He went away sorrowful, but came back the next day, and said: “I have a young wife and child, and all the furniture in my house I have bought with money I have got in this dishonest way. If I become a Christian, that furniture will have to go, and my wife will know it.” “Better let your wife know it, and better let your home and furniture go.” “Would you come up and see my wife?” he asked; “I don’t know what she will say.”
I went up to see her, and when I told her, the tears trickled down her cheeks, and she said: “Mr. Moody, I will gladly give everything if my husband can become a true Christian.”
She took out her pocketbook, and handed over her last penny. He had a piece of land in the United States, which he deeded over to the government. I do not know in all my backward track of any living man who has had a better testimony for Jesus Christ than that man. He had been dishonest, but when the truth came to him that he must make it right before God would help him, he made it right and then God used him wonderfully.
No amount of weeping over sin, and saying that you feel sorry, is going to help it unless you are willing to confess, and make restitution.
[Ninth Commandment]
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
Two out of the Ten Commandments deal with sins that find expression by the tongue—the third commandment, which forbids taking God’s name in vain, and this ninth commandment, which forbids false witness against our neighbor. This two-fold prohibition ought to impress us as a solemn warning, especially as we find that the pages of Scripture are full of condemnation of sins of the tongue. The Psalms, Proverbs and the epistle of James deal largely with the subject.
TRUTH NECESSARY.
Organized society of a degree higher than that of the herding of animals and flocking of birds depends so much upon the power of speech, that without it we may say society would be impossible. Language is an essential element in the social fabric. To its purpose it must be trustworthy. Words must command confidence. Anything which undermines the truth takes (as it were) the mortar out of the building and if general, must mean ruin. Paul said—“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth to his neighbor: for we are members one of another.” Note the reason given—“we are members one of another.” All community, all union and fellowship would be shattered if a man did not know whether to believe his neighbor or not.
The transgressions of this commandment are very varied in form, and very frequent. Men and women of all ages have to guard against them. They include some of the most besetting sins. David said in his haste—“All men are liars.” Some one has remarked that if he had been living nowadays, he might say it without haste and not be very far wide of the truth.