boldly; it is written for you; God himself has put it into your minds; the Holy Spirit has brought it to your remembrance, and will teach you its true meaning put it not away from you. And when, amidst the manifold temptations of life, an improper or malevolent word escapes your lips, or you have done something which proceeded not from a pure and good heart, and some friend, your father, or mother, your wife, or sister, or master, has represented the evil of your conduct, and exhorted you to a better course, even supposing their manner and language should not be gentle, mild, and humble, but harsh, severe, and overbearing, still “receive the word with meekness,” without repugnance and bitterness; thank him who has set you right, whatever may have been the defects of the monitor, and remember that God, who makes use of what-instruments he pleases, can bless by the mouth of a false prophet, as on one occasion by Balaam. Wherever and by whatever mode the word of truth meets us; whosoever may be the agent to implant it in our hearts, may we welcome it, my dear brethren, and receive it as those who, as St. Peter says, "desire the sincere milk of the word," that they "may grow thereby."

And should the word be brought to us through some other medium than human discourse, or reach us immediately as God's voice, let us be careful to receive it. Does not God himself speak to us sometimes in language which cannot be misunderstood? Is not this the case when, in the course of his provi

dence, he brings to pass some extraordinary or unlooked-for event, something which 'powerfully affects us with pleasure or pain? Oh that we received, on such occasions, the word of God with meekness ! It is well to recollect that James, in the portion of his epistle which we have been considering, kept constantly in view the temptations to which his brethren were at that time exposed, the persecutions which they endured on account of their christian profession. Many among them were, no doubt, ready to listen to the voice of the Lord, which spoke to them by means of "the fiery trial;" but there were others who were slow and sluggish to hear, but quick to speak, and perhaps ready, under their temptations, to say, that they were tempted by God, and that therefore it was not their fault if they apostatized from the faith. Perhaps they even went further, and were not only swift to speak, but swift to wrath; probably they were wrathful towards the enemies of their faith, instead of loving them and praying for them, according to the precepts and example of their Lord; they were indignant with their lot and with him who appointed it, instead of glorifying God under their temptations, and receiving all the dispensations of his providence as good gifts, and matters of pure joy. And though we, my friends, are not persecuted as they were, yet are we not troubled in manifold ways, and tempted with various evil desires? But whatever trial or temptation we are now enduring, be it poverty or riches, whatever it may be, let us receive it as God's word addressed to us, let us receive

it with meekness! Since meekness is so closely allied to humility, let us be humble in the sunshine of prosperity, and much rather rejoice in our low estate than in our apparent worldly exaltation. And since meekness is also closely allied to patience, let us be patient under the storms of adversity, and much more glory in our real elevation than be depressed by our apparent humiliation! Whatever may be our lot, let us be slow to speak, and still more slow to anger, "for the wrath of man," opposing the appointments of Divine Providence respecting himself, "worketh not the righteousness of God."

Let us receive with meekness the word of God, whether communicated to us by Scripture, by our personal experience, by our fellow-men, or by the dispensations of Providence. Let it only take root within us, and it will assuredly save and bless our souls; it will "redeem our life from destruction, and crown us with loving-kindness and tender mercies! " For such blessed results shall we not gladly be silent, and gladly endure? To obtain such a prize shall we not gladly put away from us "all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness?"

My friends, every impure action, every useless word, will bear witness against us in that judgment which the Father has committed to the Son; then we must render an account of all, and shall receive according to the deeds done in the body. But the gospel, the word of God's grace in Christ, to the meek reception of which we are exhorted by the apostle, is

the living power of God to save, eternally to save those who believe. Do you delay to decide? Would you not much rather choose to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the perishable and transient enjoyments of sin? Would you not esteem the reproach of Christ, that cross which he expects all his disciples to take up, more highly than all the treasures of the world and all the indulgences of the flesh? Look up! have respect to the recompence of reward. "Receive with meekness the word which is able to save your souls!" "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," and theirs also is the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

LECTURE VI.

JAMES i. 22-27.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

My christian friends, this is the conclusion of the first chapter of our epistle. In the verses immediately preceding, the apostle had exhorted christians to be slow to speak, slow to wrath, but quick to hear. We considered the hearing referred to in this admonition as principally applicable to the word of truth, made known in the preaching of the gospel, and we found this interpretation established by the exhortation which follows, to "receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which was able to save their souls."

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