might lift them up, might exalt them in due time. If they turned their laughter to heaviness, he might turn their heaviness into joy; if they turned their joy to mourning, he might give them, instead of mourning, the "oil of gladness." For "the Lord knoweth whereof we are made, he remembereth that we are but dust." If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

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There is much in this passage which may lead us to watchfulness, to humility, and self-examination. We see how those had fallen back into the ways of sin, who had been brought to the knowledge of God, and perhaps had seemed at one time to be delivered from the corruptions of the world. And now they had returned to the world which they had forsaken : they, before whom the truth had been evidently set forth, and who had "subscribed themselves with the name of the Lord." Such is the bias of the natural heart: and so just is David's prayer, “Who can tell how oft he offendeth? O cleanse thou me from my secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me. So shall I be undefiled, and innocent from the great offence."

LECTURE XVII.

UNCHARITABLE CENSURES AND PRESUMPTUOUS CONFIDENCE CONDEMNED.

JAMES iv. 11—17.

11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law:1 but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Our Lord had prescribed a general rule for Christians: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged." That is, condemn not others rashly, if ye hope to escape condemnation. "For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again." But this rule is too commonly neglected. To think harshly and to speak severely of others, is very natural to the heart of man. It gratifies envy, it flatters vanity: and the spirit that is in us lusteth to vanity and envy. St. James, however, alludes to a particular subject which caused divisions among the Jewish Christians, and gave much occasion to their speak

1 Condemns the law, "the law of liberty," which freed the Christian from ceremonial observances.

2 Luke vi. 37, 38.

ing evil one of another. They held different opinions concerning many usages which the law in which they had been bred up, the law of Moses, required, and which some now abandoned, others still obeyed. These two parties were fierce and severe against each other and are often censured by St. Paul, in the same tone as they are here admonished by St. James. More especially, in Rom. xiv. 3, 4. 13, he supplies a comment on this passage. Speaking of those who had scruples concerning food, and distinction of meats, he says: "Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Let us not therefore judge one another any more.". Such is also St. James's meaning.

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One man esteemeth one day above another:" thinks it necessary to observe the old Jewish festivals: "another esteemeth every day alike." He who speaketh evil of his brother in this matter, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law, which has declared (for it is "a law of liberty ") that neither if thou regardest these things, art thou the better; neither, if thou regardest them not, art thou the worse. Thus thou takest upon thyself to be a judge of the law, to condemn the law, which God has approved. Thy business is, not to judge the law, but to obey it. But if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. Condemning the liberty which God allows, thou art wanting in humility towards him; and speaking evil of thy neighbour 3 See the whole context, Rom. xiv.

without cause, thou art wanting in charity towards thy brother. Who art thou that judgest another ? There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.

This is a thought which should be always borne in mind, whatever may be the occasion tempting men to speak evil one of another. Who art thou that judgest? There is enough in every man to restrain such censures. "He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shown no mercy." There is one lawgiver, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the heart. And till the counsels of the heart are made manifest, and the secret thoughts and motives disclosed, it can never become clear who hath and who hath not "praise of God."

The apostle proceeds to notice another error.

13. Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain:

14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the mor

row.

For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

And yet it matters little merely to use the phrase, If the Lord will, we shall do this or that. Such a phrase is often a mere phrase of course, and, meanwhile, men rejoice in their boastings: really form. their plans and take their measures in life with

little thought of God upon their hearts. And the fault here censured, is the want of this reference to God. It is not wrong to look forward; it is not wrong to arrange plans: to act otherwise would frustrate the purpose of life, which would be wasted, not employed. But men may arrange and look forward, and at the same time fully bear in mind that their life is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. The great secret is, to keep God always before us: in every thing to study his good pleasure, and follow the leadings of his providence: if the Lord will, we will do this, or that if he sees it good for us, we will go into such a city, and continue there a year: if otherwise, his will is still done, and he "ordereth all things well."

The apostle concludes with a general remark.

17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

As much as to say: I have shown you wherein your practice has been wrong and blameable; not such as might justly be expected of those who have been so well instructed to do good. Remember, "to whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required." "All unrighteousness is sin." But sin is more heinous in a son who knows his father's will, than in one who knows it not. Those who transgress under the law, will be judged under the law. And you are under the law of God, before whom we must all appear to give account of the things done in the body.