In ancient MSS. of the New Testament seven Epistles usually follow the Acts of the Apostles and precede the Epistles of St. Paul, perhaps because they were written by earlier Apostles and represent the more primitive, Jewish type of Christianity. Of these, 2d Peter and Jude appear to be more closely connected with the period after St. Paul, about A.D. 67, while the three Epistles of St. John probably belong between A.D. 80 and 100.

James and 1st Peter are given here as examples of the original apostolic type of teaching before the time of St. Paul, to be read in the light of the first twelve chapters of the Acts, and read together. To both Apostles the New Covenant was the fulfilment of the Old: to St. James, the fulfilment of the Law; to St. Peter, the fulfilment of Prophetic Promise. To St. James the Gospel was not the message of deliverance from the condemnation of the Law, but the perfect revelation of the will of God, and of the power which was given to fulfil it perfectly in its ethical import as the Law of Liberty. To St. Peter the Gospel was the realization of the ancient Promises and Hopes, the pledge therefore of the Promise that is still unfulfilled, and the ground of Hope in the Salvation that is still to be completed.

The Epistle of James is probably the earliest of the New Testament writings in date, certainly the earliest in spirit. It appears to belong to a time when the Church had not yet separated from the Synagogue, when the distinction between Jews and Christians was scarcely felt, and the distinction between Jewish and Gentile Christians was not made, because the Gentile Christian was not yet in sight. It contains no reference to the controversies about Circumcision and the Mosaic Law which shook the Church to its foundations after St.

Paul's work among the Gentiles had begun. It probably dates before A.D. 50, though placed later by some authorities.

The first Epistle of Peter is more uncertain as to date, being placed by some as late as A.D. 67, on account of apparent connections between it and the Epistles of Paul, and also because of apparent references to Gentile Christians; by others as early as A.D. 54. It seems, however, to move within the sphere of Jewish Christianity, and breathes throughout the spirit of him who was the Apostle to the Jews, as St. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles.

THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES.

[James the Brother of the Lord appears to have been led to faith by the Resurrection (I. Cor. xv., 7), and to have become the head of the Church in Jerusalem by A.D. 44 (Acts xii., 17). He took a leading part in the Conference at Jerusalem (Acts xv.), received St. Paul several times (Gal. i., 19; Acts xxi., 18), and is said to have been martyred in A.D. 62 or 63.

The object of his Epistle was to strengthen and encourage Jewish believers who still shared in the worship of the synagogue; who were mostly of the poorer class; who were in danger of giving way under heavy trials; who in their zeal to bring their fellow-Jews to the Faith were sometimes disposed to be partial towards the rich, and also to run into controversy; and who were tempted to prefer the Friendship of the World to the Friendship of God.]

The Trials of Believers. I. I-27.

How trials are to be endured, how they are to be kept from becoming Temptations, by the New Life of the Word of Truth. Hearers of this Word must not give way to Wrath or to Ceremonialism, under Trials, but quietly obey it as the Law which gives perfect Freedom.

JAMES, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion, wisheth joy.

Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold trials, knowing that the testing of your faith worketh out stedfastness; but let stedfastness have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask from God who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him: but let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed: for

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let not that man think that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, shall receive anything from the Lord. But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate, and the rich in his making himself low, because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun arose with the scorching wind and withered the grass, and its flower fell away and the beauty of its face perished; so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings. Blessed is the man that is stedfast under trial, for when he hath been approved he shall receive the crown of life, which He hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when his trial turneth to temptation, It is from God that I am tempted: for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempteth no man. But each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own Lust and enticed: then the Lust, when it hath conceived, beareth Sin, and the Sin, when it is full-grown, bringeth forth death. Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor shadow that is cast by turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of malice, receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. But become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. For if any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a

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mirror, for he beheld himself and hath gone away and straightway forgat what manner of man he was. But he that looked carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and continueth to do so, being not a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. If any man thinketh himself to be a worshipper, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his heart, this man's worship is vain. Pure worship and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The Temptations that had begun to appear in the Christian brotherhood. 2. 1-5. 6.

1. Temptations to Sins against the Faith. Faith in our Lord Jesus must rest on Obedience to His Royal Law of Impartial Love for Rich and Poor. Faith without Works is dead.

2. Temptations to Sins of the Tongue. Those who teach the Faith must avoid angry Controversy. True and False Wisdom.

3. Temptations of the Poor,-Worldly Greed and Envy. God desires the whole heart to be given to Him. The temper that refrains from envy and judging others is an indispensable condition of true blessedness.

4. Temptations of the Rich. Boastful self-confidence and Pride of Life. Oppressive wealth is corrupt.

[1.] My brethren, do ye in respecting persons hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory? For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in dirty clothing, and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place, and ye say to the poor man, Thou canst stand, or sit there under my footstool, are ye not at variance with your own selves and become judges with evil thoughts?

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Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to them that love Him? But ye have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats? Is it not they who blaspheme the honorable Name by the which ye are called? Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well; but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all. For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill: now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty. For the judgment is without mercy to him that hath shewed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judg

ment.

What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, get yourselves warmed and filled, and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith and I have works. Shew me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will shew thee my faith. Thou believest that there is one God? Thou doest well: the demons also believe and shudder. But art thou willing to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he