Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Do not they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
KJV
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Commentary
Commentary
In this chapter we are directed to consider,
I. Some causes of contention, besides those mentioned in the foregoing
chapter, and to watch against them, ver. 1-5 .
II. We are taught to abandon the friendship of this world, so as to
submit and subject ourselves entirely to God, ver. 4-10 .
III. All detraction and rash judgment of others are to be carefully
avoided, ver. 11, 12 .
IV. We must preserve a constant regard, and pay the utmost deference to
the disposals of divine Providence, ver. 13, to the end .
1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and
cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask
not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts.
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore
will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that
dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth
the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double
minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be
turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall
lift you up.
The former chapter speaks of envying one another, as the great spring
of strifes and contentions; this chapter speaks of a lust after worldly
things, and a setting too great a value upon worldly pleasures and
friendships, as that which carried their divisions to a shameful
height.
I. The apostle here reproves the Jewish Christians for their wars, and
for their lusts as the cause of them: Whence come wars and fightings
among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your
members, v. 1 .
The Jews were a very seditious people, and had therefore frequent wars
with the Romans; and they were a very quarrelsome divided people, often
fighting among themselves; and many of those corrupt Christians against
whose errors and vices this epistle was written seem to have fallen in
with the common quarrels. Hereupon, our apostle informs them that the
origin of their wars and fightings was not (as they pretended) a true
zeal for their country, and for the honour of God, but that their
prevailing lusts were the cause of all. Observe hence, What is
sheltered and shrouded under a specious pretence of zeal for God and
religion often comes from men's pride, malice, covetousness, ambition,
and revenge. The Jews had many struggles with the Roman power before
they ere entirely destroyed. They often unnecessarily embroiled
themselves, and then fell into parties and factions about the different
methods of managing their wars with their common enemies; and hence it
came to pass that, when their cause might be supposed good, yet their
engaging in it and their management of it came from a bad principle.
Their worldly and fleshly lusts raised and managed their wars and
fightings; but one would think here is enough said to subdue those
lusts; for,
1. They make a war within as well as fightings without. Impetuous
passions and desires first war in their members, and then raise feuds
in their nation. There is war between conscience and corruption, and
there is war also between one corruption and another, and from these
contentions in themselves arose their quarrels with each other. Apply
this to private cases, and may we not then say of fightings and strifes
among relations and neighbours they come from those lusts which war in
the members? From lust of power and dominion, lust of pleasure, or lust
of riches, from some one or more of these lusts arise all the broils
and contentions that are in the world; and, since all wars and
fightings come from the corruptions of our own hearts, it is therefore
the right method for the cure of contention to lay the axe to the root,
and mortify those lusts that war in the members.
2. It should kill these lusts to think of their disappointment: " You
lust, and have not; you kill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain, v. 2 .
You covet great things for yourselves, and you think to obtain them by
your victories over the Romans or by suppressing this and the other
party among yourselves. You think you shall secure great pleasures and
happiness to yourselves, by overthrowing every thing which thwarts your
eager wishes; but, alas! you are losing your labour and your blood,
while you kill one another with such views as these." Inordinate
desires are either totally disappointed, or they are not to be appeased
and satisfied by obtaining the things desired. The words here rendered cannot obtain signify cannot gain the happiness sought after.
Note hence, Worldly and fleshly lusts are the distemper which will not
allow of contentment or satisfaction in the mind.
3. Sinful desires and affections generally exclude prayer, and the
working of our desires towards God: " You fight and war, yet you have
not, because you ask not. You fight, and do not succeed, because
you do not pray you do not consult God in your undertakings, whether he
will allow of them or not; and you do not commit your way to him, and
make known your requests to him, but follow your own corrupt views and
inclinations: therefore you meet with continual disappointments;" or
else.
4. "Your lusts spoil your prayers, and make them an abomination to God,
whenever you put them up to him, v. 3 . You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may
consume it upon your lusts. " As if it had been said, "Though
perhaps you may sometimes pray for success against your enemies, yet it
is not your aim to improve the advantages you gain, so as to promote
true piety and religion either in yourselves or others; but pride,
vanity, luxury, and sensuality, are what you would serve by your
successes, and by your very prayers. You want to live in great power
and plenty, in voluptuousness and a sensual prosperity; and thus you
disgrace devotion and dishonour God by such gross and base ends; and
therefore your prayers are rejected." Let us learn hence, in the
management of all our worldly affairs, and in our prayers to God for
success in them, to see that our ends be right. When men follow their
worldly business (suppose them tradesmen or husbandmen), and ask of God
prosperity, but do not receive what they ask for, it is because they
ask with wrong aims and intentions. They ask God to give them success
in their callings or undertakings; not that they may glorify their
heavenly Father and do good with what they have, but that they may consume it upon their lusts --that they may be enabled to eat
better meat, and drink better drink, and wear better clothes, and so
gratify their pride, vanity, and voluptuousness. But, if we thus seek
the things of this world, it is just in God to deny them; whereas, if
we seek any thing that we may serve God with it, we may expect he will
either give us what we seek or give us hearts to be content without it,
and give opportunities of serving and glorifying him some other way.
Let us remember this, that when we speed not in our prayers it is because we ask amiss; either we do not ask for right ends or not
in a right manner, not with faith or not with fervency: unbelieving and
cold desires beg denials; and this we may be sure of, that, when our
prayers are rather the language of our lusts than of our graces, they
will return empty.
II. We have fair warning to avoid all criminal friendships with this
world: You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? v. 4 .
Worldly people are here called adulterers and adulteresses, because of
their perfidiousness of God, while they give their best affections to
the world. Covetousness is elsewhere called idolatry, and it is here
called adultery; it is a forsaking of him to whom we are devoted and
espoused, to cleave to other things; there is this brand put upon
worldly-mindedness--that it is enmity to God. A man may have a
competent portion of the good things of this life, and yet may keep
himself in the love of God; but he who sets his heart upon the world,
who places his happiness in it, and will conform himself to it, and do
any thing rather than lose its friendship, he is an enemy to God; it is
constructive treason and rebellion against God to set the world upon
his throne in our hearts. Whosoever therefore is the friend of the
world is the enemy of God. He who will act upon this principle, to
keep the smiles of the world, and to have its continual friendship,
cannot but show himself, in spirit, and in his actions too, an enemy to
God. You cannot serve God and mammon, Matt. vi. 24 .
Hence arise wars and fightings, even from this adulterous idolatrous
love of the world, and serving of it; for what peace can there be among
men, so long as there is enmity towards God? or who can fight against
God, and prosper? "Think seriously with yourselves what the spirit of
the world is, and you will find that you cannot suit yourselves to it
as friends, but it must occasion your being envious, and full of evil
inclinations, as the generality of the world are. Do you think that
the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to
envy? " v. 5 .
