James · Chapter 1

V. 1. A servant of Jesus Christ-Whose name the apostle mentions but once more in the whole epistle, James 2:1. And not at all in his whole discourse, Acts 15:14, &c.; or Acts 21:20-25. It might have seemed, if he mentioned him often, that he did it out of vanity, as being the brother of the Lord.

To the twelve tribes-Of Israel; that is, those of them that believe. Which are scattered abroad-In various countries. Ten of the tribes were scattered ever since the reign of Hosea; and great part of the rest were now dispersed through the Roman empire: as was foretold, Deuteronomy 28:25, &c.Deuteronomy 30:4.

Greeting-That is, all blessings, temporal and eternal.

Verse 1. James, a servant of God] For an account of this person, or rather for the conjectures concerning him, see the preface. He neither calls himself an apostle, nor does he say that he was the brother of Christ, or bishop of Jerusalem; whether he was James the elder, son of Zebedee, or James the less, called our Lord’s brother, or some other person of the same name, we know not. The assertions of writers concerning these points are worthy of no regard. The Church has always received him as an apostle of Christ.

To the twelve tribes-scattered abroad] To the Jews, whether converted to Christianity or not, who lived out of Judea, and sojourned among the Gentiles for the purpose of trade or commerce. At this time there were Jews partly travelling, partly sojourning, and partly resident in most parts of the civilized world; particularly in Asia, Greece, Egypt, and Italy. I see no reason for restricting it to Jewish believers only; it was sent to all whom it might concern, but particularly to those who had received the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; much less must we confine it to those who were scattered abroad at the persecution raised concerning Stephen, Acts 8:1, &c.; Acts 11:19, &c. That the twelve tribes were in actual existence when James wrote this epistle, Dr. Macknight thinks evident from the following facts: “1. Notwithstanding Cyrus allowed all the Jews in his dominions to return to their own land, many of them did not return. This happened agreeably to God’s purpose, in permitting them to be carried captive into Assyria and Babylonia; for he intended to make himself known among the heathens, by means of the knowledge of his being and perfections, which the Jews, in their dispersion, would communicate to them. This also was the reason that God determined that the ten tribes should never return to their own land, Hosea 1:6; 8:8; 9:3, 15-17. 2. That, comparatively speaking, few of the twelve tribes returned in consequence of Cyrus’s decree, but continued to live among the Gentiles, appears from this: that in the days of Ahasuerus, one of the successors of Cyrus, who reigned from India to Æthiopia, over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, Esther 3:8, The Jews were dispersed among the people in all the provinces of his kingdom, and their laws were diverse from the laws of all other people, and they did not keep the king’s laws; so that, by adhering to their own usages, they kept themselves distinct from all the nations among whom they lived. 3. On the day of pentecost, which happened next after our Lord’s ascension, Acts 2:5, 9, There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven; Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, &c.; so numerous were the Jews, and so widely dispersed through all the countries of the world. 4. When Paul travelled through Asia and Europe, he found the Jews so numerous, that in all the noted cities of the Gentiles they had synagogues in which they assembled for the worship of God, and were joined by multitudes of proselytes from among the heathens, to whom likewise he preached the Gospel. 6. The same apostle, in his speech to King Agrippa, affirmed that the twelve tribes were then existing, and that they served God day and night, in expectation of the promise made to the fathers, Acts 26:6. 6. Josephus, Ant. i. 14, cap. 12, tells us that one region could not contain the Jews, but they dwelt in most of the flourishing cities of Asia and Europe, in the islands and continent, not much less in number than the heathen inhabitants. From all this it is evident that the Jews of the dispersion were more numerous than even the Jews in Judea, and that James very properly inscribed this letter to the twelve tribes which were in the dispersion, seeing the twelve tribes really existed then, and do still exist, although not distinguished by separate habitations, as they were anciently in their own land.

Greeting.] cairein. Health; a mere expression of benevolence, a wish for their prosperity; a common form of salutation; see Acts 15:23; 23:26; 2 John 1:11.

Verse 1. James, a servant of Jesus Christ — Whose name the apostle mentions but once more in the whole epistle, namely, James 2:1, and not at all in his whole discourse, Acts 15:14, &c., or 21:20-25. It might have seemed, if he had mentioned him often, that he did it out of vanity, as being the brother, or near kinsman, of the Lord; to the twelve tribes — Of Israel; that is, to those of them that were converted to Christianity, and with an evident reference, in some parts of the epistle, to that part of them which was not converted; which are scattered abroad — In various countries; ten of the tribes were scattered ever since the reign of Hoshea, and a great part of the rest were now dispersed through the Roman empire, as was foretold Deuteronomy 28:25, and 30:4. That the twelve tribes were actually in existence when James wrote his epistle, will appear from the following facts. 1st, Notwithstanding Cyrus allowed all the Jews in his dominions to return to their own land, many of them did not return, but continued to live among the Gentiles, as appears from this, that in the days of Ahasuerus, one of the successors of Cyrus, who reigned from India to Ethiopia, over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, (Esther 3:8,) the Jews were dispersed among the people in all the provinces of his kingdom, and their laws were diverse from the laws of all other people; so that, by adhering to their own usages, they kept themselves distinct from all the nations among whom they lived. 2d, Josephus considered the twelve tribes as being in existence when the Old Testament Scriptures were translated into Greek, (namely, in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, about two hundred and fifty or two hundred and sixty years before Christ,) as he says that six persons were sent out of every tribe to assist in that work. 3d, On the day of pentecost, as mentioned Acts 2:5, 9, there were dwelling at Jerusalem devout men out of every nation under heaven, Parthians, Medes, &c.: so numerous were the Jews, and so widely dispersed through all the countries of the world. 4th, When Paul travelled through Asia and Europe, he found the Jews so numerous, that in all the noted cities of the Gentiles they had synagogues, in which they were assembled for the worship of God, and were joined by multitudes of proselytes from among the heathens. 5th, The same apostle, in his speech to Agrippa, affirmed that the twelve tribes were then existing, and that they served God day and night, in expectation of the promise made to the fathers, Acts 26:6. 6th, Josephus (Antiq., 50. 14. c. 12) tells us, that in his time one region could not contain the Jews, but they dwelt in most of the flourishing cities of Asia and Europe, in the islands and continent, not much less in number than the heathen inhabitants. From all which it is evident that the Jews of the dispersion were more numerous than even the Jews in Judea; and that James very properly inscribed his letter to the twelve tribes which were in the dispersion, seeing the twelve tribes really existed then, and do still exist, although not distinguished by separate habitations, as they were anciently in their own land. Greeting — That is, wishing you all blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternal.

Verse 1. James, a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not style himself an apostle, because he would not assume any superiority; yet the majesty of his address is the language of an ambassador of Christ, and apostle of the Lord. “A servant of God,” the Father of all, “and of Jesus,” by which we understand that James associates the Saviour as one with God, and arrays him in the robes of glory: James 2:1. Paul also calls him the Lord of glory, as he calls God, the Father of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:8. By this expression James means the person of the Messiah, who as the Lord of glory promised to appear unto them. Leviticus 9:6. After this, James does not repeat the name of Christ, lest it should appear as vanity, he being called the Lord’s brother. To the twelve tribes scattered abroad. That is, the Hebrew christians, dispersed by persecution. St. Peter writes to the same dispersed church of the circumcision, and others. It is thought that they intermarried with the gentile converts, and so became one Israel in Christ. But the Nazarenes of Jerusalem subsisted a long time under that name, even till Arius departed from the faith.

I. THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN UNDER TRIALS, 1-18.

1. Trials, as conducive to firmness, are a joy, 1-4.

1. James—Jacobus, the name which our English language has made Jacob in the Old Testament it has capriciously shortened to James in the New. Servant—Note on Romans 1:1. The twelve tribes—See note on the Dwdekafulon, or twelve-tribedom. Acts 26:7. Which are scattered abroad—Literally, which are in the dispersion. 1 Peter 1:1. The dispersion was a customary term applied to that scattered condition of the twelve tribes arising from their repeated captivities. There were four chief dispersions—the Babylonian, the Egyptian, the Syrian, and the western in Greece and Italy. In John 7:35 is mentioned the dispersion of the Greeks; that is, of Jews among the Greeks, or Gentiles. Josephus says: “The race of the Jews has been plentifully dispersed among the inhabitants of the world, but the largest mingling has been in Syria.” Compare the beautiful greeting in 2 Macc. 1:1, from the Jews of Jerusalem to the Jews in Egypt: “The brethren, the Jews that be at Jerusalem and in the land of Judea, wish unto the brethren that are throughout Egypt, health and peace.” The infant Jesus was for a brief period among the dispersion of Egypt. The two epistles of Peter are also addressed to the “dispersion.” Yet these epistles contain nothing implying that they do not suit also to the conditions of Palestine and Jerusalem, as partaking, like the rest, in the tribal disorganization arising from the captivities and the desolations. In modern times, the dispersion of Israel, by a memorable history, has been extended to almost every part of the world.

Yet it is plain that St. James specially addresses this epistle to the Christian Israel in Israel; the twelve-tribedom in the twelve-tribedom, who had accepted Jesus Christ. If the whole dispersion of Jews is nominally, and, in some parts, directly addressed, it is because to his strong Judaic feeling all nominally belong to the Messiah, and all ought to accept his epistle as to them. Compare our notes on Matthew 10:5, 6; 19:28; Acts 1:8. Greeting—The word greeting is a single Greek word in the infinitive, signifying to rejoice, with the phrase bidding you to be supplied before it, making a salutation equivalent to our “wishing you joy.” The old Saxon word greeting signifies saluting, addressing in friendly and honorary style. See note, Acts 15:23.

V. 2. My brethren, count it all joy-Which is the highest degree of patience, and contains all the rest.

When ye fall into divers temptations-That is, trials.

Verse 2. Count it all joy] The word peirasmov, which we translate temptation, signifies affliction, persecution, or trial of any kind; and in this sense it is used here, not intending diabolic suggestion, or what is generally understood by the word temptation.

Verses 2-4. Count it all joy — That is, matter of the greatest joy; when ye fall into divers temptations — Peirasmoiv, trials; for though rendered temptations, it does not signify here what is commonly meant by temptations, for these we are directed to pray against, but it denotes trials by affliction and persecution. To these God, by whose providence they come, exposes men, not to lead them into sin, but to afford them an opportunity of exercising and improving their graces and virtues. Hence our Lord declared those to be blessed who were persecuted for righteousness’ sake, Matthew 5:10; and exhorted such, (verse 42,) to rejoice and be exceeding glad; sentiments which doubtless the Apostle James had in his eye when he spoke to the Jewish Christians in this manner. Knowing that the trying, or proving, of your faith — By persecution and affliction; worketh patience — Exercises and thereby increases your patience, through the divine blessing, and your resignation to God’s will, from which many other virtues will flow. But let patience have her perfect work — Let it be duly and fully exercised, that it may rise to the highest degree of perfection: 1st, By composing your minds to a sweet and humble frame under your sufferings. 2d, By acknowledging God’s hand in them, and blessing him for them. 3d, By resisting all inclinations to impatience, fretfulness, and murmuring. 4th, By quietly waiting for deliverance, in the way God hath appointed, till he shall see fit to grant 2:5th, By enduring to the end of the time of your trial; that ye may be perfect and entire — Adorned with every Christian grace and virtue; wanting nothing — No kind or degree of grace which God requires to be in you; but may be complete in all the parts of holiness.

Ver. 2. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. He here speaks as if we were strong in faith, like the prophets and apostles. Habakkuk would rejoice even in the Chaldean invasion, and notwithstanding the desolation of his country: Habakkuk 3:17, 18. Our Saviour exhorted his disciples to rejoice, when they suffered for righteousness’ sake. Matthew 5:12. The apostle Paul did the same, and encouraged his brethren to rejoice in tribulation. Romans 5:4. Happy are those saints who flourish in the fire like the bush of Moses.

2. My brethren—The plural of brother in English is brothers, to designate relationship; brethren, confraternity. The primitive Hebrews made very extensive applications of the word. Besides descent from common parents it was applied to cousins, countrymen, and fellow Jews. The Rabbies called a born Jew, brother; a proselyte, neighbour; but a Gentile, neither. From the Jews the Christians adopted it as title for all fellow Christians. St. James repeatedly uses it: James 4:11; 5:7, 8, 19. He also uses beloved: James 1:16, 19; 2:5. Count it all joy—At the very opening our apostle places his suffering brethren upon the highest point of consolation; namely, that height of Christian life in which trials are sure of being antecedents to triumph, and so are sources of joy. The Christian hero must not tremble at the danger, but rejoice in anticipation of the victory, and rejoice in the trial as the condition of triumph. To a people in the agony of persecution such an address is a thrilling note of cheer. All joy—That is, pure joy and nothing else. Fall—For even the martyr must not court or rush into trial. He must rather flee from persecution. Note Matthew 10:23. Yet when it is forced upon him, such should be his spiritual elevation that the trial shall be an occasion of joy. Especially should he rejoice that he is counted worthy to suffer for Christ. Acts 5:41. Temptations—There are divers or various forms of external things which become internal temptations. They may be hostile forms, as persecutions and assaults, (as in Luke 8:13,) and these tempt to yield through cowardice: or they may be seducing forms, to which we yield by compliance. The moral firmness with which the soul wards off these divers temptations and retains its pure integrity is called by St. James upomenh, persistent firmness, imperfectly translated patience.

Verse 3. The trying of your faith] Trials put religion, and all the graces of which it is composed to proof; the man that stands in such trials gives proof that his religion is sound, and the evidence afforded to his own mind induces him to take courage, bear patiently, and persevere.

Verses 2-4. Count it all joy — That is, matter of the greatest joy; when ye fall into divers temptations — Peirasmoiv, trials; for though rendered temptations, it does not signify here what is commonly meant by temptations, for these we are directed to pray against, but it denotes trials by affliction and persecution. To these God, by whose providence they come, exposes men, not to lead them into sin, but to afford them an opportunity of exercising and improving their graces and virtues. Hence our Lord declared those to be blessed who were persecuted for righteousness’ sake, Matthew 5:10; and exhorted such, (verse 42,) to rejoice and be exceeding glad; sentiments which doubtless the Apostle James had in his eye when he spoke to the Jewish Christians in this manner. Knowing that the trying, or proving, of your faith — By persecution and affliction; worketh patience — Exercises and thereby increases your patience, through the divine blessing, and your resignation to God’s will, from which many other virtues will flow. But let patience have her perfect work — Let it be duly and fully exercised, that it may rise to the highest degree of perfection: 1st, By composing your minds to a sweet and humble frame under your sufferings. 2d, By acknowledging God’s hand in them, and blessing him for them. 3d, By resisting all inclinations to impatience, fretfulness, and murmuring. 4th, By quietly waiting for deliverance, in the way God hath appointed, till he shall see fit to grant 2:5th, By enduring to the end of the time of your trial; that ye may be perfect and entire — Adorned with every Christian grace and virtue; wanting nothing — No kind or degree of grace which God requires to be in you; but may be complete in all the parts of holiness.

3. Trying—The putting to, or undergoing, the test. Worketh—The calling our spiritual and moral power into successful action increases the power, just as the muscle is hardened by exercise. Hence the perfectness of our Christian life is much the result of time, trial, and experience. Patience— Firmness against trial. The resisting the temptation and conquering the tempter begets hardihood and solidity. “The proof of the soldier is hard work, and not indulgence; the test of gold and silver is fire.”

V. 4. Let patience have its perfect work-Give it full scope, under whatever trials befal you.

That ye may be perfect and entire-Adorned with every Christian grace. And wanting nothing-Which God requires in you.

Verse 4. Let patience have her perfect work] That is, Continue faithful, and your patience will be crowned with its full reward; for in this sense is ergon, which we translate work, to be understood. It is any effect produced by a cause, as interest from money, fruit from tillage, gain from labour, a reward for services performed; the perfect work is the full reward. See many examples in Kypke.

That ye may be perfect and entire] teleioi, Fully instructed, in every part of the doctrine of God, and in his whole will concerning you. oJloklhroi, having all your parts, members, and portions; that ye may have every grace which constitutes the mind that was in Christ, so that your knowledge and holiness may be complete, and bear a proper proportion to each other. These expressions in their present application are by some thought to be borrowed from the Grecian games: the man was teleiov, perfect, who in any of the athletic exercises had got the victory; he was oloklhoov, entire, having every thing complete, who had the victory in the pentathlon, in each of the five exercises. Of this use in the last term I do not recollect an example, and therefore think the expressions are borrowed from the sacrifices under the law. A victim was teleiov, perfect, that was perfectly sound, having no disease; it was oloklhrov, entire, if it had all its members, having nothing redundant, nothing deficient. Be then to the Lord what he required his sacrifices to be; let your whole heart, your body, soul, and spirit, be sanctified to the Lord of hosts, that he may fill you with all his fulness.

