The Pulpit Commentary — James — Section 92

eye, and tho criee of the oppressed had entered the e1ns of the Lord of hosts, The Lord of hosts? Yee, power belonged unto him, and it had been written, "He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the J!0or also, aud him that hnth no helper" (Ps, l:u:ii 12, etc.). 4. And their murder ot the Just One, aa it really was? "Bobolti ho cometh with clouds ; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him : and all kindrods of the earth shall wail becauee of him" (Rev. i. 7), Yes, judamont 0 should come, swift and sure; "for as the lightning," etc. (Matt. xxiv. 27), The great lesson is one of stewardship; let rich and poor alike learn this. And to all there is one Lord, and he cometh! yes, " to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity" (Ps. xoviii. 9).-'l'. F. L. Vere. 7-11.-The coming of the Lord. Following the warning& for the rich, we have encouraging counsel for the poor. Yes, even the lJOOr persecuted ones just spoken of in the previous verses. The coming of the Lord is set forth as being nigh at hand and they are exhorted to a patient waiting till that coming be accomplished. ' I. THE COMING OF THE LoRD. 1. Its nature, (1) For mercy: "to them that look for him . , . unt.o salvation" (Heh. ix. 28). So here, " the end of the Lord," etc. The "end" toward& which God always works for hie people is their deliverance; so shall it be emphatically then. Nor is the deliverance a cold, deliberate putting-forth of power; be is " full of pity." So he saves out of the fulness of love that yearns towards the oppressed. But the pity and the deliverance are both alike "of grace," for we deserve them not ; so we are reminded, in that he is "merciful." (2) For judgment : " te them that obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath" (Rom, iL 8). So here, " the judge sta.ndeth," etc. The "end" towards which God is com- pelled 'to work, by the sins of men, is their judgment; so emphatically then. And the very pity of his heart becomes intenser indignation, when sin spurns his pity. And the jndgment shall be one, therefore, of accumulating penalties; judgment because they "obey not the truth ; " yet heavier judgmcnt ber,ause they "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. i. 8). 2. Its nearness. Certainly there is a seeming nearness in the apostolic days; how shall it be explained? (1) Actually, it was very near, the intervening time being compared with the vast reons of. God's working; 80 2 Pet. ill. a And even we, studying the history of the past, can view the lapse of ages somewhat according to the measurement of God. (2) Ideally, it was near indeed to those to whom it was the one burning, glowing hope. For illustration, the parting with a much-loved friend for a separation of many years: we dwell so fondly, in the lingering farewells, on the reunion time, that all the long interval is forgotten in the absorbing hope of that better day. So Christ, parting with hie disciples: "I will come again" (John xiv. 3). So the disciples, looking for their Lord: his coming "draweth nigh." Yes, the high mountain-peak stood out 80 clear and beautiful against the distant sky, that it seemed nigh, almost as one might touch it eve~ now I (3) Virtually, it was near. There might be many a climb before that mountain-peak .should be gained, but each a.scent of the intervening hills lessened the diet.a.nee towards that high summit. So the successive" comings" of the Lord, through all the ages, are preparing for and bringing near that advent, which shall be, after all, but the culmination of the judgments and deliverances that are proceeding now, (4) Potentially, as has well been said, it might be even nearer then than now, for the spiritual alertness of the Church, and the rapidity of the evangelization of the world, were the fulfilment of conditions upon which depends the "basting" of" the coming of the day of God" (see 2 Pet. iii 12, margin). So, then, in all these eensee it might well be said, " the coming of the Lord is at hand ; " " the Judge standeth before the <loore." II. THE PATIE?.'T WAITING. But ae yet they must wait, and be patient in their waiting. For when the ideal of their hopes burned feeble and dull, and the weary routine of common life was oppressive to their hearts, how distant, sometimes, might that coming seem I And, seeming distant, it would actually become more distant, for their faith and work would slacken, and so hie way would not be prepared. Yes, there must be a looking for their Lord, that they might rightly do his will, and also that they might patiently wait for hie appearing. So, then, ee regards this patient waiting: 1. Ju character. (1) Endurance of evil: one feature of the economy of redemption. Yes, "we call them blessed; ff so eh. i. 2-4, 12. (2) Strength of heart ; CII, V. 1-20,] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. 87