diverse forms. The baptism of a dying infant for its burial, the administration of the Lord's supper to the dying as a "viaticum," the false systems of confession that still exist— these all breathe the spirit of Romish bondage, and show the need of constant caution and unvarying watchfulness in matters of this kind. Our religion must not degenerate into superstition. We are to be saved by faith in Christ, not by priestly intervention nor by any works or rites whatsoever. III. The perversions of this passage by the "Peculiar People" are even more glaring than those of the Roman Catholic expositors. The text manifestly indicates prayer by the officers of the Church, together with the use of suitable means for recovery. I do not propose to discuss the exact meaning of TрEOBUTEрol. Such discussion would take too long; it rests on other passages of the New Testament, and does not affect the essential meaning of this text, when the assumptions of the Catholic interpretation are removed. It will be in full accord with the text, and sufficient for the subject in hand, to regard the TрEOBUTEрo as the official representatives of the Church with which the sick man is connected. These are to be sent for; they are to pray over the sick man (káμvovтa). Modern practice too often reverses this injunction. Most send for the medical man; few for the minister, or representative of the Church. This, even where ardently longed for, is too often left to mere chance report and good feeling. And yet those who do not send, or 66 call for, "often blame the unfortunate official for not coming. Were nothing said in this passage besides this exhortation to prayer, men would surely never be so foolish as to suppose that no means for recovery were to be used. We pray constantly, "Give us day by day our daily bread;" but that prayer is a mockery, unless we also strive to earn our living. And in all cases God treats us as intelligent creatures. He has given us minds, and expects us to use both minds and hands to do our best to gain the end we pray for. Were there, therefore, no reference whatever in this passage to the use of means for recovery, we should feel compelled, as Christian people, to use the best human means within our reach to promote the recovery that we seek.* But we have a reference to means of recovery, and this even if you choose to make the "anointing with oil" a symbolic rite. Anointing with oil was a very common medicament in the East, and is so still (see Isaiah i. 6; Mark vi. 13; Luke x. 34). So that practically this verse explicitly teaches the use of due medical means of recovery. The prime and leading idea of the text, is the efficacy of prayer by the representatives of the Church in cases of sickness. But combined with this is a secondary and subordinate idea in the anointing with oil. The anointing with oil is taken for granted as the usual means of restoration to health, and the injunction here is, that it be done in the name of the Lord, i.e., with a due regard to the fact that only God can bless such means, and really raise up to health again. The writer virtually says, "I know that, as men of common sense and intelligence, you will anoint your patient with oil, and use all necessary means within your knowledge for his recovery. But let this be done in the name of the Lord. He is the Lord of life and health. Let your prayers be made known to Him in earnestness, intelligence, and solemnity. And the Lord shall raise up the sick." To trust merely in human means, however efficient and admirable, is a huge mistake. The prayer saves; God raises up, but He does so by human agency, and the due use of available means. IV. Advancing now to the idea that James here lends his authority to "the scientific test of prayer," there can be no doubt whatever that this passage is to be considered in connection with the direct teaching of our Lord Himself on the subject of prayer. The 15th verse may be regarded either as a promise or as a statement of future fact; and, whichever of these views * "The means that Heaven yields must be embraced, -Richard II., Act iii. Sc. 2. be taken, the verse derives its authority from the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. As has been shown in a previous paper, the biblical doctrine of prayer lends no countenance whatever to the scientific test of prayer. The attempt thus to test prayer, destroys prayer. Instead of faith, it brings presumption; for loyal trust it substitutes defiance. Our Lord Jesus Christ invariably met] defiance and presumption by refusal and rebuke. Still, it is well to look a little more closely into this scientific objection, because its discussion will bring into notice a most important feature of our text. If the view of the scientists were correct, a godly man ought to live for ever, and Methuselah might be living now—a reductio ad absurdum of their