Jam. i. 26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own hearty this, man's religion is vain.
IF there be persons in the present day who per- vert the doctrines of the Gospel, and take occasion
from
from them to depreciate morality, we must not wonder at it, since this evil obtained to a very g"reat extent even in the Apostolic age. It was with a view to persons of this description chiefly that St. James wrote this practical and vituperative epistle. It is evident that the Christian temper was too much overlooked by many who professed themselves fol • lowers of Christ. There were many who loved to liear the Gospel, but neglected to comply with its injunctions. In particular, they would give a very undue licence to their tongues, indulging themselves in most uncharitable censures of each other ; whilst in the opinion of their own party, and in their own estimation, they stood high as " saints of the Lord." But, in the words which we have read, the apostle James declared plainly to them, that they " deceived their own souls," and that " their religion was vain."
In this declaration we may see, I. The proper office of religion in the soul —
Religion is not intended to fill the mind with no- tions, but to regulate the heart and life —
1 . As admitted into the soul, it brings us under the authority of God's law —
[Previous to our reception of the Gospel, we know no other rule of conduct than that of our own will, or the opi- nions of the world around us. But when we have " received the truth as it is in Jesus," we see, that God is a Sovereign who must be obeyed ; and that his law is to be a rule of action to all his creatures. His law extends, not to outward ac- tions only, but to the thoughts and desires of the heart; over which it exercises a complete controul. We now begin to see, that the requirements of that law, in their utmost ex- tent, are all "holy, and just, and good;" precisely such as it became Jehovah to enact, and such as it is our truest hap- piness to obey. The mere circumstance that it has been spoken by the Lord, is quite sufficient to give it, in all cases, a paramoimt authority: nor are the customs or opinions of the whole world, however long or universally established, accounted of any weight in opposition to it ]
2. j4s operating in the soul, it disposes and quali- fies us to obey that law —
[The Gospel duly received, does not merely convince
the