Verses 2-4. Count it all joy — That is, matter of the greatest joy; when ye fall into divers temptations — Peirasmoiv, trials; for though rendered temptations, it does not signify here what is commonly meant by temptations, for these we are directed to pray against, but it denotes trials by affliction and persecution. To these God, by whose providence they come, exposes men, not to lead them into sin, but to afford them an opportunity of exercising and improving their graces and virtues. Hence our Lord declared those to be blessed who were persecuted for righteousness’ sake, Matthew 5:10; and exhorted such, (verse 42,) to rejoice and be exceeding glad; sentiments which doubtless the Apostle James had in his eye when he spoke to the Jewish Christians in this manner. Knowing that the trying, or proving, of your faith — By persecution and affliction; worketh patience — Exercises and thereby increases your patience, through the divine blessing, and your resignation to God’s will, from which many other virtues will flow. But let patience have her perfect work — Let it be duly and fully exercised, that it may rise to the highest degree of perfection: 1st, By composing your minds to a sweet and humble frame under your sufferings. 2d, By acknowledging God’s hand in them, and blessing him for them. 3d, By resisting all inclinations to impatience, fretfulness, and murmuring. 4th, By quietly waiting for deliverance, in the way God hath appointed, till he shall see fit to grant 2:5th, By enduring to the end of the time of your trial; that ye may be perfect and entire — Adorned with every Christian grace and virtue; wanting nothing — No kind or degree of grace which God requires to be in you; but may be complete in all the parts of holiness.

Ver. 4. Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. We here see that patience is not a mere passive principle, but an operative grace, having much work to perform. It is chiefly conversant with tribulation, and is here summoned to the aid of primitive believers, who in addition to the ordinary trials of life, had much persecution to endure. Under adverse providences, and the injuries we may receive from men, it is the office of christian patience to give tranquility and keep us in a steady course of welldoing. Thus it was the martyrs endured, of whom it is said amidst all their sufferings, “here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” Revelation 13:10.

Patience must have its perfect work. In order to this it must be habitual, uninterrupted by intervals of murmuring or despondency, not occasional, but as forming an integral part of the christian character. It must also continue to the end till our work be done. Patience will have nothing to do in heaven, its operations are wholly confined to the present state; it is the vessel which convoys us safely over the storms and billows of life, and lands us safe on Canaan’s shore.

The influence it has on the christian life is such, that it makes us perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Without this there would be no uniformity, no adequate proportion, and of course no moral beauty or loveliness in character. Many things would be wanting which patience only can supply; it is this produces experience and hope, and gives a lustre to all the graces. Romans 5:4, 5. No one can survey the interior of his own character, or look around on that of others, without perceiving a lamentable want of proportion, a seeming excess in some particular virtues, and a great deficiency in others.

The object of patience is to give a perfection to the christian character, and seldom have we known any thing approaching to it, but where the graces have been matured by a succession of trials, and where patience has had its perfect work. Sanctified afflictions formed the man after God’s own heart, and gave a finish to the piety of Abraham and of Job. Afflictions are eminently adapted, under the influence of patience, to make us habitually prayerful, to keep us deeply humbled before God, and to inspire us with meekness of wisdom. Let us therefore not look for worldly ease, nor indulge it.

4. Let this firm endurance have… perfect work, its completing effect, so that all temptation may be warded off, all sin avoided, a full power of resistance attained, and a complete Christian solidity be established. Perfect—The Greek word teleiov (derived from telov, an end) signifies one finished, or complete. Pagan Greece had her men who were said to be finished, or perfect, after the standard of pagan virtue. Says Isocrates, (quoted by Bloomfield,) “These I pronounce to be wise and perfect men, and to have all the virtues.” We say of a man of culture that he is “a finished man.” St. James accumulates epithets and phrases in asserting the finished Christian man. Entire—The positive presence of every part requisite to completeness. Wanting nothing—The same expressed negatively. Of St. James’s perfect man we may note: 1. He is not a sudden product, even by faith, but a growth from trial, persistence, and experience. Herein this view varies from, perhaps, but does not contradict, St. John’s and St. Paul’s. 2. It is a practical perfection, after a human measure, realizable in this life. It should be the steady aim of every Christian. 3. It consists in a degree of spiritual and moral power, through divine aid, of resisting temptation, avoiding sin, and attaining excellence. Just so far as the Christian possesses that power, so far is he the perfect Christian. And it is not so much a “second blessing” as a consummating of the first one. 4. Without assuming to decide whether James’s perfect man professes perfectness, we do think that the perfect man as imaged by him reveals himself to men not so much by profession as by practical life and spirit, by which others spontaneously assign him his character, and thereby ratify his profession, if he makes one.

2. Wisdom for such Christian perfection obtainable for all classes by faithful prayer, whether poor or rich, from a gracious God, 5-11.

V. 5. If any want-The connexion between the first and following verses, both here and in the fourth chapter, will be easily discerned by him who reads them, while he is suffering wrongfully. He will then readily perceive, why the apostle mentions all those various affections of the mind. Wisdom-To understand, whence and why temptations come, and how they are to be improved. Patience is in every pious man already. Let him exercise this, and ask for wisdom. The sum of wisdom, both in the temptation of poverty and of riches, is described in the ninth and tenth verses.

Who giveth to all-That ask aright.

And upbraideth not-Either with their past wickedness, or present unworthiness.

Verse 5. If any of you lack wisdom] Wisdom signifies in general knowledge of the best end, and the best means of attaining it; but in Scripture it signifies the same as true religion, the thorough practical knowledge of God, of one’s self, and of a Saviour. Let him ask of God] Because God is the only teacher of this wisdom. That giveth to all men liberally] Who has all good, and gives all necessary good to every one that asks fervently. He who does not ask thus does not feel his need of Divine teaching. The ancient Greek maxim appears at first view strange, but it is literally true:— arch gnwsewv thv agnoiav h gnwsiv.

“The knowledge of ignorance is the beginning of knowledge.” In knowledge we may distinguish these four things:—

1. INTELLIGENCE, the object of which is intuitive truths.

2. WISDOM, which is employed in finding out the best end.

3. PRUDENCE, which regulates the whole conduct through life.

4. ART, which provides infallible rules to reason by.

Verses 5-7. If any of you — In whole or in part; lack wisdom — To understand whence and why temptations come, and how they are to be improved, or for any other purpose. Wisdom, in the common acceptation of the word, denotes a sound practical judgment concerning things to be done or avoided: but here the expression seems to mean wisdom to know how to conduct ourselves under afflictions, or how to make a right use of them. Patience is in every pious man already; let him exercise this, and ask for wisdom. The sum of wisdom, how to conduct ourselves in the trial of poverty, on the one hand, and riches, on the other, is described in the 9th and 10th verses. The connection between the second and following verses of this chapter will be easily discerned by him who reads them while he is suffering wrongfully. He will then readily perceive why the apostle mentions all these various affections of the mind. Let him ask of God — The eternal fountain of wisdom, as well as of grace; that giveth to all — That ask aright; liberally — Freely and richly; and upbraideth not — Either with their past sinfulness or present unworthiness. But let him ask in faith — With a firm confidence in the power, love, and faithfulness of God. St. James also both begins and ends with faith, James 5:15; the hinderances of which he removes in the middle part of his epistle; nothing wavering — Or doubting, as diakrinomenov frequently and properly signifies; or not divided in his mind, between the desires of obtaining and the fears of not obtaining the grace he asks; or not questioning God’s willingness to bestow it. For he that wavereth — Or doubteth, and therefore is divided in his mind, as just observed, and who does not firmly confide in the goodness and faithfulness of God, can have no other solid and substantial support, but is like a wave of the sea — Restless and inconstant; driven with the wind to and fro, and tossed about at its mercy; is unsettled and irresolute. Let not that man — Who thus yields to diffidence and distrust; think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord — While he continues in such an unstable and wavering state of mind, and dares not rely on God for those supplies of grace which he professes to seek. Such unreasonable doubts and suspicions, as they wrong the divine goodness, so they may, in many instances, prevent the communication of those favours which might otherwise be obtained.

Ver. 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, as young Solomon did in Gibeon, when the Lord spake to him in a dream. See on Proverbs 3:13, 18. By “wisdom” we understand here the true knowledge of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, for “the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” By this also we understand the excellence of wisdom, in every divine endowment of the christian temper, and in all prudence amidst a world of foes.

5. Lack wisdom—The wisdom necessary to possess and to manifest this perfection. Ask of God—For it is the wisdom of James 3:17, that is from above. He will not attain it by human effort alone, but there is a rich and bountiful source from which it may be obtained. Liberally—Literally, simply, in contrast with giving with the upbraiding, as follows. There are givers that insult and rebuke while they give, and whom it is an agony to approach with a request. And often those who kindly give find it wise to administer lessons of reproof. But to those who ask aright God is ready; there need not be any fear that he will refuse or give with contumely. The more we ask the better he likes us. It—The needed wisdom for the desired perfection.

V. 6. But let him ask in faith-A firm confidence in God. St. James also both begins and ends with faith, James 5:15; the hinderances of which he removes in the middle part of his epistle.

He that doubteth is like a wave of the sea-Yea, such are all who have not asked and obtained wisdom.

Driven with the wind-From without.

And tossed-From within, by his own unstableness.

Verse 6. Let him ask in faith] Believing that God IS; that he has all good; and that he is ever ready to impart to his creatures whatever they need. Nothing wavering.] mhden diakrinomenov. Not judging otherwise; having no doubt concerning the truth of these grand and fundamental principles, never supposing that God will permit him to ask in vain, when he asks sincerely and fervently. Let him not hesitate, let him not be irresolute; no man can believe too much good of God.

Is like a wave of the sea] The man who is not thoroughly persuaded that if he ask of God he shall receive, resembles a wave of the sea; he is in a state of continual agitation; driven by the wind, and tossed: now rising by hope, then sinking by despair.

Verses 5-7. If any of you — In whole or in part; lack wisdom — To understand whence and why temptations come, and how they are to be improved, or for any other purpose. Wisdom, in the common acceptation of the word, denotes a sound practical judgment concerning things to be done or avoided: but here the expression seems to mean wisdom to know how to conduct ourselves under afflictions, or how to make a right use of them. Patience is in every pious man already; let him exercise this, and ask for wisdom. The sum of wisdom, how to conduct ourselves in the trial of poverty, on the one hand, and riches, on the other, is described in the 9th and 10th verses. The connection between the second and following verses of this chapter will be easily discerned by him who reads them while he is suffering wrongfully. He will then readily perceive why the apostle mentions all these various affections of the mind. Let him ask of God — The eternal fountain of wisdom, as well as of grace; that giveth to all — That ask aright; liberally — Freely and richly; and upbraideth not — Either with their past sinfulness or present unworthiness. But let him ask in faith — With a firm confidence in the power, love, and faithfulness of God. St. James also both begins and ends with faith, James 5:15; the hinderances of which he removes in the middle part of his epistle; nothing wavering — Or doubting, as diakrinomenov frequently and properly signifies; or not divided in his mind, between the desires of obtaining and the fears of not obtaining the grace he asks; or not questioning God’s willingness to bestow it. For he that wavereth — Or doubteth, and therefore is divided in his mind, as just observed, and who does not firmly confide in the goodness and faithfulness of God, can have no other solid and substantial support, but is like a wave of the sea — Restless and inconstant; driven with the wind to and fro, and tossed about at its mercy; is unsettled and irresolute. Let not that man — Who thus yields to diffidence and distrust; think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord — While he continues in such an unstable and wavering state of mind, and dares not rely on God for those supplies of grace which he professes to seek. Such unreasonable doubts and suspicions, as they wrong the divine goodness, so they may, in many instances, prevent the communication of those favours which might otherwise be obtained.

Ver. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. God has promised righteousness as the rain, and to give to all men liberally. Isaiah 44:3. 45:8. Psalm 72:6. These promises afford strong pleas at the throne of grace; and why should we distrust a faithful God. When did his promise fail?

6. In faith—The hearty and loving trust that God is ready and willing. Nothing wavering—The measure of waver is the measure of the want of faith. And the want of faith arises from the lack of real sympathy and communion with God and real wish for the perfect life. A half wish would ask, and a half not-wish would contradict and cancel the ask; so that nothing is really asked, and the man will be quite as unsteady in his practice as in his prayer. Wave of the sea—He is not a sailor, nor even a ship tossed on the waves; he is merely a pure wave. One wind blows this wave shoreward, and the next one drives it seaward, so that the shore is never reached. Vivid Greek epithets follow to finish the description. Driven with the wind—A single word in Greek; winded, blast-driven. Tossed—The Greek verb is derived from a word signifying to throw, to cast; hence, tossed or thrown by the winds.

Verse 7. Let not that man think] The man whose mind is divided, who is not properly persuaded either of his own wants or God’s sufficiency. Such persons may pray, but having no faith, they can get no answer.

Verses 5-7. If any of you — In whole or in part; lack wisdom — To understand whence and why temptations come, and how they are to be improved, or for any other purpose. Wisdom, in the common acceptation of the word, denotes a sound practical judgment concerning things to be done or avoided: but here the expression seems to mean wisdom to know how to conduct ourselves under afflictions, or how to make a right use of them. Patience is in every pious man already; let him exercise this, and ask for wisdom. The sum of wisdom, how to conduct ourselves in the trial of poverty, on the one hand, and riches, on the other, is described in the 9th and 10th verses. The connection between the second and following verses of this chapter will be easily discerned by him who reads them while he is suffering wrongfully. He will then readily perceive why the apostle mentions all these various affections of the mind. Let him ask of God — The eternal fountain of wisdom, as well as of grace; that giveth to all — That ask aright; liberally — Freely and richly; and upbraideth not — Either with their past sinfulness or present unworthiness. But let him ask in faith — With a firm confidence in the power, love, and faithfulness of God. St. James also both begins and ends with faith, James 5:15; the hinderances of which he removes in the middle part of his epistle; nothing wavering — Or doubting, as diakrinomenov frequently and properly signifies; or not divided in his mind, between the desires of obtaining and the fears of not obtaining the grace he asks; or not questioning God’s willingness to bestow it. For he that wavereth — Or doubteth, and therefore is divided in his mind, as just observed, and who does not firmly confide in the goodness and faithfulness of God, can have no other solid and substantial support, but is like a wave of the sea — Restless and inconstant; driven with the wind to and fro, and tossed about at its mercy; is unsettled and irresolute. Let not that man — Who thus yields to diffidence and distrust; think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord — While he continues in such an unstable and wavering state of mind, and dares not rely on God for those supplies of grace which he professes to seek. Such unreasonable doubts and suspicions, as they wrong the divine goodness, so they may, in many instances, prevent the communication of those favours which might otherwise be obtained.

7. Not… receive any thing—Why should he? He has asked and refused in perhaps equal measure, so that he has not asked. As Stier says, “The wavering beggar has not held heart and hand steady enough and long enough for God to put any thing in.” Not receive is used instead of the above not shall be given to indicate that the failure is not in the giver but in the would-be and would-not-be recipient. Any thing—That is, of those things he has asked. Many things unasked, as life and its enjoyments, and, perhaps, many other things for which he had faith, have been given him. The Lord—A word inherited in the Greek from the Septuagint to designate Jehovah, the God of the covenant.

V. 8. A doubleminded man-Who has, as it were, two souls; whose heart is not simply given up to God.

Is unstable-Being without the true wisdom; perpetually disagrees both with himself and others, James 3:16.

Verse 8. A double-minded man] anhr diyucov. The man of two souls, who has one for earth, and another for heaven; who wishes to secure both worlds; he will not give up earth, and he is loth to let heaven go. This was a usual term among the Jews, to express the man who attempted to worship God, and yet retained the love of the creature. Rabbi Tanchum, fol. 84, on Deuteronomy 26:17, said: “Behold, the Scripture exhorts the Israelites, and tells them when they pray, שתי להם hyhy al twbbl lo yiyeh lahem shetey lebaboth, that they should not have two hearts, one for the holy blessed God, and one for something else.” A man of this character is continually distracted; he will neither let earth nor heaven go, and yet he can have but one. Perhaps St. James refers to those Jews who were endeavoring to incorporate the law with the Gospel, who were divided in their minds and affections, not willing to give up the Levitical rites, and yet unwilling to renounce the Gospel. Such persons could make no progress in Divine things.

