“What Doth the Lord Require of Thee, but to Do Justly?”
By Geo. F. Butler
This quotation occurs in Micah 6:8. The whole passage reads as follows: “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Perhaps there is no place in Scripture where the great principles of man’s duty to his Creator are more beautifully summed up. These principles are contrasted in the connection with sacrifices and other outward services of religion, and God’s decided preference shown for them. It seems from several Scriptures that the forms and services connected with God’s worship, are valuable when found in connection with justice and mercy, and valueless when not. How many deceive themselves here. “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly?” Justice, Mr. Webster defines, “Rendering or disposed to render to each one his due, conforming or conformable to rectitude, not doing wrong to any, violating no right or obligation, equitable, upright, honest, true.” Justice lies at the very foundation of religion. It is the first step. Indeed, a profession of the service of God, that will not cause one to cease from wronging his fellow-men is not only of no benefit, but a positive injury to all concerned. It will result in deception to the individual, and bring a reproach upon the cause of truth. God requires us to do justly; that is, in all our deal and intercourse with our fellow-men to do that which is equitable and honest. Religion, by which I mean that full service of our Creator that will be in accordance with his will, requires this. God will not accept less. We can never have his favor without this, and consequently can never receive that reward to be given to those who do well. Eternal life with all its consequences hangs upon our doing justly. God would have us see to it that we form a character that will abominate all wrong to our fellow-men. He would have us regard their rights every way equal to our own. “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them,” says the Saviour. That is but strict justice. To those who form such a character, God will intrust eternal life, never-ending happiness. At least he requires us to see to it that we form such a character. Who, then, is principally interested in the matter? I claim that we as individuals are the ones to attend to it. A great stake is pending upon125the result—eternal life or the loss of it. It becomes us then to watch ourselves closely. It matters not what may be the exigencies of the moment, the customs of worldlings, whether others are beholding us or will ever find it out, or our brethren will think well of us, as sure as there is a living God, he will “bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” The character we really form will be placed where it belongs, among the good or among the bad. What is the present life in comparison to the future? A mere cipher to eternity. A man, then, is a fool who will jeopardize that life for any temporary advantage of a pecuniary nature. I conscientiously believe this is the true ground upon which this matter should be placed. We ourselves are the ones principally interested in being strictly just. God requires it. We far better lose everything we trade with our fellow-man, than to knowingly take a single cent without giving a fair equivalent. The first is a mere temporary loss; the latter would show a character inconsistent with the principle we are considering, and unless repented of might involve us in eternal ruin. Which would we prefer, the place of the rich man or Lazarus, in the future state? The question would be easily answered. If I were to ask which we would prefer in this life, it might be more difficult; and yet they have an intimate connection. Doing justly requires us to give a fair equivalent in buying, and to receive but that in selling, so far of course as we can ascertain what that would be. And if we are at a loss to know, we better err on the safe side. I have indicated above which that is; and doing “justly” looks toward the past, as well as to the present and future. What a beautiful character is that of Zaccheus! Luke 19. He said to the Lord, “If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Jesus said, “This day is salvation come to this house.” What shall we think of a person’s love for justice who knows he has taken wrongfully in trade a certain sum, and refuses to give back even the principal when he professes to have repented? selfishly retaining that which he has no just claim to? keeping for his own use that which belongs to another? Will it not burn his flesh as it were fire when God shall rise up in judgment? A person’s repentance is not worth a straw when he retains the avails of his sins knowingly. It is no repentance. God requires us “to do justly.” We often hear people speak of good trades they have made. And what is a good trade as understood in the common language of the day? A and B have each an article of property. A is a shrewd man with good judgment. He knows the value of property at a glance. Not so with B. They exchange. B’s property passes into A’s hands at twenty dollars say less than it is really worth. A knows this, pockets the sum, and chuckles over it, and tells his neighbors what a good trade he has made. In plain language he has taken twenty dollars from B without giving him any equivalent for it because of his superior judgment. It seems to me like putting one’s better judgment to a very bad use. Will not such “good trades” in the day of the Lord appear to be the most foolish transactions in which a person can engage? Will the God that requires us to “do justly” overlook such transactions as these? In the above transaction I have not supposed any misrepresentation. We all know the wrong is often intensified by that. There would be far less traffic were these principles acted upon. The spirit of traffic almost necessarily leads one to injustice in deal. Human nature is so selfish it can scarcely bear to be subjected to such constant temptation as a mercantile life involves. The grace of God may be sufficient for this, as well as other things; but I am satisfied the cases are rare where men keep themselves from becoming grasping and selfish in that vocation. Making exorbitant profits is another direction in which men fail to “do justly.” Men go into patent rights where they hope to have an exclusive control of a certain article. What use do they make of this control? Place such a high price upon it that they hope to get rich very quickly by the proceeds. I doubt if the principle at the bottom of this is sound. Many would go into this who do not, were not the whole business overdone till there is no great prospect of money-making in it. Some of our brethren, as the saying is, have “got bit” in this business. I believe the frown of God is upon the principle at the bottom of it, the desire to get rich quickly out of the wants of others simply because we have the power to do so. Taking advantage of the necessities of others, to bring them down to the lowest possible limit, is a flagrant violation of this principle often seen. God abhors it. The relation of employer and employee gives occasion for many violations of justice. On the one hand, the duty is plain to give a fair market price for the labor we employ, and on the other, to give the employer that which he has purchased; viz., the labor stipulated to be given. A person who will fool away his time or take it easy because the employer’s eye is not on him, is no better than one who takes money from his employer’s pocket. These principles might be carried out in many directions; but this article is already sufficiently long. We should love justice for its own sake, always realizing that every unjust act leaves its stain upon the character, as well as its record in the book of God’s remembrance. Our sins will find us out, and if unrepented of, sink us to eternal ruin. May God help us to “do justly!”
GEO. F. BUTLER. Woodburn, Iowa, March 22, 1871.