The account given in the holy scriptures of the hearts of men by nature
is that their imagination is evil, only evil, and that
continually, Gen. vi. 5 .
Natural corruption principally shows itself by envying, and there is a
continual propensity to this. The spirit which naturally dwells in man
is always producing one evil imagination or another, always emulating
such as we see and converse with and seeking those things which are
possessed and enjoyed by them. Now this way of the world, affecting
pomp and pleasure, and falling into strifes and quarrels for the sake
of these things, is the certain consequence of being friends to the
world; for there is no friendship without a oneness of spirit, and
therefore Christians, to avoid contentions, must avoid the friendship
of the world, and must show that they are actuated by nobler principles
and that a nobler spirit dwells in them; for, if we belong to God, he
gives more grace than to live and act as the generality of the world
do. The spirit of the world teaches men to be churls; God teaches them
to be bountiful. The spirit of the world teaches us to lay up, or lay
out, for ourselves, and according to our own fancies; God teaches us to
be willing to communicate to the necessities and to the comfort of
others, and so as to do good to all about us, according to our ability.
The grace of God is contrary to the spirit of the world, and therefore
the friendship of the world is to be avoided, if we pretend to be
friends of God yea, the grace of God will correct and cure the spirit
that naturally dwells in us; where he giveth grace, he giveth another
spirit than that of the world.
III. We are taught to observe the difference God makes between pride
and humility. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble, v. 6 .
This is represented as the language of scripture in the Old Testament;
for so it is declared in the book of Psalms that God will save the
afflicted people (if their spirits be suited to their condition), but will bring down high looks ( Ps. xviii. 27 );
and in the book of Proverbs it is said, He scorneth the scorners,
and giveth grace unto the lowly, Prov. iii. 34 .
Two things are here to be observed:--
1. The disgrace cast upon the proud: God resists them; the original
word, antitassetai, signifies, God's setting himself as
in battle array against them; and can there be a greater disgrace than
for God to proclaim a man a rebel, an enemy, a traitor to his crown and
dignity, and to proceed against him as such? The proud resists God; in
his understanding he resists the truths of God; in his will he resists
the truths of God; in his will he resists the laws of God; in his
passions he resists the providence of God; and therefore no wonder that
God sets himself against the proud. Let proud spirits hear this and
tremble-- God resists them. Who can describe the wretched state
of those who make God their enemy? He will certainly fill with same
(sooner or later) the faces of such as have filled their hearts with
pride. We should therefore resist pride in our hearts, if we would not
have God to resist us.
2. The honour and help God gives to the humble. Grace, as opposed to
disgrace, is honour; this God gives to the humble; and, where God gives
grace to be humble, there he will give all other graces, and, as in the
beginning of this sixth verse ,
he will give more grace. Wherever God gives true grace, he will
give more; for to him that hath, and useth what he hath aright, more
shall be given. He will especially give more grace to the humble,
because they see their need of it, will pray for it and be thankful for
it; and such shall have it. For this reason,
IV. We are taught to submit ourselves entirely to God: Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you, v. 7 .
Christians should forsake the friendship of the world, and watch
against that envy and pride which they see prevailing in natural men,
and should by grace learn to glory in their submissions to God. "Submit
yourselves to him as subjects to their prince, in duty, and as one
friend to another, in love and interest. Submit your understandings to
the truths of God; submit your wills to the will of God, the will of
his precept, the will of his providence." We are subjects, and as such
must be submissive; not only through fear, but through love; not
only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. "Submit yourselves
to God, as considering how many ways you are bound to this, and as
considering what advantage you will gain by it; for God will not hurt
you by his dominion over you, but will do you good." Now, as this
subjection and submission to God are what the devil most industriously
strives to hinder, so we ought with great care and steadiness to resist
his suggestions. If he would represent a tame yielding to the will and
providence of God as what will bring calamities, and expose to contempt
and misery, we must resist these suggestions of fear. If he would
represent submission to God as a hindrance to our outward ease, or
worldly preferments, we must resist these suggestions of pride and
sloth. If he would tempt us to lay any of our miseries, and crosses,
and afflictions, to the charge of Providence, so that we might avoid
them by following his directions instead of God's, we must resist these
provocations to anger, not fretting ourselves in any wise to do
evil. "Let not the devil, in these or the like attempts, prevail
upon you; but resist him and he will flee from you. " If we
basely yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us; but
if we put on the whole armour of God, and stand it out against
him, he will be gone from us. Resolution shuts and bolts the door
against temptation.
V. We are directed how to act towards God, in our becoming submissive
to him, v. 8-10 .
1. Draw nigh to God. The heart that has rebelled must be brought
to the foot of God; the spirit that was distant and estranged from a
life of communion and converse with God must become acquainted with
him: " Draw nigh to God, in his worship and institutions, and in
every duty he requires of you."
2. Cleanse your hands. He who comes unto God must have clean
hands. Paul therefore directs to lift up holy hands without wrath
and doubting ( 1 Tim. ii. 8 ),
hands free from blood, and bribes, and every thing that is unjust or
cruel, and free from every defilement of sin: he is not subject to God
who is a servant of sin. The hands must be cleansed by faith,
repentance, and reformation, or it will be in vain for us to draw nigh
to God in prayer, or in any of the exercises of devotion.
3. The hearts of the double-minded must be purified. Those who halt
between God and the world are here meant by the double-minded. To purify the heart is to be sincere, and to act upon this
single aim and principle, rather to please God than to seek after any
thing in this world: hypocrisy is heart-impurity; but those who submit
themselves to God aright will purify their hearts as well as cleanse
their hands.
4. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep. "What afflictions God
sends take them as he would have you, and by duly sensible of them. Be
afflicted when afflictions are sent upon you, and do not despise them;
or be afflicted in your sympathies with those who are so, and in laying
to heart the calamities of the church of God. Mourn and weep for your
own sins and the sins of others; times of contention and division are
times to mourn in, and the sins that occasion wars and fightings should
be mourned for. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy
to heaviness. " This may be taken either as a prediction of sorrow
or a prescription of seriousness. Let men think to set grief at
defiance, yet God can bring it upon them; none laugh so heartily but he
can turn their laughter into mourning; and this the unconcerned
Christians James wrote to are threatened should be their case. They are
therefore directed, before things come to the worst, to lay aside their
vain mirth and their sensual pleasures, that they might indulge godly
sorrow and penitential tears.
5. " Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord. Let the inward
acts of the would be suitable to all those outward expressions of
grief, affliction, and sorrow, before mentioned." Humility of spirit is
here required, as in the sight of him who looks principally at the
spirits of men. "Let there be a thorough humiliation in bewailing every
thing that is evil; let there be great humility in doing that which is
good: Humble yourselves. "
VI. We have great encouragement to act thus towards God: He will
draw nigh to those that draw nigh to him ( v. 8 ), and he will lift up those who humble themselves in his sight, v. 10 .
Those that draw nigh to God in a way of duty shall find God drawing
nigh to them in a way of mercy. Draw nigh to him in faith, and trust,
and obedience, and he will draw nigh to you for your deliverance. If
there be not a close communion between God and us, it is our fault, and
not his. He shall lift up the humble. Thus much our Lord himself
declared, He that shall humble himself shall be exalted, Matt. xxiii. 12 .
If we be truly penitent and humble under the marks of God's
displeasure, we shall in a little time know the advantages of his
favour; he will lift us up out of trouble, or he will lift us up in our
spirits and comforts under trouble; he will lift us up to honour and
safety in the world, or he will lift us up in our way to heaven, so as
to raise our hearts and affections above the world. God will revive
the spirit of the humble ( Isa. lvii. 15 ), He will hear the desire of the humble ( Ps. x. 17 ),
and he will at last life them up to glory. Before honour is
humility. The highest honour in heaven will be the reward of the
greatest humility on earth.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh
evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of
the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art
not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy:
who art thou that judgest another?
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into
such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get
gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little
time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live,
and do this, or that.
16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is
evil.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
I. We are cautioned against the sin of evil-speaking: Speak not evil
one of another, brethren, v. 11 .
The Greek word, katalaleite, signifies speaking any thing
that may hurt or injure another; we must not speak evil things of
others, though they be true, unless we be called to it, and there be
some necessary occasion for the; much less must we report evil things
when they are false, or, for aught we know, may be so. Our lips must be
guided by the law of kindness, as well as truth and justice. This,
which Solomon makes a necessary part of the character of his virtuous
woman, that she openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is
the law of kindness ( Prov. xxxi. 26 ),
must needs be a part of the character of every true Christian. Speak
not evil one of another, 1. Because you are brethren. The compellation, as used by the apostle
here, carries an argument along with it. Since Christians are brethren,
they should not defile nor defame one another. It is required of us
that we be tender of the good name of our brethren; where we cannot
speak well, we had better say nothing than speak evil; we must not take
pleasure in making known the faults of others, divulging things that
are secret, merely to expose them, nor in making more of their known
faults than really they deserve, and, least of all, in making false
stories, and spreading things concerning them of which they are
altogether innocent. What is this but to raise the hatred and
encourage the persecutions of the world, against those who are engaged
in the same interests with ourselves, and therefore with whom we
ourselves must stand or fall? "Consider, you are brethren."
2. Because this is to judge the law: He that speaketh evil of his
brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth
the law. The law of Moses says, Thou shalt not go up and down as
a tale-bearer among thy people, Lev. xix. 16 .
The law of Christ is, Judge not, that you be not judged, Matt. vii. 1 .
The sum and substance of both is that men should love one another. A
detracting tongue therefore condemns the law of God, and the
commandment of Christ, when it is defaming its neighbour. To break
God's commandments is in effect to speak evil of them, and to judge
them, as if they were too strict, and laid too great a restraint upon
us. The Christians to whom James wrote were apt to speak very hard
things of one another, because of their differences about indifferent
things (such as the observance of meats and days, as appears
from Rom. xiv. ):
"Now," says the apostle, "he who censures and condemns
his brother for not agreeing with him in those things which the law of
God has left indifferent thereby censures and condemns the law, as if
it had done ill in leaving them indifferent. He who quarrels with his
brother, and condemns him for the sake of any thing not determined in
the word of God, does thereby reflect on that word of God, as if it
were not a perfect rule. Let us take heed of judging the law, for the
law of the Lord is perfect; if men break the law, leave that to judge
them; if they do not break it, let us not judge them." This is a
heinous evil, because it is to forget our place, that we ought to be
doers of the law, and it is to set up ourselves above it, as if we were
to be judges of it. He who is guilty of the sin here cautioned against
is not a doer of the law, but a judge; he assumes an office and a place
that do not belong to him, and he will be sure to suffer for his
presumption in the end. Those who are most ready to set up for judges
of the law generally fail most in their obedience to it.
3. Because God, the Lawgiver, has reserved the power of passing the
final sentence on men wholly to himself: There is one Lawgiver, who
is able to save, and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? v. 12 .
Princes and states are not excluded, by what is here said, from making
laws; nor are subjects at all encouraged to disobey human laws; but God
is still to be acknowledged as the supreme Lawgiver, who only can give
law to the conscience, and who alone is to be absolutely obeyed. His
right to enact laws is incontestable, because he has such a power to
enforce them. He is able to save, and to destroy, so as no other
can. He has power fully to reward the observance of his laws, and to
punish all disobedience; he can save the soul, and make it happy for
ever, or he can, after he has killed, cast into hell; and therefore
should be feared and obeyed as the great Lawgiver, and all judgment
should be committed to him. Since there is one Lawgiver, we may infer
that it is not for any man or company of men in the world to pretend to
give laws immediately to bind conscience; for that is God's
prerogative, which must not be invaded. As the apostle had before
warned against being many masters, so here he cautions against being
many judges. Let us not prescribe to our brethren, let us not censure
and condemn them; it is sufficient that we have the law of God, which
is a rule to us all; and therefore we should not set up other rules.
Let us not presume to set up our own particular notions and opinions as
a rule to all about us; for there is one Lawgiver.
II. We are cautioned against a presumptuous confidence of the
continuance of our lives, and against forming projects thereupon with
assurance of success, v. 13, 14 .
The apostle, having reproved those who were judges and condemners of
the law, now reproves such as were disregardful of Providence: Go to
now, and old way of speaking, designed to engage attention; the
Greek word may be rendered, Behold now, or " See, and
consider, you that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a
city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain. Reflect a little on this way of thinking and talking; call yourselves
to account for it." Serious reflection on our words and ways would show
us many evils that we are apt, through inadvertency, to run into and
continue in. There were some who said of old, as too many say still, We will go to such a city, and do this or that, for such a term
of time, while all serious regards to the disposals of Providence were
neglected. Observe here,
1. How apt worldly and projecting men are to leave God out of their
schemes. Where any are set upon earthly things, these have a strange
power of engrossing the thoughts of the heart. We should therefore have
a care of growing intent or eager in our pursuits after any thing here
below.
