Your ShelfYour Projects

Universal Obedience

6%

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 11, 1865

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 25, No. 19.

Read the full edition

Universal Obedience.

By E. B. Saunders

Bro. White : The following on Universal Obedience is quoted by Jonathan Edwards in his work on the Affections, from Stoddard's Way to know Sincerity and Hypocrisy. It will serve to show the narrowness of the way as our fathers viewed it above a hundred years ago. E. B. Saunders.
He that pretends to godliness, and turns aside to crooked ways, is an hypocrite; for those that are really godly do live in a way of obedience. Ps. cxix, 1-3. "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, that walk in the law of the Lord. They also do no iniquity." Luke i, 6. They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments of the Lord blameless. But such as live in ways of sin are dissemblers; for all such will be rejected in the day of judgment. Matt. vii, 23. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Luke xiii, 27.
If men live in a way of disobedience, they do not love God; for love will make men keep God's commandments, and his commandments are not grievous.
If men live in a way of disobedience, they have not a spirit of faith; for faith sanctifies men. Acts xxvi, 18. Sanctified by faith that is in me.
If men live in a way of disobedience, they are not Christ's sheep; for his sheep hear his voice. John x, 27.
Men that live in a way of disobedience, are not born of God. 1 John iii, 9. "He that is born of God sinneth not."
Men that live in a way of disobedience are the servants of sin. John viii, 34. He that committeth sin is the servant of sin.
A course of external sin is an evidence of hypocrisy, whether it be a sin of omission or commission.
If men live in the neglect of known duties, or in the practice of known evils, that will be their condemnation; let the sin be what it will; let it be profaneness, uncleanness, lying, or injustice.
If men allow themselves in malice, envy, wanton thoughts, profane thoughts, that will condemn them; though those corruptions do not break out in any scandalous way. These thoughts are evidence of a rotten heart. Titus iii, 8. We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
If a man allows himself, though he thinks he doth not, in malice and envy, he is a hypocrite; though his conscience disallows it, yet if his heart allows it, he is no saint. Some make pretences to godliness, whereby they do not only deceive others, but (which is a great deal worse) deceive themselves also; but this will condemn them, that they live in a course of sin, and so must go with ungodly men. Ps. cxxv, 5. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. If there be a great change in a man's carriage, and he be reformed in several particulars, yet if there be one evil way, the man is an ungodly man; where there is piety there is universal obedience.
A man may have great infirmities, yet be a godly man. So it was with Lot, David, and Peter; but if he lives in a way of sin, he does not render his godliness only suspicious, but it is full evidence against him.
Men that are godly have respect to all of God's commandments. Ps. cxix, 6. There be a great many commands, and if there be one of them that a man has not respect unto, he will be put to shame another day.
If a man lives in one evil way, he is not subject to God's authority; but then he lives in rebellion; and that will take off all his pleas, and at once cut off all his pretenses; and he will be condemned in the day of judgment. One way of sin is exception enough against the man's salvation. Though the sin he lives in be but small, such persons will not be guilty of perjury, stealing, drunkenness, fornication; they look upon them to be heinous things, and are afraid of them; but they do not much matter it, if they oppress a little in a bargain, if they commend a thing too much when they are about to sell it, if they break a promise, if they spend the Sabbath unprofitably, if they neglect secret prayer, if they talk rudely and reproach others; they think these are but small things; if they can keep clear of great transgressions, they hope that God will not insist upon small things.
But indeed all the commands of God are established by divine authority; a small shot may kill a man as well as a cannon ball; a small leak may sink a ship.
If a man lives in small sins, that shows he has no love to God, no sincere care to please and honor God. Little sins are of a damning nature, as well as great; if they do not deserve so much punishment as greater, yet they do deserve damnation. There is a contempt of God in all sins. Matt. v, 19. He that shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of God. Prov. xix, 16. He that keepeth the commandments, keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his way, shall die. If a man says, this is a great command, and so lays weight on it, and another is a little commandment, and so does not regard it, but will allow himself to break it, he is in a perishing condition.