great things. Behold how much matter a little fire 6 kindleth. (And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity :) so is the tongue among the members, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and 7 is set on fire of hell. Every kind both of wild beasts and of birds, both of reptiles and things in the sea, is tamed, 8 and hath been tamed by mankind. But the tongue can

no man tame: it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God even the Father, and therewith 10 curse we men, made after the likeness of God. Out of

the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My 11 brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send out of the same opening sweet water and bitter? Can a fig-tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a vine figs? 12 Neither can a fountain yield salt water and fresh.

13

Who is a wise and knowing man among you? Let him shew by a good conversation his works with meek14 ness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter zeal and strife in 15 your hearts, do not glory and lie against the truth. This

is not the wisdom which descendeth from above, but is 16 earthly, animal, devilish; For where bitter zeal and strife 17 is, there is unquietness and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits,

V. 6. A world of iniquity-Containing an immense quantity of all manner of wickedness: It defileth-As fire by its smoke: the whole body-The whole man and setteth on fire the course of nature-All the passions, every wheel of his soul.

V. 7. Every kind-The expression perhaps is not to be taken strictly. Rep. tiles-That is, creeping things.

V. 8. But no man can tame the tongue Of another; no, nor his own, without peculiar help from God.

V. 9. Men made after the likeness of God-Indeed we have now lost this likeness. Yet there remains from thence an indelible nobleness, which we ought to reverence both in ourselves and others.

V. 13. Let him shew his wisdom, as well as his faith, by his works: not by words only.

V. 14. If ye have bitter seal-True Christian zeal is only the flame of love, even in your hearts-Though it went no farther: do not lie against the truthAs if such zeal could consist with heavenly wisdom.

V. 15. This wisdom which is consistent with such zeal; is earthly-Not heavenly, not from the Father of lights: animal-Not spiritual: not from the Spirit of God: devilish-Not the gift of Christ, but such as Satan breathes into the soul.

V. 17. But the wisdom from above is first pure-From all that is earthly, natural, devilish: then peaceable-True peace attending purity, it is quiet, inoffensive; gentle-Soft, mild, yielding, not rigid; easy to be entreated-To be persuaded, or convinced, not stubborn, sour, or morose: full of good fruits -Both in the heart, and in the life, two of which are immediately specified: without partiality-Loving all, without respect of persons: embracing all good things, rejecting all evil: and without dissimulation-Frank, open.

18 without partiality, and without dissimulation. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make

peace.

CHAP. IV. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? Is it not hence, from your pleasures that 2 war in your members? Ye desire and have not, ye kill, and envy, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; yet ye 3 have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may expend it on your 4 pleasures. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity against God? Whosoever therefore desireth to be a friend of the world, 5 is an enemy of God. Do ye think, that the Scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth 6 against envy? But he giveth greater grace: therefore it saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the 7 humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God: resist the

* Prov. iii. 34.

V. 18. And the principle productive of this righteousness, is sown like good seed, in the peace of a believer's mind, and brings forth a plentiful harvest of happiness, (which is the proper fruit of righteousness,) for them that make eace-That labour to promote this pure and holy peace among all men.

CHAP. IV. Ver. 1. From whence come wars and fightings-Quarrels and jars among you, quite opposite to this peace? Is it not from your pleasures— Your desires of earthly pleasures, which war- -Against your souls, in your members?-Here is the first seat of the war. Hence proceeds the war of man with man, king with king, nation with nation.

V. 2. Ye kill-In you heart, for he that hateth his brother is a murderer. Ye fight and war-That is, furiously strive and contend. Ye ask not-And no marvel. For a man full of evil desire, of envy or hatred, cannot pray.

V. 3. But if ye do ask, ye receive not, because ye ask amiss-That is, from a wrong motive.

V. 4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses-Who have broken your faith with God, your rightful spouse: know ye not that the friendship or love of the world-The desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life, or courting the favour of worldly men, is enmity against God?-Whosoever desireth to be a friend of the world-Whosoever seeks either the happiness or favour of it, does thereby constitute himself an enemy of God-And can he expect to obtain any thing of him?

The

V. 5. Do ye think, that the Scripture saith in vain-Without good ground. St. James seems to refer to many, not any one particular scripture. Spirit of love that dwelleth in all believers, lusteth against envy, (Gal. v. 17,) is directly opposite to all those unloving tempers, which necessarily flow from the friendship of the world.

V. 6. But he giveth greater grace-To all those who shun those tempers; therefore it-The Scripture; saith, God resisteth the proud-And pride is the great root of all unkind affections.

V. 7. Therefore by humbly submitting yourselves to God, resist the devil— The father of pride and envy.

8 devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you: cleanse your hands, ye 9 sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you

up. 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 judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but 12 a judge. There is one lawgiver that is able to save and to destroy: Who art thou that judgest another?

13

Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go to such a city, and continue there a year, and traffick, 14 and get gain: Who know not what shall be on the mor

row; for what is your life? It is a vapour that appeareth 15 for a little time, and then vanisheth away: Instead of

your saying, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do 16 this or that. But now ye glory in your boastings; all 17 such glorying is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not, to him it is sin.

CHAP. V. 1. Come now, ye rich, weep and howl

V. s. Then draw nigh to God in prayer, and he will draw nigh unto you, will hear you; which that nothing may hinder, cleanse your hands-Cease from doing evil, and purify your hearts-From all spiritual adultery. Be no more double-minded, vainly endeavouring to serve both God and mammon. V. 9. Be afflicted-For your past unfaithfulness to God.

