Morality of the Law of God.
It has become so common for men to assail the law of God—the ten commandments—that they no longer think it necessary to give a reason for their assaults; they just make a strong assertion and pass it along with as much apparent assurance as if they had announced a self-evident fact. The objection which we now notice is not a new one by any means; it is rather a standing one, which we have heard very often, and to which we have often replied, in our ministry and in our writing on the nature of the law. It is objected that the decalogue is not fitted for a rule of Christian life because its morality is far below that of the teachings of Christ; that the Christian system of morals is higher and more complete or perfect than any system which was taught before the incarnation of the Son of God. This we consider a very grave error. It is a direct impeachment of the only law which Jehovah ever announced in person; the only part of the great revelation which Heaven has vouchsafed to man which bears the impress of Deity alone. We do not believe that inspiration ever destroyed the individuality—the selfhood—of its subject. Each and every book in the Bible bears the unmistakable impress of the writer. This does not detract from its value as a revelation from God. Our Lord chose a number of men to act as special ambassadors, whom he called apostles. He specially endowed them with gifts and wisdom for their work, which endowment we call inspiration. Believing in their inspiration, we should yet be astonished if we found that Peter, John, and Paul, spoke and wrote exactly in the same manner and style. Paul, when inspired, was inspired to use his strong reasoning powers in advocacy and defense of the truths of the gospel. And so of each writer in the Bible; his inspiration moved and directed the powers which he possessed as an individual without at all destroying his individuality. Therefore every part of the Bible bears, to some extent, the impress of the mind or natural endowments of the writer. The Son of God who acted as teacher and prophet for three years and a half, left no writing on record. It seems remarkable that we have no account of his ever writing anything, or at any time except once, and that in the sand. He whose teachings were to revolutionize the world, wrote nothing for the world; wrote only once, and then where it was certain to be very soon effaced. He left his words to be recorded by his followers. The only writing which was ever given to man, which was not given through man, which emanated directly from the hand of God, is the decalogue—the ten commandments. Therefore we say this alone bears the impress of Deity alone. Its origin is all of Heaven, without the intervention of human instrumentality. If the Bible—the whole Bible—is to be respected as the inspired word of God, with what respect, what reverence and awe, should we regard the sacred oracles which are a transcript of the mind of the Eternal One! which God considered worthy of being singled out from all that he had revealed or should reveal to man, and first speak them with his own voice, and then, to add dignity and importance to the Heavenly Law in the minds of his creatures, write it with his own finger, not in the sand, not on parchment, but on stone, as indicative of its stability and immutability. We propose to examine, not the opinions of uninspired writers, but the Bible itself on this subject. It speaks in no uncertain tones regarding the nature of this wondrous law. God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, prophets and apostles, have all left their testimony concerning it. 1. God the Father. He called the ten commandments his covenant. See Deut. 4:12, 13. Not the covenant or agreement which he made with the children of Israel which may be found in Ex. 19:5-8, but his covenant "commanded to a thousand generations," which underlies the agreement with Israel, referred to in Ex. 19:5, as it underlies the gospel or Christian system. God said if they would obey his voice and keep his covenant, then they would be a holy nation, and of course a peculiar people or possession to him above all the nations of the earth. These words are plainly to the point. They prove conclusively that God's covenant which he declared with his voice, which he commanded to his chosen people, was a rule of holiness. Obedience to it would develop a holy character, and thus separate them to the Lord in distinction from the nations who had all departed from God and refused to retain him in their knowledge. Rom. 1:20-23, 28. An imperfect law cannot develop a perfect character. A character of holiness can only be formed by obedience to a law which is holy, or a rule of holiness. This conclusion, which none can deny, cannot be evaded by saying that the standard of holiness of that dispensation was not as complete, as elevated, or as purely spiritual as that of this dispensation, for God said to Israel, "Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy." Lev. 19:2, and other places. None can read this text and say that the holiness referred to in this and parallel texts is not as pure as that referred to in the New Testament. In that we read: "But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 2:15, 16. There cannot be two standards of holiness, because God is the source and fountain of holiness. It is one of his essential attributes, and the holiness of his creatures is only formed by conforming to his holy will; by the coming into harmony with his divine mind. The revelation of his will—the very transcript of his mind—is found in his law, by obedience to which himself declared they would be a holy people. And the nature of holiness cannot possibly change with the change of dispensations, unless the nature and attributes of God himself can change, which one considers possible. And the rule of holiness—that by which such holiness is perfected in our character—is, of course, as unchangeable as the mind and attributes of God himself. Morality is, indeed, a matter dependent on time and circumstance, measured by a sliding scale, as too often regarded by the people of this world. But not so in the word of God. Nor can it be urged that this expression in Ex. 19:5, "obey my voice," has reference to everything which God has revealed or may reveal to man, and included the Levitical or ceremonial laws as well as the ten commandments. Moses, recounting the ten commandments, said: "These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone and delivered them unto me." Deut. 5:22. Compare chap. 4:12, 13. And this distinction between the utterance of the voice of God and ceremonial observances is made equally plain in the words of the prophet: "For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings nor sacrifices. But this thing commanded I them, saying: Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people." Jer. 7:22, 23. See also 6:19, 20. No further proof can be asked on this point. We have ascertained clearly the light in which Jehovah regarded this law of "ten words," which he himself uttered and wrote for the instruction and benefit of his people. 2. Moses gave his testimony concerning the law of God. No man ever communed with God as closely and as often as did Moses. With none other of all the prophets did the Lord speak "face to face, a man speaketh unto his friend." He understood the mind and will of God concerning the great principles of his government. He said: "And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to all these commandments before the Lord our God." Deut. 6:25. Also in chap. 30:15, 16, he said that life and death were set before them that they should live if they obeyed the commandments of God, but if they disobeyed they would surely perish. And these results were not confined to the issues of this present life, for his hearers were probationers for a world and life to come, and those commandments were the rule of holiness and righteousness by which they formed characters which must appear in the Judgment. We shall not attempt to exhaust the evidence, but only to give sufficient to place the question fairly before our readers, and to stop the mouths of those who are so blind or so presumptuous as to speak lightly of that upon which the great God has bestowed such abundant honor. 3. David was the psalmist—yea, he is the psalmist, for being dead he yet speaketh—of the worshipers of the true God. He has furnished the songs of praise for all generations. He had the high honor of bequeathing to the household of God the devotional part of their service and worship of the Most High. The commencement of the Book of Psalms gives the key to the whole; it announces the blessedness of the man who delights in the law of the Lord—who day and night meditates therein. And this blessedness is not confined to this life, as some have affirmed. "The ungodly are not so." "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment." That man is blessed indeed who delights in that which is given to prepare him to stand in the Judgment. Psalm 19 is another evidence of the nature and value of the law of God. The writer gives credit to the material creation for its declaration of the power and majesty of God, whereby we are incited to feelings of devotion. But there are certain things which nature cannot do. It cannot guide to the true worship of the great Creator—it cannot teach man how to "worship him in spirit and in truth." It cannot guide a probationer for the Judgment in the formation of a character which will fit him to stand in that day. It cannot furnish a remedy for moral evil, or turn the heart away from its wanderings from God. After giving full credit to nature for what it can do, mark how abruptly the Psalmist turns to another instructor in verse 7. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. . . . The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." This is the refrain of the remainder of this remarkable psalm. "In keeping of them there is great reward." And it closes with a prayer that both the words of his mouth, and the meditation of his heart may be acceptable in the sight of his Lord and Redeemer. And this because the statutes of the Lord are a discerner of secret things, even of the thoughts and intents of the heart, as will be fully shown as we further examine the Scriptures.