the poor man is, this time at least, very curtly settled with by the side of the rich man. If ye do so, asks St James (strictly translating his words)-have ye not made distinction in or of yourselves (with evil meaning), and become judges in evil thoughts, on false principles? And how deep-rooted must these evil thoughts have been, when we read that in an apostolical church the rich allowed the poor to hunger at the lovefeasts of the Sacrament, and shamed those who had nothing! (1 Cor. xi. 21, 22). What wonder, then, if we find in our own churches seats of honour for the great, and many other visible marks of distinction, reaching even to priority at the table of the Lord!

For there, most assuredly, we are all alike before the Lord. If the rich man has not that best robe which the Father gave to His recovered son, and that ring of the sons of God upon his hand-he has no value or worth before God. But a poor man, if he belongs to the great multitude of those who come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb-who, bearing that in mind, can dare to do him dishonour? St James laid the scene in the place of Divine worship for striking conviction; but he means to say that we ought not, in life generally, to have false respect, and form wrong judgments, and establish evil distinctions. For we are everywhere together, and by each other's side, before God. And He is the same God who has in this world made the rich and the poor, or suffered them to be so; who also commands His children by His Spirit to give even external honour, where that may be done without sin, to whom honour is due. Thus the false equalising of distinctions established by God is of evil; and springs, among the low, from the same pride which would gladly invade the highest places. Thus, also, the bitter contempt and jealousy of superiors, which often masks itself under the semblance of piety, still less consists with the faith of the Lord of glory, who Himself upon earth gave honour where it was due. But where it is not an external matter, based upon the customs of this world, where the kingdom of God and its order are concerned, where the question is the manifestation of faith and charity,—all evil distinctions should disappear for us who believe. St James, in ch. i. 9, 10, had already said how the lowly should glory and

the rich man humble himself: according to the same measure which we thus apply to ourselves, we should measure and estimate all others. Thus, for example, in the choice of officials in the Church, the exalted should not be preferred before the poor, who may possess much of the wisdom coming from above; in our confederations for the kingdom of God, we should not (as has been too frequently done, to the hindrance of success) seek to have associates whose only recommendation is their earthly dignity. And this principle should be extended to all our greetings of the poor, and to our equal reception into our houses of the lowly and of the great. "It is not meet to despise the poor man that hath understanding; neither is it convenient to magnify a sinful man" (Ecclus. x. 23). Assuredly, the distribution does not always hold good which assigns understanding to the poor, and godlessness to the rich; but how is it on the whole and as the rule? Our Epistle goes on to tell us.

Will not then God, who Yes, verily, they may bethey are His called; but

"Hearken, my beloved brethren! Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which He hath promised (without respect of persons) to those who love Him?" Hear, in relation to this, how election is in this passage spoken of! The poor are not arbitrarily chosen that faith may be given to them; but those who are, who become, rich in faith, are therefore the elect, are heirs of the kingdom on the ground of their faith; for God has indeed promised His kingdom and inheritance to all who will believe, and love Him in return for His love. loveth all men, save also the rich? come everywhere His elect, even as they have become so only in few cases: God hath chosen, has been able to choose, the poor in preference to them. This is a fact so obvious to all enlightened eyes, that the question may be asked-Why doth God leave the rich in their riches, and not make them all poor? The preaching of Jesus was directed from the beginning especially to the poor; they were mostly the poor who believed the Apostles' preaching, as 1 Cor. i. 26-28 testifies. And is the case different now? If you would seek those who are rich in faith, and love God with a true confidence of hope towards the heavenly kingdom, you must go— as not among the wise, mighty, and illustrious-so not among the rich. Seek them in the cottages, and under mean garments.

And where, through the grace of God, the saying which makes the salvation of the rich so difficult seems to have its exceptions, mark well whether there be delusion in the matter. Thus much is certain, that the Christianity of a rich man is much more frequently spurious, and unable to meet the test, than that of a poor man. The test is primarily that of the charitable behaviour towards the poor. Hear, and take heed to the sorrowful condemnation of the servant of God-But ye have done despite to the poor! God hath honoured him, only ye have neglected and contradicted that! Is he rich in faith before Him-let not your faith, if you have it, despise his riches the whole inheritance is his; you have a future king before you, who only waits for his crown. And if not yet, his very poverty may make his salvation probable, and his place among the poor brethren at the last. brethren at the last. Therefore, scorn not the poor!

