Holy

new hopes for poor traveller. God may give us chances of doing this. Which Commandment kept? But Whom did this picture really mean? Christ Himself like that; His work of saving men's bodies and souls: Christ was drawing His own portrait, as filling up the Sixth Commandment, doing good, saving men (Acts x. 38). Begin early to govern your temper. man, once passionate, quite cured by getting away when passion was rising, and saying, "O Lamb of God, calm my mind." Do not let bad feeling be nursed in heart. Like fire smouldering in basement, it will burst forth (1 John iii. 15). Be amongst those who are on the side of this Commandment. Fireman bringing child out of burning house; nurse striving to save her patient by long hours of care and watching; boys

III. THOUGHTS

1. The study of character, as moulded by the last six Commandments, reveals the following main features :-(1) Obedience. Of all those to whom this is to be rendered, the persons nearest to us, our parents, alone are named. (2) Kindness. Murder is given as an extreme result of the want of this. (3) Purity, the lack of which reveals itself in acts of fornication, and in its worst form, adultery. (4) Honesty. Every form of dishonesty is at once condemned in the Commandment, "Thou shalt not steal." (5) Truthfulness. The worst kind of untruthfulness is shown in bearing false witness against a neighbour. (6) Contentment. These, with (7) Reverence, which is inculcated in the Third Commandment, would seem to be the seven main elements of a great moral character. But what about Courage, Humility, Patience, Self-control ? These are necessarily developed in acquiring the seven more particularly specified in the Commandments.

2. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man (Gen. ix. 6). "The slaughter of brute animals was permitted, though wanton cruelty towards them was forbidden; but man was made in the image of God, and to destroy man's life has in it the sin of sacrilege. Moreover, the image of God implies the existence of a personal, moral, and therefore, in the creature, a responsible will. Though the holiness, which was part of the likeness, was lost in the Fall, still the

who protect a little one from school bully, boys who throw crumbs out for robins in frosty weather; soldiers under fire bringing away poor wounded comrade; lifeboat men out in the storm; child picking up orange-peel from pavement lest others should fall and be hurt; seeing that doggie is well treated; taking trouble, looking out for chance of helping, keeping temper under, being brave, denying self. What the secret of all this? The loving kindness out of heart of Christ must flow down into our hearts. So we copy God, Who is kind to all (St. Luke vi. 36. "Merciful," i.e., 'pitiful"). (Archbishop Benson carefully throwing crumbs out of railway-carriage window on a winter journey for the birds by the railway may be quoted. See also some of the illustrations in "Thoughts for Teachers.")

FOR TEACHERS.

personality and the moral being remained. To destroy the life of such a one is therefore to cut short his time of probation, to abridge his day of grace, to step in between him and his moral Governor, to frustrate, as far as may be, God's purposes of love and mercy to his soul. Hence the sin of murder is the greatest wrong which man can do to his brother man; perhaps also the greatest insult which man can offer to Him Who is the loving Father of all men."-(Bishop Harold Browne.)

3. The Sixth and Seventh Commandments are specially taken up by our Lord in His Sermon on the Mount, and in His reference to them we gather most fully and clearly the meaning of His words that He came "not to destroy the law, but to fulfil." His words (St. Matt. v.) are the best commentary on these Commandments. The scribes taught the mere words, "they gave the husk without the kernel," but our Lord gives a perfect unfolding of the Commandments in the most practical form. He shows us that unrestrained anger renders a man liable to the extremity of punishment (St. Matt. v. 22); also that so far from retaliating, an eye for an eye," the Gospel demands that we should not resist evil; that we should pray for such as despitefully use us and persecute us.

"

4. "God set a mark on Cain, or gave a sign to Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Cain was to go on living, a witness to the enormity of his own crime, an accused human being (the first human being that ever was

accused), just as the antitype of Cain, the Jewish race, go on existing with their strongly marked characteristics, fugitives' and 'vagabonds' over the face of the earth, for having murdered the true Abel, Jesus Christ (Ps. lix. 11; Heb. xii. 24)."-(Miss Wordsworth.)

5. murderer is not always a dull, brutal, ferocious soul. Many a tender, delicate woman, many a man well nurtured, and of a nature akin to ours, who dreamt as little of being a murderer as we do, has become a murderer out of greed, or envy, or fear, or to hide some shame, or as the natural sequel of indulged passion, or of a life made reckless by gambling or debauchery. And some of these have left behind them the awful warning of the slow degrees by which the temptation, smouldering at the bases of the life, has leapt in one moment into uncontrollable flame, and a great crime has shown itself to be no sudden aberration, but the necessary result and epitome of long years of secret faithlessness."-(Dean Farrar.)

6. The Sixth Commandment is about "life." "It is a great thing to live. Never trifle with life. Don't go and put your feet half over a precipice and say, 'Oh, I don't care.' Don't go and get wet through and say, 'I don't care if I do take cold and die. I don't care what becomes of me.' Take care of life. It is a precious gift. Never do anything that might possibly hurt anybody's life. Take care of life. A brave person should be ready at any time to lay down his life for a good cause, but a brave person will never play with life." -(Rev. James Vaughan.)

7. The hope and stay of all faithful souls who labour at life-saving in our hospitals and elsewhere come out finely at the end of the following verses from "In the Children's Hospital," by Lord Tennyson:

I.

