Paul (Rom. iv. 1-3) refers to him when he first believed, affirming that he was then justified by faith; James refers to what he did twenty years after, showing that the faith by which he had been justified was genuine. Abraham was, in fact, according to Paul, justified when he believed, and, had he died then, he would have been saved; but, according to James, the faith which justified him was not a dead faith, but was livingand operative, as was shown by his readiness to offer his son on the altar so long a time after he first believed in God.
(c) Did each of these two writers in reality hold the same doctrine on the subject? This will be seen if it can be shown that James held to the doctrine of justification by faith, as really as Paul did; and that Paul held that good works are necessary to show the genuineness of faith, as really as James did.
(1.) They both agreed in holding the doctrine of justification by faith. Of Paul's belief there can be no doubt. That James held the doctrine is apparent from the fact that he quotes the very passage in Genesis (xv. 6), and the one on which Paul relies (Rom. iv. 1-3), as expressing his own views — "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness." The truth of this James does not deny, but affirms that the Scripture which made this declaration was "fulfilled" or confirmed by the act to which he refers.
(2.) They both agreed in holding that good works are necessary to show the genuineness of faith. Of James's views on that point there can be no doubt. That Paul held the same opinion is clear (a) from his own life, no man ever having been more solicitous to keep the whole law of God than he was. (&),From his constant exhortations and declarations, such as these: "Created in Christ Jesus unto good works " (Eph. ii. 10); " Charge them that are rich that they be rich in good works" (1 Tim. vi. 17, 18); "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works" (Titus ii. 7); "Who gave himself for us, that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus ii. 14); " These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works" (Titus iii. 8). (c) It appears from the fact that Paul believed that the rewards of heaven are to be apportioned according to our good works, or according to our character and our attainments in the divine life. The title indeed to eternal life is, according to him, in consequence of faith; the measure of the reward is to be our holiness, or what we do. Thus he says (2 Cor. v. 10), "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body." Thus also he says (2 Cor. ix. 6), " He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully." And thus also he says (Rom. ii. 6) that God "will render to every man according to his deeds." See also the influence which faith had on Paul personally, as described in the third chapter of his Epistle to the Philippians. If these things are so, then these two writers have not contradicted each other, but, viewing the subject from different points, they have together stated important truths which might have been made by any one writer without contradiction—first, that it is only by faith that a sinner can be justified; and, second, that the faith which justifies is that only which leads to a holy life, and that no other is of value in saving the soul. Thus, on the one hand, men would be guarded from depending on their own righteousness for eternal life; and, on the other, from all the evils of Antinomianism. The great object of religion would be secured — the sinner would be justified, and would become personally holy.
The apostle in this chapter refers to a desire which appears to have prevailed among those to whom he wrote to be public teachers (Sidua-KaXoi, ver. 1), and to be such even where there was no proper qualification. It is not easy to see any connection between what is said in this chapter and what is found in other parts of the epistle, and indeed the plan of the epistle seems to have been to notice such things as the author supposed claimed their attention, without particular regard to a logical connection. Some of the errors and improprieties which existed among them had been noticed in the previous chapters, and others are referred to in
Y brethren, be not many a masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.1 2 For b in many things we offend chaps, iv., v. Those which are noticed in this chapter grew out of the desire of being public teachers of religion. It seems probable that the writer had this subject in his eye in the whole of this chapter, and this will give a clew to the course of thought which he pursues. Let it be supposed that there was a prevailing desire among those to lohom he wrote to become public teachers, without much regard to the proper qualifications for that office, and the interpretation of the chapter will become easy. Its design and drift then may be thus expressed:
I. The general subject of the chapter, a caution against a desire to be ranked among public teachers. Ver. 1, first clause.
II. Considerations to check and modify that desire. Ver. 1, last clause, to ver. 18. These considerations are the following:
(1.) The fact that public teachers must give a more solemn account than other men, and that they expose themselves to the danger of a deeper condemnation. Ver. 1, last clause.
(2.) The evils which grow out of an improper use of the tongue — evils to which those are particularly liable whose business is speaking. Ver. 2-12. This leads the apostle into a general statement of the importance of the tongue as a member of the human body; of the fact that we are peculiarly liable to offend in that (ver. 2); of the fact that if that is regulated aright, the whole man will be — as a horse is managed by the bit, and a ship is steered by the rudder (ver. 2-4); of the fact that the tongue, though a little member, is capable of accomplishing great things, and is peculiarly liable, when not under proper regulations, to do mischief (vs. 5, 6); of the fact that, while every thing else has been tamed, it has been found impossible to bring the tongue under proper restraints, and that it performs the most discordant and opposite functions (ver. 7-9); and of the impropriety and absurdity of this, as if the same fountain should bring forth sweet water and bitter (ver. 10-12). By these considerations, the apostle seems to have designed to repress the prevailing desire of leaving other employments, and of becoming public instructors without suitable qualifications.