Verse 8. A double-minded man — Anhr diyucov, a man who has, as it were, two souls; whose heart is divided between God and the world, and is not simply given up to him, nor entirely confides in him for the direction, aid, and support which he stands in need of; is unstable in all his ways — Being without the true wisdom, he perpetually disagrees both with himself and others; and will be perpetually running into inconsistencies of conduct, while those imperfect impressions of religion which he feels will serve rather to perplex and torment than to guide and confirm him in the right way.

Ver. 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. To-day he prays for heaven, to-morrow he prays for earth. He forgets that no man can serve two masters. He is like Reuben, unstable as water, and shall not excel.

8. A doubleminded man—Literally, a two-souled man. A piquant name for the waverer of verse 6. To render the sarcasm with more point, some commentators, in view of the fact that is is wanting in the Greek, translate, A double-souled man, unstable in all his ways. The double-minded man is one who has two such opposite modes of thought and conduct alternately prevailing as to seem to be two different individuals at different times. He is “unlike himself.” So a young Persian explained to Cyrus his two opposite courses of conduct under different influences by saying, “I must have two souls.” The word two-souled was probably St. James’s invention, but it was so expressive as to be adopted by the early Christian writers. So the Apostolic Constitutions say, “Be not two-souled in thy prayer, as to whether it shall be fulfilled or not.” And Clement of Rome says, “Wretched are the double-souled, who divide their souls in two.”

V. 9. Let the brother-St. James does not give this appellation to the rich. Of low degree-Poor and tempted.

Rejoice-The most effectual remedy against doublemindedness. In that he is exalted-To be a child of God, and an heir of glory.

Verse 9. Let the brother of low degree] The poor, destitute Christian may glory in the cross of Christ, and the blessed hope laid up for him in heaven; for, being a child of God, he is an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ.

Verses 9-11. Let the brother — St. James does not give this appellation to the rich; of low degree — Poor and tempted, or brought low by his sufferings for Christ, and humbled in spirit thereby; rejoice that he is exalted — To be a child of God, and an heir of eternal glory; let him think of his dignity as a Christian, and entirely acquiesce in his low station in life, which will continue only for a short season, and which God has wisely appointed for his eternal good. Or, let him rejoice that he is thought worthy to be called to suffer for Christ, Acts 5:41; Philippians 1:29. But the rich — Let the rich rejoice in that he is made low — Is humbled by a deep sense of his true condition, and brought to have low thoughts of all worldly excellences, and to be prepared for sufferings. The Greek is, en th tapeinwsei autou, in his humiliation, as the word is rendered Acts 8:33; where it is used to express the humiliation of Christ by his various sufferings. And as it is here opposed to uyei, exaltation, in the preceding verse, it may signify the humiliation of the rich man, by his being stripped of his riches and possessions, of his liberty, and his being made liable to lose his life on account of the gospel. Here, therefore, the apostle advises the rich to glory when they lose the uncertain riches of this life, and are exposed to other sufferings, for the sake of truth and a good conscience, with the favour and approbation of God. For the sun, &c. — Literally, For the sun arose with a burning heat, and withered the grass, and the flower fell off, and the beauty of its form perished. There is an unspeakable beauty and elegance, both in the comparison itself and the very manner of expressing it; intimating both the certainly and the suddenness of the event. So shall the rich man fade away in his ways — In the midst of his various pleasures and enjoyments.

Ver. 9. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted. Though christianity is respectful to civil order and relative duties, yet it knows nothing of the gentile brands of caste. The new creature is a freed man in the kingdom of Christ; the serf is now a son, and sits in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. His family and cottage are clean, wisdom and love dwell in his house, old things are passed away.

9. This doublemindedness may arise, oppositely, either from one’s poverty or from one’s wealth. The poor man is averse from the gospel he approves from discontent, the rich from his pride. St. James sets the two face to face, and gives to each his due counsel. Low degree—A poor man, a labourer, or a slave. Exalted—As a child of God, heir of immortal hopes. Made low—As the poor in this world’s goods finds in the gospel an exaltation, raising his thoughts above his poverty with its discontent, so the rich may find in this same gospel a humbling power, (as well as a humbling association with humble people,) enabling him to feel how transitory is all wealth, how really poor he is without a better foundation. In this lowliness he may rejoice, or glory, for it gives him an abiding riches infinitely more valuable than this world’s fading wealth. He shall (will) pass away—That is, without the blessed being made low by the gospel. His earthly wealth is vanishing as a fading flower under the sun-stroke. But his being made low by the gospel has brought him an immortal life, and an inheritance of an eternal patrimony. The humble poor being thus exalted, and the proud rich being humbled, both stand upon the same blessed gospel level upon which they may pray for the wisdom by which perfection may be attained. We prefer this view to the interpretation of Huther and Alford, according to which there is a contrast between the humble Christian and the wicked and withering rich man. The made low of this rich man is certainly a gospel humbleness into which the rich man is brought and may glory, as a salvation from the fate pictured in the words that follow. Even in our Saviour’s day there was a rich man to entomb him. And the other view pushes our apostle into an apparent Ebionism by which the being a rich man is in itself a sin. Note on Luke 16:19.

V. 10. But the rich, in that he is made low-Is humbled by a deep sense of his true condition.

Because as the flower-Beautiful, but transient. He shall pass away-Into eternity.

Verse 10. But the rich, in that he is made low] en th tapeinwsei. In his humiliation-in his being brought to the foot of the cross to receive, as a poor and miserable sinner, redemption through the blood of the cross: and especially let him rejoice in this, because all outward glory is only as the flower of the field, and, like that, will wither and perish.

Verses 9-11. Let the brother — St. James does not give this appellation to the rich; of low degree — Poor and tempted, or brought low by his sufferings for Christ, and humbled in spirit thereby; rejoice that he is exalted — To be a child of God, and an heir of eternal glory; let him think of his dignity as a Christian, and entirely acquiesce in his low station in life, which will continue only for a short season, and which God has wisely appointed for his eternal good. Or, let him rejoice that he is thought worthy to be called to suffer for Christ, Acts 5:41; Philippians 1:29. But the rich — Let the rich rejoice in that he is made low — Is humbled by a deep sense of his true condition, and brought to have low thoughts of all worldly excellences, and to be prepared for sufferings. The Greek is, en th tapeinwsei autou, in his humiliation, as the word is rendered Acts 8:33; where it is used to express the humiliation of Christ by his various sufferings. And as it is here opposed to uyei, exaltation, in the preceding verse, it may signify the humiliation of the rich man, by his being stripped of his riches and possessions, of his liberty, and his being made liable to lose his life on account of the gospel. Here, therefore, the apostle advises the rich to glory when they lose the uncertain riches of this life, and are exposed to other sufferings, for the sake of truth and a good conscience, with the favour and approbation of God. For the sun, &c. — Literally, For the sun arose with a burning heat, and withered the grass, and the flower fell off, and the beauty of its form perished. There is an unspeakable beauty and elegance, both in the comparison itself and the very manner of expressing it; intimating both the certainly and the suddenness of the event. So shall the rich man fade away in his ways — In the midst of his various pleasures and enjoyments.

Ver. 10. But the rich in that he is made low, and discarded by his worldly friends. He loses the honour that cometh from men, to receive the true glory that cometh from above. All worldly glory shall pass away as the flower of the field.

I. THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN UNDER TRIALS, 1-18.

1. Trials, as conducive to firmness, are a joy, 1-4.

1. James—Jacobus, the name which our English language has made Jacob in the Old Testament it has capriciously shortened to James in the New. Servant—Note on Romans 1:1. The twelve tribes—See note on the Dwdekafulon, or twelve-tribedom. Acts 26:7. Which are scattered abroad—Literally, which are in the dispersion. 1 Peter 1:1. The dispersion was a customary term applied to that scattered condition of the twelve tribes arising from their repeated captivities. There were four chief dispersions—the Babylonian, the Egyptian, the Syrian, and the western in Greece and Italy. In John 7:35 is mentioned the dispersion of the Greeks; that is, of Jews among the Greeks, or Gentiles. Josephus says: “The race of the Jews has been plentifully dispersed among the inhabitants of the world, but the largest mingling has been in Syria.” Compare the beautiful greeting in 2 Macc. 1:1, from the Jews of Jerusalem to the Jews in Egypt: “The brethren, the Jews that be at Jerusalem and in the land of Judea, wish unto the brethren that are throughout Egypt, health and peace.” The infant Jesus was for a brief period among the dispersion of Egypt. The two epistles of Peter are also addressed to the “dispersion.” Yet these epistles contain nothing implying that they do not suit also to the conditions of Palestine and Jerusalem, as partaking, like the rest, in the tribal disorganization arising from the captivities and the desolations. In modern times, the dispersion of Israel, by a memorable history, has been extended to almost every part of the world.

Yet it is plain that St. James specially addresses this epistle to the Christian Israel in Israel; the twelve-tribedom in the twelve-tribedom, who had accepted Jesus Christ. If the whole dispersion of Jews is nominally, and, in some parts, directly addressed, it is because to his strong Judaic feeling all nominally belong to the Messiah, and all ought to accept his epistle as to them. Compare our notes on Matthew 10:5, 6; 19:28; Acts 1:8. Greeting—The word greeting is a single Greek word in the infinitive, signifying to rejoice, with the phrase bidding you to be supplied before it, making a salutation equivalent to our “wishing you joy.” The old Saxon word greeting signifies saluting, addressing in friendly and honorary style. See note, Acts 15:23.

V. 11. For the sun arose and withered the grass-There is an unspeakable beauty and elegance, both in the comparison itself, and in the very manner of expressing it, intimating both the certainty and the suddenness of the event.

So shall the rich fade away in his ways-In the midst of his various pleasures and employments.

Verse 11. For the sun is no sooner risen] We need not pursue this metaphor, as St. James’ meaning is sufficiently clear: All human things are transitory; rise and fall, or increase and decay, belong to all the productions of the earth, and to all its inhabitants. This is unavoidable, for in many cases the very cause of their growth becomes the cause of their decay and destruction. The sun by its genial heat nourishes and supports all plants and animals; but when it arises with a burning heat, the atmosphere not being tempered with a sufficiency of moist vapours, the juices are exhaled from the plants; the earth, for lack of moisture, cannot afford a sufficient supply; vegetation becomes checked; and the plants soon wither and die. Earthly possessions are subject to similar mutations. God gives and resumes them at his pleasure, and for reasons which he seldom explains to man. He shows them to be uncertain, that they may never become an object of confidence to his followers, and that they may put their whole trust in God. If for righteousness’ sake any of those who were in affluence suffer loss, or spoiling of their goods, they should consider that, while they have gained that of infinite worth, they have lost what is but of little value, and which in the nature of things they must soon part with, though they should suffer nothing on account of religion.

Verses 9-11. Let the brother — St. James does not give this appellation to the rich; of low degree — Poor and tempted, or brought low by his sufferings for Christ, and humbled in spirit thereby; rejoice that he is exalted — To be a child of God, and an heir of eternal glory; let him think of his dignity as a Christian, and entirely acquiesce in his low station in life, which will continue only for a short season, and which God has wisely appointed for his eternal good. Or, let him rejoice that he is thought worthy to be called to suffer for Christ, Acts 5:41; Philippians 1:29. But the rich — Let the rich rejoice in that he is made low — Is humbled by a deep sense of his true condition, and brought to have low thoughts of all worldly excellences, and to be prepared for sufferings. The Greek is, en th tapeinwsei autou, in his humiliation, as the word is rendered Acts 8:33; where it is used to express the humiliation of Christ by his various sufferings. And as it is here opposed to uyei, exaltation, in the preceding verse, it may signify the humiliation of the rich man, by his being stripped of his riches and possessions, of his liberty, and his being made liable to lose his life on account of the gospel. Here, therefore, the apostle advises the rich to glory when they lose the uncertain riches of this life, and are exposed to other sufferings, for the sake of truth and a good conscience, with the favour and approbation of God. For the sun, &c. — Literally, For the sun arose with a burning heat, and withered the grass, and the flower fell off, and the beauty of its form perished. There is an unspeakable beauty and elegance, both in the comparison itself and the very manner of expressing it; intimating both the certainly and the suddenness of the event. So shall the rich man fade away in his ways — In the midst of his various pleasures and enjoyments.

11. Now and then the rich man found this glorious lowliness and became a Christian; but the rich of St. James’s day and locality was generally a persecutor, (James 2:5,) and an oppressor, (note on James 5:1-6.) Hence in this verse, with a vividness akin to the last quoted passage, St. James paints the evanescence of the proud and oppressive millionaire. The imagery is borrowed mostly from Isaiah 40:6-8, where the fading character of our earthly humanity is described. Is—The Greek has all the verbs in this verse in the past tense, so as to make the description in fact a pictorial narrative. The sun no sooner rose… withered… fell… perished. Burning heat—The Greek word for burning heat, kauswn, (from kaiw, to burn,) often in the Septuagint designates the east wind, which, sweeping over the burning sands, brings a heat terribly scorching to all vegetation. Here it designates simply the burning power of the tropical or semi-tropical sun. The grass—Pasturage, including all herbage, especially that supplying food for animals. The flower—The bloom, the flourish. Grace—Becomingness. Fashion—Literally, face, aspect. Translate, the becomingness of its aspect. Fade—Literally, wither; a word applicable to a flower, transferable to dying man. Ways—Modes, plans, and purposes of life. It is to be noted that St. James here describes, not the vanishing of the riches from the man, but the vanishing of the man from his riches. Human wealth survives its possessor. Human things are often more permanent than human beings. Happy the rich man who passes from an earthly to a heavenly patrimony. He makes, perhaps, the best of both worlds. Such a man is described in the next verse.

3. Blessedness of enduring temptation; which (temptation) comes not from God; from whom is the good alone, 12-18.

V. 12. Happy is the man that endureth temptation-Trials of various kinds.

He shall receive the crown-That fadeth not away.

Which the Lord hath promised to them that love him-And his enduring proves his love. For it is love only that "endureth all things."

Verse 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation] This is a mere Jewish sentiment, and on it the Jews speak some excellent things. In Shemoth Rabba, sec. 31, fol. 129, and in Rab. Tanchum, fol. 29, 4, we have these words: “Blessed is the man wnwysnb dmw[ hyhv shehayah omed benisyono who stands in his temptation; for there is no man whom God does not try. He tries the rich, to see if they will open their hands to the poor. He tries the poor, to see if they will receive affliction and not murmur. If, therefore, the rich stand in his temptation, and give alms to the poor, he shall enjoy his riches in this world, and his horn shall be exalted in the world to come, and the holy blessed God shall deliver him from the punishment of hell. If the poor stand in his temptation, and do not repine, (kick back,) he shall have double in the world to come.” This is exactly the sentiment of James. Every man is in this life in a state of temptation or trial, and in this state he is a candidate for another and a better world; he that stands in his trial shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. It is only love to God that can enable a man to endure the trials of life. Love feels no loads; all practicable things are possible to him who loveth.

There may be an allusion here to the contests in the Grecian games. He is crowned who conquers; and none else.

Verse 12. Blessed — Makariov, happy, is the man that endureth temptation — Trials of various kinds, patiently and perseveringly; for when he is tried — Dokimov genomenov, being approved on trial, he shall receive the crown of eternal life, which the Lord Christ hath promised to them that love him — And express their love by such fidelity and zeal.

Ver. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, as Moses bore with the Hebrews for forty years; as David, when he said, let Shimei curse; as Jeremiah, who fought against idolatry till the city was burned, and the idols in it. Our afflictions work together for good. In the furnace the Lord purifies his saints as gold, and prepares them for thrones of glory, and crowns of life eternal.

12. Blessed is the man—Whether of low degree or rich. Endureth— Who not only suffers, undergoes, but endureth; that is, bears up against, and conquers temptation. For—It is the most glorious of triumphs. He it is who may (verse 2) count it all joy. Tried—Proved true by the tempting test. Crown of life—He becomes more than a millionaire; he receives the crown of a heavenly prince—a crown of life—from which he will never pass by death, and which will never wither from him. The phrase crown of life does not signify a crown possessed of or imbued with life; but a crown consisting of life. The life, or glorious immortality, is itself the crown.

