Serving from Principle-A Parable by John Norton Loughborough

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 6, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 19.

Serving from Principle—A Parable.

By John Norton Loughborough

A FATHER, who is to be absent from home for a certain length of time, says to his son, a lad of twelve years: "Now I am to be away from home for a few weeks, and I want you to be sure that the house is well supplied with wood during my absence. There are seven piles of wood you see out in the yard. Remember to take the wood from that seventh pile, for that is the one I designate to be used while I am away."

The command is certainly plain enough, and there is no excuse for any misunderstanding of it. After the father leaves, the son begins to look the matter over, and to reason upon it, and to study his own convenience. He says to himself, "Now that seventh pile is quite a distance from the kitchen wood-box where I am to place the wood. Just think, it is way down at the end of these six long piles. The first pile is only a little way from the kitchen, and how much more convenient for me to take wood from that pile. I don't think father cares anyway from which pile I take it. Wood is wood, whichever pile I take it from. Then father emphasized the fact that he wanted the wood supplied. That is the principle of the thing in his command.

It Makes No Difference to Father.

"When I mentioned the matter to Bridget, the kitchen servant, she agreed with me that it would not make any difference to father. He only wanted the wood supplied, and when I talked the matter over with my schoolmates, they all thought it would be all foolishness for me to spend my time in carrying from way down in that seventh pile. I would have more time to give to my studies, and it would please father so much to see what advancement I had made in science by this fine calculation on the wood business. And when he sees how well I have improved the time thus saved, he will excuse me from any apparent neglect of doing just exactly as he said."

So reasoning the son neglects the seventh pile of wood, and does all his carrying from the first pile, congratulating himself with the thought, "When father returns, he will say, 'Well done, my son, how faithful you have been in doing as I commanded you. And then, I see by your version of my command, you have gained so much time, and made such splendid progress in your study of science; I am well pleased with it all.'"

At last the father returns, calls up his son, and says, "What does all this mean? Did I not tell you plainly that you were to take wood from that seventh pile? And here you have been demolishing this first pile, which is not mine; but is the property of a man who was to come for it on my return, not simply for stove-wood either, as there were some choice sticks wanted for artistic work; but you have all these consumed in the kitchen fire. I have no commendation for your course, nor for your false reasoning which is making all this trouble. Remember, when I tell you to do a thing,

I expect you to obey the exact words, without any of your fixing, or of your reasoning contrary to it. Remember always that one is not seven."

And is not this the exact way people are reasoning with what God has commanded? He said, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Remember, and "keep it holy." "O," say latter-day reasoners, "A day is a day anyhow, and what does the Lord care so long as we devote a day to Him. It is only the principle of the thing that He requires." Yet these same persons are anxious to have the first day of the week enforced by law upon all men, even claiming that this must be done so that all shall obey the commandment of the Lord. If the Lord should now speak directly to them, He might inquire, "Who hath required this at your hand?"

It is just as true now as when Moses spake to Israel of old, "And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He hath commanded us." Deut. 6:25. The only safe position in which we can walk, after our sins have been canceled by virtue of Christ's blood, is in heeding the counsel of the apostle James: "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." James 2:12. And that law of liberty is the law of Ten Commandments. He refers to two, the sixth and the seventh, to show of what law he is speaking. The fourth precept of that same law says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."

Not far hence we shall all be called into the presence of our heavenly Father. Can we expect Him to accept our human contrivances which are thought to be more convenient, as obedience to His commands? Will He say of such, "Well done"? It is "impossible for God to lie." Heb. 6:18. So let us beware of our course.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.