24. "Receive with meekness the implanted word." You have the Word,
James says, a Word which is yours not by your own fancy or effort, but
which God, by grace, gave to you--implanted in you. It has free
course--is preached, read and sung among you. (By the grace of God, it
is free among us, too.) In this respect, God be praised, there is no
lack. It is of the utmost importance, however, to receive it, to make
profitable use of it; to handle it with meekness that we may hold it
fast and not allow it to be effaced by anger under persecution or by
the allurements of worldly lusts. Christ says (Lk 21, 19), "In your
patience possess ye your souls [ye shall win your souls]."

MEEKNESS AND PATIENCE ENJOINED.

Meekness and patience are necessary to enable us to triumph over the
devil and the world. Without them we shall not be able to hold fast
the Word in our strife against those evil forces. We must fight and
contend against sin, but if we essay to cool our wrath by grasping the
devil and his followers by the hair and wreaking vengeance upon them,
we will accomplish nothing and may thereby lose our treasure, the
beloved Word. Therefore, lay hold of the Word planted or engrafted
within you, that you may be able to retain it and have it bring forth
its fruit in yourself.

THE POWER OF THE WORD.

25. It is a Word, says James in conclusion, "which is able to save
your souls." What more could be desired? You have the Word, the
promise of all divine blessings and gifts. It is able to save you if
you but steadfastly cleave to it. Why, then, need you take any account
of the world, and anything it may do, whether good or evil? What
injury can the world render, what help can it offer, so long as you
hold the treasure of the Word? Observe that the apostle ascribes to
the spoken Word, the preached Gospel, the power to save souls.
Similarly, Paul commends it to the Romans (ch. 1, 16), in almost the
same words, as "the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth."

26. Now, the Word is implanted within you in a way to give you the
certain comfort and sure hope of your salvation. Be careful, then, not
to permit yourselves to be wrested from it by the wrath or the filth
of the world. Take heed to accept in purity and to maintain with
patience the Word so graciously and richly given you by God without
effort or merit on your part. Those who are without the Word, and yet
endeavor to attain heaven, what efforts have they m