any circumstances inszeusa-
BILE There is principle in moral ethics that pal
Hates it, nor can even absolute want justify it. Il
is sinful and criminal alike in nations and individ.
uals no matter upon what pretezt it be committed
If, then, necessity does not justify a wrong act,
surely nothing else can. By-a series Of dishonest
acts without or within the pale Of the law, man
may heap together gold-gOld which IN simple jas
tiee belongs to bis fellow men, aud which lhey may
or may not be able t0 recover but he can never,
whatever may be his nature, epjoy that peace Of
mind-thal calm joy giving sense Of reehtude
which is vouchsafed 10 him who obtains his bread
BY honest, hard labor. Every laEury he POSSESSES
is OF necessity continual reminder Of bis sinful
deeds, and that which under ether circumstances
would he source Of happiness as well as pleasure
on account Of the manner in which it was obtained
is q constant source Of bitterness and misery. He
cannot but live in dread He is assured that punish
ment will be his portion; and deep down in his heart
he feels it almost with every Pulsahon even though
he knows the Laws Of his country cannot reach him
Nor does his punishment end With self coudenna-
ton punishment more severe awaits him in that
eternal world which no man may ayOid-from whose
portals none can Zee. How much better, then,
that who is poor should be content with his con-
dition and struggle sternly, faithfully virtuous
~ and manfully, though humbly, despisedly snd
hOpelessly, rather than violate the commandment
thou shalt not steal rather than seek under
cover Of human law to wrong his neighbor of his
goods
Some persons disposed to blame society for the
shortcomings Of the dishonest, but this is wrong
Every man has an individuality and an individual
responsibility, and this he cannot entirely annul
It is true that the mOneyed man is more oaressed
snd respected than be who is poor It is also true
that too many persons are blinded to the dishonesty
Of the rich and care not how they obtained their
wealth; it is enough for them to know that such
men have gold and its accompanying influence ;
but nothing of this kind, however prevalent can
justify in theft, defaealiOn or peeulaiOn; or
il any other Of the thousand and one dishonest acts
so slten committed; and that man who seeks to
palliate his crime by setting forth the unWarrants
bic leniency shown to others in like condition is
compound Of both the knave and the fool He is
knave for trying to deceive others, and fool for
trying to oajOle stultify his own sense Of right
tell my readers that there is such thing in every
heart as conscience. ] care not where man was
born or whether he had ever heard the light Of the
gospel, God has implanted 10 him that monitor
which Tells him in his every set the difference
between right and wrong; and 10 this extent God is
this: The murderer coneeals his victim or ees the
thief hides that which be steals Guilt is the all alb
sorbing though. Of their minds and they seek to con
ceal it from The public gaze. This is the work Of
conscience, and shows eOnclusively that the actor
knew OF the wrong he was doing. In most cases
this knowledge is prior to the act. There is no
such thing as mans shifting responsibility if he
be guilty, he is guilty, and be knows II, even if it
be but to the extent Of entertaining Wrong
thought if innocent, be enjoys that happiness in
his rectitude which man can neither give nor take
from him. He may be deprived Of liberty, by false
swearing, or by suspicion, or because oircumstan-
ees appear as against him but yet he feels happy
in his consciousness Of right He knows that he is
innocent, and he knows also, that God looks upon
him with love- and that in the courts Of heaven be
is declared guillless. But the guilty man cannot
raise his head in bis own estimation lie cannot
enjoy repOse in his osu society, for be hates him
self This is a part Of his punishment ride
Scripture" The wicked fee when no man pur.
susih"
Thou shalt not steal - says the commandment.
Thou shalt not steal, says conscience and no sane
man forgets the commandment, or fails to hear the
voice Of the mentor Many, however, give no heed
to either, and fOfsaking God and themselves yield
to temptation, and are ruined and lost. Il is less
surprising hat the youthful mind is sometimes led
into the crime Of theft than that men Of nature
years should deliberately commit it, There is no
good excuse for either young or old, since the CON
mandments Of God and Of conscience are imPers-
tive; there is no compromise in truth, between
right aud wrong in this matter; there is no ground
for compromise. Nevertheless, charity sometimes
throws the mantle Of compassion around the errors
Of the young; and this is well enough when Is has
a salutsry eject in retaining the sinful All men
who act badly are, to some extent, 81 once the OBJ
iscts Of pity, and condemnation; but true compass
sion is generally bestowed upon the young Only.
He Who has grown to mans estate, and violates