2. How much of worldly happiness lies in the promises men make to
themselves beforehand. Their heads are full of fine visions, as to what
they shall do, and be, and enjoy, in some future time, when they can
neither be sure of time nor of any of the advantages they promise
themselves; therefore observe,
3. How vain a thing it is to look for any thing good in futurity,
without the concurrence of Providence. We will go to such a
city (say they), perhaps to Antioch, or Damascus, or Alexandria,
which were then the great places for traffic; but how could they be
sure, when they set out, that they should reach any of these cities?
Something might possibly stop their way, or call them elsewhere, or cut
the thread of life. Many who have set out on a journey have gone to
their long home, and never reached their journey's end. But, suppose
they should reach the city they designed, how did they know they should
continue there? Something might happen to send them back, or to call
them thence, and to shorten their stay. Or suppose they should stay the
full time they proposed, yet they could not be certain that they should
buy and sell there; perhaps they might lie sick there, or they might
not meet with those to trade with them that they expected. Yea, suppose
they should go to that city, and continue there a year, and should buy
and sell, yet they might not get gain; getting of gain in this world is
at best but an uncertain thing, and they might probably make more
losing bargains than gainful ones. And then, as to all these
particulars, the frailty, shortness, and uncertainty of life, ought to
check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of such projectors for
futurity: What is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for
a little time, and then vanisheth away, v. 14 .
God that wisely left us in the dark concerning future events, and even
concerning the duration of life itself. We know not what shall be on
the morrow; we may know what we intend to do and to be, but a
thousand things may happen to prevent us. We are not sure of life
itself, since it is but as a vapour, something in appearance,
but nothing solid nor certain, easily scattered and gone. We can fix
the hour and minute of the sun's rising and setting to-morrow, but we
cannot fix the certain time of a vapour's being scattered; such is our
life: it appears but for a little time, and then vanisheth away; it vanisheth as to this world, but there is a life that will continue
in the other world; and, since this life is so uncertain, it concerns
us all to prepare and lay up in store for that to come.
III. We are taught to keep up a constant sense of our dependence on the
will of God for life, and all the actions and enjoyments of it: You
ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or
that, v. 15 .
The apostle, having reproved them for what was amiss, now directs them
how to be and do better: "You ought to say it in your hearts at all
times, and with your tongues upon proper occasions, especially in your
constant prayers and devotions, that if the Lord will give leave, and
if he will own and bless you, you have such and such designs to
accomplish." This must be said, not in a slight, formal, and customary
way, but so as to think what we say, and so as to be reverent and
serious in what we say. It is good to express ourselves thus when we
have to do with others, but it is indispensably requisite that we
should say this to ourselves in all that we go about. Syn
Theo -- with the leave and blessing of God, was used by
the Greeks in the beginning of every undertaking.
1. If the Lord will, we shall live. We must remember that our
times are not in our own hands, but at the disposal of God; we live as
long as God appoints, and in the circumstances God appoints, and
therefore must be submissive to him, even as to life itself; and then,
2. If the Lord will, we shall do this or that. All our actions
and designs are under the control of Heaven. Our heads may be filled
with cares and contrivances. This and the other thing we may propose
to do for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence
sometimes breaks all our measures, and throws our schemes into
confusion. Therefore both our counsels for action and our conduct in
action should be entirely referred to God; all we design and all we do
should be with a submissive dependence on God.
IV. We are directed to avoid vain boasting, and to look upon it not
only as a weak, but a very evil thing. You rejoice in your
boastings; all such rejoicing is evil, v. 16 .
They promised themselves life and prosperity, and great things in the
world, without any just regard to God; and then they boasted of these
things. Such is the joy of worldly people, to boast of all their
successes, yea, often to boast of their very projects before they know
what success they shall have. How common is it for men to boast of
things which they have no other title to than what arises from their
own vanity and presumption! Such rejoicing (says the apostle) is evil; it is foolish and it is hurtful. For men to boast of
worldly things, and of their aspiring projects, when they should be
attending to the humbling duties before laid down (in v. 8-10 ),
is a very evil thing. It is a great sin in God's account, it will bring
great disappointment upon themselves, and it will prove their
destruction in the end. If we rejoice in God that our times are in his
hand, that all events are at his disposal, and that he is our God in
covenant, this rejoicing is good; the wisdom, power, and providence of
God, are then concerned to make all things work together for our good:
but, if we rejoice in our own vain confidences and presumptuous boasts,
this is evil; it is an evil carefully to be avoided by all wise and
good men.
V. We are taught, in the whole of our conduct, to act up to our own
convictions, and, whether we have to do with God or men, to see that we
never go contrary to our own knowledge
( v. 17 ): To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is
sin; it is aggravated sin; it is sinning with a witness; and it is
to have the worst witness against his own conscience. Observe,
1. This stands immediately connected with the plain lesson of saying, If the Lord will, we shall do this or that; they might be ready
to say, "This is a very obvious thing; who knows not that we all depend
upon almighty God for life, and breath, and all things? "
Remember then, if you do know this, whenever you act unsuitably to such
a dependence, that to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to
him it is sin, the greater sin.
2. Omissions are sins which will come into judgment, as well as
commissions. He that does not the good he knows should be done, as well
as he who does the evil he knows should not be done, will be condemned.
Let us therefore take care that conscience be rightly informed, and
then that it be faithfully and constantly obeyed; for, if our own
hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God; but if
we say, We see, and do not act suitably to our sight, then our sin remaineth, John ix. 41 .
INTRODUCTION TO JAMES 4
In this chapter the apostle gives the true cause of contentions and strifes; and cautions against intemperance, covetousness, pride, detraction, and vain confidence. Having, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, inveighed against strife and contention, he here shows from whence they spring, from a covetous desire of riches and honour; and which yet are not obtained, because they did not ask these things of God with submission to his will; or they asked with a wrong view, namely, to gratify their lusts, Jas 4:1 and he dissuades from such unlawful desires, partly because they were no other than adultery; and partly because indulging them was declaring themselves enemies of God, Jas 4:4 and he deters from pride, under the name of envy, proud men being generally envious; from the sense of the Scripture, which says, not in vain, that the spirit lusts unto it; and from the consequence of it, such as are proud being resisted by the Lord, when he gives more grace to humble ones, Jas 4:5 hence follow several exhortations, and various duties relating to humility; as to submit to God, and resist the devil, encouraged thereunto by this motive, he will flee, Jas 4:7, to draw nigh to God in a way of religious worship, who will draw nigh in a way of grace to his people; to purity of action, and of heart, or to that which is outward and inward, Jas 4:8 to be humbled, mourn, and weep, instead of joy and laughter, Jas 4:9 to lie low before the Lord, who will raise such up, Jas 4:10 and not to speak evil of anyone, since this is judging a brother; nay, a speaking evil of the law, and a judging of that; which is to invade the prerogative of God, the lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy; and therefore one man should not take upon him to judge another, Jas 4:11 and as another instance of great neglect of God, and his providence, and disrespect unto it, the apostle takes notice of a common practice among men, and even professors of religion, who resolve to go to such a place, and continue so long, and there make merchandise, and promise themselves success; not considering what frail short lived creatures they are, and how much all depends upon the will of God; and which they should consider, submit to, and be determined by, Jas 4:13 and he reproves them for their boastings and joy in them, as evil, Jas 4:16, and observes, that it is not enough to know what is right and good, unless it is done; and that such knowledge is but an aggravation of the evil of sin committed, Jas 4:17.
