"Thou shalt be made competent!"

What was

left him, therefore, but to believe, to hang upon his neck, and suffer him to carry him!

How confidently might he now look forward to whatever might occur! If he had no sufficiency for it beforehand, he did not need it. "Take no thought what ye shall say, or what ye shall do; it shall be given you at the time what ye shall speak." If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

SERMON IX.

THE Epistle of James is a remarkable piece of Holy Writ, although it is somewhat difficult to understand it aright. Its object is, that those whom he calls brethren, should be perfect and entire, wanting nothing; and that their faith should be unfeigned. Hence he endeavours to overthrow all that is not sincere and genuine and because trials are a blessed means for this purpose in the Father's hands, he wishes them to esteem it all joy when they fall into divers temptations, and counts him happy who endures the test. then points out the source of every good and perfect gift, which is the Father alone; and entreats them not to err in expecting any thing from any other quarter. He then recommends prayer; because God giveth liberally, and upbraideth no one. Every one pretends that he prays; but the Apostle inquires whether his

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prayer possesses the true properties? Is it offered in faith? If not, let no one suppose that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Faith, again, is a thing of which it is easy to say, 'I possess it.' Be it so; let us look at thy faith. The devils also believe, and Abraham likewise. Which of the two does thine resemble? Thou seest that with Abraham it was not a lifeless matter, but enabled him to offer up Isaac on the altar; and hence it is evident that a man is not justified by faith alone, but that justifying faith must necessarily be living faith, and the man must prove his faith by his works. If he does not, his faith is available neither before God nor man, nor even before the man's own conscience who says, "I believe," much less before the all-penetrating eyes of God.

But, says one, I have faith and works also; these are again subjected to a test. Dost thou do all the good thou knowest to be such? For "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." But art thou deficient in no single point? For supposing that thou didst keep the whole law, and yet didst offend in one point, thou art guilty of all. How does it therefore stand with thee; espe

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cially with regard to love, this royal law? Does that which thou doest arise from compulsatory motives, or to procure thy salvation? Thou probably judgest others, and art therefore not a doer, but a judge.

In this manner the Apostle shakes the foundation of every thing in its turn. He first of all attacks prayer, then faith, and then works. For what purpose ? A house that is built on a rock must be able to withstand the winds and the waves; if it falls, the foundation is bad. "When a man is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." He mentions Jesus Christ only twice; and if we join with it the word Lord, only five times in the whole epistle: whilst Peter, in a much shorter one, names him upwards of twenty times. James acts in a proper manner with the kind of people he had before him. Nothing is effected by the mere talking about Christ, faith, and good works. The individual must first become acquainted with his natural state; his boasting of prayer, faith, and works, will then be at an end; and he will become wretched, so as to weep and mourn. When in this school, he must learn patience;

in due time he will also be able to look into the perfect law of liberty, and then be blessed in his deed.

We find this confirmed in the history of Jacob.

GENESIS XXXII. 29.

And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name?

LET us more closely consider the meaning of these words, and investigate,

I. The Patriarch's inquiry; and,

II. The Lord's reply.

The Lord had asked Jacob how he was called, not as if he did not know it, but in order to give him a name more in accordance with his present state of grace. Jacob, meanwhile, feels emboldened to ask his antagonist his name. It may be that he was desirous of knowing how the Lord ought properly to be called. He was usually called "Elohim "-the Most High. God himself had said to Abraham, "I am the