Obeying God's Commandments

I have been reading the book entitled "Vindication of The Baptists from the Charge of Bigotry, of Refusing Communion at the Lord's Table To Paedobaptists," by Abraham Booth, and I was struck by the following statement: "In God's service, it is a greater sin to do that which we are not to do, than not to do that which we are commanded." One, as he says, is the sin of commission, while the other one is a sin of omission. The former is more serious than the latter.

Is this not the "presumptuous sins" spoken to us by the Psalmist in Psalm 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression?

The sin of omission may be presumptuous, also; but the sin of commission is more bold and obvious. For us to commit sins contrary to God's commandments will destroy our affection to God, which is foremost in our obedience to him. He will certainly chastise both these sins, but the sin of commission will be the more serious one.

The sin of commission requires the basis of law. In other words, a law must have been executed before a sin to its contrary can be committed--refusal to obey the law or committing a thing in the contrary form; but the sin of omission may be nothing but one of ignorance of the law. The penalty of sin through ignorance is not as severe as the penalty of sin through knowledge. James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.