The Penn's Grove record., 1907-02-08
subject-The Ten Words

Ten Words,
and shut up shop implies that a days
rest is necessary and that God re-
ceive specific recognition from His
children once a week at least. These
and the rest Of the commands in
dictate to the man with the open
mind that the ten words are some
thing more than a series of "don'ts."
Talk about avoiding prohibitions
IS not we'll balanced. 1t is impos-
sible for the thinking man to escape
them. The positive commands of
Jesus suggests innumerable prohi-
billions. The mere thou shalt" in
Inmates that there is something we
must not do. Men tell US that pro-
hibitions cause men to desire to do
wrong, that commands not to 90
evil impel men to sin Just because
of humanity's sheer Derverseness.
But sin comes from the wilfuIness
of the sinner and not because of
any law, negative or positive. Jesus
promulgated the most extensive as
well as the most statesmanlike posi-
tive law that the world has ever
known; but we know that even many
of His followers fail to obey it, as
well as the multitude of those who
d%efantly deny Him. Despite Christ's
positive example and His positive
declarations and demands men still
continue to run after sin. The shrine
Of Mammon is damned with vo-
taries. The streets resound with
curses. The harlots and the men
of unclean life still strike unholy
bargains. Homes are Shattered and
lives are blighted by the lying tongue.
The cells in "murderers' row" are
ever full. The nations maintain
armed camps. Legislators spend
their time trying to devise ways and
means to de-Christianize our Sab
bath. l had almost said, legislators
waste their time; for their plans
will never be crowned with success
except America as Ephraim sis a
cake not turned" Everywhere and
every moment men are shining, and
that in the face of the positive COM
mand of Christ that they should deo
sire and strive for the best. But no
one is foolish enough to say that
the affirmative demand of Jesus that
humanity do and be good impels
mankind to disobedience. Likewise
it ought to be patent that men sin
against negative laws not because Of
the laws but in spite of them. Ties
ten commandments are no more re-
sponsible for sin than is the eleventh.
And the man who says that law ex-
cited him to sin invents a lame and
a thin excuse to say the most for it.
A due and proper regard for the
ten commandments not only will
lead men to cease from doing the
interdicted sins but also will inspire
them to do good. The implicit thou
shalt" is just as mandatory as the
explicit thou shalt not" Thou
shalt not covet," for you will have
enough to do and will secure sum-
cient of this worlds stores if you
will attend strictly to your own af-
fairs. "Thou shalt not bear false
Witness" for your W reputation
for veracity is lost with the lie. And
no matter how well you may lie or
how smooth and slick you may be
the odds are against you, for the
truth must win and it will win.
Thou shalt not commit adultery"
because the ~perpetuity of the race
is dependent on its purity. Thou
shalt not kill" because God has given
the other man the inalienable right
to life. Honor thy father and thy
mother and let them precipitate
any troubles if any there are to be,
not you. Remember the Cabbath
day. and make it a true rest-day.
Thou shalt not take the name OF
the Lord thy God in vain" and yet
1 have heard many a man take Is
liberties with the name OF God thdK
you would allow any man TO take
with yours. Thou shalt not bow
down to images or serve other gods,
for the Lord is a spirit and a unity;
an idol is a delusion and a snare.
Let US put aside all quibbling and
| splitting of hairs and admit the
| right of the ten words to rule as
| the laws of our lives. Let US &C
knowledge their divine inspiration
| and their worthiness. Let US not
| seek to escape either their commands
or their duplicates. If we cannot
live under the laws Of God with peace
and uuietude of mind then let US
| change not the laws but our mode
of living. The fault is not with Gods
regulations but with III society and
| its forms. God giveth and ~possesseth
| wisdom. Humanity has a monopoly
of the wiseacres.
The statement that the ten COM
mandments are of no use to-day and
| that we have outgrown them is a
bit of fiction. No man is old enough
| to outgrow essential truth, nor is
any people wise enough and strong
| enough to get along without the ten
| commandments. So long as men
have minds they must recognize the
force of thou shalt not" as the
decalog presents it. The new com
mandment may sum up all the wis
| dom of the old ones, but the truth
that swayed our fathers fathers
must still command allegiance and
respect.