The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-06

secretary OF the American Society OF Re-
ligious Education.
These lessons constitute the Sunday
school extension department. OF the above
named society. All who study them are
requested TO send their names, postofice
ADDRESS and denomination, mentioning
TINS paper, to the author at Washington,
d.. G., for enrollment.)
INTRODUCTION.-Our studies now turn
backward fifteen centuries, from Christ
to Moses. We must place ourselves at the
opening OF the Levitical dispensation. The
patriarchal system had accomplished its
mission. BY means OF the family, as the
chief institution. the father being king and
priest, many virtues and truths had been
developed and the Messianic hope had been
kept alive. But divided civilization re-
quired a new order. God determined 10
make the posterity OF Abraham a nation
tGen. xxxv. I'D, to plant them in the prom
ised land and train them to be teachers
of the race. Gen. xii. 81 Led out of Egypt
ian bondage, over the sea. across the
desert, the people encamped at the base OF
Sinai. There the new covenant Dieut. iv,
49, was delivered in the form of ten com.
mandments. our lesson for the day. Those
commands falls under two heads-the
first four covering duty to God; the other
six duty to men.
POLYTHEISM-'Thou shalt Rave no
other gods before me- In the attempt to
explain natural phenomena and human his
tory the ancients multiplied deities and
introduced various rites to placate them.
This habit resulted in innumerable evils,
which could not be corrected until the
cause was removed. Rom. j. 2s1 in set
ting apart a people for himself the Al
mighty therefore began His covenant by
claiming the sole and absolute loyalty and
service of Israel, enforcing 1t by the con-
sideration that He had uberl.ed them and
brought them forth. Verse % jte thus
gave to this people the high mission of
holding and p~ropagating the doctrine of the
divine unity until the whole human family
should receive it. lisa vi, 81 How I'M
faithful they were to this monotneistic idea
their history shows. Oh Kings xvii, ~
IDOLATRY.-"Thou shalt not make any
craven image TO worship" 1t is the natural
tendency of an undeveloped mid to locate
the deity and to give Him form. thereby
hoping to come into more intimate rela-
tions. But this exercises II most degrading
and corrupting influence upon the devotee
(Rom. !, %, as appears IN the condition
like that he worships. God is a spirit,
John w, pa, u~ucreated, invisible, immortal,
He has neither body nor parts: He Is ON
niscient and omnipresent. This exalted
view of Him is a prime condition OF &C
ceptable and profitable approach. One Who
comes to to such wd a Being anS i Is drawn in 1pT ,ani
realm where dominant forces play. TO for
bid idols was therefore necessary in train
ing Israel and in training .hs race TO-
allied in Jesus Christ Rom. viii. g, who
is the way and the pattern.
PROFANITY.-"Thou shalt not take the
m a me- of fhv G0d in vain" Reverence for
God is as necessary as a conviction OF
His unity and spirituality. 1t is indeed the
of every virtue. To exalt Him In ones
thought promotes humility. ana trust, and
these minister eohs.an Hrov 70 ~ n % : RE-
very name applied to the deity-Aimighty,
Jehovah. G~od-whatever 1t may be, edu-
Gates, because it conveys certain ideas to
the mind and produces appropriate emo
tions. Hence. also, the manner In which
the name is pronounced is a matter OF
of God was held so sacred by the Jews
that they never spoke ii. In their reading
they passed it in silence. To enforce this
third command blasphemy was punished
with death LEV. xiv, 16), and the whole
congregation, by. stoning the criminal. ex-
pressed their adherence of his sin
SABBATH.-"Remember the Sabbath day,
to keep it holy" There might be correct
notions of God. but little religion. The
tions: there is needed something. positive
to support and promote a molly hIe- one
day in seven was therefore set apart for
should be excluded. That it might be
used for the cultivation of the higher
nature, labor was e~njoined on the other
six DAYS for the supply of the needs of the
lower nature. AS an incentive for keeping
the Sabbath God based it upon His own act
the Hebrew translated day signifes) He
had worked in the physical; on the seventh
He had retired into the CONCENTRATIONS and
movemen of the spiritual. Gen. ii, 1-3)
So man is urged 10 make his brief life after
this divine pattern. The keeping of the
Sabbath was the essential of Israels prog
statutes. Eek. XXI, 1919 Inc spiritual
advancement of any people is conditional
upon the right Observance of one day unto
the Lord. lisa. lviii, 13-14.).
PARENTS.-"Honor thy father and thy
mother" The first table OF the Deeaio o{as
a positive command that strengthened all
the prohibitions. The second table. re-
cept tina prepares for all the nesations
that follow. Parents stand to us on the
earthly side in the place of God. They
ton and affection. A proper regard for
them on the part of the chiId ~inslres that
and poise of character and disposition
which prepares for the various relations
in life. prov. XXX, ~ Sabbath keeping
the support of morals. This command rest
ed on the experiences of the ancient world,
c from Ada% aoTe; a bppe erIGfa OF Ma twensy1nes
the richest legacy Gen. xvii, $40 and a
Maynard and disobedient son a mon
strosity and calamity QI Sam. xviii, S)
not worthy 10 live. Deut. xxi, 1S-2l.)
MURDER.-'Thou shalt not kill" The
world before Moses, and to a large extent
afterward. was filed with violence. Gen.
vi. III The benign influence of government
had not been exerted to determine and de-
fend the rights of men. Each deemed IL
necessary TO avenge himself. often governed
by passion. Judges xvii, g. Human life
was therefore lightly held. 1t was the time
of alarms and blood, unfavorable to morals
and religion, as we'll as civilizations; for
civilization is but the f~ruitage of religion.
prov. xiv, 3l) 1t was therefore a long ad-
vance toward a better day when the taking
of life by the individual VAS forbidden;
when executions for certain offenses were
TO be made only by constituted authority.
This lifted the whole subject of crime out
of the realm of personal enmity into that
of the public welfare.
ADULTERY.-"Thou shalt not commit
adultery" The life union OF one man with
one woman Gen. ii, 22), for the propaga-
tion OF the race sGen. i, PSI, and for their
own development and happiness Gen. ii, Isl,
Is the most primitive institution among men.
Maintained in it's original purity 1t is the
source of more blessing to mankind than all
other institutions combined. prov. xxi, g.
Whatever invades its sanctity and perverts
its purpose is a menace to the public well
fare. Nothing will do this more surely than
infdelity to the marriage vow. This law
against adultery is intended TO promote do
nestle happiness and lay "a foundation for
virtue in the mutual love of pure hearts.
d. ~~Nr 4 Lab - 1&l IA mas