I. Tm: PREVALENCE OF STRIFE AMONG CHl\lSTIAXS. (Ver. 1.) In the believing communities of" the Dispersion" there were many elements of discord. 'l'be time was one of political o.gitation and of social turbulence. Within the Churches there were some- times bitter theological disputes (eh. iii.). And iu private life these Jewish Christians Wlll'O largely giving themselves up to the besetting sin, not only of Hebrew nature, but of Luman nature; they struggled for material self-aggrandizement, and in doing so fell into violent mutual conflict. But do not quarrels and controversies of the same kind ro.ge still? Christian nations go to war with one another. Employers and workmen array themselves against each other in hostile camps. Churches cherish within their bosoms the viper of sectarianism. Fellow-believers belonging to the same congregation cease to be on speaking terms with one another, and perhaps inclulge in mutual back biting. How sad. to contemplate the long "wars" waged in hearts which should love as brethren, and to witness those outward "fightings" which are their inevitable outcome I II. THE ORIGIN OF BTnIFE. (Vera. 1, 2.) "Whence" comes it? asks Ja.mes; and he appeals in ,his answer to the consciences of his readers. The source of strife is in the evil desires of the heart. Usually, it is true, all wars and fightings are traced no further than to some outward cause. One nation attacks another professedly to ma.into.in the country's honour, or perhaps to rectify an unscientific frontier. Trade strikes and locks-out are to be explained by an unsatisfactory condition of the labour market. Ecclesiastical contentions are all alike justified by some assumed necessity in the interests of truth, and sometimes also by a misinterpretation of the words, "first pure, then peaceable" (eh. iii. 17). And the personal quarrels that break out among individual Christians are sure to be ascribed to severe and gratuitous provocation. Bnt here, true to his character as the apostle of reality, James sweeps away these excuses as so many dusty cobwebs. He drags out into the blaze of gospel light the one true origin of strife. "Wars" and" fightings" have their fountain within the soul, and not without. They come "of your pleasures," i.e. of the cravings of your carnal hearts. It is royal pride, or the lust of power, or sometimes the mischievous impatience of an idle army, that "let.q slip the dogs of war" between nations. It is avarice and envy that foment the social strife between capital and labour. It is the spirit of Diotrephes that produces the evils of sectarianism. It is the wild and selfish passions of the natural heart that stir up the animosities and conflicts of pri.ate life. These passions " war in your members;" issuing from the citadel of "Ma.nsou1," they pitch their camp in the organs of sense and action. 'l'here they not only "war against " the regenerated nature (1 Pet. ii. 11), and against one auother, but against one's neighbour, -clamouring for gratification at the expense of his rights and his welfare. This trutl1 is further expanded in ver. 2, and in a way which recalls eh. i. 14, 15; or which suggests the analysis of sin given by Thomas a. Kempis: "Primo occurrit menti simplex cogitatio; deinde fortis imagina.tio ; postea delectatio et motus pravus et assensio." 'l'he first stage is that of unreasonably desiring something which we have not. The _second is that of murderously envying those whose possessions we covAt--cheri.:;h- ing such feelings as David did towards Uriah the Hittite, or Ahab towards Naboth. 'l'he third stage is that of open contention and discord-" ye fight and war." But common to all the stages is the consciousness of want; and at the end of each, as ver. 2 reminds us, this consciousness becomes further intensified. Ye "have not; " "cannot obtain;"" yo have not,"--even after all your fierce strivings. The war-spirit, therefore, is generated by that unrfst of the soul which only the God of peace can remove. It has its source in that devouring hunger of the heart which only the bread of God can appease. And to cure it we must ascertain what the great nature of man needs, in order to make him restful and happy. 111. THE REMEDY FOB STRIFE. (Vers. 2, 3.) It lies in prayer. If we would have our nature restored to restfulness, we must realize our dependence npon God. To struggle after the world in our own strength will tend only to foster the wa.r-spiri t within us. Perhaps we he.ve not hitherto directly consulted the Lord about our worldly affairs. If not, let us begin to do so now. Or perh11,ps we have "asked amiss," in praying chiefly for what would gratify only the lower elements of our nature, or requesting blessings wit.ha view to certain uses of them which would not bear to be r;n.cutioned before his throne. \Vo co.nuot ~-9. ex.pect God to answer the prayer tha.~ 60 THE GENERAL EPISTLE or JAMES. [011, IV, 1-17,
our 11•orldly businese may prosper, if we secretly resolve to employ what Ruccess he 11ends in catering for self-glorification. The things that we ask ruust be what we need for the Lord's service; and we must honestly purpose so to use them, 'l'he cultivation of the true spirit of devotion is the way to contentment with our lot in life. We shall eecure peace among the powers and passions of the heart, if we "seek first our Father's kingdom and his righteousness." Regular soul-converse with God will exorcise the demons of discord, 11.nd call into exercise the gracious affections of faith, submission, gratitude, and peace. LESSONS. 1. The wickedness of the war-spirit. 2. The defilement and degradation which result from allowing selfish motives to govern the heart. 3. The blessedness of making God our Portion, and of resting contented with our allotted share of temporal good. 4. The duty of forgiving our enemies, and of promoting peace in the Ohurch and in society.-0. J.