JEWELS from
JAMES
(Choice devotional selections from
the works of John Angell James)
"I write plain truths, in plain language, for plain people."
Short pithy gems from John Angell James
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Afflictions tend to wean us from the world — and to fix our affections on things above.
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A good Christian cannot be a bad husband or father. He who has the most piety — will shine the most in all the relationships of life.
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You cannot be too active as regards your own efforts — and you cannot be too dependent as regards Divine grace. Do everything as if God did nothing — depend upon God as if He did everything.
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LUCK, if it means nothing more than an event of which the cause is not apparent — is a term that may be employed without error. But if it means, as it generally does, an event which has no cause at all, a mere chance — then it is a bad word, a heathen term! Drop it from your vocabulary! Trust nothing to luck, nor expect anything from it. Avoid all practical use or dependence upon this or its kindred words — fate, chance, fortune.
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Let us never forget that to be profited and spiritually improved in knowledge, faith, holiness, joy and love — is the end of hearing sermons, and not merely to have our taste gratified by genius, eloquence and oratory.
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Holiness is happiness! The more you have of the former — the more you will undoubtedly enjoy of the latter.
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To bear adversity with meek submission to the will of God;
to endure chastisement with all patience and joyfulness;
to appear cheerful amid surrounding gloom, hopeful amidst desponding circumstances, happy in God when there is nothing else to make us happy — he who does, this has indeed made great advances in the divine life.~ ~ ~ ~
Too many have no idea of the subjection of their temper to the influence of religion — and yet what is changed, if the temper is not? If a man is as passionate, malicious, resentful, sullen, moody, or morose after his conversion as before it — then what is he converted from or to?
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Every woman whether rich or poor, married or single, has a circle of influence within which, according to her character, she is exerting a certain amount of power for good or harm. Every woman, by her virtue or her vice, by her folly or her wisdom, by her levity or her dignity — is adding something to our national elevation or degradation. A community is not likely to be overthrown where woman fulfills her mission, for by the power of her noble heart over the hearts of others — she will raise that community from its ruins and restore it again to prosperity and joy.
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All who wait upon the Lord shall rise higher and higher upon the mighty pinions of strong devotion, and with the unblinking eye of faith, into the regions of heavenly-mindedness, and shall approach nearer and nearer to God, the Sun of our spiritual day.
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The inquirer after holiness should associate with those . . .
whose intelligence will instruct him;
whose example will guide him;
whose conversation will inspire him;
and whose cautions will warn him.~ ~ ~ ~
The study of everything that stands connected with the death of Christ, whether it is in . . .
the types of the ceremonial law,
the predictions of the prophets,
the narratives of the gospels,
the doctrines of the epistles, or
the sublime vision of the Apocalypse.Christ is the food of the soul — the manna from Heaven — the bread of life. He is "food indeed" and "drink indeed.
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The friends of evangelical doctrine, and the advocates of orthodoxy, have the following objects to keep ever in view in this age:
they must take care of their Bibles — that they be not mutilated or curtailed by lawless criticism;
they must take care of their theology — that it be not perverted by false philosophy;
they must take care of their pulpits — that they be not occupied by heretical, unspiritual, or incompetent ministers.~ ~ ~ ~
Kindness is the visible expression of a feeling and merciful heart. Kindness is the going forth of a tender and susceptible mind — it claims kindred with the human race. Kindness is . . .
all ear to listen,
all heart to feel,
all eye to examine and to weep,
all hand and foot to relieve.Kindness invites the sufferer with kind words — and never sends him empty away.