James

James is the apostle of action. 1: 2. Temptations that find us dwelling in God are to our

faith like winds that more firmly root the tree. 5. We may receive light either —

a. As here, by asking God for wisdom; I. By being secretly persuaded as Artaxerxes was by Nehemiah; or c. By outward circumstances, as when Saul was led to Samuel by means of straying asses.

1: 15. A tame leopard drew blood from its master’s hand while licking it. It’s old nature revived and it had to be shot.

Sin is like a river, which begins in a quiet spring and ends in a stormy sea.

17. “No variableness.” God’s character does not change. A father punishes his child, if disobedient, but does not stop loving. Society punishes crime, because it does not change, and crime is contrary to its character. God remains unchangeable in his character and attitude toward sin; but when man changes, their relative attitude is changed. God changes in his dealings with a changed man.

2: 5. The ipoor man may be rich in faith. The rich should be rich in good works.

10. We divide up gin into sins and miss the gravity. God gave one law, consisting of ten commandments.

The golden chain of obedience is broken if one link is missing. If you are hanging over a precipice by a chain and one link goes, you are lost.

17. Faith without works God never regards. ) Works without faith God never rewards, j Some one said to Spurgeon: “I hear you are opposed to works. ““No, “he said, “I am not, nor to chimney pots; but I would not put them

at the foundation.”

Faith justifies us in the sight of God. j Works justify us in the sight of men. ) Faith without works is like a man putting all his

money into the foundation of his house. Works

without faith is like a man building without any

foundation. A working faith is more than faith in works.

2: 26. Idle grace soon becomes active corruption.

3: 2. His heart cannot be pure whose tongue is not clean.

4: 6. Give me the homely vessel of humility which God

shall preserve and fill with the wine of his grace, rather than the varnished cup of pride which he will dash in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

10. Self-humiliation must be real (Ps. 78: 36, 37), and should be secret. Matt. 6: 17, 18.

“Humble we must be, if to heaven we go: High is the roof there, but the gate is low.”

17. The sins of ignorance are most numerous: but the sins of knowledge are most dangerous.

5: 16. Fervency in prayer by the power of the Holy Spiril

is a good preservative against thoughts rushing in. Flies never settle on a boiling pot.