bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high-priest for sin, are burnt without 12 the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us then go forth to him without the camp, bearing 14 his reproach. For we have here no continuing city; but 15 we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, the fruit of 16 our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good, and to distribute, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch over your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and 18 not with groans: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us; for we trust we have a good conscience, desiring 19 to behave ourselves well in all things. And I beseech you, to do this the more earnestly, that I may be restored to you the sooner. 20 Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, sumed, and no Jew ever ate thereof. But Christ was a sin-offering. Therefore they cannot feed upon him, as we do, who are free from the Mosaic law. V. 12. Wherefore Jesus also-Exactly answering those typical sin-offerings, suffered without the gate-Of Jerusalem, which answered to the old camp of Israel: that he might sanctify-Reconcile and consecrate to God, the peopleWho believe in him, by his own blood-Not those shadowy sacrifices, which are now of no farther use. V. 13. Let us then go forth without the camp-Out of the Jewish dispensation, bearing his reproach-All manner of shame, obloquy, and contempt for his sake. V. 14. For we have here-On earth, no continuing city-All things here are but for a moment; and Jerusalem itself was just then on the point of being destroyed. V. 15. The sacrifice-The altar is mentioned, ver. 10. Now the sacrifices: 1. Praise, 2. Beneficence: with both of which God is well pleased. V. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you-The word implies also, that lead, or guide, you; namely, in truth and holiness: and submit yourselvesGive up (not your conscience or judgment, but) your own will, in all things purely indifferent; for they watch over your souls-With all zeal and diligence, they guard and caution you against all danger, as they that must give account -To the great Shepherd, for every part of their behaviour toward you. How vigilant, then, ought every pastor to be! How careful of every soul committed to his charge! That they may do this-Watch over you, with joy, and not with groans-He is not a good shepherd, who does not either rejoice over them, or groan for them. The groans of other creatures are heard: how much more shall these come up in the ears of God? Whoever answers this character of a Christian pastor, may undoubtedly demand this obedience. V. 20. The everlasting covenant-The Christian covenant, temporary, like the Jewish, but designed to remain for ever. cation of that blood, by which this covenant was established, you, in every respect, inwardly and outwardly holy! VOL. 11. T which is not By the applimay he make 21 by the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Christ Jesus; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 22 I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, 23 for I have written a letter to you in few words. Know that our brother Timotheus is set at liberty, with whom, if he come soon, I will see you. 24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all 25 the saints. They of Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. V. 22. Suffer the word of exhortation-Addressed to you in this letter, which though longer than my usual letters, is yet contained in few words, considering the copiousness of the subject. V. 23. If he come-To me. V. 25. Grace be with you all-St. Paul's usual benediction. God apply it to our hearts! NOTES ON THE GENERAL EPISTLE TO ST. JAMES. THIS is supposed to have been written by James the son of Alpheus, the brother (or kinsman) of our Lord. It is called a general epistle, because written, not to a particular person or church, but to all the converted Israelites. Herein the apostle reproves that antinomian spirit, which had even then infected many, who had perverted the glorious doctrine of justification by faith, into an occasion of licentiousness. He likewise comforts the true believers under their sufferings, and reminds them of the judgments that were approaching. IT HAS THREE PARTS: I. The Inscription, II. The Exhortation, 1. To Patience, enduring outward, conquering inward Temp- 2. Considering the Goodness of God, To be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. And these three are, 1. Proposed, 2. Treated of at large. a. Let Hearing be joined with Practice, Particularly with bridling the Tongue, With Mercy and Purity, Without Respect of Persons, And so Faith universally with Works, b. Let the Speech be modest, c. Let Anger, with all the other Passions, be restrained, C. i. 1. 2-15. 16-19. 19-21. 22-26. 26. 27. C. ii. 1-13. 14-26. C. iii. 1-12. 13-C. iv. 1-17. C. v. 1-6. 7-12. 13-18. 19, 20. St. James. CHAP. I. 1. JAMES, a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. 