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 C A L V I N's 
 
 C O M M E N T A R Y 
 
 ON THE 
 
 EPISTLE of JAMES: 
 NEWLY TRANSLATED 
 
 FROLt THE 
 
 ORIGINAL LATIN. 
 
 WITH 
 
 NOTES, PRACTICAL, HISTORICAL, anj> CRITICAL. 
 
 ABERDEEN: 
 
 Printed ev J. Chalmers and Co. j 
 Avd sold Bjr A. Bkown, Bookseller, BaoADSTREET, 
 
 MDCCXCVII. 
 
zr:tWtC634&$&Q&@@§&£$tt090****acs,a 
 
 TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 IN this fhort epiftle of James, you have a fpecimen of 
 the labours of Calvin. His ftrength ofunderftanding, 
 concife manner, and nervous ftyle, occafioned no fmall 
 difficulty in tranllating this part of his Commentary into 
 Englifh. 
 
 The learned know, that difmfe fentiment is more eafily 
 tranflated than the clofe, accurate, and fentimental. — 
 Care has been taken to keep as near the original as 
 poflible ; fo far, at leaft, as the Englifh language would 
 permit. A more elegant and verbofe translation might 
 have been given ; but the great objeft with the editors 
 was, to give their author, and not themfelves : and they 
 had no hefitation to facrifice their own fame to honefty 
 and truth. If they have been miflaken in any part, let 
 it be afcribed to inability, and not to defign. They will 
 liflen with candour, to any improvements fuggefted, by 
 others better qualified, for an undertaking of this nature, 
 and receive them with gratitude. 
 
 Calvin is one of thole writers who appear a little {tiff 
 on the firft perufal : but has this fpecial recommendation— 
 that he always improves upon his readers. Some authors 
 pleafe for a moment, and are relifhed no more : but, the 
 more frequently Calvin's Commentary is perufed, the 
 fenfible reader becomes the fonder of it. He always reads 
 to his improvement, and with the greater fatisfaclioa 
 and profit. 
 
vS^j^^^^i^^S^rf 1 ^*^*^" 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 FROM the writings cf Hieronymus and Eufebius we find, 
 that this epiftle was not received by many of the aricient 
 churches, without fome degree of conteft. [i] There are even 
 fome, at this day, who hold it to be unworthy of divine au- 
 thority. For my part, as I can fee no juft caufe of rejecting it, 
 I do, therefore, embrace it without hesitation, and chearfully. 
 For, altho' the doctrine of juftification by grace appears, in the 
 fecond chapter, to be reverfed* •, we mall, however, eafily do 
 away the force of that objection in' the proper place. Again, 
 what tho' he appear more fparing in preaching the grace of 
 Chrift than is confident with the character of an apoflle : 'tis 
 not to be expected, that they all fhould handle one and the fame 
 argument. The writings of Solomon differ much from thofeof 
 David, both as to matter and ftyle. Solomon directs his view, 
 chiefly, to form the external man, and to deliver to us the pre- 
 cepts of political life : David conftantly choofcsthe fpiritual wor- 
 fliip of God, peace of conference, or the gracious pvomife of fal- 
 vation, for his theme. This difference, however, is no reafon, 
 why, in approving. the one, we fhould condemn the oilier. Even 
 among the evangelifts themfelves, there is fuch a difference in 
 difplaying the glory of Chrift, that the other three, compared 
 with John, feem hardly to poffefs the fparks of that brightnei's 
 which appears fo confpicuous in him : Mill, however, we pay 
 an equal regard to them all. Whei-efore, to me it appears 
 a fufficient reafon for receiving this epiftle as authentic, that 
 it contains nothing unworthy' of an apoftle of Chrift ; but, on 
 
 B the 
 
 * Paul sfierting " that we are juftifkd by grace — and by faith" — whereas the 
 words of James are, " Ye fee then, how that by \yorks a man is juftified, atid 
 " not by faith only," 
 
the contrary, abounds in doctrines, the utility of which extends 
 to every part of the chriftian life. Here we find eminent max- 
 ims concerning patience, prayer, the excellence of heavenly 
 doctrine, humility, the exercifes of the faints, the command of 
 the tongue, the obfervance of peace, the government of the 
 paflions, contempt of a prefent life, and many fimilar fubjects, 
 each of which we {hall difcufs in its proper place. But with 
 regard to the author of this epiftle there is greater reafon of 
 doubt. One thing is certain, that it was not James, the fon of 
 Zebedee •, for he was put to death by Herod foon after the re- 
 furrection of our Lord. The ancient fathers, in general, agree, 
 that it was one of the difciples, whofe firname was Oblias, a 
 kinfman of Chrift, who prefided over the church of Jerufalem ; 
 ixnd they are of opinion, that it is the fame James whom Paul 
 mentions, together with Peter and John, in the ii. chapter of 
 the epiftle to the Galatians ; and of whom he fays, " that they 
 4( feemed to be pillars." But, to me, it appears not at all pro- 
 bable, that one of the difciples fhould be reckoned among the 
 three pillars, and thus exalted above the other ten apoftles. I, 
 therefore, rather incline to go into this opinion, that he of whom 
 Paul there fpeaks, was James the fon of Alpheus. At the fame 
 time, however, I do not deny that there was another, the over- 
 feer of the church of Jerufalem, and one too of the number of 
 the difciples. [2] For the apoftles were not to be bound down 
 • to one place. [3] But which of the two was the writer of this 
 epiftle I will not take upon me to determine. That he, who 
 was firnamed Oblias, was a perfon of great authority among thr 
 Jews, is evident from this ; that after he had been cruelly put to 
 death by the faction of a wicked high prieft, Jofephus, without 
 hefitation, afcribes the deftruction of the city, as owing, in * 
 great rneafure, to his death. 
 
 NOTES ON THE PREFACE, 
 
 [1] Eufebius, one of the moft judicious and faithful of the 
 rodent hiftorians, divides the books which claim a divine in- 
 fpiration, into three claffes. I ft, Thofe which were univerfally 
 received by the whole church. 2dly, Such as were received by 
 a majority, but rejected by fome : and 3dly, The fpurious pro- 
 ductions. AmoYc thofe books which were received as divine 
 
 by 
 
C v ] 
 
 by a majority, but rejected by fome, are the epiftles of James 
 and Jude; the fecond and third of John; and the fecond of 
 Peter. The epiftle of James, however, was received into the 
 facred canon very early, as is evident from its being tranflated 
 into Syriac, at the fame time, with the firft epiftles of Peter 
 and of John. The evidence, that thefe three epiftles were 
 written by apoftles, no doubt, was the reafon why they were fo 
 early adopted as canonical. 
 
 The extreme caution wherewith this epiftle was received, 
 (hews us the great care of the primitive church to be thoroughly 
 fatisfied, that what they admitted as facred fcripture was af- 
 furedly written by men divinely infpired. The credulous eafily 
 admit what they wifh to be true. Aware of this propenfity, 
 like men of integrity, the firft chriftians examined again and 
 again, and permitted nothing to be received on general evidence. 
 Hence the reafon why the general epiftles were laft of all taken 
 into the facred canon. Paul's letters or epiftles were all inferib- 
 ed to particular churches or perfons ; and it was eafy to afcer- 
 tain whether fuch letters exiftcd, being in the poiTeflion of thofe 
 to whom they were tranfmitted ; and copies of the oiiginals 
 carefully preferved : whereas the epiftle of James being addrefTed 
 to chriftians at large, a confiderable time muft have elapfed be- 
 fore it could be afcertained in what particular place the original 
 was lodged, and the evidence of its authenticity collected. The 
 receiving of it, fo univerfally, after fuch a tedious, accurate, 
 and fcrupulous examination, is a ftrong proof that the primitive 
 church was fully convinced of its being genuine. 
 
 NOTE II. 
 
 [2] The opinion, that there were three of the name of James, 
 Ion j prevailed with many. James the Great ; James the Lefs ; 
 and James the Juft. Dr Cave fays this opinion is built on a fandy 
 foundation. The fcriptures evidently refer to two only of this 
 name. James the Great, the fon of Zebedee, fo called on ac- 
 count of his age. This James was put to death by Herod in the 
 44th year of our Lord. James the Lefs, called alfo James the Juft, 
 and the fame whom Calvin alludes to by the name of Oblias, 
 was the author of this epiftle. He lived about eighteen years 
 later than the other James, and wrote his epiftle a little before 
 the deftru£tion of Jerufalem. He is fuppofed to have been the 
 fon of Alpheus, by a relation of the Virgin Mary, a niece of 
 Zacharias, John the Baptift's father. His mother, who was 
 
 B 2 alio 
 
C vi ] . 
 
 alio called Mary, after the death of her firft hufband, becaius 
 wife to Jofeph the Carpenter, before his efpoufals to the Virgin-, 
 and James, though called the fon of Alpheus, remotely, after 
 the manner of the Jews, was, probably, the real fon of Jofeph, 
 and one of thofe four fons whom he raifed up to his deceafed 
 kinfman. This opinion is belt fupported by the words of fcrip- 
 ture$ Matth. xii-i. 55. where the infpired writer lends us to be- 
 lieve, that James was the fon of Jofeph, in the fame literal and 
 natural fenfe, in which we are to underfttmd Mary to have been 
 the mother of Chrift. His rending in Jofeph's hnufe along with 
 Jofes, Simon, and Jude, and making one of the family, ftrongly 
 fupports this opinion. 
 
 NOTE III. 
 
 [3] In the primitive church there were apoftles, ciders, and 
 brethren It was the peculiar office of an apoftle, ift, To teftify 
 of the refurre&ion of Chrift. For this purpofe, it behoved him 
 to have feen the Lord, either in the flem, as in the cafe of the 
 eleven apoftles ; or in vifion, as in Paul's cafe, who appears to 
 have had no perfonal acquaintance of the Mefliah, when he 
 dwelt on earth. 2d, To confer the gifts of the Holy Ghoft by 
 the impofition of hands. That this power was peculiar to the 
 apoftles, is evident from the cafe of the Samaritans ; for though 
 on Philip's preaching and their believing, he baptized them, yet 
 he could not confer on them the Holy Ghoft. Luke exprefsly 
 affirms, that the Holy Ghoft had not fallen upon any of them, 
 till, the apoftles. at Jerufalem hearing of Philip's fuccefs, fent 
 dewn Peter and John into Samaria; and that after they had 
 prayed and laid their hands on thefe new converts, immediately 
 they received the Holy Ghoft. To this power, our Saviour al- 
 ludes in the xxiv. of Luke, and 29th verie, emphatically called 
 power from on high. It is the fame word by which David, in 
 the ex. pfalm, 2d verfe, had foretold the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 
 We tranflate it the " Rod of ChriJTsJrength ;" but it was better 
 rendered, in the old translation, " the rod of his power." This 
 power of conferring the gift of the fpirit, is what Paul parti- 
 cularly mentions,, as the moft diftinguifhing proof of his apoftle- 
 fliip, 1 Cor. ix. 2. Of all the other gifts of the Holy Ghoft, 
 this was. the leaft liable to fufpicion, and impoffible to be coun- 
 terfeited. 3d, The apoftles, for the moft part, were not ftati- 
 onary in the exercife of their ofhee ; but frequently travelled 
 •from place to place, planting and confirming the churches, and 
 
 can- 
 
C vii J 
 
 confening the gift of the Holy Ghoft: whereas the difciples were 
 more confined in the functions of their office ; though not al- 
 ways rcitri£ted to one place. 
 
 The elders, or difciples, were next in rank to the apoftles : 
 they were fuch as had accompanied with Chriit from the be- 
 ginning of his miniftry, heard his doctrine, faw his miracles, 
 converfed with him, after he rofe from the dead ; and on whom 
 the Holy (5hoftfcll atPentecoft, without the laying on of hands. 
 Among the Jews, there were the elders of the people, and the 
 elders of the city, men of age and experience. In analogy to 
 this, it is probable, that thole chriftians who had been the oldeft 
 difciples of Chriit, and hereby had the advantages of being 
 well acquainted with his doctrine, miracles, and hiftory, were 
 {tiled elders in the church, and frequently officiated as public 
 teachers. Such were the elders Paul commanded Titus to or- 
 dain at Crete. The lirft miniftersof the gofpel, and the deacons 
 of the church were chofen from among them. Theii labours, 
 however, were much more limited than the labours of the 
 apoftles, nor were they of equal authority in the church. True, 
 indeed, the eleven apoftles and Matthias were eMers *, though 
 there were elders who were not apoftles. Peter exprefsly calls 
 himfelf an elder in his lirft epiftle, chap. v. and fo does John. 
 Yet it is remarkable of Paul, that he never ftiles himfelf an 
 elder ; even when giving himfelf the greateft weight, he only 
 calls himfelf Paul the Aged. Paul was not of the hundred and 
 ity en whom the Holy Ghoft fell at Pentecoft, nor had he 
 accompanied with Chriit as they had done; therefore, itriclly 
 fpeaking, was net an elder, but an apoitle born out of due 
 feafon. i 
 
CALVIN's COMMENTARY 
 
 ON THE 
 
 EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 JAMES, [i] a fervant of God, and of the Lord Jefus 
 Chrift, to the twelve tribes which are fcattered abroad, 
 greeting. 
 
 To the twelve tribes.'] When 
 the ten tribes were carried a- 
 way into captivity, the king of 
 Afiyria fettled them in different 
 parts of his dominions. [2] — 
 Afterwards, as ufually happens 
 in the revolutions of kingdoms, 
 which, in ancient times, were 
 frequent, it is probable, that 
 they were often feparated, and 
 removed from one place to a- 
 nother. — The Jews, indeed, 
 had been fcattered up and down 
 in almoft all the regions of the 
 world. Thofe of them, there- 
 
 fore, whom he could not ad- 
 drefs by fpeech and face to face, 
 becaufe they were far and wide- 
 ly difperfed, he now exhorts 
 by letter. And the reafon why 
 he treats not on the fubjecl: o£ 
 the grace of Chrift, and faith in 
 him, appears to be this; that he 
 was addreffing himfelf to thofe 
 who had been already properly 
 eftablifhed in the firft principles 
 by others ; fo that information 
 on points of doctrine was not 
 fo necefiary to them, as ani- 
 mated exhortations to practice. 
 
 2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into 
 divers temptations. 
 
 2. Count it all joy, .] The firft 
 exhortation is, that they fhould 
 meet, with joy, the temptati- 
 
 ons by which their faith is tried. 
 At that time, it was a pri- 
 mary and eflentially neceffary 
 
 ob- 
 
13 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 object, that the Jews, almoft 
 overwhelmed svith calamities, 
 fhould be fupported and corn- 
 foiled. For fo infamous was 
 the name of the nation, that 
 they were hated and contem- 
 ned by all people, whitherfo- 
 cver they came. — And dill 
 more miierable was the condi- 
 tion of the chriftians, who had 
 the Gentiles of their own kind- 
 red for their bittereft foes. : — 
 This exhortation, however, is 
 not fo peculiarly appropriated 
 to any one particular period, 
 but that it may be ufeful to the 
 faithful in every other j for 
 their life is a conftant warfare 
 while on earth. But, in order 
 the better to comprehend its 
 meaning, we obferve, that by 
 the word, temptations, we are, 
 undoubtedly, to underftand ad- 
 verfity, or the hardfhips and 
 afRkdons of life, for thefe are 
 trials of our obedience towards 
 God. He enjoins the faithful, 
 then, " to count it all joy," 
 when they are exercifed with 
 calamities : and not only when 
 they fall into one temptation, 
 but into more ; not only, when 
 they are of one kind, but when 
 they are manifold and various. 
 And furely, forafmuch as thefe 
 trials have a tendency to mor- 
 tify the flefh, the vices of which 
 are continually fpringing up in 
 us ■■, fo, for that reafon, it is 
 neceffary that they mould be 
 frequently repeated. Nor is it 
 to be wondered at, that as our 
 
 difeafes are various, fo the re* 
 medies applied for their cure 
 fhmild alfo be various : and 
 hence, becaufe the vices of am- 
 bition, of avarice, of envy, of 
 gluttony, of the immoderate 
 love of this world, and the 
 innumerable other lufts with 
 which we abound, cannot be 
 cured by one and the fame me- 
 dicine, the Lord vifits us with 
 manifold and various afflictions. 
 When he requires them " to 
 " count it all joy, Sec." it is, 
 as if he had faid, that fuch 
 temptations were fo far to be 
 accounted profitable, as to be 
 really the fubjecl matter of re- 
 joicing : in fine, it fignifies that 
 there is nothing in afflictions 
 which ought to difturb our joy. 
 And thus he not only enjoins 
 to bear adverfity with quietnefs 
 and equanimity , but teaches that 
 there is reafon why the faithful 
 fhould rejoice, even when hard 
 prcfied by calamities. There 
 is no doubt, but the conftituti- 
 on of our nature is fuch, that 
 any trial or affliction will affect, 
 us with pain and forrow ; nor 
 can any of us fo far diveft our- 
 felves of our natural feelings, 
 as when v/e fenfibly experience 
 evil, not to grieve m\d be fad. 
 But this is no reafon why the 
 children of God, under the 
 direction of the Spirit, may 
 not rife above all the pains of 
 the flefh : and hence it is, that 
 even in the midft of forrow, 
 they need not ceafe to rejoice. 
 3. Know- 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES; Jti 
 
 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh 
 patience. 
 
 3. Knowing this, tec. ~\ Hence 
 we fee why he calls adverfe 
 circumftances in life, or afflic- 
 tions, temptations ; namely be- 
 caufe they ferve for the trying 
 of our faith : this caufe is here 
 affigned for the confirmation of 
 the foregoing fentence. For 
 it might be objected ; how is 
 it poffible we mould account 
 that joyous or pleafant, which 
 to our natural fenfes is grievous 
 and bitter ? In anfwer to this, 
 he fhews that 'tis on account 
 of the effect of afflictions, we 
 ought to rejoice in them, be- 
 caufe they produce patience, 
 which is a fruit of high price. 
 Since God, then, by thefe, 
 provides for our future welfare 
 and falvation, he certainly fur- 
 nifhes us with jufl ground of 
 rejoicing. Peter ufes the fame 
 argument near the beginning 
 of his firft epiftle, chap. i.<5. 7. 
 " Though now for a feafon, if 
 " need be, ye are in heavincfs 
 " thro' manifold temptations ; 
 " that the trial of your faith 
 " being much more precious 
 " than of gold that perifheth, 
 " tho' it be tried with fire, 
 M might be found unto praife, 
 <( and honour and glorv, at the 
 " appearing of Jefus Chrift." 
 Certainly, it is on this account 
 
 that we dread difeafcs, pover- 
 ty, banifhment, imprisonment, 
 difgrace and death, becaufe we 
 account them to be evils : but 
 when we come to underftand, 
 that by the goodnefs of God 
 they are converted into the 
 means of our falvation, it would 
 be ungrateful in us to repine 
 when vifited with them ; or ra- 
 ther, not voluntarily to prefent 
 ourfelves as the fubjects of fuch 
 fatherly treatment. Paul, in 
 his v. chapter to the Romans, 
 and 3d verfe, fays, " we glo- 
 ry" on account of that, which 
 James here bids us rejoice 
 in : " we glory in tribulation 
 <c alfo, knowing that tribulati- 
 fC on worketh patience*," altho' 
 whatPaul immediately fubjoins 
 — " and patience experience," 
 feems to be contrary to the 
 words of James. For Paul puts 
 experience in the third place as 
 the effect of patience, which 
 James places before it as the 
 caufe ; " the trying of your 
 '* faith, fays he, worketh pa- 
 " patience." The folution is 
 eafy. James ufes a word in an 
 active feafe •,* and fays, " the 
 " trying of your faith worketh 
 " patience j" becaufe, if the 
 Lord were not to try and ex- 
 amine us, but leave us alto- 
 C gether 
 
 * James ufes the word Aox/.uiov, Exploratio, a fcarch, a trying, or a making 
 trial — Pari ufes the word Away, Expericntia, experience, or a practical know- 
 ledge. 
 
(W 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 gether at our eafe and in com- 
 fort, there would be no need 
 of patience, or of fortitude of 
 mind in enduring calamities ; 
 Paul, on the other hand, ufcs 
 a word in a paflive fenfe, and 
 means, when he fays, " pa- 
 ** tience worketh experience," 
 that while thi*o' patience we 
 overcome evils, we experience 
 the happy effect of God's power 
 and affiftance in our ftruggle 
 with thefe calamities ; for then 
 the truth is more immediately 
 tlifplayed, that he is a pre- 
 fent help in time of need : and 
 hence our confidence and hope 
 in him for the future, are in- 
 creafed ; for our faith in the di- 
 vine truth becomes more firm, 
 the more we have experienced 
 it. Paul's doctrine then is this, 
 
 that from fuch an experience 
 of divine grace, hope fprings 
 up : not, that it then has its 
 firll commencement, but that 
 it is thus increafed and con- 
 firmed. Both, however, mean 
 that adverfity furnifhes ground 
 and opportunity for the exer- 
 cife of patience. Our minds, 
 however, are not naturally fo 
 conftituted that affliction mould 
 work in them patience. But 
 Paul and James do not fo much 
 point at what the nature of man 
 is, in this refpect, as they do at 
 the providence of God, which 
 fo orders it, that the faithful 
 learn patience from afflictions ; 
 altho' the ungodly by them are 
 more and more incited to out- 
 rage and fury ; as the cafe o f 
 Pharaoh witnefTeth. 
 
 4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may 
 be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 
 
 4. But let patience have her 
 perfeB work.'] Forafmuch as 
 generous and worthy feelings 
 often arife in the mind, and 
 immediately die away again, he 
 therefore requires conftancy : 
 this, fays he, will be the true 
 patience which fnall endure to 
 the end : for work is here taken 
 for the effect. Not only mull 
 we be fuperiof in one ccnteft, 
 but perfevere thro' the whole 
 of life. The perfection here men- 
 tioned may have a refpect alfo 
 to fincerity of mind, and im- 
 ply, that mankind fhould cflcr 
 
 themfelves freely and not feigu- 
 edly to God : but as the word 
 work is added, I choofe rather 
 to explain it as meaning conf- 
 tancy. For there ai-e many, 
 as we have already faid, who 
 at the fir it difplay an heroic 
 magnanimity in the chriltian 
 warfare, but in a fhort time are 
 fatigued and worn out : where- 
 fore, he enjoins thofe, who 
 would be pcrfeSi and entire, to 
 perfevere to the utmoft. By 
 thefe two words, viz. " per- 
 fect and entire," he points out 
 what he immediately explains, 
 
 that 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES.' 
 
 '3 
 
 that is, thofe who faint not nor of patience, will gradually re- 
 are weary: for fuch as become lax in their exertions, and at 
 aifpirited imdfail in the cxercife length give up the conteft. 
 
 5. If any of you lack wifdom, let him afk of God, that 
 giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not j and it 
 ihail be given him. 
 
 c". If any of you lack wifdom.'] 
 Forafmuch as our reafon and 
 all our feelings recoil at the 
 thoughts of happinefs in ad- 
 verfity ; therefore, the apoflle 
 enjoins it as our duty to afk of 
 God, that he would endow us 
 with this wifdom : for I con- 
 fine the meaning of the word 
 wifdom to the circumftances of 
 the prefent pafiage ; as if he 
 had laid, if this doclrine be a- 
 bove your capacities, pray earn- 
 estly to God, that he would il- 
 luminate you by his holy Spirit. 
 For as this consideration alone 
 is fufficient to mitigate any bit- 
 ternefs of calamity whatever, 
 namely, that what is difagree- 
 able to the flefh is falutary to 
 the foul ; fo, unlefs we be fup- 
 ported by fuch kind of comfort, 
 we mufl of neceflity be over- 
 come by impatience. Thus we 
 fee that God does not require 
 of us thofe things which are 
 above our Itrength, without 
 being alfo ready to afiiit us, if 
 we afk him. Wherefore, as 
 foon as he lays any command- 
 ment upon us, let us learn to 
 alk of him the power to perform 
 it. But, altho' in this place, 
 wifdom means the fubmiflion 
 
 of ourfelves to God in enduring 
 calamities, after having duly 
 weighed that he directs all 
 things, in their iffue, to our 
 happinefs ; yet the fentence 
 may be applied to wifdom, con- 
 sidered in every point of view. 
 But why does he fay, " if any 
 " one," as if all did not lack ? 
 I anfwer, that all, indeed, na- 
 turally lack*, but that fome have 
 been gifted with a fpirit of pru- 
 dence, which others want. — • 
 Since then all have not made 
 fuch a progrefs, as to be able to 
 rejoice in affliction, but only 
 the few to whom this hath been 
 given ; James, therefore, ad- 
 dresTes himfelf to thofe who had. 
 not attained to this perfuafion — 
 that by afflictions the Lord pro- 
 motes our happinefs, and ad- 
 moniihes them to alk that they 
 might obtain the gift of this 
 wifdom. And indeed it is not 
 to be doubted, but that necef- 
 fity would teach all to alk the 
 fame ; for even he, who hath 
 made a considerable progrefs, 
 is (till at a great distance from 
 the goal ; but it is one thing to 
 afi: an increafe, and another tc> 
 afk a beginning. When he en- 
 joins us to afk of the Lord, he 
 C 2 points. 
 
CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 points out to us, that 'tis he 
 alone, who is able to heal our 
 difeafes and fuccour our necef- 
 fities. Who giveth to all liberally; 
 he means to all who afk •, for 
 thofe who do not feek a remedy 
 for their wants deferve to perifh 
 in them. The general form of 
 his addrefs has great weight in 
 it ; by which he invites each 
 and all of us without excepti- 
 on; and, therefore, no one 
 fhould deprive himfelf of fo 
 great a bleffing. To this a pro- 
 inife is immediately annexed. 
 For, as by this command he 
 points out what the nature of 
 every one's duty is •, fo he af- 
 firms, that if they do what he 
 commands, they fhall not la- 
 bour in vain; agreeable to what 
 our Saviour fays, " knock, and 
 it fhall be opened:" and the 
 
 word liberally denotes his rea- 
 
 dinefs to give. Thus, Paul, 
 
 in the xii. chap, to the Romans, 
 
 ver. 8. requires from the dea- 
 cons liberality: " he that giveth, 
 
 « let him do it with fimplicity, 
 
 *< or, liberally ; and in the viii. 
 
 and ix. chapters of his fecond 
 
 cpiftlc to the Corinthians, treat- 
 
 6. But let him afk in faith, [3] nothing wavering: for he 
 that wavereth is like a wave of the fea, driven with the 
 wind and tolled. 
 
 ing of alms, he frequently re- 
 peats the fame words. The 
 fenfe then is, that God is fo 
 readily inclined to give, that 
 he neither reje&s nor contu- 
 melioufly puts off any one: not 
 like fome penurious clofe-fifted 
 mortals, who beftow but little, 
 and with an ill will, and, as it 
 were a half fhut hand ; or who 
 retrench from what they were 
 about to give, or debate long 
 with themfelves, whether they 
 fhall give it or not. And up- 
 braideth not. He adds this, that 
 no one may be afraid to ap- 
 proach God frequently; The 
 moft liberal of men, if repeat- 
 edly folicited for affiftance, will 
 remind us of their former bene- 
 factions, and fo excufe them- 
 felves for the future ; hence we 
 are afhamed to importune any 
 man, however liberal, with too 
 frequent requefts. But James 
 puts us in mind, that there is 
 no difpofition in the divine 
 Being to upbraid — that he is 
 always ready to add new bene- 
 fits to the former, and to give 
 without meafure or end. 
 
 6. But let him ajk in faith.'] 
 Firlt he teaches the right way 
 of afking : for as we cannot 
 open the mouth in prayer, but 
 through the medium of words, 
 
 fo, before we open our mouth 
 in prayer, we ought to believe. 
 By prayer we teftify that we 
 expect from God the grace 
 which he has promifed ; but if 
 
 any 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 x 5 
 
 any one has not faith in his 
 promifes, he prays as a hypo- 
 crite. Hence, alfo, we learn 
 what true faith is : as foon as 
 James hath directed us to afk 
 in faith, he adds this explanation 
 %t nothing wavering." Faith, 
 then, is that principle, which, 
 relying on the promifes of God, 
 gives us the aflurance of what 
 we afk ; whence it follows, 
 that it is conjoined with a con- 
 fidence in, and certainty of the 
 divine love towards us. The 
 word ufed, in the original, pro- 
 perly fignifies to enquire, or, 
 after the manner of difputants, 
 to fearch diligently on both 
 fides. He would, then, have 
 us to be fo fully perfuaded in 
 our own minds of the certainty 
 of what God hath prornifed, as 
 by no means to entertain doubt, 
 whether we (hall be heard or 
 not. For he that wavereth. By 
 this figure of fpeech, he ele- 
 gantly points out the manner 
 in which God punifhes the in- 
 fidelity of thofe who doubt con- 
 cerning his promifes. They in- 
 wardly torture themfelves by 
 their own inquietude ; for no 
 where can they have peace or 
 
 reft to their fouls, but while 
 they rely on the truth of God. 
 At length he concludes, that 
 they who waver are unworthy 
 to obtain any favour from God. 
 This paffage is remarkably well 
 calculated to refute that popifh 
 doctrine, which, thro' the whole 
 of their church, is held facred 
 as an oracle j namely, that wV 
 are to pray doubtingly, and, 
 with an uncertain belief of fuc- 
 cefs. But let us hold this prin- 
 ciple, that our prayers are not 
 heard by God, unlefs we pray 
 in the full confidence of obtain- 
 ing what we afk: 'tis impoffible, 
 indeed, but that, in this infir- 
 mity of the flefh, we mufl be 
 harrafTed by various temptati- 
 ons, which are as engines to 
 fhakc our faith. Nor will any 
 one be found, who, in his car- 
 nal man, would not totter and 
 tremble under them : but fuch 
 temptations muft at length be 
 overcome by faith : as the tree, 
 which hath itruck its roots deep 
 and firm in the earth, is fhaken 
 indeed by the violence of die 
 wind, yet is not torn up, but 
 continues fixed and firm in its 
 place. 
 
 7. For let not that man think that he fhall receive any 
 thing of the Lord. 
 
 8. A double minded man is unflable in all his ways. 
 
 8. A double minded man.~\ — 
 This fentence inay be confider- 
 ed in a feparate fenfe, and as 
 
 fpoken of hypocrites, in general: 
 I am rather, however, inclined 
 to confider it as the conclu- 
 
 fion 
 
i6 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 fion of the foregoing doctrine. 
 Thus, there will be a tacit an- 
 tithefis between the open, rea- 
 dy, and conftant beneficence of 
 the Deity, and the contra6ted 
 and unliable difpofition of man. 
 For, as God bellows his gifts 
 on us liberally and with an open 
 hand ; fo, on our part, it be- 
 comes us to receive them with 
 
 a grateful and open heart. He 
 fay?, then, that the unbeliev- 
 ing, whofe paths are crooked, 
 are unliable, becaufe they keep 
 not in view one and the fame 
 object ; but are at one time 
 elated with confidence in the 
 fleth, at another are funk in the 
 depths of defpair. 
 
 9. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that hi 
 exalted : . , 
 
 is 
 
 o. Let the brother of _ low de- 
 gree rejoice.'] As Paul, when 
 he exhorts fervants to bear their 
 lot with patience, propofes to 
 them this confolation, that they 
 were God's freemen, liberated 
 by his grace from the miferable 
 fervitude of fatan ; and admo- 
 nilhes the free born to remem- 
 ber that they were the fervants 
 of God : fo our author, in the 
 fame fenfe, enjoins thofe of 
 low degree to glory in this, that 
 they were adopted into the 
 number of the fons of God j 
 and the rich to rejoice, that 
 from an effectual conviction of 
 the vanity of this world, they 
 had been brought to a regular 
 and orderly deportment. He 
 defires the former to be content 
 with their humble and low con- 
 dition, and forbids the latter 
 to be high minded ; reminding 
 them, that this is our higheft 
 and incomparable dignity, that 
 
 we are admitted into the fociety 
 of angels, yea, made joint heirs 
 with Chrill. Thofe who fet a 
 proper value on this great kind- 
 nefs of God, will lightly efteera 
 all other things. Therefore, 
 neither poverty, nor contempt, 
 nor nakednefs, nor hunger, nor 
 third, (hall fo diltra& their 
 minds, but they may fupport 
 themfelves with this confola- 
 tion — fince the Lord hath be- 
 llowed on me the chief good, 
 it becomes me to bear the want 
 of inferior bleflings with refig- 
 nation and a patient mind. In 
 this fenfe it is that " the bro- 
 " ther of low degree, ought to 
 " rejoice in that he is exalted :" 
 becaufe, if he is acceptable to 
 God — in his adoption alone, 
 he hath fufficiently abundant 
 ground of confolation, and need 
 net grieve beyond meafure in 
 an inferior or adverfe condition 
 of life. 
 
