Which of these commands would the person afflicted desire to dispense with ? O ! the horrible ingratitude of despising the Gospel of Christ ! See, Brethren, what sad reason there is for God's complaint against us !]
3. The manner in which they were enforced —
[The one injunction of Jonadab, that had been given three hundred years before, was all that had operated on the minds of his descendants ; even though it had been merely suggested as a matter of expediency, without being enforced by any sanc- tions whatever. But God's commands have been, and still are, renewed from clay to day, by ambassadors sent for that express purpose, and authorized to assure us, that eternal happiness and eternal misery depend on the regard which we pay to them. What an amazing aggravation of our guilt is this! Verily, whatever excuses we may make for our conduct now, our mouths will be shut in the day of judgment; yea, and the whole house of the Rechabites will rise up in judgment against us and condemn us.]
Address —
1. To those who regard man, and not God —
[God himself rewarded the Rechabites for their adherence to the customs of their forefathers ; and thereby expressed his approbation of an attention to rules, which have been derived from authority, and established by time. Whether the rules pertain to civil or religious duties, provided they do not mili- tate against the law of God, or prove burthensome to the con- science, we conceive it is right to conform to them. But no punctuality in the observance of them can stand in the place of obedience to God. We may be zealous patriots, active par- tisans, strict religionists, and yet never render unto God any spiritual service, or take one step in our way to heaven. God must have the heart ; Christ must be the one ground of our hope and confidence ; the Holy Spirit must guide and sanctify our souls ; or else we shall remain in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity. Let those, then, who are disposed to value themselves on their regularity and zeal in the observance of human ordinances, remember, that they are building on a foundation of sand ; and that they only build upon a rock, who hear and do the commandments of their Gode.]
2. To those who regard God, and not man —
[Though none would go so far as to say that religion supersedes all human obligations, and justifies a contempt of
e Matt. vii. 24 — 27.
1080.1 DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD CONDEMNED. il"i~
all established usages, there are many who act as if this were the real sentiment of their hearts. At the commencement of the French Revolution, this observation was verified to no small extent in our own land : many who should have been " the quiet in the land " were as eager as any to subvert that constitution, which has since approved itself the admiration and envy of the world. And it is still too often found, that persons professing a love for religion, neglect the duties of their place and station, and violate the most established usages of the society to which they belong. But such persons little think what spirit they are of, or what injury they do to the souls of men. The people who know not God will of course lay the greatest stress upon the observance of their own pecu- liar laws and maxims ; and will blame, not the conduct only that violates them, but religion itself, as countenancing that conduct. On this account, St. Paul was careful to " give no offence in any thing." He consulted the prejudices of men, and conformed to their views and habits as far as he con- scientiously could, " becoming all things to all men, that he might by all means save some." This is the conduct which we all should imitate : this is the life by which we should adorn our holy profession : this is the way to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, and to " win by our conversation " those who would never have been won by the written or preached word. Let the Apostle's exhortation then be the rule of our conduct ; " Whatsoever things are honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things."]