CHAP IV.
_We are to strive against covetousness, intemperance, pride,
detraction, and rash judgment of others; and not to be confident in
the good success of worldly business; but, mindful ever of the
uncertainty of this life, to commit ourselves and all our affairs to
God's providence._
_Anno Do... [ Continue Reading ]
WHENCE COME WARS AND FIGHTINGS AMONG YOU?— Dr. Benson is of opinion,
that St. James could here intend no reference to the unbelieving Jews
at this time in theirdispersions; but that what he condemned was the
quarrels and contentions which too frequently happened among the
_Jewish_ Christians, and wh... [ Continue Reading ]
YE KILL, AND DESIRE TO HAVE,— We must take the word
φονευετε, _ye kill,_ in a softer sense than the common meaning
of the word. As _wars_ and _fightings,_ in the first verse, are
interpreted _quarrels and contentions;_ so here, _ye kill, and desire
to have,_ may be interpreted, "Ye are ready to murd... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ADULTERERS AND ADULTERESSES,— Great wickedness, and especially
_idolatry,_ among the Jews, is often represented as _adultery._ What
follows in this verse shews, that by adultery St. James meant
_spiritual idolatry,_ or a love of the world more than of God. See
Matthew 6:24; Matthew 12:30. Luke 12... [ Continue Reading ]
DO YE THINK, &C.— Dr. Benson paraphrases the passage as follows: "Do
you think that the scripture speaketh in vain, or without a very good
reason, when it condemns such a worldly temper?—No, _that_ you
cannot rationally suppose. Do you imagine that the Spirit of God,
which dwells in us Christians, l... [ Continue Reading ]
SUBMIT YOURSELVES— _"Subject yourselves therefore to God,_ and,
being listed in his army, keep the rank which he hath assigned you."
Thus much is implied by the word υποταγητε.... [ Continue Reading ]
DRAW NIGH TO GOD,— This seems to be an allusion to the manner in
which the Jews in general, or rather the priests, drew nigh to God, by
going to the temple, while the _Shechinah,_ the glorious emblem of the
divine presence, was there. Christians may all of them now draw nigh
to God, as a _holy natio... [ Continue Reading ]
BE AFFLICTED, AND MOURN,— We may and ought to rejoice in the Lord,
that is, in the consciousness of his favour, and in the prospect of
the happiness which is promised in the gospel; but in pride and envy,
voluptuousness, or covetousness, we may not rejoice. The having been
guilty of such things ough... [ Continue Reading ]
HUMBLE YOURSELVES, &C.— "In this manner lay yourselves at the foot
of God with the lowest prostration and self-abasement, as offenders
against his sacred Majesty, and with an affecting conviction that he
knows your hearts and principally looks at them, and observes all the
secret workings of corrupt... [ Continue Reading ]
SPEAK NOT EVIL, &C.— St. James here returns to what he had touched
upon, ch. James 3:9. By the _law_ in this place we understand _the law
of Christ,_ which is so called, Galatians 6:2. St. James calls it _the
perfect law of liberty_ (ch. James 1:25 James 2:12.); and in the next
verse Christ is calle... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER,— Dr. Bentley would close the last verse with
the words, _Thou art not a doer of the law,_ and begin the present,
_But there is one Judge—the Lawgiver._ Christ is here called the
_Lawgiver,_ most probably in opposition to those who were so fond of
the law given by Moses, and so... [ Continue Reading ]
WE WILL GO INTO SUCH A CITY,— That is, to _Rome_ or _Alexandria,
Tyre_ or _Sidon, Corinth_ or _Ephesus;_ according to the countries
into which the Jewish Christians were dispersed, or the trades they
carried on. The next verse ought to be read in a parenthesis, as an
important piece of advice which... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY,— _Instead of which you ought to say, If
the Lord will, and we shall live, we will do this, or that._ Pious men
have such a tacit sense of their dependance upon God, when they do not
express it in words; so ought we to understand Romans 15:28. 1
Corinthians 16:5. Indeed, the... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW YE REJOICE, &C.— _But you, on the contrary, glory in your
boasting projects,—_(respecting the gain they were to make by their
traffic, James 4:13.)—_you take pleasure in this confident and
arrogant manner of talking._ See 1 John 2:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, TO HIM THAT KNOWETH TO DO GOOD, &C.— "Perhaps some of
you, who so much value yourselves for your uncommon wisdom and
knowledge, may object and say, These are plain obvious truths, and
what we knew so well before, that there was no occasion to speak of
them. But, in answer to such an objec... [ Continue Reading ]