 1: But 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 »7 
 
 10. But the rich, in that he is made low: becaufe as 
 the flower of the grafs he fhall pafs away. 
 
 I o . But the rich, in that he is 
 maa'e /ow.~\ He has put the 
 fpecles here for the genus*. — 
 For this exhortation hath a re- 
 fpe£l to all who are exalted 
 either in honour, or by nobili- 
 ty, or other external circum- 
 ftances. He enjoins them to 
 " glory in their being made 
 ** low," or in their meannefs, 
 that he may check the proud 
 and high minded, who are 
 wont to be too much elated in 
 profperity. Moreover he de- 
 fines it a ft being made low," 
 becaufe the kingdom of God 
 revealed ought to lead us to a 
 contempt of the world ; that 
 we may know, that all things, 
 which we held in high eftima- 
 tion before, are lefs than noth- 
 ing and vanity. For Chrill, 
 who hath declared himfelf, in 
 an efpecial manner, the guide 
 of little children, efFectually 
 crufiies all carnal pride by his 
 dodlrine. Therefore, left the 
 rich fhould be carried away by 
 the vain joy of the world, let 
 them accuftom themfeives to 
 glory in the deftruction of their 
 
 carnal excellence. Becaufe, as 
 a flower of the grafs, he Jhall pafs 
 away, j If any be of opinion, 
 that James here alludes to the 
 words of Ifaiah, (xl. 6.) 1 do 
 not oppofe them, but I will 
 not grant that he cites the words 
 of the prophet as any tevtimony 
 in confirmation of his doctrine; 
 for Ifaiah fpeaks not of the good 
 things of fortune and the fleet- 
 ing fafhion of the world alone ; 
 but of the whole man, the 
 foulf as well as the body ; 
 whereas James treats only con- 
 cerning the pomp of wealth or 
 worldly good things- — The 
 fum is, that glorying in riches, 
 which make to themfeives wings 
 and fly away, is foolifh and 
 prepoflerous. — Philofophers 
 teach the fame doctrine ; but 
 it is like telling a ftory to a deaf 
 man, until the Lord open the 
 ear to understand the everlaft- 
 ing duration of the heavenly 
 kingdom. Therefore, he ufes 
 the word brother in the 9th ver. 
 meaning that we are not pre- 
 pared for this doctrine, until 
 we have been adopted into the 
 num- 
 
 * Genus is a logical term which comprehends under it many Species. Thus the 
 Word animal denotes a genus which comprehends under it many fpecies, or different 
 clafTes of living creatures. But richts, which include in them one fpecies of gieat- 
 refs, are here put by James for worldly honours, nobility and every other cir- 
 cumfhnce which exalt and dignify. 
 
 f What Ifaiah and Calvin both teach is — the vanity of all men in themfeives, 
 not only in refpett of the body, or any thing that adorns it ; but alfo in refpect of 
 the endowments of the mind, as wifdom, courage, and eloquence ; lor man in 
 the mkifl of all thsfc is fading like the grafs and nailttu away. 
 
i8 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 to be read *o g ut~{. without the 
 diphthong, i. e. he mall pafs 
 away in his wealth, or with his 
 wealth. 
 
 number of the children of God. 
 Altho' the reading hraic *<>?««<?,* 
 is received •, yet I agree with 
 Erafmus, that it ought rather 
 
 il. For the fun is nofooner rifen with a burning heat, 
 but it withereth the grafs, and the flower thereof falleth 
 and the grace of the fafliion of it penfheth : fo alio ihail 
 the rich man fade away in his ways. 
 
 12. Bleffed is the man that endureth temptation: for 
 when he is tried, he fhall receive the crown of life, which 
 the Lord hath promifed to them that love him. 
 
 12. Blejfcdis the tnan.~\ After 
 he has, by adminiftrating due 
 confolation, mitigated the grief 
 of thofe who experience hard- 
 fhips and calamities in this 
 world, on the one hand •, and 
 humbled the pride of the great 
 on the other-, he now concludes 
 that happy are the perfons who 
 endure affliction and other trials 
 withfuch magnanimity as to rife 
 fuperior to them. The word 
 temptation may indeed be taken 
 in a different fenfe, namely, 
 for thofe flinging paflions which 
 inwardly dii quiet the mind. — 
 But, in my opinion, he means, 
 here, to extol fortitude in bear- 
 ing adveruty. Altho' it may 
 feem a paradox, that, thofe 
 who enjoy every thing they 
 could with for in'this world, are 
 not happy, as they commonly 
 
 are thought to be •, but thofe, 
 only, who are not overcome by 
 calamities. For when he is tricd^ 
 <&'c] He gives the reafon of 
 the foregoing aifertion ; for 
 the crown follows the conteft. 
 If, then, to obtain a crown in 
 the kingdom of God be the 
 higheft happinefs, it follows of 
 confequence, that the trials, 
 wherewith God excrcifes us, 
 are the furtherances of our hap- 
 pinefs. Thus he argues from 
 the end propofed by calamities, 
 or from their effect. Whence 
 we conclude, that the reafon 
 
 why 
 
 the faithful are haiaffed 
 with fo many evils is, that 
 their piety and obedience may 
 become the more confpicuous ; 
 and that they may be at length 
 prepared to receive the crown 
 of life. But the reafcning of 
 thofe 
 
 In his ways, y\z. thinking that he is rich, and, therefore. 
 
 * Ev tcoV CT9p««if . in nis ways, \i*. hj—-"^ —-- — -- - - > , . 
 
 happy in his own judgement. Derek, the Hebrew word which Is tendered by th.s 
 frequently refers to an opinion of the mind, the way in which the nrnnd operate. 
 3ES i f «If. In his wealth-oraelual poffeflions. Thus, whatever he may 
 think « wha ever he may enjoy of this world, death foon fweeps htm away. 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 10 
 
 thofe is vain, who infer from 
 this, that the crown is merited 
 by the conteft. For as God has, 
 of his g r ace, appointed it for us, 
 the enduring of temptations only 
 jits us to receive it. — As to 
 what he adds, " that it ispro- 
 " mifed to thofe who love 
 ** God;" by fo exprefTmghim- 
 felf, he does not afTert that the 
 love of man is the caufe ; for 
 
 we love God, bccaufe he nrft 
 loved us — he only means, that 
 thofe alone approve themfelves 
 the eleft of God, who love him; 
 while at the fame time he puts 
 us in mind, that thcfe who love 
 God (hall conquer all tempta- 
 tions; and that it is only on this 
 account, bccaufe the love of the 
 world prevails, that we faint in, 
 our minds when we are tempted. 
 
 13. Let no man fay when he is tempted, lam tempted 
 of God : for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither 
 tempteth he any man. 
 
 13. Let no man fay when he is 
 tempted, <&Y.] Here, it is plain, 
 he begins to treat of tempta- 
 tions of a different kind. 'Tis 
 well known that thofe outward 
 temptations, of which only, 
 he has hitherto made men- 
 tion, come immediately from 
 the hand of God. In this fenfe 
 God tempted Abraham, and 
 daily tempts us ; that is, he 
 makes trial of the qualities of 
 our hearts, by furnifhing us 
 with an opportunity of difclof- 
 ing them. But to draw forth to 
 \ r iew the fecrets of the heart, 
 and to flir up in it perverfe 
 and wicked pailions, are very 
 different things. Here, then, 
 he treats of internal tempta'd- 
 ens, or of thofe inordinate ap- 
 petites which incite us to tranf- 
 greflion : and, with- great juf- 
 tice, denies God to be the 
 author of thefe ; for they flow 
 from- onv own carnal corrup- 
 
 tion. This is ?. very neceiTary 
 admonition ; for nothing is 
 more common among mankind, 
 than to transfer to others the 
 blame of the evils which they 
 themfelves have done ; and ef- 
 pecially they think themfelves 
 then moft free from blame, if 
 they can turn it upon God — - 
 This muffling artifice, handed 
 down to us from the firft man, 
 we are too careful to imitate : 
 for this reafon, James calls 
 upon each of us to confefs his 
 own guilt, and not to lay the 
 charge upon God, as if he 
 tempted us to fin. But many 
 paffages of fcripture feem to 
 oppofe the fentiment in this 
 verfe, which inform us, that 
 mankind are " given over to 
 " blindnefs of mind by God, 
 " and to a reprobate mind, and 
 *' to vile and unlawful affec- 
 " lions." I anfwer, that, 'tis 
 probable, James was induced,- 
 D on 
 
a* 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 on this very account, to aflcrt 
 that we are not tempted of 
 Cod, becaufe the wicked, for 
 a pretext, arm themfelves with 
 the teftimony of fcripture. — 
 But there are two things to he 
 obferved here. — When the 
 fcriptures afcribe blinding the 
 mind or hardening the heart to 
 God, they neither impute the 
 commencement of thefe to him, 
 nor make him the author of 
 evil, fo as that he fhould be in 
 any fenfe liable to blame. And 
 on thefe two alone James in- 
 fills. — The fcripture afferts 
 that the reprobate are given 
 up by Cod to vile affections. 
 Is it becaufe God depraves 
 or corrupts their hearts ? By 
 no means : for they* are fub- 
 jected to perverfe lull, becaufe 
 they were already vicious and 
 corrupt. But when God blinds 
 • and hardens; is he the author 
 or mmifter of (in ? Yea, in 
 this way he punifhes fins, and 
 repays to the wicked, who have 
 
 refufed to be guided by hi* 
 holy Spirit, their deferved re- 
 ward. It follows, therefore* 
 that the origin of fin, or the 
 guilt of it, cannot be imputed 
 to God, as if he took pleafure 
 in evil. The conclufion is, that 
 they are idle triflers, who en- 
 deavour to lay the blame of 
 their vices upon God ; for all 
 evil, of whatever nature, fprings 
 from no other fountain but the 
 perverfe luft of man. — And 
 thus it is evident that every 
 one's own wicked paffions are 
 his inftigators to fin, and guide 
 him in the commiffion of wic- 
 kednefs. And he proves that 
 Gcd tempteth no man from 
 this, that God is not tempted 
 with evil. For 'tis on this ac- 
 count that the devil entices to 
 fin, becaufe he is wholly inflam- 
 ed with a furious defire of fin- 
 ning. But God defireth not 
 evil ; neither can he be the 
 promoter of wicked condudt 
 in us. 
 
 14. Bat every man is tempted, when he is drawn away 
 of his own luft, and enticed. 
 
 14. When he is dravjn aivo.y of 
 his own !uj}, &c.~\ Since evil 
 arifes from the internal work- 
 ings and fuggeltions of our 
 own hearts, 'tis* in vain for the 
 iir.ner to faeka pretext or excufe 
 from anv external influence : 
 
 however, thefe two effects of 
 luft are to be obfei^ved, that it 
 enfnares us by its enticement, 
 and leads us captive by irs 
 power ; each of which is fuf- 
 ficient to conftitute guilt. 
 
 15. Then, when lull hath conceived, it bringeth forth 
 fin : and fin, when it is finifhed, bringeth forth death. 
 
 jc. When 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 21 
 
 15. When luft hath conceived, 
 & ! c] 'Tis not any one parti- 
 cular appetite, but the fource 
 of all our concupifcible facul- 
 ties, which he here calls luft:. 
 By that a vicious brood are con- 
 ceived, which, in time, make 
 their appearance openly as fins. 
 It would appear, however, that 
 the word fin is, improperly, 
 reftricled to external works, and 
 not at all according to fcrip- 
 ture-ufe ; as if luft itfelf were 
 not a fin ; as if the wicked de- 
 fires which continue fhut up and 
 fupprefied within us, were not 
 all of them fo many fins. But 
 us the ufe of the word is vari- 
 ous, there is nothing abfurd in 
 it, tho' it be here uied for ac- 
 tual tranfgveffion, as it is in 
 many other places. The pa- 
 pifts, however, ignorantly ufe 
 this as an argument, when they 
 want to prove, ' that vicious, 
 vca, vile, wicked, and even 
 heinous defires are not fins, if 
 confent be not given [4] to 
 them. For James is not dis- 
 puting,. *' when fin begins to 
 " have its birth, fo as to be 
 " fin, and to be fo accounted 
 
 " before Cod ; but when it 
 " openly appears." Thus he 
 gradually proceeds, that the 
 finifhing of fin is the caufe of 
 eternal death — that fin arifes 
 out of our unlawful defires, 
 and that thefe unlawful defires 
 ■ their root in luft : whence 
 it follows, that mankind, in 
 their eternal death, only reap 
 that fruit which they them- 
 felves have fown. By " fin when 
 " it is finiflied," I do not then 
 underftand any one wicked 
 work done, but afinifhedcourfe 
 of finning. For altho' every 
 fin deferve death j it is, how- 
 ever, faid to be the wages of an, 
 impious and wicked life. Hence 
 the foolifh notion of thofe i-j 
 refuted who argue, from thefe 
 words, that fin is not mortal 
 until it break out, as they 
 phrafe it, in the exterior aci ; 
 that is, till it appear openly in 
 deeds. But neither is that the 
 fubject which James treats of; 
 he is only endeavouring to in- 
 ftrucl: us in this, namely, l that 
 the fource of our death or ruin 
 originates in ourfelves,' 
 
 1 6. Do not err, my beloved brethren. 
 
 17. Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from 
 above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with 
 whom is no variablenefs, neither fhadow of turning. 
 
 18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of 
 truth, that we fhould be a kind of firft fruits of his 
 c-reatures. 
 
 D 2 if. 2)9 
 
22 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 \6. Do not err, <b'c. 'Tis an 
 argument from oppofites. For 
 if God be the author of all 
 good, it would be abfurd to ac- 
 count him the author of evil. 
 'Tis his peculiar and natural 
 property, from whom all good 
 •things come, to do good ; and 
 to do any thing evil, is alto- 
 gether unnatural to him. But, 
 as it lbmetimes happens, that 
 a perfon who behaves generally 
 well thro' life, may occasion- 
 ally fail in fome part, he an- 
 ticipates the furmife, and de- 
 clares it not applicable con- 
 cerning God ; he allures us 
 that God is not changeable like 
 man. Now if in all things and 
 at all times he is like himfelf; 
 from this fteady and conftaiit 
 courfe of conduct, it follows, 
 that his beneficence is perpetual 
 and uninterrupted. This rea- 
 fening is very different from 
 that of Plato, who maintains 
 that no calamities are inflicted 
 on man by God, becaufe he is 
 good. For as it is juft that the 
 wickednefs of mankind fhould 
 be puniihed by God ; in this 
 
 refpecT, it is not proper to rec- 
 kon among evils the punifh- 
 ments which he ordains. Plato 
 betrays [5] ignorance of the 
 fubjecl : but James, while he 
 leaves the right and office of 
 punifhing to God, only afferts 
 him to be free from the blame. 
 This paffage teaches us that we 
 ought to be fo affected with the 
 innumerable benefits which we 
 daily receive from the hand of 
 God, as to entertain no thought 
 but what tends to his glory ; 
 and that whatever thoughts 
 arife in our minds, or are fug- 
 gelled to us by others, which 
 are lefs conn ftent with the ho- 
 nour of the divine Being, we 
 ought to reject and abhor with 
 our whole hearts. God is call- 
 ed " the Father of lights," that 
 is, of all excellence and n;ood 
 order. And when he immedi- 
 ately adds, that rhere is " no 
 " fhadow of turning" with him, 
 'tis a continuance of the rnera^ 
 phor, Signifying to us, that we 
 are not to meafure the gloiy 
 of God by the apparent fplei> 
 dour of the fun. 
 
 18. Of his own wUl begat be Every one of the faithful has, 
 us, &c.j He now brings lor- in fome degree, the experience 
 ward a particular inltance of of this inellimable bleffing. — 
 
 .that divine gocdnejfs which he 
 .has proclaimed and commend- 
 ed ; namely, that he hath re- 
 generated us unto eternal life. 
 
 The goodnefs of God then, 
 experimentally known by all, 
 ought to defrroy any contrary, 
 opinion*. When he fays that 
 ( God 
 
 * The goodmfs of God is univtifal or particular. Regcneiation is an inflancc 
 of fm particular goodnefs, and is experimentally known only liy the" faithful. — 
 But as the general goodnefs of God is daily exueifed towards all, every one, fioia 
 pis awn experience, may be fenfitk && God is good. 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 2 "J 
 
 God " of his own will begat 
 *! us," he means that lie was 
 induced to it by no caufe •, as 
 the will and counfel of God are 
 often oppofed to the merits of 
 man. For what great matter 
 would it be, if he only meant 
 that God was not compelled to 
 it ? He exprefTes Something 
 more ; that God hath begoUcn 
 us of his mere good pleafure, 
 and thus was hirnfelf the caufe 
 of it : whence it follows, that 
 to do good is natural to God. 
 The paflage farther teaches us, 
 as our election was of grace, 
 before the world was made, 
 So, that our calling may corres- 
 pond to our election, we are 
 enlightened in the knowledge 
 of truth merely by the grace of 
 God : the fcripture teaches us 
 that we were freely adopted by 
 God before we were born- — 
 Ephefians i. chap. 4th and 5th 
 ver. " According as he hath 
 " chofen us in him before the 
 " foundation of the v/orld, 
 " that we fhould be holy, and 
 <c without blame before him 
 " in love : having predeftin- 
 " ated us unto the adoption of 
 " children by Jefus Chrift to 
 f* hirnfelf, according to the 
 *' good pleafure of his will, to 
 ** the praife of the glory of his 
 ** grace, wherein he hath made 
 " us accepted in the beloved : 
 " in whom we have redemp- 
 M tion thro' his blood, the for- 
 f* gi?c»els of fins, according 
 
 " to the riches of his grace." 
 But James here expreffes fome- 
 thing more, viz. that we attain 
 the right of adoption, becaufc 
 God alfo freely calls us. Hence 
 too we learn, that to beget us 
 Spiritually is God's own work: 
 for altho' it feems, Sometimes, 
 to be afcribed to the minifters 
 of the gofpel, 'tis to be under- 
 Stood only in this fenfe, that 
 Gcd acts by means of thefe ; 
 and altho' he act by them r.s 
 means, he is neverthelefs ftill 
 the fole agent. The word be~ 
 gat Signifies that we become 
 new men, that we put off our 
 former nature when we are ef- 
 fectually called by God. He 
 adds, how God begets us anew; 
 namely, " with the word of 
 " his truth," to teach us, that 
 we cannot, by any other door, 
 enter into the kingdom of God. 
 " That we fhould be a kind or 
 " fir ft [6] fruits." As if he 
 had faid, we, in fome fori, are 
 the firft fruits. This is not to 
 be restricted to a few of die 
 faithful, but extends to them 
 all in common. For as maa 
 excels among all the creatures, 
 God choofes out and Separate* 
 his faithful from the herd of 
 others, as an holy offering to 
 hirnfelf. This is no cornmoa 
 nobility to which the fans of 
 God are raifed : wherefore they 
 are defervedly faid to be Selected 
 as firft fruits, when the image 
 of God is renewed in them. 
 
 19. Where- 
 
34 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man 
 be fwift to hear, flow to fpeak, flow to wrath. 
 
 20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteouf- 
 nefs of God. 
 
 si. Wherefore, lay apart all nlthinefs, and fuperfluity 
 of naughtinefs, and receive with meeknefs the ingrafted 
 word, which is able to fave your fouls. 
 
 19. Let every mat? be fa. ift to 
 hear, 6'r.] If this he a general 
 rvatioh, the inference will 
 be to be fought at a great dif- 
 tance. (See ver. 22d.) But as 
 he immediately annexes this 
 fentence, correfponding to the 
 Jafl, refpecYmg that word of 
 truth, I have no doubt but that 
 he accommodates this exhorta- 
 tion particularly to the point in 
 hand. The goodnefs of God 
 being thus laid open before us, 
 he (hows with what readinefs 
 and preparation it becomes us 
 to receive this incomparable be- 
 nefit — a very ufeful doctrine. 
 For regeneration of the fpirit 
 is not the work of a moment ; 
 inafmuch as fome remains of 
 the old man always continue, 
 we mud be continually fafhion- 
 ed anew until the flefh be a- 
 bolifhed. But our own pride, 
 arrogance, and floth prove great 
 obftacles to the Deity in ac- 
 complishing his work in us. — 
 When James defires us, then, 
 to be " fwift to hear," he re- 
 commends to us aptnefs : as if 
 he fliould fay, fince God fo 
 [y elf, is himfelf to you, 
 
 fli ew your felves to be of a docile 
 difpoiition towards him ; let 
 not your fluggiflmefs occafion 
 to him any delay. Again, as 
 we are apt to be puffed up with 
 our own imaginary wifdom, and 
 impatiently bear to hear God 
 fpeaking to us, and by our 
 hurry, as it were, break off his 
 difcourfe, therefore the apoftle 
 enjoins us filence. And cer- 
 tainly no one will ever be a 
 good difciple of the Lord un- 
 lefs he be filent to hear him. 
 He does not however enjoin 
 the filence of the Pythagorean 
 [7] fchool ; or that we may not 
 enquire as often as we wifh to 
 learn whatever is of ufe to be 
 known ; he only means to re- 
 prove our faucy forwardnefs, 
 left, as frequently happens, we 
 fliould unfeafonably interrupt 
 God : and that while he hath 
 his facred mouth open, that 
 we fliould open our minds and 
 ears to him, but not anticipate 
 him by our fpeech. — Slow to 
 anger. Anger, I am of opinion, 
 is condemned, as by exciting 
 tumultuous paflions it difturbs 
 andhinders that attention which 
 
 God 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 2? 
 
 God requires to be paid to 
 him : for God cannot be heard 
 unlefs with a compofed mind. 
 Therefore, he adds, that fo long 
 as anger reigns, there is no 
 room left for a due attention to 
 
 2 1 . Wherefore, lay apart all 
 Jilthinefs, &V.] He now con- 
 cludes how the word of life is 
 to be received. And firft he 
 informs us that it cannot be 
 rightly received, unlefs it be 
 ingrafted or rooted in us. For 
 the phrafe, tf to receive the in- 
 " grafted word," may be re- 
 folved into this or a limihr one ; 
 ib^ receive it that it may really 
 be ingrafted. 'Tis an allufion 
 to feed which falls upon dry 
 ground, and is not received in- 
 to the moid bofom of the earth-, 
 or to moots which pine away,, 
 when either caft upon the earth, 
 or joined to dead wood. He 
 orders, therefore, that a living 
 engraftment mould be made, 
 with which it may unite as 
 with our heart. At the fame 
 time he fhews the manner of 
 this receiving of the word, 
 namely, in meeknefs: by which 
 word he points out the modefty 
 and aptnefs of a mind dilpofed 
 to learn ; fuch as Ifaiah de- 
 fcribes, when he fays, " I dwell 
 *' with him that is of an humble 
 '* and contrite fpirit." Hence 
 cometh it to pafs, that fo . few 
 make proficiency in the fchool 
 of God ; becaufe hardly one 
 in a hundred lays afide the 
 
 God. Finally, unlefs the heat 
 of contention be put away, we 
 will never ihew to God that 
 moderation of filence, concern- 
 ing which he has been fpcak- 
 imj. 
 
 haughtinefs of his fpirit, and 
 fubmits himfelf with meeknefc 
 to God : but they almoft all 
 come under the influence of 
 pride and ftubbornnefs. Now 
 if we would really be the living 
 plantation of God ; let us ufe 
 our endeavour to reduce our 
 minds to humility, that, like: 
 lambs, we may fuffer ourfelves 
 to be ruled by our heavenly- 
 Father. For as mankind ars 
 never fo tamed as to become of 
 a peaceable and mild difpofition, 
 until they have been firft cleanf- 
 ed from their vile affections, 
 he therefore orders them " to 
 " lay apart all filthinefs and 
 " fuperfluity of naughtinefs." 
 And as James borrows the fi- 
 gure from agriculture, it was 
 necefTary this order mould be 
 observed, to begin with the 
 extirpating of noxious herbs : 
 and as he addreffes himfelf to 
 all, we are hence to collect, 
 that thefe evils of our nature 
 are bred with it, and remain 
 in us all : yea, when he ad- 
 dreffes the faithful, , he fhews 
 that we are never entirely 
 cleanfed from them in this life, 
 but that they are fpringing up 
 afrefh every now and then, ami 
 gonfequently require a conitaat 
 
 at- 
 
2<? 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 attention to eradicate them. — 
 Firft, as the word of God i3 
 a facred thing, it is proper that 
 We fhould lay apart the filthi- 
 nefs wherewith we are defiled, 
 in order that we may be fitted 
 to receive it. Under the word 
 ftavghiinefs he comprehends hy- 
 pecrify and (lubbornnefs, as well 
 as all the wicked affections, 
 a»d not fatisned with having 
 afhgned the human mind as the 
 feat of this naughtinefs, he 
 teaches us by the exprefFion, 
 *' fnperfluity of naughtinefs,'' 
 that it overflows, or, as it were, 
 gathers into an heap ; and cer- 
 tainly every man who fhall 
 examine himfejf thoroughly, 
 will find in himfelf an immenfe 
 rnafs of evil. Which is able to 
 fave your fouls. An illuftrious 
 encomium on the heavenly 
 dodlrine — that by it we attain 
 
 to certain falvation : and it is 
 added, that we may learn to 
 ok lire, to love, and to admire 
 this word, as an incomparable 
 treafure. — 'Tis then a (harp 
 fpur to chaftife our indolence, 
 that that word which we are 
 wont to attend to fo negligent- 
 ly, is the (inflrumer/tal) caufe of 
 our falvation. Altho' the power 
 of faving us is not afcribed to 
 the word with this view, as if 
 either our falvation were in- 
 cluded in the external found of 
 it, or the office of faving us 
 taken from God, and transfer- 
 red elfewhere. — For James 
 treats of the word which by 
 faith hath entered into the 
 hearts of men ; and only inti- 
 mates that God, the author of 
 falvation, works it out by his 
 gofpel. 
 
 22. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,- 
 deceiving your ownfelves. 
 
 23. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a 
 doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face 
 in a glafs : 
 
 24. For he beholdeth himfelf, and goeth his way, and 
 ftraightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 
 
 25. But whofo looketh into the perfeft law of liberty, 
 and continuefh therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but 
 a doer of the work, this man fhall be blefled in his deed. 
 
 26. If any man among you feem to be religious, and 
 bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, 
 this man's religion is vain. ' 
 
 27- Pure 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES'. 
 
 *7 
 
 27. Pure religion and undefiled, before God and the 
 Father, is this, to vifit the fatherlefs and widows in 
 their afflictions, and to keep himfelf unfpotted from 
 the world. 
 
 22. But be ye doers of the 
 word, <b > c.~\ A doer of the word 
 does not mean here, as it does 
 in the ii. chap, to the Romans, 
 ver. 13. one who fatisnes the 
 law of God, and fulfils it in 
 every part ; but one who em- 
 braces the law of God from his 
 heart, and teftifies by his life, 
 that he hath ferioufly believed 
 it ; according to that faying of 
 Chrift, « Bleffed are they that 
 *' hear the word of God, and 
 " keep it." For here he de- 
 clares, from its fruits, what 
 
 23 . He is like unto a man, fo'c.~] 
 The celeftial doctrine is indeed 
 the mirror in which God pre- 
 ients himfelf to. be feen by us ; 
 but fo that we mould be chang- 
 ed into his image, as Paul ob- 
 ferves, 2 Cor. iii. 18. " But we 
 ts all with open face beholding, 
 " as in a glafs, the glory of 
 " the Lord, are changed into 
 " the fame image, from glory 
 
 . " to glory, even as by the 
 " Spirit of the Lord." But 
 
 kind of an ingrafting that is 
 which he has before mentioned. 
 'Tis moreover to be obferved, 
 that faith is comprehended bv 
 James, along with other works, 
 and that too among the firfl — 
 for it is the principal work that 
 God requireth of us*. The 
 force of his argument then is 
 this, that we ought to give all 
 diligence, that the word of 
 Gcd may be rooted in us, fo 
 that afterwards it may brine- 
 forth fruit. 
 
 here, James is fpeaking of the 
 external caft of the eye, not of 
 that lively efficacious contem- 
 plation which penetrates into 
 the heart. An elegant figure, 
 by which he briefly points out, 
 that that doctrine profitcth no- 
 thing, which is received by trie 
 hearing only, and not with die 
 internal affection of the heart ; 
 becaufc it immediately paffeth 
 away. 
 
 25. But tvhofo looheth into the word, he now comes to tliat 
 perfect law, <b ! c.~] After having penetrating iafight into it, which 
 fpoken of this vain view of the transforms us into the likeheYs 
 
 E of 
 
 * Altho' Calvin exprefles himfelf in this (hong language; it is not to be fup- 
 pofed that he lofes fight of the riee'eJtrty of divine giacu to Ugb, lliengthcn, *r.d 
 perfeft uur faith. 
 
a* 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 of God. Ad becaufe he is 
 addreffmg himfelf to the Jews, 
 he ufes the word law, which 
 was familiarly known to them 
 [8"' for the whole of divine 
 doctrine. — But interpreters 
 have not underftood, why he 
 calls it a perfect law, and why 
 the law of liberty; becaufe they 
 adverted not to the antithefis 
 here marked, which is collected 
 from other pafTages of fcripture. 
 So long as the law is preached 
 by the external voice of man 
 only, and is not infcribed in 
 our hearts by the finger or 
 Spirit of God, 'tis a dead let- 
 ter, and, as it were, a lifelefs 
 body. 'Tis no wonder, then, 
 that the law fhould be confidcr- 
 ed as maimed, until it be re- 
 ceived with the heart. The 
 fame is its cafe with regard to 
 flavery : for, (as Paul teaches 
 ' us in Gal. iv. 24.) feparated 
 from Chrift, " it gendeteth to 
 * f bondage :" and as the fame 
 apoftle (Rom. viii. 15) argues, 
 it can only tend to deject us 
 thro' diffidence and fear. But 
 the fpirit of regeneration which 
 hath infcribed it on our hearts, 
 brings alfo along with it the 
 grace of adoption. The rea- 
 foning of James, then, is to 
 this effed: « That the law 
 
 may be no longer a fervile m- 
 flitution, but rather tend to fet 
 you at liberty" — That it no 
 longer may be as a fchoolmaf- 
 ter only, but lead you on unto 
 perfection ; you ought to re- 
 ceive it with a fincere affection 
 of heart, that ye may live piouf- 
 ly and godly. Moreover, as it 
 appears from the teftimony of 
 Jeremiah 'and feveral others, 
 that this is a blefiing of the New- 
 Teftament, namely, that the 
 law of God mould reform us, 
 it follows, that that bleffing 
 cannot be obtained until we 
 (hall have come to Chrift •, and 
 without doubt, he is the folc 
 end and perfection of the law. 
 James adds liberty, as its only 
 attendant; becaufe the Spirit 
 of Chrift never regenerates us, 
 but, (in order that he may free 
 our hearts from all fear and dif- 
 quietude,) at the fame time he 
 becomes the witnefs and earn- 
 ed: of our divine adoption. — 
 S/rrd continueth, &C. That is, 
 who (hall perfevere firm in that 
 knowledge of God. And when 
 he adds, this man /ha// be blejjei 
 in his deed, he means that hap- 
 pinefs is placed in actual doing, 
 and not in cold and liftlefs 
 hearing. 
 
 25. -■ ■ -<feems to be religious, 
 &c.~] Now he reprehends a 
 vice in thofe who boaft that 
 they are doers of the law, and 
 under which all hypocrites, 
 
 in common, labour; namely, 
 an intemperate pronenefs of 
 the tongue to detraction. — 
 He formerly touched on the 
 tongue, but 
 with 
 
 bridling of the 
 
EPISTLE OT JAMES. c* 
 
 Tvith another view. He was he not only fjgn'fies that his 
 then enjoining us to obferve other virtues are corrupted by 
 filence before God, that we the (lain of flander, but con- 
 might be the better prepared to eludes that his apparent zeal 
 learn. Now he is treating of for godlinefs is not fincer ■■:.— • 
 another matter — that believers For he deceiveth his ewn heart.—* 
 jfhould not employ their tongue 1 am not fatisfied with the ver- 
 in reproaches. It was proper fion of Erafmus, " he fuffers 
 that this vice, in particular, his heart to wander." James 
 fhou'd be rebuked, when he pointsout the fourceof that for- 
 v/as difcourfing of the law : for ward felf-fufficiency to which 
 thofe who have put off the hypocrites are addicted, be- 
 more grofs vices, are for the caufe blinded with an immo- 
 moft part, liable to this dif- derate fclf love, they flatter 
 temper. He who will neither themfelves that they are much 
 be an adulterer, nor a thief, better than they really are.—- 
 nor a drunkard, but rather fhall And, certainly, to this fcurce 
 have a bright external appear- the difeafe of detraction is to 
 ance of holinefs, will glory in be traced •, as the bag hanging 
 tearing the good name of at the back, agreeable to that 
 others — under the pretext of in the fable of JEiop, is net 
 seal too, but in fact, from a lull expofed to fight. James, there- 
 of detracting. — He has here, fore wifning to correct the 
 then, in view, to diftinguifh effecl, namely, the luft cf evil 
 the true worfhippers of God fpeaking, hath, very properly, 
 from hypocrites, who are fo annexed the caufe, viz. that 
 puffed up with pharifaic pride, hypocrites are too partial to 
 that they catch at praife to themfelves. For they would 
 themfelves from the difgrace of be readily inclined to forgive ; 
 others. If any one among you if they would acknowledge that 
 feem y fays he, to be religious ,• they, in their turn, Ituod irr 
 that is, have, in other reipetts, need of the forgiventfs of 
 the appearance of holinefs, but others. — Theblandifhments, 
 in the mean time, delight in then, by which they deceive 
 detraction; by this it is prov- themfelves, in their partiality: 
 ed that he is not a worihipper to their own vices, make them 
 of God in truth. Fur when he fuch fuperciiious . cenfurets q% 
 Jays, this man's religion is vain, others. 
 
