motto of divine wisdom in heavenly things; in them there is no such thing as ever speaking and teaching without having anything to learn. In our German words Bescheidenheit and Bescheid wissen, modesty and knowledge are closely allied; out of profound knowledge comes always deepening humility and prudence. He who is exercised in the wisdom which cometh from above has never ended with it; he can never be self-asserting and obstinate; he receives the common commendation of one who may be spoken to and answered when he speaks. And this becomes us fallible men; in this spirit alone we can go forward in the right way; for "he that hateth to be instructed is already (again) in the way of sinners" (Ecclus. xxi. 6). Let us choose to ourselves this judgment, to know among ourselves what is good (Job xxxiv. 4). If thou hast an excuse when I condemn thee-how gladly will I admit it if it be valid! (I desire thy justification-said Elihu to Job.) Hast thou anything to object against my words-let me hear it, that I may not do wrong when I mean to do right! Such a wise man does not go forth among the people, to thrust a sword into their belly, as Ehud did to the king of the Moabites, with "I have a word from God for thee!" (Judges iii. 20). To him the sincere question is much more natural" Hast thou a word from God for me?" The first Apostle, Peter, received rebuke, when he was in the wrong, from Paul the latest comer (Gal. ii. 11). Moses, the man of God, received instruction from his father-in-law Jethro: "The thing that thou doest is not good; hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee" (Ex. xviii. 17-22). But why need we seek examples among the servants? The Master Himself puts us to shame by condescending to the very limits of the apparent possibility that He-who was born (not born again) to bear testimony to the truth, and who came into the world as the personal Truth-might have been in error; condescending thus, however, only that He might set before us the highest of all examples. See and mark how He, before the high priest, referred to all that He had said and done; but, when the common servant smote Him on the face, His answer was-If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? (John xviii. 20-23). Verily, every servant who remembers the word of the Master, "If I have spoken

evil, bear witness of it!" will be always ready to receive from every man any evidence of error that he can bring--knowing full well that it is not for him absolutely to say, I have only spoken right!

And now first, after St James has set before us the spirit of wisdom from above, as peaceable, gentle, and teachable, he speaks further of its work, whence its good fruits come and to what they tend. His last four words, which express this, are connected in pairs: to retain the connection between the principle and the expression, the cause and the work; and to bring back all at the last to the first and most internal principle of wisdom.

Full of mercy and good fruits! These are united, because to show mercy towards our fellow is itself the good fruit, in which all good fruits are comprised; to have mercy for him in the heart, is at the same time the power or the seed of such outward charity. Indeed, to create fruit is the end of all true wisdom, which can never be a dead and unfruitful knowledge. The knowledge of the will of God is given to us, in all kinds of wisdom and spiritual understanding, in order that we may walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, and be fruitful in all good works (Col. i. 9, 10). But every good work, as fruit in ourselves, produces also, will at least also produce, good fruit in our neighbour. Here the Lord's High-priestly word passes over to His people, the priestly ministers and mediators of His love, so that every one of us in His strength may say-I sanctify myself for them, that they may also be sanctified in the truth (John xvii. 19). The good fruit of the seed of grace is, at once and inseparably, our own sanctification in effectual love, and the influence of that love upon others: in this style alone the New Testament always speaks of good fruits. But they good fruits, which never grow but on the stock of love! Many have done great works, which the Lord will not accept as the fruits of the good tree. Many in our days are very laborious, and run hither and thither, "in the cause of the kingdom of God," as they say--but the kingdom of God is not built up in their manner, and what they may seem to effect will not be put to their reckoning. Many are deeply engaged in teaching the people opinions, which are to them their truths, and in disputing away their errors-but where is the good fruit of all this stir? who is mended by it, who is converted or won to the king

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dom of heaven? On the other hand, there are many of the quiet in the land, who make no noise, who profess no great things, who walk everywhere humbly and meekly—but wherever they go they diffuse around them what seems a breath of life; the words which they speak in season are seeds of corn; all their work and life is fruitful in silent influence, and great is the fruit which they bring to God, though man knows nothing of it and thinks the reverse. Grace works by such souls; they live in love, and that is the profound secret of their strength. Such examples show us the meaning of the apostolical word, in opposition to the seeming labour of the vehement zealots who do not work the mercy of God; although those who are called and fitted to that purpose should lift up their loud and mighty testimony, and vehemently contend for good,-under the obligation, however, of asking themselves very solemnly the question, Is my wisdom full of mercy and good fruits?