V. 13. But let no man who is tempted-To sin. Say, I am tempted of God-God thus tempteth no man.

Verse 13. Let no man say] Lest the former sentiment should be misapplied, as the word temptation has two grand meanings, solicitation to sin, and trial from providential situation or circumstances, James, taking up the word in the former sense, after having used it in the latter, says: Let no man say, when he is tempted, (solicited to sin,) I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he (thus) any man. Thus the author has explained and guarded his meaning.

Verse 13. Let no man say, when he is tempted — To commit sin, in whatever way it may be; I am tempted of God — God has laid this temptation in my way; for God cannot be tempted with evil — It cannot appear desirable, or otherwise than detestable, in God’s eyes; nor can he be inclined to it in any degree, through any external object, or any internal motion; neither tempteth he any man — He does not persuade or incline, much less constrain any one to sin by any means whatever. The word peirazein, to tempt, as we have seen, often signifies “to try, in order to discover the disposition of a person, or to improve his virtue, verse 12. In this sense God is said to have tempted or tried Abraham and the Israelites. Not that he was ignorant of the dispositions of either of them. In the same sense the Israelites are said to have tempted or proved God. They put his power and goodness to the trial, by entertaining doubts concerning them. Here, to tempt, signifies to solicit one to sin, and actually to seduce him into sin, which is the effect of temptation or solicitation. See verse 14. In this sense the devil tempts men. And because he is continually employed in that malicious work, he is called, by way of eminence, O peirazwn, the tempter. It is in this sense we are to understand the saying in the end of the verse, that God is incapable of being tempted, that is, seduced to sin by evil things, and that he seduces no one to sin. God having nothing either to hope or fear, no evil beings, whether man or angel, can either entice or seduce him. Further, his infinitely perfect nature admitting no evil thought or inclination, he is absolutely (apeirastov) incapable of being tempted.” — Macknight.

Ver. 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. All men own that they are sinners, but are disposed to plead some excuse for their depravity. Adam, when he had eaten of the forbidden fruit, did not deny that he had sinned, but wished to lay the blame upon another; and all his sinful race have followed the example. But it is worse still, when men not only plead excuses, but feel disposed to lay the blame of their own misconduct upon God. Yet this is often done by implication, where it would not be directly avowed, presuming that their circumstances were such that the evil could not be avoided, or the power of temptation so great that they were unable to withstand it. The natural impenitence and hardness of the human heart, and the rejection of the gospel, fully demonstrate that sinners do not think themselves so deeply involved in guilt as the scriptures represent, but that the blame lies somewhere else; otherwise they would be melted into deep contrition, and gladly embrace the Saviour.

But let no may say he is tempted of God. The unsullied holiness of his nature forbids the thought. He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, being that which his soul hateth. He has also furnished the most powerful motives against the commission of sin, by threatening it with eternal punishment, and connecting holiness with the promise of everlasting life. God has so ordered it that sin shall be productive of misery even in the present life, as the firstfruits and foretaste of the wrath to come. What are the effects of the malignant passions when indulged, but a torment like that of unquenchable fire, corroding and wasting the very vitals of the heart, till the sinner becomes a terror to himself. It is also so ordered that the pleasures of sin shall be short; the abridgment of human life after the temptation in the wilderness leaves to the sinner only a few short years, to weaken the motives to evil, and urge to speedy repentance. Above all, God has shown his infinite abhorrence of sin by delivering up his own Son as an expiatory sacrifice, that he might take away the sin of the world. Approach his cross and say, what meaneth the heat of this great anger? The answer is, God is so displeased with man’s transgression that he could not think of pardoning it, without full reparation done to eternal justice; he therefore laid upon our substitute the iniquity of us all, and poured upon him that anger which must otherwise have burned to the lowest hell.

After providing such an expedient for taking away sin, and of reconciling the world unto himself, who shall dare to say that God tempts any man to sin. Nothing can more fully prove the desperate wickedness of the human heart, than the disposition to indulge so impious a thought. Sooner may the sun become the fountain of darkness, and the stars be sealed up in endless night, than for the infinitely holy and blessed God to be in any sense whatever the author of moral evil.

13. But while the true endurance of temptation is thus a triumph and a joy, St. James utters no eulogy on temptation itself. It comes not from a divine tempter. This he denies in behalf, not of our responsibility, but of the holy honour of God. God has, indeed, made life a scene of probation. He has made us with susceptibilities to incitement to evil from finite evil agencies. But it is from the finite, and not from the holy Infinite, that the specific temptation as a purposed allurement to evil comes. God means for us a life of successful trial; the tempter means failure and ruin in the trial. Let no man say—Rather, let no tempted one say. I am tempted of God— Quoted in the utterer’s own words, implying that there were errorists who declared outright that we have above us an evil Infinite. Others, as Huther well remarks, disown the responsibility for wickedness, by imputing its causation to God. So in Homer’s Iliad, “But I am not the cause, but Jupiter and Fate.” And in the comic poet, Plautus, “God was the impeller to me.” And Terence, “What if some god willed this?” So the Gnostics, descending from Simon Magus, held all sins to be predestinated, and were strenuously opposed by Justin Martyr and the early Church, as thereby making God responsible for sin. Predestination, as Pressense truly says, was viewed by the early Church as a heresy. To this saying our apostle opposes a true analysis of the inward nature of our temptations and yieldings to sin. Tempted of evil—For he knows its nature, and is in unchanging will opposed to it. Neither tempteth he—Abraham is quoted as a case in which God tempted a man. That is only verbally true. The devil tempts us that he may bring us to evil; God tries, that he may bring us to manifest faith and triumph. It depends upon us whether we shall make it a fatal temptation or a triumphant trial and a joy. Our apostle counsels us to make it all joy, verse 2.

V. 14. Every man is tempted, when-In the beginning of the temptation. He is drawn away-Drawn out of God, his strong refuge.

By his own desire-We are therefore to look for the cause of every sin, in, not out of ourselves. Even the injections of the devil cannot hurt before we make them our own. And every one has desires arising from his own constitution, tempers, habits, and way of life.

And enticed-In the progress of the temptation, catching at the bait: so the original word signifies.

Verse 14. But every man is tempted] Successfully solicited to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust-when, giving way to the evil propensity of his own heart, he does that to which he is solicited by the enemy of his soul.

Among the rabbins we find some fine sayings on this subject. In Midrash hanaalam, fol. 20, and Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 17, it is said: “This is the custom of evil concupiscence, [rh rxy yetser hara: To-day it saith, Do this; to-morrow, Worship an idol. The man goes and worships. Again it saith, Be angry.”

“Evil concupiscence is, at the beginning, like the thread of a spider’s web; afterwards it is like a cart rope.” Sanhedrim, fol. 99. In the words, drawn away by his own lust and enticed, upo thv idiav epiqumiav exelkomenov kai deleazomenov, there is a double metaphor; the first referring to the dragging a fish out of the water by a hook which it had swallowed, because concealed by a bait; the second, to the enticements of impure women, who draw away the unwary into their snares, and involve them in their ruin. Illicit connections of this kind the writer has clearly in view; and every word that he uses refers to something of this nature, as the following verse shows.

Verses 14, 15. But every man is tempted when — In the beginning of the temptation; he is drawn away of his own lust — Greek, upo thv idiav epiqumiav exelkomenov; literally, he is drawn out of God, his strong refuge, by his own desire; excited by some external object presenting itself; and enticed — Deleazomenov, caught with a bait. It is generally supposed that the allusion here is to the drawing of fish out of a river with a baited hook: a metaphor used by Plato, as quoted by Cicero, (De Senect., cap. 13,) “Divine enim Plato, escam malorum appellat voluptatem; quod ea videlicet homines capiantur ut hamo pisces.” Plato divinely calls pleasure a bait of evil things; namely, because by it men are taken as fishes by a hook. With regard to most temptations that draw men into sin, the case seems to be thus: 1st, An outward object presents itself, which appears to be desirable, either on account of the profit or pleasure it seems calculated to afford; 2d, Through an inordinate love of ease, honour, wealth, or pleasure, a desire of that object arises in a man’s corrupt heart; 3d, That desire is yielded to, instead of being resisted, and thereby he is drawn from that line of duty in which he before walked, and from that state of union and communion with God which he enjoyed, and is entangled in the guilt and misery of sin. We are therefore to look for the causes of every sin chiefly in ourselves; in our appetites, passions, and corrupt inclinations. Even the injections of the devil cannot hurt us, till we make them our own, by entertaining and yielding to them. Then, when lust, desire, hath conceived — By obtaining the consent of our will, that is, when it is yielded to; it bringeth forth actual sin — By a speedy birth, where, perhaps, the full indulgence of the desire was not at first intended. It does not follow from this, that the desire itself is not sin. He that begets a man is himself a man; and sin, when it is finished — Actually committed; bringeth forth death — Tends, in its consequences, to the final ruin of both soul and body, as naturally as the conception of an animal does to its birth. Indeed, sin is born big with death. Thus St. James “represents men’s lust as a harlot, which entices their understanding and will into its impure embraces, and from that conjunction conceives sin. And sin, being brought forth and nourished by frequent repetitions, in its turn begets death, which destroys the sinner. This is the true genealogy of sin and death. Lust is the mother of sin, and sin the mother of death; and the sinner the parent of both. Verse 18, the apostle gives the genealogy of righteousness. All the righteous deeds which men perform, and the holy designs and desires, intentions and affections, which are found in them, proceed from their renewed nature; and their nature is renewed by the power of truth and grace; and God is the prime mover in the whole.” — Macknight.

14. We are now told how temptation does come. St. James does not here affirm a devilish tempter, nor does he deny the existence of such. He only shows how the coming temptation reaches us through our susceptibilities. Lust—The Greek word epiqumia is often used in the New Testament in a good sense, and derives its evil meaning from the connexion. It means the predisposition, the susceptibility, to good or evil. In itself, as an undirected, unperverted susceptibility, it is innocent of sin. Drawn away— Or, more properly, drawn out; when his susceptibility is drawn towards the wrong. Enticed—As a fish by the bait. The yielding of the will to the incitement commences the sin. That is, when the incitement towards evil, which in English is truly called lust, induces the volitional consent, then responsibility for actual sin commences.

V. 15. Then desire having conceived-By our own will joining therewith. Bringeth forth actual sin-It doth not follow that the desire itself is not sin. He that begets a man is himself a man.

And sin being perfected-Grown up to maturity, which it quickly does. Bringeth forth death-Sin is born big with death.

Verse 15. When lust hath conceived] When the evil propensity works unchecked, it bringeth forth sin-the evil act between the parties is perpetrated.

And sin, when it is finished] When this breach of the law of God and of innocence has been a sufficient time completed, it bringeth forth death-the spurious offspring is the fruit of the criminal connection, and the evidence of that death or punishment due to the transgressors. Any person acquainted with the import of the verbs sullambanein, tiktein, and apokuein, will see that this is the metaphor, and that I have not exhausted it. sullambanw signifies concipio sobolem, quæ comprehenditur utero; concipio fœtum;- tiktw, pario, genero, efficio;-apokuew ex apo et kuw, prægnans sum, in utero gero. Verbum proprium prægnantium, quæ fœtum maturum emittunt. Interdum etiam gignendi notionem habet.-MAIUS, Obser. Sacr., vol. ii., page 184. Kypke and Schleusner.

Sin is a small matter in its commencement; but by indulgence it grows great, and multiplies itself beyond all calculation. To use the rabbinical metaphor lately adduced, it is, in the commencement, like the thread of a spider’s web-almost imperceptible through its extreme tenuity or fineness, and as easily broken, for it is as yet but a simple irregular imagination; afterwards it becomes like a cart rope-it has, by being indulged produced strong desire and delight; next consent; then, time, place, and opportunity serving, that which was conceived in the mind, and finished in that purpose, is consummated by act.

“The soul, which the Greek philosophers considered as the seat of the appetites and passions, is called by Philo to qhlu, the female part of our nature; and the spirit to arren, the male part. In allusion to this notion, James represents men’s lust as a harlot; which entices their understanding and will into its impure embraces, and from that conjunction conceives sin. Sin, being brought forth, immediately acts, and is nourished by frequent repetition, till at length it gains such strength that in its turn it begets death. This is the true genealogy of sin and death. Lust is the mother of sin, and sin the mother of death, and the sinner the parent of both.” See Macknight.

Verses 14, 15. But every man is tempted when — In the beginning of the temptation; he is drawn away of his own lust — Greek, upo thv idiav epiqumiav exelkomenov; literally, he is drawn out of God, his strong refuge, by his own desire; excited by some external object presenting itself; and enticed — Deleazomenov, caught with a bait. It is generally supposed that the allusion here is to the drawing of fish out of a river with a baited hook: a metaphor used by Plato, as quoted by Cicero, (De Senect., cap. 13,) “Divine enim Plato, escam malorum appellat voluptatem; quod ea videlicet homines capiantur ut hamo pisces.” Plato divinely calls pleasure a bait of evil things; namely, because by it men are taken as fishes by a hook. With regard to most temptations that draw men into sin, the case seems to be thus: 1st, An outward object presents itself, which appears to be desirable, either on account of the profit or pleasure it seems calculated to afford; 2d, Through an inordinate love of ease, honour, wealth, or pleasure, a desire of that object arises in a man’s corrupt heart; 3d, That desire is yielded to, instead of being resisted, and thereby he is drawn from that line of duty in which he before walked, and from that state of union and communion with God which he enjoyed, and is entangled in the guilt and misery of sin. We are therefore to look for the causes of every sin chiefly in ourselves; in our appetites, passions, and corrupt inclinations. Even the injections of the devil cannot hurt us, till we make them our own, by entertaining and yielding to them. Then, when lust, desire, hath conceived — By obtaining the consent of our will, that is, when it is yielded to; it bringeth forth actual sin — By a speedy birth, where, perhaps, the full indulgence of the desire was not at first intended. It does not follow from this, that the desire itself is not sin. He that begets a man is himself a man; and sin, when it is finished — Actually committed; bringeth forth death — Tends, in its consequences, to the final ruin of both soul and body, as naturally as the conception of an animal does to its birth. Indeed, sin is born big with death. Thus St. James “represents men’s lust as a harlot, which entices their understanding and will into its impure embraces, and from that conjunction conceives sin. And sin, being brought forth and nourished by frequent repetitions, in its turn begets death, which destroys the sinner. This is the true genealogy of sin and death. Lust is the mother of sin, and sin the mother of death; and the sinner the parent of both. Verse 18, the apostle gives the genealogy of righteousness. All the righteous deeds which men perform, and the holy designs and desires, intentions and affections, which are found in them, proceed from their renewed nature; and their nature is renewed by the power of truth and grace; and God is the prime mover in the whole.” — Macknight.

15. Conceived—Lust, by consent of will, becomes a harlot mother; she bringeth forth sin; sin, when finished by the free volition, becomes guilt, and guilt is death. Death is the grandchild of lust, or perverted susceptibility. Eternal death is the deepening and perpetuity of spiritual death.

V. 16. Do not err-It is a grievous error to ascribe the evil and not the good which we receive to God.

Verse 16. Do not err] By supposing that God is the author of sin, or that he impels any man to commit it.

Verses 16, 17. Do not err, &c. — By supposing that God is the author of sin, or that any thing which is sinful in the heart or conduct of man can, with truth, be ascribed to him: as well might darkness and coldness be attributed to the sun. It is indeed a grievous error to ascribe the evil, and not the good, which we receive, to God. No evil, but every good gift — Of every kind: whatever is beautiful, excellent, and good in any creature in the universe; all the members and senses of our bodies, and all our temporal blessings; and every perfect gift — Every gift of truth and grace, whatever tends to holiness and happiness here or hereafter; is from above — From heaven, not from earth, much less from hell; and cometh down from the Father of lights — Whether material or spiritual, in the kingdom of grace and glory; the author of all truth, knowledge, wisdom, holiness, and happiness. The appellation of Father is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows in the next verse, he begat us. With whom is no variableness — In his understanding; or shadow of turning — In his will; but he is immutably wise and good, holy and happy. He infallibly discerns all good and evil, and invariably loves the one and hates the other. There is in both the Greek words here used a metaphor taken from the heavenly bodies, particularly proper, where the Father of lights is mentioned; both words are applicable to any celestial body which has a daily vicissitude of day and night, and sometimes longer days, sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind. He is mere light. If there be any such vicissitude in us, it is from ourselves, not from him. “Will he give us holy desires at one time, and evil inclinations at another? No: he always gives us what is good, and nothing but good. It is blasphemous, therefore, as well as absurd, to suppose that God either tempts or constrains men to sin, on purpose that he may have a pretence for making them miserable. Some are of opinion that in the word parallagh, translated variableness, there is an allusion to the parallaxes of the heavenly bodies. But as these were not known to the common people, the apostle, in a letter addressed to them, would hardly introduce a reference to such things.” — Macknight.