 27. Pure religion, &C."] As width arc of the higheft con* 
 
 hs here j? alTes over thefe tiling* fcquence in religion, he is no* 
 
 £ a giving 
 
3° 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 giving a definition of what reli- 
 gion is, in general: but only puts 
 us in mind that thofe duties 
 are abfolutely eflential to reli- 
 gion. Juft as if a perfon devot- 
 ed to wine and gluttony fhould 
 boaft that he was temperate •, 
 and another fhould take him up 
 and maintain, that he only is 
 a temperate man who does not 
 glut hi.mfelf with v/ine and 
 riotous living : the purpofe of 
 the latter will not be to define 
 temperance in its whole extent; 
 but he will only employ that 
 part of the defcription which 
 is fuited to the cafe in queftion. 
 jFor thefe vainly-confident per- 
 fons of whom he makes men- 
 tion are, for the mo ft part, but 
 idly oftentatious. James, there- 
 fore, teaches that religion is to 
 be eftimated by another tell 
 than the pomp of ceremonies : 
 for, that there are ferious ex- 
 ercifes in which the worfhip- 
 pers of God ought to engage 
 
 themfeives. To vijit in" nccef- 
 fity, is to ftretch forth the hand 
 to relieve thofe who are in dif— 
 trefs. But as there are feveral 
 others whom the Lord com- 
 mands us to aflift ; by the figure 
 fynecdoche he mentions wi- 
 dows and orphans only. Where- 
 fore, there is no doubt, but 
 under that one fpecies of cha- 
 rity he recommends it to us in 
 its whole exteut: as if he fhould 
 fay, Let him who would be 
 accounted religious, approve 
 himfelf fuch, by denying him- 
 felf, and by his companion 
 and beneficence to his neigh- 
 bours. He ufes the expreflion, 
 " before God," to point out 
 to us, that men, who are guided 
 by external appearances, think 
 ctherwife ; but that we ought 
 to enquire after what is ac- 
 ceptable to God. God and the 
 Father — thus explain, God who 
 is the Father, 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 THE great truths, contained in the chapter explained, teach 
 us, i ft, That afflictions are part of the difcipline, by which 
 gcod men are trained up for heaven. It is through manifold 
 tribulations that we enter into the kingdom of God. We ought, 
 therefore, to meet them with fortitude, to lubmit to them with 
 faith, to endure them with patience, knowing it to be the will 
 of God that we fhould be occafionally under thefe trials. Yea, 
 « ( rejoice in that we have been thought worthy to fuffer for his 
 " name's fake." 
 
 2dly, Prayer is our bed refource under our fufferings. " If 
 << any man lack wifdom" how to endure them, let him afk it of 
 God, and look to Him who is a prefent help in time of need. 
 
 Let 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 3* 
 
 Let US rely on his promife, " When thou pa fie ft thro' the fire, 
 " I will be with thee-" Let us comfort our hearts from this 
 confideration, that our light afflictions, which are but for a. 
 moment, are working for us a far more exceeding and an eternal 
 weight of glory. " Blcfled is the man who endureth teirpta- 
 *' tion : for when he is tried he (halt receive the crown c. . j, 
 " which the Lord hath promifed to them that love him." 
 
 ^dly, Sin, wilfully committed by us, is the true caufe o£ 
 fuftering. Let us then beware of impeaching God falftiy, as 
 if he took pleafure in our pain, or grieved the children of men 
 in vain. It 13 only when we forfake his law, that he vifits our 
 iniquities with rods, and our fins with chaftifements ; let us fet 
 a watch upon our lips, left we offend againit him with our 
 tongue. Even in our daily intercourfe with mankind, let us be 
 fwift to hear, but flow to fpeak ; ever ufing the noble faculty 
 of fpeech to promote the pious and rational purpofes for which 
 it is bellowed. 
 
 4thly, Let us give good heed to the doctrine of life, and re- 
 ceive with meeknefs the ingrafted word, which is able to lave 
 our fouls j always taking this word to be a lamp unto our feet, 
 and a ligliE unto our path ; well knowing that to be hearers of 
 the word only, but not doers, is deceiving our own fouls ; for 
 he, only, mall be blefied of God, who, through grace, con* 
 tinueth in the perfect law of liberty, firm unto the end. 
 
 In fine, To a well ordered converfation before God, let us 
 ftudy alfo to add and abound in a£ts of charity and mercy to our 
 fellow creatures, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, vifit- 
 ing the fick, the widow and the fatherlefs, hereby adorning the 
 doctrine, and imitating the practice of Him who went about 
 conftantly doing good. Amen. 
 
 NOTES ON CHAP. I, 
 
 NOTE I. 
 
 CO HPHE evangelifts do not inform us to what occupation 
 ■*• James was bred, before he became an apoftle. It is 
 probable, he procured his fubiiftence by the labour of his hands, 
 like the other apcitles. From his refiding in Jofeph's houfe, it 
 is likely, he followed the trade of a carpenter. The Jews, event 
 the moft wealthy, that their children might be the lefs depen- 
 dent through life, always bred them to fome trade or occupation. 
 
 A 
 
3* CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 A wife precaution, the neglect of which many a literary char- 
 acter in our day may juftly regiet. — That James was highly 
 elteemed in the church, is evident from a variety of incidents. 
 To him Peter fent the news of his miraculous deliverance out 
 of prifon, Acts xii. 7. 1 o him Paul made his addr.^fs, after 
 fcis converfion, Gal. ii. 9. He pnfided in the fynod at Jerufa- 
 lem, in the great controverfy ibout Mofaic rites, fummed the 
 arguments, and pronounced the decree. It is evident, James 
 was a perfon of an amiable difpofition, and a great inftrument of 
 preferving peace among his brethren, while he lived. Peter 
 was naturally of a fiery temper. Paul was in font things pe- 
 culiarly pofitive in his opinion; but both of thnn had great 
 deference ior James; and, on more occasions than one, followed 
 his advice So high was his reputation among the people, at 
 lar^e, they thought that the fafety of the ftate, in a great mea- 
 sure, depended on his life ; giving him the diftinguiihed name 
 of Oblias, that is, the Bulwark of the State j juftly apprehend- 
 ing the downfal of it after his death, 
 
 NOTE II. 
 
 1 2] In the feventh year of the reign of Hofea, the king of 
 AfTyria came up againft Samaria, the chief city of die kingdom 
 of Ifrael, and took it by affault. The lofs of this city was the 
 final ruin of that kingdom. The Ifraelites were tranfplanted 
 into Media and Perfia ; and a ii range people fettled in their 
 room. Nine hundred and forty years had elapfed, from their 
 coming out of Egypt, till this woeful difperfion. During all 
 this period, God had, in his patience, borne with them ; but 
 cow he caft them off, in his indignation — a folemn warning to 
 other nations to fear him, and keep his ways ; for " bleffed is 
 *' that people whofe God is the Lord. The Hebrews were 
 twice carried away beyond the Euphrates. The ten tribes, as 
 we have faid, in the days of Hofta, by the king cf AfTyria.-— 
 The other two tribes, by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 
 about no years after the extinction of the kingdom of Ifrael. 
 Though the kingdom of Ifrael was deftroyed, and the great body 
 of the people carried into perpetual captivity, yet it appears, 
 that on the return of the people of Juduh from their 70 years 
 bondage, a considerable number of the people of Ifrael took the 
 benefit of the decree of Cyrus, and returned alfo with them. 
 In 2 Chron. xxxiv. 6. we are informed, that when Jofiah purged 
 ths land of its idols, and collected money for repairing the houfe 
 
 ©f 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES; 33 
 
 •f the Lord, this reformation, and this tax extended to the 
 cities of Manaffeh, Ephraim, Simon, and even to Naphtali. 
 The perfons, whom the king of AfTyria tranfplanted from Media 
 into the hnd of Ifrael, were heathens ; but the perfons com- 
 prehended in the decree of Jofiah were Hebrews, worfhippers of 
 the true God, and descendants of the ancient inhabitants of the 
 land. See more to this purpofe in Ezra, vi. 21. In the xxvi. 
 chap, of Acts, 7 ver. we read that " the twelve tribes inftantly 
 ** ferved God day and night." Hence it is evident, that they 
 were all reprefented, and had intereft in the daily fervice, 2nd 
 waited for the hope of Ifrael. 
 
 It is probable, that the epiflle of James was intended, chiefly 
 for the inftruction and comfort of his countrymen refiding in 
 Judea and Samaria; not excluding thefe of them who might be 
 fcattered into more remote parts of the earth. For at the time 
 when James wrote, the Jews were widely difperfed. 
 
 NOTE III. 
 
 £3] It is the necefTary effbcl: of faith to fix the mind, and 
 prevent it from wavering. The ftronger our faith is, the more 
 fteady will be our minds, and the lefs liable to wavering, which 
 is frequently connected with duplicity in religion. The faith t 
 which is here recommended, relates chiefly to prayer, and con- 
 fids in a firm belief, that God will afford us fuch aid under al! 
 our fufferings for his name's fake, as will enable us to heal- 
 ths n with magnanimity and patience. He, who doubts of this, 
 Tnuft be very much agitated betwixt hope and fear, a (late of 
 mind, not only very uneafy in itfelf, but alfo very unacceptable 
 to God ; in as much as it betrays a diflrufl of his goodnefs, 
 truth, and mercy; and, of confequence proves a very great 
 hindrance to th^ fuccefs of prayer. There is no promife more 
 explicit, or more often repeated as a ground of hope, than the 
 promife of amftance from on high, in the time of need. The 
 condition of thefe, for whofe inftru£Hon and comfort James 
 wrote this epiftle, peculiarly required the exercife of faith in 
 this promife. He therefore exhorts them, neither to trufl to 
 their own underftanding, in preference to the word of God ; 
 nor to lean to their own flrength, but to look up to heaven, and 
 folicit the neceffary aid of that divine Spirit, whofe peculiar 
 province it is, both to enlighten and to fuccour the humble 
 minded, whofe hope is in their God, 
 
 NOTE 
 
54 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 NOTE IV. 
 
 [4] The diftin&ion betwixt venial and deadly fins-, fo well 
 known among the papiits, is altogether without any foundation 
 in the word of God. They define a venial (in to be an inward 
 defire without advifed aflent. A defire which rema'meth no 
 time in the mind, but foon vanifheth, the perfon not feeling 
 that pjeafure which arifeth from confent. They teach, that 
 venial fins are ealily warned away ; that the fpnnkhng of holy 
 v/ater, the telling of beads, the faying of the Lord's prayer, and 
 that one or more of the facrifices of the mafs are fumcient for 
 this purpofe. Whereas deadly fins require much feverer reme- 
 dies, and cannot be remitted, but by a long and rigorous courie 
 of penance : but this jefuitical cafuiftry fpeaks a language very 
 different from the holy fcriptures. In them we are often admo- 
 nifhed, to be on our'guard againft all fin, and told that our God 
 fees the wicked defnes of our hearts, and is offended with them 
 as well as with the wicked aftions of our lives : " keep thy heart 
 « with all diligence, for out of it are the iflues of life." Every mo- 
 tion of the heart towards evil'is fin. Whence come thefe mo- 
 tions, but of this, that there is fomething in the foul corrupted, 
 smd wrong, and open to temptations ? We are exprefsly com- 
 manded to love God with all our heart, foul, ftrength, and 
 mind. If, then, all the powers of the mind be not bent on his 
 ' love,- we have already departed from the obedience of His law, 
 and mull be confeious, that his throne is not eftablifhed in our 
 hearts. Therefore, fays Calvin, and the word of truth confirms 
 his decrrine— the very weakeft defire after fin is evil, and 
 tleferveth nunifhment ; even when there is no time for the will 
 to follow it, and to confent unto it. Verily there is no need to 
 teach mankind, that fome fins are venial, and can be eafily fur- 
 mounted. We are all too much inclined to try to leffen our 
 guilt, and to natter ourfelves in our folly ; but let us believe God 
 rather than man, and give good heed to what Paul teacnes, 
 f* that the wages of fin is death." 
 
 mote v. 
 
 [5] Plato, one of the mod celebrated of the ancient pnijo* 
 fophers, was born at Athens, about 429 years before the chnf- 
 tian rera. He ftudied under ' Socrates for eight years ; during 
 which period he made great proficiency in the Socratic philq- 
 fophy. Eager in the purTuit of know-ledge, alter the death ot 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 35 
 
 his mailer, he travelled into Egypt, and then into Perfia, where 
 he became acquainted with the chief principles of the oriental 
 philofophy. Having thus fumifhed his mind with a great (lock 
 both of Grecian and oriental literature, he returned to his native 
 country ; and opened a fchool in the Academia, a place of 
 exercife in the fuburbs of Athens, from which his followers 
 took the name of Academics. 
 
 Plato taught the doctrine of a plurality of Gods: he divided 
 them into various claffes : the fuperior, the middle, and the in- 
 ferior. From this divifion, fome have thought he was not al- 
 together unacquainted with the fcripture doctrine of the Trinity. 
 Jultin afferts, that there are many things in the writings of 
 Plato, the knowledge of which could only be acquired from the 
 books of Mofes. It is generally thought, that Plato, when in 
 Egypt, had either feen thofe books, or learned fome of their 
 doctrines from fome of the Egyptian priefts, who could hardly 
 be ignorant of the writings of a man, once fo famous in theft 
 country. Gale is at great pains to prove that Plato borrowed 
 a great part of his philofophy from the holy fcriptures : a 
 refpectable divine, in our own country, has attempted to 
 {hew that his notions of the Deity come very near the christian, 
 doctrine. 
 
 It is extremely difficult to collect what were Plato's fenti- 
 ments in theology. They are evidently very confufed, and 
 fometimes inconfiftent. Pie taught, that there is one great firfl: 
 caufe, eternal and independent ; that under him, there is the 
 foul of the world; an univerfal fpirit, diffufed throughout all 
 matter, and the great principle of all motion. He mentions 
 alfo a third principle, which he calls n«us y or intellect:, immove- 
 able, and to which he afcribes the formation of the world. — 
 The production of the nniyerfe he attributes to a combination 
 of matter, which he calls ncce/Jity ; and of mind, which he calk; 
 under/landing : yet fo, that mind rules over necejjity ; and to this 
 necejjity, he afcribes the introduction and prevalence both of 
 natural and moral evil. Pie thought it was inconfiftent with 
 the nature of a good Being, to inflict evil upon man, and there- 
 fore imputed the origin and prevalence of evil to the perverfitv 
 of matter. In oppofition to this conceit, Calvin affirms, what 
 the fcriptures fo plainly teach, that affliBions areappbinted, pei- 
 mitted, and over-ruled by God, for the good of the faithful. 
 They fpring not from chance, nor accident, neither are they 
 the effect of neceffity ; but are part of that difciplinc by which 
 the heavenly Father trains up his children for glory. 
 
 F NOTE 
 
tf 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 NOTE VI. 
 
 ["6] " Be a kind of firft fruits ." In the New Teftament, to 
 be a chriftian early is always reckoned an honour. Paul men- 
 tions it as the glory of the Jewifh believers in the church of 
 Ephefus, that they firft trufted in Chrift, Eph. i. 21. Luke 
 mentions one Mnafon of Cyprus with a note of diftinclion — 
 that he was " an old difciple." Stephanas and his houfe are 
 praifed for being " the firft fruits of Achaia, i Cor. xvi. 15. — 
 Paul declares, that Adronicus and Junia, his kinfmen, were 
 in Chrift before him. John, in Rev. xiv. 4. gives this account 
 of the heavenly affembly, of which he had a fight : M that they 
 " were the firft fruits unto God and to the Lamb." And here 
 James lays of the twelve tribes, " that God begat them of his 
 " own will, that they fhould be a kind of firft fruits of his new 
 <c creation." They were among the beginnings of that rich and 
 plentiful harveft which was gathered to the Meffiah, whofe 
 Spiritual offspring foon became like thofe innumerable fhoots 
 which fpring from the earth. In this the fpirit of chriftianity 
 accords with the natural feelings of man, who generally reckons 
 it to his praife, to be the firft, or among the firft, even in any 
 little incorporation or fociety. How much more honourable, 
 how much more defirable, to be early among thofe, who are in- 
 corporated with Chrift by faith, begotten again to a lively hope, 
 by his refurreclion from the dead, partaking of the privileges 
 of his children, and fecure of that inheritance, which is in- 
 corruptible, unde filed, and which fadeth not away ! 
 
 NOTE VII. 
 
 [7I Pythagoras was born at Sidon, about 590 years before 
 Chrift. He early difcovered a keen defire after knowledge.— 
 At eighteen, he fet out in queft of learning, and from Sidon 
 Went down into Egypt, when Amafis was king of that country. 
 The king received him kindly, and gave him letters of intro- 
 duction to the priefts. The Egyptian priefts were extremely 
 referved in discovering the fecrets of their philofophy and 
 theology. In this they thought they were juftified from the 
 example of their gods, who never permitted mortal men to fee 
 or to converfe with them. The neceffity of concealing their 
 myftcries made them invent three kinds of ftyles, or ways of 
 explaining their thoughts, the fimple, the hieroglyphical, and 
 the fymbolical. This occafioned a long delay, before any per- 
 fon could be fully initiated j and compelled Pythagoras to fpend 
 
 rive 
 
LPISTLE OF JAMES. 37 
 
 five and twenty years among them. This philofopher perceiving 
 the vaft power this mode ot communicating knowledge gave its 
 teachers over mankind ; when he opened his fchool at Crc tona, 
 in Italy, imitated his former mailers, the Egyptian pricfts, and 
 made his difciples pafs through the aufterities, which he him- 
 felf had endured. He enjoined them fiience for five years, 
 during which time they were to hear only. In reference to this, 
 faysCalvin, though chriftians are commanded to b< flowto fpeak; 
 yet it is not to be that tedious fiience which diftinguifhed the 
 followers of Pythagoras, but only to ac~t prudently, avoiding all 
 rafh, foolifh, and prophane talking •, ufing their fpeech for the 
 edification and religious improvement of one another. Perhaps, 
 it might be with fome of them, as among the Corinthians, 
 having fome degree of chriftian knowledge, in the vanity of their 
 minds, they were very forward to difplay it, whereas the edifi- 
 cation both of themfelves and others was the great object to 
 b: promoted. 
 
 NOTE VIII. 
 
 f 8] The Jews, to keep them mindful of their duty, after 
 their return from Babylon, had part of the law of God read to 
 them every fabbath. The law was divided into fifty-four por- 
 tions, and a fection ufually read at a time. Thefe fections were 
 formed in fuch a manner, as to comprehend the reading of 
 the whole law in the courfe of the year. This practice, intro- 
 duced by Ezra, was continued till the perfecution under EpipAa- 
 nes. It was reftored again by the Maccabees. From their 
 time, a feetion alfo of the prophets was read along with a 
 lection of the law. This was the manner in which the fcrip- 
 ture was read in the apoftles days. Many of the Jews believed 
 that their hearing the law read after this manner, was of much 
 greater importance, and much more acceptable in the fight of* 
 God, than the practice of what it commanded. Their hopes o£ 
 future happinefs were founded, ift, On the merits of their an- 
 cestors ; faying, *' We have Abraham for our father. 2ci!y, 
 On their attention to the Mofaic rites. They bdieved, that 
 circumcifion was of fuch value in the fight of God, that it 
 would fecure them from eternal mifery. It was a very com- 
 mon opinion among them, that no circumcifed per -.n goes to 
 hell. 3<ily, They believed that if they were punctual in hear- 
 ing the law read, whether they kept it or not, they were lure 
 tf heaven. In the ii. and iii. chap, of the Romans, Paul corrects 
 
 F 2 thefe 
 
3 3 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 thefe miftakes, and tells them, that " he is not a Jew, who is 
 * c one outwardly ; neither is that circumcifion, which is out- 
 *' ward in the flefh ; but he is a Jew, who is one inwardly, and 
 " circumcifion is that of the heart in the fpirit, or wrought by 
 " the fpirit ; and not in the letter, whofe praife is not of men 
 *' but of God." He likewife informs them of the inefficacy of 
 thrat knowledge which is merely fpeculative, without a fandli- 
 fied influence upon the conduct. Here James perfectly agrees 
 with Paul, by exhorting the Jews of the difperfion " to be 
 *' doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving their own 
 *' fouls." Knowledge of the word of God is indeed a moft 
 valuable attainment, to be fought after by all with great care 
 and diligence. But unlefs this knowledge purifies the heart, 
 works by love, nnd is productive of the peaceable fruits of 
 righteoufnefs, it will rather aggravate our future mifery than 
 prevent it. Rom. iii. 19. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 TV /TY brethren, have net the faith cf our Lord Jefus 
 •*■*■** Chrift, the Lord of glory, [ij with refpect of 
 perfons. 
 
 2. For if there come into your affembly a man with a 
 gold ring, in goodly apparel ; and there come in alfo a 
 poor man, in vile raiment : 
 
 3. And ye have refpect to him that weareth the gay 
 clothing, and fay unto him, Sit thou here in a good 
 place ; and fay to the poor, Stand thou there, or fit here 
 under my footftool : [2]] 
 
 4. Are ye not then partial in yourfelves, and are be- 
 come judges of evil thoughts 
 
 ? 
 
 .At fivft fi^ht', this reprehen- If, then, the refpecting of per- 
 fion appears fevere and abfurd. fons be culpable, fervants will 
 For this is one of the offices of , be to be exempted from all 
 humanity which ougi t not to fubje&ion ; for both the bond- 
 be neglefted — to honour thofe man and the free are reckoned 
 who are exalted in the world, by Paul . among the perfons 
 
 whom 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 3? 
 
 whom James here means : and 
 the fame thing would hold 
 good concerning magiitrates ; 
 viz. " that they were not to 
 " be refpecled for their office 
 " fake." But the folution of 
 thefe points is eafy, if we do 
 Hot feparate what James has 
 joined together : for he does 
 not difapprove of honouring 
 the rich, without having fome- 
 ihing elfein his view; namely, 
 that while they honour the rich, 
 they contemn the poor. This 
 will better appear from the fol- 
 lowing verfes, in which he will 
 try all things by the royal law 
 of charity. — Wherefore let 
 us keep in mind, that this is 
 the refpecling of perfons here 
 condemned, which honoureth 
 the rich to the injury of the 
 poor •, as. the context clearly 
 fhews. That indeed is a fawn- 
 ing and vain-glorious honour 
 which is fhown to the rich in 
 contempt of the poor : and 
 there is no doubt but that am- 
 
 I . have not the f drib of 
 
 our Lord Jefus Chr if, the Lord of 
 glory, with refpeB of perfons •.] — 
 J le means, that to have a re- 
 fpecl: of perfons is fo incon- 
 fiftent with the faith of Chrift, 
 that they cannot be connected 
 together : and defervedly are 
 they fcparated : for by faith 
 we unite into one body, of 
 which ChrHl is the head. — 
 While, then, the pomps of this 
 •world fo far prevail as to over- 
 
 bition and vanity will rei^n 
 where the appearances of this 
 world are held in high eftima- 
 tion. This truth will always 
 hold — " That he is to be rcc- 
 " koned among the heirs of 
 " the kingdom of God, whs 
 '* defpifes the wicked, bu; 
 " noureth them that fear the 
 " Lord." Pfal. xv. 4. The 
 vice then which is contrary to 
 this virtue is here condemned — 
 when any one, from a refpefl 
 to riches only, honours the 
 wicked, but defpifes the goocL 
 Wherefore, were you to fe- 
 parate the fenfe, and read thus: 
 " He who honoureth a rich 
 man, finneth ;" the fentence is 
 abfurd : but if you read it in 
 conjunction with what follows : 
 " "He, who honoureth the rich 
 only, while, at the fame tin--, 
 he defpifeth the poor, and { 
 treats them with contumely, 
 finneth," the doclrine will bt 
 both according to gcdiineis 
 and truth. 
 
 power the things of Chrift, ';' s 
 evident that faith muft be wea\. 
 I have followed Erafmus ia 
 tranflating rr f Jstwf. ex opinion?, 
 " according to opinion;" altiio* 
 the old interpreter is not to b-j; 
 cenfured who hath rendered it 
 by—" of glory."— For the 
 word Ao'5«, among the Greeks, 
 figi.ihes both ; and may very 
 properly be applied to Chrift ; 
 and very confidently too with 
 the fcope of the pafTage. For 
 
 the 
 
4' 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 the glory of Chrift is fo great, 
 that it eafily extinguifhes all the 
 pomps and glories of this world, 
 if once it thine into our eyes. 
 Whence it follows that Chrift 
 is lightly eftecrned by us, fo 
 long as admiration of world- 
 ly glory poffefles us. But the 
 other way ot turning it will 
 
 4. Are ye net then partial, fac."] 
 It may be read either affirma- 
 tively er interrogatively; but 
 almoft in the fame fenfe. For 
 he amplifies their guilt from 
 this, that they delighted and 
 indulged themfelves in fuch a 
 bafe perverfenefs. — If you 
 read it interrogatively, this will 
 be the fenfe. * Do not your 
 own coniciences convict you 
 
 alfo very well agree with the 
 context, for while a high opi- 
 nion of riches and honours 
 dazzles our eyes, truth, which 
 ought to prevail, is funprefled.* 
 He ufes the expr^fiicn, " fit 
 " thou here in a good place," 
 for " an honourable feat." 
 
 in fuch a manner, that there 
 is no need of any other judge ?' 
 If you prefer to read it affirma- 
 tively, the force of the reason- 
 ing will be to this purpofe : 
 ' This too is an additional evil, 
 that ye are not fenfible of your 
 tranfgrefhon, neither do ye ac- 
 knowledge, that your thoughts 
 are evil, as they really are.' 
 
 5. Hearken, my beloved brethren ; hath not God 
 c.hofen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of 
 the kingdom, which he hath promifed to them that love 
 him ? 
 
 6. But ye have defpifed the poor. Do not rich men 
 opprefs you, and draw you before the judgement feats ? 
 
 7. Do net they blafpheme that worthy name, by which 
 ye are called ? 
 
 5. Hearken , 
 
 * Some ha»s tranflated the verfe thus— " Hold not the glorious faith of the 
 I.crd Jefus Chrifr, with lefptct of persons;" and have though' this translation to 
 be molt agreeable to the icope of the a pottle's argument; bccaule the ehriltian's 
 faith has rlothed him 'with a much better and moie glorious attire th<_n what 
 riches can procure. The learned reader will perceive, that tfefc tianflation agrees 
 ■very well with the Greek confbuclion Beza and the obi tranflaiion have it as 
 in our veriion : Erafmus and Calvin uie the word opidone. opinion, foi the oiiginal 
 word io^c, commonly trarflated gloria, gloiy Theii opirion, then, of the lenfe 
 of the paiTage, teems to be— that &< apftftfe is dwefiing ns not to eftimate the 
 Servants of Chrift, and their worth, by common opinion, or the way in which 
 find generally judge of perfons and things that is, " with reiptft of per» 
 j.>ns according to worldly dillkiUons and cucumlbr.ces." 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 4i 
 
 5. Hearhen, my beloved bre- 
 thren, <b , c.~\ He now ufes a 
 twofold argument to prove that 
 they act prepoiteroufly, who on 
 account of the rich defpife the 
 poor. The firft argument is, 
 that 'tis unworthy conduct in 
 man to defpife thofe whom God 
 hath exalted ; and to treat with 
 contumely thofe whom he hon- 
 ours — but God honours the 
 poor; therefore, whofoever re- 
 jects them perverts the or Jer of 
 God. The other argument is 
 taken from general experience : 
 as the rich, for the mod part, 
 are the occafion of trouble to 
 the good and the innocent, 'tis 
 very abfurd, to return them 
 fuch a reward for their injuries, 
 as to regard them more than 
 the poor, who a/lift us more 
 than they injure us. But we 
 fhall confider, di(lin£lly, the 
 force and extent of each of thefe 
 arguments. Hath not God chofen 
 the poor, is'c.'] Not them alone, 
 however : but he chofe to be- 
 gin with them, to give a check 
 to the pride of the rich. This 
 is agreeable to what Paul fays, 
 I Cor. i. 25, &c. " For ye fee 
 <c your calling, brethren, how 
 " that not many wife men after 
 " the fiefh, not many mighty, 
 *' not many noble are called : 
 <f but God hath chofen the 
 M foolilh things of the world 
 t( to confound the wife ; and 
 <c God hath chofen the weak 
 <c things of the world to con- 
 " found the dunes that are 
 
 " mighty, &c." In fine, as 
 God hath (hewn his kindnefs, 
 in common, to the rich and to 
 the poor ; he hath, however, 
 chofen to give the poor a pre- 
 ference, that the great might 
 learn not to be too partial to 
 themfelves ; that the mean and 
 obfeure might learn to afcribe 
 whatever they have to the mercy 
 of God ; and that both parties 
 might be trained up to mode ft y 
 and humility. He calls thofe, 
 rich in faith, not who abound 
 in the greatnefs of their faith, 
 but whom God hath enriched 
 with the various gifts of his 
 fpirit, of which by faith we 
 are made partakers. — For 
 eertainly, as God freely offers 
 himfelf to all, every one is 
 made a partaker of his gifts, 
 according to the meafure of his 
 faith. Wherefore, if we be 
 empty or poor, this argues a 
 failure of our faith: for if we 
 only extend the fails of our 
 faith, God is always ready to 
 fill them. He fays the king- 
 dom is promifed to thofe who 
 love God, not in the fenfe 
 that the promife depends upon 
 their love ; but to put us in 
 mind, that we are called by 
 God to the hope of eternal life, 
 upon this condition and for 
 this end, that when called, we 
 mould love him. 'Tis the end 
 of our calling, then, not the 
 beginning of i<:, that is here 
 pointed out. 
 
 6 Do 
 
4* 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 6. Do not rich men opprefs 
 you ?~\ He feems here to itir 
 up to revenge, by bringing for- 
 ward to their view the unjuft 
 tyranny of the rich, as if thofe 
 who are ufed unjuftly by others 
 werejat liberty to retaliate. — 
 But we are every where enjoin- 
 ed to do good even to our moft 
 implacable enemies. But James 
 lias another object in view here : 
 for he only withes to fhew, that 
 they a£t without reafon and 
 judgment who eagerly honour 
 their oppreflbrs ; and , in the 
 meantime, a£t injurioufly to 
 people, who are their friends, 
 or from whom, at leaft, they 
 have never received any injury. 
 For in this, their foily appears 
 more flrongly, that without 
 being induced to it by any be- 
 nefits received, they only ad- 
 mire the rich, becaufe they are 
 rich ; yea, they even fervilely 
 
 7. Do not they htfifpbeme that 
 worthy name, 6v.] Without 
 doubt he means the name of 
 God and Chrift. And he fays, 
 that they are called by it, or 
 that it is named upon believers, 
 not in prayer, as the fcriptures 
 fometimes ufe to fpeak, but in 
 refpect of their profeffion, (as 
 chrijlians :) juft as the name of 
 a father is iaid to be named 
 upon" his offspring. See Gen. 
 xh'iii. 16. " The angel which 
 " redeemed me from all evil, 
 *' blefs the lads : and let my 
 *' name be named on them, 
 
 fawn upon thofe whom, to 
 their own hurt, they have ex- 
 perienced to be both unjuft and 
 cruel. There are, no doubt, 
 fome of the rich, who attend 
 to equity and moderation ; and 
 who would fcorn to do any in- 
 juftice ; but few fuch are to 
 be found. James, then, only 
 relates what their general con- 
 duct in this refpect is, and 
 what is confirmed by daily ex- 
 perience. — For as mankind, 
 commonly, experience their 
 power by their injuries, it 
 thence comes to pafs, that the 
 more powerful any one is, the 
 more worthlefs he becomes, and 
 the more unjuft Coward his 
 neighbours. "Wherefore, the 
 rich ought to be particularly 
 cautious, left they fhould con- 
 tract anything of that contagion 
 which rages every where among 
 their order. 
 
 " and the name of my fathers, 
 " Abraham and Ifaac." Or 
 the name of a hufband named 
 upon a wife, Ifa. iv. 1. " And 
 " in that day, feven women 
 " fhall take hold of one man, 
 " faying, We will eat our own 
 " bread, and wear our own ap- 
 "1 parel : only let us be called 
 " by thy name, to take away 
 " our reproach." 'Tis then 
 the fame as if he had faid, 
 " that worthy name, in which 
 ye glory, or by which, becaufe 
 of its honour, ye defire to be 
 enrolled and called." But if 
 
 they 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 43 
 
 they proudly (land and difho- they to be honoured by chrif- 
 nour God, how unworthy are tians. 
 
 8. If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the fcripture, 
 Thou {halt love thy neighbour as thyfelf, ye do well. 
 
 9. But if ye have refpect to perfons, ye commit fin, 
 and are convinced of the law as tranfgreiTors. 
 
 10. For whofoever mall keep the whole law, and yet 
 offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 
 
 11. For he that faid, Do not commit adultery; faid, 
 alfo, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet, 
 if thou kill, thou art become a tranforeffor of the law. 
 
 7 o 
 
 We have here now a more 
 ample declaration. He openly 
 afligns the caufe of his laft re- 
 proof — that their courteous be- 
 haviour to the rich proceeded, 
 not from brotherly love, but 
 rather, from a vain defire of 
 courting their favour. 'Tis the 
 anticipation of an objection : 
 for fome might make this ex- 
 ception — that a perfon is not 
 to be blamed who iubmits him- 
 fetf with humility even to the 
 unworthy. James grants that 
 to be true ; but teaches us, 
 that this was ufed as a falfe 
 pretext by them ; becaufe this 
 complaifance was not fhewn 
 to them as neighbours, but to 
 their perfonal rank. In the 3th 
 verfe he acknowledges that 
 whatever offices of brotherly 
 love we fhew towards our neigh- 
 bours are proper and commend- 
 able ; but in the 9th he denies 
 that a fawning refpect to fu- 
 
 periority of rank ought to be 
 reckoned among the duties of 
 charity or brotherly love ; be- 
 caufe it by no means agrees 
 with the rule of the law. The 
 hinge of the reafoning turns 
 upon the words neighbours and 
 perfons ;as if he had faid,' 4 If you. 
 pretend to hold out charity as 
 a pretence for this kind of con- 
 duct, it will not avail you ; fur- 
 God orders us to love our neiglv- 
 bours, not to have refpect to 
 perfons. Befides the word neig h • 
 bours comprehends the whole 
 of mankind : he, then, who 
 palling by others, feletls, a- 
 greeable to his own will and 
 humour, a few only as the ob- 
 jects of his refpect and efteem, 
 doth not keep the law of God, 
 but complies with his own per- 
 verfe humour. God exprefs- 
 lv recommends to our regard 
 both ftran^ers and enemies, a ml 
 whofoever may be, in other 
 G ' re- 
 
44 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 refpecb, in mean circumftan- doctrine; wherefore James juft- 
 ces. The refpecting of per- ly affirms it to be inconfiftent 
 fons is quite contrary to this with charity. 
 
 8. If ye fulfil the royal law, 
 <kfc.~\ I take the word law here 
 fimply for a' rule, and to fulfil 
 it, is to obferve it with fincere 
 integrity and in all its parts : 
 }t is oppofed to the partial ob- 
 fervance of fome. 'Tis called 
 the royal law, as a turnpike 
 road is called the king's high- 
 way — 'tis plain, ftraight, and 
 equal ; as oppofed to winding 
 fcy-paths and turnings. An 
 allufion, however, is here, in 
 my opinion, to be noted, to that 
 fervile complaifance which they 
 ihewed to the rich, while they 
 might not only live as freemen, 
 
 10. For whofbsver fhall keep 
 the whole law, &c] This only 
 means that God will not be 
 worfhipped with exception, [3] 
 no: deal with us fo partially as 
 to allow us to retrench from 
 his law fuch parts as may be 
 lefs agreeable to us. This ap- 
 pears, at firft fight, hard doc- 
 trine to fome, as if it corref- 
 ponded with the paradox of the 
 itoics, which makes all fins 
 equal ; and afTerted that he who 
 hath offended in one point, is 
 $0 be punifhed with equal fe- 
 yerity as if his' whole life had 
 been worthlefs and wicked. — 
 But it is evident from the con- 
 text, that the apoftle has not 
 any fuch thing in view : for the 
 
 but as kings, by a frank and 
 liberal performance of the duties 
 owing to their neighbours. — ■ 
 When he fays, that thofe who re- 
 fpe£l perfons are convinced of the 
 law, <&c. the law is taken in its 
 proper fenfe ; for when, by the 
 command of God we are en- 
 joined to love all mankind; 
 whofoever, excepting only a 
 few, rejects all others, and pre- 
 fers even the moft unworthy to 
 thofe of good character, he is 
 defervedly ftyled a tranfgreflbr 
 of the law, inafmuch as he not 
 only inverts the order but breaks 
 the command of God. 
 
 circumftanceswhich gave caufe 
 or occafion to any thing faid 
 are always to be considered. — 
 The apoftle argues, that {his 
 is not to love our neighbours, 
 when a part is fawningly felec- 
 ted to the neglect of others. — 
 He proves this, becaufe there 
 cannot be obedience towards 
 God, where there is not art 
 uniform endeavour to comply 
 with whatever is agreeable to 
 the command of God. — As 
 then the lav/ of God is fimple 
 and perfect ; fo it is proper that 
 it fhould be kept in all its parts, 
 and that none of us fhould vain- 
 ly leparate what he hath joined 
 together. If, then, we would 
 pay a due obedience to God, 
 
 we 
 ■ 1 
 
EPISTLE OF JAME& 
 
 4.5 
 
 we mud be pofTefTed of fleadi- 
 ncfs and uniformity ; as for 
 inftance, if any judge (hould 
 punifii ten thefts, and leave one 
 unpunifhed ; by this he betrays 
 a crooked perverfenefs of dif- 
 pofition, and that he was more 
 an enemy to the perfons of the 
 criminals than to their crimes ; 
 for he punifhes in one what he 
 pardons in another. — Now, 
 then, we have the fcope of the 
 apoflle before us, namely, if 
 We retrench from the law of 
 God, any part with which we 
 are diflatisfied, altho' we mould 
 obferve it in its other parts, we 
 ere guilty of ally becaufe, in 
 breaking one point we violate 
 the whole law. — And altho* 
 this mode of expreffion be ac- 
 
 II. For he that f aid, <&c.~} — 
 A proof of the former fentence. 
 For the legiflator is rather to be 
 confidered than fingle precepts 
 of the law apart. The juflice 
 of God is contained, as an in- 
 dividual body, in the law. — 
 "Whofoever, then, tranfgrefTeth 
 one point of the law, as much, 
 as in his power, overthrows 
 the juftice of God. Befules, 
 as God would try our obedience 
 in one part, fo would he in 
 
 commodated to the circumftan- 
 ces of the prefent cafe, 'tis 
 taken, however, from this ge- 
 neral principle, that God hath, 
 prefcribed to us a rule of life, 
 which 'tis unlawful for us to 
 difmember. For it is not con- 
 cerning any part of the law that 
 it is faid, " This is the way ; 
 " walk ye in it j" nor does the 
 law promife any reward but to 
 univerfal obedience : 'tis folly* 
 then, in the fchoolmen to con- 
 fider a partial righteoufnefs, as 
 they call it, as fupplying the 
 place of v. meritorious righteouf- 
 nefs. For this pafTage, and fe- 
 veral others, demonitrate clear- 
 ly, that there is no righteouf- 
 nefs but in the perfect obfer- 
 vance of the law. 
 
 every part. Wherefore, he is 
 a tranfgreflbr of the law, who- 
 foever offendeth in refpecl: of 
 any commandment, according 
 to that fcripture — " Curfed be 
 " he that coafirmeth not ail 
 " the words of this law to do> 
 " them." Deut. xxvii. 26. In 
 fine, we fee that a tranf. >-eiTor 
 of the lav/, and one " who is 
 " guilty of all,?' with James 
 mean one and the fume thing. 
 
 1 2. So fpeak ye, and fo -do, as they that fhall be judg- 
 ed by the law of liberty. 
 
 13. For he fhall have judgment without mercy, that 
 hath (hewed no mercy j and mercy rejoiceth againit 
 judgment, 
 
 G a 
 
 12. So 
 
46 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 12. Sofpeakye, &V.] Some 
 thus explain the verfe, that bc- 
 cauie they were too partial to 
 thetnfelves, they are put in 
 in hid that they are to be tried 
 at a legal tribunal. For men 
 acquit themfdves in their own 
 opinion, becaufe they do not 
 try themfelves-by the fentence 
 of the divine law. He has in 
 view then, to put them in mind 
 that all words and actions will 
 be brought to this teft, for God 
 will judge the world according 
 to his law. But as fuch a de- 
 nunciation might ftrike.a more 
 than ordinary terror, they think 
 the feverity to be amended and 
 mitigated by the words added, 
 " the law of liberty." For we 
 hear what Paul faith : " As 
 " many as are of the woi - ks 
 " of the law, are under the 
 " curfe." — Wherefore, the 
 
 .judgment of the law in itfelf 
 will be (to them) the condem- 
 nation of eternal death. This 
 fenfe of the veife correfponds 
 
 1 3 . For he Jlmll have judgment, 
 cv.] This is the application 
 of the laft fentence to his pre- 
 sent purpofe, which entirely 
 confirms the fecond expofition 
 which I have given of it. For 
 it teaches us, that as we de- 
 pend on the mercy of God a- 
 
 •joue, we ought to ihew mercy 
 to thofe whom God himfelf re- 
 commends to us. And this is 
 a remarkable recommendation 
 of humanity and beneficence, 
 
 well enough with the context. 
 However, if any one confider 
 more nearly what immediately 
 follows, he will fee that James 
 has fomcthing elfe in view ; as 
 if he had thus exprefTed him- 
 felf : tf If you ycurfelves would 
 not wifh to undergo the rigour 
 of the law, be not too rigid 
 againft your neighbours." For 
 the law of liberty is of the fame 
 import with the mercy of God, 
 which frees us from the curfe 
 of the law. — And thus the 
 words will be to be read in 
 context with the following, 
 where he fpeaks of bearing with 
 the infirmities of others. Then 
 the context runs fmoothly thus: 
 ." Since none of us can hand 
 before Goc!, unlefs delivered 
 from the rigfcr of the law, we 
 ought fo to behave that we.may 
 not, by our too great feverity, 
 (towards others) exclude our- 
 felves from the Divine favour 
 and indulgence, of which ail 
 have the utmoft need." 
 
 that God promifes he will be 
 merciful to us, if we be merci- 
 ful to our brethren: not that 
 any mercy of ours, of what 
 kind foever it be, that we can 
 (hew, to our fellow creatures, 
 merits the mercy of God : but 
 whom God hath chofen, that 
 he may be to thefe a compaf- 
 fionate and merciful father — 
 thefe he willies to carry about 
 and bear in themfelves his own; 
 image while on earth : accord- 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 4J 
 
 ing to that commandment of 
 Citrift ; " Be merciful, as your 
 " heavenly father is merciful." 
 'Tis to be obferved, on the other 
 hand, that, <l the apoftle can 
 denounce nothing more fevere 
 or dreadful than the judgment 
 of God :" whence it follows, 
 that they are more than wretch- 
 ed and undone who do not fly 
 to the fancluary of his forgive- 
 nefs. And mercy rejoiceth, <b'c. 
 As if he had laid, " 'Tis the 
 mercy of God alone that frees 1 
 us from the fear of judgment. 
 Tor he ufeth the word rejoiceth 
 here, for its being victorious 
 and fuperior : for tnc judgment 
 of condemnation hangeth over 
 the whole world, if mercy in- 
 
 tervene not to relieve them. — 
 The expofition of thofe, who 
 would have a perfon to be here 
 pointed at under the name of a 
 thing is harih and forced ; for 
 man is not, with propriety, 
 faid to rejoice againfl the judg- 
 ment of God : but the mercy 
 of God itfelf in a manner re- 
 joiceth and obtains a fovereign 
 triumph, when the feverity of 
 judgment ceaferh. Altho' I do 
 not deny that a confidence of 
 glorying arifeth thence, while 
 the faichful find the anger of 
 God, in fome meafure, yield- 
 ing to his mercy ; fo that fup- 
 ported by the latter, they can- 
 not be overwhelmed by the 
 former. 
 
 14. What dpth it profit, my brethren, tho' a man 
 fay he hath faith, and have not works ? can faith fave 
 him ? 
 
 15. If a brother or filler be naked, and deftitute of 
 daily food ; 
 
 16. And one of you fay unto them, Depart in peace, 
 be ye warmed and filled : notwithstanding ye give them 
 not thofe things which are needful to the body j what 
 doth it profit ? 
 
 1 7. Even fo faith, if it hath not works, is dead being 
 alone. 
 
 14. What doth it profit, <£>Y.] 
 He proceeds in commendation 
 of mercy. As he had threaten- 
 ed that God would be to us a 
 fevere and terrible judge, un- 
 it fa we be humane and com- 
 
 panionate to our neighbours : 
 and as on the other hand hypo- 
 crites objected — that faith, in 
 which the falvation of man con- 
 fills, is fufficknt for us, he 
 now inveighs againft that vain 
 boaft- 
 
48 
 
 CALVIN'S COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 bcafling. The fum of his rea- 
 foning is — that faith without 
 Works profiteth nothing, and 
 conf.quently is dead. — But 
 here aqueflion arifes — can faith 
 be feparated from charity? The 
 expofition of this pafTage gave 
 Occaficn to that trite diltin£tion 
 among the fophiits — into fcaith 
 informed and formed. L4J But 
 James had no fuch thing in 
 view. 'Tis fuffkiently evident 
 from his words, that he is 
 fpeaking of a falfe profeflion of 
 faith 5 for he does not begin by 
 faying, " if any one have faith)" 
 but " if any man fay he hath 
 faith;" by which he undoubted- 
 ly fignifies that hypocrites boaft 
 in the empty name of faith, 
 altho' in reality they have no 
 claim to it. — What then he 
 here calls faith is a conceffion, 
 as rhetoricians call it. For 
 when we are only entering 
 upon the difcuffion of a point, 
 it doth not hurt the caufe, yea, 
 it fometimes profiteth it, to give 
 up to our opponent the word 
 which he requires ; becaufe, 
 when the queftion itfelf hath 
 been inveftigatsd and refolv- 
 
 jt;. But if a brother of ffler 
 be naked, tec'] He takes an 
 example from a common cafe. 
 He. is exhorting; as hath been 
 laid, to the offices of charity. 
 If any one, in oppofition to 
 him, (hould boaft that he is con- 
 tent with faith without works; 
 he compares this infignifieani 
 f^.rh to that kind of language 
 
 ed, the word is eafily recover- 
 ed. As James then thought 
 it fufficient to refute that ialfe 
 pretext by which hypocrites 
 fcreen themfelves ; he would 
 net llir up any controverfy a* 
 bout the word. Let us keep 
 it in remembrance, however, 
 that as often as he mentions 
 the word faith here, he is not 
 fpeaking according to the real 
 fenie of his mind •, but is rather 
 difputing againft thofe, who 
 fallely pretend that they have 
 faith, of which they are alto* 
 gether deftitute. Canfaithfave 
 him? As if he had faid, " 'Tig 
 impoflible for us to obtain fa I* 
 vation by a cold and bare know* 
 ledge of God ; which all rea- 
 dily grant to be true. For thus 
 it is, that our falvation is of 
 faith, becaufe faith unites us 
 to God. And this is brought 
 about by ingrafting us into the 
 body of Chriftj fo that living by 
 his fpirit, we may alfo be go- 
 verned by him. But there is 
 no fuch thing in this dead phan- 
 tom of faith. ' lis not ftrange, 
 then, that James deprives it of 
 the power to fave. 
 
 which bids a hungry man go 
 and be filled, but which does 
 not provide the food of which 
 he is in want. As, then, he 
 mocketh the poor man who 
 puts him off by words, but give3 
 him no aid, fo they mock God, 
 who frame to themfelves a life 
 definite of good works and every 
 pious duty. 
 
 17, 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 4* 
 
 1 7. ... .. is dead being alone. J 
 
 He calls that faith dead in it- 
 felf, which is without good 
 works. Whence we conclude 
 that it is not faith j for where 
 it is dead, it does not properly 
 retain the name. The fophifts 
 urge this expreffion as a proof 
 that forae kind of faith may be 
 found alone. But fuch frivo- 
 lous cavilling is anfwered with- 
 
 out difficulty ; efpecially as it 
 is evident that the apoftle rea- 
 fons fro'"n an impoffibility ; as 
 Paul calls the angel accurfed 
 who fhould endeavour to fub- 
 vert the gofpel. — Gal. i. 8. 
 ' But tho' we or an angel from 
 * heaven preach any other gof- 
 pel unto you, than that which 
 we have preached unto you, 
 \% let him be accurfed." 
 
 18. Yea, a man may fay, Thou haft faith, and I have 
 works : (hew me thy faith without thy works, and I will 
 (hew thee my faith by my works. 
 
 19. Thou believed that there is one God; thou doll 
 well : the devils alfo believe and tremble. 
 
 18. Tea, a man may fay, &V.J 
 Erafmus here introduces two 
 converting together, one of 
 whom boafts of faith without 
 works ; the other of works 
 without faith : and thinks both 
 of them are confuted by the 
 intervening anfwer of the a- 
 poftle : but this notion appears 
 to me to be too forced. He 
 thinks it to be abfurd that this 
 expreffion, " thou haft faith," 
 fhould be fpoken in the perfon 
 of James, who acknowledgeth 
 no faith without works. But 
 he is much miftaken in not 
 difcovering, that thefe words 
 are ufed ironically. The word 
 tranflated yea, I take here to 
 fignify but rather; and the word 
 rendered a man to mean any 
 man : and the fenfe will run 
 thus: Sf But rather any man 
 
 may fay, (to refute the foolifh 
 vain glorying of thofe who 
 imagine that they have faith, 
 while by their walk and con- 
 vention they difcover them- 
 felves infidels) — thou hajl faith, 
 <&c. For, fays James, it would 
 be eafy for all who live godly 
 to drive out of hypocrites that 
 vain glorying with which they 
 are elated — by thus addreffing 
 them, " Shew me thy faith, 
 " &c." Altho' the text more 
 commonly in the Greek runs 
 thus, " Shew me thy faith by 
 " thy works." I rather, how» 
 ever, incline to prefer the read- 
 ing of the old Latin, which is 
 alfo found in feveral Greek 
 copies. By ordering them, then, 
 " to fhew their faith without 
 works, he argues from a thing 
 impoiuble, in order to prove 
 
 that 
 
5° 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 that they have none. Thus the 
 phrafeology is ironical. How- 
 ever, if any one would rather 
 follow the different reading, 
 •' Shew me thy faith by thy 
 works," it will amount to the 
 fame meaning : for the activity 
 of any thing mud be proved 
 by works ; the fenfe then is, 
 *' TJnlefs you fhow me the 
 fruits of your faith, I deny that 
 you are poiTefTed of any." But 
 it may be afked, is an external 
 probity of life a certain proof 
 of faith ? for, fays James, " I 
 will iliew thee my faith by my 
 -works." — I anfwer, that the 
 
 1 9. Thou believe/} that there 
 is one God, <b'c.~] From this 
 iingle expreflion 'tis abundant- 
 ly manifeft, that the whole of 
 this difputation is not concern- 
 faith, but that common 
 knowledge of God which no 
 more joins a perfon to God, 
 than the fight of the fun elevates 
 him to heaven ; whereas it is 
 certain, that by faith we draw 
 near to God. Derides it will 
 be ridiculous, if any one fhould 
 aiTcrt that the devils have faith:* 
 
 unbelieving too fometimes ex- 
 cel in fpecious virtues, or pafs 
 an honourable life remite from 
 every crime : and, therefore, 
 illuftrious works may, in ap- 
 pearance, be feparated from 
 faith. But James is not argu- 
 ing, that whomever has an ap- 
 pearance of probity is immedi- 
 ately poiTefTed of faith. — He 
 only means this, that it is iri 
 vain to boa ft of faith without 
 the teflimony of good works, 
 becaufe from the living root oi 
 a good tree, the fruits always 
 proceed. 
 
 but James here prefers them 
 to hypocrites. — The devil 
 trembles, fays he, at the men- 
 tion of God, becaufe while hs 
 acknowledges him as his judge, 
 he Hands in awe of him: there- 
 fore, he who acknowledges 
 God, but defpifeth him, is 
 fomething worie than the devil. 
 Thou doji %vcl!, is added by way 
 of extenuation ; as if he had 
 faid, " This to be fure is a 
 great matter, to fink below 
 devils." 
 
 20. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith with- 
 out works is dead ? 
 
 21. Was not Abraham, our father, juRified by works, 
 when he had offered Ifaac his fon upon the altar ? 
 
 22. Seefl thou how faith wrought with his works, and 
 by works was faith made perfed ? 
 
 23. And 
 
 * He means a faith connected with obedience to God. 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 5* 
 
 13. And the fcripture was fulfilled which faith, Abra- 
 ham believed God, and it was imputed to him for right- 
 coufnefs : and he was called the friend of God. 
 
 24. Ye fee, then, how that by works a man is juflified, 
 and not by faith only. [5] 
 
 Likewife, alfo, was not Rahab the harlot juflified 
 
 2 5- 
 
 and 
 
 by works, when fhe had received the meffengers, 
 had fent them out another way ? 
 
 26. For as the body without the fpirit is dead, fo faith, 
 without works is dead alfo. 
 
 20. But vjilt thou kno-jo, <&V.] 
 The ftate of the queStion is to 
 be attended to. For neither 
 here is the difputation concern- 
 ing the caufe of justification : 
 but the point under considera- 
 tion is only this — what a pro- 
 fefiion of faith profiteth with- 
 out works ; and of what ac- 
 count it is to be held ? They 
 labour in vain,, then, who en- 
 deavour to prove from this paf- 
 fage, that a man is juflified by 
 
 2 1. Was not Abraham, our 
 father, jvjlified, fa'c.~] So phi ft s 
 
 lay hold ot this word jujlified ; 
 and then, as if conquerors, ex- 
 claim — that a part of justifica- 
 tion confifts in works : but the 
 found interpretation muft be 
 taken from the context. We 
 have faid that James is not here 
 treating of thofe points, either 
 whence or how mankind may 
 obtain justification ; as is evi- 
 dent to any one ; but that he 
 has this only in view, to prove 
 
 works ; for James had no fuch. 
 thing in his view ; the proofs 
 which he fubjoins have a re- 
 ference to this fenfe, that there 
 can be no faith without works, 
 or, at leaft, that without works 
 faith is dead. For no one will 
 ever be able to underftand what 
 is fpoken, or prudently to judge 
 of the meaning of words, un- 
 lefs he fhall keep in view ths 
 defign of the writer. 
 
 that good works are always 
 joined with faith : therefore, 
 when he declares, that Abraham, 
 was juftified by faith, he fpeaks 
 of the proof of his justification. 
 When, then, the fophifts oppofe 
 James to Paul, they commit a 
 miftake, thro' the ambiguous 
 fignification of the word : be- 
 caufe when Paul fays, that we 
 are juflified by faith, he means 
 nothing elfe, but the attainment 
 of our being considered as juf- 
 tified before God 5 whereas 
 H James 
 
5» 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 James has a Very different mat- 
 ter in view, namely, that he 
 who profefTes to be pGfTefled of 
 faith ihould demonflrate the 
 truth of his faith by his works. 
 Certainly James did not mean 
 here to teach upon what foun- 
 dation the certain hope of our 
 falvation ought to reft , on which 
 alone Paul infifts. Therefore, 
 that we may not fall into the 
 falfe conclufion which hath de- 
 ceived the fophifls, this double 
 meaning of the words is to be 
 attended to — that - juft'fcation, 
 as ufed by Paul, is a free im- 
 putation of righteoufnefs before 
 the tribunal of God ; but, as 
 ufed by James, is a proof of 
 juflincation from its effects be- 
 fore men : as we may gather 
 from the foregoing words, — 
 * l Shew me thy faith, &c. : '— 
 In this fenfe we acknowledge, 
 without controverfy,that a man 
 as juftified by works. As if 
 any one mould fay, that a man 
 is enriched by the purchafe of 
 a great and eerily eftate, be- 
 caufc his riches, which former- 
 ly lay concealed in a cheft, 
 have now become more gene- 
 rally known. When he fays, 
 " that faith wrought with his 
 ** works, and by them was 
 
 "23. Jlnd the fenpture was ful- 
 filled which faith, h'e.~] Thofe, 
 who would prove from this 
 teflimony of James, that the 
 works of Abram were imputed 
 to him for j unification, muft, 
 
 " made perfect ;" l>e again 
 fliews that the queflion here is 
 not concerning the caufe of our 
 falvation — but is whether works 
 nccefTarily accompany faith ? 
 For in this fenfe faith is faid to 
 have co-operated with works, 
 becaufe it was not inactive. 'Tis 
 faid to have been made perfect 
 by works, not becaufe it re- 
 ceives its perfection from works, 
 but becaufe by thefe it is prov- 
 ed to be real. As to that ftale 
 diftinction of theirs, which the 
 fophifts artfully draw from the 
 words, of a faith formed and 
 unformed, it (lands in no need 
 of long refutation. For the 
 faith of Abraham was formed 
 and real before the facrificing 
 of his fon. But that action 
 was not the fmifhing part, fo 
 to fpeak ; for many actions fol- 
 lowed afterwards, by which 
 Abraham demonflrated the in- 
 creafe of his faith. Wherefore, 
 neither was that the perfec- 
 tion of his faith, nor did it 
 then firfl receive a beginning. 
 James then means nothing elfe, 
 but that the perfection of his 
 faith confiit&d in this, that itdif- 
 played that diftinguHhed fruit 
 of obedience. 
 
 of neceflity, acknowledge the 
 fcripture to be miferably wrefl- 
 ed. — For let them do their 
 belt, they will never bring it 
 to pafs that the effect mould be 
 prior to the caufe. That paf- 
 
 fagc 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 53 
 
 fage of Mofes, Gen. xv. 6. is 
 cited ; " And Abram believed 
 " in the Lord ; and he count- 
 " ed it to him for righteouf- 
 u nefs." The imputation of 
 righteoufnefs, of which Mofes 
 there fpcaks, preceded that work 
 by which they would have A- 
 bram to be juftified more than 
 thirty years. Surely, as faith 
 was imputed to Abraham for 
 righteoufnefs, fifteen years be- 
 fore Ifaac was born, it could 
 not be on account of the facri- 
 fice of his fon. Whoever main- 
 tains that righteoufnefs was 
 imputed to Abram before God, 
 becaufe he facrificed his fon 
 Ifaac, who was not yet born, 
 when the holy fpirit pronoun- 
 ced Abram a juftified perfon, 
 can never give a fatisfactory 
 anfwer to this point. There- 
 fore it neceffarily remains that 
 we fiiould maintain that fome- 
 
 25. Like wife, alfo, was not 
 Rabab the harlot jujlifiedby works, 
 is'c.~\ It appears ablurdto couple 
 together characters fo unlike 
 ' as thofe of Abraham and Ra- 
 hab. "Why did he not rather 
 choofe out fome from the great 
 number of illuftrious patriarchs, 
 whom he might join with A- 
 braham ? Why does he pre- 
 fer a harlot to them all ? 'Tis 
 purpofely that he hath joined 
 together two perfons fo very 
 cppofite, that he might the 
 more clearly demonftrate, that 
 no perfon, of whatever condi- 
 
 thing afterward is pointed at. 
 Now, then, docs James fay that 
 it was fulfilled ? Btcaufe, for 
 certain, he would fhew us what 
 kind of faith that was which 
 juftified Abraham : viz. not an 
 inactive and vain faith, but 
 fuch a one as rendered him 
 obedient to God ; as it is re- 
 corded in Heb. xi. 8. " By 
 " faith Abraham, when he 
 " was called to go out into a. 
 " place, which he fhould after 
 " receive for an inheritance, 
 " obeyed ; and went out, not 
 f< knowing whither he went.'* 
 The conclufion which immedi- 
 ately follows, becaufe 'tis drawn 
 from thence, admits of no 
 other fenfe : man is not jufH-* 
 fled by faith alone •, that is, by 
 a bare and empty knowledge of: 
 God. He is juftified by works; 
 that is, his justification is known 
 and proved from its fruits. 
 
 tion, family or rank, was ever 
 accounted among the number 
 of the juftified and the faithful, 
 without gocd works. He ha* 
 named the moft diftinguifhed, 
 by far, of all the patriarchs ; 
 now, under the perfon of a 
 harlot, he comprehends all, 
 who, when they were alien* 
 from the church, are ingrafted 
 into her. Whomever, then, 
 dcfires to be accounted juftified, 
 even to obtain a place among 
 the meaneft of fuch, let him, 
 fhew himfelf fuch by his good 
 works. Becaufe James, ac- 
 Ii 2 cgrding 
 
54 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 cording to his manner of writ- fication ; we acknowledge that 
 
 "jng, fays that Rahab was juftf- good works arerequifite indeed 
 
 fied by works, the fophifts to justification * but we diveft 
 
 thence conclude, that we oh- them of all power to confer 
 
 tain juftification by the merits juftification— becaufe they can- 
 
 of cur works. But we deny not ftand before the tribunal 
 
 that he is at all here treating of of God. 
 the manner of obtaining julti- 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 FROM the general fcope of this chapter, learn, ift, "Where- 
 in the real excellence of a rational being confifts : not in 
 the poffeilion of the honours, the riches, or the pleafures of this 
 vain and perifhing world ; but in our relation to him who is the 
 Lord of glory. Secure of his favour, clothed with his image, 
 and holding his faith in righteoufnefs, feek ye the honours which 
 are from above, the riches which neither moth nor ruft can 
 corrupt, and ftudy that integrity of conduct which angels revere, 
 and wherewith God himfelf ! s well pleafed. Be not deceived 
 by any outward appearance, either in yourfelves or others ; 
 but try to difcern and efteem real worth, wherever you behold 
 It. Remember, that in matters of religion, the rich and the 
 poor ftand on a level before God. He accepteth no man, on 
 account of his riches, or his rank ; neither ought ye to have re- 
 fpe£t, only, to him with the gold ring and the gay clothing. 
 *< Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chofen the poor 
 <( of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which 
 ** he hath promifed to them that love him?" 
 
 2d, Wealth and honour frequently expofe to vice. They too 
 often puff up with pride, and lead to oppreiiion, to the neglect 
 of religion, and defpite of its great and glorious author. ** Do 
 <{ not rich men opprefs you, and draw you before the judgment 
 " feats ? Do not they blafpheme that worthy name by which ye 
 " are called ?" Are ye rich ? Be on your guard againft thofe 
 temptations, to which your circumitances in life, more imme- 
 diately, expofe you. Remember, that God refifteth the proud, 
 but giveth grace unto the humble. Remember, that the cries 
 of the opprefTed go up unto him, and he will ere long vindicate 
 the caufe of the injured. O ! remember what is to be the por- 
 tion of the profane and blafphemous. Pfal. xi. 6. Are ye poor ? 
 Be refigned to the will of providence : yea be thankful, that 
 
 here- 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. S* 
 
 r.ereby ye arc the Iefs in danger of falling into wic'kednefs. To 
 be poor and wicked is moft miferable indeed : yet this is too 
 generally the cafe. A want of truth and of honefty, mercilefs 
 (lander and detraction, cruel envy, much filthy fpeaking, and 
 too much blafphemy, even among the poor. O! man, no won- 
 der thou art poor, whan this is thy manner of life ; when thou 
 art at (o much pains to provoke God to make thee wretched here, 
 arid miferable, beyond cxpreffion, hereafter. 
 
 3d, It will be the care of the real chriftian to yield an unU 
 form obedience to all God's commands ; remembering, that he 
 who faid, Do not commit adultery, faid alfo, Do not kill. Like 
 God, he hates and abhors every falfe and wicked way; he has 
 no defire to wink at or to indulge in any favourite vice, and cat* 
 find no peace in his mind, while any wickednefs, of which he 
 is confeious, cleaves unto him. He often lifts up his voice to 
 heaven, in fervent fupplication, faying, " Take away my tranf- 
 * c greflions, O God, and let not any iniquity have dominion 
 <c over me." Yea, afraid, left his own heart ihould deceive 
 him, he cries, " O ! cleanfe thou me from fecrefc faults, and 
 ** purge away all my fin." 
 
 4th, True faith, where it prevails, is alfo productive of true 
 charity. It cannot reft fatisfied with faying to the needy, " be 
 " ye warmed and be ye filled, without giving them the things 
 " which are needful for the body :" but, while it feels for 
 their wants, it is alfo forward to relieve them. The words of 
 Solomon are often in remembrance : " He that giveth unto the 
 " poor, lendeth unto the Lord." True faith, as it were, figures 
 unto itfelf the judgment come, the judge feated, the books 
 opened, all mankind {landing at the bar, and Him who once 
 fhed his blood on the crofs, fpeaking unto thofe on his right 
 hand, and faying, " In as much as ye did it unto thefe, ray 
 " needy difciples, ye did it unto me." Lord, what can our 
 fubftance do, though it were all bellowed in charity for thy fake, 
 to bring from thy lips fuch a declaration ! 
 
 Laftly, While we know by the doctrine of one apoille, " that 
 *' we are juftified by grace, through faith which is the gift of 
 " God ;" let us give good heed alfo to what is fo plainly taught 
 by another ; " that faith without works is dead." What God 
 has joined together, let no man put afunder. While we mag- 
 nify the riches of that grace, by which we hope to be faved ; 
 let us, at the fame time, remember, that " this grace, which, 
 M brin°;eth to us falvation, teacheth and 'prevaiTeth with all its 
 
 * { happy 
 
56 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 u happy fubje&s; all who are actually faved by it," to deny 
 ungddlinefs and worldly luft, and to live foberly, and righte- 
 ©ufiy, and godly in this prefent world j for " God hath chofen 
 " them unto eternal life, only through the fanftification of the 
 " fpirit, and the belief of the truth — and without holinefs no 
 " man mail fee the Lord." 
 
 NOTES ON CHAP. II. 
 
 NOTE I. 
 
 [:] TyrANY of the Jews were of opinion, that God dwelt in 
 i-*-^ light, rendered awfully oblcure by a mixture of darlc- 
 nefs. They were led into this opinion, probably, from the ap- 
 pearance of that cloud which attended tbem, in the wildernefs, 
 and from which God is faid to look forth* This cloud was in- 
 deed a linking emblem of a prefent Deity. Its appearance, by 
 day, was fimilar to that of a thick milt ; but it had the likenefs 
 of a flaming fire, by night ; and was much brighter by night, 
 than by day. It was this light which is fo frequently culled the 
 Shechinah, or Ckabod Jehovah — the glory of the Lord, in 
 the Old Teftament. Not that this light was God, but only a 
 fymbol of his glorious prefence. — When God defcended on 
 mount Sinai, to give the law to his people ; " the glory of the 
 *' Lord dwelt upon the mount : the fight of this glory was as 
 •" burning fire, and the people trembled to come near, becaufe 
 " oi it." It appeared, in the fame figure, in the tabernacle ; 
 fo that Mcfes was not abie to enter into the tent of the congre- 
 gation, Exod. xl. 34. and 35. At the dedication of the temple, 
 this glory fhone fo bright, that the prielts could not ftand to 
 minifter ; " for the glory of the Lord had filled the houfe of 
 « 5 the Lord." 1 Kings, viii. 10. and 11. After the Ifraelites 
 had terminated their wanderings in the wildemefs, this 
 cloud became ftationary on the ark, over the mercy feat, and 
 between the cherubim. When the ark was removed from one 
 place to another, Jehovah is faid to arife, and the ark of his 
 ftren^th. When it was removed from the houfe of Obede-dom, 
 and placed in the. temple on mount Zion, the Pfalm, fung upon 
 thatoccafion, concludes with thefe remarkable words, Lift up 
 «* your heads, O ye gates, that the King of glory may come 
 *' in." Pfal. xxiv. 9. 
 
 ft is evidently in allufion to this glory of Ifrael, that Chrift is 
 
 ftyle* 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 57 
 
 ftyled by James, " the Lord of glory." Paul exprefsly affirms, 
 that Chrift was with the Israelites in the wildernefs. He was the 
 perfon whom they frequently offended, and by whofe hand they 
 were occafionally corrected, i Cor. x. 9. The feparation of 
 the Jews from the reft of mankind, and the eftablifhing a cove- 
 nant with them was a pure act of mercy in God •, and he ap- 
 pointed his own Eternal Son to be the minifter of his grace, un- 
 der the Old Teftamcnt difpenfation. The Sop of God appear- 
 ed among the Jews, in a manner becoming his high office and 
 appointment, occafionally putting forth a part of that glory 
 which he had with his Father, from the beginning.— When 
 Chrift came in the flefli, and acted as the minifter of God, un- 
 der the New Teftamcnt, he, now and then, manifefted his 
 effential glory, and no doubt, one end in view by this was to 
 convince the Jews, that he verily was the true Meffiah — that 
 very perfon who attended their anceftors in the wildernefs. 
 Many of their doctors taught, that the wonders done in Egypt, 
 in the defart, and on their entrance into Canaan, were wrought 
 by the Meffiah — that it was his glory which the Ifraelites fo 
 often beheld, and that before the end of the world, he would 
 again appear and make it ihine forth. Accordingly, when Chrift 
 came in the flefh, he appeared dill in, or with the glory of the 
 Lord. At his transfiguration, on the mount, we read, " that 
 " his face did (hine as the fun, and his raiment was white as 
 <c the light." This appearance was not unfimilar to that in 
 which the Ifraelites had feen him in the cloud. Saul, at his 
 converfion, faw him in his glory, clothed alfo in light. John 
 fpeaks, as if this glory had been frequently manifefted by him, 
 when he fays, " The word was made neih, and dwelt among 
 M us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten 
 «' of the Father, full of grace and truth." 
 
