RESIST TEMPTATION, 83 well cleansed and made neat, and the head end thereof thwited (sic) and shaped sharp, howbeit not yet cut from the mother stock-must be set fast in the shank of the fig tree, where it must be kept well and surely tied with bands. For the space of three years it is suffered to grow indifferently between two mothers, or rather, by the means thereof two mother-stocks are grown and united together; but in the fourth year it is cut wholly from the own mother, and is become altogether an adopted child to the fig tree wherein it is incorporate. A pretty device, I assure you, to make a fig tree bear olives, the secret whereof is not known to every man." (Pliny, lib. xvii., cap. 19.)—W. R. C. JAMES IV. 1319.-RESIST TEMPTATION. James iv. 7.-"Resist the devil, and he wili flee from you." Illustrative.-When the devil tempts a man to commit any wickedness, he does, as it were, lay a long train of sins; and if the first temptations take, they give fire one to another. Let us, then, resist the beginning of sin; because then we have the most power, and sin hath the least.— TILLOTSON. Every man (says a Turkish dervise in his allegory) has two angels, one on the right shoulder and another on his left. When he does anything good, the angel on the right shoulder writes it down and seals it, because what is done is done for ever. When he does evil, the angel on the left shoulder writes it down. He waits till midnight. If before that time the man bows down his head, and exclaims, "Gracious Allah! I have sinned, forgive me!" the angel rubs it out; and if not, at midnight he seals it, and the angel upon the right shoulder weeps. There are two great proverbs, one among the Turks, and the other among the Spaniards, both of which contain much that is true. "A busy man is troubled with but one devil; but the idle man with a thousand." "Men are usually tempted by the devil; but the idle man positively tempts the devil." How much corrupting company, how many temptations to do wrong, how many seasons of danger to your character, and danger to the peace of your friends, may you escape by regarding the admonition, "Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you." 84 IGNORANCE OF THE future. A gilt object may appear as well as a gold one until it is tried in the fire; and it is the furnace of temptation that proves of what metals we are made. 1320.-EASTERN MERCHANTS. 1 James iv. 13. "We will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and 2 buy and sell, and get gain." [R.V.]' Spend a year; 2 trade.. Illustrative. The merchants of the East have ever been famous for their trading peregrinations; and often are we reminded of the "company of Ishmeelites who came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt " (Gen. xxxvii. 25). See the young adventurer: he has received a certain sum from his father, and goes to another town, where he has relations or friends, and he cautiously commences his business. He never loses sight of frugality, and should he in the course of a few years have gained a competency, he returns to his native place, there to husband out his days. But should he not prosper, he goes to another town; for his affairs are so arranged in reference to rents and other matters, that he finds no difficulty in removing. But another trader will not try thus to settle: he carries in two or three bags various spices, gums, and drugs, which are needed by every family; or cloth, silk, and muslin, or jewels and precious stones; and after trading a year or two, he returns rich with the proceeds of his journey. ROBERTS. 1321.-IGNORANCE OF THE FUTURE. James. iv. 14.-"Ye know not what shall be on the morrow." Illustrative. With all our wish to inquire into the future, a thoughtful mind will not fail to acknowledge the wisdom and love of God in keeping it back from us. "What little child," says the author of " Recreations of a Country Parson," in an essay on the "Art of Putting things,”-“ what little child would have heart to begin the alphabet, if, before he did so, you put clearly before him all the school and college work of which it is the beginning? The poor little thing would knock up at once, wearied out by your want of skill in putting things. And so it is that Providence, kindly and gradually putting things, wiles us onward, still keeping hope and heart through the trials and cares of life. Ah! if we had had it put to us at the outset, how much we should have to go through to reach even our present stage of life, we should have been ready to think it the best plan to sit down and die at once; but, in compassion for human weakness, the great Director and Shower of events practises the art of putting things." THE SIN OF SWEARING. 85 To-morrow! Ah, who hath not heard of thy worth, JAMES V. 1322.-THE SIN OF SWEARING. James v. 12.-"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Illustrative.-A pious young tradesman, living in a low part of a town, was constantly grieved by the unmanly habit of swearing which was practised by many of his customers. He at length hung up a board behind his counter, on which was printed the words, “Friend, don't swear." On an oath being uttered, the tradesman would kindly direct the attention of his customer to the board, and in the most affectionate yet serious manner, point out the fearful consequences of breaking God's law :"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord 86 ANSWERS TO PRAYERS. will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." In a short time swearing was entirely abolished, not only in that shop, but in many of the homes and workshops in the neighbourhood. Swearing Coachman.