The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-30

The so-called Epistle of James has none of the characteristics of a letter. but Is in every respect treatise, or compilation of wisdom teachings such as we have in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, wisdom of Solomon; and belongs to that class of later Jewish literature known as wisdom writings, which was specially popular in the first century among the Jews of the dispersion. If the reader will once get the notion out of his head that 1t is Q letter, and view 1t as a body of wisdom writing he will already have removed many of the difficulties which now cloud the book As a body of wisdom teach ings it must be regarded as the distilla- tons of a period of experience and re- factions; and the question of date Is secondary matter. When wisdom was put on papyrus or parchment is a matter Of but little moment compared to when 1t came forth into the oral teachings of society; just as the date of the writing of the teachings of Jesus are not as impor- tant for the appreciation of His messages as the time and circumstances under which He spake them. So the wisdom of James, possibly compiled and put on papyrus after his death, represents the thought of the great Jew and pillar of the church during the years 40-6O A. D. My own conviction is that he himself col lected and published his wisdom for the benefit of his brethren of the 12 tribes of the dispersion. during his own life time; but on this point men may well differ without materially affecting their opinions as to the nature and value or the substance of the book.
 The matter composing the book is a collection of wisdom miseellanies on how to live in such times of stress and strain as existed during the period of his life Already society in Palestine was eaten up by social disease, and was be- ginning to rot. Rome did not destroy Jewish society in Palestine, but on the contrary granted to the Jews in the home land a degree of tolerance and protec- ton and privileges beyond that of all most any other province. Jerusalem and Palestinian society died of it's own in ternal decay. and committed social sui- eide, if we may trust the historical and social witnesses of the times Jesus fore saw this and wept over it, and warned them that unless they repented of the spirit of riot and instruction, such as shown by the men Pilate slew in the temple, they would all likewise perish; but they knew not the time of their visi- -tation and went needless to social doom. Already in the days of James any one could see that Palestinian society was doomed but the great Jewish sage tried to save the Judaism of the dispersion and sent forth this book of wisdom with that gracious purpose.
 Notice the symptoms of social decay re- ferred to and inveighed against m his book. It was a situation of manifold trials, when society was a surging sea driven and tossed unless anchored by steadfast faith; when man of low degree got to high estate and the rich were made low. a time of instability in social status when temptations were seducing on every hand; when there was filthiness and overf1owing of malice, and men breathing out threatening and slaughter called their rage religion; when in their synagogues q man had respect of persons according to reputation for wealth and so showed in public sychophancy for the rich; when religion was a mere matter of creed and not of life, or talk and not of deed; when men were partisans of schools of wisdom without regard to