“The scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman whom they accused as guilty of breaking the seventh commandment. They said to him, “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.” Curiosity led them to draw near, and read what was written on the ground. There they saw their own sins plainly stated,—sins of a far more aggravated character than that into which she had been betrayed; for her accusers had induced her to sin, that they might lay a snare for Christ. And they which heard the words of Christ, “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last.” {RH January 10, 1893, par. 6}

“Thou shalt not commit adultery”
Ex 20:14

Definition of Unchasity

UNCHASTITY includes all the action, whether of body or mind, which is forbidden by the seventh commandment. And all that is therein forbidden, may be included under the two following heads:

1. Unchasity of the mind.
2. Unchasity of the conduct.

By unchastity of the mind, is meant the conception of unchastity in the mind, the cherishing of impure desire. All sin has its seat in the mind. The seventh commandment, like every other, extends to “thoughts, and intents of the heart.” “This,” says Dwight, “is unanswerable evident from our Saviour’s comment on this precept (the seventh commandment), `Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.’ ” Matt.5:28. And with this agrees another scripture, which says, “Out of the heart proceedeth . . . adulteries.”

By unchastity of the conduct, we are to understand the acting out of unchastity in any of its various ways of developing sinful thoughts, as,

1. By unchaste conversation, writing, looks, and gestures. “Speech is the mirror of the soul.” And hence it is that “by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matt.12:37. But significant looks, writing, gestures &c., being but substitutes for words and the tongue, are, like them, capable of being made the ministers of sin; hence, also, they must be subject to the same general law.” {1870 JW, SOAP 8-9}

‘seven-eighths of all the bodily ills and diseases of the people are caused, or greatly aggravated, by self-abuse, or excessive legal indulgence.’
{1870 JW, SOAP 203.3}

We have already heard Mrs. Grove say, “There is hardly an end to these diseases” (diseases caused by this vice). She enumerates “dyspepsia, spinal complaint, headache, epilepsy, impaired eyesight, palpitation of the heart, pain in the side, bleeding at the lungs, spasms of the heart and lungs, diabetes, or incontinence of urine, fluor albus, or whites, inflammation of the urinary organs.” Dr. Deslandes, besides many of these, instances rheumatism, affected perspiration, consumption, asthma, catarrh, polypus of the heart, affection of the bones, fevers, priapism strangury, polypus uteri, blood discharges, etc., etc. {1870 JW, SOAP 12.1}

“We have seen that over-indulgence, in all its forms, plants disease in the sexual apparatus. Now if this disease ended here, it would do great injury; but it goes farther, and does more. It deteriorates the sexual characteristics. That is, it impairs the manliness of the male, and the femininity of the female. ..” {1870 JW, SOAP 207.2-208.1}

“O, virtue! how few worship at thy holy shrine, or keep thy robe of spotless innocence unstained with carnality! To say what proportion keep their robes white, and know only their lawful companions, it is difficult to say, but not many stones would be cast if they alone cast them. Alas! how few observe the seventh commandment! And how almost universally is chastity sacrificed to lust, in one or other of its forms!
{1870 JW, SOAP 183.1}

This commandment forbids not only acts of impurity, but sensual
thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them. Purity is
demanded not only in the outward life but in the secret intents and
emotions of the heart. Christ, who taught the far-reaching obligation of
the law of God, declared the evil thought or look to be as truly sin as is the
unlawful deed.
{PP 308}

From the pen of Ellen White~

“If you have tender, loving words and kindly attentions to bestow, let them be given him you have promised before God and angels to love, honor and respect, while you both shall live. Oh! how many lives are made bitter by the walls being broken down which inclose the privacies of every family, calculated to preserve purity and sanctity. A third person is taken into the confidence of the wife, and her private family matters are laid open before the special friend. This is the device of Satan to estrange the hearts of the husband and wife. Oh! that this would cease. What a world of trouble would be saved! Lock the faults of one another within your own hearts. Tell your troubles alone to God. He can give you right counsel and sure consolation, which will be pure, having no bitterness in it.” E.G.W. {1870 JW, SOAP 157.1}

“Many professed Christians are more animal than divine. They are, in fact, about all animal. A man of this type degrades the wife he has promised to nourish and cherish. She is made by him an instrument to minister to the gratification of his low, lustful propensities. Very many women submit to become slaves to lustful passion. They do not possess their bodies in sanctification and honor. The wife does not retain the dignity and self-respect she possessed previous to marriage. This holy institution should have preserved and increased her womanly respect and holy dignity. Her chaste, dignified, godlike womanhood, has been consumed upon the altar of base passion. It has been sacrificed to please her husband. She soon loses respect for her husband, who does not regard the laws to which the brute creation yields obedience. The married life become a galling yoke; for love dies out, and, frequently, distrust, jealousy, and hate, take its place.” E.G.W. {1870 JW, SOAP 173.1}

“I have felt deeply as I have seen the powerful influence animal passions have had in controlling men and women of no ordinary intelligence and ability. They are capable of engaging in a good work, of exerting a powerful influence, were they not enslaved by base passions.” E.G.W. {1870 JW, SOAP 166}

“The professed people of God are not all holy. Some are corrupt. God is seeking to elevate them; but these refuse to come up upon a high plane of action. The animal passions bear sway, and the moral and intellectual are overborne, and made servants to the animal. Those who do not control their passions cannot appreciate the atonement, or place a right value upon the worth of the soul. Salvation to them is not experienced nor understood. The gratification of their animal passions is to them the highest ambition of their lives. But nothing but purity and holiness will God accept. One spot, one wrinkle, one defect in the character, will debar them from Heaven, with all its glories and treasures, forever.” E.G.W. {1870 JW, SOAP 145.1}