Ver. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you?.... Which are to be understood, not of public and national wars, such as might be between the Jews and other nations at this time; for the apostle is not writing to the Jews in Judea, as a nation, or body politic, but to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, and to such of them as were Christians; nor were Christians in general as yet increased, and become such large bodies, or were whole nations become Christians, and much less at war one against another, which has been the case since; and which, when it is, generally speaking arises from a lust after an increase of power; from the pride and ambitious views of men, and their envy at the happiness of other princes and states: nor do these design theological debates and disputes, or contentions about religious principles; but rather lawsuits, commenced before Heathen magistrates, by the rich, to the oppression of the poor; see Jas 2:6 though it seems best of all to interpret them of those stirs and bustlings, strifes, contentions, and quarrels, about honours and riches; endeavouring to get them by unlawful methods, at least at the expense of their own peace, and that of others:
[come they] not hence, [even] of your lusts that war in your members? as pride, envy, covetousness, ambition, &c. which, like so many soldiers, are stationed and quartered in the members of the body, and war against the soul; for in the believer, or converted man, however, there is as it were two armies; a law in the members, warring against the law of the mind; the flesh against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and from this inward war arise external ones; or at least from the corruption of nature, which militates against all that is good, all quarrels and contentions, whether public or private, of a greater or lesser nature, and consequence, spring.
James 4:2
Ver. 2. Ye lust, and have not,.... The apostle proceeds to show the unsuccessfulness of many in their desires and pursuits after worldly things; some might be like the sluggard, whose soul desireth all good things, and yet he has nothing, Pr 13:4 because he does not make use of any means, even of such as are proper and necessary, and ought to be used:
ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain; some, instead of kill, which seems not so agreeable, read envy; and then the sense is, they envy at the good and happiness of others, and covet after another's property, but cannot enjoy it; all such envy and covetousness are fruitless, as well as sinful:
ye fight and war, yet ye have not; go to law one with another about each other's property; or rather, make a great stir and hustle to get the things of the world; rise early, and sit up late; strive who should get most, and quarrel about what is gotten, and seek to get all advantages of one another; and yet still have not, what at least is desired and strove for:
because ye ask not; of God, whose blessing only makes rich: instead of all this worldly stir and bustle, and these strivings and quarrellings with one another, it would be much more advisable, and, in the issue, be found to turn to more account, to pray to God for a blessing on your endeavours; and to ask of him the good and necessary things of life, in submission to his will, and with thankfulness for what he has bestowed.
James 4:3
Ver. 3. Ye ask, and receive not,.... Some there were that did ask of God the blessings of his goodness and providence, and yet these were not bestowed on them; the reason was,
because ye ask amiss; not in the faith of a divine promise; nor with thankfulness for past mercies; nor with submission to the will of God; nor with a right end, to do good to others, and to make use of what might be bestowed, for the honour of God, and the interest of Christ: but
that ye may consume it upon your lusts; indulge to intemperance and luxury; as the man that had much goods laid up for many years did, to the neglect of his own soul, Lu 12:19 or the rich man, who spent all upon his back and his belly, and took no notice of Lazarus at his gate; Lu 16:19.
James 4:4
Ver. 4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses,.... Not who were literally such, but in a figurative and metaphorical sense: as he is an adulterer that removes his affections from his own wife, and sets them upon another woman; and she is an adulteress that loves not her husband, but places her love upon another man; so such men and women are adulterers and adulteresses, who, instead of loving God, whom they ought to love with all their hearts and souls, set their affections upon the world, and the things of it: the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, leave out the word "adulteresses": these the apostle addresses in the following manner;
know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? that an immoderate love for the good things of the world, and a prevailing desire after the evil things of it, and a delight in the company and conversation of the men of the world, and a conformity to, and compliance with, the sinful manners and customs of the world, are so many declarations of war with God, and acts of hostility upon him; and show the enmity of the mind against him, and must be highly displeasing to him, and resented by him:
whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God; whoever is in league with the one must be an enemy to the other; God and mammon cannot be loved and served by the same persons, at the same time; the one will be loved, and the other hated; the one will be attended to, and the other neglected: this may be known both from reason and from Scripture, particularly from Mt 6:24.
James 4:5
Ver. 5. Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain?.... Some think that the apostle refers to a particular passage of Scripture in the Old Testament, and that he took it from Ge 6:3 as some; or from Ex 20:5, as others; or from De 7:2 or from Job 5:6 or from Pr 21:10 others think he had in view some text in the New Testament; either Ro 12:2 or Ga 5:17 and some have imagined that he refers to a passage in the apocryphal book:
"For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin.'' (Wisdom 1:4)
and others have been of opinion that it is taken out of some book of Scripture then extant, but now lost, which by no means can be allowed of: the generality of interpreters, who suppose a particular text of Scripture is referred to, fetch it from Nu 11:29 but it seems best of all to conclude that the apostle has no regard to any one particular passage of Scripture, in which the following words are expressly had, since no such passage appears; but that his meaning is, the sense of the Scripture everywhere, where it speaks of this matter, is to this purpose: nor does it say this, or any thing else in vain; whatever is written there is to answer some end, as for learning, edification, and comfort, for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness; neither with respect to what is before suggested, that what is asked in a right manner, and for a right end, shall be given; and that the love of the world, and the love of God, are things incompatible; nor with respect to what follows:
the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? that is, the depraved spirit of man, the spirit of an unregenerate man; that as it is prone to every lust, and prompts to every sin, the imagination of the thought of man's heart being evil, and that continually, so it instigates to envy the happiness of others; see Ge 6:5 or this may be put as a distinct question from the other, "does the spirit that dwelleth in us lust to envy?" that is, the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the hearts of his people, as in his temple: the Ethiopic version reads, "the Holy Spirit": and then the sense is, does he lust to envy? no; he lusts against the flesh and the works of it, and envy among the rest; see Ga 5:17 but he does not lust to it, or provoke to it, or put persons upon it; nor does he, as the Arabic version renders it, "desire that we should envy"; he is a spirit of grace; he bestows grace and favours upon men; and is so far from envying, or putting others upon envying any benefit enjoyed by men, that he increases them, adds to them, and enlarges them, as follows.
