IS THE LORD PARTICULAR?
By Roswell F. Cottrell
There are many persons who do not feel very particular in their duties toward God, or in their dealings with men. They will say, “I mean to do about right.” And about right they think is near enough. And concerning religious duties they say, “I don’t believe it makes any difference. One will do just as well as the other.” This we often hear from professed believers. They seem not to be aware that they, in so doing, adopt the infidel’s creed, every article of which is prefaced with, I don’t believe. Place these words before every article of Christian faith, every truth of revelation, and you have the infidel’s creed entire. But the testimony of God in the days of Moses was, “In all things that I have said unto you be circumspect.” Ex. 23:13. And in the Christian age it is the same. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” Eph. 5:15. In many places of Scripture the Lord cautions us to be very careful to do just what he has commanded. “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand, or to the left.” Deut. 5:32. In Num. 3 the Lord has given a sample of a business transaction, which it will be safe to follow in all our dealings. When he had slain all the first-born of Egypt, and spared the first-born of Israel, he claimed these as his own, to be consecrated to his service. But afterward he chose the tribe of Levi for this especial service, instead of all the first-born of Israel. On numbering the Levites the number was found to be 22,000; but of the first-born of all Israel there were 22,273. We might have said, That is near enough; the 273 will make no difference. But the Lord did not do business that way; but he charged five shekels apiece for their redemption, making 1,365 shekels, to be paid into his treasury. According with this an apostle has said, “Render to all their dues;” and Jesus said, “Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The tenth is the Lord’s; he justly claims it as his own. Let us be careful to give to all their dues. God weighs our motives, and notices things which we may esteem very small.