The Seventh Commandment
By J. O. Corliss
EXT to a man's life, the chastity of his household should be considered more precious than any other consideration. That portion of the great love principle which forbids the destruction of this family treasure, finds its proper place, therefore, in the law, next to the prohibition of murder. The commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," like other precepts of the moral code, is exceedingly broad, covering so many phases of social life as to convict many who, perhaps, suppose themselves immune from guilt in this particular. Two forms of concupiscent desire are recognized in the Bible, of which this one is the mildest. And yet this form is made to seem so heinous as to cause one to examine himself closely and frequently, lest the hateful thing should find lodgment even in his thoughts. The great apostle, when writing instruction to the church at Corinth, said: "Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6:9, 10. The sins of this list are enumerated in the order of their flagrancy, the worst being first mentioned. According to the original, the word fornication means actually to resort with the vilest characters of the opposite sex, while adultery may be committed by changing one's wife for another without just cause, and also by harboring lewd thoughts. Thus we hear the Saviour say: "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." Matt. 19:9. This teaching was called out by a question of the Pharisees. History informs us that the Jews of that day, on the supposed authority of Moses, felt free to put away a wife on the slightest pretext. For example: If one found after marriage that his wife had some disagreeable personal habit, of which he was not before aware, or if his wife failed to cook just to his liking, he could without any scruple write her a bill of divorcement and send her away, when both were at liberty to marry again. In view of this antiquated custom, the Pharisees came asking the Saviour whether it was lawful to put away a wife for "every cause," thus thinking to put the Saviour at variance with Moses. The Lord answered that "He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." This was clear and conclusive. But to carry out their plan of arraying the Lord against Moses, the Pharisees asked further: "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?" The answer of Christ was quick and decisive: "Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so." Then came the condemnation of the Jews' course in this matter, by making it a violation of the seventh commandment, as before cited. There is a lesson in this incident of former days for the people of the present generation. Back there, the "hardness" of the people's hearts was said to be the cause of their frequent divorces, which really constituted the sin of adultery. Now the divorce courts are kept busy six days in the week, and fifty-two weeks in the year, grinding out divorces upon the most frivolous pretense. "Incompatibility" is now sufficient grounds to secure the coveted paper of separation, that both parties may seek new fields of conquest, perhaps only to repeat the divorce-court act; and yet in the face of the Saviour's positive statement that divorce on any other ground than fornication is adultery. The holiness of true matrimonial alliances is not considered by the multitude, or surely these many applications for legal separation would not be forthcoming. It must be that the marital desires of such were base born, ignoble, and lustful, otherwise the outcome would have been different. At least the adultery which came through the separation sprang from the "works of the flesh." Gal. 5:19. This sin is again defined by the Saviour in a way to show its hidden depths, and the breadth of the law's requirement. As a part of His inaugural address to His disciples, He taught them the broad meaning of the Ten Commandments. Taking up the seventh one, He said: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her [have lecherous longings] hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matt. 5:27, 28. This brings the keeping of God's commandments to one as an affair of the heart. Even to hold wrong desire toward the opposite sex, must therefore become a matter of record in the courts of heaven, and enter into the consideration of one's case in the judgment of the great day. Of course one may repent of all such indecent musings, and find forgiveness and cleansing, so that his every thought may be brought into captivity "to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. 10:5. But to cultivate unclean thoughts, one is sure soon to pass the border line between mind adultery and the actual indulgence of fornication. The latter step once taken, one's hope of a future life becomes sadly dimmed. In fact, the "wise man" sets forth the condition of such as well-nigh hopeless. Speaking of the "strange woman" who "forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God," he says that her course tends to death. Of those who associate with her in common, he further says: "None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life." Prov. 2:16-19. This indeed is a dark foreboding, but that which gives it such an abhorrent color may be learned from the statement of the apostle. He says: "Flee fornication. Every [open, or common] sin that a man doeth is without [does not involve] the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body," which is God's own temple. The body thus defiled, God refuses to dwell in it. 1 Cor. 6:18, 19. So he who would avoid the gulf directly in the path of fornication, should resolutely set his face in the way of God's commandments, resting in the promise of Jehovah, to keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on Him and His power to save. Isa. 26:3, 4.