(3.) The apostle adverts to the importance of wisdom, with reference to the same end; that is, of suitable qualifications to givg public instruction. Ver. 13-18. He shows (ver. 13) that if there were a truly wise man among them, he should show this by his works, with "meekness," and not by obtruding himself upon the attention of others; that if there were a want of it evinced in a spirit of rivalry and contention, there would be confusion and every evil work (ver. 14-16); and that where there was true wisdom, it was unambitious and unostentatious; it was modest, retiring, and pure. It would lead to a peaceful life of virtue, and its existence would be seen in the "fruits of righteousness sown in peace." Vs. 17, 18. It might be inferred that they who had this spirit would not be ambitious of becoming public teachers; that they would not place themselves at the head of parties; that they would show the true spirit of religion in an unobtrusive and humble life. We are not to suppose, in the interpretation of this chapter, that the apostle argued against a desire to enter the ministry, in itself considered, and where there are proper qualifications; but he endeavored to suppress a spirit which has not been uncommon in the world, to become public teachers as a meaus of mere influence and power, and without any suitable regard to the proper endowments for such an office.
1. My brethren, be not many masters. " Be not many of you teachers." The evil referred to is 'that where many desired to be teachers, though but/ew could be qualified for the office, and though, in fact, comparatively few were required. A small number, well qualified, would better discharge the duties of the office, and do more good, than many would; and there would be great evil in having many crowding themselves unqualified into the office. The word here rendered masters (SiSu- <rKa\oi) should have been rendered teachers. It is so rendered in John iii. 2; Acts xiii. 1; Rom. ii. 20; 1 Cor. xii.
28, 29; Eph. iv. 11; 1 Tim. ii. 11; iv. 3; Heb. v. 12, though it is elsewhere frequently rendered master. It has, however, in it primarily the notion of teaching (SiMo-km), even when rendered master; and the word master is often used in the New Testament, as it is with us, to denote an instructor — as the " school-master." Comp. Matt. x. 24, 25; xxii. 16; Mark x. 17; xii. 19, et al. The word is not properly used in the sense of master as distinguished from a servant, but as distinguished from a disciple or learner. Such a position, indeed, implies authority, but it is authority based, not on power, but on superior qualifications. The connection implies that the word is used in that sense in this place; and the evil reprehended is that of seeking improperly and without due qualifications the office of public instructor — especially the sacred office. It would seem that this was a prevailing fault among those to whom the apostle wrote. This desire was common among the Jewish people, who coveted the name and the office of Rabbi, equivalent to that here used (comp. Matt, xxiii. 7), and who were ambitious to be doctors and teachers. See Rom. ii. 19; ITim.i. 7. This fondness for the office of teachers they naturally carried with them into the Christian Church when they were converted, and it is this which the apostle here rebukes.* The same spirit the passage before us would rebuke now, and for the same reasons; for although a man should be willing to become a public instructor in religion when called to it hy the Spirit and Providence of God, and should esteem it a privilege when so called, yet there would be scarcely any thing more injurious to the cause of true religion, or that would tend more to produce disorder and confusion, than a prevailing desire of the prominence
* A proof of some importance that this prevailed in the early Christian Church, among those who had been Jews, is furnished by a passage in the apocryphal work called" The Asceusion of Isaiah the Prophet;" a work which Dr. Lawrence, the editor, supposes to have been written not far from the apostolic age: " In those days (the days of the Messiah) shall many be attached to office, destitute of wisdom; multitudes of iniquitous elders and pastors, injurious to their flocks, and addicted to rapine, nor shall the holy pastors themselves diligently discharge their duty." Chap, iii., 23, 24.
and importance which a man has in virtue of being a public instructor. If there is any thing which ought to be managed with extreme prudence and caution, it is that of introducing men into the Christian ministry. Comp. 1 Tim. v. 22; Acts i. 15-26; xiii. 2, 3. H Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation (fxtiX^ov KpJfxa). Or, rather, a severer judgment; that is, we shall have a severer trial, and give a stricter account. The word here used does not necessarily mean condemnation, but judgment, trial, account; and the consideration which the apostle suggests is not that those who were public teachers would be condemned, but that there would Tjc a much more solemn account to be rendered by them than by other men, and that they ought duly to reflect on this in seeking the office of the ministry. He would carry them in anticipation before the judgment-seat, and have them determine the question of entering the ministry there. No better " stand-point " can be taken in making up the mind in regard to this work; and if that had been the position assumed in order to estimate the work, and to make up the mind in regard to the choice of this profession, many a one who has sought the office would have been deterred from it; and, it may be added, also,that many a pious and educated youth would have sought the office who has devoted his life to other pursuits. A young man, when about to make choice of a calling in life, should place himself by anticipation at the judgment-bar of Christ, and ask himself how human pursuits and plans will appear there. If that were the point of view taken, how many would have been deterred from the ministry who have sought it with a view to honor or emolument! How many, too, who have devoted themselves to the profession of the law, to the army or the navy, or to the pursuits of elegant literature, would have felt that it was their duty to serve God in the ministry of reconciliation! How many at the close of life, in the ministry and out of it, feel, when too late to make a change, that they have wholly mistaken the purpose for which they should have lived!