"Our doctor had call'd in another, I never had seen him before,

But he sent a chill to my heart when I saw him come in at the door,

Fresh from the surgery-schools of France and of other lands

Harsh red hair, big voice, big chest, big merciless hands!

Wonderful cures he had done, oh yes, but they said, too, of him

He was happier using the knife than in trying to save a limb.

And that I can well believe, for he looked so coarse and so red,

I could think he was one of those who would break their jests on the dead

And mangle the living dog that had loved him and fawn'd at his knee.

Drench'd with the hellish oorali-that ever such things should be!

II.

"Here was a boy-I am sure that some of our children would die

But for the voice of Love, and the smile and the comforting eye

Here was a boy in the ward, every bone seem'd out of its place,

Caught in a mill and crush'd-it was all but a hopeless case.

And he handled him gently enough, but his voice and his face were not kind,

And it was but a hopeless case; he had seen it and made up his mind,

And he said to me roughly, The lad will need little more of your care.'

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'All the more need,' I told him, ' to seek the Lord Jesus in prayer;

They are all His children here, and I pray for them all as my own.'

But he turn'd to me, 'Aye, good woman;

can prayers set a broken bone?'

Then he mutter'd half to himself, but I thus heard him say

'All very well; but the good Lord Jesus has had His day.'

III.

"Had? Has it come? It has only dawned.. It will come by-and-bye.

Oh, how could I serve in the wards if the Hope of the world were a lie?

How could I bear with the sights and the loathsome smells of disease?

But that He said, 'Ye do it to Me when ye do it to these."""

8. Dr. Samuel Rabbeth, senior medical officer of the Royal Free Hospital, London, died in October, 1884, at the age of twenty-eight, in saving life. A child of four years was admitted to the hospital suffering from diphtheria. In order to save its life tracheotomy had to be performed. When the windpipe was opened it was found that the accumulation of diphtheric matter was such that it could only be removed by sucking it through a tube. Gallantly the doctor performed the operation, knowing full well the risk. Some days after, in the presence of the medical staff and of his relatives, as a result of his noble act, he died.

Alice Ayres, a little maid, died in Guy's Hospital, April 26th, 1885, as true a heroine as ever lived. She was servant in the house of an oilman, on whose premises a fire broke out. Alice Ayres ran to the window, called for assistance. When no one could enter the burning house, she flung a feather bed to the pavement below, and then, in spite of the blinding smoke and heat, carried her master's three children to the window and threw them down upon the bed. Before she could throw herself down she was exhausted; she tried to jump, fell short upon the pavement, and suffered injuries from which she died.

"The Northamptonshire Regiment fought with the utmost bravery, and most of the casualties occurred during

the saving of their wounded. Lieutenant Macintyre and twelve men were cut off and, as subsequently ascertained, shot. This is but another instance in our Army of that brotherly love which prompts the entire sinking of personal interests and self for the welfare of their brothers-in-arms."-("At Saran Sar with General Lockhart.")

9. Praise God for the societies, inspired by Christian charity, for the better keeping of this Commandment. The Royal Humane Society, National Lifeboat Institution, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the fire brigades. May children be encouraged to support them; to be zealous for the carrying out of their principles.

10. Which is the best way to stop anger? Julius Cæsar was advised to say the Greek alphabet when he felt he was getting angry; another used to say the Lord's Prayer; another, in time, cured himself of a passionate spirit by saying over, when there was a fear of wrath, "O Lamb of God, calm my mind."

II. How can we be rightly angry? "Be ye angry and sin not." Two rules:(a) Never be angry without being sorry -sorry for the person you are angry with. "He looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." (b) Never let your anger last. Two good Christians had had a quarrel and were angry. Just as evening came on one went to the home of the other, who asked, 'What is it?' 'The sun is just going down. The other understood. 'Come in, come in; let us shake hands.' Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."―(Rev. James Vaughan.)

301. How is the Seventh Commandment explained in the Catechism?

The Seventh Commandment is explained in the words, "My duty is to keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity."

302. What is meant by keeping the body in temperance and soberness?

To keep the body in temperance and soberness is to rule it firmly, and not to let it have all its own way in eating, drinking, and sleeping.

303. What is meant by keeping the body in chastity?

To keep the body in chastity is to be pure, clean, and modest in our habits, both in secret and before others.

304. From whence does our Lord say impure acts spring?

Our Lord says that impure acts spring from the heart; therefore we must keep out unclean thoughts, and turn away from books or companions that would suggest them (St. Mark vii. 20-23).

305. Why is the Christian's body to be kept from impurity?

The Christian's body is to be kept

from impurity because it is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

306. What comes when people defile their bodies?

When people defile their bodies disease comes and punishment. "If any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy."

307. Why should you belong to a Band of Hope or Temperance Society? I should belong to a Band of Hope or Temperance Society, that I may help to fight against the fearful evils which are done through strong drink.

308. Is strong drink generally necessary for health?

No, strong drink is not generally necessary for health; some of the strongest and wisest men never touch it. 309. What is fasting?

Fasting is going without food for a while, either partly or altogether, in order to keep the body under (St. Matt. vi. 16—18).

310. Give me a short prayer for help in keeping this Commandment.

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit."