A Practical Commentary, or an Exposition with Notes on the Epistle of James. · Chapter I. · Part 5

[4.] Some, that have more near communion with God, may have a particular faith of some particular occurrences. By some special instincts in prayer from the Spirit of God they have gone away and said with David, Ps. xxvii. 3, `In this I will be confident., I do not say it is usual, but sometimes it may be so; we cannot abridge the Spirit of his liberty of revealing himself to his people. But, remember, privileges do not make rules; these are acts of God's prerogative, not according to his standing law and rule. However, this I conceive is common: that, in a particular case, we may conceive the more hope, when our hearts have been drawn out to God by an actual trust; that is, when we have urged a particular promise to God in prayer with submission, yet with hope; for God seldom faileth a trusting soul. They may lay hold on God by virtue of a double claim; partly by virtue of the single promise that first invited them to God, and then by virtue of another promise made to their trust; as Isa. xxvi. 3, `Thou keepest him in perfect peace who putteth his trust in^thee, because he trusteth in thee., An ingenious man will not disappoint trust; and God saith, eo nomine, for that reason, because they trust in him, he will do them good; therefore, now having glorified God's power, and with hope referred themselves to his will, they have a new argument of hope within themselves. It is notable that in Ps. xci. 2, 3, there is a dialogue between the Spirit of God and a believing soul. The soul saith, `I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in him will I trust., There is a resolution of a humble and actual trust. The Spirit answereth, ver. 3, `Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from a noisome pestilence., There is a promise under an averment, surely, which certainly would do nothing, if it did not at the least draw out the more hope.

Thus I have given you my thoughts of this common and useful case,—praying in faith.

Obs. 2. From that nothing wavering, or disputing, as it is in the original, man's nature is much given to disputes against the and promises of God. The pride of reason will not stoop to a revelation; and where we have no but the divine testimony, there we are apt to cavil. All doubts are but disputes against a promise; therefore what is said in our translation, `Lift up pure hands, without wrath and doubting, (1 Tim. ii. 8), is in the original χωρὶς διαλογίσμου, without reasoning or dispute. A sure word is committed to the uncertainty of our thoughts and debates, and God's promises ascited before the tribunal of our reason. Well, then, cast down those λογίσμους, those imaginations, or reasonings rather (for so the word properly signifieth), which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God in Christ. reason is faith's worst enemy. It is a great advantage when we can make reason, that is an enemy to faith, to be a servant to it; λογίζεσθε, saith the apostle: Rom. vi. 11, `Reckon, or reason yourselves to be dead to sin, and alive to God., Then is our reason and discourse well employed, when it serveth to set on and urge conclusions of faith.

Obs. 3. From the same—That the less we doubt, the more we come up to the nature of true faith. The use of is to settle the heart upon God; to be fast and loose argueth weakness: `Why doubt ye, O ye of little faith?, I do not say it is no faith, but it is a weak faith: a trembling hand may hold somewhat, but faintly. Well, then, seek to lay aside your doubts and debates, especially in prayer; come `without wrath and doubting: `without wrath to a God of peace, without doubting to a God of mercy. Do not debate whether it be better to cast yourselves upon God's promise and disposal, or to leave yourselves to your own. care; that is no faith when the heart wavereth between hopes and fears, help and God. Our Saviour saith, Luke xii. 29, μὴ μετεωρίζεσθε, `Be not of doubtful mind, what ye shall eat and drink;, do not hang between two, like a meteor hovering in the air (so the word signifieth), not knowing what God will do for you. A thorough belief of God's attributes, as revealed in Christ, taketh off all disquiets and perplexities of spirit. Well, then, get a clear interest in Christ, and a more distinct apprehension of God's attributes. Ignorance perplexeth us, and filleth the soul with misty dark reasonings; but faith settleth the soul, and giveth it a greater constancy.

Obs. 4. From that like a wave of the sea, tossed to and fro, doubts are perplexing, and torment the mind. An unbeliever is like the waves of the sea, always rolling; but a believer is like a tree, much shaken, but firm at root. We are under misery and bondage as long as we are tossed upon the waves of our own affections; and till faith giveth a certainty, there is no rest and peace in the soul: `Return to thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee, Ps. cxvi. 7. Faith shedding abroad God's love in our sense and feeling, begetteth a calm: they that teach a doctrine of doubting—exercent carnificinam animarum, saith Calvin—they do but keep conscience upon the rack, and leave men to the torment of their own distracted thoughts. Romish locusts are like scorpions (Rev. ix. 10), with `stings in their tails;, and `men shall desire death, (ver. 6) that are stung with them. Antichristian doctrines yield no comfort and ease to the conscience, but rather sting it and wound it, that, to be freed from their anxiety, men would desire to die. Certainly there cannot be a greater misery than for man to be a burden and a terror to himself; and there is no torment like that of our own thoughts. Well, then, go to God, and get your spirit settled: he that cherisheth his own doubts doth but hug a distemper instead of a duty. ^

Ver. 7. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

Let him not think.—It is either put to show that they can look for nothing, nor rise up into any confidence before God; he doth not say, `He shall receive nothing, but `Let not that man think he shall receive;, whatever God's overflowing bounty may give them, they can expect nothing. Or else, `Let not that man think, to check their vain hopes. Man deceiveth himself, and would fain seduce his soul into the way of a hope; therefore, saith the apostle, `Let not that man think, that is, deceive himself with a vain surmise.

That he shall receive anything.—Such doubting as endeth not in faith frustrateth prayers, and maketh them altogether vain and fruit less. There are doubts in the people of God, but they get the victory over them; and, therefore, it is not to be understood as if any doubt did make us incapable of any blessing, but only such as is allowed and prevaileth.

Of the Lord, παρὰ του̂ Κυρίου; that is, from Christ; Lord, in the idiom of the New Testament, being most usually applied to him, as ; and Christ as is to commend our prayers to God, and to convey all blessings from God; therefore, the apostle saith, 1 Cor. viii. 6, `To us there is but one God, the Father of all, by whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him., The heathens, as they had many gods, many ultimate objects of worship, so they had many lords, many intermediate powers, that were to be as agents between the gods and men, to convey the prayers and of men to the gods, and the bounty and rewards of devotion from the gods to men; `But to us, saith the apostle, `there is but one God, one God, `the Father, the first spring and fountain of blessings; `and one Lord, that is, one , `Jesus Christ, δι᾽ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι᾽ αὐτοῦ, by whom are all things, which come from the Father to us, and by whom alone we find access to him.

The notes are these:—

Obs. 1. That unbelievers, though they may receive something, yet they can expect nothing from God. Let him not think. They are under a double misery:—(1.) They can lift up no thoughts of hope and comfort, for they are not under the of a promise. Oh, what a misery is this, to toil, and still to be left to an uncertainty—to pray, and to have no sure hope! When the task is over, they cannot look for acceptance or a blessing. The children of God are upon^ more sure terms: 1 Cor. ix. 26, `I run not as uncertainly;, that is, not as one that is in danger or doubt of having run in vain. So Solomon saith, Prov. xi. 18, `The righteous hath a sure reward;, they have God's infallible promise, and may expect a blessing; but the wicked, whether they run or sit, they cannot form their thoughts into any hope; whether they run, or sit still, they are in the same condition; if they run, they run uncertainly; if they pray, they pray uncertainly; like a slave that doth his task, and knoweth not whether he shall please; so, when they have done all, they are still left to the puzzle and uncertainty of their own thoughts; and indeed it is a punishment that well enough suiteth with their dispositions; they pray, and do not look after the success of prayer; they perform duties, and do not observe the blessing of duties, like children that shoot their arrows at rovers, with an uncertain aim, and never look after them again. Those that live best among men, live by guess, and some loose devout aims. (2.) If they receive anything, they cannot look upon it as coming by promise, or as a return of prayers. When the children are fed, the dogs may have crumbs: all their comforts are but the spillings and overflowings of God's bounty. And truly this is a great misery, when we cannot see love in our enjoyments, and blessings are given us by chance rather than ; they cannot discern mercy and truth in any of their comforts, as Jacob did, Gen. xxxii. 10. Well, then, let the misery of this condition make us to come out of it; get a sure interest in Christ, that you may be under a sure hope and expectation. Unbelief will always leave you to uncertainty; doubting is a new provocation, and when a man maketh a a provocation, what can he look for? A man may be ashamed to ask God, that is so backward to honour him.

Obs. 2. From the other reason of the words, let him not think. Men usually deceive themselves with vain hopes and thoughts: they are out in their thinking: Mat. iii. 9, `Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father., confidence is rooted in some vain principle and thought; so men think God is not just, hell is not so hot, the devil is not so black, nor the scriptures so strict as they are made to be. The apostles everywhere meet with these thoughts; as 1 Cor. vi. 9, `Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor idolaters, &c. They were apt to deceive themselves with some such hope; so Gal. vi. 7, `Be not deceived, God is not mocked., Men are persuaded that if they can devise any shift to excuse themselves from duty, all will be well enough. God is not mocked with any pretences; this is but a vain thought. Well, then, look to your privy thoughts. All corrupt actions are founded in some vain thought, and this vain thought is strengthened with some vain word; therefore the apostle saith, Eph. v. 6, `Let no man deceive you with vain words., All practical errors are but a man's natural thoughts cried up for a valuable opinion, and they all tend either to excuse sin, or to secure us from judgment, or to seduce us into a vain hope; and thus foolish man becometh his own cheater, and deceiveth himself with his own thinking. In all natural and civil things we desire to know the truth; many do deceive, but none would willingly be deceived; but in spiritual things we think ourselves never more happy than when we have seduced our souls into a vain hope, or gotten them into a fool's paradise.

Obs. 3. From that, that he shall receive. The cause why we receive not upon asking, is not from God, but ourselves; he `giveth liberally, but we pray doubtingly. He would give, but we cannot receive. We see men are discouraged when they are distrusted, and suspicion is the ready way to make them unfaithful; and, certainly, when we distrust God, it is not reasonable we should expect aught from him. Christ said to Martha, John xi. 40, `If thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God;, that is, power, love, truth, discovered in their lustre and glory. Omnipotency knoweth no restraint, only it is discouraged by man's unbelief; therefore it is said, Mark vi. 5, 6, `And he could do no mighty work there, because of their unbelief;, he could not, because he would not, not for want of power in him, but for want of disposition in the people. So Mark ix. 22, 23: the father cometh for a possessed child: `Master, if thou canst do anything, help us., Christ answereth, `If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth., The distressed father saith, `If thou canst do anything;, our holy Lord saith, `If thou canst believe:, as if he had said, Do not doubt of my power, but look to thy own faith; I can, if thou canst. If we were disposed to receive as God is fitted to give, we should not be long without an answer. Omnipotent power can save to the utter most, infinite love can pardon to the uttermost, if we could but believe. `All things are possible to him that believeth;, that is, God can do all things for the comfort and use of believers; faith is his immutable , and he will not go out of his own way. Well, then, if you receive not, it is not for want of power in God, but want of faith in yourselves.

Obs. 4. From that anything—neither wisdom nor anything else—that God thinketh the least mercy too good for unbelievers: he thinketh. nothing too good for faith, and anything too good for unbelief. It is observable, in the days of Christ's flesh, that faith was never frustrate; he never let it pass without some effect; nay, some times he offereth all that you can wish for: Mat. xv. 28, `Great is thy faith; be it to thee even as thou wilt., Faith giveth Christ content, and, therefore, he will be sure to give the believer content; crave what you will, and he will give it. But, on the contrary, `Let not that man think that he shall receive anything., How are the bowels of mercy shrunk up at the sight of unbelief! Believers shall have all things, and you nothing.

Obs. 5. From that from the Lord, that the fruit of our prayers is received from the hands of Christ; he is the middle person by whom God conveyeth blessings to us, and we return duty to him. See John xiv. 13, `Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son., Mark, `I will do it, Christ receiveth the power to convey the blessing; we must ask the Father, but it cometh to us through him: and all this, not that the Father might be excluded, but glorified. We are unworthy to converse with the Father, therefore Christ is the true . God is glorified when we come to him through Christ. In times of knowledge, God would have your thoughts in prayer to be more distinct and explicit; you must come to the Father in the Son's name, and look for all through the Spirit: and as the Spirit worketh as Christ's Spirit, to glorify the Son, John xvi. 4, so the Son, he will give to glorify the Father. What an excellent ground of hope and confidence have we, when we reflect upon these three things in prayer—the Father's love, the Son's merit, and the Spirit's power! No man cometh to the Son but by the Father, John vi. 65: no man cometh to the Father but by the Son, John xiv. 6: no man is united to the Son but by the : therefore do we read of `the unity of the Spirit, Eph. iv. 3.

Ver. 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

He proceedeth to a general consideration of the unhappiness of un believers, and he saith two things of them—that they are double-minded and unstable. Possibly there may be a secret antithesis, or opposition, between the temper of these men and what he had said before of God. God giveth ἁπλῶς, with a single mind (ver. 5), and we expect with a double mind, our trust being nothing so sure as his mercy is free. But let us examine the words more particularly.

A double-minded man, δίψυχος ἀνὴρ.—The word signifieth one that hath two souls; and so it may imply—(1.) A hypocrite, as the same word is used to that purpose, James iv. 8: `Purify your hearts, ye double-minded., δίψυχοι. As he speaketh to open sinners to cleanse their hands, so to close hypocrites (whom he there calleth double-minded, as pretending one thing and meaning another), to purify their hearts, that is, to grow more inwardly sincere; and so it suiteth very well with that phrase by which the Hebrews express a deceiver: Ps. xii. 2, `With a double heart do they speak:, in the original, `With a heart and a heart, which is their manner of expression when they would express a thing-that is double or deceitful, as divers or deceitful weights is a weight and a weight in the original, Prov. xx. 23. As Theophrastus saith of the partridges of Paphlagonia, that they had two hearts; so every hypocrite hath two hearts or two souls. As I remember, I have read of a profane wretch that bragged he had two souls in one body, one for God, and the other for anything. (2.) It implieth one that is distracted and divided in his thoughts, floating between two different ways and opinions, as if he had two minds, or two souls; and certainly there were such in the apostle's days, some Judaising brethren, that sometimes would sort with the Jews, some times with the Christians, and did not use all due endeavours to be built up in the faith, or settled in the truth: as of ancient, long before this time, it is said of others, 2 Kings xvii. 33, `They feared the Lord, and served their own gods;, they were divided between God and idols, which indifferency of theirs the prophet expresseth by a double or divided heart: Hosea x. 2, `Their heart is divided, now shall they be found faulty., Thus Athanasius applied this description to the Eusebians, that sometimes held one thing, and another, that a man could never have them at any stay or certain pass. (3.) And, more expressly to the context, it may note those whose minds were tossed to and fro with various and uncertain motions; now lifted up with a billow of presumption, then cast down in a gulf of despair, being divided between hopes and fears concerning their acceptance with God. I prefer this latter sense, as most suiting with the apostle's purpose.

Is unstable, ἀκατάστατος.—Hath no constancy of soul, being as ready to depart from God as to close with him; no way fixed and resolved in the religion he professeth.

In all his ways.—Some apply it chiefly to prayer, because those that are doubtful of success often intermit the practice of it, regarding it only now and then in some zealous pangs, when conscience falleth upon them: but I suppose rather it is a general maxim, and that prayer is only intended by consequence, for the apostle saith, `in all his ways., Note, way, by a known Hebraism, is put for any counsel, action, thought, or purpose; and so it implieth that all their thoughts, motions, and actions do float hither and thither continually.

The notes are these:—

Obs. 1. That unbelieving hypocrites are men of a double mind; they want the conduct of the Spirit, and are led by their own affections, and therefore cannot be settled: fear, the love of the world, hopes and interests draw them hither and thither, for they have no certain guide and rule. It is said of godly men, Ps. cxii. 7, `They shall not be afraid of evil tidings; their heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord:, they walk by a sure rule, and look to sure promises; and therefore, though their condition is changed, their heart is not changed, for the ground of their hopes is still the same. men's hearts rise and fall with their news, and when affairs are doubtful, their hopes are uncertain, for they are fixed upon uncertain objects, `They are confounded, for they have heard evil tidings, saith the prophet, Jer, xlix. 23: upon every turn of affairs, they have, as it were, another heart and soul. That request of David is notable for the opening of this double mind, Ps. lxxxvi. 11, `Unite my heart to fear thy name., The Septuagint read ἔνωσον τὴν καρδίαν μοῦ, `make my heart one, that is, apply it only and constantly to thy fear; implying, that where men are divided between God and secular interests, they have, as it were, two hearts; one heart inclineth them to a care of duty, the other heart discourageth them by fears of the world: the heart is not μοναχῶς (which is Aquila's word in that place), after one manner and fashion. This double mind in men bewrayeth itself two ways in their hopes and their opinions. (1.) In their hopes, they are distracted between expectation and jealousy, doubts and fears; now full of confidence in their prayers, and breathing forth nothing but sorrow and despair; and possibly that may be one reason why the psalmist compareth the wicked to chaff, Ps. i. 4, because they have no firm stay and subsistence, but are driven to and fro by various and un certain motions, leading their lives by guess, rather than any sure aim. (2.) In their opinions, hypocrites usually waver and hang in suspense, being distracted between conscience and affections; their affections carry them to Baal, their consciences to God; as the prophet saith to such men, 1 Kings xviii. 21, `How long will ye halt between two opinions?, They are usually guilty of a promiscuous compliance, which, though used by them in policy, yet often tendeth to their hurt; for this indifferency is hateful to God and men. God loatheth it: Rev. iii. 15, `I know thy works; I would thou wert either hot or cold; but because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will spue thee out of my mouth., Lukewarmness is that temper that is most ingrate to the stomach, and therefore causeth vomits: so are lukewarm Christians to God; his ways are not honoured but by a zealous earnestness. And man hateth it. Solon did not judge him a good citizen that in a civil war took neither part; usually such middling men, like those that come between two fencers, suffer on both sides. I confess, sometimes godly persons may be at a stand; those that make conscience of things are not rash in choice, and therefore usually there is some hesitancy before engagement, which, though it be an infirmity, yet God winketh at it as long as they endeavour satisfaction: but certainly a child of God should not rest in such a frame of spirit: sincerity is much tried by an `establishment in the present truth, 2 Peter i. 12; that is, by up rightness in the controversies of our age and time. Antiquated opinions, that are altogether severed and abstracted from present interests, are no trial, therefore it is good to be positive and settled, ἐν τῆ παρούσῃ ἀληθείᾳ, `in the truth that now is., I confess, such cases may happen, where the pretences of both sides are so fair, and the miscarriages so foul, that we know not which to choose; and (as Cato said of the civil wars between Caesar and Pompey, quem fugiam video, quem sequar non video), we can better see whom to avoid, than whom to close with and follow; and thereupon there may be hesitancy and indifferency; but this is neither allowed for the present, nor continued out of interest, but conscience, and never descendeth to any base compliances for advantage.

