Post by Char on Oct 26, 2008 13:44:28 GMT -6
JAMES 2:10-11
I. THE NECESSITY OF UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE
The breach of one precept necessary implies, and therefore is fairly to be adjudged, a breach of the whole law.
By offence we are to understand a knowing and voluntary transgression of the law.
By offending in one point is meant an habitual neglect of one duty, founded on a disbelief of the necessity of our performing it; and not any single act of transgression.
The proposition, then, is this, that whoever knows the law, and yet denies his obedience to any one precept of it, is guilty of disobedience to the whole law.
To illustrate this farther, consider that the only principles that preserve men’s reverence of God, and engage their obedience to His laws, are either fear and apprehension of His justice in their punishment, or love and the expectation of those rewards He proposes to obedience. Now all the restraint men are under from these motives is by the violation of one law broken through; and the principle which influenced their obedience has lost its efficacy on them.
Consider, farther, that the right our creator has to our obedience is of so high and transcendent a nature that it can suffer no competition; His commands must have the first and governing influence on all our actions.
Neither can our observance of other parts of our duty be any atonement for our guilt in offending in one point, or entitle us to the rewards of obedience. For it is not our performing any particular action, but our performing it in obedience to the Divine law, that renders it acceptable to God.
Purely a compliance with natural appetite; and consequently are not to be looked on as instances of obedience to a Divine Law.
Supposing him not to be insensible of an obedience due to God Almighty, and to act with some regard to it, yet since this regard is so small, that in some instances it is manifestly inferior to a temptation, were the same temptation applied to other parts of his duty, it would by the same regular influence engage him to transgress them too.
It may appear not only consistent with the pursuits he is engaged in, but the profit, the reputation, or the convenience to the virtue, may recommend it, from the same inducements of pleasure and advantage by which he has been determined in the choice of his favourite vices; and so he may obey the law in one instance from the motives that prevail on him to break it in another.
But this in not serving God, but our own lusts.
What are the please which delude so great a part of mankind, and induce them to believe that God will be satisfied with a partial obedience.
It is urged that God almighty is a wise and merciful Father who knows the powers and weaknesses of or nature, and the number and difficulty of those temptations we are exposed to.
And since an entire observance of the whole law is manifestly beyond our abilities, and God cannot without the imputation of cruelty be supposed to require more than partial obedience from us.
But in answer to this we may observe, first, that since God has by positive precept required our obedience to every command of the law, it is a much fairer inference from His knowledge of our abilities, and His inseparable attributes of goodness and justice, to conclude that such a being would not require impossibilities and insult the weakness of His creatures with a delusive proposal of happiness, which He knew they could never attain.
But to give a more direct answer to this plea, it must be observed that this objection proceeds upon mistaken sense of the doctrine we assert; which is not that God requires a perfect unsinning obedience, free from particular acts or transgression, thus we acknowledge it impossible for us to obey any one law; but that every law of God is equally to be obeyed.
Examine whither any plea can be drawn form Scripture to excuse or to justify a partial obedience. You can not find it. We must obey all of God’s laws.
II. EVERY COMMAND TO BE OBSERVED.
It shows how tender we should be of every command. A wilful violation amounts to a total neglect. The least dust offends the eye; and so the law is a tender thing, and soon wronged
Partial obedience is a argument of insincerity. It is a vain deceit to excuse defects of one duty by care of another.
Upon any particular failing we ought to renew our peace with God. I have done that now which will make me guilty of the whole law. Therefore, soul, run to the advocate. (I John 2:1)
We must not only regard the work of duty, but all the circumstances of it; and so proportionably, not only the acts of sin, but the vicious inclinations of it.
Former profession will do no good incase there be a total revolt afterward. A little poison in a cup, and one leak in a ship, may ruin all. A man may ride right for a long time, but one turn in the end of the journey may bring him quite out of the way.
The smallness of sin is a poor excuse. It is an aggravation rather than and excuse. It is the more sad, that we should stand with God for a trifle.
III. ON KEEPING GOD’S LAW.
Consider how wonderful you are obliged to your infinitely good God, in that He hath, through Christ, declared Himself so exceedingly willing to pardon all sins not allowed and lived in.
Consider how gracious God hath been to you in continuing His restraining grace, whereby you have been kept from scandalous sins; where as he hath had most just provocations to leave you to yourselves in regard of your allowance of secret ones.
Let the partially obedient consider what unaccountable fully and madness it is to disobey God in anything. What can you say for yourselves, why you should obey Him but just so far.
Consider what glorious reward is assured to us to encourage us to obey.
Let it be likewise considered that, as vastly great as the reward of obedience shall be, there is no more required of us under the gospel dispensation than, all things considered, needs must.
Consider also that the laws which are given us, as they are most necessary, so they are not so many as that we need to be scared at them.
Consider that there is so close a connection between them all, that obedience to one law will enable us to obey another and so on.
I may add that there is no necessity of being very solicitous about any more than one thing, in order to our keeping God’s law, and that is the vigorously possessing our souls with the love of God.
What a sad thing and miserable disappointment must it needs be, to come near to the kingdom of heaven, and yet at last fall short of it for want of going a little further? Keep walking toward God. (James Shoemake.)