16. Do not err—A solemn warning against the current doctrine of errorists, that God is the evil source of evil. Our apostle declares that God is the invariable author of good.

V. 17. No evil, but every good gift-Whatever tends to holiness. And every perfect gift-Whatever tends to glory.

Descendeth from the Father of lights-The appellation of Father is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows, "he begat us." He is the Father of all light, material or spiritual, in the kingdom of grace and of glory. With whom is no variableness-No change in his understanding. Or shadow of turning-in his will. He infallibly discerns all good and evil; and invariably loves one, and hates the other. There is, in both the Greek words, a metaphor taken from the stars, particularly proper where the Father of lights is mentioned. Both are applicable to any celestial body, which has a daily vicissitude of day and night, and sometimes longer days, sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind. He is mere light. If there is any such vicissitude, it is in ourselves, not in him.

Verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above] Whatever is good is from God; whatever is evil is from man himself. As from the sun, which is the father or fountain of light, all light comes; so from GOD, who is the infinite Fountain, Father, and Source of good, all good comes. And whatever can be called good, or pure, or light, or excellence of any kind, must necessarily spring from him, as he is the only source of all goodness and perfection.

With whom is no variableness] The sun, the fountain of light to the whole of our system, may be obscured by clouds; or the different bodies which revolve round him, and particularly the earth, may from time to time suffer a diminution of his light by the intervention of other bodies eclipsing his splendour; and his apparent tropical variation, shadow of turning; when, for instance, in our winter, he has declined to the southern tropic, the tropic of Capricorn, so that our days are greatly shortened, and we suffer in consequence a great diminution both of light and heat. But there is nothing of this kind with God; he is never affected by the changes and chances to which mortal things are exposed. He occupies no one place in the universe; he fills the heavens and the earth, is everywhere present, sees all, pervades all, and shines upon all; dispenses his blessings equally to the universe; hates nothing that he has made; is loving to every man; and his tender mercies are over all his works: therefore he is not affected with evil, nor does he tempt, or influence to sin, any man. The sun, the source of light, rises and sets with a continual variety as to the times of both, and the length of the time in which, in the course of three hundred and sixty-five days, five hours, forty-eight minutes, and forty-eight seconds, it has its revolution through the ecliptic, or rather the earth has its revolution round the sun; and by which its light and heat are, to the inhabitants of the earth, either constantly increasing or decreasing: but God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, is eternally the same, dispensing his good and perfect gifts-his earthly and heavenly blessings, to all his creatures, ever unclouded in himself, and ever nilling EVIL and willing GOOD. Men may hide themselves from his light by the works of darkness, as owls and bats hide themselves in dens and caves of the earth during the prevalency of the solar light: but his good will to his creatures is permanent; he wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may come unto him and live; and no man walks in wretchedness or misery but he who will not come unto God that he may have life. See diagram and notes at the end of this chapter. See Clarke “James 1:27”.

Verses 16, 17. Do not err, &c. — By supposing that God is the author of sin, or that any thing which is sinful in the heart or conduct of man can, with truth, be ascribed to him: as well might darkness and coldness be attributed to the sun. It is indeed a grievous error to ascribe the evil, and not the good, which we receive, to God. No evil, but every good gift — Of every kind: whatever is beautiful, excellent, and good in any creature in the universe; all the members and senses of our bodies, and all our temporal blessings; and every perfect gift — Every gift of truth and grace, whatever tends to holiness and happiness here or hereafter; is from above — From heaven, not from earth, much less from hell; and cometh down from the Father of lights — Whether material or spiritual, in the kingdom of grace and glory; the author of all truth, knowledge, wisdom, holiness, and happiness. The appellation of Father is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows in the next verse, he begat us. With whom is no variableness — In his understanding; or shadow of turning — In his will; but he is immutably wise and good, holy and happy. He infallibly discerns all good and evil, and invariably loves the one and hates the other. There is in both the Greek words here used a metaphor taken from the heavenly bodies, particularly proper, where the Father of lights is mentioned; both words are applicable to any celestial body which has a daily vicissitude of day and night, and sometimes longer days, sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind. He is mere light. If there be any such vicissitude in us, it is from ourselves, not from him. “Will he give us holy desires at one time, and evil inclinations at another? No: he always gives us what is good, and nothing but good. It is blasphemous, therefore, as well as absurd, to suppose that God either tempts or constrains men to sin, on purpose that he may have a pretence for making them miserable. Some are of opinion that in the word parallagh, translated variableness, there is an allusion to the parallaxes of the heavenly bodies. But as these were not known to the common people, the apostle, in a letter addressed to them, would hardly introduce a reference to such things.” — Macknight.

Ver. 17. The Father of lights. The allusion is to the sun, which like the deity, is seen by his own light. John Albert quotes an example from Macrobius, where Jupiter is called Lucetius, from luce, or light.

17. Literally, every good giving and every perfect gift. Both the act of giving and the gift are named, one as good and the other as perfect. Father of lights—Physically, he is Father of the material luminaries which beam upon us from above; spiritually, he is Father of all the heavenly and blessed lights which make the world of our soul luminous, and guide us to the land of lights. Of these spiritual lights the heavenly luminaries are a symbol. No variableness—So that he truly gives us good alone. Shadow of turning—He has no change, no, not even the shadow of a change. The revolving shadow on the dial-face reveals to us the truth that the firmamental lights are ever revolving; but of God there is no shadow of turning.

V. 18. Of his own will-Most loving, most free, most pure, just opposite to our evil desire, James 1:15.

Begat he us-Who believe.

By the word of truth-The true word, emphatically so termed; the gospel. That we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures-Christians are the chief and most excellent of his visible creatures; and sanctify the rest. Yet he says, A kind of-For Christ alone is absolutely the first-fruits.

Verse 18. Of his own will begat he us] God’s will here is opposed to the lust of man, James 1:15; his truth, the means of human salvation, to the sinful means referred to in the above verse; and the new creatures, to the sin conceived and brought forth, as above. As the will of God is essentially good, all its productions must be good also; as it is infinitely pure, all its productions must be holy. The word or doctrine of truth, what St. Paul calls the word of the truth of the Gospel, Colossians 1:5, is the means which God uses to convert souls.

A kind of first fruits] By creatures we are here to understand the Gentiles, and by first fruits the Jews, to whom the Gospel was first sent; and those of them that believed were the first fruits of that astonishing harvest which God has since reaped over the whole Gentile world. See Clarke’s notes on “Romans 8:19”, &c. There is a remarkable saying in Philo on this subject, Deuteronomy Allegoris, lib. ii. p. 101: God begat Isaac, for he is the father of the perfect nature, speirwn en taiv yucaiv, sowing seed in souls, and begetting happiness.

Verse 18. Of his own will — Without any necessity on his part, or merit on ours; from a will most loving, most free, most pure, just opposite to our evil desire, verse 15; begat he us — He converted, regenerated us, who believe; by the word of truth — The true word, emphatically so termed, the gospel; that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures — The most excellent of his visible creatures, and consecrated to, and set apart for him in an especial manner. The first-fruits being the best of their kind, by calling the regenerated the first-fruits of God’s creatures, the apostle has shown how acceptable such are to God, and how excellent in themselves through the renovation of their nature; and as the first-fruits, being offered to God, were supposed to sanctify the rest of the harvest, true Christians, who are in a peculiar manner dedicated to God, in some respects may be said to sanctify the rest. The apostle says, a kind of first-fruits, for Christ alone is absolutely the first-fruits.

Ver. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. Though the Holy Spirit is the efficient cause of this great change in our moral state and condition, so that we are said to be born of the Spirit, and born of God, yet it is effected by means of the word. Paul said he had not known sin but by the law, and we had never known the way of deliverance from it, and from its consequences, but for the gospel which reveals to us a Saviour. It is by means of the word of truth that the mind at first becomes impregnated with convictions, leading to repentance and to faith in Jesus. Hence the apostle speaks of the Corinthians as being begotten through the gospel, and of Timothy as being his own son in the faith. 1 Corinthians 4:15. Yet we are here reminded that whatever be the means, and whosoever may be the instrument of this great change, they are only means and instruments in the hand of God, to whom all their efficiency is to be ascribed. The children of God are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, who of his own will begets us with the word of truth. John 1:12, 13. Nothing therefore is left us to glory in, but the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31.

18. Of his own will—That is, not by any changeful caprice or shadow of inconstancy. Begat he us—By a regenerative begetting. With the word of truth—The preached gospel was the external instrument by which he regenerated us. Firstfruits—The first gatherings of the harvest were by the Hebrews gratefully consecrated to God. Hence the word firstfruits symbolically indicates pre-eminent excellence and divine consecration. We are regenerated by divine, unchanging will, through the promulgated word, that among the creatures of God we may be the consecrated and truly first in rank and value. By creation man is first among lower creatures; by regeneration and consecration the sons of God are first even among human creatures. Kind of—That is, not literal firstfruits, but a figurative sort. This firstfruits has no reference to time; and hence cannot indicate the earlier Christian converts as compared with the later, (as Alford,) and so is no proof of the early writing of this epistle.

The immutability of God’s regenerative will is none the less conditional, and our apostle will next show how we must meet the conditions. It is by due attention to, and reception of, the regenerative word. II. WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN SYNAGOGUE: THE PROPER TEMPER,

BEHAVIOUR, AND FAITH THERE, James 1:19-3:18.

1. No loquacity nor irritation, but candid hearing, 19-21. To understand the emphasis laid by St. James in the rest of this chapter on moderation of language and candid listening, we must conceive something of a picture of discussions in the Synagogues, (see note on James 2:2,) in which replies of cavillers could interrupt the Christian preacher, 1 Corinthians 14:27-33. The epistle, in its address, comprehends not only Christian Jews, but all Jews inclined to read and listen, and hence the importance of impressing the whole with the necessity of decency, candour, and readiness in a spirit of meekness to receive the word of the gospel. Inquirers must calmly listen, they must learn in order to practice; but especially must they bridle the tongue, or else the pretences and attempts at religion are futile.

V. 19. Let every man be swift to hear-This is treated of from James 1:21 to the end of the next chapter.

Slow to speak-Which is treated of in the third chapter.

Slow to wrath-Neither murmuring at God, nor angry at his neighbour. This is treated of in the third, and throughout the fourth and fifth chapters.

Verse 19. Swift to hear] Talk little and work much, is a rabbinical adage.-Pirkey Aboth, cap. i. 15.

The righteous speak little, and do much; the wicked speak much, and do nothing.-Bava Metzia, fol. 87.

The son of Sirach says, cap. v. 11: ginou tacuv en th akrosei sou, kai en makroqumia fqeggou apokrisin. “Be swift to hear, and with deep consideration give answer.”

Slow to wrath] “There are four kinds of dispositions,” says the Midrash hanaalam, cap. v. 11: “First, Those who are easily incensed, and easily pacified; these gain on one hand, and lose on the other. Secondly, Those who are not easily incensed, but are difficult to be appeased; these lose on the one hand, and gain on the other. Thirdly, Those who are difficult to be incensed, and are easily appeased; these are the good. Fourthly, Those who are easily angered, and difficult to be appeased; these are the wicked.” Those who are hasty in speech are generally of a peevish or angry disposition. A person who is careful to consider what he says, is not likely to be soon angry.

Verses 19, 20. Wherefore — As if he had said, Since you are regenerated, and that by the word of God, therefore let every man be swift to hear — That word; let him be willing and desirous to receive instruction from it, and therefore diligent in embracing all opportunities of hearing it; slow to speak — To deliver his opinion in matters of faith, that he does not yet well understand. Persons half instructed frequently have a high opinion of their own knowledge in religious matters, are very fond of teaching others, and zealous to bring them over to their opinions. That the converted Jews were fond of being teachers, we learn from James 3:1; 1 Timothy 1:7. Slow to wrath — Against those that differ from him. Intemperate religious zeal is often accompanied by a train of bad passions, and particularly with anger against those who differ from us in opinion. The Jews, even the Jewish Christians to whom this letter was chiefly written, were very faulty in this respect. The apostle, however, may be understood as cautioning his readers against easily yielding to provocation in any respect whatever, and especially when injuriously treated by their persecutors. For the wrath of man — Even when it appears in the garb of religious zeal, worketh not — But, on the contrary, greatly obstructs, the righteousness of God — Instead of promoting the cause of true religion in the world, it is a reproach to it, and a means of exciting the prejudices of mankind against it. Persecution, in particular, the effect of the wrath of man, if violent, may make men hypocrites, by forcing them to profess what they do not believe; but it has no influence to produce that genuine faith which God accounts to men for righteousness. Nothing but rational arguments, with the illumination of the Spirit of God, can do this.

19. Wherefore—The true reading seems to be, Ye know; that is, of all this you are aware; but (Greek, de) let every man, etc. Same ye know in Ephesians 5:5, and Hebrews 12:17. In view of the fact that it is by the word of truth that we are regenerated into firstfruits, let us give careful heed to that word. And so our attention to that word with candour, (verses 14-21,) practical obedience, (22-25,) and self-control, (26,) is discussed until we arrive at pure religion, verse 27. Let—An exhortation to a candid, unvociferous, unexcited hearing of the word of truth. Swift… slow—A frequent antithesis among Greek writers to express readiness and averseness. The importance and brief opportunity of the truth demand quick and earnest listening. It is too valuable to be slighted, and tomorrow may be too late. Slow to speak—Without hasty and captious interruptions; such as the Christian preacher, as St. Paul, often encountered from unbelieving auditors. The old philosophers said, that men have but one tongue and two ears, and so should speak little and hear much. Wrath is the disputant’s angry excitement against the truth. He first is rash to speak, and then warms as he talks into wrath. The wrath here spoken of is that not of promulgators of the truth, but of cavilling hearers, to whom it is offered. Hence they are, next verse, exhorted to receive the word. For this epistle is addressed to the twelve tribes—not only those who are Christians, but those who should be so.

V. 20. The righteousness of God here includes all duties prescribed by him, and pleasing to him.

Verse 20. The wrath of man] A furious zeal in matters of religion is detestable in the sight of God; he will have no sacrifice that is not consumed by fire from his own altar. The zeal that made the Papists persecute and burn the Protestants, was kindled in hell. This was the wrath of man, and did not work any righteous act for God; nor was it the means of working righteousness in others; the bad fruit of a bad tree. And do they still vindicate these cruelties? Yes: for still they maintain that no faith is to be kept with heretics, and they acknowledge the inquisition.

Verses 19, 20. Wherefore — As if he had said, Since you are regenerated, and that by the word of God, therefore let every man be swift to hear — That word; let him be willing and desirous to receive instruction from it, and therefore diligent in embracing all opportunities of hearing it; slow to speak — To deliver his opinion in matters of faith, that he does not yet well understand. Persons half instructed frequently have a high opinion of their own knowledge in religious matters, are very fond of teaching others, and zealous to bring them over to their opinions. That the converted Jews were fond of being teachers, we learn from James 3:1; 1 Timothy 1:7. Slow to wrath — Against those that differ from him. Intemperate religious zeal is often accompanied by a train of bad passions, and particularly with anger against those who differ from us in opinion. The Jews, even the Jewish Christians to whom this letter was chiefly written, were very faulty in this respect. The apostle, however, may be understood as cautioning his readers against easily yielding to provocation in any respect whatever, and especially when injuriously treated by their persecutors. For the wrath of man — Even when it appears in the garb of religious zeal, worketh not — But, on the contrary, greatly obstructs, the righteousness of God — Instead of promoting the cause of true religion in the world, it is a reproach to it, and a means of exciting the prejudices of mankind against it. Persecution, in particular, the effect of the wrath of man, if violent, may make men hypocrites, by forcing them to profess what they do not believe; but it has no influence to produce that genuine faith which God accounts to men for righteousness. Nothing but rational arguments, with the illumination of the Spirit of God, can do this.

20. Righteousness of God—God’s righteousness, prescribed by him to man. Note on Romans 1:17. Man’s wrath works not in man the righteousness designed and enjoined by God.

V. 21. Therefore laying aside-As a dirty garment.

All the filthiness and superfluity of wickedness-For however specious or necessary it may appear to worldly wisdom, all wickedness is both vile, hateful, contemptible, and really superfluous. Every reasonable end may be effectually answered without any kind or degree of it. Lay this, every known sin, aside, or all your hearing is vain.

