How much his eternal happiness was affected by it, it is impossible for us to say: but sure we are that his affliction was the means of greatly augmenting it. In this view, affliction was better to him than heaven itself would have been for, if he had been removed to heaven at once, his state, though glorious, would have been for ever fixed: whereas his affliction was " working for him" as long as it continued: it was every moment increasing that weight of glory which he was to possess for evert. Who does not see that it would be better for a man to be cut off and be cast into hell immediately, than to live only to "treasure up wrath against the day of wrath "?" for though his torments would come upon him a little sooner, yet the respite of a few months, or years, would bear no proportion to the increased weight of misery that he must eternally endure. And exactly thus the additional weight of glory which Job will eternally possess, will far overbalance the trials he suffered, or the short period of bliss, which, by an earlier removal, he might have enjoyed.] To make the just improvement of this history, we must notice, III. The general character of God, as it is exhibited in this particular dispensation— This seems to be the more immediate object, to which St. James would direct our attention. Persons in the midst of their trouble are apt to entertain hard thoughts of God: but we who, in this instance, "have seen the end of the Lord," may rest assured "that he is very pitiful, and of tender mercy," however dark or painful his dispensations towards us may be. It is by love alone he is actuated, 1. In sending afflictions [He does "not willingly afflict his people." He knows what we stand in need of; and he sends it for our good. He chastises us, not as earthly parents too often do, to indulge their own evil tempers, but purely "for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness." And as he knows what we want, so he knows what we can bear; and will take care either to apportion our burden to our strength2, or to give us strength sufficient for our trials 2. Besides, in all our afflictions he sympathizes with us; he watches over us with the t 2 Cor. iv. 17. y Heb. xii. 10. b Isai. lxiii. 9. u Rom. ii. 5. x Lam. iii. 33. a Deut. xxxiii. 25. care of a refiner, and the solicitude of a parent: and when he sees that his rod has produced its desired effect, he is glad to return to us in the endearments of love, and to confirm our confidence in him by the sweetest tokens of reconciliation and acceptance.] 2. In multiplying afflictions [When our troubles, like those of Job, are many and various, we are ready to conclude that they are sent in wrath. But it is not for us to prescribe how many, or of what continuance, our afflictions shall be. We must consider God as a physician, who prescribes with unerring wisdom, and consults the benefit, rather than the inclination, of his patients. We must "walk by faith, and not by sight:" it will be time enough hereafter to see the reasons of God's procedure. Job was induced at last to account God his enemy: and they who beheld the afflictions of Christ, were ready to say, that "he was judicially stricken, and smitten of God" as the most abandoned of mankind". But we know that, as Job was, so was Christ, beloved of the Father; and never more beloved than when crying in the depths of his dereliction, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Let not any then "write bitter things against themselves" on account of the greatness of their afflictions, but rather accept their trials as tokens of his love; for, "whom he loveth he chasteneth; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."] ADVICE 1. Let none be secure, as though affliction were far off from them [We may be to-day in affluence; to-morrow in want: to-day in health; to-morrow languishing on a bed of sickness : to-day enjoying the society of wife, or children; to-morrow lamenting their loss. Let us remember, that whatever we have is God's; it is only lent us for a little while, to be recalled at any hour he shall see fit. Let us learn to hold every thing as by this tenure, that we may be ready at any moment to give up whatever he shall be pleased to require of us. Since 66 we know not what a day may bring forth," we should stand girt for the service of our God, ever ready to do or suffer his righteous will.] 2. Let none be hasty in their judgments, when called to suffer We [Jacob thought all his trials were against him; when, in fact, they were designed for the good of himself and of all his family'. And we know not but that the events we so deeply bewail, are indispensably necessary to our salvation. have reason to think that, if we saw the end as God does, we, instead of regarding our losses or bereavements as afflictions, should adore God for them as much as for the most pleasing of his dispensations. Let us then wait till he shall have discovered to us the whole of his designs; and be content to form our judgment of him when all the grounds of judging are laid before us.] i Gen. xlii. 36. with xlv. 5, 7. and 1. 20. MMCCCLXXVII. THE EFFICACY OF FERVENT PRAYER. Jam. v. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. PRAYER and intercession are generally considered as duties but, if viewed aright, they would rather be regarded as privileges; seeing that they are the means of obtaining for ourselves and others those blessings which no created being can bestow. In this point of view, the passage before us, together with the preceding context, affords us the greatest possible encouragement. It is to be regretted, however, that instead of making a due improvement of these gracious declarations, the Papists have made use of them chiefly, if not solely, to advance the temporal interests of their clergy, at the expense of the eternal welfare of the laity. On the direction given to "pray over a sick person, and to anoint him with oil in order to his recovery," they have founded an ordinance, to be observed when a man is absolutely past recovery: and that which was designed of God as emblematic only of a miraculous power, given at that time for the restoration of bodily health, they have established as a ver. 14, 15. The forgiveness of sin here mentioned refers only to the removal of any particular judgment that had been inflicted on account of sin. See John v. 14. and 1 Cor. xi. 30. the essential means in all ages of saving the immortal soul. Again; Because the saints are encouraged to "confess their faults one to another," with a view to the augmenting of their mutual sympathy, and the directing of them in their mutual intercessions", these deceivers have required the laity to confess their sins to the clergy, in order to their obtaining the forgiveness of them at the hands of God: whereas, according to St. James, there is no such deference due to any particular order of men; but the confession is as much required from the clergy to the laity, as from the laity to the clergy. We stop not however to notice these grievous errors, but pass on to that which more immediately concerns ourselves; and to point out to you, I. The import of the assertion before us The preceding context certainly leads our thoughts chiefly to the work of intercession: yet since it is also said, "Is any afflicted, let him pray," we must not confine our attention to prayer as offered for others, but must notice it also as offered for ourselves. We say then, that when "a righteous man" draws nigh to God, and presents before him prayers inspired and dictated by the Holy Ghost (whose peculiar office it is to "help our infirmities" in prayer, and to "make intercession for use"), he shall prevail; 1. For others [Of this the instances are so numerous, that we can only give a short specimen of them: yet shall it be such a specimen, as will abundantly confirm the truth before us. We will begin with Moses, who, when God was exceedingly wroth with his people for making and worshipping the golden calf, set himself to pray and intercede for them. But God, feeling, if I may so say, how impossible it would be for him to resist the importunity of his servant, said, "Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and," if thou thinkest that my covenant. with Abraham will be broken thereby, I assure thee it shall b ver. 16. c ver. 13. d Rom. viii. 26. e Rom. viii. 27. not; for "I will make of thee a great nation!." But Moses would not let him alone," but pleaded for them with all imaginable earnestness and importunity: and the consequence was," the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his peoples." My next instance shall be that of Joshua, who, desiring to prosecute the advantage which he had gained over the Amorites, and destroy them utterly, prayed that neither the sun nor moon might advance in their course, but continue to aid him with their light, till he had accomplished his desire. To effect this, the whole universe must be arrested in its career; and such a shock be given to it, as to endanger its utter dissolution. But whatever stood in the way, it must yield to his prayer. Accordingly, no sooner did this righteous man issue the command, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon," than all the laws of nature were suspended, " and the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, till the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it, or after it, that the Lord so hearkened to the voice of a manh." Here we have seen all the material creation stopped by the voice of prayer. - Now we will refer to another instance, wherein heaven itself is moved, and an angel sent from thence to fulfil the petitions of two chosen servants. Jerusalem was besieged, and utterly incapable of holding out against the enemy who was come against it. But Hezekiah and Isaiah betook themselves to prayer. And what was the result? An angel was sent from heaven to destroy, in one single night, one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the besieging army: and the blaspheming monarch, who had boasted that nothing could withstand him, was forced to return immediately to his own country, where he was slain by his own sons, whilst in the very act of worshipping the senseless idol in which he had trusted for success. For this cause, says the historian, "Hezekiah the king, and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amos, prayed and cried to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword." One more instance I will mention, in order to shew how immediately the prayer of a righteous man succeeds. Daniel f Exod. xxxii. 10. Exod. xxxii. 14. i 2 Chron. xxxii. 20, 21. |