2. For in many things we offend all. "We all offend. The word here rendered offend, means to stumble, to fall; then to err, to fail in duty; and the mean-
all. If any man offend not in word, a the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Behold, we put bits h in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue c is a little
iug here is, that all are liable to commit error, and that this consideration should induce men to be cautious in seeking an office where an error would be likely to do so much injury. The particular thing, doubtless, which the apostle had in his eye, was the peculiar liability to commit error, or to do wrong with the tongue. Of course, this liability is very great in an office where the very business is public speaking. If any where the improper use of the tongue will do mischief, it is in the office of a religious teacher; and to show the danger of this, and the importance of caution in seeking that office, the apostle proceeds to show what mischief the tongue is capable of effecting. If If any man offend not in word. In his speech; in the use of his tongue. If The same is a perfect man. Perfect in the sense in which the apostle immediately explains himself: that he is able to keep every other member of his body in subjection. His object is not to represent the man as absolutely spotless in every sense, and as wholly free from sin, for he had himself just said that "all offend in many things;" but the design is to show that if a man can control his tongue, he has complete dominion over himself, as much as a man has over a horse by the bit, or as a steersman has over a ship if he have hold of the rudder. He is perfect in that sense, that he has complete control over himself, and will not be liable to error in any thing. The design is to show the important position which the tongue occupies as governing the whole man. On the meaning of the word perfect, see Notes on Job LI. If And able also to bridle the whole body. To control his whole body; that is, every other part of himself, as a man does a horse by the bridle. The word rendered " to bridle" means to lead or guide with a bit; then to rein in, to check, to moderate, to restrain. A man always has complete government over himself if he have the entire control of his tongue. It is that by which he gives expression to his thoughts and passions; and if that is kept under proper restraint, all the rest of his members are as easily controlled as the horse is by having the control of the bit.
3. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, etc. The meaning of this simple illustration is, that as we control a horse by the bit — though the bit is a small thing — so the body is controlled by the tongue. He who has a proper control over his tongue can govern his whole body, as he who holds a bridle governs and turns about the horse.
4. Behold also the ships. This illustration is equally striking and obvious. A ship is a large object. It seems to be unmanageable by its vastness, and as it is impelled by driving storms. Yet it is easily managed by a small rudder, and he that has control of that has control of the ship itself. So with the tongue. It is a small member as compared with the body; in its size not unlike the rudder as compared with the ship. Yet the proper control of the tongue in respect to its influence on the whole man is not unlike the control of the rudder in its power over the ship. If Which though they be so great. So great in themselves, and in comparison with the rudder. Even such bulky and unwieldy objects are controlled by a very small thing. If And are driven of fierce winds. By winds that would seem to leave the ship beyond control. It is probable that by the " fierce winds ' ' here as impelling the ship, the apostle meant to illustrate the power of the passions in impelling man. Even a man under impetuous passion will be restrained if the tongue is properly controlled, as the ship driven by the winds is by the helm. If Are turned about with a very small helm. The ancient rudder or helm was made in the shape of an oar. This was very small when compared with the size of the vessel— about as small as the tongue is as compared with the body. If Whith- member, and boasteth a great things. Behold, how great 1 a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire,6 a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it de-
er soever the governor listeth. As the helmsman pleases. It is entirely under his control.
5. Even so the tongue is a little member. Little compared with the body, as the bit or the rudder is compared with the horse or the ship. U And boasteth great things. The design of the apostle is to illustrate the power and influence of the tongue. This may be done in a great many respects, and the apostle does it by referring to its boasting; to the effects which it produces, resembling that of fire (ver. 6); to its untameableness (vs. 8, 9); and to its giving utterance to the most inconsistent and incongruous thoughts (vs. 9, 10). The particular idea here is, that the tongue seems to be conscious of its influence and power, and boasts largely of what it can do. The apostle means doubtless to convey the idea that it boasts not unjustly of its importance. It has all the influence in the world, for good or for evil, which it claims. H Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. Marg., wood. The Greek word (i/A.»j) means a wood, forest, grove; and then fire-wood, fuel. This is the meaning here. The sense is that a very little fire is sufficient to ignite a large quantity of combustible materials, and that the tongue produces effects similar to that. A spark will kindle a lofty pile; and a word spoken by the tongue may set a neighborhood or a village "in a flame."