James 4:6
Ver. 6. But he giveth more grace,.... The Arabic version adds, "to us"; the Ethiopic version, "to you"; and the Syriac version reads the whole thus; "but our Lord gives more grace to us"; or "greater grace"; than the world can give, whose friendship is courted by men; the least measure of grace, of faith, and hope, and love, and of a spiritual knowledge of Christ, and interest in him, and of peace, joy, and comfort, is more worth than all the world, and everything in it: or greater grace, more favours than the saints are able to ask or think; so Solomon had more favours given him than he could think of asking for: or greater grace, and larger measures of it, even of spiritual light and knowledge, under the Gospel dispensation, than under the former dispensation; or where God bestows gifts qualifying for service and usefulness, and these are made use of and employed for such purposes, he gives more: or this may refer to internal grace wrought by the Spirit of God, in the hearts of his people; more of which he may be said to give, when he causes it to abound, as to its acts and exercises; when faith grows exceedingly, hope revives, and is lively, and abounds through his power and influence, and love to God and Christ, and one another, abounds yet more and more; when there is a growth in every grace, and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, so that this grace becomes a well of living waters, springing up into eternal life, which at last will have its perfection in glory:
wherefore he saith; either the Spirit that gives more grace, or the Scripture, or God in the Scripture, in Pr 3:34,
God resisteth the proud: or scorns the scorners; he rejects them that trust in themselves that they are righteous, and despise others; that say, Stand by thyself, I am holier than thou; that are proud of themselves, their enjoyments, their gifts, their external righteousness, and holiness, and are full, and rich, and increased with goods, and stand in need of nothing; these he opposes, he sets himself against, he thrusts them away from him, he sends them away empty, and scatters them in the imagination of their own hearts; and in the things in which they deal proudly, he is above them; he sits in the heavens and laughs at them, and frustrates all their schemes:
but he giveth grace unto the humble; who are sensible of their own vileness and meanness, and acknowledge it; who think the meanest of themselves, and the best of others; and do not envy the gifts and graces of God bestowed upon others, but rejoice at them; and ascribe all they have, and are, to the free grace of God; and ingenuously confess the deficiency of their duties, and the insufficiency of their righteousness to justify them before God; and that when they have done all they can, or are assisted to do, they are but unprofitable servants: now to these God gives grace; he not only gives grace at first, to make them humble, but he gives them more grace, or increases what he gives: grace is God's gift; he gives all the grace that is in Christ, and all the blessings of grace that are in the covenant, and all the grace that is in the hearts of his people; as faith, hope, love, repentance, humility, patience, self-denial, resignation to his will, and every degree of spiritual knowledge; and grace is only his gift; men cannot give it to themselves, nor can the best of men give it to others; not godly parents to their children; nor ministers to those to whom they preach; no, nor the angels in heaven; nor is it to be obtained by the works of men: it is a free gift; it is given of the sovereign will and good pleasure of God, to whom, and when, and in what measure he pleases; to which he is not induced by any motives in men, for they have nothing in them to move him to it; and it is given by him absolutely, without conditions, not suspending it till the performance of them; and he gives it cheerfully and not grudgingly, largely, bountifully, and in great abundance.
James 4:7
Ver. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God,.... To the will of God, with respect to worldly things, and be content with such things as are enjoyed, and be satisfied with the portion that is allotted; it is right and best for the people of God to leave themselves with him, to choose their inheritance for them, since by all their anxious cares, their striving and struggling, their impatient desires, wars and fightings, as they cannot add one cubit to their stature, so nothing to their worldly substance; and it becomes them to submit to God in all afflictive dispensations of his providence, and be still and know that he is God; as well as to submit to his way and method of salvation by Christ, and particularly to the righteousness of Christ, for justification; and to depend upon him for supplies of grace in the discharge of every duty, and the exercise of every grace:
resist the devil, [and] he will flee from you; Satan is to be looked upon as an enemy, and to be opposed as such, and to be watched and guarded against; the whole armour of God should be taken and made use of, particularly the weapon of prayer, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and the shield of faith; and also the grace of humility, than which nothing is more opposite to him: he is a proud spirit, and he endeavours to swell men with pride of themselves; and when he has worked them up to such a pitch, he is then master of them, and can manage them as he pleases; but a poor humble believer, with whom God dwells, to whom he gives more grace, and who comes forth not in his own strength, but in the strength of the Lord God, as David against Goliath, and who owns his vileness and sinfulness, and flies to the grace of God, and blood of Christ, Satan knows not what to do with him, he is puzzled, baffled, and confounded; such he leaves, from such he flees; he does not like the power of prayer, nor the strength of faith, nor the sharpness of the twoedged sword, the word of God, nor the humble believer's staff, bag, scrip, and sling.
James 4:8
Ver. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you,.... This must be understood consistently with the perfection of God's immensity and omnipresence: the saints draw nigh to God when they present their bodies in his sanctuary; when they tread in his courts, and attend his ordinances; where they always find it good for them to draw nigh unto him; and blessed is the man that approaches to him in faith and fear: they draw nigh to him when they come to the throne of his grace, for grace and mercy to help them; when they draw near to him in prayer with true hearts, and lift them up with their hands to God; when in the exercise of faith and hope they enter within the vail, and come up even to his seat; and lay hold on him as their covenant God and Father; and he draws nigh to them by granting them his gracious presence, by communicating his love to them, by applying the blessings of his grace, by helping them in times of need and distress, and by protecting them from their enemies; the contrary to which is expressed by standing afar off from them. Now this is not to be understood as if men could first draw nigh to God, before he draws nigh to them; for as God first loves, so he first moves; he takes the first step, and, in conversion, turns and draws men to himself; though this does not respect first conversion, but after acts in consequence of it; nor is it to be considered as a condition of the grace and favour of God, in drawing nigh to his people, but is expressive of what is their duty, and an encouragement to it:
cleanse [your] hands, ye sinners, and purify [your] hearts, ye double minded; the persons addressed are not the profane men of the world, but sinners in Zion, formal professors, hypocritical persons; who speak with a double tongue to men, and who draw nigh to God with their mouths, but not with their hearts; who halt between two opinions, and are unstable in all their ways: cleansing of their hands and hearts denotes the purity of outward conversation, and of the inward affections; and supposes impurity both of flesh and spirit, that the body and all its members, the soul and all its powers and faculties, are unclean; and yet not that men have a power to cleanse themselves, either from the filth of an external conversation, or from inward pollution of the heart; though a man attempts the one, he fails in it; and who can say he has done the other? Job 9:30. This is not to be done by ceremonial ablutions, moral services, or evangelical ordinances; this is God's work only, as appears from his promises to cleanse his people from their sins, by sprinkling clean water upon them; from the end of Christ's shedding his blood, and the efficacy of it; and from the prayers of the saints, that God would wash them thoroughly from their iniquity, and cleanse them from their sin, and create clean hearts in them: and yet such exhortations are not in vain, since they may be useful to convince men of their pollution, who are pure in their own eyes, as these hypocritical, nominal professors, might be; and to bring them to a sense of their inability to cleanse themselves, and of the necessity of being cleansed elsewhere; and to lead them to inquire after the proper means of cleansing, and so to the fountain of Christ's blood, which only cleanses from all sin.