With meekness-Constant evenness and serenity of mind. Receive-Into your ears, your heart, your life.

The word-Of the gospel.

Ingrafted-In believers, by regeneration, James 1:18 and by habit, Hebrews 5:14.

Which is able to save your souls-The hope of salvation nourishes meekness.

Verse 21. All filthiness] pasan roparian. This word signifies any impurity that cleaves to the body; but applied to the mind, it implies all impure and unholy affections, such as those spoken of James 1:15, which pollute the soul; in this sense it is used by the best Greek writers. Superfluity of naughtiness] perisseian kakiav. The overflowing of wickedness. Perhaps there is an allusion here to the part cut off in circumcision, which was the emblem of impure desire; and to lessen that propensity, God, in his mercy, enacted this rite. Put all these evil dispositions aside, for they blind the soul, and render it incapable of receiving any good, even from that ingrafted word of God which otherwise would have saved their souls.

The ingrafted word] That doctrine which has already been planted among you, which has brought forth fruit in all them that have meekly and humbly received it, and is as powerful to save your souls as the souls of those who have already believed. I think this to be the meaning of emfuton logon, the ingrafted word or doctrine. The seed of life had been sown in the land; many of them had received it to their salvation; others had partially credited it, but not so as to produce in them any saving effects. Besides, they appear to have taken up with other doctrines, from which they had got no salvation; he therefore exhorts them to receive the doctrine of Christ, which would be the means of saving them unto eternal life. And when those who were Jews, and who had been originally planted by God as altogether a right vine, received the faith of the Gospel, it is represented as being ingrafted on that right stock, the pure knowledge of the true God and his holy moral law. This indeed was a good stock on which to implant Christianity. This appears to be what the apostle means by the ingrafted word, which is able to save the soul.

Verse 21. Wherefore — Because wrath is such a hinderance to true religion, and you are regenerated; lay apart — As you would a dirty garment; all filthiness — Every kind of sin which is of a defiling nature. The word ruparia, here used, signifies filthiness adhering to the body. When, as here, applied to the mind, it denotes those lusts and appetites, and other sins which defile the soul, particularly those which are gratified by gluttony, drunkenness, and uncleanness; vices to which many Jews, pretending to be teachers, were addicted; and superfluity of naughtiness — Kakiav, maliciousness, or wickedness of any sort; for however specious and necessary it may appear to worldly wisdom, it is vile, hateful, contemptible, and really superfluous: every reasonable end may be effectually answered without any kind or degree of it. Lay this, every known sin, aside by the grace of God, or all your hearing is vain; and receive — Into your ears, your heart, your life; with meekness — Constant evenness and serenity of mind, or with an humble, submissive frame of spirit; the ingrafted word — The word of the gospel, ingrafted in penitent, believing souls by regeneration, (verse 18,) and by habit, (Hebrews 5:14,) through the influence of God’s Spirit attending the ministry of your teachers, 1 Corinthians 3:5, 6. Which is able to save your souls — As a means appointed by God for that end, and when received by faith, Hebrews 4:2.

Ver. 21. Receive with meekness the engrafted word. To the writings of Paul, who was set for the defence of the gospel, we are chiefly indebted for the doctrinal part of religion; and to James for the practical part, for he had to deal with some theoretical antinomians in his day. Our Lord himself intimated that the state of mind in many of his hearers rendered the word unfruitful, and that much of the seed fell by the wayside and came to nothing. It is the same to the present time; the word becomes unfruitful, not being mixed with faith in them that hear it. The mind must be in a proper state in order to receive the word, and that is indicated here by a spirit of meekness, which disposes us both to believe and to obey. The import of the gospel is such that it cannot otherwise be received at all; it is utterly opposed to the pride of reason, as well as of self-righteousness, and is adapted to lay the sinner in the dust. Before it can be cordially received, a man must become a fool that he may be wise, and see himself sinful and undone before he can embrace the Saviour. The leper must cry out, unclean, before he can be healed, and see that his sins are as scarlet and as crimson before he can be made whiter than snow. Nor is this state of mind less needful in order to our growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. All our future progress in religion depends on the cultivation of this temper, to be ever sitting at the feet of Jesus for instruction. The meek will he guide in judgment: the meek will he teach his way. Psalm 25:9.

The great encouragement thus to receive the word is, that it is able to save our souls. When “engrafted” into the mind, as the scion into the stock, it changes the very nature of its produce. Where there was before nothing but grapes of wormwood and of gall like the vine of Sodom, there are now found the fruits of paradise, which in “agglomerated clusters hang.” It contains all that is necessary to be known, and directs to all that is necessary to be done in order to salvation, without borrowing light from any other source, or needing the aid of any other authority. Like the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites through the desert, it is able to conduct us safely to the promised land. By it the man of God is made perfect, and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

21. Filthiness—Ribaldry and indecency against the gospel and its professors and teachers. It often designates filthiness of apparel. Hence, when young Wesley, at Oxford, was walking with the pious Moravian, (Peter Bohler,) and was inclined to shrink from the ribaldry of the students, Peter said, with a smile, “My brother, it does not even stick to your clothes.” Superfluity—Over-abundance, such as the wrath of man could fluently pour forth. Naughtiness—Malignity. Receive—The advice is to James’ unconverted brethren. Ingrafted word—That gospel, word of truth, (verse 18,) which, as a graft produces a new tree, produces a regenerate man. Save—Instrumentally, as a means, and conditionally, by being received.

2. Being not hearers only, but doers of the word, 22-27.

Verse 22. But be ye doers of the word] They had heard this doctrine; they had believed it; but they had put it to no practical use. They were downright Antinomians, who put a sort of stupid, inactive faith in the place of all moral righteousness. This is sufficiently evident from the second chapter.

Deceiving your own selves.] paralogizomenoi eautouv. Imposing on your own selves by sophistical arguments; this is the meaning of the words. They had reasoned themselves into a state of carnal security, and the object of St. James is, to awake them out of their sleep.

Verse 22. But be ye doers of the word — See on Matthew 7:21, 24. We are then doers of the word, when, being enlightened by its doctrines, awed by its threatenings, and encouraged by its promises, we, through the aid of divine grace, love and obey its precepts, both those which enjoin repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, as terms necessary to be complied with in order to our justification and regeneration, and those subsequent commands which show how those, who are already justified and born from above, ought to walk that they may please God, and save their souls; and not hearers only — Not contenting yourselves with mere hearing, or even with understanding and believing what you hear, without reducing it to practice; deceiving your own selves — As if it was sufficient to know your Master’s will without doing it. Some suppose that in these words the apostle refers primarily to the Jews, whose doctrine it was, 1st, That to be Abraham’s seed was sufficient to obtain for them God’s favour, and secure them against his judgments; 2d, That circumcision procured them acceptance with God; 3d, That all Israelites had a portion in the world to come; and especially, 4th, That to be employed in hearing and studying the law was of itself sufficient. But it seems more likely that he gives this caution with a reference to those Gnostics and other Antinomians that were creeping fast into the church; and were hearers only, not even considering the word they heard, and therefore not understanding it; and especially not experiencing its power to regenerate and save them from the guilt and power of their sins, and restore them to the divine image. The words, paralogizomenoi eautouv, rendered, deceiving your own selves, properly signify, imposing upon yourselves by sophistical reasonings; an expression here used with great propriety, and very applicable to all those professors of Christianity who abuse the doctrines of grace to Antinomian purposes, and make void the moral law through a pretence of faith.

Ver. 22-25. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. In order to that, we should hear with attention so as to understand, for at that time the readers were few. The poor could not read, nor buy the scripture parchments. Reflection should follow to digest the discourse. Our hearts, like Lydia’s, should be open to receive the word in the love of it. Hear with prayer for the blessings that are set forth, and with an obedient mind to every duty which God enjoins: be ye doers, and not hearers only.

22. It is not enough to be a hearer, or a receiver of the saving word delivered in the synagogue, and then go out and transgress it in the world. By considering that listening to be sufficient, and omitting to be also doers, we glide into a self-deception. We imagine we are quite good, while in fact we are unsaved. Going to church, reading the Bible, and yet neglecting a holy life, is a delusive course.

V. 23. Beholding his face in a glass-How exactly does the scripture glass show a man the face of his soul!

Verse 23. Beholding his natural face in a glass] This metaphor is very simple, but very expressive. A man wishes to see his own face, and how, in its natural state, it appears; for this purpose he looks into a mirror, by which his real face, with all its blemishes and imperfections, is exhibited. He is affected with his own appearance; he sees deformities that might be remedied; spots, superfluities, and impurities, that might be removed. While he continues to look into the mirror he is affected, and wishes himself different to what he appears, and forms purposes of doing what he can to render his countenance agreeable. On going away he soon forgets what manner of person he was, because the mirror is now removed, and his face is no longer reflected to himself; and he no longer recollects how disagreeable he appeared, and his own resolutions of improving his countenance. The doctrines of God, faithfully preached, are such a mirror; he who hears cannot help discovering his own character, and being affected with his own deformity; he sorrows, and purposes amendment; but when the preaching is over, the mirror is removed, and not being careful to examine the records of his salvation, the perfect law of liberty, James 1:25, or not continuing to look therein, he soon forgets what manner of man he was; or, reposing some unscriptural trust in God’s mercy, he reasons himself out of the necessity of repentance and amendment of life, and thus deceives his soul.

Verses 23, 24. If any be a hearer of the word merely, and not a doer — If he do not comply with its design, do not so consider and believe it as to lay it to heart, and be influenced by its doctrines, obey its precepts, embrace and rely on its promises, revere and stand in awe of its threatenings, guarding against what would expose him to them; he is like a man beholding — From custom or by accident; his natural face in a glass — Without any intention to discover, and wash or wipe off, the spots that may be on it. For he beholdeth himself — Without taking particular notice of what renders his visage disagreeable; and goeth his way — To other business; and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was — What renders his countenance uncomely, and requires to be removed. Here the word of God is represented as a mirror, in which, if a man will look with attention and care, he will see the face of his soul, and discover in what state he is, and what character he bears in the sight of God. It will manifest to him those principles and practices, those thoughts and imaginations, those affections, intentions, dispositions, words, and actions, which are contrary to truth and grace, to wisdom, piety, and virtue. But frequently those who discover all this through the word heard or read, go away, and so occupy themselves in secular affairs, as immediately to forget what manner of persons they were, and continue the same in their temper and conduct as before. Reader, is this thy case?

Ver. 22-25. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. In order to that, we should hear with attention so as to understand, for at that time the readers were few. The poor could not read, nor buy the scripture parchments. Reflection should follow to digest the discourse. Our hearts, like Lydia’s, should be open to receive the word in the love of it. Hear with prayer for the blessings that are set forth, and with an obedient mind to every duty which God enjoins: be ye doers, and not hearers only.

23. Natural face—Literally, the face of his birth; the face he was born with, and which he had been in the habit of seeing all his life; and so the stranger that he should forget it the moment he ceases looking at it. Glass—Mirror. See note, 1 Corinthians 13:12.

V. 24. He beheld himself, and went away-To other business. And forgot-But such forgetting does not excuse.

Verses 23, 24. If any be a hearer of the word merely, and not a doer — If he do not comply with its design, do not so consider and believe it as to lay it to heart, and be influenced by its doctrines, obey its precepts, embrace and rely on its promises, revere and stand in awe of its threatenings, guarding against what would expose him to them; he is like a man beholding — From custom or by accident; his natural face in a glass — Without any intention to discover, and wash or wipe off, the spots that may be on it. For he beholdeth himself — Without taking particular notice of what renders his visage disagreeable; and goeth his way — To other business; and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was — What renders his countenance uncomely, and requires to be removed. Here the word of God is represented as a mirror, in which, if a man will look with attention and care, he will see the face of his soul, and discover in what state he is, and what character he bears in the sight of God. It will manifest to him those principles and practices, those thoughts and imaginations, those affections, intentions, dispositions, words, and actions, which are contrary to truth and grace, to wisdom, piety, and virtue. But frequently those who discover all this through the word heard or read, go away, and so occupy themselves in secular affairs, as immediately to forget what manner of persons they were, and continue the same in their temper and conduct as before. Reader, is this thy case?

Ver. 22-25. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. In order to that, we should hear with attention so as to understand, for at that time the readers were few. The poor could not read, nor buy the scripture parchments. Reflection should follow to digest the discourse. Our hearts, like Lydia’s, should be open to receive the word in the love of it. Hear with prayer for the blessings that are set forth, and with an obedient mind to every duty which God enjoins: be ye doers, and not hearers only.

24. Forgetteth—A curious and inexplicable fact, that, however clearly we behold ourself in the glass, we retain no distinct impression of our own face. If walking down the street he could meet himself, he would not, by the countenance, recognise himself. So the man who beholds his own spiritual character and moral destiny in the word, as in a glass, may pass away and retain no true impression. A most beautiful illustration of our moral nature from a physiological fact familiar to all, yet seldom noted.

V. 25. But he that looketh diligently-Not with a transient glance, but bending down, fixing his eyes, and searching all to the bottom. Into the perfect law-Of love as established by faith. St. James here guards us against misunderstanding what St. Paul says concerning the "yoke and bondage of the law." He who keeps the law of love is free, John 8:31, &c. He that does not, is not free, but a slave to sin, and a criminal before God, James 2:10.

And continueth therein-Not like him who forgot it, and went away. This man-There is a peculiar force in the repetition of the word. Shall be happy-Not barely in hearing, but doing the will of God.

Verse 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law] The word parakuyav, which we translate looketh into, is very emphatic, and signifies that deep and attentive consideration given to a thing or subject which a man cannot bring up to his eyes, and therefore must bend his back and neck, stooping down, that he may see it to the greater advantage. The law of liberty must mean the Gospel; it is a law, for it imposes obligations from God, and prescribes a rule of life; and it punishes transgressors, and rewards the obedient. It is, nevertheless, a law that gives liberty from the guilt, power, dominion, and influence of sin; and it is perfect, providing a fulness of salvation for the soul: and it may be called perfect here, in opposition to the law, which was a system of types and representations of which the Gospel is the sum and substance. Some think that the word teleion, perfect, is added here to signify that the whole of the Gospel must be considered and received, not a part; all its threatenings with its promises, all its precepts with its privileges.

And continueth] parameinav Takes time to see and examine the state of his soul, the grace of his God, the extent of his duty, and the height of the promised glory. The metaphor here is taken from those females who spend much time at their glass, in order that they may decorate themselves to the greatest advantage, and not leave one hair, or the smallest ornament, out of its place.

He being not a forgetful hearer] This seems to be a reference to Deuteronomy 4:9: “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life.” He who studies and forgets is like to a woman who brings forth children, and immediately buries them. Aboth R. Nathan, cap. 23.

Shall be blessed in his deed.] In Pirkey Aboth, cap. v. 14, it is said: “There are four kinds of men who visit the synagogues, 1. He who enters but does not work; 2. He who works but does not enter. 3. He who enters and works. 4. He who neither enters nor works. The first two are indifferent characters; the third is the righteous man; the fourth is wholly evil.”

As the path of duty is the way of safety, so it is the way of happiness; he who obeys God from a loving heart and pure conscience, will infallibly find continual blessedness.

Verse 25. But whoso looketh — Not with a transient glance, but, as parakuyav signifies, bending down, as it were, with an intention to fix his eyes upon, examine with accuracy, and search all things to the bottom. The expression implies much thought and meditation, joined with self-examination: into the perfect law — Namely, that of the gospel, termed a law, as being a rule of faith and practice, obligatory upon all to whom it is made known, acquitting or condemning men, (for by it they will be judged at the last day,) and determining our state for ever: called a perfect law, 1st, Because it is clear, concise, full, having no deficiency, and yet containing nothing superfluous. 2d, Because of its superiority to the law of Moses, which made no man perfect, either in respect of justification or sanctification, Hebrews 7:10; whereas the gospel is calculated to make men perfect in both respects. And the apostle terms it the law of liberty, 1st, In opposition to the ceremonial law, which was a yoke of bondage the Jews could not bear, and from which it freed all that received it; Christ’s yoke being easy, his burden light, and his commandments not grievous. 2d, Because it delivers all true believers from the guilt of past sin, from the curse of the law, and from the wrath of God. 3d, Because it rescues them from the power of sin and Satan, of the world and the flesh, and from the slavery of their lusts and passions, restoring the dominion of reason and conscience in their minds, which is true liberty. 4th, Because it saves those, on whom it has its designed influence, from all slavish fear of God, all tormenting fear of death and hell, and the whole spirit of bondage. Observe, reader, he who receives the gospel in faith, love, and new obedience, is free; he that does not is not free, but a slave to sin, and a criminal before God. And continueth therein — Perseveres in the study, consideration, and belief of it, and in obedience to it; see John 8:31; being not a forgetful hearer — Like the person above described; but a doer of the work — Of the duty which the gospel requires; this man — There is a peculiar force in this repetition of the word; shall be blessed — Makariov, happy; in his deed — Not only in hearing, but especially in doing the will of God.

