Recently I asked a minister of the Christian denomination, why he called the first day of the week the Sabbath. He replied that the Scriptures said, “There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding;” and so he understood that the Sunday was the Sabbath! The evidence was all internal—in himself. And so a person once told me they knew the soul was immortal; something within told them so. Foolish and absurd as this appears, many stand on such a foundation.
They do not appear to realize that they are directly setting aside the Scriptures as the rule of faith. If, when the Bible speaks plainly on a subject, we may set it aside because we feel that the opposite is right, of what use is the Bible? It is a dead letter to all such; they are, practically, infidels.
It is very often the case, that the “spirit in man” is quite contrary to the Spirit of God. His Spirit is called “the Spirit of truth;” because it inspired holy men to speak his word, and his word is truth. All the words spoken by his Spirit are truth; of course, all that contradict them are false. By this word of truth, we understand that “the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.” Jas. iv, 5. How different from God’s Spirit, by which we ought to be led. They who set aside the word of God, to follow their own spirit, are denounced in the Scriptures. “Thus saith the Lord God, Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing . . . . They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith; and the Lord hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Eze. xiii, 3, 6.
Some think they are not required to obey God, unless they feel like it: if there does not appear to be a harmony between their hearts and the word of the Lord, they set aside the word, and follow their own hearts. They place themselves above God’s word, not believing that “the heart is deceitful.” Jer. xvii, 9. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.” Prov. xxviii, 26. On the contrary, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do his commandments.” Ps. cxi, 10.
It is truly astonishing that any who profess any reverence for the word of God, should be so easily deceived as to follow the imaginations of their own hearts, in preference to its teachings. All reason as well as all Scripture is against them. “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool . . . . . but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isa. lxvi, 1, 2.