July 25 — On St. James

Consider, first, that St. James, the son of Zebedee, the elder brother of SJohn the apostle, was one of those disciples to whom our Lord was pleased to show a more particular favour and love; he was one of the three 'that were chosen to be wi nesses of the glory of his transfiguration; one of the three tha; were admitted to be present when he raised to life the daughter of Jairus; and one of the three, whom he took along with him to stay and watch with him in his prayer and agony in the garden. O how great must the faith and love of St. James have been, that he should be such a favourite of Jesus! How happy are they that, like St. James, stick close to Jesus, in his sorrows and sufferings, no less than in his joys and glory! The zeal and fervour of St. James, and of his brother St. John, in the cause of Christ, obtained for them, from our Lord, the surname of Boanerges or sons of thunder This glorious name they made good in their preaching and in their labours; and St. James with this advantage, that he was the first of all the apostles that laid down his life for the love of his Master, and sealed his doctrine with his blood. O glorious death! to die for love, not of any mortal beauty, or worldly honour, or friends, or country; but for the love of our Lord, the true and everlasting Life. O bow happy are all those sufferings, Uiat are endured for the love of Christ!

Consider, secondly, that the Epistle of this day (1 Cor. iv.) shows what kind of sufferings St. James and his fellow apostles endured daily for the love of Christ, and with what patience and charity they supported them. I think, says St. Paul, that God hath set forth us apostles, the last, as it were men appointed to death; because we are made a spectacle to the world, and to an» gels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake — we are weak — we are without honour. Even unto this hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and hare no fixed abode; and we labour, working with our oum hands; we art reviled, and we bless; toe are persecuted, and we suffer it; we are ill spoken of, and we entreat; we are made as the refuse of ihe world, the offscouring of all, even until now. See, Christians, in what manner the greatest favourites of heaven were treated by the children of the world. But no wonder; for their Master himself was treated no better; and all that will Reign with him must be content to suffer with him. O happy those crosses, that bring the soul to the eternal enjoyment of her God!

Consider, thirdly, from the Gospel of this festival, that St. James and St. John, though they had been now trained up for three years in the school of Christ, yet, before his passion and death, and their receiving the Holy Ghost, had not yet perfectly put off the old man, or purged away the old leaven of ambition and self-seeking, and therefore they induced their mother to petition for them, that they might sit. the one on the right hand of Christ, the other on the left, in his kingdom. Christians, beware of ambition; beware of desiring to be honoured, to be praised, to be exalted, or preferred before others; beware of ail the subtleties of pride and self-love; if it found its way even into the school of Christ, (as it had done before into the earthly paradise, and even into heaven itself,) it is recorded as a warning for us, that so dangerous and subtle an evil may not make its way with far greater ease into our unguarded souls. But iiearken to the words of our Lord, upon this occasion. “ You know not (says he) what you ask.’ “ Can you drink of the chalice that I shall drink V c. O, how true it is, that we know not what wt ask, when we ask for honours, preferments, riches, pleasures, &c., which, instead of bringing us nearer to our God, are too apt to carry us away far from him I It is drinking with Christ of the chalice of his passion; it is taking up our cross, and following him, is the true means of divine appointment, which is to bring us to Christ, and to entitle us to sit down with Urn on his throne, and to reign eternally with him.

Conclude to let it be thy great ambition to keep as close as thou canst to thy Lord, with thy cross upon thy shoulders, by diligent working, suffering and loving; and instead of pretendmg to high things, sit thee down by humility in the lowest place, and the highest shall be given ee.