Ver. 22-25. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. In order to that, we should hear with attention so as to understand, for at that time the readers were few. The poor could not read, nor buy the scripture parchments. Reflection should follow to digest the discourse. Our hearts, like Lydia’s, should be open to receive the word in the love of it. Hear with prayer for the blessings that are set forth, and with an obedient mind to every duty which God enjoins: be ye doers, and not hearers only.

25. Looketh into—The expressive Greek is, stoops down to the law. The man is not now standing and transiently looking into a mirror; he is bending down and poring steadily, as it were, into a book, just as the cherubim stooped down on the ark to look at the decalogue. Law of liberty—That law which, when studied in its own spirit and with gracious aids, is obeyed with such glad spontaneity that the most perfect obedience is the most perfect liberty. Note on Matthew 11:30. This is a perfect law; absolutely perfect in itself, having God for its author and perfect right for its essence and nature, with perfect obligation on us to obey it. And perfect is he who perfectly obeys it. Continueth—To look and meditate therein, instead of straightway going his way. The holy volume stirs his heart and attracts his intense study. Not a forgetful hearer—For what so stirs, fascinates, and fixes him, writes itself indelibly on his memory. Nor is it in him a mere passive process. He determines to be not forgetful; for what stirs his heart is determined by his will, so that he becomes a doer of the word. Deed—Rather, his continuous doing.

V. 26. If any one be ever so religious-Exact in the outward offices of religion.

And bridleth not his tongue-From backbiting, talebearing, evilspeaking, he only deceiveth his own heart, if he fancies he has any true religion at all.

Verse 26. Seem to be religious] The words qrhskov and qrhskeia, which we translate religious and religion, (see the next verse,) are of very uncertain etymology. Suidas, under the word qrhskeuei, which he translates qeosebei, uphretei toiv qeoiv, he worships or serves the gods, accounts for the derivation thus: “It is said that Orpheus, a Thracian, instituted the mysteries (or religious rites) of the Greeks, and called the worshipping of God qrhskeuein threskeuein, as being a Thracian invention.” Whatever its derivation may be, the word is used both to signify true religion, and superstition or heterodoxy. See Hesychius, and see Clarke on “James 1:27”.

Bridleth not his tongue] He who speaks not according to the oracles of God, whatever pretences he makes to religion, only shows, by his want of scriptural knowledge, that his religion is false, mataiov, or empty of solid truth, profit to others, and good to himself. Such a person should bridle his tongue, put the bit in his mouth; and particularly if he be a professed teacher of religion; ho matter where he has studied, or what else he has learned, if he have not learned religion, he can never teach it. And religion is of such a nature that no man can learn it but by experience; he who does not feel the doctrine of God to be the power of God to the salvation of his soul, can neither teach religion, nor act according to its dictates, because he is an unconverted, unrenewed man. If he be old, let him retire to the desert, and pray to God for light; if he be in the prime of life, let him turn his attention to some honest calling; if he be young, let him tarry at Jericho till his beard grows.

Verses 26, 27. If &c. — Here the apostle shows more particularly who are the doers of the word; 1st, Negatively, in this verse: 2d, Positively, in the next verse. If any man among you — Who are professors of Christianity; seem to be religious — Qrhskov, pious, devout, or a worshipper of God: and if his conduct in other respects be irreprehensible, and he be exact in all the outward offices of religion, yet if he bridleth not his tongue — From tale-bearing, backbiting, evil-speaking, slandering; or from vain, foolish, ostentatious talking and jesting; or rash, bitter, passionate, malicious, revengeful expressions: this man only deceiveth his own heart — If he fancy he has any true religion at all; for his religion is vain — Is a mere empty profession, and neither is nor will be of any service to him. Pure religion — The word qrhskeia, here used, properly signifies worship, which branch of religion is put for the whole. In the epithets here given to it, pure and undefiled, Archbishop Tillotson thinks there is an allusion to the excellence of a precious stone, which consists much in its being kaqara kai amiantov, clear, and without flaw, or cloud. And surely, says Doddridge, no gem is so precious or ornamental as the lovely temper here described. Here then the apostle describes the religion which is, 1st, True and genuine, in opposition to that which is false and mistaken: 2d, Sincere and solid, in opposition to that which is feigned and pretended: 3d, Pure and holy, in opposition to that which is mixed with the inventions and superstitions of men, and defiled by erroneous principles and vicious practices. But what is this religion? In what does it consist? The apostle informs us: it consists not in speculations or notions, however just and orthodox. Not in forms or modes of worship, however Scriptural and necessary to be observed. Not in the warmth of affection, or ardour of zeal, &c., during worship. But, in consequence of repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, of justification by faith, and regeneration by the influence of the Divine Spirit, it consists in the possession and exercise of that love to God and all mankind, which is the source of the various branches of practical religion, of mercy as well as justice toward men, and of holiness toward God. True religion before God — Before his penetrating eyes; even the Father — Whose intelligent and immortal offspring we all are; is this, to visit — With counsel, comfort, and relief; the fatherless and widows — Those who need it most; in their affliction — In their most helpless and hopeless state; and to keep himself unspotted from the world — From the maxims, tempers, habits, and customs of it. But this cannot be done till we have given our hearts to God, and love our neighbour as ourselves. That this is true or pure religion, or the proper effect and evidence thereof, the reader will not question, if he recollects, 1st, That religion consists principally in faith working by love to God and man, Galatians 5:6; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Corinthians 13:1, &c.; John 4:8. 2d, That the most eminent and important fruit of faith, and of the love of our neighbour, is not saying, Be thou warmed, (James 2:14; 1 John 4:17,) but visiting, comforting, and relieving the needy and distressed. 3d, That the most important fruit of faith in, and love to, God, is purity of intention and affection, or the being dead to, and unspotted by, the world.

Ver. 26. And bridleth not his tongue. See the reflections on chap. 3., translated from father Bourdaloue.

26. Among you—Our apostle is still in the synagogue where disputants are brandishing their sharp tongues. Religious—Rather, as the Greek signifies, worshipful; strict and regular in formal worship, a due performer of synagogue service. The word emphasizes the external rite without excluding the internal devotion. Ritualism, in a good sense, nearly expresses it. Bridleth not his tongue—Which is a steed that needs the bridle, especially in the heat of emulous debate, religious or otherwise. For the tongue is the vocal organ of the heart, giving expression to the outcome of the true character. Our doings and our speakings tell what we are. Our apostle, in 22-25, has discussed our doings; he now deals with our speakings. Deceiveth his own heart—By making himself believe that he is religious when he is only ritualistic. Vain—Emphatical Greek inversion: of that man vain is the ritualism. His worshipful doings are all undone by his wicked sayings. Our words in their full import decide our true moral state.

V. 27. The only true religion in the sight of God, is this, to visit-With counsel, comfort, and relief.

The fatherless and widows-Those who need it most. In their affliction-In their most helpless and hopeless state. And to keep himself unspotted from the world-From the maxims, tempers, and customs of it. But this cannot be done, till we have given our hearts to God, and love our neighbour as ourselves.

Verse 27. Pure religion, and undefiled] Having seen something of the etymology of the word qrhskeia, which we translate religion, it will be well to consider the etymology of the word religion itself. In the 28th chapter of the 4th book of his Divine Instructions, LACTANTIUS, who flourished about A. D. 300, treats of hope, true religion, and superstition; of the two latter he gives Cicero’s definition from his book Deuteronomy Natura Deorum, lib. ii. c. 28, which with his own definition will lead us to a correct view, not only of the etymology, but of the thing itself.

“Superstition,” according to that philosopher, “had its name from the custom of those who offered daily prayers and sacrifices, that their children might SURVIVE THEM; ut sui sibi liberi superstites essent. Hence they were called superstitiosi, superstitious. On the other hand, religion, religio, had its name from those who, not satisfied with what was commonly spoken concerning the nature and worship of the gods, searched into the whole matter, and perused the writings of past times; hence they were called religiosi, from re, again, and lego, I read.”

This definition Lactantius ridicules, and shows that religion has its name from re, intensive, and ligo, I bind, because of that bond of piety by which it binds us to God, and this he shows was the notion conceived of it by Lucretius, who laboured to dissolve this bond, and make men atheists. Primum quod magnis doceo de rebus, et ARCTIS

RELIGIONUM animos NODIS EXSOLVERE pergo.

For first I teach great things in lofty strains,

And loose men from religion’s grievous chains.

Lucret., lib. i., ver. 930, 931

As to superstition, he says it derived its name from those who paid religious veneration to the memory of the dead, (qui superstitem memoriam defunctorem colunt,) or from those who, surviving their parents, worshipped their images at home, as household gods; aut qui, parentibus suis superstites, colebant imagines eorum domi, tanquam deos penates. Superstition, according to others, refers to novel rites and ceremonies in religion, or to the worship of new gods. But by religion are meant the ancient forms of worship belonging to those gods, which had long been received. Hence that saying of Virgil:—

Vana superstitio veterumque ignara deorum.

“Vain superstition not knowing the ancient gods.”

Here Lactantius observes, that as the ancient gods were consecrated precisely in the same way with these new ones, that therefore it was nothing but superstition from the beginning. Hence he asserts, the superstitious are those who worship many and false gods, and the Christians alone are religious, who worship and supplicate the one true God only. St. James’ definition rather refers to the effects of pure religion than to its nature. The life of God in the soul of man, producing love to God and man, will show itself in the acts which St. James mentions here. It is pure in the principle, for it is Divine truth and Divine love. It is undefiled in all its operations: it can produce nothing unholy, because it ever acts in the sight of God; and it can produce no ungentle word nor unkind act, because it comes from the Father.

The words kaqara kai amiantov, pure and undefiled, are supposed to have reference to a diamond or precious stone, whose perfection consists in its being free from flaws; not cloudy, but of a pure water. True religion is the ornament of the soul, and its effects, the ornament of the life. To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction] Works of charity and mercy are the proper fruits of religion; and none are more especially the objects of charity and mercy than the orphans and widows. False religion may perform acts of mercy and charity; but its motives not being pure, and its principle being defiled, the flesh, self, and hypocrisy, spot the man, and spot his acts. True religion does not merely give something for the relief of the distressed, but it visits them, it takes the oversight of them, it takes them under its care; so episkeptesqai means. It goes to their houses, and speaks to their hearts; it relieves their wants, sympathizes with them in their distresses, instructs them in Divine things and recommends them to God. And all this it does for the Lord’s sake. This is the religion of Christ. The religion that does not prove itself by works of charity and mercy is not of God. Reader, what religion hast thou? Has thine ever led thee to cellars, garrets, cottages, and houses, to find out the distressed? Hast thou ever fed, clothed, and visited a destitute representative of Christ? The subject in James 1:11 suggests several reflections on the mutability of human affairs, and the end of all things.

1. Nature herself is subject to mutability, though by her secret and inscrutable exertions she effects her renovation from her decay, and thus change is prevented from terminating in destruction. Yet nature herself is tending, by continual mutations, to a final destruction; or rather to a fixed state, when time, the place and sphere of mutability, shall be absorbed in eternity. Time and nature are coeval; they began and must terminate together. All changes are efforts to arrive at destruction or renovation; and destruction must be the term or bound of all created things, had not the Creator purposed that his works should endure for ever. According to his promise, we look for a new heaven and a new earth; a fixed, permanent, and endless state of things; an everlasting sabbath to all the works of God. I shall confirm these observations with the last verses of that incomparable poem, the Faery Queene, of our much neglected but unrivalled poet, Edmund Spenser:—

“When I bethink me on that speech whylear,

Of mutability, and well it weigh;

Me seems, that though she all unworthy were

Of the heaven’s rule; yet very sooth to say,

In all things else she bears the greatest sway;

Which makes me loath this state of life so tickle,

And love of things so vain to cast away;

Whose flow’ring pride, so fading and so fickle,

Short Time shall soon cut down with his consuming sickle. Then gin I think on that which Nature sayd,

Of that same time when no more change shall be,

But stedfast rest of all things, firmly stayd

Upon the pillours of eternity,

That is contrayr to mutability:

For all that moveth, doth in change delight:

But thenceforth all shall rest eternally

With him that is the God of Sabaoth hight:

O that great Sabaoth God, grant me that Sabaoth’s sight!” When this is to be the glorious issue, who can regret the speedy lapse of time? Mutability shall end in permanent perfection, when time, the destroyer of all things, shall be absorbed in eternity. And what has a righteous man to fear from that “wreck of matter and that crush of worlds,” which to him shall usher in the glories of an eternal day? A moralist has said, “Though heaven shall vanish like a vapour, and this firm globe of earth shall crumble into dust, the righteous man shall stand unmoved amidst the shocked depredations of a crushed world; for he who hath appointed the heavens and the earth to fail, hath said unto the virtuous soul, Fear not! for thou shalt neither perish nor be wretched.” Dr. Young has written most nervously, in the spirit of the highest order of poetry, and with the knowledge and feeling of a sound divine, on this subject, in his Night Thoughts. Night vi. in fine.

Of man immortal hear the lofty style:—

“If so decreed, th’ Almighty will be done.

Let earth dissolve, yon ponderous orbs descend

And grind us into dust: the soul is safe;

The man emerges; mounts above the wreck,

As towering flame from nature’s funeral pyre;

O’er desolation, as a gainer, smiles;

His charter, his inviolable rights,

Well pleased to learn from thunder’s impotence,

Death’s pointless darts, and hell’s defeated storms.”

After him, and borrowing his imagery and ideas, another of our poets, in canticis sacris facile princeps, has expounded and improved the whole in the following hymn on the Judgment.

“Stand the Omnipotent decree,

Jehovah’s will be done!

Nature’s end we wait to see,

And hear her final groan.

Let this earth dissolve, and blend

In death the wicked and the just;

Let those ponderous orbs descend

And grind us into dust.

Rests secure the righteous man;

At his Redeemer’s beck,

Sure to emerge, and rise again,

And mount above the wreck.

Lo! the heavenly spirit towers

Like flames o’er nature’s funeral pyre;

Triumphs in immortal powers,

And claps her wings of fire.

Nothing hath the just to lose

By worlds on worlds destroy’d;

Far beneath his feet he views,

With smiles, the flaming void;

Sees the universe renew’d;

The grand millennial reign begun;

Shouts with all the sons of God

Around th’ eternal throne.”

WESLEY

One word more, and I shall trouble my reader no farther on a subject on which I could wear out my pen and drain the last drop of my ink. The learned reader will join in the wish.

“Talia saecla suis dixerunt, currite, fusis

Concordes stabili fatorum numine Parcæ.

Aggredere O magnos (aderit jam tempus!) honores,

Cara Deum soboles, magnum Jovis incrementum.

Aspice convexo nutantem pondere mundum,

Terrasque, tractusque maris, cœlumque profundum:

Aspice, venturo lætentur ut omnia saeclo.

O mihi tam longæ maneat pars ultima vitæ,

Spiritus, et quantum sat erit tua dicere facta!”

VIRG. Eclog. iv.

There has never been a translation of this, worthy of the poet; and to such a piece I cannot persuade myself to append the hobbling verses of Mr. Dryden.

2. Taken in every point of view, James 1:17 is one of the most curious and singular in the New Testament. It has been well observed, that the first words make a regular Greek hexameter verse, supposed to be quoted from some Greek poet not now extant; and the last clause of the verse, with a very little change, makes another hexameter:—

pasa dosiv agaqh, kai pan dwrhma teleion,

estaJpo twn fwtwn patrov katabainon anwqen.

