Ver. 16.--Connect with the preceding commandment. That guards the property, what belongs to a man outside him.self. This guards the character, what belongs to a man inside himself. To steal the purse may be only to steal trash, but to defraud a man of his good name is to do him an irreparable injury. I. CoMMOl\"EST FORM OF THE OFFENCE. Most often committed against comparative strangers. We calculat.e the effect of our words when speaking of people whom we know- the consequences may be unpleasant to ourselves if we fail to use due care. As regards others, we are far too ready to catch up and publish some prejudicial opinion; it i~ so much easier to speak evil than to keep silence and say nothing. Take, e.g., the language current with regard to politicians of an opposite party; what disgracefu.. imputation of unworthy motives is constantly permitted without a protest! Wr. !iav: a right to our own opinion, if we have taken due po.ins to form it, as to the public acts of public men; we have no right to go beneath those acts and assume that the actors are less honourable than we are. Partisans of the platform and the correspondence col won would seem to care nothing for the sanctity of truth, their one aim is to blacken the character of their opponents, so as to emphasise by contrast their own purity. I L. How HABIT STRENGTHENS BY PRACTICE. Bear false witness against a stranger aod it will be easier to bee.r fe.lse witness against a friend; the use of unmeasured language in the one case will lee.d to less measured language in the other.. As a fact this is the C&Be. People who express themselves so strongly when speakmg of political opponents, are jUBt the people_ who behind yow: _back will speak of you with inaccurate unkindness. They m1srepresent and m1smt.erpret from the mere pleasure of lowering a man in the eyes of others :- " Low desire Not to feel lowest makes them le,•el all; Yea they would pa.re the mountain to the plain, To leave a.n equal ba&eness"
We an a;___ mirrors in which our neighbours' characters must be in some sort reflected· let u.:, take care lest we reflect falsely, distorting, through flaws ill our own character, r-JT. XX. 10, 17.) THE noor< OF KXODUR. lf.l
the character which is reflected through us. Two special cases shonld be noteil :- ] . False witness embodied in accurate speech. We may use true words and yet create a falso impression; e.g., a remark made and repeated verbatim. The way, however, in which it is repeated, the special setting, the peculiar intonation; these things give it a very different meaning to that intended by the original speaker. The worcl~ ani nccumto, the testimony is false. (New music alters the character of a song.) 2. Fa/.,P, .,,,:tnrss may be borne by silencP.. 1n discussing a man's character, silence, with or with- out significant looks, is eloquent. "He could have spoken," it is argued, "had he been uble to say anything favourable." Silent acquiescence in the charges made is quite ,r1ufficient confirmation of their truth I Oonclusion.-The character of our neighbour, whatever his rank or position, whether the neighbour be a Prime Minister or only a domestic servant, ought to be as precious to us as our own character. It is easy enough to injure a man's good name by thoughtles.q Bpeech or cowardly silence. We cannot rid ourselves of the responsibility which attaches to our carelessness or cowardice. By speech or silence we give our testimony, whether the testimony be true or false.-G.
Ver. 17.-The last co=andment of the second table. Murder, adultery, theft, slander, all these spring from a corrupt heart. The wrong thought admitted nourishes the wrong desire, which in time gives birth to the wrong action. Out of the heart are the issues of life, therefore keep thy heart with all diligence. I. THE SOURCE OF COVETOUSNESS. There are two ideals by which men mould their lives. One makes God the centre of all things, the other makes self the centre. One says "Thy will be done," the other says "My will be done." It is in the heart that accepts this latter ideal that covetousness has its home. Everything is regarded in its relation to self-the neighbour's life and home, and property, and character, are only so many possible instruments which may thwart or assist the gratification of selfishness. The thought of something which may give pleasure, leads us to the desire for the possession of that thing, and the desire will only be restrained from fulfilment by external checks which may make fulfilment difficult. A man may refrain from adultery or theft, because of the social penalties which attach to such transgressions; all the same in his inmost heart he may be a thief and an adulterer. Selfishness is the parent of all sins; its offspring is only dwarfed in growth when selfishness is restrained by society. (Cf. Matt. v. 22, 28.) II. THE CURE FOB COVETOUSNESS. The only radical remedy is that which starts by cutting at the root of selfishness. God, not the individual man, is the centre of the universe. Man is related directly to him, and to all other things through him. It is God's will, not our own will, by reference to which we may live righteously. What then is God's will? It is that which corresponds with his character, which is love. To live as in his sight is to live in the light of love. Love in us is kindled and developed by contemplation and experience of the love which is in him. Love is that Divine affection which alone has power to expel all selfishness. Love alone can purify the heart, guard the thoughts, and discipline the desires. And what is love in practice? It is nothing more nor less than doing to others as we would they should do unc.o us. All men as related to God are on an equality, all, as in his sight, have equal nghts. Here, however much we may differ, we are yet all on co=on ground. They who acknowledge one God, who accept redemption through one Saviour, who yield to the influence of one sanctifying Spirit, are in the way to the attainment_of that love which is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom. xiii. 10.) Oonclusion.-Notice how the last commandment links itself on to the fulfilment o! the first: The ten precepts of the two tables are ten golden links in_a perfec~_?ircle. Thus regarded, that circle is none other than the perfect bond of charity (Col. m. 14), a girdle wherewith whoso girds himself ensures a twofold peace, "Peace on earth towards men of good will," and the peace of God to keep his heart.-G.
1'11'.0llUS-ll. II.: JG2 THE BOOK OF EXODlTR [<'n. n. lA--21.