therefore the law of God forbids evil in thought as well as in deed.
So the conclusion that one must come to is that the commandments of God contain the whole duty of man. But the trouble with some individuals is that they do not want to see their duty. I would not make this remark if I had not heard a goodly number of people say in substance the following: "If you should convince me that it was right to keep the seventh day for the Sabbath instead of the first day, I would not keep it." Such persons are sinners without a doubt, for they refuse to do what is right, and James says this is sin. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." The persons who talk as stated above do not want to open their eyes, nor allow the Lord to open them for them, that they may see the binding force of the fourth commandment.
David was not of that class, as a quotation from him will show: "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law." I would be exceedingly glad if this were the sincere prayer of all of the people on our earth, and I make an appeal to all who may read these lines to let David's prayer be their most earnest supplication that God anoint their eyes with eye-salve that they may see what that perfect law requires of them.
We will imagine that some of you who read this article need to have your eyes opened to see the binding force of God's law upon you. Suppose that you should make this prayer, and the Lord should open your eyes, and by showing you wondrous things out of His law should thereby show you that you were violating the fourth commandment of His law, what then ought you to do? Let us see what David did and it will be well for you to follow his course. David says: "I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments."
When any man finds himself breaking the commandments of God, then is the time when he should make haste, and delay not to keep them. Dear reader, do you not think such a course to be a wise and safe one? Let us all fear God and keep His commandments, for this is our whole duty.