James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary
James 4:17
SINFUL NEGLECT
‘Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’
It is with the Divine, as it is with the human, statute book—no man convicted at the bar may plead before his judge that he did not know the law of which his crime is the transgression. As a citizen, he is expected to be acquainted with the whole constitutions and enactments of his country.
I wish to speak plainly about certain omissions or neglects in different relationships of life.
I. Clergy and people.—In connection with this relationship, I should speak indeed of the many kindnesses; but I have to deal, now, with two large and painful omissions—omissions which, to a great extent, sap the whole power of the ministry.
(a) The first is, that you do not recognise us, and receive us, in our simple character of God’s ambassadors to your souls. You praise, or you criticise; you like, or you dislike; but it is the man—you are occupied with the man. But the man is naught. The appointment—the office—the word sent—the purpose of the Sender—the high majesty which is represented: these are the realities; these are the eternal verities; these, in your mind, are not. And hence the relationship, to a great extent, grows commonplace, secular, impotent, untrue.
(b) Secondly, you do not remember, as you ought, the apostolic injunction, three times repeated, ‘Brethren, pray for us!’
II. People and Church.—Are not some of you wanting to the Church, viewed as the collective body of Christ’s people?
(a) When some meeting for united, extemporaneous prayer is held elsewhere, you go to it with earnestness and delight. But why, when the church’s doors are open for prayer only—prayer more scriptural and more comprehensive, by far, than any extemporaneous prayer ever was or ever can be in this world, why are you not present then? Why ought one assembly to be counted by hundreds, and the other by tens?
(b) And further, there is a fault amongst us, that some Christians think themselves altogether so little in their collective capacity. Many are full of their own individual position towards God—their inner life—their own souls’ growth and prosperity. But they do not recognise their united strength and their relative engagement. They do not think of themselves as a part of one great compact system.
III. Rich and poor.—Intimately connected with this absence of the true spirit of Christian fellowship, stands the lack of a right feeling between the rich and poor. I speak not of you all. For, in this congregation, as in every other, it is the same persons, and those comparatively few, who do all the works of charity.
(a) Yet even to you, whose good deeds towards your fellow-creatures abound, I may say, Is there not yet an omission? You visit—you teach—you give: but is it in that real spirit of humility—that entire absence of all feeling of superiority—that perfect equality in your own mind, and that sympathy of heart, without which love is scarcely love?
(b) And to my poorer Christian brethren let me speak a word, let me ask, is not there an omission also on your part in this—that, accustomed to view yourself rather as the receivers, than the givers, of kindness, and acts of usefulness, you do not recognise your duty enough to go forth with tenderness and prayerfulness, and acts of love towards the rich. And yet, believe me, the obligation is reciprocal.
IV. Customer and tradesman.—Let me follow the same want of thoughtfulness into another relationship of life—your transactions with your tradesmen.
(a) Many persons find a pleasure and a fascination in buying cheap things. They love to make good bargains. And what is the result? Universally, where anything is bought below its proper and customary value, some one has been defrauded of his right of labour. Either the shopkeeper, or, as is more generally the case, the poor maker of the article, has been ground. It is a very rare thing indeed that there is ever a cheap thing without an injustice and a hardship somewhere!
(b) Many take long credit—leaving their bills unpaid beyond the period when, according to the rules of business, the tradesman has a right to expect his money. The consequence is, that not only does the tradesman lose his proper profit—but often he is actually injured and distressed by the delay! In both cases, religion is evil spoken of, and the cause of truth suffers. It is not that there is any wilful or intentional injustice—that would be abhorrent to your mind. But there is the omission of consideration for the feeling and the position of that tradesman, and that omission is spreading a wide amount of suffering in this town; and therefore that omission is sin.
V. Who can go even thus far in searching out the things in which he knows to do good, and does it not, without feeling that all life is one great omission? And if any man think that subjects such as these are not part of the gospel, or that they do not belong to this pulpit, he very little knows the character of the one or the duties of the other. For Christ unfolded His holiness, and the cross itself is only a means to the image of God; and that image, like any other faithful copy, lies in the good feeling and in the accurateness of the division of the principle. Through the small holes in the fences, the foxes, the little foxes come in, which spoil the vines. The dead flies destroy the sweetest ointment; and let every man take care that he understands well for himself what that means, ‘Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.’
Rev. James Vaughan.