Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest." Festus, no doubt, knew that Paul had been tried by Felix, and that no fault was found then; as a shrewd man, he must have seen that the spirit of his accusers was a spirit capable of fabricating the most groundless and malignant charges, and he must have learnt from the language, the spirit, and the learning of the apostle, that he was an innocent man. Paul had very good reason for saying, "Thou very well knowest." His keen eye penetrated into the heart of the judge, and read there the sentence-"This man is not guilty." In his refusal, we notice-(c) His sublime heroism of soul. He dared death. Was he afraid of death? Not he. "For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die." To a truly great man, truth, virtue, justice, honour, are far more precious things than mortal life. Men's dread of death is always in proportion to their disregard to moral principles. He dared his judge too. "If there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them." As if he had said to Festus, "You dare deliver me to the Jews." The right to appeal to Cæsar belonged to him as a Roman citizen, and it was strictly forbidden by the Lex Julien to put any obstruction in the way of a Roman citizen when he had appealed. Paul knew this, and he dared his judge, by appealing to Cæsar—“Cæsar I invoke."

III. THE RESULTANT CIRCUMSTANCES CONNECTED WITH PAUL'S APPEARANCE BEFORE FESTUS. "Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? unto Cæsar shalt thou go." The immediate result is, Paul is delivered from the power of the Jews, remanded into custody until an opportunity occurred of sending him into the imperial city. He was now destined for Rome. In this, "Unto Cæsar shalt thou go," we may see the triumph of three things

First: The triumph of justice over policy. Festus, in desiring him to go to Jerusalem to be tried, thought it a

stroke of policy, but Paul's appeal to Cæsar forced him to abandon the purpose. "The right of appeal," says Alexander to the people, "in a body, or as represented by the tribunes, was one of the most valued rights of Roman citizens, and still continued to be so regarded even after the supreme judicial power of the people had been transferred to the emperors. Particular importance was attached to the right of appeal from the judgments of provincial magistrates, According to ancient writers, no delay or written form was requisite, the only act necessary to arrest the judgment being the utterance of the word Appello! The magic power of this one word is described as similar to the talismanic phrase, Civis Romanus sum! Indeed, the two things coincided, as it was the Roman citizen, and not the mere provincial subject of the empire, who could thus transfer his cause from any inferior tribunal to that of the Emperor himself. The possession of this citizenship, therefore, was the providential means of saving Paul at this critical juneture, not only from the power of his Jewish foes, but also from the weaknesses of his Roman friends." In this, "Unto Cæsar shalt thou go," we see

Secondly: The triumph of generosity over selfishness. A divine generosity-a generosity inspired by the Gospel of Christ-had awakened in the heart of Paul a strong desire to go to Rome, in order to unfurl the banner of universal philanthropy in the metropolis of the world. "Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there I must also see Rome." (Acts xix. 21.) And in his letter to the Romans he says, "I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift." (Romans i. 11.) And again, "Having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you, whensoever I take my journey into Spain I will come unto you; for I trust to see you in my journey." (Rom. xv. 23, 24.) This he wrote many years before, when he was at Corinth; so that this generous desire to preach in Rome was

one strengthened by years. But how had selfishness, working in the Jews especially, wrought earnestly in a thousand ways to thwart these Heaven-born purposes of generosity. Here, however, in "unto Cæsar shalt thou go" is a triumph of his purpose. His way to Rome is made safe and sure-"To Cæsar shalt thou go." The door of Rome is thrown open to him. This incident I take as a cheering prophecy that the generous one day shall achieve the mastery of the world. In this, "unto Cæsar shalt thou go," we see

Thirdly: The triumph of the divine over the human. God had purposed that Paul should go to Rome. "And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." (Acts xxiii. 11.) The purpose of the Jews was to kill him at Jerusalem, and had Festus acceded to their demands, Paul would never have seen Rome. But the Lord reigns, and so controls the opposing and conflicting passions of the world, as ultimately to realize his own decree. God's revealed purposes may often seem to us most unlikely of fulfilment; sometimes, indeed, all but frustrated; yet they march forward to a grand consummation. As we believe, amid the darkness and desolations of the severest winter, that summer is on its march, and will cover the world with life and beauty, so let us believe, amongst all the workings of human depravity, that God's great purpose to redeem the world to holiness and bliss is marching on in stately certainty.