 NOTE 11. 
 
 [2] In the fynagogues of the Jews, there were places appro- 
 priated for judging and deciding in civil caufes — generally, the 
 inner part of the houfe. Here the ruler of the fynagogue, and 
 the elders met to try the caufe and pronounce judgment. Cafes 
 of great importance were ufually tried before the fanhedrim ; 
 but in queftions of lefs confequence, the leading members cf 
 the fynagogue gave fentence, and likewife inflicted punifhment ; 
 Matth. x. 17. and Acts xxvi. 11. The divine law was very 
 particular, how thefe judges were to act, when they fat in 
 
 judge- 
 
S8 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 judgment on their brethren. " Thou (halt not honour the per- 
 ** fon of the great, or refpect the perfon of the poor : in juftice 
 " fl^alt thou judge thy neighbour : ye fhall hear alike the fmall 
 " and the great : ye (hall not be afraid of the face of man, for 
 *' the judgment is the Lord's." They were not to be afraid 
 of a-ny man's rank, or influence, fo as to be overawed by him. 
 They were not to defpife any man's poverty, fo as to be in- 
 attentive to his-cafe, or neglect to do him juftice. They were 
 rot to receive a gift, " which blindeth the eyes ;" neither were 
 they to difcover any partiality to their own kindred ; but to 
 judge as for the Lord, who is no refpecter of perfons ; and to 
 remember, " that God was with them in judgment." Accord- 
 ingly the Jewifh canons exprefsly appointed, that when the rich 
 and the poor had a fuit together, in their confiftories, that 
 either both mult fit or both ft and, to avoid all marks of diftinc- 
 tion, and every appearance of there being any refpect of perfons. 
 In reference to this, James exhorts the chriftians to be very 
 impartial, when any queftion of a civil nature came before 
 them ; acting on the pure principles of juftice, and without 
 refpect of perfons. The Romans, though they reduced Judea 
 into the form of a province, and fet prefects over it, fiill per- 
 mitted the Jews to judge and determine the moft of their civil 
 tlifputes, after their own manner, and among themfelves. The 
 chriftians were regarded by the Romans, as a Jewifh feet, and 
 for a considerable time, after the commencement of chriftianity, 
 were always comprehended with the Jews — enjoying the fame 
 privileges both civil and religious. It appears from the words of 
 James, that at the time he wrote his epiftle, the chriftians had 
 power to decide in their own difputes, and might fettle them at 
 home, without having recourfe to any foreign judicatory. He, 
 therefore, exhorts them, when met together in their confiftories, 
 for this purpofe, to act impartially, and to fhew no favour to 
 the rich, more than the poor — faying to the man in the gold 
 ting and gay clothing, " Stand thou there, or fit thou here, 
 ** under my footftool." 
 
 NOTE III. 
 
 [3] It was the opinion of the ftoics, that all fins were equaL 
 Many of the Jews, efpecially of the EfTenes, went into this 
 opinion. In oppofition to this notion, there were others who 
 taught, that if a perfon kept but one commandment of the lav/, 
 this was fuiScient to entitle him to the divine fayour, and would 
 
 com,- 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 5$> 
 
 compenfate £for all his other omifP.ons, and tranfgreifions. — 
 Accordingly, we are informed, that it was a common practice 
 among them, to fix on one fmgle commandment, and toexercife 
 themfelves, chiefly, in this commandment. They generally 
 made choice of that precept, which they conceived was leaft 
 holtile to their favourite pleasures or interefts. It was ufually 
 fome ritual and pofitive duty — fuch as tithes, anife, mint, and 
 cumin ; while truth, mercy, and judgment were but little re- 
 garded, and looked on as things only of inferior moment. This 
 was palatable doctrine, and an eafy fort of morality ; but with- 
 out any foundation in truth. On the contrary, the law of God 
 was in direct oppofition unto it •, for fays the apoftle, " Who- 
 " foever fhall keep the whole law, and yet, knowingly, offend 
 " in one point, is guilty of all j for he that faid, Do not com- 
 * f mit adultery, faid alfo, Do not kill. James does not meaa 
 by this, however, that there is no difference in fins ; for fome, 
 by reafon of aggravation, are more offenfive to God than others. 
 iMor does he teach, that there will be no difference made in the 
 punifhment of fin: for, " that fervant, who knew his mailer's 
 " will, but did it not, (hall be beaten with many ilripes." — 
 But, what the apoftle affirms, is, that the authority of the di- 
 vine lawgiver is as much defpifed, by breaking any one of his 
 laws, as by the violation of them all : that the tranfgreffor fhall 
 be as certainly puniihed for one offence, as for many •, becaufc 
 every fin deferves God's wrath and curfe, both in this life, and 
 in that which is to come. Our God hates every falfe and wicked 
 way, and there fhall, by no means, enter into his prefence, in 
 heaven, any that are defiled, or make a lie. — Let no man, 
 then, deceive himfelf, by imagining, that his good deeds can 
 atone for his bad deeds : but, while he abhors every wickednefs, 
 let him look to Him, who is become the end of the law for 
 righteoufnefs, and by whofe merits alone, we obtain the re= 
 miffion of all our fins. 
 
 NOTE IV. 
 
 " Faith formed and unformed." An unformed faith, according 
 to the fchoolmen, was that which confifted, merely, in the 
 affent of the mind, without having any influence on the affec~ 
 tions, or on the conduct. This conceit gave birth to fome 
 very lax and pernicious tenets ; viz. that a perfon might have 
 true faith, and yet, no fear of God before his eyes. But this is 
 entirely contradictory to what Paul teaches, Rom. x. 10. " that 
 
 I « with 
 
6q CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 "with the heart, man believeth unto righteoufnefs; and like- 
 wife, to what James affirms, " that faith, without works,, is 
 "j dead, being^ alone." True faith receives, and refts upon 
 Chrift, as he is offered in the gofpel : but he is offered, not 
 only for righteoufnefs, forgivenefs of fin, and peace with God i 
 but alfo for fanflification. Therefore, fays Calvin, it follows , 
 that faith can, by no means, be feparated from godly affection, 
 and godly living ; but, wherever it prevails, it purifies the heart, 
 works by love, overcomes the world, and is productive of the 
 peaceable fruits of righteoufnefs.— It may, indeed, be lefs 
 operative in one believer than in another ; but in no believer, 
 does it always continue lifelefs and inactive. 
 
 Faith formed, according to the fophifts, is a faith, which 
 derives its juftifying power, principally, from charity. It is 
 allowed, indeed, that charity is not the eflential form of faith ; 
 out, in as much as it imparts a certain degree of perfection to 
 faith, it, as it were, gives it fubftance, or form, fo as to be of 
 efficacy, in order to juftify. The fcripture doctrine on this 
 point is, that we are juftified by faith, not as a meritorious, but 
 only as an inftrumental caufe. Charity being a fpecial ornament 
 of faith, and only a fruit of it. 
 
 NOTE V. 
 
 [5] " You fee then, that a man is jujlified by works, and not by 
 * { faitb only.'''' Thefe words, when contrafted with what Paul, 
 an the iv. and v. chap, of the Romans, teaches on this fubject of 
 juftification, have been the occafion of much controverfy among 
 chriftians. The point, indeed, is important, and demands the 
 attention of every perfon into whofe hands the gofpel is come. 
 It is not to be fuppofed, that this revelation from God, which 
 unfolds to us the riches of his mercy, would leave it unrefolved 
 in what manner we actually obtain this mercy. One main pur- 
 pofe, why Chrift came into this world, was to refolve this very 
 queftion. He not only purchafed eternal life for us, by the 
 fhedding of his precious blood, but he alfo clearly pointed out 
 the way in which this falvation is to be obtained. An attentive 
 reader of the New Teftament will perceive, that the doctrine of 
 Chrift and of all .his apoftles is uniformly the fame on this fub- 
 ject : fo that it is not owing to the teachers, but to our not 
 underftanding aright what is taught, that any apparent contra- 
 diction takes place. 
 
 There are two confiderations which have not been fufficiently 
 
 at- 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 6t 
 
 attended to in the queftion before us. lit, The proper accep- 
 tation of the word juftified, as ufed by Paul and by James — 
 whether they ufe it exactly in the fame fenfe ? 2d. The parti- 
 cular fituation and circumftances of the perions to whom their 
 •epiitles are infcribed, at the time when they were written. 
 Paul ufes the word juft'fied in a law fenfe, fignifying much the 
 fame as to abfolve, to acquit, and in particular reference to the 
 guilt and the condemning power of fin, " being juftified by faith, 
 we have peace with God." James ufes it as applied to character, 
 to denote approbation or difapprobation, anting from a know- 
 ledge and conviction that the adtor is juft what he fays he is. — 
 Abraham believed in God, and as a proof of this, offered up his 
 fon Ifaac, in obedience to the command of God, and God ap- 
 proved his conduct to that degree, as to ccndefcend to fpeak to 
 him in thefe remarkable words, faying, " Becaufe thou haft 
 *' done this thing, and haft not with-held thy fon, thine only 
 " fon : in bleffing I will blefs thee, and in multiplying I will 
 n multiply thy feed as the ftars of heaven, and as the fand, 
 " which is upon the fea-fhore j and thy feed fhall poffefs the 
 w gate of his enemies." 
 
 It is evident, then, both from what is faid of Abraham and of 
 P.ahab, that James ufes the word juftified, in a different ac- 
 ceptation from Paul — in a fenfe chiefly applied to conduct j 
 whereas in Paul's fenfe, it refers principally to a man's ftate. 
 Paul, in his reafoning on this fubj- cl: in the epiitle to the Romans, 
 lay6 it down as an indifputable point, that both Jew and Gentile 
 were under fin, and become guilty before God. But God can- 
 not enter into covenant with finners ; he cannot receive them 
 into favour till their fins are forgiven them. — There is no re- 
 miffion of fin but through Chrifi : he is our peace : we are 
 brought nigh unto God by his blood, and made accepted 
 only in him, the beloved. Therefore, it follows, that our 
 juftincation before God, and our being reconciled unto him, is a 
 pure act of mercy, which we owe entirely to the interpofition 
 and death of his fon. 
 
 The neceffity of atonement and pardon, before men could 
 have accefs to God, was clearly taught the Jews under the Old 
 Teftament ; when God entered into particular covenant with 
 them, Mofes took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, 
 and fcarlet wool, and hyflbp, and fprinkled both the book and 
 all the people. No Jew, under any defilement, was permitted 
 t© come into the prefence of Jehovah till this impurity was 
 
 I 3 waf;;- 
 
52 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 wafhed away by facrifice, or feme ceremonial purgation. The 
 moment the leper was dife'overed, he was feparated from the 
 congregation, and compelled to refide by himfelf, till the k- 
 profy departed from him : his hair and his garments, which had 
 been infeded, were burned with fire, and he himfelf wafted 
 again and again, before he Mas permitted to join in the public 
 T/orfhip with his brethren ; Lev. xiii. 45- t0 the end - An >' beaii. 
 offered in facrifice for the whole congregation of Ifrael was 
 burned without the camp, becaufe it was reputed unclean, by 
 having the fins of all the people on it ; whereas the other iacn- 
 ficeswere ufually confumed on the brazen altar which flood on 
 the north fide of the ark, and near the center of the camp.-— 
 
 Lev. xvi. 17. ' 
 
 The temple is often ftyled thehoufe of God, that place where 
 Jehovah more immediately dwelt. To imprefs all the people 
 with becoming fentiments of his immaculate purity, and to 
 teach them that no finnt r can (land in God's prefence, till his 
 iins are forgiven him, it was exprefsly enjoined, that he who 
 touched a dead body, or had any fcab upon him, mould have 
 no accefs ro the temple, till thefe impurities were removed; 
 yea, to {how how great an enemy God is to every fin, even fins 
 of ignorance prevented from joining in his worihip, tdl an a* 
 tenement was made for them " In like manner, under the New 
 • Teftament difpenfation, it is equally Irnpoffible to have accefs 
 to God, fo as to be accepted of him, till our fins are forgiven 
 11s, 2nd we are delivered from the guilt of them, by fome atone-* 
 ment being made. But, fays Paul, we have accefs to God, by 
 the blood of Jefus, for he is our propitiation. We may now 
 draw near with full aflurance of faith, having our hearts fprmK- 
 led by Chrift's blood, and our fins forgiven us for his fake. — 
 Tobe'juftined, then, in Faul's . fenfe, is to be abfolved from 
 guilt, and accepted as righteous, only for the righteoufnefs of 
 thrift imputed to us and received by faith. Hence it appears, 
 that Paul reafons from the caufe to the efie£t j but James argues 
 from the effea to the caufe : for he ufes the word juftified not 
 to fignify the pardon of fin, or any zB. of abfolution, but to in- 
 timate that God is well pleafed with the perfon's conduct, and 
 juftifies or approves of it, becaufe there is no hypocrifyin him : 
 for while he fays, he has faith, he proves the truth hereof by 
 his works. This will appear ftill more evident by attending 
 in the 
 
 2d place, to the filiation and circumtaccs of the perfons to 
 - whom 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES.' 6 3 
 
 whom their cpiflles are inferibed, and obferving whether they 
 were exa&ly alike, ov in what refpects they were different : 
 Paul wrote to a people, (the Romans) who were ignorant of 
 the true God, and totally unacquainted with the way of accep- 
 tance with God. Thefe heathens had been accuftomed to rely 
 on the number and coft of their facrifices, for their acceptance 
 with their own gods. If there were any Jews in this church 
 at Rome, even the Jews founded their hopes on the merits of 
 their anceftors — their facrifices and other toilfome rites. Both 
 Jew and Gentile appear to have objecled to chriitiamty, that 
 it taught too eafy a way of being received into the divine favour, 
 and hereby leflened the character of the Deity. If men be jus- 
 tified by grace alone, faid they ; why, this is making religion 
 nothing — encouraging indolence, yea, opening a door to all man- 
 ner of wickednefs. That thefe were their fentiments of the 
 gofpel method of faivation, is evident from the way in which the 
 r.poftle argues with them, in the iii. chap, of his epifUe ; and his 
 being at fo great pains to prove that the doctrine of grace gave 
 no countenance to vice : '* Do we make void the law through 
 " grace? God forbid ; nay, rather, we eftablifh the law." The 
 Jews were offended at Paul's doclrine, becaufe they could not 
 endure to hear, that the Gentiles mould be fo readily and eafily 
 admitted to partake with them in their hope through the Meffiah; 
 and even to higher privileges than what they enjoyed. The 
 Gentiles excepted alfo againit it, for they thought it by far too 
 fimple and too eafy a way to eternal life, it being, in their opinion, 
 a very fmall matter, to poiTefs that faith which the gofpel re- 
 quired. Hence we find Celfus, one of its bittcrcft adverfaries, 
 •alledging this as the chief reafon for Conftantine's converfion ; 
 i{ That he was mown a much eafier way of faivation from his 
 /ins by the chriilian teachers, than by the heathen priefts." Paul, 
 in the iii. and iv. chap, of the Romans, endeavours to remove 
 the prejudices and oppofition both of the Jews and of the Gen- 
 tiles, by {hewing, " that on account of the. finfulnefs and guilt 
 of all men, fuch an exhibition of mercy as the gofpel unfolded, 
 fuch a promife of pardon and acceptance, on account of that 
 atonement which Jefus Chrift had made by his death, was 
 abfolutely neceffary ; and had not God in his mercy appointed 
 this method of faivation, all mankind mult have perifhed for 
 ever in their fins." The perfons, then, with whom Paul rea- 
 fons in his epiftle to the Romans, conceived that works did 
 every thing in order to procure juftification with God. It was 
 
 very 
 
6 4 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 very different with thofe to whom James infcribes his epiftle, 
 and with whom he argues in the ii. chap, from the 19. ver. to 
 the end. Their conceptions as to faith, and the efficacy of it, 
 were in direct oppofition to the fentiments of Paul's difputants : 
 for they feem to have maintained, that faith was all in all ; and 
 magnified the virtue of it to fuch a degree as to lead the adver- 
 faries of chriftiaility to think, that the gofpel permitted the total 
 neglect of good, works, and taught its fubjecls to view with in- 
 difference the moft effential duties of the law. This was an 
 entire mifconception of the nature and defign of the gofpel, and 
 that very miflake of the law being made void by grace, which 
 Paul had been at fo much pains to correct in his epiftle to the 
 Romans. James as well as Paul knew the danger of permitting 
 liis countrymen to continue in fo pernicious an opinion. It is 
 obvious, then, that both concur in maintaining the glory of 
 Chrift, and the credit of his gofpel. Paul declares, workscan- 
 not juflify, " but we are juftified freely by the grace of God, 
 '* through the redemption which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord." 
 James affirms, that faith cannot juflify, for faith itfelf is only 
 a fruit of our juftification, and unlefs the other fruits of juf- 
 tification are connected with faith, it is vain to magnify its 
 virtue, and a deception to rely on it. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 A T Y brethren, be not many mailers, knowing that we 
 ■*^*- mail receive the greater condemnation. 
 
 2. For in many things, we offend all. If any man 
 offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man, and able 
 alfo to bridle the whole body. 
 
 3. Behold, we put bits in the horfes mouths, that they 
 may obey us j and we turn about their whole body. 
 
 4. Behold, alfo, the mips, which, tho' they be fo 
 great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned 
 about with a very fmall helm, whitherfoever the governour 
 lifteth. 
 
 £. Even fo the tongue is a little member, and boafteth 
 
 great 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 ^5 
 
 great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire 
 kindleth ! 
 
 I. My brethren, be not many 
 mqfiers, fac] The common and 
 generally received interpreta- 
 tion of this paflage is, that it 
 diffuades us from desiring the 
 ofiice of teaching — and on this 
 account, becaufe 'tis dangerous; 
 and fhould any one fail in it, he 
 is liable to the fevere judgment 
 of God. — And they are of 
 opinion, that he fays be not many, 
 becaufe 'tis neceffary there 
 fhould be fome. But, by ma/fers 
 I underftand, not thofe who 
 difcharge fome public ofBce in 
 the church ; but thofe who 
 ufurp the right of cenlbrs upon 
 othert;; for fuchcenfurers would 
 willingly be efteemed the maf- 
 ters of manners, as it were. — 
 And this form of fpeech, to 
 call thofe mafters, who fu- 
 percilioufly animadvert upon 
 others, is very common both 
 among the Greeks and Latins. 
 And he forbids them te be many, 
 becaufe many fuch are every- 
 where thrufting themfelves for- 
 ward. This is a difeafe innate, 
 as it were, in the human dif- 
 pofition — to catch at fame by 
 the cenfuring of others : but, 
 here, a double vice reigns — 
 that tho' few be qualified, all 
 promifcuoufly thrult themfelves 
 into the office of a matter. — 
 And again, few of them are in- 
 fluenced by a right view ; for 
 
 hypocvify and ambition actuate 
 them rather than a regard for 
 the falvation of their brethren. 
 'Tis to be obferved, that James 
 is not here difluading from bro- 
 therly admonitions, which the 
 fpirit fo often, and fo much re- 
 commends to us ; but that he 
 is condemning that immoderate 
 defire, which ariies from pride 
 and ambition, of exalting our- 
 felves above our neighbour, of 
 reviling, cenfuring, backbiting, 
 and malicioufly inquiring out 
 every thing which they cnn 
 turn to his difadvantage. 'Tis 
 ufual for fuch cruel cenfurers 
 of others, to boaft themfelves 
 with irrfolence in their fearchea 
 into the vices of others ; from 
 this intemperance and arrogance 
 of conduct James diffuades us : 
 and he gives the reafon, viz. 
 that they fhall undergo a more 
 fevere judgment themfelves, 
 •who are fo fevere upon others. 
 He impofes a fevere law upon 
 himfelf, who judgeth of the 
 words and actions of others, 
 according to the ftricteft rigour; 
 nor does he deferve forgivenefs, 
 who cannot bear to fpare ano- 
 ther. The general fcope and 
 fenfe is carefully to be noticed, 
 namely, that thofe who arc too 
 rigid againft their brethren pro- 
 voke the feverity of God againft 
 themfelves, 
 
 2- Fsr, 
 
66 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 2. For, in many things, %ve 
 offend all, <b*c.~] This may be 
 underftood as fpoken by way 
 of conception. As if he had thus 
 faid : " Be it fo, that you find 
 in jour brethren juft caufe of 
 blame, for no one is free from 
 faults ; yea, every individual 
 labours under many : but do 
 you, with that evil-fpeaking 
 and poifonous tongue of yours, 
 imagine yourfelf to be perfect.?" 
 I am, however, rather of opi- 
 nion,- that by this argument 
 James would exhort us to mer- 
 cifulnefs of difpofition, as being 
 alfo ourfelves furrounded with 
 many infirmities •, for he acts 
 unjuftly, who refufes to others 
 that forgivenefs of which lie 
 himfelf Hands in need. So, 
 alfo, Paul orders that thofe 
 who are overtaken in a fault 
 ihould be reftored in the fpirit 
 ofmeeknefs; adding, " confi- 
 dering thyfelf, left thou alfo be 
 tempted." For there is nothing 
 fo effectual to moderate our 
 exceffive rigour, as the confi- 
 deration of our own infirmity. 
 If any man offend not in word, fa'c. 
 After he hath faid, that there 
 is no per fon who finneth not in 
 various ways; he now fhews 
 
 3. Behold, iv e put bits in the 
 hqrfes ?nouihs, 4?c.~] By thefe 
 two fimiles he proves, that the 
 £reat point on which true per- 
 fection turneth is in the tongue; 
 and that it, as he lately faid, 
 lias a fovereign influence on the 
 
 that the difeafe of detraction is 
 odious beyond all other fins. 
 For in faying, that " if any 
 " man offend not in word, the 
 " fame is a perfect man •," he 
 fignifies that continency of the 
 tongue is a diftinguifhed virtue, 
 and one of the chief. Where- 
 for they act very perverfly, who 
 curioufly pry into every the 
 leaft faults of their neighbours, 
 and yet indulge themfelves in 
 fo grofs a vice. He elegantly 
 here, therefore, glances at this 
 hypocrifyof cenfurers; becaufe, 
 in examining themfelves, they 
 omit what is a principal and 
 important matter — their own 
 malevolence and back-biting. 
 Thofe who correct others, main- 
 tain a fhew of perfect fanctity : 
 but, if they would be perfect, 
 they ought to begin with the 
 tongue. Whereas, while they 
 pay no regard to the bridling of 
 the tongue, but rather vaunt iri 
 their feigned fanctity by back- 
 biting and tearing others, they 
 lay themfelves open as the moft 
 reprehenfible of all, in neglec- 
 ting this firft of virtues. This 
 connexion clearly fhews us the 
 mind of the apoillc 
 
 whole of life. He, firft, com- 
 pares the tongue to a bit; next, 
 to the helm of a fhip. — If fo 
 fierce an animal as a horfe is 
 turned about, at the pleafure 
 of the rider, becaufe he is brid- 
 led ; fo no lefs power will the 
 tongue 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 <7 
 
 tongue have in ruling man. — 
 So, alfo, is it with regard to 
 the helm of a fliip, which go- 
 verns the whole body, even 
 when driven by the fierce wind. 
 The tongue, then, tho' it be a 
 very fmall member, hath a very 
 great influence in regulating 
 the life of man. The word 
 in the original, in the laft 
 claufe of the 5thverfe, fignifies 
 to boaft or vaunt of great 
 things. But James in this paf- 
 fage had it not fo much in view 
 to rebuke orientation, as to ex- 
 prefs that the tongue effecteth 
 great things. This 5th verfe ac- 
 
 commodates the former fimiles 
 to the prefent purpofe : but 
 vain boafting would not be pro- 
 perly reprefented by the fimiles 
 of a bridle or helm : it fignifies, 
 then, that the tongue is a very 
 powerful member. Turned a- 
 bout as the governor lifteth, Eraf- 
 mus tranflates, " at the impetus 
 of the governor" — becaufe the 
 Greek word o^», fignifies art- 
 impetus, or furious impulfe. — 
 But, James is here treating, 
 (imply, of the will of the pilot 
 or governor of the fhip. Be- 
 hold how great a matter a little 
 fire kindleth ! 
 
 6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity : fo 
 js the tongue amongft our members, that it defileth the 
 whole body, and fetteth on fire the courfe of nature j and 
 it is fet on fire of hell. 
 
 He now lays before us the 
 inconveniences which arife from 
 the intemperance of the tongue, 
 to let us know that it has a 
 powerful influence in the two 
 following refpe&s : if it be 
 modeft and well regulated, it 
 has a commanding power over 
 the whole life ; but if it be fro- 
 v/ard and wicked, it fweeps all 
 things to deftrucYion, as in one 
 general conflagration. He ufes 
 the phrafe, " a little fire," to 
 point out, that the littlenefs of 
 
 6. So is the tongue among jl our 
 members, h'c.~\ He here ex- 
 plains what he would have us 
 to understand bv the word 
 
 the tongue hindereth not its 
 power from extending far and 
 wide, to do mifchief. When 
 he adds, " that it is a world 
 " of iniquity," 'tis the fame as 
 if he had faid, " a fea or abyfs 
 of iniquity." — He elegantly 
 connects the littlenefs of the 
 tongue, with the immenfe bulk 
 of the world •, a fmall bit of 
 flefh, as the tongue is, con- 
 tains in itfelf a whole world of 
 iniquity. 
 
 world — becaufe its contagion 
 is difFufed thro' every part of 
 life. Or, rather, he {hews us 
 what he would have us to un- 
 K derftand 
 
& 
 
 CALVIN'S COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 derftand by the metaphor of 
 fre; namely, that it disfigureth 
 the whole man. He immedi- 
 ately has recourfe again to the 
 metaphor of fire; when he fays, 
 that " the courfe of nature is 
 t( fet on fire by the tongue." 
 He compares the courfe of hu- 
 man life to a wheel : he takes 
 the word, in the original, as zve 
 have it rendered in our tranjlation, 
 for nature, as he formerly ufes 
 it. The fenfe is, " Tho' other 
 vices may be corrected in the 
 different ftages of life, and in 
 procefs of time, or atleaft may 
 not engrofs the whole man ; 
 the evil of the tongue fpreads 
 Stfelf and rages throughout the 
 ■whole life." Unlefs any one 
 choofes rather to take the words, 
 fetteth on fire, to denote ** a 
 violent impulfe j" as we call 
 that " hot or fervid" which is 
 dragged along with violence. 
 Horace fpeaking of wheels ufes 
 the fame expreflion, on account 
 
 of their rapidity in the chariot 
 race. He calls them " the fer- 
 vid wheels." Thus the fenfc 
 would be, " That the tongue 
 is like untamed horfes, becaufe 
 by its frowardnefs it drags a 
 man headlong, as they do the 
 chariot." When he fays, Uu 
 Jet on fire of hell, 'tis as if he 
 had faid, " That the intem- 
 perance of the tongue is a 
 fpark of the fire of the infernal 
 lake." For as profane poets 
 feign that the wicked are blaf- 
 ted by the torches of the furies; 
 fo it is true, that fatan, by 
 the blafts of his temptations, 
 kindles up the fire of all the 
 evils in the world. But James 
 means, that a fire fent by fatau 
 is fo very eafily caught by the 
 tongue, that forthwith 'tis in 
 a blaze. In fine, that it is a 
 proper fubject for receiving, 
 cherifhing, and increafmg the 
 fire of hell. 
 
 7. For every kind of beads, and of birds, and of fer- 
 pents, and things in the fea, is tamed, and hath been 
 tamed of mankind : 
 
 8. But the tongue can no man tame ; it is an unruly 
 evil, full of deadly poifon. 
 
 9. Therewith blefs we God, even the Father ; and 
 therewith curfe we men, which are made after the fimi- 
 litude of God. ' 
 
 10. Out of the fame mouth proceedeth bleffmg and 
 curfing. My brethren, thefe things ought not fo to be. 
 
 11. Doth 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 6> 
 
 ii. Doth a fountain fend forth at the fame place fweet 
 water and bitter ? 
 
 12. Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? 
 Either a vine, figs ? So Can no fountain both yield fait 
 water and frefh. 
 
 7. For every kind, &c.~] This 
 verfe is a confirmation of die 
 laft. — From that lie proves, 
 that fatan reigns in the tongue 
 with an aftonifhing power, 
 which cannot by any means be 
 kept in order; and amplifies 
 upon the fubjecT by adducing 
 comparifons. — For, fays he, 
 there is no animal fo fierce, 
 cruel, or violent, but it may 
 be tamed by the induftry of 
 man— -that fifties, which in Come 
 meafure, inhabit another world 
 — birds, fo much inclined to 
 motion and wandering — -and 
 even ferpents, the enemies of 
 the human race, are fometimes 
 tamed. Since, then, the tongue 
 cannot be reftrained, there muft 
 be concealed in it fome fecret 
 and lurking fire of hell. What 
 he fays with regard to wild 
 beads, ferpents, and other 
 creatures, is not to be under- 
 stood of them all : 'tis enough 
 that the art of man hath fuc- 
 ceeded in reducing to obedience 
 
 9. Therewith blefs we God^ 
 &v.] This is a ftriking fpeci- 
 men of its deadly poifon, that 
 by its cxceffive levity it thus 
 transforms itfelf. For tho' it 
 may pretend t^ blefs God, it 
 
 and complaifance fome of the 
 fierccft among the beads •, and 
 alfo that ferpents are fome- 
 times tamed. Therefore, lie 
 ufes both tenfes — the prefent 
 " is tamed," and the perfect, 
 <c hath been tamed." The pre- 
 fent points at the power and 
 faculty ; the perfect, the ufe 
 and experience. With great 
 juftice, he hence concludes^ 
 " that the tongue is an unruly 
 " evil, full of deadly poifon." 
 But tho' all thefe arguments 
 have a reference, in the fir ft 
 inftance, to the foregoing paf~ 
 fage : " That even men who 
 labour under this mod detec- 
 table vice, ufurp to themfelves- 
 the office of exercifing maftery 
 and judgment over others:" 
 (till, however, the general doc- 
 trine is to be kept in view — 
 that if we would frame our life 
 aright, the utmoft attention 
 muft be paid to the correction 
 of the tongue, for no human 
 member is more noxious. 
 
 inftantly curfes him in his 
 image \ that is, when it curfes 
 man. For if God is to be blefled 
 in all hisworks, he ought efpeci- 
 ally to be fo in man, in whom 
 hio image and glory particularly 
 K 3 ihiue, 
 
1° 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 fhine. The hypocrify, there- 
 fore, is infufferable, when man 
 employs the fame tongue in the 
 praife of God, and in the curf- 
 ingofmen. There can be no 
 calling upon the name of God 
 there — and there his praife muft 
 ceafe, where detraction reigns. 
 For this is an impious profana- 
 tion of the name of God, when 
 the tongue filled with virulence 
 againft mankind, unlawfully 
 ufurps his province of judging, 
 under the pretence of praifing 
 him. Wherefore, in order that 
 ■we may duly praife him, 'tis ne- 
 ceiTary that the vice of reproach- 
 ing our neighbour ihould ef- 
 pecially be corrected. Mean- 
 while, the particular doctrine 
 is alio to be obferved, " that 
 
 1 1. Doth a fountain, <& J c] He 
 adduces thefe fimiles to fhew 
 that an evil-fpeaking tongue is 
 a kind of prodigy, contrary to 
 nature, and that it overturns 
 the order every where eftabli- 
 
 thofe fevere cenfurers of others 
 ought to detect their own viru- 
 lence, who, after they have 
 fweetly praifed God, fuddenly 
 vomit forth every imaginable re- 
 proach againft their brethren." 
 Should any one object, that the 
 image of God in human nature, 
 was deftroyed by the tranfgref- 
 fion of Adam : it mufl be ac- 
 knowledged that it was mifer- 
 ably disfigured ; but yet fome 
 lineaments of it ftill appear. — 
 Juftice and rectitude with the 
 liberty of defiring good have 
 baen taken from us : but many 
 excellent gifts, by which we 
 excel the brutes, remain. He, 
 then, who worfhips and ho- 
 nours God in truth, will ftand 
 in awe to reproach men. 
 
 fhed by God. For God hath fo 
 diftinguiihed things which are 
 contrary, that even things in- 
 animate ought to deter us from 
 fuch a confufed diforder as pre- 
 vails in a double tongue. 
 
 13. Who is a wife man, and endued with knowledge 
 amongft you ? let him fhew out of a good converfation 
 his works with meeknefs of wifdom. 
 
 14. But if ye have bitter envying and ftrife in your 
 hearts, glory not, and lie not againiit the truth. 
 
 15. This wifdom defcendeth not from above, but i§ 
 earthly, fenfual, devilifh. 
 
 16. For where envying and flrife is. there is confufion, 
 and every evil work. 
 
 xjr. But 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 7* 
 
 17. But the wifdom that is from above, is fir ft pure, 
 then peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be intreated, full of 
 mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without 
 hypocrify. 
 
