Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-13
&eadiug for the Sabbath'
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
IOrlginal.]
RIGHT.


lorlginal.l
In morals, that which conforms to the law
of God is right, and the opposite, or want of
conformity to the law of God, is wrong. In
the law of God, which is summarily compre-
hended in the ten commandments, every
thought, word and act which is right, is COM
manded; and all thoughts, words and acts
which are wrong, are forbidden. Two of the
ten commandments may be styled positive and
eight prohibitory precepts In the positive
commands the opposites of the things enjoin-
ed are forbidden as wrong, and in the prohibi-
tory precepts the oppostes of the things for
hidden are enjoined as duties
This position cannot be controverted. 1t
rests upon solid base and receives the assent
of every intelligent creature 1t may be asked
':is it sin to perform religious act which is
not positively commanded" This question is
suggested by mistaken notion of the law of
God. If we say that we may safely perform
those acts which cannot be arranged under the
head of either positive commands or prohibito-
ry precepts we declare that there are some du-
ties which God has not enjoined and some sins
which he has not forbidden in his word. Such
a conclusion startleS us. 1t makes void the
whole law. If the law Of God is defective in
that it does not contain enough to direct us in
all cases, it may be defective in that it's pre-
cepts are not perfect rule Of moral action.
Such conclusion is contradicted by the dec
larations Of God himself concerning his law.
One description which is given of that law is
that it is perfect 1t contains everything that
is necessary to he perfect rule to every man
in any and every condition in which he may
be placed. The safe rule then is that, in all
things pertaining to the worship of God, what
ever is not commanded is forbidden In other
words, what God commands in the Bible is
right, and every thought, word or act, which
is not included under some command of God,
is sinful in its nature and in all it's tendencies.
All duty is comprehended in the word obey.
Religion is obedience, and obedience consists
in being and doing what is commanded to be
and do. Civil law, or law as it exists among
men cannot, from the nature of the case, 60
beyond the external act, but moral law extends
to the motives. In order that we may do right,
we must do what God commands, in the way
that He commands it to be done and with the
right motive. "Keep thy heart with all deli
gence, is one of the most important precepts
laid down in the Bible. 1t is important to
shun the path of the wicked, to avoid tempta-
ton, to be faithful in the actual visible dis
charge of all duties, but the heart must be kept
with all diligence, because tout of it are the
issues of life." Prov. iv :23.
| To say that there are some moral duties
which are not contained in the moral law, is
about the same as to say that the moral law is
standard so far as it goes, but that it stops
short of what God requires This involves
the human family in a bad state of things in
deed The Bible is the only revelation Which
has been made to us of His will. 1t is His re-
vealed will. In this law He asks us only to
obey it and nothing more. Yet, by the theory
that there are moral duties not contained in
the Bible, God requires us to do something, or
some things, and has not revealed to us what
they are. If this is not the conclusion to
which such theory leads, then it must be
that, since it is right to do some things that
God has not commanded, we are able to do all
that God has commanded and something more
Either conclusion is as foolish as it is wicked.
Everything in morals that God has not COM
manded in his word is a sin. This is safe
ground, because it is Scriptural.
Right, we conclude, consists in doing what
God commands in the way that He commands
it to be done, and with heart right before
God Everything else is sin.