Part II, The Commandments: The Tenth Commandment of God

1. What does the Tenth Commandment forbid?

The Tenth Commandment forbids all voluntary desire of our neighbor's goods.

'The desire of money is the root of all evils' (1 Tim. vi. 10). — Example: Achab (3 Kings xxi.).

2. What are we ' commanded ' by the Tenth Commandment?

We are commanded to be contented with what is our own, and not to be envious of what belongs to others?

3. How can a Christian, even in poverty, be easily contented with his own?

By bearing in mind, 1. That a clean conscience is the greatest treasure; 2. That our true home is in the other world; 3. That Christ also has become poor for our sake, and that one day He will magnificently reward all those who patiently suffer poverty for His sake.

4. Why does God forbid not only all evil actions, but also all evil thoughts and desires?

Because evil thoughts and desires defile the heart, and finally lead also to evil actions.

'Man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart' (1 Kings xvi. 7). 'From the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,' etc. (Matt. xv. 19).

Application. Turn your thoughts toward eternit}, and you will have no difficulty to despise all that is temporal. ' Walk in the Spirit/ i.e., love God, the Supreme Good, ' and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh ' (Gal. V. 16). Happy is he who can truly say : ' My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God ' (Ps. Ixxxiii. 3).