Obs. 2. That doubtfulness of mind is the cause of uncertainty in our lives and conversations. Their minds are double, and therefore their ways are unstable. First, there is (as Seneca saith), nusquam residentis animi volutatio, uncertain rollings of spirit; and then vita pendens, a doubtful and suspensive life. For our actions do oft bear the imnge and resemblance of our thoughts, and the heart not being fixed, the life is very uncertain. The note holdeth good in two cases:—(1.) In fixing the heart in the hopes of the gospel; (2.) In fixing the heart in the doctrine of the gospel; as faith sometimes implieth the doctrine which is believed, sometimes the by which we do believe. A certain expectation of the hopes of the gospel produceth obedience, and a certain belief of the doctrine of the gospel produceth constancy.

1. None walk so evenly with God as they that are assured of the love of God. Faith is the mother of obedience, and sureness of trust maketh way for strictness of life. When men are loose from Christ, they are loose in point of duty, and their floating belief is soon discovered in their inconstancy and unevenness of walking. We do not with any alacrity or cheerfulness engage in that of whose success we are doubtful; and therefore, when we know not whether God will accept us or no, when we are off and on in point of trust, we are just so in the course of our lives, serve God by fits and starts, only when some zealous moods and pangs come upon us. It is the slander of the world to think is an idle doctrine. Never is the soul so and enabled for duty as it is by `the joy of the Lord:, Neh. viii. 10, `The joy of the Lord is your strength., Faith, filling the heart with spiritual joy, yieldeth a strength for all our duties and labours; and we are carried on with life and vigour when we have most lively apprehensions of the divine .

2. None are so constant in the profession of any truth as they that are convinced and assured of the grounds of it. When we are but half convinced, we are usually unstable. I remember the apostle speaketh of a thing which he calleth ἴδιον στήριγμον, `our own steadfastness, 2 Peter iii. 17, `Lest ye fall from your own steadfastness into the error of the wicked., Every believer hath, or should have, a proper ballast in his own spirit, some solid, rational grounds that may stay and support him; otherwise, when the chain of consent is broken, we shall soon be scattered. So elsewhere a believer is bidden to render λόγον, `a reason of the hope that is in him, 1 Peter iii. 15; that is, those inward motives that constrained his assent to the truth. Thus also the apostle Paul chargeth us, 1 Thes. v. 21, first to `prove all things, and then to `hold fast that which is good., It is unsafe to engage till a full , or to resolve without evidence, for there is no likelihood of holding fast till we have proved. Well, then, labour to understand the grounds of your religion. If you love a truth ignorantly, you cannot love it constantly. There is still a party left in the soul to betray it into the hands of the opposite error. To take up ways without any trial is but a simple credulity, which will soon be abused and misled; and to take up ways upon half is hypocrisy, which by that other part of the mind not yet gained will be soon discovered. Look upon it, then, as brutish to follow the track, and base to profess before you are ascertained.

Ver. 9. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.

The apostle having finished that necessary digression about prayer, returneth to the main matter in hand, which is bearing of afflictions with joy; and urgeth another reason in this verse, because, to be depressed in the world for , sake, is to be exalted towards God; and in consideration of their spiritual comforts and privileges, they had rather cause to boast and glory than to be made sorry. Lot us see the force of the words.