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The rich on the other hand? Well for them if they as poor have become rich in faith! For they may do so. Abraham, the father of the faithful, was very rich, but all the greater was the virtue of his faith; and into his bosom many a Lazarus comes, before even one rich man finds his way there. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man ; but also a truly honourable counsellor, who understood the counsel of God, waited for the kingdom of God, became a disciple of Jesus in company with the poor Galilæans, confessed to Him in His shame concerning Whom it is written for us-Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor. viii. 9). But are there many of them who thus believe, and know, and act, and confess? To the Christians of his time St James could write-Are they not (for the most part) the rich, who use violence towards you, and drag you before the judgment? Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called? What they inflict upon you with violence and judgment is a subordinate matter; it is a sign and testimony how they are minded towards the good name of the Lord of glory, in which also His poor should be blessed as heirs of the kingdom. Thus, if ye would regard the right person—that is St James' meaning-ye must judge accordingly, and in every case anticipate the poor with love, and rather postpone the rich

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man, in whom ye at first behold only his riches. "Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill ?" Among the manifold replies to that great question, we read-" He in whose eyes a vile person is contemned (despising those whom God rejects), but who honoureth them that fear the Lord" (Ps. xv. 1-4). And in the New Testament it is said, at least—"Let us do good to all men, but especially to them that are sharers of faith !" To every man, indeed; and neglect should never be unaccompanied by love. Certainly, St James does not mean that we should deny to the proud and unbelieving rich, the love of Christ which, like the doors of the assembly, is open also to them. All he insists upon is, that the poor standing by him should not be scorned with a sinful distinction! He requires only equal love without respect of persons: it is to that his whole discourse tends.

"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye shall do well!" This is the law which royally reigns over all other individual enactments; this is the law of the King in the kingdom, of the King of love, the law of Christ who bore the burdens of all; and it is to us as a new commandment, Bear ye one another's burdens! (Gal. vi. 2). This is the law and right for the imitation of His kings, of His chosen, royal, and free generation, His priestly, holy people, which show forth the virtues of Him who hath called them, in their own deeds (1 Pet. ii. 9). Thus, as our King looketh and judgeth in love, so also we, and not otherwise. Then our impartial love finds in every man a neighbour, a fellow-redeemed and fellow-called man; it prefers no one, it disparages no one, on the ground of anything in himself which should not affect the estimate. Thus do we well. O what a test of our love is this, penetrating our slightest deeds and words, and the very inmost recesses of our hearts! But if ye have respect of persons, ye do what is sin, and are convicted. of the law as evil-doers. The law of Moses told the judges, who primarily had to do with what was simply right—“Ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man" (Deut. i. 17). But neither were the poor to be preferred" Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour" (Lev. xix. 15). And in the same

chapter the holy right of love follows-"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord" (ver. 18). He who violates love commits sin, is condemned of the law as a transgressor and not of this or that commandment, but of the entire, indivisible, royal law of love, of which St James goes on to speak.

XIV.

HOW THE LAW IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND KEPT.

(Ch. ii. 10–13.)

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

St James has given one example, selected one instance, in which the deportment of believers in their individual actions did not correspond with the general knowledge which their faith gave them. Does respect of persons avail before God, avail before Jesus Christ? We know well that it does not! But then he gives an illustration which is not fancied, but drawn from the life. He does not enter into the complications of the life of believers with the world, the all-pervading customs of which might almost form an excuse for Christians, if they should. sometimes forget their Lord, and not keep themselves unspotted from respect of persons-though it cannot admit of real excuse, since all should be of faith in order not to be of sin. No, he speaks of the assembly engaged in the worship of God, where so much exhortation is heard against sin that it would be the heaviest punishment to many to be obliged to speak or do, before the assembly in the church, what they speak or do before and afterwards. If, then, of that place it may be said

Ye have despised the poor-how much more in their common life! And there are many other like things, concerning