V. 11. Speak not evil one of another-This is a grand hindrance of peace. O who is sufficiently aware of it? He that speaketh evil of another, does in effect, speak evil of the law, which so strongly prohibits it. Thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge—Of it, thou settest thyself above, and as it were condemnest it.

V. 12. There is one lawgiver that is able-To execute the sentence he denounces. But who art thou-A poor, weak, dying worm.

V. 13. Come now, ye that say-As peremptorily as if your life were in your own hands.

V. 15. Instead of your saying-That is, Whereas ye ought to say.

V. 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not-That knows what is right, and does not practise it; to him it is sin-His knowledge does not prevent, but increase his condemnation.

CHAP. V. Ver. 1. Come now, ye rich-The apostle does not speak this so much for the sake of the rich themselves, as of the poor children of God, who were then groaning under their cruel oppression. Weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you-Quickly and unexpectedly. This was written not long before the siege of Jerusalem: during which, as well as after it, huge calamities came on the Jewish nation, not only in Judea, but through distant countries. And as these were an awful prelude of that wrath, which

2 for your miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are become moth3 eaten. Your gold and silver are cankered, and the canker of them will be a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh as fire; ye have laid up treasure in the last 4 days. Behold the hire of your labourers who have reaped your fields, which is kept back by you, crieth: and the cries of them who have gathered in your harvest are 5 entered into the ears of the Lord of sabbaoth. Ye have lived delicately and luxuriously on earth; ye have che6 rished your hearts, as in a day of sacrifice. Ye have condemned, ye have killed the just: he doth not resist you. 7 Be patient, therefore, brethren, till the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath patience for it, till he receives 8 the former and the latter rain. Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is nigh. 9 Murmur not one against another, brethren, lest ye be

condemned; behold the Judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who spoke in the name

was to fall upon them in the world to come, so this may likewise refer to the final vengeance, which will then be executed on the impenitent.

V. 2. The riches of the ancients consisted much in large stores of corn, and of costly apparel.

V. 3. The canker of them-Your perishing stores and moth-eaten garments, will be a testimony against you-Of your having buried those talents in the earth, instead of improving them according to your Lord's will: and will eat your Aesh as fire-Will occasion you as great torment, as if fire were consuming your flesh. Ye have laid up treasure in the last days-When it is too late, when you have no time to enjoy them.

V. 4. The hire of your labourers crieth-Those sins chiefly cry to God, concerning which human laws are silent. Such are luxury, unchastity, and various kinds of injustice. The labourers themselves also cry to God, who is just coming to avenge their cause; Of sabbaoth-Of hosts or armies.

V. 5. Ye have cherished your hearts-Have indulged yourselves to the uttermost, as in a day of sacrifice-Which were solemn feast-days among the Jews.

V. 6. Ye have killed the just-Many just men, in particular, that just one, (Acts iii. 14.) They afterwards killed James, surnamed the Just, the writer of this epistle. He doth not resist you-And therefore you are secure. But the Lord cometh quickly, ver. 8.

V.7. The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit-Which will recompense his labour and patience: till he receive the former rain-Immediately after sowing, and the latter-Before the harvest.

V. 8. Stablish your hearts-In faith and patience; for the coming of the Lord -To destroy Jerusalem, is nigh—And so is his last coming, to the eye of a believer.

V. 9. Murmur not one against another-Have patience also with each other. The Judge standeth before the door-Hearing every word, marking every thought.

V. 10. Take the prophets for an example-Once persecuted like you, even

of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of 11 patience. Behold, we count them happy that endured.

Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; for the Lord is full of compassion and 12 of tender mercy. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall under condemnation.

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any 14 cheerful? let him sing psalms. Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of 15 the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have committed sins, 16 they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, brethren, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth 17 much. Elijah was a man of like passions with us; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained

for speaking in the name of the Lord. The very men that gloried in having prophets, yet could not bear their message. Nor did either their holiness or their high commission screen them from suffering.

V. 11. We count them happy that endured-That suffered patiently. The more they once suffered, the greater is their present happiness. Ye have seen the end of the Lord-The end which the Lord gave him.

V. 12. Swear not-However provoked. The Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing, though not so much by God himself as by some of his creatures. The apostle here particularly forbids these oaths, as well as all swearing in common conversation. It is very observable how solemnly the apostle introduces this command: above all things, swear not. As if he had said, Whatever you forget, do not forget this. This abundantly demonstrates the horrible iniquity of the crime. But he does not forbid the taking of a solemn oath, before a magistrate. Let your yea be yea, and your nay nay-Use no higher asseverations in common discourse. And let your word stand firm. Whatever ye say, take care to make it good.

V. 14. Having anointed him with oil-This single, conspicuous gift, which Christ committed to his apostles, (Mark vi. 13,) remained in the church long after the other miraculous gifts were withdrawn. Indeed it seems to have been designed to remain always, and St. James directs the elders, who were the most, if not the only gifted men, to administer it. This was the whole process of physic in the Christian church, till it was lost through unbelief. That novel invention among the Romanists, extreme unction, practised not for cure, but where life is despaired of, bears no manner of resemblance to this. V. 15. And the prayer offered in faith shall save the sick-From his sickness, and if any sin be the occasion of his sickness, it shall be forgiven him.

V. 16. Confess your faults—Whether ye are sick or in health, to one another -He does not say to the elders: (this may, or may not be done; for it is no where commanded.) We may confess them to any who can pray in faith. He will then know how to pray for us, and be more stirred up so to do: and pray one for another that ye may be healed-Of all your spiritual diseases.

V. 17. Elijah was a man of like passions-Naturally as weak and sinful as we are; and he prayed-When idolatry covered the land.