Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890 edition. Excerpt: ... ST. JAMES. i--4. Trials and their Purpose. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. 1--4. Trials And Their Purpose. 1. a servant of God and of the Lord fesus Christ The description which the writer gives of himself throws no light on his identity. The term "servant," better slave, as one who had been bought with a price (1 Cor. vi. 20, vii. 43), was used of themselves by both St Peter (2 Pet. i. 1) and St Paul (Rom. i. 1; Titus i. 1). It might be claimed by either of the Apostles who bore the name of James, or by the brother of our Lord, or indeed by any believer. (1 Pet. ii. 16). It may be noted that this and ch. ii. 1 are the only passages in which St James names our Lord, and that the form in which the Name appears is identical with that in the Epistle from the Apostles and Elders assembled under St James's presidency, in Acts xv. 26. to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad Literally, that are in the dispersion. The superscription is interesting as shewing that the ten tribes of the Kingdom of Israel, though they had been carried into a more distant exile than Judah and Benjamin, were thought of, not as lost and out of sight, but as still sharing the faith and hope of their fathers. So St Paul speaks of "the twelve-tribed nation" as "serving God day and night" (Acts xxvi. 7), and our Lord's promise that His twelve disciples should sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. xix. 28), and the Apocalyptic vision of the sealing of the tribes (Rev. vii. 5--8) imply the same belief. The legend as to the disappearance of the Ten Tribes, which has given rise to so many insane dreams as to their identification with the Red Indians of America or our...