possessing wealth, use it wrongfully. The rust of their money, if they hoard it selfishly, shall eat their flesh" as it were fire." The mere possession of what they ought long ago to have spent or given, shall be a witness against them at the bar of judgment. In thus treasuring up unprofitable riches, they do but treasure up for themselves "wrath against the day of wrath." Rom. 2. 5. Or if further they have taken advantage of their labourers, if they have gained by oppression as well as hoarded in avarice, or if instead of hoarding, they have spent in wanton luxury and pleasurable sin; then behold the cries of those whom they have wronged are heard by Almighty God, and the more abundantly they have here enjoyed themselves to the loss of their fellowcreatures, the more large is their punishment hereafter.

This

Now it is the character of the just that he does not resist oppression. He submits rather than contend. He submits, as did that only really Just One, who was led "as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Is. 53. 7. It is true that the more we submit, the oppressor takes the more advantage. But this advantage is his loss and our gain. And it may be that by our submission we may gain him also; we may convince him that it is more blessed to suffer than to wrong. For so has Christ set us the example. And so does the apostle here exhort us, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord." When oppressed, we are to wait for the day of judgment, as husbandmen for the harvest. We must spare no loss, no cost, for the present, which may help us towards fruit for the future. We must not grudge or envy those who fare better than ourselves. Least of all must we covet the prosperity of the wicked. "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh." This is enough to stablish our hearts in patience. "Behold, the Judge standeth before the door." may further serve to make us loathe the advantages of iniquity. And especially we are to take for our encouragement the example of those "who have spoken in the name of the Lord,"” and who have endured many and grievous things for the Lord's sake. Such were those of whom we read in the Epistle to the Hebrews, who were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword." Heb. 11. 37. Such also was Job; in whose history we have this advantage, that it tells us how well he fared in the end, it shews us how all the time we suffer, God is reserving in his mercy the best till the last. How happy do we count Job, as we dwell on what befel him! How do our hearts burn within us as we ponder on the sufferings, the consolations, and the exceeding great reward, of those holy men of old who persevered unto the end! Why should we not now rejoice to share their sorrows, if we hope to attain unto their joys? How can we think of murmuring under the like burden. of affliction, when we reckon on wearing the same crown of glory?

PART IV.

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41

How to use the tongue profitably.

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16 Confess your faults one to

another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

20 Let him know, that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

LECTURE 653.

The effect of mutual prayers.

St. James concludes his Epistle with pressing on us that which he has all along kept in view, the importance of a right government of the tongue. "Above all things, my brethren, swear not." "Above all things," for this sin is most wanton. “"Above all things," for it is therefore most offensive. It has no natural temptation urging it. It is the most absolute and obvious device of the enemy of souls. It is the most daring and inexcusable transgression of the revealed will of God our Saviour. Make then no approach whatever to any such practice as swearing. Swear not by any oath whatever. Let your words be always true, and they will need no such confirmation. Let them never be thus confirmed; or you transgress, and are exposed to punish

ment.

Rather use the tongue continually in the holy exercises of prayer and praise. In your affliction, instead of taking God's name in vain, pray to Him in earnest. In your joy, instead of making light of his majesty, sing psalms to his glory. In sickness invite others to pray with you, such as are advanced at once in age and piety. To these there was often imparted in pri

mitive times the power of working miracles. For a sign they used to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord. And having the faith to work the miracle, they by their prayers could prevail with the Lord to raise up the sick, and to forgive his sins. Though at present we experience no such marvellous healings of the body, let us still call in each other's aid in the diseases of the soul. Let us confess our faults "one to another," with a view to secure the help of each other's 66 Let us prayers. pray one for another," in the full assurance of faith that we can help each other by thus praying. It is as true at the present moment as it ever was, that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." What speed ought this one thought to give to us in following after righteousness, that our prayers may thus become more profitable for our brethren! With what freedom ought it to inspire us in confessing our faults to each other, that we might thus be more particularly prayed for by the righteous! Far be it from us always to justify ourselves! Far be it from us always to study how we may best conceal our faults from our brethren! How much nearer unto heavenly healing is an humble and sincere confession! How earnestly ought we to desire to be prayed for by our brethren! How heartily ought we to pray for them!