2 My brethren, count it all joy, when ye fall into divers 3 temptations, Knowing that the trying of your faith 4 worketh patience. But let patience have its perfect work, 5 that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be 6 given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea, driven with 7 the wind, and tossed. For let not that man think that he 8 shall receive any thing from the Lord. A double-minded 9 man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low CHAP. I. Ver. 1. A servant of Jesus Christ-Whose name the apostle mentions but once more in the whole epistle, chap. ii. 1; and not at all in his whole discourse, Acts xv. 14, &c. or chap. xxi. 20-25. It might have seemed, if he mentioned him often, that he did it out of vanity, as being the brother of the Lord; to the twelve tribes-Of Israel; that is, to those of them that believe: which are scattered abroad-In various countries: ten of the tribes were scattered ever since the reign of Hoshea; and great part of the rest were now dispersed through the Roman empire, as was foretold, Deut. xxviii. 25, &c. xxx. 4. Greeting-That is, all blessings, temporal and eternal. V. 2. My brethren, count it all joy-Which is the highest degree of patience, and contains all the rest: when ye fall into divers temptations-That is, trials. V. 4. Let patience have its perfect work-Give it full scope, under whatever trials befal you: that ye may be perfect and entire-Adorned with every Christian grace: and wanting nothing—Which God requires in you. V. 5. If any want-The connexion between the first and following verses, both here and in the fourth chapter, will be easily discerned by him who reads them, while he is suffering wrongfully. He will then readily perceive, why the apostle mentions all those various affections of the mind. WisdomTo understand, whence and why temptations come, and how they are to be improved. Patience is in every pious man already. Let him exercise this, and ask for wisdom. The sum of wisdom, both in the temptation of poverty and of riches, is described in the 9th and 10th verses: who giveth to all—That ask aright and upbraideth not-Either with their past wickedness, or present unworthiness. : V. 6. But let him ask in faith-A firm confidence in God. St. James also both begins and ends with faith, chap. v. 15; the hindrances of which he removes in the middle part of his epistle. He that doubteth is like a wave of the sea-Yea, such are all who have not asked and obtained wisdom: driven with the wind-From without, and tossed-From within, by his own unstable ness. V. 8. A double-minded man-Who has, as it were, two souls, whose heart is not simply given up to God; is unstable-Being without the true wisdom, perpetually disagrees both with himself and others, chap. 16. V. 9. Let the brother-St. James does not give this appellation to the rich + 10 degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he 11 shall pass away. For the sun arose with a scorching heat, and withered the grass, and the flower fell off, and the beauty of its form perished: so also shall the rich 12 man fade away in his ways. Happy is the man that endureth temptation: for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath 13 promised to them that love him. Let no man who is tempted say, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be 14 tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his 15 own desire, and enticed. Then desire having conceived, bringeth forth sin; and sin being perfected, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift 17 and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the of low degree-Poor and tempted: rejoice-The most effectual remedy against double-mindedness: in that he is exalted-To be a child of God, and an heir of glory. V. 10. But the rich, in that he is made low-Is humbled by a deep sense of his true condition: because as the flower-Beautiful but transient, he shall pass away-Into eternity. V. 11. For the sun arose and withered the grass-There is an unspeakable beauty and elegance, both in the comparison itself, and in the very manner of expressing it, intimating both the certainty and the suddenness of the event. So shall the rich fade away in his ways-In the midst of his various pleasures and employments. V. 12. Huppy is the man that endureth temptation-Trials of various kinds : he shall receive the crown-That fadeth not away: which the Lord hath promised to them that love him—And his enduring proves his love: for it is love only that endureth all things. V. 13. But let no man who is tempted-To sin, say, I am tempted of GodGod thus tempteth no man. V. 14. Every man is tempted, when-In the beginning of the temptation, he is drawn away-Drawn out of God, his strong refuge, by his own desire-We are, therefore, to look for the cause of every sin, in (not out of) ourselves. Even the injections of the devil cannot hurt, before we make them our own. And every one has desires arising from his own constitution, tempers, habits, and way of life: and enticed-In the progress of the temptation, catching at the bait: so the original word signifies. V. 15. Then desire having conceived-By our own will joining therewith, bringeth forth actual sin-It does not follow, that the desire itself is not sin. He that begets a man, is himself a man: and sin being perfected-Grown up to maturity, which it quickly does, bringeth forth death-Sin is born big with death. V. 16. Do not err-It is a grievous error, to ascribe the evil, and not the good which we receive, to God. V. 17. No evil, but every good gift-Whatever tends to holiness, and every perfect gift-Whatever tends to glory, descendeth from the Father of lightsThe appellation of Father, is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows, He begat us. He is the Father of all light, material or spiritual, in the kingdom of grace and of glory: with whom is no variableness-No change in |