OPERATIONS OF GUILT.

"How guilt, once harboured in the conscious breast,
Intimidates the brave, degrades the great!"-JOHNSON.

PRESENCE OF GUILT.

"Who has a heart so pure,

VOL. XXI.

But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets, and law days, and in session sit

With meditations awful?"

SHAKESPEARE.

G

of James.

(No. IX.)

SUBJECT: Respect of Persons.

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons," &c.-Jas. ii. 1—9,*

HE word here rendered "with respect of persons," v

THE

Tроowжоλnvíais, signifies "the accepting of one's face or outside," and so the injunction is one against honouring men out of consideration to any external advantage they may possess. James entreats his fellow Christians not to combine the irreligious profession with respect for any adventitious superiority. His reasons are because it is—

I. ANTICHRISTIAN. Honour paid to men in religious affairs because of any external advantage is antagonistic to the entire genius of the religion of Jesus Christ. For (1) Christianity regards man as man, its provisions and adaptations are not for a race or a class, but universal. The Lord of Glory, its Founder, was the "Son of Man," and "tasted death for every man." (2) In Christ's earthly life,-e.g. His converse, his miracles, his synipathy, there was assuredly none of this respect of persons. Even his enemies confessed to Him,

Thou carest for no man, and regardest the person of no man, but teachest the word of God in truth." (3) Paul caught his Divine Master's spirit, for he said, "Henceforth know we no man after the flesh."

II. UNGODLIKE. James calls us to hear how God treats the different classes of men. He is no "respecter of persons." (1) Upon whom in the olden time did He put the highest religious honours? Moses, David, Elisha, (Amos: Verily the slave child, the shepherd boy, the ploughman, the herdsman, were the "poor of this world." (2) Upon whom in the

• For another exposition of this passage, see HOMILIST, third series, vol. viii. page 346.

early Christian era did he put the highest religious honours? Fishermen and taxgatherers, "the poor of this world." (3) Upon whom in modern Christian times has He bestowed grace to win the laurels of religious victories and wear the crowns of religious fame? The ready answer from the history of church revivals, and missionary enterprise is, "the poor of this world." Augustine, Luther, Carey, Bunyan, Whitefield, &c., illustrate the fact that "God hath chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, &c." The argument of James then, is, in this matter, "Be ye followers of God."

III. INEXPEDIENT. In verses 6 and 7, proofs are adduced of the fact that when Christians combine this "respect of persons" with religious profession, they do what is most inconsistent with their own interests. For, "in respecting of persons," you (1) Encourage oppression. "Do not rich men, &c." It is more historic than experimental with us, that as a class, the rich men persecuted and crushed Christians who were generally of lowly station. By honouring men merely for their wealth, their power to be thus social tyrants was augmented; moreover, by such respect of persons, you (2) Encourage blasphemies. The rich Pagans and Jews of that day hurled scorn and heaped contempt upon the name of Jesus. And now, too often, the rich, by selfish luxury and pride, and materialism, blaspheme sacrifice, lowliness, spirit. And is not Christ these? By according your honour to the merely rich you increase the prestige of blasphemies.

IV. IMMORAL. Respect of persons is a violation of "the royal law." Love is the royal law, the king among the laws, for all other laws derive their authority from love, and all yield to it.

When we have said that James teaches that this respect of persons is thus Antichristian, ungodlike, inexpedient, immoral, we have used what philosophically are convertible terms. Our meditation has only been an observation of the same fact from different sides, for that which is Antichristian must, by necessity, be ungodlike, inexpedient, and immoral.