James 1:25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work… I commend perseverance unto you as "a condition annexed to every virtue"; so Bernard — as "that which compasseth every good grace of God about as with a shield"; so Parisiensis — as "that gift of God which preserveth and safeguardeth all other virtues"; so . For though "every good gift and every perfect gift be from above" (ver. 17), though those virtues which beautify a Christian soul descend from heaven, and are the proper issues as it were from God Himself; yet perseverance is unica filia, saith Bernard, "his only daughter and heir," and carrieth away the crown (Matthew 24:13). He runneth in vain, who runneth not to the mark. He runneth in vain, that fainteth in the way, and obtaineth not. Whatsoever is before the end, is not the end, but a degree unto it. What is a seed, if it shoot forth and flourish, and then wither? What is a gourd, which groweth up in a night, and shadoweth us, and then is. smitten the next morning with a worm and perisheth? What is a fair morning to a tempestuous day? What is a Sabbath-day's journey to him who must walk to the end of his hopes? What is an hour in Paradise? What is a look, an approach towards heaven, and then to fall back and be lost for ever? A good beginning must be had, but let the end be like unto the beginning. Let not Jupiter's head be set upon the body of a tyrant; as the proverb is, "A young saint, and an old devil": but let holiness, like Joseph's coat of many colours, be made up of many virtues, but reaching down to the very feet, to our last days, our last hour, our last breath. For this is our eternity here on earth; et propter hoc aeternun consequimur aeternum: Our remaining in the gospel, our constant and never-ceasing obedience to it, is a Christian's eternity below; "and for this span of obedience, which is the mortal's eternity, we gain right and title to that real eternity of happiness in the highest Leavens." To remain in the gospel and to be blessed for ever, are the two stages of a Christian; the one here on earth, the other in the kingdom of heaven: to "look into" the gospel, that is the first; and the second is like unto it, to "remain in it," to set a court of guard about us, that no deceitful temptation remove us out of our place. Our perseverance is a virtue which is never in actu complete, "never hath its complete act in this life." (A. Farindon, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. |
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