Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 302, 15 ʻOkakopa 1891 — How to Understand God's Will. [ARTICLE]

How to Understand God's Will.

(Coutinued). This bricfly. t,s the meauing of our not imdor thc law but iiiider f*raco. For to Nuppof;e that the Ten Comniaiulment« do not c.ontiime in forcc imder tlic Gt>spcl dispeiiHation, is n snpi>osit.iou that ihe p!:uuesf utter~ uiK-es of oiu- S«vkmr fv>rhid. For 01) ihat occsisloti on 'Aliū'h from an eiiiinenee He dehevervMt to an nsud)l< tl im\ltitude the 3>rontises ut Kin«rdv>m, \\itli the i onditions >\ ih vvhirh thi\r miffht Iw

(Matt 5.1-13) He at onee anticipated the argum6nt fchat the eight Beatitudes had iaken the plaee of the Ten Commandments. For he added, "Think not that I am eome to destroy the law and the Prophets. lam not eome to destrōy, but to Weigh well the meaning of these words. What is it to fulfil'? To "fulfil" may be underst6od in two ways. It mea.na to Heeomplish, and bring to a predestined end. It also means "to fill up"Jas a fills up the outline whiehhe first sketches on his canvass. Now, in respect of prophecies and the ceremonial law, the word- "fulfil", must be taken in its first sense. Christf ulfilled the Prophetsby doing_j and suffering all that they hād pre- i dicted that the Messiah, when he i eame, should do and suft'er. In the' j same way he fulfilled the ceremo- ( nial law. The'whole ritual of the temple, the sacrifices, and ceremoniēs were full of figures and types i of the sacrifice of Christ. And when that one sacrifice for sin had been offered, there was no longer any need of that whieh had forshadowed it. Thus then the ceremonial law was fulfiHed, when thc purpose for whieh it was given was aeeomplished.

But tlie fuLfilhnent of the 7iwral law has a different HĪgnificance. Cl)rist fulfilled the moral law by cbeying it perfectly ft and fully, so that the voice from Heaven could sav of Him, as conld be said of none before or since.—This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Havinj? kept the mo-ral law perfectly so far from releasing us from obedience to it, He ha« taught us how i'ai' reaching these Commandments are, how tliey embrace the words we speak, nnd the thoughts ot the heart, as well as the action we do. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ fills out the moral of the law as sketched out on the two tables of stone If there are t.hose, when they hear the Commandments read, sav in theirhearts wilh the young inan in the eionpel, "AH these liave I kept from. mv youth up," such do not _vct understj;iid what. tlie will of the Lord is, their eyes liavc notlieen cpened to takc- in the tUling up 01 the Commandments bv 'our Blessed Lord, and to see how wide -a range tlie Ten Precepts eover iu whieh the will of the Lord is eontained. Little indeed ean any un4erstaiid the will of the Lord, if tliey have never transgressed the second Commandment 5 because they do not worship graven fmages, or that tliey have »©ver brolcen thesixth becausc thcir liands are free from blood; or that they have never transgressed the seventh, because they have been true to their marriage vow; 01: tliat they ai-e innocent of false witiiess, because they have never been guilty of perjury in Court. It is to little purpose that any enjoy the privilege of ihe Bible in their own | tongue, if they have not <ligested | this first principle of the (xospel, that far more than obedience to the mere letter of tlie law is expectedof us. who being under grace have now the aid of the Holy Spirit. 3 hi bringing our lives iiito harniony with the Spirit of the law. In order to teacli us the priuciple on whieh the Deciilogue is be 1111derstoud, our BlsJ«sed Lord took two commtuubnente,the sixthand seveyth and lilled up tlio outline. Froiu His treatmeiit of thoni, we may uii-dei-Btand how R« would have ue applv thein all. t tlie sixth, He iiuule it very plain th»t none are frce from the traaisgreBaion of this ctuiim»uidnient who cherish ceaseless anger in their heArts> or use provoking language to another. Paul is bttt following and enforcing our Saviour e exposition of this commandment he wrote to i ihe Ephosinns: Let all bittenie«s i aud \\T.ith. aiid and clamour, I and evil-sp<';»king, be put aw«y fvom lyou with all umliw: be ye kind [ one to ai.ot!»er; teuder - hearted. ; oue anotlier. even as Ghl ! for Christ's sake I>a« fori:iveu vou. i Himilarlv; tj?l;iiig the sevouth oomjinandmenr. !ur bringp« it lieme to i the convH ih'O of His diciplcs. thnt i it ĪH not tln linal acf forl)idden by

stitutes the transgression of it But that the underlying jprinciple is violated, Btnd sin/ cominitted by the entertelnment 6f lust the thought of , impurity, even though no transgression ia act ensue. By thus nnfolding the widerange whieh the commandment severafiy have, our Ble.ssed Saviour has made: it plain that thp Ten Commāndments conkiitute the Christian's; rule of life,; that they cover every' obligation we owe to God or man, and reach tb every corner of our lives. That| there is not a thought in our hear|fcs, or a word uttered-fej our tongue, or an act j)erfoimed, but will bēnn obedience to or violation of one or other of these Ten Commandnients. Onlv refiect; that you cannot| say that you have kept the fii'st cbmmandment until you say you love God with all your heart, all -voiir soul, all you strength, all your mind,! you may form some idea how fai* you are from that perfect obedient:e whieh our Saviour rendered. And as your iinderstanding of the will of the Lord is bēcoming more eu]ightened, your thankfulness will increase that you are not under the law, but — grace to help you to a truer obedience, and to obtain pardon for your failures and transgressions through the merits of the Beloved t Son in wliom the Father is well pleased. I