Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-03-15
Readiua fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
TOrginal.]
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lorginal.]
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
There is no profession in which it is more
difficult to attain eminence than that of q
LAWYER. No small amount of labor is srequir.
ed to keep UP with the enactments made by
legislatures: Not only 80, but one legsla'
ture makes laws and the next repeals them.
The lawyer has not only to inform himself
with regard to enactments, but he must keep
a close look out for repeals. What was law
ten years ago, is not, necessarily, law to-day
But the difficulties in the way of the lawyer
are many. What is law in one land, is not
so in other lands What is enjoired as a
duty in one country, is forbidden, as sin,
in some other countries. This is not all. No
small number of the enactments of human
legislatures are unconstitutional. In fact,
when human lave are carefully examined, it
will be found that they contain about an
equal amount of wisdom and foolishness, ex.
pressed in an amount of words that is abso-
lutely burdensome. y
Compare the laws of any civilized nation
on earth with the ten commandments. No
greater contrast could be presented. In the
code which God gave the human family, ev-
ery duty that each Individual owes both to
God, his creator, and to his fellow man, is
plainly specified. This is done in fewer
words than are contained in any single en-
actment. of human legislators. The moral
law, which is contained in the ten command
ments, is divided into two parts. The first
four precepts contain our duty to God. The
remaining six contain our duty to our fellow
men. 1t would be blessed thing for the
world to-day, in moral point Of view, were
the first four precepts of the moral law made
the guide by which the human family were
directed in their choice of an object of wor.
ship, and in their mode of worship. The
heather would cast their gods of wood and
stone to the moles and to the bats, and He
who is the maker and upholder of all things
would be worshipped in simplicity, sincerity
and truth. Idol worship would cease to be
offered to God. The name of God would mo
longer be profaned, and the Sabbath would
be observed as a day of sacred rest. In a
religious point of view, this would be glo'
rious world we're the first four precepts of the
moral law observed. God would be loved
and worshipped as he is not now.
Who can estimate the social and political
advantages that would result to the human
family, by making the last six .precepts of the
moral law the rule by which every man is to
be guided in all his dealings and intercourse
with every other man? Were this change
made, the world would Immediately assume a
new aspect. The family, the base upon which
rests the social and political fabric, would be
strengthened. Father and mother, son and
daughter, husband and wife, would no longer
be words without meaning but, on the con-
trary, would denote the existence of relation
ships, which being observed, secure the high
est order of civilization, and being disregard
ed, result in brutal barbarism. Murder would
cease. The sword would be beaten into
plowshare and the spear into a pruning hook.
Adultery and fornication, which saps politi-
cal liberty and pollutes society, would cease.
The banner of truth and honesty would float
over every dwelling, and envy and coveteous-
ness would die. .. ....r.,
All that is necessary in order to make any
community blessed community, is for its
members to strictly practice the moral law.
They will be under the best government in
the world. In the strictest sense of the word,
they will be blessed.