ing, they would act in opposition to what God had evidently shown to be his will.

And, once more, the apostle reminds them how little cause they had to esteem the rich and great merely as such. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seat? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

There were exceptions to this. When the multitude at Ephesus would have put Paul to death, the rich man, the man in authority, restrained them." And so, afterwards at Jerusalem, "the people ran together, and went about to kill Paul," when the chief captain brought his force down to the temple, and rescued him. Still the persecution which the Christians suffered must chiefly proceed from the rich, because the rich had most power to persecute; and therefore, says St. James, in preferring that class, and showing them favour to the injury of others, you prefer those who too frequently oppress the christian cause, who blaspheme the name in which you delight to glory.

If there is one place more than another where all pre-eminence of persons, all distinctions, should be forgotten, it is when we are kneeling before God as suppliants for his mercy. "Then the rich and poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all." The next season, probably, when the same assembly of persons is found collected, will be before the judgment seat. And there

7 Acts xix. 24-41.

8 Acts xxi. 30-32.

we know, all will be regarded according to their spiritual qualifications, and not according to their outward circumstances. All will be there in vile apparel, except as far as they have "washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb:" all will be poor there, poor in themselves; and they alone rich, who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ; they accounted first, who have adorned the doctrine of God their Saviour" by the sincerest lowliness and humility, the truest meekness and charity.

6.6

LECTURE IX.

THE OBLIGATION OF THE WHOLE LAW.

JAMES ii. 8-13.

1

8. If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

9. But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11. 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.

The apostle had blamed the conduct of some to whom he was writing, as showing a disregard of the poor. He now reminds them of the royal law accordto the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. If they made this commandment their rule and guide, they would do well. There would then 1 Supreme, excellent.

F

be no ui due preference of one class to another: all partial respect to persons would be done away. But if in this point they continue to err, they commit sin, and are convicted of the law as transgressors. Whatever pretensions they might make, or hopes they might indulge, were vain: they are "fallen from grace." For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one part, he is guilty of all.

Thus St. James, from the mention of a particular fault which it was needful to correct, is led to lay down an universal truth of great importance. Though it is a truth that we must allow, on a moment's consideration. For we know that God requires the surrender of the heart. We know that faith in Jesus Christ implies the surrender of the heart to God; and we know that whoever reserves to himself one point of the law, in which he disobeys God, has not given up his heart to him; is not in subjection to him; is not serving him: and therefore he is guilty of all: that is, he is not pardoned; "his sin remaineth:" his faith is not such faith as has the promise of pardon.

You will say, perhaps, Is not this to condemn the whole race of mankind? For who is without sin? "In many things we all offend;" and St. John writes, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.'

True: none are without sin, but without deadly sin we trust that many are. True, we all offend, but we do not all offend wilfully: habitually; -we do not allow ourselves in sin. We must not, if we have any well-grounded hope. For St. John "Whosoever is born of God sinneth not:" is not content with sin; does not con

also says,

tinue satisfied in it; but whenever he finds the flesh lust against the Spirit," whenever he finds the old nature, which is corrupt, rising up against the new nature which he has put on in Christ,-against this he declares war, and manfully contends, and watches and prays, that he may bring every thought and word and work into obedience to God. The true Christian will never feel that he has loved God with all his heart and mind and soul and strength; but still he will never be satisfied with anything short of this; much less will he say, I cannot love God so far as to part with this or that besetting sin. The true Christian will never feel that he has fulfilled the other royal law, of which St. James is speaking, and loved his neighbour as himself; but still he will desire and endeavour so to love him: he will continue in no practice which may defraud or injure his neighbour: he will not deny his rights, nor despise his person. A man who should do this would be guilty of all: so far guilty of all, that he would be as much unforgiven of God as if he had broken all his laws. His punishment might be less severe than that of a more heinous sinner: but it would be no less sure. His exclusion from heaven would be as certain. There can be no salvation where there is wilful, unrepented, unforsaken sin.

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And all this is according to clear just reason. You perceive the case. It is the case of a man who is brought under some sense of what is due to God; he is not without the knowledge or the fear of him; but the effect of this fear is only partial; and not

2

γεγονε παντων ένοχος : liable to punishment of all: as Matt. v. 21, 22, and xxvi. 67.

withstanding his better knowledge, he allows himself to neglect some duty, or persists in some transgression which is contrary to the divine law. While this remains so, he has not altogether surrendered himself to God. He has not given him his heart. Some service he will not grudge: complete service he refuses to pay. In short, he reserves to himself the right of disobeying God in that point which he chooses.

Now consider whether this deserves to be called obedience. Would it be so among men? Would it be obedience in a child towards a parent? Would it be obedience in a servant towards a master? Would it be obedience in a soldier to his commander? Would it be obedience in a subject to the law of the land? He who transgresses the law in one point, is as surely condemned as if he had committed many offences. Should we listen to a man who pleaded, when accused of perjury, that he had not stolen? When tried for theft, that he had not been guilty of murder?

So that men, as well as God, when they require obedience at all, require complete obedience. Nothing else is admitted. Any single transgression of the law is punished according to the nature of the offence, because it is a denial of the authority of him who ordained the law. The giver of the law, whether it be a parent, or a master, or a general, or a king, expects all his laws to be alike obeyed. If the child, or the servant, or the soldier, or the subject, knowingly transgresses one command, there is great reason to suppose that all would be transgressed whenever there was occasion or temptation.