“Every goodly gift, and every perfect donation,

Is from the Father of lights, and from above it descendeth.” The first line, which is incontestably a perfect hexameter, may have been designed by St. James, or in the course of composition may have originated from accident, a thing which often occurs to all good writers; but the sentiment itself is immediately from heaven. I know not that we can be justified by sound criticism in making any particular distinction between dosiv and dwrhma. our translators have used the same word in rendering both. They are often synonymous; but sometimes we may observe a shade of difference, dosiv signifying a gift of any kind, here probably meaning earthly blessings of all sorts, dwrhma signifying a free gift-one that comes without constraint, from the mere benevolence of the giver; and here it may signify all spiritual and eternal blessings. Now all these come from above; God is as much the AUTHOR of our earthly good, as he is of our eternal salvation. Earthly blessings are simply good; but they are imperfect, they perish in the using. The blessings of grace and glory are supreme goods, they are permanent and perfect; and to the gift that includes these the term teleion, perfect, is here properly added by St. James. There is a sentiment very similar to this in the ninth Olympic Ode of Pindar, l. 41:—

------------------agaqoi de

kai sofoi kata daimonaJndrev.

Man, boast of naught: whate’er thou hast is given;

Wisdom and virtue are the gifts of Heaven.

But how tame is even Pindar’s verse when compared with the energy of James!

3. In the latter part of the verse, par w ouk eni parallagh, h trophv aposkiasma, which we translate, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, there is an allusion to some of the most abstruse principles in astronomy. This is not accidental, for every word in the whole verse is astronomical. In his pathr twn fwtwn, Father of lights, there is the most evident allusion to the SUN, who is the father, author, or source of all the lights or luminaries proper to our system. It is not only his light which we enjoy by day, but it is his light also which is reflected to us, from the moon’s surface, by night. And it is demonstrable that all the planets-Mercury, Venus, the Earth, the Moon, Mars, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, Jupiter, Saturn, Saturn’s Rings, and Herschel, or the Georgium Sidus, with the four satellites of Jupiter, the seven satellites of Saturn, and the six satellites of the Georgium Sidus, thirty-one bodies in all, besides the comets, all derive their light from the sun, being perfectly opaque or dark in themselves; the sun being the only luminous body in our system; all the rest being illumined by him.

The word parallagh, which we translate variableness, from parallattw, to change alternately, to pass from one change to another, evidently refers to parallax in astronomy. To give a proper idea of what astronomers mean by this term, it must be premised that all the diurnal motions of the heavenly bodies from east to west are only apparent, being occasioned by the rotation of the earth upon its axis in an opposite direction in about twenty-four hours. These diurnal motions are therefore performed uniformly round the axis or polar diameter of the earth, and not round the place of the spectator, who is upon the earth’s surface. Hence every one who observes the apparent motion of the heavens from this surface will find that this motion is not even, equal arches being described in unequal times; for if a globular body, such as the earth, describe equally the circumference of a circle by its rotatory motion, it is evident the equality of this motion can be seen in no other points than those in the axis of the circle, and therefore any object viewed from the centre of the earth will appear in a different place from what it does when observed from the surface. This difference of place of the same object, seen at the same time from the earth’s centre and surface, is called its parallax. As I shall make some farther use of this point, in order to make it plain to those who are not much acquainted with the subject, to which I am satisfied St. James alludes, I shall introduce the following diagram:— Let the circle OKNS. in the annexed figure, represent the earth, E its centre, O the place of an observer on its surface, whose visible or sensible horizon is OH, and the line EST, parallel to OH, the rational, true, or mathematical horizon. Let ZDFT be considered a portion of a great circle in the heavens, and A the place of an object in the visible horizon. Join EA by a line produced to C: then C is the true place of the object, and H is its apparent place; and the angle CAH is its parallax; and, because the object is in the horizon, it is called its horizontal parallax. As OAE, the angle which the earth’s radius or semidiameter subtends to the object, is necessarily equal to its opposite angle CAH, hence the horizontal parallax of an object is defined to be the angle which the earth’s semidiameter subtends at that object.

The whole effect of parallax is in a vertical direction; for the parallactic angle is in the plane passing through the observer and the earth’s centre, which plane is necessarily perpendicular to the horizon, the earth being considered as a sphere. The more elevated an object is above the horizon, the less the parallax, the distance from the earth’s centre continuing the same. To make this sufficiently clear, let B represent an object at any given altitude above the visible horizon OAH; then the angle DBF, formed by the straight lines OB and EB produced to F and D, will be the parallax of the object at the given altitude, and is less than the parallax of the same object when in the visible horizon OAH, for the angle DBF is less than the angle CAH. Hence the horizontal parallax is the greatest of all diurnal parallaxes; and when the object is in the zenith, it has no parallax, the visual ray passing perpendicularly from the object through the observer to the earth’s centre, as in the line ZOE.

The quantity of the horizontal parallax of any object is in proportion to its distance from the place of observation, being greater or less as the object is nearer to or farther removed from the spectator. In illustration of this point, let I be the place of an object in the sensible horizon; then will LIH be its horizontal parallax, which is a smaller angle than CAH, the horizontal parallax of the nearer object A.

The horizontal parallax being given, the distance of the object from the earth’s centre, EA or EI, may be readily found in semidiameters of the earth by the resolution of the right-angled triangle OEA, in which we have given the angle OAE, the horizontal parallax, the side OE, the semidiameter of the earth, considered as unity, and the right angle AOE, to find the side EA, the distance of the object from the earth’s centre. The proportion to be used in this case is: The sine of the horizontal parallax is to unity, the semidiameter of the earth, as radius, i.e. the right angle AOE, the sine of ninety degrees being the radius of a circle, is to the side EA. This proportion is very compendiously wrought by logarithms as follows: Subtract the logarithmic sine of the horizontal parallax from 10, the radius, and the remainder will be the logarithm of the answer.

Example. When the moon’s horizontal parallax is a degree, what is her distance from the earth’s centre in semidiameters of the earth? From the radius, — 10·0000000

Subtract the sine of 1 degree — 8·2418553

—————

Remainder the logarithm of 57·2987 — 1·7581447

Which is the distance of the moon in semidiameters of the earth, when her horizontal parallax amounts to a degree. If 57·2987 be multiplied by 3977, the English miles contained in the earth’s semidiameter, the product, 227876·9, will be the moon’s distance from the earth’s centre in English miles.

The sun’s horizontal parallax is about eight seconds and three-fifths, as is evident from the phenomena attending the transits of Venus, of 1761 and 1769, as observed in different parts of the world: a method of obtaining the solar parallax abundantly less liable to be materially affected by error of observation than that of Hipparchus, who lived between the 154th and 163d Olympiad, from lunar eclipses; or than that of Aristarchus the Samian, from the moon’s dichotomy; or even than that of modern astronomers from the parallax of Mars when in opposition, and, at the same time, in or near his perihelion. The sun’s horizontal parallax being scarcely the four hundred and eighteenth part of that of the moon given in the preceding example, if 227876 9, the distance of the moon as found above, be multiplied by 418 6, (for the horizontal parallax decreases nearly in proportion as the distance increases,) the product will be the distance of the sun from the earth’s centre, which will be found to be upwards of ninety-five millions of English miles.

When we know the horizontal parallax of any object, its magnitude is easily determined. The apparent diameter of the sun, for example, at his mean distance from the earth, is somewhat more than thirty-two minutes of a degree, which is at least a hundred and eleven times greater than the double of the sun’s horizontal parallax, or the apparent diameter of the earth as seen from the sun; therefore, the real solar diameter must be at least a hundred and eleven times greater than that of the earth; i.e. upwards of 880,000 English miles. And as spherical bodies are to each other as the cubes of their diameters, if 111 be cubed, we shall find that the magnitude of the sun is more than thirteen hundred thousand times greater than that of the earth.

The whole effect of parallax being in a vertical circle, and the circles of the sphere not being in this direction, the parallax of a star will evidently change its true place with respect to these different circles; whence there are five kinds of diurnal parallaxes, viz. the parallax of longitude, parallax of latitude, parallax of ascension or descension, parallax: of declination, and parallax of altitude, the last of which has been already largely explained; and the meaning of the first four, simply, is the difference between the true and visible longitude, latitude, right ascension, and declination of an object. Besides these, there is another kind of parallax, called by modern astronomers the parallax of the earth’s ANNUAL ORBIT, by which is meant the difference between the places of a planet as seen from the sun and the earth at the same time, the former being its true or heliocentric place, and the latter its apparent or geocentric place. The ancient astronomers gave the term parallax only to the diurnal apparent inequalities of motion in the moon and planets; Ptolemy, who lived in the second century, calling prosaphæresis orbis what is now named the parallax of the great or annual orbit. This parallax is more considerable than the diurnal parallax, as the earth’s annual orbit is more considerable than the earth’s semidiameter. This parallax, when greatest, amounts in Mars, the nearest superior planet, to upwards of forty-seven degrees; in Jupiter to near twelve degrees; in Saturn to more than six degrees, &c. In the region of the nearest fixed stars, i.e. those new ones of 1572 and 1604, double the radius of the earth’s orbit does not subtend an angle of a single minute of a degree; whence it is evident the nearest fixed stars are at least hundreds of times more distant from us than the Georgium Sidus is, whose greatest annual parallax amounts to upwards of three degrees. The annual parallaxes of the fixed stars are, in general, too minute to be measured; hence their distances from the earth must be inconceivably great. Any farther description of parallax would be useless in reference to the subject to be illustrated.

The words trophv aposkiasma, shadow of turning, either refer to the darkness in which the earth is involved in consequence of its turning round its axis once in every twenty-four hours, by means of which one hemisphere, or half of its surface, is involved in darkness, being hidden from the sun by the opposite hemisphere; or to the different portions of the earth which come gradually into the solar light by its revolution round its orbit, which, in consequence of the pole of the earth being inclined nearly twenty-three degrees and a half to the plane of its orbit, and keeping its parallelism through every part of its revolution, causes all the vicissitudes of season, with all the increasing and decreasing proportions of light and darkness, and of cold and heat.

Every person who understands the images will see with what propriety St. James has introduced them; and through this his great object is at once discernible. It is evident from this chapter that there were persons, among those to whom he wrote, that held very erroneous opinions concerning the Divine nature; viz. that God tempted or influenced men to sin, and, consequently, that he was the author of all the evil that is in the world; and that he withholds his light and influence when necessary to convey truth and to correct vice. To destroy this error he shows that though the sun, for its splendour, genial heat, and general utility to the globe and its inhabitants, may be a fit emblem of God, yet in several respects the metaphor is very imperfect; for the sun himself is liable to repeated obscurations; and although, as to his mass, he is the focus of the system, giving light and heat to all, yet he is not everywhere present, and both his light and heat may be intercepted by a great variety of opposing bodies, and other causes. St. James refers particularly to the Divine ubiquity or omnipresence. Wherever his light and energy are, there is he himself; neither his word nor his Spirit gives false or inconsistent views of his nature and gracious purposes. He has no parallax, because he is equally present everywhere, and intimately near to all his creatures; HE is never seen where he is not, or not seen where he is. He is the God and Father of all; who is ABOVE all, and THROUGH all, and IN all; “in the wide waste, as in the city full;” nor can any thing be hidden from his light and heat. There can be no opposing bodies to prevent him from sending forth his light and truth, because he is everywhere essentially present. He suffers no eclipses; he changes not in his nature; he varies not in his designs; he is ever a full, free, and eternal fountain of mercy, goodness, truth, and good will, to all his intelligent offspring. Hallelujah, the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth! Amen. IN concluding these observations, I think it necessary to refer to Mr. Wakefield’s translation of this text, and his vindication of that translation: Every good gift, and every perfect kindness, cometh down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no parallax, nor tropical shadow. “Some have affected,” says he, “to ridicule my translation of this verse, if it be obscure, the author must answer for that, and not the translator. Why should we impoverish the sacred writers, by robbing them of the learning and science they display? Why should we conceal in them what we should ostentatiously point out in profane authors? And if any of these wise, learned, and judicious critics think they understand the phrase shadow of turning, I wish they would condescend to explain it.” Yes, if such a sentiment were found in Aratus, or in any other ancient astronomical writer, whole pages of commentary would be written on it, and the subtle doctrine of the parallactic angle proved to be well known in itself, and its use in determining the distances and magnitudes of the heavenly bodies, to the ancients some hundreds of years before the Christian era. The sentiment is as elegant as it is just, and forcibly points out the unchangeableness and beneficence of God. He is the Sun, not of a system, but of all worlds; the great Fountain and Dispenser of light and heat, of power and life, of order, harmony, and perfection. In him all live and move, and from him they have their being. There are no spots on his disk; all is unclouded splendour. Can he who dwells in this unsufferable and unapproachable light, in his own eternal self-sufficiency, concern himself with the affairs of mortals? Yes, for we are his offspring; and it is one part of his perfection to delight in the welfare of his intelligent creatures. He is loving to every man: he hates nothing that he has made; and his praise endureth for ever!

JAMES

Verses 26, 27. If &c. — Here the apostle shows more particularly who are the doers of the word; 1st, Negatively, in this verse: 2d, Positively, in the next verse. If any man among you — Who are professors of Christianity; seem to be religious — Qrhskov, pious, devout, or a worshipper of God: and if his conduct in other respects be irreprehensible, and he be exact in all the outward offices of religion, yet if he bridleth not his tongue — From tale-bearing, backbiting, evil-speaking, slandering; or from vain, foolish, ostentatious talking and jesting; or rash, bitter, passionate, malicious, revengeful expressions: this man only deceiveth his own heart — If he fancy he has any true religion at all; for his religion is vain — Is a mere empty profession, and neither is nor will be of any service to him. Pure religion — The word qrhskeia, here used, properly signifies worship, which branch of religion is put for the whole. In the epithets here given to it, pure and undefiled, Archbishop Tillotson thinks there is an allusion to the excellence of a precious stone, which consists much in its being kaqara kai amiantov, clear, and without flaw, or cloud. And surely, says Doddridge, no gem is so precious or ornamental as the lovely temper here described. Here then the apostle describes the religion which is, 1st, True and genuine, in opposition to that which is false and mistaken: 2d, Sincere and solid, in opposition to that which is feigned and pretended: 3d, Pure and holy, in opposition to that which is mixed with the inventions and superstitions of men, and defiled by erroneous principles and vicious practices. But what is this religion? In what does it consist? The apostle informs us: it consists not in speculations or notions, however just and orthodox. Not in forms or modes of worship, however Scriptural and necessary to be observed. Not in the warmth of affection, or ardour of zeal, &c., during worship. But, in consequence of repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, of justification by faith, and regeneration by the influence of the Divine Spirit, it consists in the possession and exercise of that love to God and all mankind, which is the source of the various branches of practical religion, of mercy as well as justice toward men, and of holiness toward God. True religion before God — Before his penetrating eyes; even the Father — Whose intelligent and immortal offspring we all are; is this, to visit — With counsel, comfort, and relief; the fatherless and widows — Those who need it most; in their affliction — In their most helpless and hopeless state; and to keep himself unspotted from the world — From the maxims, tempers, habits, and customs of it. But this cannot be done till we have given our hearts to God, and love our neighbour as ourselves. That this is true or pure religion, or the proper effect and evidence thereof, the reader will not question, if he recollects, 1st, That religion consists principally in faith working by love to God and man, Galatians 5:6; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Corinthians 13:1, &c.; John 4:8. 2d, That the most eminent and important fruit of faith, and of the love of our neighbour, is not saying, Be thou warmed, (James 2:14; 1 John 4:17,) but visiting, comforting, and relieving the needy and distressed. 3d, That the most important fruit of faith in, and love to, God, is purity of intention and affection, or the being dead to, and unspotted by, the world.

Ver. 27. Pure religion and undefiled is seen by its fruits, in visiting the sick, and comforting the fatherless; these are the genuine proofs of love to God and our neighbour. So our Saviour decided, in the case of the good Samaritan. The apostle also came to the same conclusion. 1 John 2:3. Hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. A man will not employ his life in these good offices, unless he be a follower of him who went about doing good.

27. Pure religion—A worshipfulness pure from these synagogue blemishes. In order to set the quarrelsome ritualism in its true light James contrasts with it a service of the most practical nature. It is a pure worshipfulness, not that quarrels, but that pours forth deeds of beneficence. Before—As viewed by. God and the Father—More correctly, our God and Father. Pure service, as our God and Father judges, is this, etc. Unspotted from the world—The Christian is like a man walking through freshly painted objects, liable, without the greatest care, to being spotted. On every side are examples of vice and temptations to compliance which demand all his care, aided by grace from above, to make his words and his works consistent with a pure profession. Our apostle does not limit all pure religion to benevolence towards orphans and widows; he only contrasts that with the religion of captious talk. But, taking in this closing clause, all religion is comprehended.