argument. Eternal life, indeed, is promised to the prayerful and believing, but not in this imperfect and unsatisfactory fashion; and no rational Christian, trusting in the name of Christ, would ever offer the prayer that he might be restored to health irrespective of the good of mankind and of God's purposes and designs. Mere temporal gifts must always be subordinate to spiritual blessings. St. James in this passage is clearly referring to the highest type of prayer conceivable the loyal trust of a child of God in his Heavenly Father, the implicit confidence of the believer in his Saviour. Such prayer demands intelligence as well as faith, submission as well as trust. The reference is not to the querulous cry of sickness, but to the devout, earnest, intelligent, and believing prayer of the πρεσβύτεροι. The question may be asked: To what cases of sickness is this passage to be regarded as applying? A full consideration of the words of the text supplies the answer. It would be an utter absurdity to extend this passage to all cases of illness and indisposition. For a man with a slight toothache or an attack of mumps to gravely summon the elders of the Church to bless by their prayers the tincture or camphorated oil which the physician may advise, would be ridiculous. In such slight ailments, and in many much more grievous ones also, he is fully competent to pray for himself, and need not trouble the But there are cases representatives of the Church at all. where mental depression, or great physical prostration, or spiritual necessity render needful the help and sympathy of the representatives of the Church. There are times when a Christian man cannot pray; there are times when his prayers will be greatly aided by the kindly sympathy of others. Sickness, in many of its forms, is utterly incompatible with the high and energizing type of prayer referred to here; and hence the representatives of the Church must be called in to assist. The connection of sickness with sin in the text, and the whole tenor of the context limit the reference to those cases in which the patient longs for the Christian sympathy of the Church, through its acknowledged representatives, to render vocal his unuttered prayers and quicken his Christian aspirations. Indeed, the very words used to describe the patient imply something of this kind. κáμvo and ȧobevéw both primarily refer to loss of strength, exhaustion, being utterly done-up. In such a condition no one himself can really offer the high-toned prayer referred to, and the representatives of the Church must be called to his assistance that his Christian faith may be strengthened and his recovery assured. The true teaching of this passage, then, has nothing whatever to do with "the scientific test of prayer." It enforces the solidarité of the Christian faith. We are in life and death together; and mutual sympathy and Church life are essential to the highest type of spiritual life. The social instincts and spiritual organization of man are wonderfully co-ordinated to God's ordinances, and God's greatest spiritual blessings come in close connection with avowed and distinctive Church organizations and life. G. DEANE, D.Sc., B.A., etc. Spring Hill College, Birmingham. The The Preacher's Finger-Post. Curse Removed. WRITTEN, CURSED IS EVERY ONE THOSE who hold, propound, : I. THAT THE JEWS WERE UNDER A CERTAIN SYSTEM OF LAWS PECULIAR TO THEMSELVES. The word "law" here does not refer to the moral law which rises out of the relationship of the moral creature to God and His universe, and which is binding on all for ever, irrevocable and immutable, but the judicial or ceremonial laws, which were external, local, and temporary,the Levitical law, as it is called, -and which separated the Jews from the Gentile world. These laws referred to offerings, to circumcision, to ablutions, etc., etc. Both Eadie and Lightfoot thus interpret the word "law" here. II. THAT THE VIOLATION OF THIS SYSTEM OF LAWS EXPOSED TO TERRIBLE CURSES. What curses are attached to the violation of these laws? See Lev. xx.; Deut. xxvii. 15-26. And summarily it is said, "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen." Paul tells us in this chapter, "As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not," etc. It was a terrible dispensation under which these old Hebrews lived: it was to some extent a "reign of terror." They required those rigorous laws for their discipline; and, as rebellious children, the Great Father had to use the chastising rod. They not only deserved all this, but they required all this; and hence no fault could be found with the Great Ruler of the world. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" III. THAT CHRIST'S SUFFERING ON THE CROSS DELIVERED MAN FROM THIS RIGOROUS DISPENSATION, WITH ALL ITS TERRIBLE PENALTIES. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is every one that |