1. Then, " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house." How depraved is man since the fall ! man knows not how to keep within bounds, but is coveting more than his own. Ahab, one would think, had e- nough ; he was a king, and one would sup- pose liis crown-revenues should have con- tented him : but still he VA'as coveting more ; Nahoth's vineyard was in his eye, and stood near the smoke of his chimney, and he could not bo quiet till he had it in possession. Were there not so much coveting, there would not be so much bribing: one man j)ulls away another's house from him. It is only the prisoner lives in such a tene- ment as he may be sure none will go about to take from him.
2. " Thou shalt not covet thy neigh- bour's wife." This commandment is a bi'i • die to check the inordinancy of brutish lusts : " Thou shalt not covet thy neigh- bour's wife." It was the devil that ' sowed another man's ground,' Mat. xiil. 25. But how is the hedge of this commandment trodden down in our times ! There be many wlio do more than covet their neighbour's wives, they take them: Deut. xxvii. 20., " Cursed be lie that lieth with his father's \'ife; and all the people shall say, Amen." If it were to be proclaimed " Cursed be he lliat lieth with his neighbour's Avife," and all that were guilty should say. Amen, how many vA'ould curse themselves !
3. " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's man-servant, nor his maid-servant." Ser- vants, when faithful, are a treasure. What a true and trusty servant had Abraham ! He was his right hand ; how prudent and faith- ful ,was he in the matter he was intrusted
with, in getting a wife for his master's son,!; Gen. xxiv. 9. And surely it would havc^i gone near to Abraham, to have had any one entice away his servant from him. But this sin of coveting servants is common ; if one hath a better servant, othei's will be in- veigling and laying baits for him, and en- deavour to draw him away from his master. This is a sin against the tenth command- ment. To steal away another's servant by enticement, is no better than thievery.*
4. " Nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." W^ere there not coveting of ox and ass, there would not be so much stealing; first men break the tenth commandment by coveting, and tlien they break the eighth commandment by stealing. It was an excellent appeal that Samuel made to the people, 1 Sam, xii. 3., " Witness against me before the Lord, whose ox have I taken, or whose ass, or whom have I defrauded." And it was a brave speech of St. Paul, Acts xx. 33., " I have coveted no man's gold, or silver, or apparel."
Quest. But luhat means may we use, to keep us from coveting that which is our neiyh- bour's ?
Ans. The best remedy is contentment. If we are content with our own, we shall not covet that which is another's. St. Paul could say, " I have coveted no man's gold or silver :" whence was this ? It was from contentment, Phil. iv. 1 1., " I have learn- ed, in whatever state I am, therewith to bf content." Content saith, as Esau, Gen. xxxiii. 9., " I have enough ;" I have a pro- mise of heaven, and have suflicient to bear my charges thither ; I have enough. And he who hath enough, will not covet that which is another's. Be content : and the best way to be contented, is, 1. Believe that condition best which God carves out to you by his providence. If God had seen it fit for us to have more, we should have had it ; but his wisdom sees this best for us. Perhaj)s wo could not manage a great estate; it is hard to carry a full cuj* without spilling, and a full estate without sinning. Great estates may be snares : a boat may be overturned by having too great a sail. The believing that estate best God carves for us, makes us content ; and being
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contented, we will not covet that which is another's. 2. The way to be content with such things as we Imvc, and not to covet another's, is to consider the less estate wc have, the less account we shall have to give at the last day. Every person is a stew- ard, and must be accountable to God. They who have great estates have the great- er reckoning; God will say, what good have you done with your estates? Have you honoured me with your substance?
Where are the poor you have fed and cloth- ed ? If you cannot give a good account, it will be sad. This may make us contented witii a less portion, to consider, — the less estate, the less account we liave to give, — the less riches, the less reckoning. This is the way to have contentment ; and no bet- ter antidote ag.-iinst coveting that which ia another's than being content with that whicli is our own.
So much for the commandments.
MAN'S INABILITY TO KEEP THE MORAL LAW.
Quest. LXXXII. IS any man able per- fectly to keep the commandmejits of God ?
Aws. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the command- ments of God, but doth daily break them, in thought, word, and deed.