I. THE NECESSITY OF UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE
The breach of one precept necessary implies, and therefore is fairly to be adjudged, a breach of the whole law.
By offence we are to understand a knowing and voluntary transgression of the law.
By offending in one point is meant an habitual neglect of one duty, founded on a disbelief of the necessity of our performing it; and not any single act of transgression.
The proposition, then, is this, that whoever knows the law, and yet denies his obedience to any one precept of it, is guilty of disobedience to the whole law.
To illustrate this farther, consider that the only principles that preserve men’s reverence of God, and engage their obedience to His laws, are either fear and apprehension of His justice in their punishment, or love and the expectation of those rewards He proposes to obedience. Now all the restraint men are under from these motives is by the violation of one law broken through; and the principle which influenced their obedience has lost its efficacy on them.
Consider, farther, that the right our creator has to our obedience is of so high and transcendent a nature that it can suffer no competition; His commands must have the first and governing influence on all our actions.
Neither can our observance of other parts of our duty be any atonement for our guilt in offending in one point, or entitle us to the rewards of obedience. For it is not our performing any particular action, but our performing it in obedience to the Divine law, that renders it acceptable to God.
Purely a compliance with natural appetite; and consequently are not to be looked on as instances of obedience to a Divine Law.
Supposing him not to be insensible of an obedience due to God Almighty, and to act with some regard to it, yet since this regard is so small, that in some instances it is manifestly inferior to a temptation, were the same temptation applied to other parts of his duty, it would by the same regular influence engage him to transgress them too.
It may appear not only consistent with the pursuits he is engaged in, but the profit, the reputation, or the convenience to the virtue, may recommend it, from the same inducements of pleasure and advantage by which he has been determined in the choice of his favourite vices; and so he may obey the law in one instance from the motives that prevail on him to break it in another.
But this in not serving God, but our own lusts.
What are the please which delude so great a part of mankind, and induce them to believe that God will be satisfied with a partial obedience.
It is urged that God almighty is a wise and merciful Father who knows the powers and weaknesses of or nature, and the number and difficulty of those temptations we are exposed to.
And since an entire observance of the whole law is manifestly beyond our abilities, and God cannot without the imputation of cruelty be supposed to require more than partial obedience from us.
But in answer to this we may observe, first, that since God has by positive precept required our obedience to every command of the law, it is a much fairer inference from His knowledge of our abilities, and His inseparable attributes of goodness and justice, to conclude that such a being would not require impossibilities and insult the weakness of His creatures with a delusive proposal of happiness, which He knew they could never attain.
But to give a more direct answer to this plea, it must be observed that this objection proceeds upon mistaken sense of the doctrine we assert; which is not that God requires a perfect unsinning obedience, free from particular acts or transgression, thus we acknowledge it impossible for us to obey any one law; but that every law of God is equally to be obeyed.
Examine whither any plea can be drawn form Scripture to excuse or to justify a partial obedience. You can not find it. We must obey all of God’s laws.
II. EVERY COMMAND TO BE OBSERVED.
It shows how tender we should be of every command. A wilful violation amounts to a total neglect. The least dust offends the eye; and so the law is a tender thing, and soon wronged
Partial obedience is a argument of insincerity. It is a vain deceit to excuse defects of one duty by care of another.
Upon any particular failing we ought to renew our peace with God. I have done that now which will make me guilty of the whole law. Therefore, soul, run to the advocate. (I John 2:1)
We must not only regard the work of duty, but all the circumstances of it; and so proportionably, not only the acts of sin, but the vicious inclinations of it.
Former profession will do no good incase there be a total revolt afterward. A little poison in a cup, and one leak in a ship, may ruin all. A man may ride right for a long time, but one turn in the end of the journey may bring him quite out of the way.
The smallness of sin is a poor excuse. It is an aggravation rather than and excuse. It is the more sad, that we should stand with God for a trifle.
III. ON KEEPING GOD’S LAW.
Consider how wonderful you are obliged to your infinitely good God, in that He hath, through Christ, declared Himself so exceedingly willing to pardon all sins not allowed and lived in.
Consider how gracious God hath been to you in continuing His restraining grace, whereby you have been kept from scandalous sins; where as he hath had most just provocations to leave you to yourselves in regard of your allowance of secret ones.
Let the partially obedient consider what unaccountable fully and madness it is to disobey God in anything. What can you say for yourselves, why you should obey Him but just so far.
Consider what glorious reward is assured to us to encourage us to obey.
Let it be likewise considered that, as vastly great as the reward of obedience shall be, there is no more required of us under the gospel dispensation than, all things considered, needs must.
Consider also that the laws which are given us, as they are most necessary, so they are not so many as that we need to be scared at them.
Consider that there is so close a connection between them all, that obedience to one law will enable us to obey another and so on.
I may add that there is no necessity of being very solicitous about any more than one thing, in order to our keeping God’s law, and that is the vigorously possessing our souls with the love of God.
What a sad thing and miserable disappointment must it needs be, to come near to the kingdom of heaven, and yet at last fall short of it for want of going a little further? Keep walking toward God. (James Shoemake.)