And what encouragement for these holy uses of the tongue is set forth in the two particulars following; the success of Elijah in his prayers, and the fruit which may attend our own in the conversion of sinners! The first shews us how much the fervent prayer of faith avails. The second tells us how much we may hope to do by our praying, as well as by the diligent use of edifying words, towards saving the souls of our brethren. And it is by the tongue that we may greatly influence them for good. Words are our chief means of conveying to each other our own several convictions. Words serve for the chief utterance of our

requests to God. Would we then promote the manifestation of God's glory upon the earth, by abundance of grace, like rain after a drought, shed abroad after a long season of spiritual barrenness? Let us pray fervently that God's kingdom come. Let us intercede very frequently and very heartily with Him, that it would please Him to make known his ways upon earth, his saving health unto all nations. Would we save a soul from death, would we hide in our erring brethren the multitude of their sins? Let us endeavour always so to speak as to edify the hearers. Let us in our words shew continually our own most serious impression of divine things. Let us in our words make manifest as far as possible our faith and charity, our hope, and peace, and joy in believing. And let us in our prayers make frequent mention of such as err from the truth, especially if they have confessed their faults to us with this view, begging of God that He will hear their prayers, turn their hearts, and save their

souls; and giving thanks to God that He counts us worthy of the honour of helping them forward in the way of salvation. May God hear our prayers for our brethren! May God give us grace for ourselves, that no corrupt communication ever proceed out of our mouths; but only that which may serve to edify our neighbour, and glorify his holy name. To Him be all honour and glory, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen.

THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 1. 1, 2. St. Peter's salutation.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus knowledge of God the Father, Christ, to the strangers scat- through sanctification of the Spitered throughout Pontus, Ga- rit, unto obedience and sprinklatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and ling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Bithynia, Grace unto you, and peace, be

2 Elect according to the fore- multiplied. LECTURE 654. Our election.

St. Peter addresses his Epistle" to the strangers scattered throughout" various places which he names, probably meaning the Jewish converts, who had been driven abroad into those parts by the persecutions at Jerusalem. And he calls them "strangers," both because they were by these means torn from their own homes, and also in order to signify to them and to us, that it is well to count ourselves for strangers upon the earth. For this Epistle is not addressed only to the scattered Israelites, nor only to the Gentile converts amongst whom they lived, but to all Christians in all lands, and in all times. All we as Christians are tered," dispersed amongst the rest of mankind, few amongst many. We have no abiding place on earth, but seek a better country, that is an heavenly. See Heb. 11. 16. Oh that God may give us grace to set our faces thitherward in earnest !

scat

For this end it will be most profitable for us to look upon ourselves as "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." That is to say, we have all been chosen to be Christians, chosen to be members of Christ; all Christians, whether Jews or Gentiles, however exclusively the Jews might suppose themselves to be elected, chosen to be children of God; chosen to be heirs of heaven, according to the purpose of Him, who knows all things, whose will is in all things supreme. We have all been chosen "through sanctification of the Spirit," appointed to be made meet for heaven by being made holy upon earth, through the power of the Holy Ghost. We have all been chosen " unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," set apart to be a peculiar people zealous of good works, out of our sense of God's mercy in cleansing us by the atoning blood of our Saviour. Could we but thus think of our privileges, how could we bear for one moment to lose sight of them? Could we but thus esteem ourselves devoted by God's own purpose to holiness and heaven, how could we so abase ourselves as to sin, how so

sin as to fall away unto perdition? We are heirs of glory. Heaven is ours. God has appointed it. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we are to be admitted into the full enjoyment of never ending happiness. What can give us peace, if this will not suffice? What is grace, and favour, and inestimable bounty, if not this? Oh that God who has begun in us this good work may make it perfect! Oh that God who at the first has chosen us, may so multiply unto us his grace and peace, as to bring us to glory in the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord!