Blessing Is for Obedience.
By C. P. Bollman
"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart." Ps. 119: 1, 2. ONE argument that is frequently used in behalf of Sunday-sanctity is that "people have been so blessed" in keeping that day. However, a little thought will show any one that this proves nothing. Real spiritual blessings can be determined certainly only by infallible scriptural proofs; for so far as merely human wisdom can see, the most false and corrupt systems of religion are blessed equally with the true. Many facts might be given to prove this, but it is necessary only to instance the Roman Catholic and the Mormon Churches. The Church of Rome far outnumbers all Protestants, and exerts an influence in the world to-day that is not equaled by all other professedly Christian bodies combined; and yet Inspiration calls her the "Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." The Mormon Church, though only fifty-six years old, numbers over 213,000 members, and possesses immense wealth; and this notwithstanding the fact that from the first her people have been cast out as evil, being driven from Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa, and compelled, as a last resort, to find an asylum in the heart of what was then known as the "Great American Desert." But does the prosperity which has attended this people prove that they are of God?—By no means; and yet they imagine that it does; and when in Salt Lake City some three years ago, the writer heard an old Mormon urge some of these facts as evidence of the favor of the Lord. But when we examine the system in the light of the Bible, we know that it is not of God. The Scriptures must in every instance be the standard, and if any people "speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." If Roman Catholicism accords with the Scriptures, and if Mormonism can be sustained by the Bible, then we may conclude that God is really pleased with them, and that he really blesses them, but not otherwise. But while we cannot admit that real blessings are bestowed upon such systems of iniquity as Catholicism and Mormonism, it is no doubt true that many people have been blessed even while holding very serious errors. But who would dare assert that they were blessed because of those errors? Was Luther blessed because he held the doctrine of consubstantiation? Were the churches in the Southern States before the war blessed because they upheld slavery? A man once said to the writer, "I know that it is right to chew tobacco, because God forgave my sins and justified me while I was using it." Was his argument sound? Even granting that his experience was genuine, did it prove that God was pleased to have him defile himself with tobacco?—Certainly not. The key to all such claims is in the fact that nothing is more natural to the human heart than self-justification; and oftentimes the "goodness of God," which should lead to repentance, is seized upon as evidence of the favor of God toward those who are transgressing his law. The apostle Peter tells us (2 Peter 3), that even the long-suffering of God will in the last days furnish an argument for the scoffers who ask, "Where is the promise of his coming?" and the wise man says: "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily; therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Eccl. 8: 11. And he adds: "Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear he before him; but it shall not be well with the wicked." Verses 12, 13. And then, too, a mistake is often made in regarding prosperity as an evidence of the blessing of God; but of prosperity in sin the psalmist says: "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed forever." Ps. 92: 7. And again we read: "I was envious . . . when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." "They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men." "Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish." "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world." Ps. 73: 3, 5, 7, 12. But of the righteous David says: "Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning." Verses 13, 14. At first the psalmist did not understand this; he could not see why it was that the wicked prospered, while the people of God suffered adversity. When he thought of this it was too painful for him, but when he went into the Sanctuary of God, he says: "Then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places." Ps. 73: 16-18. But what did he see there that enabled him to understand the matter? He saw the ark containing the law of God—the rule of the Judgment—and then with Job, he could say: "God layeth up his iniquity for his children; he rewardeth him, and he shall know it. His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty." "The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." Job 21: 19, 20, 30. But how shall we know who is blessed of the Lord? Again let the psalmist answer: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." Such a man may suffer affliction as Job did, but with that patriarch he can say: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Or, like the apostle, though about to seal his testimony with his blood, he can say: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day." Wealth, position, and the applause of men are no proof of the favor of God, but rather the contrary. Says the Saviour: "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of Heaven;" and he charged his disciples, saying: "Be ye not called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ;" and again he said: "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." The Saviour did not teach his followers to look for ease in this world; he said: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." John 15: 18-20. The words of the Saviour, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," are as true now as when first spoken; and the question, "What concord hath Christ with Belial," is as pertinent now as in the days of the apostle. The only safety of either churches or individuals is in clinging closely to the Scriptures. The word of the Lord to his ancient people was:— "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." And in harmony with this are the words of Christ: "Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven." The Lord says, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy . . . The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work." And in the day that "God shall bring every work into judgment," what excuse shall they offer who are found violating this plain commandment? Will any then plead the blessing of God as a reason for making void his law through human traditions?—Nay, verily; for the "refuge of lies" shall be swept away, and then, in the clear light of the unchanged law of God, all shall "discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." Mal. 3: 18.