cherish the sentiment, the conviction which it expresses. The words, however proper, are little, indeed nothing in themselves, they may, they often do, degenerate into an empty, heartless form. They are uttered without a single feeling of dependence, even without a single thought of him whose name is used, and in that case profaned. We are not forbidden to look forward to the future, and provide for our prospective wants, personal and domestic. Within certain limits this is right, necessary. We could not otherwise discharge many of the most incumbent duties, and should be reduced to a level with those lower creatures which live only in, and for the present. As little are we forbidden to be diligent in business, and to expect profit as the result. Why, this is matter of express and urgent requirement. But we are to do all recognising the Divine will, cherishing a sense of dependence on God for life and health, for ability to work and success in working.

3. The sinfulness of all such proud confidence as they had been exhibiting." But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil." They were glad, jubilant, where they had reason to be afraid and ashamed. By their "boastings" we are to understand the manifold workings of that self-sufficient and vain-glorious spirit by which they were animated. They presumptuously calculated on life, health, and prosperity. They entertained high expectations and bright prospects, and by these they were elated. Hence they expressed themselves in language of the kind which James is here condemning. They spoke as if the future were in their hands, and as if their success were assured. In doing so there was a kind of exultation, an open glorying, the origin of which lay in the pride, the confidence which had possession of their bosoms. They rejoiced in their boastings; and he adds, "All such rejoicing is evil." It has a bitter, poisonous root, springing up as it does from arrogant pretensions, from ambitious schemes and delusive

In

hopes, from trust, not in God, but ourselves. And its in fluence is bad, for it conceals from men their fearful danger, and fosters a spirit the very opposite of that humble, dependent one, which should characterize the Christian. its nature it is a carnal, corrupt, wicked thing, having nothing in common with that rejoicing in the Lord which is alike the privilege and the duty of all who believe.

Having thus remonstrated with them regarding the spirit which came out in the language he represents them as using, he concludes with the general inference in ver. 17, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." The case in hand fell under this principle: it was one of the exemplifications of the maxim. When people are fully aware of their duty, and yet fail to do it, either by positive transgression or by omission, neglect, they are chargeable with sin, which, in these circumstances, becomes peculiarly heinous. Ignorance does not excuse disobedience, but knowledge greatly aggravates its guilt. This lesson Jesus taught most emphatically. "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. While admitting of the most general application, the statement is here made with special reference to what immediately precedes. As professing

Christians, the persons addressed were well acquainted with the right way of feeling and speaking respecting the future. They were perfectly aware that they could not calculate on life for a single day, and that they were absolutely dependent on God for preservation, prosperity, and every blessing. They were not in the darkness of nature, for they enjoyed 1 Luke xii. 47, 48.

the light of the gospel, and could not but be familiar with truths so elementary and obvious. And now they were better instructed than ever by reason of what the apostle had written to them on the subject. They knew the good which it was incumbent on them to do, but that was not enough; for if they did it not, their sin, in not doing it, would be all the greater. How guilty must they be if they continued to cherish such a spirit, to use such language, after lessons so clear and remonstrances so solemn! Having been faithfully warned, it became them no longer to form plans and cherish expectations in the self-confident way they had been doing, but to leave the future in the hands of God, to spend each day as if they might never see another, and be far less concerned about gains on earth than about treasures in heaven.

1. Let us realize our uncertain tenure of life.—We know both from God's word and providence that death is not only sure but near, that any day or hour it may lay its dread arrest on us, and rudely put an end to all our earthly plans and prospects. We see the young, the healthy, the strong, the beautiful, suddenly struck down by the king of terrors. Neither age nor rank, neither character nor fortune, can constitute a defence or procure exemption for a single moment. We admit this as a general truth,-admit it as applicable to ourselves in common with all mankind. But practically we deny it; we act as if we had obtained a lease of life, and could confidently calculate on the future. We speculate and scheme on the supposition that we are to be spared for years, and be continued in full possession of every present power and opportunity. We may not use the language which the apostle here condemns, but we entertain the sentiments and cherish the feelings of which it is the expression. How foolish! how sinful: Let us remember that we stand on slippery places, that the judge is at the door ready to enter, and that in such an hour as we think not the Son of Man cometh.

Let us ever be aloft on our watch-tower, that we may not

be taken by surprise, but be found waiting for the approach, and prepared for the assault of the last enemy.

2. Let us realize our entire dependence on God.-We have everything from him, and we have it by his sovereign pleasure. He has given us all our blessings, and he can continue or recall them when and as he chooses. Our Maker at first, he is our daily Preserver. We have not a power nor a privilege which he does not bestow. We should, then, take him into all our calculations. We should recog

Let

nise him in every plan we form and prospect we entertain. We should seek his counsel continually, and feel that whatever success attends any of our efforts is due to him who enabled us to make them, and then directed them to a favourable issue. This is the spirit we ever ought to cherish and exhibit. Let us guard against vain confidence, self-sufficiency. Let us feel that we are poor, helpless, helldeserving creatures. Let us take thankfully whatever God is pleased to send. Let us commit our way to him, and be willing that he should dispose of us as he seeth meet. us hang upon him in conscious weakness and childlike confidence. The gospel is peculiarly fitted to teach us this lesson. It is all designed and suited to humble our pride, to strip us of our fancied merit, and to render us debtors to sovereign grace for every blessing of salvation. It is only before the cross we can be thoroughly emptied, and delivered from those boastings in which it is natural for us to rejoice. Sinners, take up your places there: believers draw nearer to it than ever, if you would be cured of the proud, worldly spirit which prevailed in the days of James, and, alas! still infects so widely and fatally the members of the Christian Church. O let our plans have respect more to eternity than to time, and let our great endeavour be, not to make earthly gain by our buying and selling, but, through faith in Jesus and a life of holiness, to lay up treasure in heaven.

XXVI.

THE MISERIES COMING UPON THE RICH.

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just;

and he doth not resist you."-JAMES v. 1-6.

WO general questions have been raised in connexion with this passage, which it may be right for us to notice briefly before entering on the exposition. The first is, were the parties here addressed by James within or without the New Testament Church ?-were they professed believers or avowed unbelievers as regards the gospel? The prevailing, and, as we doubt not, correct opinion is that they did not belong to the Christian community; that they were men of the world, having their portion in this life; that their religion, so far as they had any, was Judaism or heathenism, chiefly, if not exclusively, the former. Many as were the corruptions which existed among those bearing the Saviour's name, dark and deplorable the stains that marked their character and conduct,-as we see from this