The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-06
Subject--Thc Ten Words.

ACH hOIuSs
and shut up shop implies that a days
rest is necessary and that God re-
ceive specific recognition from His
children ono 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 proht'
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 do
evil impel men to sin just because
Of humanity's sheer perverseness.
But sin comes from the wilfulness
of the sinner and not because Of
any law, negative or positive. Jesus
promulgated the most extensive as
we'll as the most statesmanlike posi-
tive law that the world has ever
known; but we know that eve many
of His followers fail to obey it, as
we'll as the multitude of those who
deiantly 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. I had almost said, legislators
waste their time; for their plans
will never be crowned with success
except America as Ephrafm lis a
cake not turned" Everywhere and
every moment meH are SHINING, anu
that in the face Of the positive COM
mand of Christ that they should de-
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 d~isobedience. Likewise
it ought to be patent that men sin
against negative laws not because OF
the laws but in spite Of them. The
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 Gost for 1t.
A due and proper regard for the
ten commandments not only VIII
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 viii secure sufh'
cient Of this worlds stores If you
will attend strictly to- your W at.
fairs. Chou shalt aot bear false
Witness" for your W reputation
for veracity is lost with the lie. And
no matter how we'll 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 p~recipitate
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
I have heard many a man take more
liberties with the name of God than
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 quietude of mind then let us
change not the laws but our mode
of living. The fault is not with GODS
regulations but with our society and
it's forms. God giveth and ~possesseth
wisdom. Humanity has a monopoly
of the wiseacres.
The statement that the ten COM
mandments are Of NJ use to-day and
that we have outgrown them is a
bit Of fiction. No man is old enough
to outgrow essential truth, nor ls
any people wise enough n strong
enough to get along without the ten
commandments. So long as mel
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.