 18. And the fruit of righteoufnefs is fown in peace of 
 them that make peace. 
 
 13. Who is a wife man, isfc. 
 As the luftof evil {peaking com- 
 monly fpringeth from pride, 
 and as a falfe perfuafion of 
 wifdom for the mod part gene- 
 rates pride ; therefore, he here 
 difcourfes of wifdom. — 'Tis 
 ufual for hypocrites, by ac- 
 cufing all others, to exalt and 
 boafl themfelves. Many of the 
 antient philofophers fought to 
 catch glory by their bitter rail- 
 ing againft all ranks of man- 
 kind. Such kind of pride with 
 which evil-fpeakers are puffed 
 up and blinded, James exprefTes 
 by telling them that the wif- 
 dom, with which they pleafe 
 themfelves in opinion, has no- 
 thing in it divine, but is rather 
 
 14. But if ye have bitter envy- 
 ing andjlrife in your hearts, <b'c.~] 
 He points out the fruits which 
 arife from that excefs of feve- 
 rity which is oppofed to meek- 
 nefs. Immoderate rigour mult 
 necefTarily beget perverfe envy- 
 ings, which immediately burfts 
 out into ftrife. He fpenks in- 
 deed improperly ,when he places 
 ffrifes in the heart : but this 
 has little or no relation to the 
 fenfe : for he wanted to point 
 
 of the devil. The fenfe then 
 is : u Thefe fupercilious cen- 
 furers who fo liberally indulge 
 themfelves, and fpare nobody 
 be fides, are wife above others 
 in their own opinion, but they 
 are much deceived. For God 
 trains up his childrdn in a very 
 different manner — to be meek 
 and humane to others." Thefe 
 only, then, are accounted wife 
 before God, who join with this 
 meeknefs an upright and be- 
 coming converfation : for thofe 
 who are fevere and inexorable, 
 tho' in other refpects they may 
 excel in many virtues, are net 
 in the right way of becoming 
 wife. 
 
 out the fource of thefe evils, 
 which is the perverfe difpoii- 
 tion of the heart. He calls it 
 bitter envying, becaufe it pre- 
 vails not, but when our minds 
 are fo inf c/ted with the poifon 
 of malignity, that they convert 
 every thing into bitternefs. In 
 order, then, that we may truly 
 glory in being the fons of God P 
 he enjoins us to deal meekly 
 and moderately with our bre- 
 thren j otherv/ife he declares 
 
 that 
 
7* 
 
 CAIAWs COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 that wc lie, when we bfeaft of ing, becaufe from malignity 
 being christians. — Aptly too and envy all quarrels and itrifes 
 hath he joined ftrife with envy- fpring up. 
 
 I£. This wifdom defcendcth not 
 from above, 6v.] As hypocrites 
 with difficulty yield to truth, 
 he feverely checks their pride, 
 denying that to be the true 
 wifdom with which they are puf- 
 fed up, while they continue to 
 be too fevere in Searching out 
 the vices of others. But while 
 he grants to them the name of 
 wifdom, he demonftrates by 
 epithets of what kind it is; 
 namely, earthly, fenfual, de- 
 vilifh ; whereas, in direct op- 
 pofition to this, it ought to be 
 heavenly, Spiritual, and divine. 
 For James takes it for granted, 
 that we cannot become wife in 
 any other way than by being 
 illuminated from heaven by God 
 thro* his fpirit. — Whatever 
 way then the mind of man may 
 extend itfelf in knowledge, all 
 its perfpicuity will be vanity ; 
 and not only fo, but entangled 
 
 1 5. For where envying and 
 Jftrfe is, 6v.] 'Tis an argu- 
 ment from contraries : for the 
 envying by which hypocrites 
 are actuated, produces effecls 
 contrary to wifdom : wifdom 
 requires a well regulated ftate 
 of mind ; envy difcompofes it, 
 occafions in it tumultous paf- 
 fions, and ungovernable refent- 
 tnents againft others. Some 
 render the word tran Gated cov- 
 
 in the wiles of fatan, it will 
 miferably doat and blunder. — 
 The fenfe here is oppofed.to the 
 fpirit, a§ it is in the firft epiftle 
 to the Corinthians ii. 14. " But 
 " the natural man receiveth 
 " not the things of the fpirit of 
 " God: for they are foolilh- 
 " nefs unto him ; neither can 
 " he know them, becaufe they 
 " are fpiritually difcerned."— 
 Nor could the pride of man be 
 more effe&ually humbled, than 
 by this condemnation of all the 
 wifdom whatfoever that he ac- 
 quires by his natural powers 
 only, without the aid of the 
 fpirit : efpecially as the tranfi- 
 tion is from his fenfual nature 
 to that of demons. For 'tis of 
 the fame import as if it were 
 faid, that men, while they fol- 
 low their own carnal inclina- 
 tions, fall into the fnares of 
 fatan. 
 
 fufion, by inconjlatzcy ; but tho* 
 it may fignif y alio both fedition 
 and tumult, the word confufm 
 feemedmore adapted to the pre- 
 fect pafTage. For James meant 
 to exprefs fomething ftronger 
 thaninconftancy; namely, that 
 the malignant man and detrac-c 
 tor doth every thing confufed- 
 ly and unadvifedly, and as if 
 he were befide himfelf. There- 
 fore,he adds ; end every evil work. 
 17. But 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 13 
 
 17. But the wifdom that is 
 from above, isfc.'] Now he e- 
 enumerates the effects of hea- 
 venly wifdom, which are quite 
 oppofite to the former. Fir ft, 
 he fays, it is pure ; by which 
 epithet hypocrify and ambition 
 are excluded : fecondly, he calls 
 it peaceable, to denote that it 
 is averfe to ftrife : thirdly, he 
 calls it gentle or humane, to 
 let us know that it differs wide- 
 ly from immoderate aufterity, 
 that bears with nothing in bre- 
 thren. He calls it eafy to be 
 intreated, to fignify to us that 
 it is abhorrent from pride and 
 malignity. Laftly, he teache3 
 us that it is full of mercy, 
 whereas hypocrites are inhu- 
 man and inexorable. By good 
 fruits he points out in general 
 
 all the kind offices which bene- 
 volent men beftow on their 
 brethren •, as if he had faid in 
 one word, that it is full of ac- 
 tive goodnefs : hence it follows, 
 that thofe lie * who glory in four 
 aufterity. Altho' when he had 
 
 1 8 . And the fruit of righteouf- 
 nefs, irr.] The meaning may 
 be double : either that this fruit 
 is fown for the peace makers, 
 which they reap afterwards ; 
 or that they themfelves ceafe 
 not to fow righteoufnefs, al- 
 tho' they bear with many things 
 in their neighbours. 'Tis an 
 anticipation of an objection : 
 for thofe who are inclined to 
 detraction, and evil fpeaking, 
 
 faid that it is pure or fincere, 
 he had fufficiently condemned 
 hypocrify; he, however, re- 
 peats it more clearly in the con- 
 clufion: by which we are put 
 in mind, that 'tis on this ac- 
 count only, that we are im- 
 moderately fevere, becaufe we 
 are too partial to ourfelves, and 
 wink at our own vices. But it 
 may appear improper, that he 
 fays, " it is without partia- 
 lity ;" for the fpirit of God 
 neither taketh away the dif- 
 tin&ion between good and evil; 
 nor doth it render us fo fenfe- 
 lefs, that deftitute of all judg- 
 ment, we fhould approve vice 
 for virtue. I anfwer, that by 
 the word tranflated partiality 
 here, James means an over- 
 anxious fcrupulous fearch, fuch 
 as is commonly to be met 
 with in hypocrites, who, while 
 they too nicely fearch into the 
 actions and words of their bre- 
 thren, view and judge of every 
 thing with partiality and in- 
 juftice. 
 
 have always this pretext at 
 hand : What ? fhall we by our 
 eafinefs be the encouragers of 
 evil ? Therefore, James fays, 
 that thole, whofe wifdom is 
 from God, are gentle, moderate, 
 meek, and merciful •, not, how- 
 ever, fo as to conceal vices, or 
 to favour them ; but that they 
 rather ftudy to correct them, 
 provided itcan be done in peace, 
 that is, by the application o£ 
 
 fuch 
 
 * If they fity, that they aic poflefTsd of the wifdom that is from above. 
 
# CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 fuch moderate admonitions as " Thofe, who are ftudious of 
 
 may pveferve peace and con- peace, do neverthelefs pay a 
 
 cord. And thus he teftifies, proper attention to the lowing 
 
 that what he has hitherto ad- of righteoulnefs j neither are 
 
 vanced was by no means with they flothful or unferviceable 
 
 a view to fet afide gentle re- in promoting and prefling good 
 
 bukes : but that thole who works, but they temper their 
 
 would cure vices, ought to acl zeal with a regard for peace; 
 
 with the crentlenefs of phyfici- whereas hypocrites, by their 
 
 ans, and not with the harlhnefs blind and furious vehemence, 
 
 of butchers, The paflage then throw all things into trouble 
 
 may be thus paraphrafed — and confufion." 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 LET it be thy conftant care, O Chriftian, to govern thy tongue 
 aright. Knowing, from experience, that the tongue is an 
 unruly member ; fet a watch upon thy lips, and let no corrupt 
 communication proceed out of thy mouth. Let the declaration 
 o f tby Saviour be always in remembrance; that, " for every 
 " idle word, which men {hall fpeak, God will bring them into 
 « judgment." It is much to be lamented, that multitudes, 
 even of thofe who think they have received the truth, as it is in 
 Tefus, and are found in the principles of their faith, are yet 
 grofsly addifted to calumny and detraction, and judge too light- 
 fv of this abominable praftice. Do ye not perceive, that this 
 finis often mentioned in fcripture, in conjunction with murder 
 and adultery, and the blackeft crimes ? Be not ye, then, or 
 their number, who make detraaion effential to their profeffion 
 of the faith 5 for, " this wifdom defcendeth not Irom above, 
 « bu£ is earthly, fenfual, devilifh." It was an ancient laying 
 among the heathen, and greatly to the honour of the primitive 
 rhriftfans : " Behold how thefe people love one another ! — 
 Shall the adverfaries of the gofpel have it in their power to re- 
 verfe this maxim, and to fay, « See how the difciples of Jeius— 
 of him who once loved them unto the death— now tear and de- 
 vour each other !" Ye pretend, that ye have the truth, but if 
 this is your praftice, ye lie, and the truth is not with you ; lor, 
 « the wifdom that is from above, is firft pure, then peaceable, 
 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 7$ 
 
 that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor taketh up a reproach 
 againft his neighbour. 
 
 NOTES ON CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTE I. 
 
 ci B^ not man y ma ft ers " — ^achers of the law. In the decline 
 of the Jewith commonwealth, the titles Rabbi, Doctor, 
 or Teacher, were much fought after. It appears from the words 
 of cur Lord to his difciples, in the xxiii. chap, of Matthew, that 
 thefe titles were conneaed with fomething which he wifhed his 
 apoftles by all means to avoid. Our Saviour was no enemy 
 to fuch defignations, merely in themfelves ; but only to the 
 2bufes which were made of them, and the vices of thofe on 
 whom they were conferred. In the early ages of the (late, the 
 rooft eminent men among the Jews, fuch as Ezra and Nehemiah, 
 were fatisfled with the humble defignation of Readers of the 
 Law; and their chief ambition confided, not in being oif- 
 tinguifhed among their brethren by any pompous title, but in 
 communicating the right knowledge of the fcriptures, and lead- 
 ing their brethren in the way of life. It was not till near the 
 end of the commonwealth, that the words, Abbi, Rabbi, Mori, 
 came to be of fo general ufe. 
 
 When the right knowledge of the fcriptures began to decline, 
 and a mere fliadow of learning to be fubitituted in its place : 
 when the fooHlh traditions of the fathers- were magnified above 
 the written word, the teachers found it necefiary to aflume 
 titles and defignations, in order to fimply in appearance, what 
 in reality was wanting. Jofephus, tho' the fon of a prieft, and 
 of that feci which coveted thefe titles beyond any other, does not 
 hefitate to affirm, that in his day thefe Rabbis were notorious 
 for their pride, their dogmatifm, their ignorance, and their 
 hifts. If fuch were the vices of the Jewiih doaors, vices not 
 eafily, at that time, feparated from their oihce ; it would be wife 
 in you, chriftians, fays James, not to covet this office. It is 
 difficult to determine, whether, by matters, he means inftruc- 
 tors among the Jews, in their fynagogues, or teachers among 
 chriftians only. For a confiderable time after the commence- 
 ment of chriftianity, the Jews did not prevent the chriftians 
 from joining with them in the public worfhip, in the fynagogues 
 cr in the temple. -When the congregation wa? met, not only 
 
 L tne 
 
*j6 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 the ruler of the fynagogue read the law, and gave inftru&ionS 
 from it, but any other perfon fufficiently qualified, was per- 
 mitted aifo to fpeak in public, and to tender a word of exhorta- 
 tion unto his brethren. It is evident, that the apoftles were 
 often prefent in the Jewifh fynagogues, and after the fyna- 
 gogue fervice was ended, were allowed to exhort the congrega- 
 tion ; Ads xiii. 14. " When they departed from Perfia, they 
 " came to Antioch in Pifidia, and went into the fynagogue oil 
 " the fabbath day, and fat down. And after the reading of 
 «* the law and the prophets, the rulers of the fynagogue fent 
 *' unto them, faying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any 
 " word of exhortation for the people, fay on. Then Paul Hood 
 * c up, and beckoning with his hand, faid, Men of Ifrael, and 
 " ye that fear God, give audience ! — " Even our Lord was 
 fometimes permitted to preach in the fynagogues ; Luke iv. 15. 
 *' He taught in their fynagogues, being glorified of all." " And 
 *' he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up 5 and, 
 *' as his cuftom was, he went into the fynagogue on the fab- 
 .*' bath day, and ftood up for to read." 
 
 The primitive chriftians appear to have regulated their public 
 ■worfhip after the Jewifh manner. In our churches, the minifter 
 only has a right to fpeak, and explain the fcriptures •, but among 
 the firft chriftians, the laity were occafionally allowed to fpeak 
 in public, for general edification. As many as had received. 
 the gifts of the Holy Ghoft, fpake alternately in the congrega- 
 tion. Some prophefied : fome interpreted thefe prophecies : 
 ibme prayed : fome compofed divine hymns, like David. In 
 the exercife of thefe various gifts, it is natural to fuppofe, there 
 would arife a driving for maftery. James was afraid, that this 
 afpiraiion would generate pride, and ftir up contention among 
 them. Therefore, fays he, keep every one of you in your own 
 proper place, that in which God defigns ye fhall be ufeful, and 
 *' be not many mailers." 
 
 NOTE 11. 
 
 " 1'he fame is a perfeB man:' To be perfea, generally figni- 
 ftes, in the language both of our Lord and of his apoftles, to be 
 v/ell inftru&ed in the main principles of chriftianity. This is 
 the acceptation in which Paul almoft uniformly makes ufe of 
 this word: fee 1 Cor. ii. 6. Col. i. 28. Heb. v. 12. and vi. 1.— 
 Many rejected the gofpel from fpite and hatred. The Jews, in 
 mrucular, could not endure it, becaufe it difappointcd their 
 * hopes 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 77 
 
 hopes of a temporal Mefliah, and an earthly kingdom. Many 
 more paid no regard to it, chiefly from ignorance, thinking that 
 they were rich and increased with goods, {landing in need of 
 nothing, while, in fact, they were poor, and blind, and naked. 
 Wherever this light of truth fhone into the mind, the happy fub- 
 ject foon became fenfible, both of the great excellence, and of 
 the great ufefulnefs of the gofpel, and diligently afpired after 'a 
 more perfect knowledge of it. All, who had made confiderable 
 progrefs in this knowledge, were ftyled perfect men, and fathers 
 in the church. The bridling of the tongue, then, in the opinioa 
 of James, could only be acquired by long practice, and by being 
 well acquainted with thofe motives and arguments which the 
 gofpel fuggefted. Here, indeed, we havefet before us the moft 
 powerful confiderations to take good heed to our fpeech, left at 
 any time we fin with our tongue. None can be ftronger than 
 thofe our Saviour mentions in the xii. chap, of Matth. 36 ver, 
 t( But I fay unto you, that every idle word that men fhallfpeak, 
 " they {hall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For 
 4< by thy words thou (halt be juftified, and by thy words thou 
 * ( {halt be condemned." 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 FROM whence come wars and fightings among you ?. 
 Come they not hence, even of your lufts, that war in, 
 your members ? [ 1 3 
 
 2. Ye luft, and have not; ye kill, and defireto have, 
 and cannot obtain : ye fight and war, yet ye have not, 
 becaufe ye afk not. 
 
 3. Ye afk, and receive not, becaufe ye afk amifs, that 
 ye may confume it upon your lufts. 
 
 1. From whence come wars, mutually harafs themfelves,, 
 <b'c.~] As he had formerly treat- and fhews that thefe arife from 
 ed of peace, and warned us inordinate defires rather than 
 that vice muft be exterminated, from a purfuit of whatis right; 
 fo that peace maybe cherifhed, for, if every one were to con- 
 on this occafion he defcends duct hirafelf in an orderly man- 
 to the ftrifes by which mankind ner, no one would be the mean 
 
 L 3 f£ 
 
*8 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 of ftirring up another. 'Tis 
 owing to this, becaufe our lulls 
 domineer with impunity, that 
 wars and fightings prevail. — 
 p Tis evident, then, that we 
 would have greater peace a- 
 mohg us, if every one were to 
 abftain fion doing injury to 
 
 7- Te lnjl and have not, <&>V.] 
 He appears to fignify that the 
 mind of" man, when it indulges 
 in wicked lulls, is infatiable : 
 and truly it is fo ; for he who 
 fuffers his appetites licentioufly 
 to domineer, will never have 
 any bounds to his lulls and 
 ■deiires. Yea even if the world 
 were given him, he would wifh 
 for new worlds to be created 
 on his account. — Thus, it 
 comes to pafs, that men pro- 
 cure to themfelves torments 
 which furpafs the cruelty of all 
 executioners. So true is the 
 obfervation of Horace, " That 
 even Sicilian tyrants have not 
 invented a torment greater than 
 envy and malevolence." — Te 
 fght ; he means not thofe wars 
 and fightings, in which men 
 engage fword in hand ; but any 
 contentious ftrife, whereby one 
 
 3 . Te afk, and receive not, <b'c.'] 
 He further pipceeds •, that tho' 
 they alked, theydeferved a re- 
 fufal, becaufe they defired to 
 make God the minifter of their 
 lulls. — They do not obferve 
 that moderation in their defires 
 which he hath enjoined j but 
 
 another. But the vices which 
 reign in us, are as armed guards, 
 as it were to excite fightings. 
 All our parts he calls members : 
 by lujls he means thofe unlaw- 
 ful and libidinous defires which 
 cannot be fatiated but in doing 
 injury to others. 
 
 endeavours to deprefs another 
 and exalt himfelf. They pro- 
 fit nothing by fuch kind of 
 ftrifes, and thus he affirms, are 
 defervedly punifhed for their 
 depravity : for God defervedly 
 disappoints thofe who acknow- 
 ledge him not as the author of 
 all good •, for while thus they 
 llrive unlawfully, they defire 
 to obtain riches under the auf- 
 pices of fatari; rather than from 
 the goodnefs of God. All defire 
 happinefs, but one afpires to it 
 by fraud, another by violence, 
 another by reproaches, and ell 
 by wicked and accurfed prac- 
 tices, but they feek it not from 
 God. No wonder, then, that 
 they are difappointed in their 
 purfuits j for profperity and 
 fuccefs in this matter are only 
 to be expected from die bieifing 
 of Gpd, 
 
 thro' an unbridled licentiouf- 
 nefs daringly venture to de- 
 mand fuch things as they would 
 be afhamed of even before their 
 fellow creatures. Pliny, fome- 
 where, juftly ridicules this im- 
 pudence — that men fo unwor- 
 thily abufe the freedom of 
 accefs 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 aecefs to &od : it is then the 
 lefs to be endured in chriftians, 
 "who have a rule of prayer de- 
 Jirered down to them from their 
 heavenly matter. And fure it 
 is evident that we can have no 
 reverence {or God, no fear of 
 h:s name, in fine, no regard 
 for him, when wc have the pre- 
 emption to afk from him fuch 
 things, as even our own con- 
 fcienceswouldrefufeus. Upon 
 
 79 
 
 the whole, die meaning of 
 James is, that our defires mull 
 be bridled— that the manner of 
 bridling them is to keep them 
 in fubjection to God ; and next 
 he teaches us, that what things 
 we afk in moderation, we mud 
 afk from God himfelf. And 
 if we do fo, we will abftain. 
 among ourfelves from evil con- 
 tentions, from fraud, from via-» 
 lence, and from every injury. 
 
 4. Ye adulterers and adulterefTes, know ye not that 
 the friendmip of the world is enmity with God ? Whofo- 
 ever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the eneirnr 
 ofGod. ' 
 
 $. Do ye think that the fcripture faith in vain, The 
 fpirit that dwelleth in us, lufteth to envy ? 
 
 4. Ye adulterers, &V.] I con- 
 nect this verfe with the former. 
 He calls thole, in my opinion, 
 metaphorically adulterers, who, 
 being corrupted thro' the vani- 
 ties of this world, alienate them- 
 felves from God : as if he were 
 to call them degenerate, or by 
 fome other fuch name. We 
 know that mention is often 
 made in fcripture of the facred 
 marriage which God hath con- 
 tracted with us. He would, 
 therefore, have us to be like 
 the chafte virgin whom Paul 
 makes mention of in 1 Cor. 
 chap. ii. All impure and world- 
 ly affections violate and con- 
 taminate this chajtity : it is 
 sot, then, without reafon, that 
 
 James compares the love of tne 
 world to adultery, Thofe who 
 underltand the words literally 
 and without the metaphor, do 
 not pay a proper attention 
 to the context. For he ft ill 
 goes on to inveigh againft the 
 lulls which lead thofe who are 
 under their power, aflrayfrom 
 God ; as follows : K;wju ye not 
 that the friend/hip of the iuor/d t 
 &c. He calls that the friend- 
 fhip of the world, when men 
 addict and give themfelves up 
 to the corruption of the world : 
 for fo great is the difagreement 
 between the world and God, 
 that the more any onegives him- 
 felf up to the world, the more 
 he is alienated from God : on 
 
 this 
 
to 
 
 CALVIN f s COMMENTARY OK THE 
 
 this account it is that the fcrip- 
 ture fo often enjoins us to re- 
 ef. Do ye think that the fcrip- 
 ture faith in vain, &V.J He 
 feems to cite the words which 
 follow, " The fpirit which 
 " dwelleth in us lufteth to 
 **' envy ?" from fcripture. In- 
 terpreters, therefore, puzzle 
 themfelves not a little, becaufe 
 there is no where found in 
 fcripture fuch a paffage, nor 
 one nearly fimiiar to it. But 
 nothing hinders, why it may 
 net have a reference to the ex- 
 preffion ufed in the verfe before 
 it: " The friencKhip of the 
 *'. world is enmity againfl God." 
 Befides we have already faid, 
 that it is a doctrine which oc- 
 curs frequently in the fcrip- 
 tures. As to his having omit- 
 ted the pronoun, which might 
 have rendered the fentence more 
 clear, it is no way ftrange, as 
 he is evidently everywhere very 
 concife. The fpirit, &c. Some 
 are of opinion that this is fpoken 
 concerning the foul of man j 
 therefore, they read the words 
 affirmatively in this fenfe, that 
 the fpirit of man, being malig- 
 nant, is fo infected with envy, 
 that it continually blends its 
 paflions with this pernicious 
 principle, envy. — But the 
 opinion of thofe is to be pre- 
 ferred who refer them to the 
 fpirit of God, for 'tis he who 
 is given to us, to dwell in us. 
 I both underiland the pafTage 
 
 nounce the world, if we would 
 be the fervants of God. 
 
 as referring to the fpirit of God, 
 and read it interrogatively. — 
 For James wifhes to prove, that 
 their envying is a proof that 
 they are not ruled by the fpirit 
 of God ; becaufe he trains up 
 the faithful in a different man- 
 ner. And he confirms it in 
 the next verfe when he adds \ 
 " But he giveth more grace." 
 For it is an argument from 
 contraries. Envy is a fign of 
 malignity, but the fpirit of 
 God, by the abundance of his 
 gifts, fheweth himfelf to be a 
 liberal fpirit. Nothing, then, 
 is more repugnant to his nature 
 than envy- Upon the whole 
 James affirms that the fpirit of 
 God doth not reign where cor- 
 rupt lulls, which provoke us 
 to mutual ftrife, prevail ; be- 
 caufe 'tis the property of the 
 fpirit, time after time, more 
 and more, to enrich men witli 
 new girts. I wait not to refute 
 the other interpretations: fome 
 explain it, " That the fpirit 
 lulteth againfl envy. This in- 
 tei'pretation is too harfh and 
 forced. They explain, " But 
 he giveth more grace of God:" 
 to the end that our luffs may 
 be fubdued and reduced to 
 order. But the fenfe which I 
 have adduced is more genuine; 
 becaufe the fpirit, by his benefi- 
 cence, recalls us from fpiteful 
 emulation. 
 
 7. Sub- 
 
. EPISTLE OF JAMES; Si 
 
 7. Submit yourfelves, therefore, to God; refill the 
 devil, and he will flee from you. 
 
 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you: 
 cleanfe your hands, ye finners, and purify your hearts, 
 ye double minded. 
 
 9. Be afflicted, and mourn and weep : let your laugh- 
 ter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heavinefs. 
 
 10. Humble yourfelves in the fight of the Lord, and 
 he fhall lift you up. 
 
 7. Submit yourfelves, therefore, 
 to bod, &c] The fubmiflion 
 which he requires is humility : 
 he doth not in general exhort 
 us to obey God, but requires 
 fubmiflion ; becaufe the fpirit 
 of the Lord refteth upon the 
 peaceable and humble. — On 
 this account he ufes the illative 
 particle, therefore: for as he 
 had declared, that the fpirit 
 of God is liberal in increafmg 
 grace, he thence infers, that 
 laying afide envying and flrife, 
 we ought to fubmit ourfelves 
 to God. Many copies have 
 this fentence inferted here : 
 " Wherefore he faith, God 
 " refifteth the proud, but giveth 
 *' grace to the humble." But 
 as it is not found in other copies, 
 Erafmus fufpe£ts that it might 
 have been written originally 
 on the margin by fome ftudious 
 fearcher of the fcriptures, and 
 afterwards have crept into the 
 text ; and it might be fo : the 
 words, indeed, would very well 
 correfpond with the tc;'.— 
 
 I rather conjecture, however, 
 that this was a proverbial and 
 common faying among the Jews, 
 arifing out of the general icope 
 of all fcripture doctrine. And, 
 indeed, it contains nothing; 
 more than what we have in Pf. 
 xviii. 27. " Thou wilt fave the 
 " afflicted people, but wilt 
 " brinp 1 down hieh looks:" and 
 in many other places. Reftjr 
 the devil, <&)V. He fhews us a- 
 gainit whom we ought to con- 
 tend. As Paul tells us, that "ws 
 " wreftle not againft iiefh and 
 " blood, but againft principali- 
 " ties, againft powers, againft 
 " the rulers of the darknefs 
 " of this world, againft fpiritual 
 " wicked nefs in high places ;" 
 and thus excites us to the fpi- 
 ritual warfare ; fo James, after 
 he hath taught us moderation 
 towards men, and fubmiflion 
 towards God, propofes fatan 
 as the enemy whom we ought 
 to rife up againft. The pro- 
 mife, however, which he adds, 
 concenvng the flight of fatan, 
 feems 
 
CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 feems to be refuted by daily ex- 
 perience : for 'tis well known, 
 that the more vigoroufly any 
 >one refifts him, the more keen- 
 ly he preffes his attacks. For 
 iatan in feme fort trifles where 
 lie is not ferioufly oppofed, but 
 ■exerts all his ftrength aeainft 
 tnoie who refift him : and again 
 Jie is never weary with fighting, 
 
 8. Draw near to Cod, <&V.J 
 He again puts us in remem- 
 brance, that God's affiftance 
 -will not be wanting to us, 
 provided we give him a wel- 
 come reception. For when he 
 bids us draw near to God, that 
 we may experience him draw- 
 ing near to us, he means, that 
 we are deprived of his grace, 
 becaufe we withdraw ourfelves 
 from hint. And while God is 
 on our fide, we need not be 
 afraid of failing in the conflict. 
 But if any one fhould infer 
 from this pafTage, that the prin- 
 cipal part depends upon cur- 
 felves, and that the grace of 
 God afterwards follows ; the 
 apoftle means nothing fuch : 
 for if it ought fo to be, it does 
 not follow that it is in our 
 power fo to a£t. And when 
 the fpirit of God encourages us 
 to duty, he derogates nothing 
 from himfelf or, his own power, 
 but even accomplifhes in us the 
 very thing which he enjoins.-— 
 Jn fine, James meant nothing 
 elfe in this pafTage, than that 
 God is never wanting to us, 
 
 but, if conquered in one en- 
 gagement, immediately com- 
 mences another. I anfwer to 
 this, that by fleeing from us 
 here, we are to underftand hi« 
 being put to the rout : and tho' 
 indeed he renew inceffant at- 
 tacks, he always comes off 
 worded in the end. 
 
 unlefs it be becaufe We alienate 
 ourfelves from him. The in- 
 vitation, then, to draw near to 
 God i is of (imilar import, as if 
 any one were to carry along 
 with him, the hungry to a 
 table, or the thirfty to a foun- 
 tain. It importeth this : that 
 as we are apt to {tumble and 
 fall, our goings fhould be di- 
 rected and upheld by the Lord. 
 Again, as to that cavilling ob- 
 jection ; " that the grace of 
 God is made fecondary, and as 
 it were attendant upon our pre- 
 paration •" becaufe James fays, 
 in the latter place, " that Gcd 
 will draw near to us," it is 
 altogether frivolous j for we 
 know that it is nothing uncom- 
 mon for God to irtcreafe hh 
 former gifts of the fpirit by new- 
 ones; nnd in this manner, mor-e 
 and more, to enrich thofe, on 
 whom he had formerly bellow- 
 ed much. Cleanfe your hands, %e 
 Jinners, &c. He here addreffes 
 ail who are alienated from God: 
 nor does he, however, point 
 at two kinds of perfons ; but 
 the fame, he calls botiiflnners 
 
 and 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 ?: 
 
 and double minded. Nor does 
 he mean finners of any kind ; 
 but the wicked, and thofe of 
 an abandoned life. As when 
 John faith, chap. ix. 31. " God 
 ** heareth not finners." In 
 which fenfe the woman is cal- 
 led a (inner by Luke, chap. vii. 
 37. ; and by the fame and other 
 evangelifts it is faid, " he eat- 
 eth and drinketh with finners." 
 Wherefore, James invites not 
 all promifcuoufly to that kind 
 of repentance here mentioned; 
 but thofe who are of a perverfe 
 and corrupt heart, and of a 
 
 9. Be afflifted and mourn and 
 iveep, <&V.] Chrift, in Luke 
 vi. 25. denounces forrow, to 
 thofe who laugh now, as a 
 curfe. " Wo unto you that 
 " laugh now : for ye fhall 
 " mourn and weep." And in 
 the beginning of the next chap- 
 ter, James, in the fame fenfe, 
 threatens mourning to the rich. 
 But here he treats of that falu- 
 tary forrow which leads to re- 
 pentance : he addreffes him- 
 ielf to thofe, who being in- 
 toxicated in their minds, per- 
 ceive not the judgment of God ; 
 and hence it comes to pafs that 
 
 10. Humble yourf elves, <&c.~]^— 
 This is the conclufion of the 
 former verfes. That, then, the 
 grace of God will be manifes- 
 ted to lift us up, when he fhall 
 fee that we have humbled our 
 proud fpirits. We drive and 
 
 bafe, feandalous, and wicked 
 life : from thefe he require* 
 purity of heart and propriety 
 of conduct:. Whence we gather 
 what the true meaning and na- 
 ture of repentance is ; namely, 
 when not only the external life 
 is amended, but when it com- 
 mences by the purification of 
 the mind : as with refpect to 
 the converted perfon, it is ne- 
 ceffary, that the fruits of an 
 inward repentance fhould ap- 
 pear by the purity of their 
 works. 
 
 they indulge in their vices. — 
 To roufe them from this fatal 
 ftupidity, he admoniflies them, 
 that affected with a confeien- 
 tious grief, they (liould learn 
 to be afRi&ed and mourn ; and. 
 while bordering on deftru£rion, 
 fhould ceafe to indulge them- 
 felves in a partial and flattering' 
 felf-approbation. — Let your 
 laughter be turned, iyc. Laugh- 
 ter is here taken for the plea- 
 fures which the wicked make 
 for themfelves, while, infatua- 
 ted by the enticing fweets of 
 vice, they live forgetful of God 
 and his judgments. 
 
 envy, becaufe we wifh to be 
 exalted. This is a prepofterous 
 method : for it is a diftingui(h- 
 ing characleriftic of God to 
 raife up the bowed down, and 
 efpecially thofe who voluntari- 
 ly abafe themfelves. Whofo- 
 M ever, 
 
»4 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 ferved fomewhere, that as the 
 tree muft ftrike its roots deep, 
 that it may grow upwards ; fo 
 whofoever has not his mind 
 Tooted in humility, is exalted 
 
 ever, then, dejected from a 
 fenfe of his own weaknefs, 
 afpires to liable exaltation, let 
 him not, on account of his 
 abafement before God, enter- 
 tain any mean opinion of him- to his own downfal 
 felf. Auguftine has well ob- 
 
 ii. Speak net evil, one of another, brethren: he that 
 fpeaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, 
 fpeaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law : but if 
 thou judge the lav/, thcu art not a doer of the law, 
 but a judge. 
 
