Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-08
TENTH COMMANDMENT.
Last Evenings Sermon of Rev.
L. w. Merrell's Series.
An Interesting DiscOurs at the
First NJ. T.. church Before
Large Cong sgasion.

sented last evening at the First NJ .E.chuTch
to acongregation that more than filed the
auditorium Of the church. The text was
from Exodus 20:17:
Thou shalt not covet." ec
The speaker began by stating that he
had been impressed, in making a study
of this commandment, with It's far reach,
ing import. In q general sense, ccvet-
business means an undue thirst for hon.
ors, pleasures, wealth or other objects.
In a more restricted sense, it is the de-
sire of increasing ones substance BIZ ap-
propriating that Of others. Coyetous-
ness is disorder of the heart and Closely
allied 10 selfshuess. Under its il flueuce,
the heart instead of aspiring to noble,
high ard divine goods, is brought TO the
almost exclusive contemplation of earthly,
material things and thus becomes more
and more estrapged from Gcd. Since
where the treasure is, there will the
heart be also, the heart Of the covetous
cannot be with God but is with Mammon.
He is not servant of God, but of idols,
TIE apostle uses cove business AMI idol
airy as synonymous terms: "Covetous>
ness, which is idolatry." The ceve,ous
shall no: inherit the kingdom of God,
says the inspired writer
1t is not forbidden by this command
ment TO strive for excellence and attain>
ments. 1t is not wrong TO desire health,
honor. wealth, infueI ce. success, pros
peritY. Life would lie dead sea with
out such desire. We are even COM
marded in the word % "Covet earnestly
tie best gifts. This dos re after excellence
is at the root of all advancement of all
progress. But there is q kind of desire
which is wrong, just as there is love
which is guilty, ind zeal that is not
commemorate A desire which leads US
to be wiling to take possession of anoth-
els goods without paying the price and
making ample return for value reCe we'd
l. violation of this commar dment.
This coveting is wrong; for desire has for
It's purpose to lead to action, and takes
Its character from the kind of action
hich it tends to produce; but this form
OF desire tends only to produce wrong
action. Coveting what belongs to an-
! o her, when it results in action, IrJ>
duces theft, murder, and other sins. If
it Jes not ripen into these crimes it cam
keFs the soul that INDUCES it. Il is a
passion so mean that 1t s seldom or
never confessed. l. is only seen in is
| fruitage.
! TIE most fruitful cause or occasion Of
coveIousness is the strange difTt renee
which exists in the bodily, mental and
! spiritual condition O. men and in the re-
wards and penalties Of society. This fact
| has troubled morals of every eye. We
"hold"in the Declaration Of Independence
| that all men are created free and equal.
What is meant? Not that all men are OF
equal endowment AMI capacities. but that
| they have equal rights in life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness" Il the wealth
of this world were all & s ributed equally
as socialists desire in brief period the
, same condition of things would exist,
which we now observe. Some with
stroug constitutions can stand almost any
abuse, others are naturally weak and
liable 10 disease and pains Some are
full of animal spirits. II is no trouble
tor them TO look ct the bright side and be
cove,ous and pleasant TO all. Others
are melancholy by nature. II is easYsto
lock on others more favored than our
selves and be filed with envy. This ten
dercy Is heightened By the unjust dis
elimination of society by which some
who are utterly worthless are exalted to
position and Others more worthy are
crowded out ard kept down. Some mer
work hard for bare living with no time
for study or recreation. o hers have al
leisure, and 60 Fishing and d4sbing
through life appaTsn'ly without care
Besides all tbis>we gre apt to underYallt
our own blessings and overestimate the
bless of Others. Horace rep
resents the merchant as enYious of the
soldier and the manned soldier as enviOu'
Of the merchant; the lawyer as envyint
the farmer snd he farmer tie lawyer
and so on through The different walks Of
life Il is d true picture. A little con-
sderaiion will serve 10 show the folly o
such course.
There is an advantage in these vel'
differences. They are needful to stimu'
late industry and the spirit of improve
ment. Every man should take himsel
for better or worse and make the mai
cut of himself he can. Try to find you
niche in the world ard fill 1t. The foil
and slDfulness of envy are apparent from
these considerations:
Il is useless passion. 1t does no
: tend to right action. When it does act
is bar 10 success Envy slaYeth tn
silly one" It unfi. IS man for earnes
effort. 1t puts man to brooding Over
, morbid and selfish thoughts.
2. II is the foe Of personal enjoyment
1t adds to the pains of deprivation an in
describable misery because of the hsppi
ness of another. We ought rather to re
7 jo;ce at the success of another and trus
. TO the Great Judge to rectiiy all wrongs
The success of Others should never dis
courage. for ii should recall TO US "wha
l has been done can be DONE" The distinc
} tions of mine and thine should not inter
fere with enjoyment. We all eDjoy pub