-A profane coachman, pointing to one of his horses, said to a pious traveller, “That horse, sir, knows when I swear at him." "Yes," replied the traveller," and so does your Maker." The coachman felt the rebuke, and immediately became silent. John Howard.-Howard, the philanthropist, was standing one day near the door of a printing-office, when he heard some dreadful oaths and curses from a public-house opposite. Buttoning his pocket up before he went into the street, he said to the workmen near him, "I always do this when I hear men swear, as I think that any one who can take God's name in vain can also steal, or do anything else that is bad." 66 1323. ANOINTING WITH OIL. James v. 14.—“ Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." Illustrative.-Anointing with oil was a part of the ceremonial of the Jewish law, which has been introduced into the Roman as well as the Oriental churches. It is prepared by these according to the rule prescribed by Moses, and is with them no inconsiderable source of revenue. The extreme unction" practised by the Roman Church is defended by a misrepresentation of the above passage, for extreme unction is never applied until it is considered certain that the patient is about to die, whereas, the words of James, as well as those in Mark vi. 13, connect the anointing the sick with recovery. We do not consider that in these cases oil was used either as a means or a symbol: the anointing was simply an exercise of faith, similar to Peter and John's saying to the lame man at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, "Rise up and walk." The elders of the church, after praying for the sick man, were to treat him as though he were recovered. They were to help him rise from his bed, wash, anoint his head and dress, and rejoice with him in view of the healing mercies of God.--VAN LENNEP, Bible Customs, p. 134. 1324.-ANSWERS TO PRAYERS. The James v. 15, 16.-" And the prayer of faith shall save the sick. effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Illustrative.-About thirty years ago, a beloved friend and fellow labourer was taken alarmingly ill. both by teachers and children. He was a man most highly esteemed ANSWERS TO PRAYERS. 87 gloom over many hearts, and prayer was made without ceasing unto God for him. Several friends agreed to engage in this exercise every morning at eleven o'clock, and the result was waited for with the greatest anxiety. The next sabbath came, and this faithful servant of Christ to all human appearance was fast approaching the gates of death; a few hours it was thought would terminate his useful career. But though cast down, his friends were not in despair. A special prayer meeting was appointed to be held in the evening on his behalf, which was attended by not less than between two and three hundred persons, and never did Christians appear to be more united in purpose, more earnest in desire, and more interested in the one important object for which they were assembled, than were the friends on that occasion. . . The next day was with me a day of much anxiety, but in the evening I was greatly relieved by the information that the disorder of my friend had taken a sudden and favourable change, at the very hour appointed for prayer ; affording a striking illustration of the faithfulness of the promise, "Before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear." From that hour the sufferer began slowly to amend, until he was again restored to health, and to the duties from which he had for a season been laid aside. But the most extraordinary part of the story remains to be told. At the meeting referred to, an aged teacher, a man remarkable for the strength and simplicity of his faith was called upon to pray. Whilst pleading with God on behalf of his friend, Hezekiah's sickness and recovery came forcibly to his mind, and he prayed that God would be pleased, as in the case of Israel's king, to add fifteen years to the valuable life of his afflicted brother. Years again passed away, and the circumstance of the fifteen years was forgotten by most, but not by him to whom it particularly referred. He treasured it up in his memory until old age with its accompanying infirmities came stealing upon him. One day, when remarking upon it to his family, he said, "That prayer has been signally answered, for this very week the fifteen years have expired." In the evening the worn out pilgrim retired to his rest; but oh, how sweet, how peaceful was that rest! it was the rest that remaineth for the people of God."-CRANFIELD'S Branches Running over the Wall. In one of the union prayer meetings a sailor speaker arose and said : "I have some good news from the sea. Some time ago a large vessel became leaky, and in a violent gale she was so strained that she opened her seams, and leaked very badly. The captain did all he could to save his ship and his crew, but finally he gave it up in despair. He called his crew together, thirty-two in all, and said, 'My men, I can keep it from you no longer. We must go down in a very short time. Are you pre |