Now；　every　now　and　then；　and　indeed　surprisingly　often；　　Christ　finds　a　word　that　transcends　all　common…place　　morality；　every　now　and　then　he　quits　the　beaten　track　to　　pioneer　the　unexpressed；　and　throws　out　a　pregnant　and　　magnanimous　hyperbole；　for　it　is　only　by　some　bold　poetry　of　　thought　that　men　can　be　strung　up　above　the　level　of　everyday　　conceptions　to　take　a　broader　look　upon　experience　or　accept　　some　higher　principle　of　conduct。　　To　a　man　who　is　of　the　　same　mind　that　was　in　Christ；　who　stands　at　some　centre　not　　too　far　from　his；　and　looks　at　the　world　and　conduct　from　　some　not　dissimilar　or；　at　least；　not　opposing　attitude　…　or；　　shortly；　to　a　man　who　is　of　Christ's　philosophy　…　every　such　　saying　should　come　home　with　a　thrill　of　joy　and　　corroboration；　he　should　feel　each　one　below　his　feet　as　　another　sure　foundation　in　the　flux　of　time　and　chance；　each　　should　be　another　proof　that　in　the　torrent　of　the　years　and　　generations；　where　doctrines　and　great　armaments　and　empires　　are　swept　away　and　swallowed；　he　stands　immovable；　holding　by　　the　eternal　stars。　　But　alas！　at　this　juncture　of　the　ages　it　　is　not　so　with　us；　on　each　and　every　such　occasion　our　whole　　fellowship　of　Christians　falls　back　in　disapproving　wonder　　and　implicitly　denies　the　saying。　　Christians！　the　farce　is　　impudently　broad。　　Let　us　stand　up　in　the　sight　of　heaven　and　　confess。　　The　ethics　that　we　hold　are　those　of　Benjamin　　Franklin。　　HONESTY　IS　THE　BEST　POLICY；　is　perhaps　a　hard　　saying；　it　is　certainly　one　by　which　a　wise　man　of　these　days　　will　not　too　curiously　direct　his　steps；　but　I　think　it　shows　　a　glimmer　of　meaning　to　even　our　most　dimmed　intelligences；　I　　think　we　perceive　a　principle　behind　it；　I　think；　without　　hyperbole；　we　are　of　the　same　mind　that　was　in　Benjamin　　Franklin。
  LAY　MORALS　CHAPTER　II
  BUT；　I　may　be　told；　we　teach　the　ten　commandments；　where　a　　world　of　morals　lies　condensed；　the　very　pith　and　epitome　of　　all　ethics　and　religion；　and　a　young　man　with　these　precepts　　engraved　upon　his　mind　must　follow　after　profit　with　some　　conscience　and　Christianity　of　method。　　A　man　cannot　go　very　　far　astray　who　neither　dishonours　his　parents；　nor　kills；　nor　　commits　adultery；　nor　steals；　nor　bears　false　witness；　for　　these　things；　rightly　thought　out；　cover　a　vast　field　of　　duty。
  Alas！　what　is　a　precept？　　It　is　at　best　an　illustration；　it　　is　case　law　at　the　best　which　can　be　learned　by　precept。　　The　　letter　is　not　only　dead；　but　killing；　the　spirit　which　　underlies；　and　cannot　be　uttered；　alone　is　true　and　helpful。　　　This　is　trite　to　sickness；　but　familiarity　has　a　cunning　　disenchantment；　in　a　day　or　two　she　can　steal　all　beauty　from　　the　mountain　tops；　and　the　most　startling　words　begin　to　fall　　dead　upon　the　ear　after　several　repetitions。　　If　you　see　a　　thing　too　often；　you　no　longer　see　it；　if　you　hear　a　thing　　too　often；　you　no　longer　hear　it。　　Our　attention　requires　to　　be　surprised；　and　to　carry　a　fort　by　assault；　or　to　gain　a　　thoughtful　hearing　from　the　ruck　of　mankind；　are　feats　of　　about　an　equal　difficulty　and　must　be　tried　by　not　dissimilar　　means。　　