Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant… I. THE DUTIES REQUIRED. 1. I shall consider the duty of this command as it respects ourselves. A thorough weanedness from and indifferency to all those things that we have, in which our desire may be too eager. There are some things whereof our desire cannot be too much, as of God, Christ, grace, victory over sin; and therefore we read of a holy lusting (Galatians 5:17). There are other things to which our desires may be carried out too eagerly and inordinately. Thus we may sin, not only in the inordinate desire of sensual things, as meat, drink, etc., but in rational things, as honour, esteem, etc. (1) Hearty renunciation of our own will, saying, with the pattern of contentment, "Not my will, but Thine be done." We must no more be choosers for ourselves of our own lot; but as little children standing at the table, not to carve for themselves, but to take the bit that is given them. (2) Absolute resignation to the will of the Lord (Matthew 16:24; 1 Samuel 3:18). 2. We are to consider the duty of this command, as it respects our neighbour. And that is a right and charitable or loving frame of spirit towards himself and all that is his. (1) Love to our neighbour's person, as to ourselves (Romans 13:9). (2) An upright respect to what is his, for his sake. As we are to love himself for God's sake, so what is his for his sake (Deuteronomy 22:1). (3) An hearty desire of his welfare and prosperity in all things, as of our own, his honour, life, chastity, wealth, good name, and whatever is his. (4) A real complacency in his welfare and the welfare of what is his (Romans 12:15). (5) A cordial sympathy with him in any evil that befalls him (Romans 12:20). II. THE SINS FORBIDDEN. This command is a curb and bridle to the distempered heart of man, which of all parts of man is the hardest to be commanded and kept within bounds. Men may be of a courteous obliging behaviour, keep in their hands from killing, or what tendeth thereunto, their bodies from uncleanness, their hands from stealing, and their tongues from lying; while, in the meantime, the heart in all these respects may be going within the breast like a troubled sea, unto which this command by Divine authority saith, "Peace, be still." The heart distempered by original sins runs out in the irascible faculty in tormenting passions, bearing an aversion of the heart to what the Lord in His wisdom lays before men. I will show the evil of discontentment, and paint out this sin in its black colours. It is the hue of hell all over. 1. Discontent is, in the nature of it, a compound of the blackest ingredients, the scum of the corrupt heart boiling up, and mixed to make up the hellish composition. (1) Unsubjection to and rebellion against the will of God (Hosea 4:16). (2) Sorrow of heart under the Divine dispensation towards them. (3) Anger and wrath against their lot (Jude 1:16). Thus the discontented do in their hearts bark at the mountains of brass (Zechariah 6:1); as dogs do at the moon, and with the same success. 2. If ye view discontentment in the rise of it, ye will see further into the evil of it. It takes its rise from — (1) A blinded judgment which puts darkness for light, and light for darkness, and cannot see into the wisdom of the conduct of Providence. (2) A proud heart. (3) An unmortified affection to the creature (1 Timothy 6:9, 10). (4) A spirit of unbelief. 3. View it in the effect, and it will appear very black. The tree is known by its fruits. (1) It mars communion with and access to God. (2) It quite unfits a man for holy duties, so that he cannot perform them rightly or acceptably, for speaking to God in prayer, or His speaking to them by His Word. (3) Nay, it unfits people for the work of their ordinary calling. It is not only an enemy to grace, but to gifts too, and common prudence. (4) It mars the comfort of society, and makes people uneasy to those that are about them. (5) It is a torment to oneself, and makes a man his own tormentor (1 Kings 21:4). (6) It is not only tormenting to one's mind, but is ruinous to the body (Proverbs 17:22). (7) It sucks the sap out of all one's enjoyments. As a few drops of gall will embitter a cup of wine, and a few drops of ink will blacken a cup of the clearest liquor; so discontent upon one ground will embitter and blacken all other enjoyments. (8) Hence it always makes one unthankful. Let Providence set the discontented man in a paradise, the fruit of that one tree which is forbidden him, and which he is so uneasy about, will so embitter him that he will not give God thanks for all the variety of other delights which the garden is furnished with. For all these avail him nothing while that is kept out of his reach. When once it entered into Adam's heart, it made him at one stroke break through all the Ten Commandments. 2. The branch that runs against our neighbour's condition is envying and grudging. The object of this sin is the good of our neighbour; and the better the object is, the worse is the sin. 1. View it in the ingredients thereof, whereof it is made up. (1) Sorrow and grief for the good of our neighbour (1 Corinthians 13:4). (2) Fretting anger at their good (Psalm 37:1). 2. View it in the springs and rise thereof. (1) Covetousness of what is their neighbour's. (2) Discontent. (3) Pride and selfishness. 3. View it in the effects thereof. It has almost the same as those of discontent, which may be well applied thereto. I will only say that envy is a sword, and wounds three at once. (1) It strikes against God, being highly offensive and dishonourable to Him. It quarrels His government of the world, and accuses Him of folly, partiality, and injustice (Matthew 20:15). (2) It strikes against our neighbour. It is a bitter disposition of spirit, wishing his ill-fare, and grudging his good; and not only binds up men's hands from doing him good, but natively tends to loose them to his hurt. It will be at him one way or other in word or deed, and there is no escaping the evil of it (Proverbs 27:4). (3) It strikes at oneself (Job 5:2). "Envy slayeth the silly man." Though it be so weak as to do no execution on others, yet be sure it never misses a man's self; and it wounds oneself the deeper, that it cannot do much hurt to the party envied. (T. Boston, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. |
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