“I saw the seventh commandment had been broken by some who are now held in fellowship by the church; and in consequence God’s frown is upon the church. This sin is awful in these last days and the church has brought God’s frown and curse upon them by regarding this sin so lightly. I saw that it was an enormous sin, and that there have not been as vigilant efforts made as there should have been, to satisfy the displeasure of God and remove His frown, by taking a straight forward course with the offender. An awfully corrupting influence has been shed over the young. The young see how lightly this sin is regarded, and those committing this horrid sin, on confessing they have done wrong and are sorry, are restored to all the privileges of the house of God, and held in the embrace and full fellowship of the church, hence it has been thought a small sin to break the seventh commandment.” {Ms1-1854.2}

“They have thought it was not so great a sin, but have lightly esteemed the breaking [of] the seventh commandment. This has been sufficient to remove the ark of God from the camp, if there were no other sins to cause the ark to be taken away and weaken Israel. Those who break the seventh commandment should be suspended from the church and not have its fellowship or the privileges of the house of God.” {Ms3-1854.4-5}

“None can glorify God in their body, as he requires, while they are living in transgression of the law of God. If the body violates the seventh commandment, it is through the dictation of the mind. If the mind is impure the body will naturally engage in impure acts. Purity cannot exist in the soul of one who yields his body to impure acts. If the body is serving lust, the mind cannot maintain consecration to God. To preserve a sanctified mind, the body must be preserved in sanctification and honor. The mind will then serve the law of God, and yield willing obedience to all its claims. Then, with the apostle, such can yield their members as instruments of righteousness unto God. “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof.” The freedom which the apostle describes as the privilege of Christ’s followers will never be experienced by those who delight to trample under foot the law of God. The freedom and blessedness expressed in the following words, will be experienced by that class who yield obedience to the law of Jehovah: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The apostle charges the Galatians to “walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” He farther states: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” {RH March 8, 1870, par. 10}



Dealing With Those Overtaken in the Sin of Adultery

“In regard to the case of the injured sister A. G., we would say in reply to the questions of J. H. W., that it is a feature in the cases of most who have been overtaken in sin, as her husband has, that they have no real sense of their villainy. Some, however, do, and are restored to the church; but not till they have merited the confidence of the people of God by unqualified confessions, and a period of sincere repentance. This case presents difficulties not found in some, and we would add only the following: {RH March 24, 1868, Art. A, par. 1}
1. In cases of the violation of the seventh commandment, where the guilty party does not manifest true repentance, if the injured party can obtain a divorce without making their own cases and that of their children, if they have them, worse by so doing, they should be free. {RH March 24, 1868, Art. A, par. 2}
2. If they would be liable to place themselves and their children in worse condition by a divorce, we know of no scripture that would make the innocent party guilty by remaining. {RH March 24, 1868, Art. A, par. 3}
3. Time, and labor, and prayer, and patience, and faith, and a godly life, might work a reform. To live with one who has broken the marriage vows, and is covered all over with the disgrace and shame of guilty love, realizes it not, is an eating canker to the soul; and yet, a divorce is a life-long, heart-felt sore. God pity the innocent party. Marriage should be considered well before contracted. {RH March 24, 1868, Art. A, par. 4}
4. Why! oh, why! will men and women who might be respectable, and good, and reach Heaven at last, sell themselves to the Devil so cheap, wound their bosom friends, disgrace their families, bring a reproach upon the cause, and go to hell at last? God have mercy. Why will not those who are overtaken in crime manifest repentance proportionate to the enormity of their crime, and fly to Christ for mercy, and heal, as far as possible, the wounds they have made? {RH March 24, 1868, Art. A, par. 5}
5. But, if they will not do as they should, and if the innocent have forfeited the legal right to a divorce, by living with the guilty after his guilt is known, we do not see that sin rests upon the innocent in remaining, and her moral right in departing seems questionable, if her health and life be not greatly endangered in so remaining. {RH March 24, 1868, Art. A, par. 6}
6. As in the days of Noah, one of the signs of these times is a passion for injudicious and hasty marriages. Satan is in this. If Paul could remain single, and recommend the same to others, that he and they might be wholly the Lord’s, why not those who would be wholly his, and wish to make a sure thing of avoiding the cares, trials, and bitter anguish, so frequent in the experiences of those who choose the married life, remain as he was? And more, if he chose to remain so, and could recommend it to others, eighteen centuries since, would not to remain as he was, be a commendable course for those who are waiting for the coming of the Son of man, unless evidences were unquestionable that they were bettering their condition, and making Heaven more sure by so doing? When so much is at stake, why not be on the sure side every time?”
{RH March 24, 1868, Art. A, par. 7} James White, Ellen G. White.

HYGIENIC TREATMENT

The law covers the senses; for first, it is by the means of some of the
senses, at least, that it reaches the mind.
Again, men sin with their senses; and with their senses men should
keep the law. Again, those senses which group around the appetites are
regulated by that portion of the law that governs the appetites, viz., the
seventh commandment. That this commandment has to do with our eating
and drinking is not only seen by reflecting on the bearing that eating and
drinking has on the passions, but also by reading Heb. xii, 16: “Lest there
be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat
sold his birthright.
864 Daniel T. Bourdeau, Sanctification and Living Holiness, pgs. 119, 120