The　whole　Bible　has　thus　lost　its　message　for　the　　common　run　of　hearers；　it　has　become　mere　words　of　course；　　and　the　parson　may　bawl　himself　scarlet　and　beat　the　pulpit　　like　a　thing　possessed；　but　his　hearers　will　continue　to　nod；　　they　are　strangely　at　peace；　they　know　all　he　has　to　say；　　ring　the　old　bell　as　you　choose；　it　is　still　the　old　bell　and　　it　cannot　startle　their　composure。　　And　so　with　this　byword　　about　the　letter　and　the　spirit。　　It　is　quite　true；　no　doubt；　　but　it　has　no　meaning　in　the　world　to　any　man　of　us。　　Alas！　　it　has　just　this　meaning；　and　neither　more　nor　less：　that　　while　the　spirit　is　true；　the　letter　is　eternally　false。
  The　shadow　of　a　great　oak　lies　abroad　upon　the　ground　at　　noon；　perfect；　clear；　and　stable　like　the　earth。　　But　let　a　　man　set　himself　to　mark　out　the　boundary　with　cords　and　pegs；　　and　were　he　never　so　nimble　and　never　so　exact；　what　with　the　　multiplicity　of　the　leaves　and　the　progression　of　the　shadow　　as　it　flees　before　the　travelling　sun；　long　ere　he　has　made　　the　circuit　the　whole　figure　will　have　changed。　　Life　may　be　　compared；　not　to　a　single　tree；　but　to　a　great　and　　complicated　forest；　circumstance　is　more　swiftly　changing　　than　a　shadow；　language　much　more　inexact　than　the　tools　of　a　　surveyor；　from　day　to　day　the　trees　fall　and　are　renewed；　the　　very　essences　are　fleeting　as　we　look；　and　the　whole　world　of　　leaves　is　swinging　tempest…tossed　among　the　winds　of　time。　　　Look　now　for　your　shadows。　　O　man　of　formulae；　is　this　a　　place　for　you？　　Have　you　fitted　the　spirit　to　a　single　case？　　　Alas；　in　the　cycle　of　the　ages　when　shall　such　another　be　　proposed　for　the　judgment　of　man？　　Now　when　the　sun　shines　　and　the　winds　blow；　the　wood　is　filled　with　an　innumerable　　multitude　of　shadows；　tumultuously　tossed　and　changing；　and　　at　every　gust　the　whole　carpet　leaps　and　becomes　new。　　Can　　you　or　your　heart　say　more？
  Look　back　now；　for　a　moment；　on　your　own　brief　experience　of　　life；　and　although　you　lived　it　feelingly　in　your　own　person；　　and　had　every　step　of　conduct　burned　in　by　pains　and　joys　　upon　your　memory；　tell　me　what　definite　lesson　does　　experience　hand　on　from　youth　to　manhood；　or　from　both　to　　age？　　The　settled　tenor　which　first　strikes　the　eye　is　but　　the　shadow　of　a　delusion。　　This　is　gone；　that　never　truly　　was；　and　you　yourself　are　altered　beyond　recognition。　　Times　　and　men　and　circumstances　change　about　your　changing　　character；　with　a　speed　of　which　no　earthly　hurricane　affords　　an　image。　　What　was　the　best　yesterday；　is　it　still　the　best　　in　this　changed　theatre　of　a　tomorrow？　　Will　your　own　Past　　truly　guide　you　in　your　own　violent　and　unexpected　Future？　　　And　if　this　be　questionable；　with　what　humble；　with　what　　hopeless　eyes；　should　we　not　watch　other　men　driving　beside　　us　on　their　unknown　careers；　seeing　with　unlike　eyes；　　impelled　by　different　gales；　doing　and　suffering　in　another　　sphere　of　things？
