Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-28
Sunday School Lesson

but also takes from his own life the
peace of his own conscience and cor
rupts his personality.
One has a right to the possession of
something that is of more value than
property, for that may be restored but
not so If one destroys ones good
name. The commandment, Thou shalt
not bear false witness against thy
neighbor," seeks to uphold the sacred
ness Of truth, which is the foundation
Of personal character. Although this
commandment strikes at perjury in
courts, which is quite prevalent In
the Orient, it seeks to protect men
from all forms of malicious SANDER,
calumny and uncharitable construc-
tons being placed upon the acts and
habits Of others by the repetition of
false SANDER and injurious gossip. It
upholds the scientific spirit, which
seeks to know and publish only facts
or truth. When men disregard this
commandment, they promote social
disorder.
Source of Crime.
The final commandment is the
most searching one of the 10, vet no
penalty is attached to it's violation.
1t is the profoundest one of all con-
tanned in onr lesson, for it touches the
very source. of all crime and the
fountainhead of the violation Of all
the commandments. While there Is
a difference III the objects of the in
ordinate desires set forth in Deuter-
onomy from that in our lesson, the
motive of the heart is identical. The
former places thy neighbours wife"
as of supreme importance, while in
Exodus the house Is placed first, and
then the varioAs living things that
the householder has collected about
him follow. The man who yields to
his desire for the possession of the
things of his neighbor Is one who
will trample upon all laws to obtain
his desire, because of his envy, jeal-
ousy and hunger for anothers posses.
sion and property. 1t is the source
of every crime and unless the spirit
of covetousness is curbed, corrected
and controlled in our land, our
country and civilization are doomed.
God abhOrs covetOusneSs. 1t dis
qualities one for church membership
and will shut one out of heaven. 1t Is
condemned In many parts of the
Bible. which teaches us that a covet-
GUS man is an idolater who is as in
capable of loving God as he is of low
ing his neighbOr. The cure of this
secret sin can only be accomplished
by publication of the heart through
effective, fervent prayer and by, a
godly contentment. When we have
learned how to govern our lives by
the regulations of the law, we will
find that it is only through the hum
ger and silent longing of the soul to
do Christ's will that we will come to
love our neighbor in an unselflsh
spirit. The one whose heart Is filled
with fear, as was Israers when they
heard the law read, and proposes to
set it aside and follow the Sermon
on the Mount needs to remember
that the Ten Commandments are still
Gods statutes and that Jesus pointed
to the heart as the source of murder
and taught that an impure desire was
adultery. He warned us to Take
heed and keep yourselves from all
covetousness; for a mans life con-
sisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth." 1t is
only as we are constrained by the
love of Christ that we can keep all
the commandments.