 12. There is one lawgiver, who is able to fave and to 
 deftroy : who art thou that judgefl another ? 
 
 1 1 . Speak not evil, &c.} We 
 fee what a deal of pains he 
 takes in correcting the luft of 
 evil fpeaking. Hypocrify is 
 always proud ; and by nature 
 \ye are hypocrites, who eagerly 
 exalt ourfelves and degrade 
 others. There is another dif- 
 eafe natural tothehuman mind, 
 that every one would have o- 
 thers live according to his own 
 will and humour. This rafh- 
 nefs of daring to impofe a rule 
 of life upon our brethren, James, 
 ■with great propriety, rebukes 
 m this paffage. Evil fpeaking 
 he takes for all the calumnies 
 and froward fpeeches which 
 proceed from a malignant and 
 pevverfe judgment. The per- 
 nicious confequenccs of evil- 
 fpeaking extend widely : but 
 he here properly inGfts only on 
 that one fpecies which I have 
 
 mentioned, namely — when we 
 fupercilioufly determine con- 
 cerning the words and actions' 
 of others, and fecurely con- 
 demn whatever difpleafes us, 
 as if our caprice were to be a 
 law for their conduct. That 
 fuch arrogance is here pointed 
 at, is manifefr. from the reafon 
 annexed. He that fpeakeib evil 
 of ha brother, <b'c. He means, 
 that juil fo much is detracted 
 from the law as any one ufurps 
 to himfelf over his brethren. — 
 Detraction, then, againft the 
 law is oppofite to that reve- 
 rence which ail ought to have 
 for it. — Paul ufes nearly 
 the fame argument in his epiftle 
 to the Romans, altho' upon a 
 different occafion. For when 
 a fuperftitious notion, refpec- 
 ting the choice of meats, pof- 
 feficd fome : what they thought 
 
 not 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 not lawful for themfelves, they 
 condemned alfo in others. — 
 There he puts us in mind, that 
 rhere is one Lord, at whole 
 tribunal we muft all be filled, 
 and by whofe judgment we all 
 itand or fall. Whence he con- 
 cludes, that he who judgeth 
 his brethren from his own no- 
 tion of things, arrogates to 
 himfelf the province of the 
 Deity. — But James cenfures 
 thole, who in condemning their 
 brethren, feek after the fame 
 of fan£lity to themfelves ; and, 
 therefore, fubftituie their own 
 caprice for the divine law. — 
 He argues, however, with the 
 fame view as Paul, namely, 
 that we act rafhly if we arro- 
 gate to ourfelves authority over 
 the lives of our brethren, when 
 the law of God is the only fixed 
 and general rule by which the 
 conduct of all muft be tried 
 and determined. Thou art not 
 a doer of the lew, but a judge. — 
 The fentence ought to be thus 
 refolved — When you claim to 
 yourfelf a cenforious power 
 above the law of God, you 
 exempt yourfelf from fubjec- 
 tion to the law. He, then, 
 who rafhly judgeth his brother, 
 {hakes oft* the yoke of God ; 
 becaufe he fubmits not him- 
 felf to the common rule of life. 
 
 It is then an argument from 
 contraries ; becaufe the obfer- 
 vation of the law differs widely 
 from this arrogance of men, 
 when they give the force and 
 authority of the law to their 
 own f oolifh opinion. Whence 
 it follows, that then we are 
 obfervers of the law, when we 
 depend folely upon what it 
 teacheth, and ufe no other 
 mean of diftinguifhing between, 
 good and bad ; as by this rule, 
 alfo, all the actions and words 
 of men ought to be examined, 
 and condemned or approved. 
 Should any one object, that 
 the faints will be the judges of 
 the world ; the anfwer is eafy, 
 that fuch an honour belongs 
 not to them in their own right, 
 but as they are members of 
 Chrift : refpecting any judg- 
 ment which they now pafs ac- 
 cording to the law, they are 
 not on that account to be rec- 
 koned judges, becaufe they 
 only fubmiflively fubferibe to 
 God their own judge, and the 
 judge of all. With regard to 
 God, he is not to be accounted 
 tfye maker of the law ; for his 
 juflice is fuperior to the lav/.*" 
 For the law flows from the 
 eternal and immenfe juflice of 
 God, as a fountain from its. 
 fource. 
 
 1 2. There is one lavjgiver y <b''c.~] 
 When he conjoins the power of 
 faving and deflroying with the 
 
 office of a lawgiver, he gives 
 us to underfland, that thofe 
 who claim the right of law- 
 
 M 2 
 
 giving, 
 
 • '{his fciitfcacas iee ctfetfrei to Qv/cu's Tieituc oa Divmc Iufiicci 
 
86 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 giving, affuroe to themfelves 
 the whole majefty of God. — 
 But fuch are thofe, who impofe 
 upon others their own will as 
 a law. Let us remember, how- 
 ever, that James is not here 
 treating of external polity, in 
 which the edicts or laws of 
 magifirates are concerned, but 
 of the fpiritual government of 
 the foul, in which 'tis proper 
 that the word of God only be 
 the fupreme rule. There is 
 then one God, who, by right, 
 has the confeiences of all Sub- 
 ject to his laws ; as he alone 
 has the falvation or the des- 
 truction of the foul in his 
 power. Hence it appears what 
 ientiments we ought to form 
 of thofe human commandments 
 which impofe the noofe of ne- 
 ceffity on the confeience.* — 
 Some complain of the want of 
 modefty in us, when we call the 
 Pope, (who exercifes tyranny 
 over fouls, and makes himfelf 
 a legislator equal with God) 
 Antichrift. But from this paf- 
 fage we colle£f. much more ; 
 namely, that thofe who volun- 
 
 tarily wear fuch noofesf are 
 members of Antichrift ; and fo 
 far renounce Chrift, as they 
 aflbciate with him a man who 
 is not only a mortal, but one 
 who exalteth himfelf againfl 
 him. — It is, I fay, a falfe 
 obedience, and of fuch a kind 
 as is paid to the devil, when 
 we admit any other legiflatcr 
 to rule our minds, than God. 
 Who art thou that judgejl another? 
 Some are of opinion that back- 
 biters arc here put in mind of 
 their own vices, in order that 
 they fhould begin the exami- 
 nation from themfelves ; and 
 while they refie£f. that they 
 are in no refpecl holier than 
 others, may refrain from their 
 rigorous feverity againft others, 
 I, for my part, think that man- 
 kind are here limply. prefented 
 with a view of their own con- 
 dition, that they may reflect 
 how -widely diftant they arc 
 from that degree of^perfe&icn 
 to which they exalt themfelves. 
 In the fame fenfe,Paul alfofays, 
 " Who art thou that judgeft 
 " another man's fervant?" 
 
 13. Go to now, ye that fay, To-day or to-morrow, we 
 will go into fuch a city, and continue there a year, and 
 buy and fell, and get gain : 
 
 14. Whereas ye know not what fhall be on the mor- 
 row : for, what is your life f It is even a vapour that ap- 
 peareth lor a little time, and then vanimeth away. 
 
 15. For that ye ought to fay, If the Lord will, we fhall 
 live, and do this or that. 
 
 16. But 
 
 * Or fliackle the eenfeience. 
 
 I Shackles. 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. *7 
 
 1 6. But now ye rejoice in your boaflinga : all fuch re- 
 joicing is evil. 
 
 17. Therefore, to him that knowcth to do good, and 
 doth it not, to him it is fin. 
 
 13. Go to tiow, ij'c] He 
 here condemns another kind of 
 pride : namely, that moil men 
 with confidence determine what 
 they will do; whereas they ought 
 to rely on the providence of 
 God. They adjufc their fchemes 
 for a long time to come, as if 
 they had a feries of years at 
 their own command, while they 
 are not even certain of a (ingle 
 moment. — Solomon, alio, 
 ridicules this foolifh boafting, 
 when he fays, Pro. xvi. 2. " All 
 " the ways of a man are clean 
 *' in his own eyes, but the Lord 
 * c weigheth the fpirits." But 
 it is very fooliih in us to pre- 
 tend to execute, what we ought 
 not even to pretend to utter. — 
 James inveighs not fo much 
 againft their form of fpeaking, 
 in itfelf, as againft want of 
 thought ; that men forgetful of 
 their own infirmities exprefs 
 themfelves with fuch arrogance. 
 For it may fo happen, that the 
 godly who think humbly of 
 themfelves, and acknowledge 
 their fteps to be directed ac- 
 cording to the will of God, 
 neverthelefs may fay, that they 
 will do this or that, without 
 reftriction.* It is indeed right 
 and profitable, when we pro- 
 
 mife any thing relating to the 
 time to come, to accuilom our- 
 felves to thefe modes of ex- 
 preflion, " If the Lord will," 
 or, " If the Lord permits." — 
 But the ufe of this religious 
 form of exprefilon is not to bs 
 underftood in fuch a fenfe, as 
 if it implied that the perfon 
 omitting it were guilty of any 
 impiety by fuch negleft. For 
 we frequently read in fcilpture, 
 that the holy fervants of God 
 have ipoken of future things, 
 unconditionally — while, at ths 
 fame time, they both well knew 
 and remembered their own in- 
 ability to accomplifh any thing 
 without the divine permiflion. 
 This form of fpeech then, " li 
 " the Lord will," or, (i If the 
 '* Lord permit," ought to be 
 carefully held in- reverence by 
 all the godly. But James is 
 endeavouring to roufe thofs 
 from their Fiftlejfncfs, who fet- 
 ting afide all regard to divine 
 providence, account the whole 
 year in their power ; whereas 
 they have not even a moment 
 that they can call their own. — 
 They prpmife themfelves gain 
 at a diftance, when they 
 by no means, in their own, 
 power, 'retain even the prefent, 
 14. j» 
 
 * Of time. 
 
85 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 14. for what is your life, 
 
 &c.~] By many other argu- 
 ments he might check this 
 foolifh freedom of proje fling. 
 For we fee how God daily dis- 
 appoints thole haughty men 
 who flatter themfelves that 
 they have power to accomplifh 
 any thing, however great and 
 sragnifkent. He is content,how - 
 ever, with this one argument : 
 (i What is your life ? — who 
 can promife on it to-morrow? — 
 will you, when dead, accom- 
 plifh what you now fo confi- 
 
 15. If ths Lard will, we flail 
 live, <b'c.] A double condition 
 is fuppofed. " If we fhall live 
 fo long," and, " If the Lord 
 fhall permit :" for many things 
 may intervene to overturn what- 
 ever had been purpofed by us ; 
 
 1 6. But row ye rejoice in your 
 boafiTigSy&c] From thefe words 
 we may collecl that James 
 means to reprehend fomething 
 more than inconfideratenefs in 
 fpeaking. Ye glory in your 
 boaftings, namely, that while 
 they deprived God of his au- 
 thority, they were, neverthe- 
 lefs purfuing their own plea- 
 fures. — Not that even thofe 
 who are moft elated with felf- 
 confidence, openly prefer them- 
 felves to God ; but becaufe their 
 fenfes are fo intoxicated with 
 vanity, that they regard no- 
 
 dently determine ?" For the 
 prciumption of the man who 
 thinks on the fhortnefs of life 
 will eafily be reftrained from 
 extending his projeds too far 
 —yea, 'tis not on any other 
 acccunt that profane men fo 
 much indulge themfelves, as 
 becaufe they forget that they 
 are men.— By the fimilt of 
 a vapour he elegantly points 
 out, that thofe fchemes are 
 even more than vain, which 
 have their exigence only in a 
 life which pafTcth as a fhadow. 
 
 as the events of futurity are 
 concealed from us. He does 
 not mean the will of God which 
 is exprefled in his law, but the 
 counfel of his will, according 
 to which he ruleth over all. 
 
 thing lefs than God. — And 
 becaufe fuch admonitions arc 
 ufuallyreceived by profane men 
 with contempt, or they gene- 
 rally return fuch anfwers as 
 the following: " that they know 
 fuch things iufficiently well al- 
 ready, and do not want fuch 
 admonitions ;" he retorts upon 
 them the knowledge in which 
 they gloried, declaring, that 
 on this account their fins were 
 the more grievous, becaufe they 
 fin not thro' ignorance, but in 
 contempt. 
 
 CON- 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. $9 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 THE truths we have had under review fhould teach us— to 
 ftudy an intimate acquaintance with our own hearts. Pride, 
 envy, ambition, and covetoufnefs too often ftir up contentions, 
 and make men injurious to one another. " Whence come wars 
 " and fighting among you ? come they not hence, even of your 
 <c jaftg ?»__ The fpirit of chriflianity is a fpirit of peace, of 
 humility, of love, of brotherly kind nets, and charity, and were 
 it not owing to our own perverfe difpofitions, under the influence 
 of this fpirit, fociety would be happy. See, then, O chriftians, 
 that yc cultivate the true fpirit of your religion, and, as much as 
 in you lies, live peaceably with all men Ufe no unlawful means 
 to promote your temporal intereft. While ye look up to God, 
 and folicit his blcfling to crown your honeft induftry with f uc- 
 cefs, guard your affections and defires, and wifh for nothing 
 that ye may confume it upon your lufls. Forget not that he 
 who brought you into exiftence is the conftant preserver of 
 your lives, and that ye owe every thing that makes life com- 
 fortable unto his bounty. Draw nigh, then, to God, and he 
 will draw nigh to you. With every rifing and fetting fun let 
 the incenfe of thy facrifices, of praife, and of thankfgiving, 
 rife up to heaven. Collect thy family around thee, and be not 
 afhamed to worfhip Flim before whom myriads of angels bow 
 down and adore. Haft thou any hope through the mercy of thy 
 God ? doft thou believe that his Son died for thee ? and yet thou 
 forgetteft to call on Him by prayer, and to render thanks unto 
 his name — O ! bafe ingratitude. Verily, the day is approach- 
 ing when thou wilt fly to Him for protection, and cry for pity ; 
 but he will laugh at thy calamity, and mock when thy feav 
 cometh. 
 
 NOTE ON CHAP. IV. 
 
 <C TXTHENCE come tutfrx." The fupreme Governor of the 
 world can, by various ways, punifh the wickednefs of 
 men. The miferies of war may juftly be regarded as the rod 
 ©f his anger, and he generally proportions the weight of this 
 Tod to the guilt and finfulnefs of thofe on whom it falls. The 
 Jews were become extremely vicious and abandoned by the time 
 the indignation of heaven bur ft forth againft them. Jofephus 
 informs us, that in everv city, yea, in every corner of the land, 
 
 r'.iui- 
 
So CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 multitudes of thieves, pick-pockets, and cut-throats lay in wait 
 to catch every opportunity for mifchief, that occurred. Thefe 
 banditti took advantage of the feeble (late of the government 
 and the diffractions of their country, and, under the pretence 
 of recovering the liberties of it, attempted to throw all things 
 into confufion. Whilfl the real friends of rational liberty eager- 
 ly wifhed for deliverance from the oppreffive yoke of the Romans; 
 thefe mere pretenders, and black-hearted men, had no other 
 object in viewbut their own aggrandifement, and the gratification 
 of their lufts. A nation in this fituation is moll miferable ; but 
 fuch was the flate of the Jewifh nation at the time when James 
 wrote hisepiftle. The Jews were as ready to quarrel with the 
 Romans, as the Romans were difpofed to fall upon the Jews. — 
 For a confiderable time after the Romans became matters of 
 Judea, the conquerors and the conquered lived in good cor- 
 refpondence. — Herod the Great was a particular favourite of 
 Auguitus. He was permitted to hold his kingdom in fief of the 
 Romans, while many other kings were completely deprived of 
 their royalty, and Roman prefects appointed in their place. — 
 Titus wifhed to be as favourable to the Jews as poflible, and it 
 was chiefly owing to the Jews themfelves that he was compelled 
 to ufe fuch harm meafures with them. Jofephus, in the 16th 
 book of his Antiquities, records a long letter, containing an ac- 
 count of a variety of fingular privileges granted his countrymen 
 by the exprefs command of Auguftus and the Roman fenate. 
 It was not till about the 8th year of the reign of Nero, that the 
 rage of tb.e Romans broke forth in all its fury ; at which time 
 James is fuppofed to have written his epiftle. When the fins 
 of a nation have ripened them for judgment, by an unaccount- 
 able fatality they themfelves haften forward their own ruin. — ■ 
 This was particularly the cafe with the Jews immediately before 
 their final overthrow. Their own perverfe paflions and lufts 
 excited and promoted thofe wars which foon brought their 
 deftrudtion. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 /"^ O to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your 
 ^-* miieries that mall come upon you. 
 
 i. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are 
 moth-eaten. 
 
 3. Your 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 9* 
 
 3. Your gold and filver is cankered, and the ruft of 
 them mail be a witnefs againft you, and (hail eat your 
 flefli as it were fire : ye have heaped treafure together for 
 the laft days. 
 
 4. Behold the hire of the labourers, which have reap- 
 ed down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, 
 crieth ; and the cries of them which have reaped, are 
 entered into the ears of the Lord ofSabaoth. 
 
 5. Ye have lived in pleafure on the earth, and been 
 wanton : ye have nourimed your hearts, as in a day of 
 ilaughter. 
 
 6. Ye have condemned and killed the juft ; and he 
 doth not refill you. 
 
 I. Go to now, <b-'c.~] They 
 are miftaken, in my opinion, 
 ■who think that James is here 
 exhorting the rich to repen- 
 tance. His words appear to 
 me rather a fimple denuncia- 
 tion of the judgment of God, 
 in which he means to alarm 
 them, as being without hope of 
 forgivenefs ; for his words have 
 a tendency only to defpair. — 
 Wherefore, he addrefles not 
 the rich themfelves, to invite 
 them to repentance : he rather 
 has the faithful in his view, 
 that they hearing of the un- 
 happy fate of the rich, may 
 not envy their fortune ; and 
 may endure with a patient ac- 
 quiefcence the injuries which 
 they fufFer, knowing that God 
 will be their avenger. But it 
 is not the rich of every def- 
 ciiption whom he addrefles, 
 
 but thofe, who funk in fen- 
 fuality, and elated with pride, 
 think of nothing but this world; 
 who, like infatiable guiphs, 
 fwallow up all ; and who ty- 
 rannically opprefs and harafs 
 their neighbours. That this is 
 his meaning will appear from 
 the context. Weep and hoivL — 
 Repentance, indeed, is attend- 
 ed with its forrows, but they 
 are mixed with confolation<;, 
 and tend not lb far as to how]- 
 ing. James, then, means that 
 the feverity of the divine curfe 
 againft the rich will be fo dread- 
 ful and dire as to force them 
 to burft out into howlings. — 
 As if he had f:iid in a word, 
 " Woe to you !"— The form of 
 fpecch is alio prophetical j the 
 wicked, fays he, who account 
 the punifhments which await 
 themitlves,- as threatenings a- 
 N gainft 
 
92 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 gainft mankind in general, are 
 dragged, as it were, to an in- 
 ftant doom. While, then, they 
 are now indulging their ap- 
 petites, and promifing to them- 
 
 2. Your riches, <b'c.~$ The 
 fenfe maybe twofold: he either 
 ridicules their foolifh confi- 
 dence, becaufe the riches, in 
 which they place their happi- 
 nefs, are fading, and may, even 
 by a fingle blaft of the Almigh- 
 ty, be reduced to nothing : or, 
 he rebukes their infatiable a- 
 \ r aricein heaping up riches for 
 this purpofe only, ' that they 
 may periih unufed. The lat- 
 ter fenfe agrees better : 'tis true 
 indeed, that the rich, who 
 glory in things of fo perifhing 
 a nature, as clothes, gold, fil- 
 vcr, and the like, are foolifh r, 
 for this is to glory in what is 
 fubject to ruft and moth. Be- 
 ' fides, 'tis a well known, and 
 true faying : " That ill gotten 
 floods pafs idly away :" for the 
 curfe of God confumeth all 
 things. Neither, indeed, is 
 it equitable, that the wicked 
 or their heirs fhould enjoy the 
 wealth which theyhave violent- 
 ly wrefted, as it were, out of 
 the hand of God himfelf. But, 
 as James here enumerates the 
 vices, by which the rich invite 
 the. calamity he 'mentions ; the 
 context, I think, plainly points 
 cut, that the immenfe rapacity 
 of the rich is the object of his 
 cenfurc j efpecially when they 
 
 felves, that the fortune in which 
 they think themfelves happy, 
 will be eternal, he declares 
 that the heavieft forrows are 
 fait approaching them. 
 
 fupprefs whatever they can 
 fcrape together from whatever 
 quarter, that it may ufelefsly 
 perifh in their elicits ; for, thus 
 it is, that like the common 
 enemies of human natute, they 
 deltroywhat God had created 
 for the common ufe of man- 
 kind. 'Tis to be obferved, that 
 the vices which he here re- 
 counts do not lie againft every 
 individual. Some of the rich 
 liberally indulge themfelves ; 
 others fquander much on idle 
 pomp and oftentation ; others 
 pinching themfelves, live in 
 fordid wretchednefs. Different 
 vices, then, are here thrown 
 up to different individuals; but, 
 in general, all are condemned 
 who either unjuitly accumulate 
 riches, or who vainly abufe 
 them. What James now fays, 
 is not only applicable to the 
 parfimonious rich, (fuch as the 
 Euclio of Plautus) but to fe- 
 veral, who, tho' they live in 
 fome refpecls fplendidly and 
 luxurioufiy, would rather have 
 their heaps of wealth rot with 
 themfelves, than beftow it on 
 neceffary ufes. For fuch is the 
 malignity of fome, that they 
 can hardly bear that the fun 
 and air fhould be common to 
 their fellow creatures. 
 
 3. Shall 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES.' 
 
 3. Shall be a witnefs againjl 
 you, &'<r.] Here he confirms the 
 
 expofition formerly adduced. 
 For God bath neither deitined 
 gold for rult, nor garments for 
 moths. — He defigned them 
 rather to be the aids of human 
 life. — Wherefore, the very 
 wade of them, without ufing 
 them, will be a proof of their 
 inhumanity. The canker and 
 ruft of their gold and filver 
 will prove as fewel to inflame 
 
 4. Behold the hire of the la- 
 bourers, i^'c.~\ Now he inveighs 
 againft cruelty, the infeparable 
 companion of avarice : he men- 
 tions one fpecies of it, which 
 ought to be particularly odious. 
 If a humane and juft man hath 
 a regard for his beaft, (as So- 
 lomon fays) this is an excefiive 
 cruelty, when man has no com- 
 panion even for the man who 
 hath fpent his fweat in his fer- 
 vice. The law of God, under 
 fevere penalties, forbids the re- 
 taining of the hire of an hired 
 Servant, even till the going 
 down of the fun : befides James 
 names not labourers of every 
 defcription, but labourers in 
 agriculture, and reapers. For 
 what could be more unworthy, 
 than that thofe who furnifh to 
 us bread by their labour, fhould 
 themfelves perifh thro' want ? 
 Yet this is no uncommon cir- 
 cumftance. For there are many 
 of fuch a tyrannical c'ifpofition, 
 that they think mankind live 
 
 n 
 
 the divine anger, that he may 
 con fume them like fire. — Te 
 have heaped Ireafurc together, is'C 
 This clauie may likewife admic 
 of a double explanation : either 
 that the rich are never fatiated, 
 but buiily heap up, as if they 
 were to live always, what might 
 fuffice them to the end of the 
 world — or, that they treafure 
 up the anger and curie of God 
 againft the laft day : this laft 
 fenfe I prefer. 
 
 only for themfelves. He fays, 
 the cries of then which have reap- 
 ed have entered into the ears vf 
 the Lord ; becaufe any thing 
 whatfoever that men retain 
 fraudulently or unjuftly, de- 
 mands vengeance, as it were 
 with a loud cry. The expref- 
 fion is to be noted, " that the 
 cries of the poor have entered 
 into the ears of the Lord," and 
 means, that their injuries (hall 
 notpafsunpunifhed. Let thofe, 
 then, who are opprefied by the 
 unrighteous, bear it with pa- 
 tience, for they fhall have God 
 for their avenger. Let thofe 
 again, who have the power 
 of doing injury, abftain, left 
 they provoke God, who is the 
 prottttor and pntron of the 
 poor, againft themfelves. And 
 for this reafon, he calls him 
 the Lord of Sabaoth, to denote 
 his power and ltrength, and 
 to (hew that his judgment is 
 the more to be dreaded. 
 
 N i 
 
 S-H 
 
94 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 5. 1e have lived in pleafure, 
 &'c] He comes now to men- 
 tion another vice, luxury. — 
 Thofe who immoderately a- 
 bound, feldom reftrain them- 
 felves from abufing their abun- 
 dance in excefs of delicacies. 
 There are fome of the rich, 
 indeed, who, as I have faid, 
 itarve in their plenty. 'Tis not 
 without a rcafon, that the poets 
 have feigned a Tantalus hungry 
 at a plentiful table. There 
 have always been fuch Tanta- 
 lufes in the world : but, as we 
 have laid before, James fpeaks 
 not of individuals. 'Tis fuf- 
 ficient that we fee this vice 
 commonly reigns among the 
 rich, and that theyare expenfive 
 and fuperflucus in the expences 
 of the table. Altho' God al- 
 lows that they fhould liberally 
 enjoy what they poffefs, they 
 qught, however, to be on their 
 guard againft profufion, and to 
 cultivate frugality. 'Tis not 
 
 6. Ye have condemned, fee.] 
 Here follows another fpecies 
 of inhumanity — that the rich, 
 in their power, opprefs and 
 deftroy the helplefs. He me- 
 taphorically fays, that the juft 
 are killed and condemned by 
 them ; for altho' they neither 
 kill with their ow,n hand, nor 
 difcharge the office of judges; 
 while, however, they ufe the 
 power they are poffeffed of to 
 injure, while they corrupt judg- 
 ment, while they devile arts 
 
 for nothing that God, by his 
 prophets, ib feverely rebukes 
 thole who flccp in ivory beds, 
 who are perfumed with preci- 
 ous ointment, who delight in 
 banqueting and mufic, and 
 who are as fatted kine in rich 
 pafrures. All thefe things are 
 fpoken to let us know, that 
 moderation in delicacies is to 
 be cbferved, and that intem- 
 perance is difpleafing to God. 
 Ye have nourijhedyour hearts, <b'c. 
 The expreffion implies not only 
 an indulgence fufficient to fa- 
 tisfy nature, but to the utmoft 
 extent of defire. He adds the 
 fimile, as in a day ofjlaughter, 
 becaufe they were wont at fc- 
 lemn facrifices to feaft more 
 liberallv than they were ufually 
 accuftomed to at other times : 
 hp means, then, that the rich 
 continue a feftivity thro' the 
 whole of life, becaufe they are 
 funk in continued pleafures. 
 
 to deftroy the innocent, this 
 is, in fact, to kill — to condemn. 
 "When he adds, and he doth not 
 rejijl you, he means that the 
 audacity of the rich is increaf- 
 ed, becaufe thofe whom they 
 ruin are deftitute of every pro- 
 tection. At the fame time he 
 puts us in mind, that the ven- 
 geance of God will be the more 
 ready, becaufe the poor are 
 undefended by men. Altho' on 
 this account the juft refifteth 
 not, becaufe it is his duty pa- 
 tiently 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 s?s 
 
 ticntly to bear injuries ; I think caufe he is unarmed, and def- 
 his want of power is likewife thute of human afliftance. 
 Signified — he refifts not, be- 
 
 7. Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming 
 of the Lord. Behold, the huibandman waiteth for the 
 precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, 
 until he receive the early and the latter rain. 
 
 8. Be ye alfo patient ; ftabliih your hearts : for the 
 coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 
 
 9. Grudqe not one againft another, brethren, left ye 
 be condemned: behold, the judge ftandeth before the 
 door. 
 
 7. Be patient, therefore, <&Y.] 
 From this inference, it is evi- 
 dent that what has hitherto 
 been faid againft the rich, is in- 
 tended for the confolation of 
 thofe, who are, without any 
 redrefs in their power for the 
 prefent, expofed to their in- 
 juries. For after he hath re- 
 counted the caufes of calamities 
 which threaten the rich, and 
 mentioned this in particular — 
 that they have proudly and 
 cruelly domineered over the 
 poor -, he immediately fubjoins, 
 that we who are uniui'tly af- 
 flicted, have ground of patience 
 in this confederation, that God 
 will be the judge. For this is 
 his meaning when he fays, 
 " that the coming of the Lord 
 " draweth nigh," that the pre- 
 fent difordered date of things 
 perceivable in the world, will 
 not be continual ; becaufe, the 
 Lord at his coming fhall ref- 
 
 tore it to order-, and that, there- 
 fore, our minds ought to reft 
 firm in this good hope. The 
 reftorationof all things on that 
 day is not promiied to us in 
 vain. In fcripture, however, 
 any manifeftation of judgment 
 or of grace, when he fuccours 
 his fervants, and chaftifes the 
 wicked, is called the day of 
 the Lord : I rather chufe to 
 underftand this paflagc as re- 
 fpec~ting the laft deliverance. 
 Behold thehujhandman, isre. The 
 fame hmilitude Paul fhortly 
 glances at, in hisfecond epiiile 
 to Timothy, ii. chap. 6 ver. 
 when he fays, " The hufband- 
 " man that l.iboureth muit be 
 " ftrft partaker of the fruits." 
 But the exprellion of James is. 
 more explicit : he mentions the 
 long patience of the hufband- 
 man ; who, after he hath com- 
 mitted the feed to the earth, 
 waits in fecurlty, or, at leaft, 
 
 in 
 
$6 
 
 CALVlN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 m patience, until the time of 
 the harveft arrive j he Fretteth 
 not,^ becaufe the earth doth 
 not inftantly produce ripe fruit. 
 From this he infers, that v/e 
 ought not to be anxious be- 
 yond meafure ; tho' we mutt 
 labour and fow till the day of 
 the Lord, the harveft, appear. 
 Precious fruit, &c. I under- 
 stand it to be called precious 
 fruit, becaufe it is the nourifh- 
 ment and mean of {importing 
 life. James means, v/hen he 
 fays, that the hufbandman de- 
 posits his food in the earth, 
 which to him is fo precious, 
 and patiently iufpends his hope 
 of reaping the fruits — that we 
 are too rafh and difcontented 
 if we do not wait the day of 
 our redemption with patience. 
 It is not neceffary to trace 
 every other particular of the 
 fireile. 'The early and the latter 
 rain. By thefe two epithets 
 two feafons are pointed out, 
 the former which follows foon 
 after the feed time j the other 
 
 8. StahliJJ) your hearts, is'c.~\ 
 Left anyone thould object that 
 the time of deliverance was 
 too long delayed, he anfwers 
 the objection, telling them, 
 that the coming of the Lord draw- 
 fih nigh: at the fame time, 
 orders them to correct that ef 
 ferninacy of mind which wea- 
 kens pcrfeverar.ee in hope. And 
 
 while the fruits are a-rfpening. 
 
 Thus the prophetsexprefsthem- 
 felves when they would point 
 out the feafonable time of rain, 
 which Mofes lias promifed in 
 Deut. xxviii. 12. " The Lord 
 " fhall open unto thee his good 
 " treafure, the heaven, to give 
 " the rain unto thy land in his 
 " feafon, and to blefs all the 
 " work of thine hand, and 
 " thou flialt lend unto many 
 " nations, and thou flialt not 
 " borrow." — Joel ii. 23. 
 " Be glad, then, ye children 
 " of Zion, and rejoice in the 
 " Lord your God, for he hath 
 " given you the former and the 
 " latter rain moderately ; and 
 " he will caufe to come down 
 " for you the rain, the former 
 " rain, and the latter rain, in 
 " the firft month." Ke ex- 
 prefles both periods^ the better 
 to fignify that hufbandmen 
 are not difcouraged from fup- 
 porting the delay, from the 
 tedioufnefs of the time. 
 
 for certain, it is on this account 
 that the time appears long ; 
 becaufe we are too tender and 
 delicate. We muft then col- 
 lect ftrength to endure; and 
 it cannot be better collected 
 than from the hope and prof- 
 pect of the coming of the 
 Lord. 
 
 9, Grudge 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 97 
 
 9. Grudge not one again/? rt- 
 noihcr, <b'c] The complaints 
 of many are commonly heard — 
 that they are more feverely 
 handled than others : therefore, 
 this paflage is thus explained 
 by fome, as if James enjoined 
 that every one mould be con- 
 tented with his condition — 
 " Should not envy others, nor 
 fret if the condition of another 
 be more tolerable than their 
 own." But I interpret it o- 
 therwife ; fcr after he hath dif- 
 courfed of the unhappy fate of 
 thofe, who, by their tyranny, 
 opprefs the good and the peace- 
 able ; he now is exhorting the 
 faithful to be jufl among them- 
 felves, and eafy in pardoning 
 offences — that this is the real 
 meaning of the paflage may be 
 gathered from the reafon ad- 
 duced : " Do not, fays he, 
 grudge one againft another, left 
 ye all be condemned." We 
 muft, indeed, lament when 
 any evil befals us ; but he 
 means an accufa^ory complaint, 
 when we mutually expostulate 
 with one another before the 
 Lord . Thus he denounces that 
 
 all would be condemned ; be- 
 caufe there is no one who of- 
 fendeth not his brethren, and 
 affbrdeth not matter of com- 
 plaint. If all fhould complain, 
 they will mutually accufe one 
 another ; for nobody is fo in- 
 nocent but that he hath injured 
 others •, God will be the com- 
 mon judge of all: what, then, 
 will be the confequence, but 
 that every one admit againft 
 himfelf the judgment that he 
 wiihes againft others ; and, 
 thus, all be heard to their mu- 
 tual deftruction. Let no one, 
 then demand revenge upon o- 
 thers, but he who wiihes to 
 call it down upon his own head. 
 And that mankind may not 
 rafhiy proceed to fuch quarrels, 
 he denounces that the judge 
 ftandeth before the door ; for 
 fuch is our propenfity to pro- 
 fane the name of God, that 
 even in the flighted quarrels 
 we appeal to his judgment. 
 There is no fitter curbtoreftraia 
 this temerity, than the recol- 
 lection, that our imprecations 
 do not vanifh into air, for the 
 judgment of God is near. 
 
 i o. Take, my brethren, the prophets who have fpoken 
 in the name of the Lord, for an example of fuffering 
 affliction, and patience. 
 
