Obedience Is The Measure Of Friendship With Christ
“Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”—Matthew 7:12
It is an observation of the heathens, that if virtue was to appear in human form, men would be enamoured with her beauty. But alas, this has been proved to be an idle speculation. For that glorious man Jesus, in whom every virtue centered, who was adorned with every grace, who went about doing good, and lived as never man did, yet he was despised and rejected of men. Blindness of mind is a firstborn sin. To see form and comeliness in Jesus, is peculiar to enlightened souls. To hear, love, and obey the holy precepts Christ taught, ariseth from a renewed heart. Morality and good works are at the tongue’s end of every man. The most immoral and profligate are ever ready to applaud, to boast of, and to trust in, even what they never practice. It is a certain truth, that they boast most of their works who have the smallest share of them. It is the Christian’s mercy that he is not only delivered from such awful delusion; but what Jesus taught outwardly, in word, is written inwardly in his heart by the power of the Spirit. Therefore obedience is delightful from inward principles. Though he is not called to merit the love of God by his moral obedience, yet love is the sweet constraining principle to moral observances. Love is the fulfilling of the whole law. As whatever is not of faith is sin, so whatever proceeds not from love is contrary to holiness. An immoral Christian is as inconsistent a character as a chaste harlot. Heathens might talk of the golden rule, the law may command it, the prophets may instruct in the nature of it, natural men may pretend to admire it; but heavenly-instructed believing souls only are enabled to love it in the spirit of their minds, and to obey it in their life and practice.
Verily, disciple, though Jesus gave no laws, by the fulfilling of which thou shouldst obtain a title to eternal life; yet he who fulfilled all righteousness for thy salvation, calls thee to love and obey his precepts. The moral precepts of Jesus are as much enjoined by him as when he says, ‘Come unto me all that are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.’ In obeying this we find comfort to our soul. In observing the golden rule of morality, we bear a noble testimony to the honour of Jesus, to the glory of God, and the good of our fellow creatures. It behoves us to beware lest Jesus is wounded in the house of his friends, and the way of truth be evil spoken of by a contrary conduct; for, saith Jesus, ‘Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ John 15:14.
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
