6. I will labour to have my mind stored with valuable information and reflections, that I may not be tempted to deal in gossip, and scandal, and idle news, and that my words may be instructive to those with whom I mingle. 7. I will endeavour to be more impressed with a sense of the amazing grace and mercy of God to me a sinner, in bidding me hope for his favour, notwithstanding all my offences. Thus I shall have alacrity and joy in resisting evil and seeking holiness. 8. I will labour to have a proper view, not only of the meanness, mischief, and troubles of a loose tongue, but also of its great sinfulness in the sight of God. As an unbridled speech is a wickedness, I would avoid it, even if it brought me no temporal evil. 9. Above all things, I will seek to be thoroughly renewed by the power of the Holy Ghost. If he will make his abode with me, I shall be able to resist all sin, and overcome all evil habits. To change my nature is beyond my power, but not beyond the power of the Sanctifier. My power is but another name for feebleness: his energy is irresistible. 10. I will strive to practise the wise rules which Dr. Watts so well suggests in his version of the xxxix. Psalm. Thus I resolved before the Lord, Now will I watch my tongue, Lest I let slip one sinful word, Whene'er constrained a while to stay With men of lives profane, I'll set a double watch that day, Nor let my talk be vain. I'll scarce allow my lips to speak The pious thoughts I feel, Lest scoffers should occasion take To mock my holy zeal. Yet if some proper hour appear, I'll not be overawed, But let the scoffing sinner hear That I can speak for God. CHAPTER XXIV. THE TENTH COMMANDMENT. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE, THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOUR'S WIFE, NOR HIS MAN-SERVANT, NOR HIS MAID-SERVANT, NOR HIS OX, NOR HIS ASS, NOR ANY THING THAT IS THY NEIGHBOUR'S. THIS THIS precept was the key that unlocked the mystery of iniquity in the mind of Paul. He says, "I had not known lust, except the law said, Thou shalt not covet," that is, he would not have known that the thought of foolishness, the secret desire of evil was wicked, but for this precept. It served to show him the nature of all the commandments. Charnock: "Paul thought himself a righteous person till he came to measure himself by the exact and spiritual image of the law. His head and the law were acquainted, and then he thought himself a living person: but when his heart and the law came to be acquainted, there he found himself dead, and his high opinion of himself fell to the ground.” It is clear, therefore, that this commandment directs. attention immediately to the state of the heart. White-washing the sepulchre will do no good, while it every is full of dead men's bones. The heart must be purified. There is no substitute for a thorough renewal of nature. Calvin: "Since it is the will of God that our whole souls should be under the influence of love, desire inconsistent with charity ought to be expelled from our minds." Stowell: "This closing commandment is of great importance in two distinct points of view-first, as exhibiting the spirit of all the previous commandments, and secondly, as laying the foundation for just and consistent views of all the doctrines of the gospel." Some have undertaken to trace the progress of concupiscence in the soul, showing its various stages. Perhaps something may be done that way; but there is an inscrutable mystery in iniquity. No man can understand his errors. Ps. xix. 12. The growth of iniquity is like the diffusion of leaven. It is very rapid, and soon changes the whole lump. The more full the consent of the soul to any sin, the more defiled it is. This command clearly settles the point that the seat of the divine government in man is the human heart. When that is right, all is right. When that is wrong, all is wrong. Let us look at this precept in regard to WEALTH. The Scriptures say that "the ransom of a man's life are his riches;" that the "crown of the wise is their riches;" and that "house and riches are the inheritance of fathers." Prov. xiii. 8, xiv. 24, xix. 14. So that God's word admits the lawfulness of possessing riches, and of setting a right value upon them. Although man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God: yet by worldly goods we ordinarily maintain our natural life, support our families, help the poor, and aid in strengthening the cause of Christ. If all men were perfectly holy, riches would, in every case and in every sense, be a blessing. But sin perverts every thing. It takes that which was ordained to life, and causes it to be unto death. By reason of sin, riches are ordinarily tempting, seductive, dangerous and ruinous. Our Saviour announced this in strong language. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matt. xix. 24. A right view of the perils of wealth would, with the divine blessing, have a mighty efficacy in curing our covetousness and discontent, and in causing us to cease improperly to love what we have, or sinfully to desire that which belongs to others. Why should we enhance the obstacles to our reaching the kingdom of God? cares. 1. He that increaseth riches, commonly increaseth Should these cares become engrossing, salvation is not possible. If we would be saved, religion must command our attention, so as nothing else does. If our minds are eagerly turned to gold and silver, to farms and merchandize, to debts and demands, to gains and losses, religion can take but a slight hold of us, and yet its first call is, "Give me thy heart. If we sit in the house of God with our minds reeking with worldly cares, the best preaching will probably make very slight impression on our minds. Or, if we should be somewhat affected, the service will hardly be over, till worldly thoughts and anxieties |