 11. Behold, we count them happy which endure: ye 
 have heard of the patience of Job, and have feen the end 
 of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender 
 mercy, 
 
 lo. Take j 
 
eS 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 ro. Take, my brethren, <b-'c] 
 The confolation prcfented is 
 not fuch as is underllood by 
 the common proverbial expref- 
 iion — that the wretched wifh 
 to have any kind of afibciates 
 iri their calamities. He pro- 
 pofes thofe afibciates, to whofe 
 ibciety it would be delirable to 
 be admitted, and with whom, 
 were the condition of human 
 life common, it could not be 
 unhappy. For as v/e mud be 
 fiecefiarily afflicted with ex- 
 treme forrow, fhouid any evil 
 happen to us which the children 
 cf God never experienced \ fo 
 it is a Angular confolation, that 
 our cafe is not different from 
 theirs ; yea, we know that we 
 sre made to bear the fame bur- 
 den with themfelves. When 
 Job heard this from his friends: 
 " Call now, if there will be 
 any that will anfwer thee ; and 
 to which of the faints wilt thou 
 turn :" this was the language 
 of fatan ; by which he wifhed 
 to drive himfelf to defperation. 
 On the other hand, when the 
 fpirit, by the mouth of James, 
 wiih.es to raife us to fivmnefs 
 of hope, he reprefents to us 
 all the faithful going before us-, 
 and who, as it were, by their 
 example ftretch out their hand, 
 and invite us, 'from the prece- 
 dent they have given to under- 
 go and overcome aiHiftions. — 
 Human life, indeed, is fubject 
 ufcuoufly to forrow, and 
 to adverfity : but Tames intro- 
 
 duces not all for an example % 
 for what happinefs would it be 
 to perifh with a multitude ? but 
 he felects the prophets whofe 
 fociety is to be wifhed for. It 
 is only the feeling of unhappi- 
 nefs that breaks anddifcourages 
 the fpiritft. This, then, is the 
 true ground of confolation — to 
 think, that the things that are 
 commonly accounted calami- 
 ties, are the means and aids of 
 happinefs. This is a language 
 very different, indeed, from 
 carnal wifdom ; but fo all the 
 faithful ought to think-that they 
 are happy when they 'are tried 
 by the Lord by various forrows. 
 To perfuade us to this, James 
 advifes us to confider the end 
 of afflictions as to the prophets; 
 for as in our own afflictions, 
 thro' pain, forrow, or fome 
 other violent affection, we are 
 deprived of judgment, and tof- 
 fed, as it were, in a tempeft — 
 in fuch a foggy fky, and amidft 
 furrounding ftorms, we difcera 
 nothing ; we muff, therefore, 
 call our eyes elfewhere — where 
 the fky may chance to be 
 ferene and pure. When the 
 afflictions of the righteous are 
 mentioned, nobody would think 
 them to have been miferable, 
 but rather happy. James, then, 
 with propriety, propofes to us 
 this example, that we might 
 have recourfe to it, when at 
 any time tempted by impati- 
 ence or defpair. He, however, 
 afiumes this principle, that the 
 
 pro- 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 $$ 
 
 prophets are to be accounted 
 happy in their afflictions, be- 
 cause they fupported them- with 
 conftancy. — This being the 
 cafe, he infers, that fuch our 
 fentiments ought to be when 
 we are afflicted. He fays, " the 
 " prophets who have fpoken 
 " in the name of the Lord" — 
 to fignify, that they were ac- 
 ceptable to God. If, then, to 
 be exempted from miferies 
 would have been advantageous 
 
 II. Ye have heard of the pa- 
 tience of Job, dye] He has 
 mentioned the prophets, in 
 general. He now felec~ts a par- 
 ticular and diftinguifhed inf- 
 tance. For no one, fo far as 
 we can collect from hiftory, 
 was ever opprefled with fuch 
 various and hard afflictions ; 
 he emerged, however, from 
 this deep abyfs. Wbofoever, 
 then, will imitate his patience, 
 beyond a doubt, (hall, in like 
 manner, experience deliverance 
 from the hand of God, at 
 length. We fee for what pur- 
 pofe hiftory was written. God 
 fuffered not his fervant Job, 
 becaufe he patiently endured 
 affliction, to be overwhelmed : 
 nor will he difappoint the pa- 
 tient expectation of any of the 
 faithful. 'Tis afked, why the 
 apoftle fo much recommends 
 the patience of Job, when, 
 thro' fome hidden impulfe, he 
 uttered many figns of discon- 
 tent ? I anfwer, that, altho', 
 
 to them, beyond a doubt, God 
 would have exempted them 
 from them. But he hath not 
 done fo : it is to be concluded, 
 then, that afflictions are falu- 
 tary to the faithful. In this 
 fenfe, he orders them to be 
 confidered as a pattern hi af- 
 flictions. But patience muft 
 be fuppofed to attend — the true 
 proof of obedience. He, there- 
 fore, joins both together. 
 
 thro' the infirmity of nature he 
 might waver, or be fometimes 
 difturbed, "he always kept ftea- 
 dily to this point— to give him- 
 felf to God wholly, and fub- 
 mit himfelfto him to be re- 
 drained and ruled. — Altho', 
 then, his patience might fail, 
 in fome refpect, it is not with- 
 out reafon that he is applaud- 
 ed. The end of the Lord. By 
 the expreffion he means — that 
 afflictions are to be accounted 
 of by their end. In their be- 
 ginning, God appears to be 
 abfent. Meanwhile fatan exert.-* 
 his licentiousand violent efforts. 
 The flefli fuggefts to us that 
 We are abandoned by God, and 
 loft. We muft, then, further 
 extend our profpect, becaufe 
 no light appears near. — He 
 ufes the expreffion, * ( the end 
 of the Lord," in another point 
 of view, to fignify, that it be- 
 longs to him.to make adverfity 
 happy in the ifiue : if we per- 
 form our duty, by bearing pa- 
 O tiently, 
 
100 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 tiently, he will not be wanting 
 in the performance of his part. 
 Let hope direcl us to the end — 
 God will {how himfelf more 
 
 than merciful then ; altho' he 
 appear rigid and fevere, while 
 he afflitls. 
 
 12. But, above all things, my brethren, fwear not, 
 neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any 
 other oath : but let your yea be yea 5 and your nay, nay: 
 left ye fall into condemnation. £2] 
 
 13. Is any among you afflicled? Let him pray. Is 
 any merry ? Let him fing pfalms. 
 
 12. But, above all things, my 
 hrethrtn, /wear not, &c.'] This 
 Jiath been a common vice in ail 
 ages, to fwear inconfiderately ; 
 for fuch is ourwickednefs, that 
 we reflect not how atrocious a 
 crime it is to abufe the name 
 of God. — Eut as the Lord, 
 under fevere penalties, enjoins 
 the reverence of his name ; va- 
 rious are the fubterfuges which 
 men have recourfe to, from the 
 siotion that they may fwear 
 •with impunity. They imagine 
 that there is no harm, if the 
 name of God be not open- 
 ly exprelTed — this was the an- 
 tient notion. When the Jews 
 fwore by the heaven and the 
 earth 9 they thought not, that 
 they were abufing the name of 
 God, becaufe it was fupprefted. 
 But fhall mankind think, by 
 fuch feeming ingenuities, to 
 impofe upon the Deity, and 
 only delude themfelves with 
 idle cavillations ? Chrift, in 
 . Mat. v. 34. had cenfured fuch 
 folly. Now, James, agreeably 
 
 to the denunciation of his mat- 
 ter, enjoins us to abftain from 
 fuch improper modes of ex- 
 preflion, becaufe, whomever 
 fweareth in vain, abufeth the 
 name of God, whatever may 
 be the pretence. The import 
 is, that it is, in no refpe£r, more 
 allowable, to fwear by the hea- 
 ven, or the earth, than open- 
 ly by the name of God. The 
 reafon is expreffed by Chrift — 
 every where the glory of God 
 is inferibed, and every where 
 it fhines. Mat. v. 24. &c. — 
 Indeed, in no other fenfe, and 
 from no other defign, do men 
 fwear by heaven and earth, 
 than if they ufed the name of 
 God himfelf: becaufe, in thus 
 expreffing themfelves, they bat 
 defign the Creator in his works. 
 He fays, above a/1 things, be- 
 eaufe the profanation of the 
 name of God is no flight of- 
 fence. Anabaptifts, when they 
 fcreen themfelves under the 
 pretext of this pa ft age, in 
 condemning, all oathr-, ftew 
 
 their 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 lot 
 
 their ignorance. For James is 
 not difputing about oaths in 
 general ; neither does Chrift in 
 the place which I cited before. 
 Both refute this cavillation to 
 the difgrace of the law, while 
 inankind eagerly catch at a 
 licence in fwearing, tho' not 
 in the exprefs name of God. 
 I call that licence, or licen- 
 tioufnefs which oppofes the 
 prohibition of the law. This, 
 undoubtedly, is the meaning 
 of the words, neither by the hea- 
 ven nor the earth. For if the 
 queftion related only to fome- 
 thing exifting, of what ufe 
 would it be to mark or point 
 at thefe particular forms ? It 
 is evident, then, both from 
 what James and Chrift have 
 faid— that the foolifh artifice is 
 meant to be condemned of thofe 
 who think that they fwear 
 with impunity, provided they 
 exprefs it ambiguoufly. To 
 keep in mind, then, the mean- 
 ing of James, we muft firfl 
 keep in mind the precept of 
 the law — Thou (halt not take 
 the name of the Lord thy God 
 in vain. Whence it is evident, 
 ihat fome ufe of the name of 
 God is juft and lawful. Now 
 James condemns thofewho dare 
 not, in a direct manner, to 
 abufe the name of God ; but 
 by a villanous and ambiguous 
 ufe of words, ftrive to evade 
 the condemnation of the law. 
 But let your yea be yea, &c. He 
 propofes the belt remedy for 
 
 the correction of the vice which 
 he is cenfuring : namely, that 
 mankind fhouid accuftom them- 
 felves to truth and conftancy 
 in all their words and actions. 
 For whence arifes the wicked 
 practice of fwearing, but from, 
 the exceflive levity of the mofl 
 of mankind, which doth not 
 give credit to plain and fimple 
 fpeaking ? Did they cultivate 
 a becoming regard to fidelity 
 in their words, there would be 
 no occafion for fo many fupcr- 
 fluous oaths. Since, then, the 
 perfidy or levity of man is the 
 lburce whence the pernicious 
 practice of fwearing iflues — 
 James, in order to correct the 
 latter vice, warns us that the 
 former ought to be removed. 
 For the reaibn of a cure ought 
 to begin from the caufe. Some 
 copies have a fmall difference 
 in the reading, but the fenfe 
 is the fame — namely, that we 
 fhouid be true and fteady in aft 
 our words. In the fame fenfe 
 Paul expreffes himfelf, in the 
 2d epiflle to the Corinthians, 
 chap. i. 17. and 18. " When, 
 " I, therefore, was thus mind- 
 " ed, did I ufe lightnefs ? or 
 " the things that I propofe, do. 
 M I propofe according to the 
 " flefli, that with me there 
 " fhouid be yea, yea, and nay, 
 " nay ? But as God is true, 
 " our word toward you, was 
 " not yea and nay. w Lejl ye 
 fall into condemnation. There is 
 here a various, reading, oc- 
 O 2 cafiGne4. 
 
CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 102 
 
 cafioned by the affinity in found 
 of the Greek words, »xoy.pi<nv and 
 tS.TOK/wiv. If we read it, " into 
 judgment or condemnation," 
 the.fenfe is abundantly clear — 
 namely, that they who take 
 the name of God in vain, (hall 
 not do it with impunity. The 
 other fenfe, " left ye fall in- 
 to hypocrify," likewife corre- 
 
 13. Is any among you affiifiea, 
 6'c] He means, that on all 
 occafions, and in every feafon, 
 God invites us to himfelf : for 
 as afflictions ought to excite us 
 to prayer ; fo profperity affords 
 juft matter of praife. But fuch 
 is the perverfe difpofition of 
 mankind, that in profperity 
 
 fponds well enough with the 
 context •, for, as we have al- 
 ready faid, where fincerity is 
 becomingly regarded, all oc- 
 cafion for fupcrfluous oaths is 
 removed. If, then, fidelity 
 be attended to in our words 
 and actions, hypocrify, which 
 prompts to rafh and vain fwear- 
 ing, will be deflroyed. 
 
 they forget God ; and in af- 
 flictions they defpond or def- 
 pair. This medium ought to be 
 attended to— that the joy which 
 is wont to lead to a forgetful- 
 nefs of God, mould incite us 
 to celebrate his goodnefs ; and 
 fadnefs fhould teach us to 
 pray. 
 
 14. Is any fick among you ? Let him call for the elders 
 of the church ; and let them pray over him, anointing 
 him with oil in the name of the Lord : 
 
 15. And the prayer of faith mail fave the fick, and 
 the Lord mall raife him up : and if he have committed 
 fins, they mall be forgiven him. 
 
 14. Is any fick among you? 
 &v.] As the gift of healing 
 continued ftill efficacious at 
 that time, he enjoins the fick 
 to have rccourfe to this remedy. 
 'Tis true, indeed, that all have 
 not been healed, (in fuch a cafe) 
 but the Lord bellowed this 
 gracious benefit, as often, and 
 as far as he knew it to be ex- 
 pedient : nor is it probable that 
 the oil vvas pvcmiicoufly ufed, 
 but only when there was a fmn 
 
 hope of its profitable effect : 
 for, with the power, there was 
 given to the miniiters difcre^ 
 tion, that they might not pro- 
 fane the fymbol by its abufe. 
 The defign of James was no 
 more than this — to recommend 
 that gracious benefit which the 
 faithful might then enjoy, left 
 its utility fhould be loft thro' 
 negligence or contempt. For 
 this purpofe, he orders " the 
 elders of the church tc be cal^ 
 led/' 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES, 
 
 i^>3 
 
 led." But the ufe of the unc- 
 tion is to be reftri&cd to the 
 effeft of the Holy Spirit. The 
 papifts proudly glory in this 
 paflage, when they want to 
 puff off their extreme unction. 
 How far their corruption dif- 
 fers from the antient cuftorn 
 here mentioned by James, I 
 forbear to difcufs at this time. 
 This the readers may learn 
 from its inftitution. — Thus 
 much only I affirm, that the 
 place is improperly and ig- 
 norantly wreited to prove that 
 extreme unction is, and ought 
 to be called a facrament, the 
 ufe of which ought to be per- 
 petual in the church. I ac- 
 knowledge, indeed, that it was 
 ufed as a facrament by the dif- 
 ciples of Chrift, (for I agree 
 not with thofe who think it 
 to have been a medicament,) 
 but as the thing fignified by 
 this fign continued only for a 
 time, I contend that the fymbol 
 alfo was temporal. It is a plain 
 cafe, that there can be nothing 
 more abfurd than to call that a 
 facrament which represents no- 
 thing really fignified. That 
 the gift of healing was tem- 
 porary, all are obliged to ac- 
 knowledge, and it is known 
 from fa£t— its fign, then, ought 
 not to be perpetual. It follows, 
 that they are not true but falfe 
 and apiih imitators of the a- 
 poftles, who (till account unc- 
 . tion a facrament, unlefs they 
 could rcftore to us that effect: 
 
 of it which God hath been 
 pleafed to deprive the world of # 
 for above fourteea hundred 
 years, The queftion is no'., 
 whether unction ever was a 
 facrament, but whether it was 
 given us to be continued in ufc 
 to the prefent time. This lad 
 part of the fentence we deny— - 
 becaufe, 'tis evident, that die 
 thing fignified by it hath long 
 ago ceafed. "The elders of t$e 
 church. I comprehend under 
 the words all, in general, who 
 were appointed to prefide over 
 the church. For paftors not 
 only are called elders, but thofe 
 alfo who were chofen from the 
 people, as cenfors, to infpe& 
 the difcipline. — For every 
 church had, as it were, its own 
 fenate, compofed of men ve- 
 nerable, and of tried integrity. 
 And as the cuftorn wis to fe- 
 lecl: thole chiefly who were 
 endowed with the more excels 
 lent gifts, he enjoins them to 
 call for the elders, as the power 
 and grace of the Holy Spirit 
 a&ed more fully, in general-, 
 by thefe. Let them pray over 
 "him. The cuftorn of praying 
 over any aae has a refpeet to the 
 idea of being filled immediate- 
 in the prefence of God : then 
 we conceive our prayer with 
 the greater earneftnefs and feel- 
 
 _ ^ when we come, as it were, 
 to°the object itfelf. — Thus, 
 not only Eliftia and Paul, but 
 Chrift himfelf excited ardour 
 praver, and recommended 
 ^ ' the 
 
 in 
 
104 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 the grace of God : fee 2 Kings 
 
 iv. 32. &c. Acts xx. 10. &c. 
 John xi. 41. and 42. &c. It 
 is, however, to be obferved, 
 that it is to the prayer of faith 
 that James here annexes the 
 pr'omife : for he that wavereth, 
 as he calls not on God in a 
 proper manner, fo he is un- 
 worthy to obtain ; as we have 
 it mentioned in the firft chap. 
 Whofoever, then, wifhes to be 
 heard, let him pofiefs a firm 
 
 l£. Andifh-s have committed 
 Jins, &c.~] This is not added, 
 merely to fignify, that God 
 will graVit fomething more to 
 the fick than health of body ; 
 but as difeafes are infli&ed 
 often on account of fins ; when 
 fpeaking of their remiffion, he 
 fignifies that the caufe of the 
 evil will be removed. And we 
 fee, indeed, that when David 
 was afflicted, while he begged 
 relief, he was wholly employed 
 in requefting the forgivenefs of 
 his fins. The meaning of this 
 muft be, that while he acknow- 
 lege the effect of his fins and 
 
 belief that he prayeth not in 
 vain. As James publicly men- 
 tions this fpecial gift, the ac- 
 queft of which was only an 
 external rite; thence we col- 
 lect — that not even the ufe of 
 oil was lawful without faith. 
 But as the papifts, evidently, 
 can exhibit no certain effects 
 from their unction, it is mani- 
 fest they want the gift, and that 
 it is counterfeit, 
 
 punifhment, he judge the only 
 remedy to be, that God would 
 ceafe to impute tranfgreffion. 
 The prophets, every where, 
 abound with this doctrine, that 
 mankind are relieved from then- 
 calamities, when they are de- 
 livered from the guilt of their 
 iniquities. Let us learn, then, 
 that this is a proper medicine 
 both for our difeafes of body, 
 and for our other evils ; if, 
 thro' an anxious folicitude to 
 appeafe the Deity, and obtain 
 the forgivenefs of our fins, we 
 examine ourfelves with dili- 
 gence and care, 
 
 16. Confefs your faults one to another, and pray one. 
 for another, that ye maybe healed : the effectual fervent 
 prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 
 
 17. Elias was a man fubjeft to like paffions as we are, 
 and he prayed earneftly that it might not rain, and it 
 rained not on the earth by the fpace of three years and 
 fix months. 
 
 18. And 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 10 $ 
 
 1 8. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, 
 and the earth brought forth her fruit. 
 
 1 6. Confefs your faults one to 
 another, <fcv.] In fome copies 
 the illative particle (then) is 
 inferted, and not with impro- 
 priety : for altho' it be not ex- 
 preffed, it is to be underftood. 
 He had faid, that fins are for- 
 given to the fick over whom 
 the elders fhould pray ; now he 
 reminds us how ufeful it may 
 be to confefs our fins to one 
 another ; meaning, no doubt, 
 that thro' their interceffion we 
 may obtain forgivenefs. — I 
 know that this paflage is ex- 
 plained by many as refpesfting 
 reconciliation of offences ; for 
 thofe who wifh to be reconcil- 
 ed mud firft acknowledge and 
 confefs their faults. And thence 
 it comes to pafs, that enmities 
 take root, increafe, and become 
 irreconcilable ; becaufe every 
 one obftinately maintains his 
 own caufe. Many, therefore, 
 are of opinion, that James points 
 out this as a way of brotherly 
 reconciliation — that we mould 
 mutually confefs our tranfgref- 
 fions •, but the paffage is to be 
 underftood otherwife, as hath 
 been already obferved. For 
 he joins mutual prayer with 
 mutual confeffion, to fignify 
 that this is the end of confef- 
 fion, that we fhould afnil the 
 prayers of our brethren before 
 God. For thofe who are ac- 
 quainted with our wants are 
 
 incited to pray for our relief; 
 but thofe who are unacquaint- 
 ed with our difeafes, will be 
 flow to adminifter relief. The 
 folly or wicked nefs of the pa- 
 pifts is aflonifliing, who at- 
 tempt, by this teflimony, to 
 fupport auricular confefnon.— 
 For, from the words of James, 
 it would be eafy to infer that 
 priefls alone ought to confefs.. 
 For as here a mutual or reci- 
 procal confeffion is required, 
 are not others enjoined to con- 
 fefs their fins, befides thofe 
 who are fit on their part to 
 hear the confeffion of others? 
 but the priefls claim this right 
 to themfelves alone ; the con- 
 feffion, then, is to be confider- 
 ed as required of themfelves 
 alone. But as the trifles of 
 thofe whom we are employed 
 in refuting are infignificant, 
 let the genuine expofition which 
 we have adduced, claim our 
 attention, and fuffice us. For 
 the words clearly imply, that 
 confeffion is enjoined us with, 
 no other view, but that they 
 who know our evils may be 
 the more ready to contribute 
 to our relief. Availeth much. 
 Left it fhould be thought that 
 this is done vainly — that others 
 pray for us, he tell them the 
 effect and utility of their 
 fupplication. — But he par- 
 ticularly mentions the prayer 
 
■ xc'G 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 ©f fhk jufl : becaufe God hear- 
 eth not the unrighteous, neither 
 is there any accefs to him, 
 but thro' a good confeience — 
 not that our prayers avail 
 from the mouth — but as the 
 heart ought to be purified by 
 .faith, that we may prefent our- 
 lelves before God, James tes- 
 tifies that the juft or faithful 
 pray not in vain for us. But 
 ■what does he mean, when he 
 adds effectual? for this appears 
 to be fuperfluous \ for if a 
 prayer availeth much, no doubt 
 it is efficacious. The antient 
 interpreter hath rendered it 
 cotylarit ,- but it appears to be 
 forced. For James ufes the 
 Greek participle engyo/un, which 
 is cf the fame import as effec- 
 tual. The fentence might, 
 however, be thus refolved, It 
 availeth much, becaufe it is 
 effectual. The argument, then, 
 
 17. Elias was a man, &Y.J 
 Innumerable inftances are to 
 be found in fcripture to prove 
 the point in view; but he chufes 
 one particularly remarkable, 
 for this was a very remarkable 
 circumftance, that God to com- 
 ply with the prayer of Elias, in 
 a manner fubje£ted the heavens 
 to his defire. Elias kept the 
 heavens fhut for two years and 
 a half, by his prayers ; he a- 
 gain opened them, that an a- 
 bundant rain might immedi- 
 ately pour forth ; hence the 
 wonderful power of prayer ap- 
 
 is drawn from this principle,' 
 that the Deity wills not that the 
 prayers of the faithful fhould 
 pafs unregarded. Thence he 
 not improperly concludes, tha*. 
 they avail much. But I rather 
 reftricl the meaning to the pre- 
 fent circumftance ; for it is 
 then that our prayers may be 
 called ni&oiif&vm, or effectual — 
 when any necefhty is prefent- 1 
 ed to us that roufes the ferious 
 affection of prayer. We every- 
 day pray for the whole church, 
 that God would forgive their 
 fins ; but, then, we only mean 
 an expreflion to fuccour thofe 
 who are in diftrefs. Moreover, 
 our confidence in the prayer of 
 our brethren cculd not be fuch, 
 unlefs wc knew them to be in 
 diltrefs. This, then, is not a 
 general inference, but is to be 
 applied particularly to the for- 
 mer fentence. 
 
 pears. It is a celebrated ftory 
 which we have in 1 Kings xvii„ 
 18. It is not here delivered to 
 us that Elias prayed with fer- 
 vency upon that occafion ; but 
 that the drought and the rain 
 were granted to his prayers, 
 cannot be doubted. But the 
 application of the example is 
 to be noticed. James does not 
 fay that drought is to be re- 
 quelled of the Lord, becaufe 
 Elias had obtained this ; for 
 thus, thro' an inconfideratc 
 and ram zeal, we might emu- 
 late the prophets. The rule 
 
 of 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. 
 
 toy 
 
 of praying is then to be at- 
 tended to, that it mould be 
 from faith ; to this purpofe he 
 •accommodates the example,that 
 if Elias hath been heard, we 
 alfo, by duly praying, will be 
 heard. — For if the precept 
 and promifes be common for 
 prayer, it follows, that the ef- 
 fect will be common. But 
 left any one (hould object, 
 that we are far diftant from the 
 degree of Elias, he ranks him 
 in our own order, when he fays, 
 " That the man was mortal, 
 and fubject to the like paflions 
 with ourfelves." For thus we 
 lefs profit from the example of 
 the faints ; becaufe we fuppofe 
 them to have been femi-gcds, 
 or heroes, who had a peculiarly 
 intimate commerce with the 
 Deity — thus, becaufe they have 
 been heard, we conceive no 
 confidence in ourfelves. To 
 deftroy this heathenim profane 
 
 fu perdition, James ndmonithes 
 us, that the faithful are to be 
 confidered as in the weaknefs 
 of the flefli ; that we may learn 
 that it was not owing to their 
 merits, but to the efficacy of 
 prayer, what they have obtained 
 of God. Hence it appears how 
 vainly the papifls act, when 
 they teach us to have recourfe 
 to the protection of the faith- 
 ful, becaufe they have been 
 heai-d by the Lord. Thus they 
 argue — becaufe they obtained 
 what they requefted when they 
 lived in the world, they will now 
 be our beft patrons after their 
 death. This device had been 
 unknown to the Holy Spirit, 
 For James reafons oppofitely — 
 that we ought to pray after 
 their example j as their prayers 
 have beenfo prevalent, and that, 
 .therefore, we fliail not pray in 
 vain. 
 
 19. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and 
 one convert him : 
 
 20. Let him know, that he which converteth a fmner 
 from the error of his way, mall fave a foul from death, 
 and fhall hide a multitude of fins. 
 
 I doubt that it was written 
 yivuc-nele ; it ought, then, to have 
 been read learn; the meaning, 
 however, will be the fame in 
 both fenfes. James lecom- 
 mends the correction of bre- 
 thren. Nothing cculd be more 
 defuable, than to refcue a 
 
 foul from eternal death. This 
 he does who recals a wander- 
 ing brother into the right way. 
 So glorious a work is not to be 
 neglected. To give meat to 
 the hungry, and drink to the 
 thirity — we fee at what a rate 
 Chrift eftimated It i but the 
 P fai- 
 
log 
 
 CALVIN's COMMENTARY ON THE 
 
 falvation of the foul is much 
 more precious to him than the 
 life of the body. We muft 
 he on our guard, then, left 
 the fouls redeemed by Chrifc, 
 ihould, in fome meafure, perifh 
 thro' our indolence ; the falva- 
 tion of whom God hath, in 
 fome meafure, placed in our 
 hands. Not that we ourfelves 
 can confer falvation, but that 
 God, thro' our miniftry, pre- 
 ferves and delivers what, other- 
 wife, feemed approaching to 
 <Ieftruc"tion. Some copies have 
 it, that he fhall fave his foul 
 from death ; but this alters not 
 the fenfe. I, however, chufe 
 aather to follow the different 
 leading, as being more ener- 
 getical, jlnd Jlall hide a multi- 
 tude of fins. He alluaes to the 
 obfervation of Solomon, which 
 he cites as a proof. Solomon 
 fays, Prov. x. 12. " Hatred 
 
 " ftirreth up ftrife, but love 
 " covereth all fins." Thcie 
 who envy are inflamed with a 
 mutual defire of defaming one 
 another. — Thofe who love 
 chearfully, pardon many faults 
 among themfelves. Charity, 
 then, buries tranfgrefiions a- 
 mong men. James here teaches 
 fomething higher-, namely, that 
 they are blotted out before God. 
 As if he mould fay — that Solo- 
 mon announces this as a fruit 
 of charity, " that it hideth 
 fms." But there is no better, 
 nor more falutary mode of hid- 
 ing them, than when they are 
 abolifhed before God. And 
 this taketh place, when a finner 
 by our admonition is converted 
 to the way. Therefore, we 
 ought more particularly and 
 more eameftly to direct our 
 exertions to this end. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 T EARN to accuftom yourfelves to the exercife of prayer. Do 
 •^ it while health and ftrength continue. When ficknefs over- 
 takes you, ye will fly unto this refuge ; but if ye are negligent at 
 prcfent, ye have caufe to fear, that God will not then regard 
 ■you, Let not the fafhion of the world tempt you to omit this 
 duty. Remember the words of your Lord and Saviour, " Who- 
 " foever is afhamed of me, before men, of him will I be 
 " afhamed, before my Father, and his holy angels." — Let 
 the refolution of Jofhua be your refolution. " Whatever 
 *< others may do, as for me, and my hpufe, we will ferve 
 " the Lord." — However occupied in bufinefs, however 
 much in company, always referve a portion of your time to bow 
 at the fcotftool of mercy, and to pour out your hearts in gra- 
 titude unto your Maker. Never betake yourfelves to reft, till 
 
 ye 
 
EPISTLE OF JAMES. io 9 
 
 ye have committed your family to the protection of the Almighty. 
 When you clofe your eyes for fleep, ye know not, if ve {bail 
 open tliem again, till ye fee the Lord coming in the clouds to 
 judge the world. Watch, therefore, and pray, for blefl'ed is 
 that fervant, who, when the Lord cometh, (hall be found 
 watching. 
 
 NOTES ON CHAP. V. 
 
 NOTE I. 
 
 it nrHE early and the latter rainS* Some have been of opinion, 
 that the rains in April are the former rains mentioned in 
 the fcriptures ; and that the rains which fall in September arc 
 the latter rains : the fir ft, fo beneficial for the barley haiveft, 
 and the laft, not lefs neceflary for the vintage. Injudea, they 
 have two harvefts in the year. Barley, corn, peafe, and wheat, 
 are cut, and gathered in May. Grapes, figs, and pomegranates, 
 jn Auguft, or September. It muft have been about the firft of 
 Auguft, that the fpies were fent by Mofes to fpy the land j for 
 it was the time of the firft ripe grapes, Numb, xiii. 20. Their 
 obfervations, concerning the fatnefs of the foil, muft have re- 
 lated, chiefly, to its figs, grapes, and other fruits, rather than 
 its grain ; for the grain had been gathered in long before that 
 time, and lay concealed in granaries ; which granaries, in Judea, 
 were ufually under the earth. The ableft critics have fixed the 
 period of the former and the latter rain in the fpring feafon. The 
 former rain, according to them, falling in the month of February, 
 ■and the latter rain, in the month of April. Dr Shaw, one of 
 the moft celebrated travellers, informs us, that the rains in 
 February are regarded as of fuch importance, that they ufually 
 prognosticate the fate of the following crop from them ; as the 
 Egyptians do from the over-flowing of the Nile. If thefe rains 
 are copious, every heart is made glad : if they are fcanty, a fearful 
 apprehenfion of lcarcity prevails. The hufbandman, efpecially, 
 muft have waited for thefe rains with great anxiety, yet he did 
 Jt in patience, and in hope, trufting in a gracious providence. 
 Therefore, fays James, let all Cjiriftjans, particularly when ua-. 
 jder trouble, exercife a fimilar truft. 
 
 ROTS 
 
XI* 
 
 CALTOCs COMMENTARY, &c. 
 
 N O T E II. 
 
 [2] " Swear not, neither by heaven, ifev." The Jews, thef 
 they had a deep veneration for the name of God, and never 
 Iwore by it in their ordinary converfation, afraid left the Al- 
 mighty had ftruck them dead in a moment ; yet, were much 
 addicted to profane fwearing. Some fwore by the heavens : 
 fame by the earth : fome by Jerufalem : fome by the temple : 
 fome by their truth, and their faith : and fome by their own, 
 life. In as much as the fwearing by any of thefe things was, 
 in effea, fwearing by God, the maker and preferver of them ; 
 both Chrift, and his apoftles, very properly, condemned this 
 profane practice, and commanded all chriltians to refrain from 
 it. A moft abominable plaice, indeed, it is ; to which we he 
 under no temptation, and yet, alas ! too prevalent among us* 
 a crying iniquity, which cauf'es our land to mourn, and multi- 
 plies the judgments of heaven upon us. O ! reader, tremble 
 to be guilty of it, and ufe all thy influence to check it in others. 
 W hen thou heareft the name of thy God abufed, fcruple not to 
 exprefs thine indignation at the vile iniquity. Does thy fpint 
 kindle, when thine earthly fovereign is traduced, and (hall the 
 King of kings be difgraced in thy prefence, withcrot reprehen- 
 sion ? Never permit any under thy roof, to fpeak this language 
 of Bclzebub ; watch thy children with the utmoft care, and 
 correct, with feverity, every oath which comes from their lips. 
 Be as much afraid of blafphemy in them, as of an inclination to- 
 theft and difhonefty ; for even the gallows is nothing, compared 
 to their being caft into hell. 
 
 THE END, 
 
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