  And　as　the　authentic　clue　to　such　a　labyrinth　and　change　of　　scene；　do　you　offer　me　these　two　score　words？　these　five　bald　　prohibitions？　　For　the　moral　precepts　are　no　more　than　five；　　the　first　four　deal　rather　with　matters　of　observance　than　of　　conduct；　the　tenth；　THOU　SHALT　NOT　COVET；　stands　upon　another　　basis；　and　shall　be　spoken　of　ere　long。　　The　Jews；　to　whom　　they　were　first　given；　in　the　course　of　years　began　to　find　　these　precepts　insufficient；　and　made　an　addition　of　no　less　　than　six　hundred　and　fifty　others！　　They　hoped　to　make　a　　pocket…book　of　reference　on　morals；　which　should　stand　to　　life　in　some　such　relation；　say；　as　Hoyle　stands　in　to　the　　scientific　game　of　whist。　　The　comparison　is　just；　and　　condemns　the　design；　for　those　who　play　by　rule　will　never　be　　more　than　tolerable　players；　and　you　and　I　would　like　to　play　　our　game　in　life　to　the　noblest　and　the　most　divine　　advantage。　　Yet　if　the　Jews　took　a　petty　and　huckstering　view　　of　conduct；　what　view　do　we　take　ourselves；　who　callously　　leave　youth　to　go　forth　into　the　enchanted　forest；　full　of　　spells　and　dire　chimeras；　with　no　guidance　more　complete　than　　is　afforded　by　these　five　precepts？
  HONOUR　THY　FATHER　AND　THY　MOTHER。　　Yes；　but　does　that　mean　to　　obey？　and　if　so；　how　long　and　how　far？　　THOU　SHALL　NOT　KILL。　　　Yet　the　very　intention　and　purport　of　the　prohibition　may　be　　best　fulfilled　by　killing。　　THOU　SHALL　NOT　COMMIT　ADULTERY。　　　But　some　of　the　ugliest　adulteries　are　committed　in　the　bed　　of　marriage　and　under　the　sanction　of　religion　and　law。　　THOU　　SHALT　NOT　BEAR　FALSE　WITNESS。　　How？　by　speech　or　by　silence　　also？　or　even　by　a　smile？　　THOU　SHALT　NOT　STEAL。　　Ah；　that　　indeed！　　But　what　is　TO　STEAL？
  To　steal？　　It　is　another　word　to　be　construed；　and　who　is　to　　be　our　guide？　　The　police　will　give　us　one　construction；　　leaving　the　word　only　that　least　minimum　of　meaning　without　　which　society　would　fall　in　pieces；　but　surely　we　must　take　　some　higher　sense　than　this；　surely　we　hope　more　than　a　bare　　subsistence　for　mankind；　surely　we　wish　mankind　to　prosper　　and　go　on　from　strength　to　strength；　and　ourselves　to　live　　rightly　in　the　eye　of　some　more　exacting　potentate　than　a　　policeman。　　The　approval　or　the　disapproval　of　the　police　　must　be　eternally　indifferent　to　a　man　who　is　both　valorous　　and　good。　　There　is　extreme　discomfort；　but　no　shame；　in　the　　condemnation　of　the　law。　　The　law　represents　that　modicum　of　　morality　which　can　be　squeezed　out　of　the　ruck　of　mankind；　　but　what　is　that　to　me；　who　aim　higher　and　seek　to　be　my　own　　more　stringent　judge？　　I　observe　with　pleasure　that　no　brave　　man　has　ever　given　a　rush　for　such　considerations。　　The　　Japanese　have　a　nobler　and　more　sentimental　feeling　for　this　　social　bond　into　which　we　all　are　born　when　we　come　into　the　　world；　and　whose　comforts　and　protection　we　all　indifferently　　share　throughout　our　lives：…　but　even　to　them；　no　more　than　　to　our　Western　saints　and　heroes；　does　the　law　of　the　state　　supersede　the　higher　law　of　duty。　　Without　hesitation　and　　without　remorse；　they　transgress　the　stiffest　enactments　　rather　than　abstain　from　doing　right。　　But　the　accidental　　superior　duty　being　thus　fulfilled；　they　at　once　return　in　　a