James 4:9
Ver. 9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep,.... Not in a bare external way; not by afflicting the body with fastings and scourgings, by renting of garments, and clothing with sackcloth, and putting ashes on the head, and other such outward methods of humiliation; but afflicting the soul is meant, an inward mourning and weeping over the plague of the heart, the impurity of nature, and the various sins of life; after a godly sort, and because contrary to a God of infinite love and grace; in an evangelical way, looking to Jesus, and being affected with the pardoning grace and love of God in Christ.
Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness; meaning their carnal joy, on account of their friendship with the world, and their enjoyment of the things of it, since they consumed them on their lusts, and which betrayed enmity to God.
James 4:10
Ver. 10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,.... Which is done, when men, before the Lord, and from their hearts, and in the sincerity of their souls, acknowledge their meanness and unworthiness, their vileness, sinfulness, and wretchedness, and implore the grace and mercy of God in Christ, as did Abraham, Jacob, Job, Isaiah, Paul, and the publican; and when they walk humbly with God, acknowledging they can do nothing without him; owning their dependence on his grace, and ascribing all they have, and are, unto it:
and he shall lift you up; this is God's usual way to lift up the meek, and exalt those that humble themselves; he lifts them from the dunghill, to set them among princes; he gives them a place, and a name in his house, better than sons and daughters; he adorns them with his grace; he clothes them with the righteousness of his Son, he grants them nearness to himself; and at last will introduce them into his kingdom and glory.
James 4:11
Ver. 11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren,.... The apostle here returns to his former subject, concerning the vices of the tongue, he had been upon in the preceding chapter, Jas 3:6, and here mentions one, which professors of religion were too much guilty of, and that is, speaking evil one of another; which is done either by raising false reports, and bringing false charges; or by aggravating failings and infirmities; or by lessening and depreciating characters, and endeavouring to bring others into discredit and disesteem among men: this is a very great evil, and what the men of the world do, and from them it is expected; but for the saints to speak evil one of another, to sit and speak against a brother, and slander an own mother's son, is barbarous and unnatural.
He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; he that is a talebearer and backbites his brother, his fellow member, and detracts from his good name and character, and takes upon him to judge his heart, and his state, as well as, to condemn his actions, he speaks evil of the law; and judges and condemns that, as if that forbid a thing that was lawful, even tale bearing and detraction, Le 19:16, or by speaking evil of him for a good thing he does, he blames and condemns the law, as though it commanded a thing that was evil; and by passing sentence upon his brother, he takes upon him the province of the law, which is to accuse, charge, convince, pronounce guilty, and condemn:
but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law; as is a duty, and would best become:
but a judge; and so such a person not only infringes the right of the law, but assumes the place of the Judge and lawgiver himself; whereas, as follows,
James 4:12
Ver. 12. There is one lawgiver,.... The Alexandrian copy, and others, and the Syriac, Ethiopic, and Vulgate Latin versions, add, "and judge". Who is the one only Lord God, Isa 33:22. This is a character that may be applied to God the Father, who gave the law to the people of Israel, both the judicial and ceremonial law, and also the moral law; from his right hand went a fiery law, and to him belongs the giving of it; and also to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus who is King of saints, and lawgiver in his house; who has given out commandments to be observed, and laws of discipline for the right ordering of his house, and kingdom, to be regarded; and particularly the new commandment of love, which is eminently called the law of Christ; and which is most apparently broke, by detraction and speaking evil one of another: now there may be inferior and subordinate lawgivers, as Judah is said to be God's lawgiver, and Moses is said to command the Jews a law; yet there is but one supreme, universal, and perfect lawgiver, who is God; and though there may be many lawgivers in things political, whose legislative power is to be obeyed, both for the Lord's sake, and for conscience sake; yet in things religious, and relating to conscience, God is the only lawgiver, who is to be hearkened unto:
who is able to save, and to destroy; this is true of God the Father, who is able to save, and does save by his Son Jesus Christ, and even persons that have broken the law he has given, and are liable to the curse and condemnation of it; and he is able to save them according to that law, in perfect consistence with it, and with his justice and holiness, since Christ, by whom he saves, was made under it, and has fulfilled it; and that Christ is mighty to save, able to save to the uttermost, is certain from the Scripture, and all experience; and God, the lawgiver, is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, for the transgressions of his law; and even Christ the Lamb is also the lion of the tribe of Judah, who will break his enemies in pieces, as a potter's vessel, and punish the contemners of his Gospel with everlasting destruction, from his presence and glory: in a word, God, the lawgiver, is sovereign, and can destroy, or save, whom he pleases; he is able to save the brother that is spoken against, and to destroy him that speaks against him:
who art thou that judgest another? another man's servant, as in
Ro 14:4 or "thy neighbour", as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read; or "the neighbour", as the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin version; that is, any brother, friend, or neighbour, in the manner as before observed in the preceding verse.
James 4:13
Ver. 13. Go to now, ye that say,.... The apostle passes from exposing the sin of detraction, and rash judgment, to inveigh against those of presumption and self-confidence; and the phrase, "go to now", is a note of transition, as well as of attention, and contains the form of a solemn and grave address to persons, who either think within themselves, or vocally express, the following words, or the like unto them:
today, or tomorrow, we will go into such a city; in such a country, a place of great trade and merchandise; as Tyre then was in Phoenicia, Thessalonica in Macedonia, Ephesus in Asia, and others: some render this as an imperative, or as an exhortation, "let us go", which does not alter the sense.
And continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain; as is customary for merchants to do; nor does the apostle design by this to condemn merchandise, and the lawful practice of buying and selling, and getting gain; but that men should not resolve upon those things without consulting God, and attending to his will, and subjecting themselves to it; and without considering the uncertainty and frailty of human life; as well as should not promise and assure themselves of success, of getting gain and riches, as if those things were in their own power, and had no dependence upon the providence and blessing of God.
