The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-06
THETEN COMMANDMENTS
REV. EDWARD l.. PELL'S SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON.
The Decaiogue "a Applied to Everyday
Life What the Commands
Require.

Following IS the R,v. Edward L. Reils
Sunday-school lesson for tomorrow:
THE Ten Commandments" Exodus
Xxx. Ill.
AS specimen of English the phrase
81 love you" is probably as venerable
relic as our language Affords but as
heart-utierance il is still the freshest ana
most potent speech that man has maze.
As bundle OF manuscripts, Inc f.yie -
old enough to be called musty anu Out
OF date; but as a personal me ssase llonl
God to man IA is as fresh every morning
as the early dew, and as potent as 'he
sunshine that makes the day. III you nave
accepted this Book as personal n-essaee,
you will no more think OF IL as an oiu
book than you will think OF musty ueW
or decrepit sunshine. And you VIII expect
as fresh an uttera,ce from TINS olu les-
lament which we are now about 10 STUDY
as you have had from the New Testament
which we have been studying Tor q
twelvemon;h.
Amid thunders and lightnings and quak-
iDgs and smoke which assembled as the
smoke Of a furnace GOD spake an
these words. saying: We cannot stop 10
picture the scene. we can only set GOWN
In fragmentary way what this message
from Sinai Is TO us. That II was Tor US
and for all time We know, not because
II was afterwards written on tables OF
stone, but because in all ages 1t has been
written on the tables of mems hearts,
and beca use Jesus stamped II with the
seal of MS approval, and gave it to US
anew. Those wonderful words when sum
up the Ten Commandments in two also
give US the best Interpretation OF them.
They are the ten rules OF love. Iney are
not the arbitrary commands Of king
they are simply the rules which guide
every man who is governed by love. Love
Is the fulfilling Of the law. But the love
which fulnlls the second table OF the
law is not the love that can fulfill the
first table. ,hc duties we owe our neigh
lsaI "A
but the duties we owe 10 God can be
fulfilled only by a nlial or reverential
love. Love for ones neighbor Is not TIE
fulnlllng or the whole law; you cannot
fulnll the duties you owe your father
by loving him as a brother. nor can you
satisfy your mother by loving her as a
sister.
The first commandment requires such
reverence for God as will secure to him
the first place in and the absolute con-
troll over the heart he has made. We are
apt 10 regard this commandment as a relic
but it is the first commandment in i'm
portance, and the first we learn to break.
| The sin OF the age and OF all ages Is
| idolairy. We do not bow GOWN TO WOOD
| and stone, but we grOyel in the dust be-
| fore gold and silver and fame ard fash
| ion. We rather like 10 see a great schol-
a. burn incense at the altar OF his own
| reason.
1he second commandment resembles the
! first n, indeed, IL is not a part OF the
| first as many think IL requires sucn
f+'N'~"
| us shuddcr at the thought of trying to
| represent him by material image. The
| danger In an image Is its liability 10 usurp
| the place Of that which IL represents.
The third commandment requires such
| reverence for Gods name as will make
| II impossible for US 10 use that name IN
| vain. TO break this commandment Il Is
| not necessary to indulge in sulphurous
| speech. We break IL wnen we take the
| name Of God on our lips lightly; when,
| for example, we pray TO Him without
|
ers. We break II when our lives reflect
| upon the name Of him whose children
| We profess 10 be-
The fourth commandment requires rev.
| erence for Gods day. Remember the
] Sabbath day TO keep II holy IL Is the
| commandment We need 10 be told 10 re-
| member. for IL is the one we are most
| prone to forget. The Sabbath was not
| an arbitrary arrangement II was not an
| after-thOught 1t dates back 10 the crca-
| ton. IT is as much a part OF the world
as an escape-valve Is part OF steam
| engine. 1t is a physical necessity-ds the
| ventilation of a house Is physical ne
| cessity 1t is mental necessity-resunS
and refreshing the mind by turning It Tor
| a day into new channels. IL Is moral
| necessity-giving opportunity Tor fainlly
| Intercourse and the cultivation OF those
| relationships without which nothing Is
secure IL is a spiritual necessity giving
| the smOthcred soul chance TO come out
into the pure air and try its wings.
| The nfth commandment requires reVer-
| cnce for Gods representatives 10 an
| Oriental, father and mother reier
| not to parents only, but 10 all VINO nave
| authority over us as the representatives
| of God If we have a reNerentldl love loI
| God. we will honor our parents and our
rulers, who are His representatives,. Ihere
| is nothing arbitrary about this command
ment. The child who has no reVerehce
| for his parents will grow up without rev
| erence for God. The promise attacncd Is
| not that the man who hOnOrs Gods rep
| resentatives shall have many days added
| sl. 10 oil
have will be long-fuil, rich, abundant,
| satisfying. Life consistent not IN lhe
| abundance of things man pOssesseth.
| Some men live more in day than
| others live I'm A wear. The meaning IL
| that the man who hOnOrs his parents ana
| all IN authority as the representatives OF
God shall lead a peaceful ana lu'et ., ne no.
| which, under the blessing OF God, Will DC
AS nlial love is the fulfilling of the first
| table OF the law, 50 brotherly love Is the
| fulfilling of the second.
| THE man who loves his neighbor as MINI
| self cannot commit murder, neither can
| he hate his brother, which, says Jesus,
| is the same thing. Nor VIII ne destroy
| his neighbours good name any SO, ner
| than he Will destroy his own. Low, Is
| constructive; 1t destroys nothing: is
| commandment forblds all forms OF cruel
lie that loves his neighbor as him
| self cannot commit adultery. Note tnat
| adultery is here placed between murder
|
| The adulterer robs his neighbor OF MS
| most precious possession, murders the
| character Of his companion in SIN; Dlots
| out the home. and puts Dlood-red sldln
| on the children that time VIII h9t wear
| out. This commandment forDids all forms
| OF impuyity. .,..ts
| He that loves his neighbor as himself
| cannot steal. There are men VINO Wouln
| not steal a pin who do not hesitate 10
| rob a noighbor of his good name. Iheie
| are men who would not steal any amount
| of money who will steal an Office or an
| honor or a place In society.
| He that loves his neighbor as NM
self will not bear false witness against
| his neighbor. This includes not only the
| telling OF things against our nelgnDor
| which we know are false. but the telllng
| OF things without confirmation Letuhs
| loose an ugly story on neighDor without
| knowing whether It Is true. Is IKE letting
| loose a dog on a helpless child without
| knowing whether he will bite. IL Is crinil-
| nal recklessness. ,,... 80
FINALLY lie that loves his neighpor as
| himself will not covet. Love reJolces III
| another's Joy. There Is pleasure IN eat
| ing an orange; there IL more pleasuIs
| in giving Il To the child you love anu
| seeing him enjoy It. Drrr