ll never leave thee, nor forsake
thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not
fear what man shall do unto me."

Contentment is the very opposite of covetousness, which is continually
craving for something it does not possess. "Be content with such
things as ye have," not worrying about the future, because God has
promised never to leave or forsake you. What does the child of God
want more than this? I would rather have that promise than all the
gold of the earth.

Would to God we might all be able to say with Paul--"I have coveted no
man's silver, or gold, or apparel." The Lord had made him partaker of
His grace, and he was soon to be a partaker of His glory, and earthly
things looked very small. "Godliness with contentment is great gain,"
he wrote to Timothy; "having food and raiment, therewith let us be
content." Observe that he puts godliness first. No worldly gain can
satisfy the human heart. Roll the whole world in, and still there
would be room.

May God tear the scales off our eyes if we are blinded by this sin.
Oh, the folly of it, that we should set our heart's affections upon
anything below! "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out. . . . Be thou not afraid when one is
made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dieth
he shall take nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him."

The Handwriting Blotted Out

We have now considered the Ten Commandments, and the question for each
one of us is--are we keeping them? If God should weigh us by them,
would we be found wanting or not wanting? Do we keep the law, the
_whole_ law? Are we obeying God with all our heart? Do we render Him a
full and willing obedience?

ONE LAW, NOT TEN.

These ten commandments are not ten different laws; they are one law.
If I am being held up in the air by a chain with ten links and I break
one of them, down I come, just as surely as if I break the whole ten.
If I am forbidden to go out of an enclosure, it makes no difference at
what point I break through the fence. "Whosoever shall keep the whole
law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." "The golden
chain of obedience is broken if one link is missing."

We sometimes hear people pray to be preserved from certain sins, as if
they were in no danger of committing others. I firmly believe that if
a man begins by wilfully breaking one of these commandments it is much
easi