The keenest question, finally, remains, and that which is most pervasive, though it only tests the fundamental principle— Is it without partiality, and without hypocrisy? Both go together, here as before; for what hypocrisy is without partiality, and what partiality does not spring from an essential hypocrisy ? St James does not mean to say that we should be what the world, which perverts every word and idea that concerns God's truth, calls “unprejudiced" or impartial; for in the next chapter (ver. 4) he makes the sharp demarcation between the world and friendship with God. The folly of the world may count our chaste and decided devotion to God, and fellowship with His children in opposition to other men, to be partisanship: we shall best counteract the perversion and protest of this word by that divine impartiality which the Apostle means. Alas, this is not often to be found; alas, this last mark detects much false wisdom with its hypocrisy! There have been periods in the history of the Christian Church when almost all might have been asked-Brethren, are ye truly impartial, unprejudiced? Are ye so impartial in that universal love which remembers that the grace of Christ is free and open to all mankind? How easily do we make evil distinctions, which can never consist with the pure and unfeigned faith in the Lord of glory! The wisdom which is truly unprejudiced, which does not look through any discolouring medium, and is not distracted by any ima

gination or prejudgment which thwarts the pure love of God, beholds all men in the light of truth; therefore it admits the excellence of nothing which does not stand the test of this light, it regards not the person or the dignity of any man. But, on the other side (and here we mostly fail !), it overlooks, judges, and neglects no man, be he who he may, but accepts joyfully all goodness according to its worth, be it found in whom it may. This wisdom is so wise that it looks through every appearance and form to the inner being as it stands before God; or, failing to do that, refrains at least on that account from all judgment and distinction. Only then is it without hypocrisy, that is, genuine, pure wisdom, as given from above, and there is mingled with it no self-created skill in making distinctions. Thus St James in the last word, as the sum of all, leads his whole discourse back to the first; for, according to the purity of the heart at the first, will be the absence of hypocrisy in the expressions of wisdom. But here we must ask in humility-Where is such wisdom from above perfected in any sinful men? We must confess that the best men have too much failed in this respect, and that there is among Christians generally too much of the party and prejudiced spirit. Therefore, St James places last, as the highest goal, from which also we must continually set out, the making the heart pure that the eyes may be clear to see, and the hands pure to act; for hypocrisy is rooted deeply in us all, until we are sanctified through and through by the truth unto the wisdom which faileth not.

St James, however, would not by this conclusion cast us down, instead of stimulating us; he therefore, according to the meekness of his own wisdom, descends from this elevation, and utters another word which again requires only meekness and peaceableness as the condition of the healthy influence of our wisdom. That at least we can, and we ought, all soon to attain to; suppressing all the contention and strife which may result from the partiality of our evil thoughts, we may in peace speak the word of God's truth, and carry on the work of wisdom. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of those and for those who keep, and practise, and work peace, seeking that and that alone! Thus St James sets a gracious promise over against that which he had said about the evil works of contention; but we have already, on that verse, said enough upon it to render

any further remarks upon it here unnecessary. To be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God (Phil. i. 11)—is the end of all good works which God has begun in ourselves and will perform. Peaceable fruit of righteousness-that is what God's holy discipline, which accompanies the word, will bring forth in us (Heb. xii. 11). And the same should be the only end of all our teaching, the fruit of all our endeavours among our neighbours for our good. "Fruits, gentlemen, fruits, in the soundness of men!" This was the king of Prussia's word to the University of Königsberg; and it was a royal word, a word of Solomon in this age. Health-giving, and healthy fruits grow where good seed is sown; but the seed itself has been gathered as the produce of good seed, and thus one righteousness is sown for another. Let us ourselves be full ears which bow down to scatter around their grains of seed! And what is the element of blessing and prosperity, the good weather from above which makes the seed grow? In peace, says the Apostle- including, indeed, the storm and boisterous weather of good contention, as well as the earnest labour of the plough before it can become seed; but still it holds good that the peace of God is never wanting, that only those really attain to righteousness in themselves and others, who seek, and find, and maintain this peace. For, in its deepest principle, peace and righteousness are one and the same.

XXII.

WHENCE COME WARS AND FIGHTINGS AMONG YOU?

(Ch. iv. 1–3.)

From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not : ye fight and war, but ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Long since did He appear, whose last name was Prince of peace, because of the increase of His government and peace there should be no end, when He should order His kingdom and