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The Law of the Lord

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 31, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 38, No. 20.

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The Law of the Lord.

By A. S. Hutchens

“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” Ps. 119:97. By some, at the present time, it is an evidence of weakness or delusion of mind to meditate or talk much on the law of God. It is inconvenient to keep the commandments of God, it flings one out of harmony with the common course of men, and so individuals excuse themselves. But will they be excused in the Judgment? See Ps. 1:5.
God pronounces a blessing upon those who “delight” in his law, to such as therein “meditate day and night.” Christ commendeth those who “do and teach” the commandments. Matt. 5:19. He also taught the young man to keep the commandments if he would “enter into life.” Matt. 19. He quotes a part of the ten commandments, showing conclusively what commandments he refers to.
Says James: “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” He also mentions in this connection two of the ten commandments, clearly indicating what law he means. He calls this law “the law of liberty.” At the present, men call it a “yoke of bondage.” Who is right?
Said a Methodist minister to me, not long since, “You never know what freedom is.” Why not? “Because you have always thought there was one day in seven to be kept holy.” He also said that the fact recorded in Luke 23:56, relative to the women resting on the Sabbath (seventh day), that the Saviour lay in the grave, was one of the best evidences that the first day was kept instead of the seventh when this record was made.
Reader, this was an entirely new thought to me. And it strikes me as being full as weighty as the declaration, that it indicates a weak mind, or a choice to wear a yoke of bondage, to keep all of the commandments of God. “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies.” David. “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations.” Moses. A. S. HUTCHENS.