James 4:14
Ver. 14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow,.... Whether there would be a morrow for them or not, whether they should live till tomorrow; and if they should, they knew not what a morrow would bring forth, or what things would happen, which might prevent their intended journey and success: no man can secure a day, an hour, a moment, and much less a year of continuance in this life; nor can he foresee what will befall him today or tomorrow; therefore it is great stupidity to determine on this, and the other, without the leave of God, in whom he lives, moves, and has his being; and by whose providence all events are governed and directed; see Pr 27:1
for what is your life? of what kind and nature is it? what assurance can be had of the continuance of it? by what may it be expressed? or to what may it be compared?
it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away; which rises out of the earth, or water, and expires almost as soon as it exists; at least, continues but a very short time, and is very weak and fleeting, and carried about here and there, and soon returns from whence it came: the allusion is to the breath of man, which is in his nostrils, and who is not to be accounted of, or depended on.
James 4:15
Ver. 15. For that ye ought to say,.... Instead of saying we will go to such and such a place, and do this, and that, and the other thing, it should be said,
if the Lord will, and we shall live, and do this and that; the last "and" is left out in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions; and the passage rendered thus, "if the Lord will, and we shall live, we will do this": so that here are two conditions of doing anything; the one is, if it should be agreeable to the determining will and purpose of God, by which everything in the world comes to pass, and into which the wills of men should be resolved, and resigned; and the other is, if we should live, since life is so very uncertain and precarious: and the sense is, not that this exact form of words should be always used, but what is equivalent to them, or, at least, that there should be always a sense of these things upon the mind; and there should be a view to them in all resolutions, designs, and engagements: and since the words are so short and comprehensive, it might be proper for Christians to use themselves to such a way of speaking; upon all occasions; we find it used by the Apostle Paul frequently, as in
Ac 18:2, and even by Jews, Heathens, and Turks. It is a saying of Ben Syra, the Jew {p},
"let a man never say he will do anything, before he says
Mvh rzwg Ma, "if God will"''
So Cyrus, king of Persia, when, under pretence of hunting, he designed an expedition into Armenia, upon which an hare started, and was caught by an eagle, said to his friends, this will be a good or prosperous hunting to us, hn yeov yelh, "if God will" {q}. And very remarkable are the words of Socrates to Alcibiades, inquiring of him how he ought to speak; says Socrates, eav yeov eyelh, "if God will" {r}; and says he, in another place {s},
"but I will do this, and come unto thee tomorrow, "if God will".''
And it is reported of the Turks {t}, that they submit everything to the divine will; as the success of war, or a journey, or anything, even of the least moment, they desire to be done; and never promise themselves, or others, anything, but under this condition, "In Shallah", if God will.
{p} Sentent. 11. {q} Xenophon. Cyropaed. l. 2. c. 25. {r} Plato in Aleibiade, p. 135. {s} Plato in Laches. {t} Smith de Moribus Turc. p. 74.
James 4:16
Ver. 16. But now ye rejoice in your boastings,.... Of tomorrow, and of the continuance of life, and of going to such a place, and abiding there for such a time, and of trading and trafficking with great success, to the obtaining of much gain and riches; see
Pr 27:1
all such rejoicing is evil; wicked and atheistical, as expressing a neglect of and independence on Providence; arrogating and ascribing too much to themselves, their power and will, as if they had their lives and fortunes in their own hands, and at their own dispose, when all depend upon the will of God. The Syriac version renders it, "all such rejoicing is from evil"; from an evil heart, and from the evil one, Satan.
James 4:17
Ver. 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,.... This may regard not only the last particular of referring all things to the will of God, the sovereign disposer of life, and all events, which some might have the knowledge of in theory, though they did not practise according to it; but all the good things the apostle had exhorted to, and the contrary to which he had warned from, in this epistle; and suggests, that a Gnostic, or one that knows the will of God, in the several branches of it, revealed in his word,
and doth it not, to him it is sin: it is a greater sin; it is an aggravated one; it is criminal in him that is ignorant of what is good, and does that which is evil, nor shall he escape punishment; but it is much more wicked in a man that knows what is right and good, and ought to be done, and does it not, but that which is evil, and his condemnation will be greater; see Lu 12:47. The omission of a known duty, as well as the commission of a known sin, is criminal.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Since all wars and fightings come from the
corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that
war in the members. Wordly and fleshly lusts are distempers, which
will not allow content or satisfaction. Sinful desires and affections
stop prayer, and the working of our desires toward God. And let us
beware that we do not abuse or misuse the mercies received, by
the disposition of the heart when prayers are granted When men
ask of God prosperity, they often ask with wrong aims and
intentions. If we thus seek the things of this world, it is just in God to
deny them. Unbelieving and cold desires beg denials; and we may
be sure that when prayers are rather the language of lusts than of
graces, they will return empty. Here is a decided warning to avoid
all criminal friendships with this world. Worldly-mindedness is
enmity to God. An enemy may be reconciled, but "enmity" never
can be reconciled. A man may have a large portion in things of this
life, and yet be kept in the love of God; but he who sets his heart
upon the world, who will conform to it rather than lose its friendship,
is an enemy to God. So that any one who resolves at all events to
be upon friendly terms with the world, must be the enemy of God.
Did then the Jews, or the loose professors of Christianity, think the
Scripture spake in vain against this worldly-mindedness? or does
the Holy Spirit who dwells in all Christians, or the new nature which
he creates, produce such fruit? Natural corruption shows itself by
envying. The spirit of the world teaches us to lay up, or lay out for
ourselves, according to our own fancies; God the Holy Spirit
teaches us to be willing to do good to all about us, as we are able.
The grace of God will correct and cure the spirit by nature in us; and
where he gives grace, he gives another spirit than that of the world.
The proud resist God: in their understanding they resist the truths of
God; in their will they resist the laws of God; in their passions they
resist the providence of God; therefore, no wonder that God resists
the proud. How wretched the state of those who make God their
enemy! God will give more grace to the humble, because they see
their need of it, pray for it are thankful for it, and such shall have it.
Submit to God, James 4:7. Submit your understanding to the truth
of God; submit your wills to the will of his precept, the will of his
providence. Submit yourselves to God, for he is ready to do you
good. If we yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us;
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but if we put on the whole armour of God, and stand out against
him, he will leave us. Let sinners then submit to God, and seek his
grace and favour; resisting the devil. All sin must be wept over;
here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord
will not refuse to comfort one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt
one who humbles himself before him.
Since all wars and fightings come from the
corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that
war in the members. Wordly and fleshly lusts are distempers, which
will not allow content or satisfaction.
All sin must be wept over;
here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord
will not refuse to comfort one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt
one who humbles himself before him.
Sources: Matthew Henry; Gill's Exposition; Matthew Henry Concise
Commentary
Commentary