6. And the tongue is a fire. In this sense that it produces a " blaze," or a great conflagration. It produces a disturbance and an agitation that may be compared with the conflagration produced by a spark. U A world of iniquity. A little world of evil in itself. This is a very expressive phrase, and is similar to one which we often employes when we speak of a town as being a world in miniature. We mean by it that it is an epitome of the world; that all that there is in the world is represented there on a small scale. So when the tongue is spoken of as being "a world of iniquity," it is meant that all kinds of evil that are in the world are exhibited there in miniature; it seems to concentrate all sorts of iniquity that exist on the earth. And what evil is there which may not be originated or fomented by the tongue? What else is there that might with so much propriety be represented as a little world of iniquity? With all the good which it does, who can estimate the amount of evil which it causes? Who can measure the evils which arise from scandal, and slander, and profaneness, and perjury, and falsehood, and blasphemy, and obscenity, and the inculcation of error, by the tongue? Who can gauge the amount of broils, and contentions, and strifes, and wars, and suspicions, and enmities, and alienations among friends and neighbors, which it produces? Who can number the evils produced by the "honeyed" words of the seducer, or by the tongue of the eloquent in the maintenance of error and the defense of wrong? If all men were struck dumb, what a portion of the crimes of the world would soon cease! If all men would speak only that which ought to be spoken, what a change would come over the face of human affairs! H So is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body. It stains or pollutes the whole body. It occupies a position and relation so important in respect to every part of our moral frame, that there is no portion which is not affected by it. Of the truth of this no one can have any doubt. There is nothing else pertaining to us as moral and intellectual beings which exerts such an influence over ourselves as the tongue. A man of pure conversation is understood and felt to be pure in every respect; but who has any confidence in the virtue of the blasphemer, or the man of obscene lips, or the calumniator and slanderer? We always regard such a man as corrupt to the core. H And setteth 071 fire the course of nature. The margin is wheel; that is, the wheel of nature. The Greek word (t/joxos) means a wheel, or any thing made for revolving and running. Then it means the course run by a wheel; a circular course or circuit. The word rendered nature (ysi>£<xts) means procreation, birth, nativity, and, therefore, the phrase means literally the wheelof birth; that is, the wheel which is set in motion at birth, and which runs on
fileth a the whole body, and setteth on lire the! course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every 2 kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of 3 mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man
through life. — Rob., T<ex. It may be a matter of doubt whether this refers to successive generations, or to the course of individual life. The more literal sense would be that which refers it to an individual; but perhaps the apostle meant to speak in a popular sense, and thought of the affairs of the world, as they roll on from age to age, as all enkindled by the tongue, keeping the world in a constant blaze of excitement. Whether applied to an individual life or to the world at large, every one can see the justice of the comparison. One naturally thinks, when this expression is used, of a chariot driven on with so much speed that its wheels by their rapid motion become self-ignited, and the chariot moves on amid flames. 1 And it is set 011 fire of hell. Hell, or Gehenna, is represented as a place where the tires continually burn. See Notes on Matt. v. 22. The idea here is, that that which causes the tongue to do so much evil derives its origin from hell. Nothing could better characterize much of that which the tongue does, than to say that it has its origin in hell, and has the spirit which reigns there. The very spirit of that world of fire and wickedness — a spirit of falsehood, and slander, and blasphemy, and pollution —seems to inspire the tongue. The image which seems to have been before the mind of the apostle was that of a torch which enkindles and burns every thing as it goes along — a torch itself lighted at the fires of hell. One of the most striking descriptions of the woes and curses which there may be in hell would be to portray the sorrow caused on the earth by the tongue.
7. For every kind of beasts. The apostle proceeds to state another thing showing the power of the tongue, the fact that it is ungovernable, and that there is no power of man to keep it under control. Every thing else but this has been tamed. It is unnecessary to refine the expressions used here, by attempting to prove that it is literally true that every species of beasts and birds and fishes have been tamed. The apostle is to be understood as speaking in a general and popular sense, showing the remarkable power of man over those things which are by nature savage and wild. His power in taming wild beasts is wonderful. It is to be remembered that nearly all those beasts which we now speak of as "domestic" animals, and which we are accustomed to see only when they are tame, were once fierce and savage races. This is the case with the horse, the ox, the ass (see Notes on Job xi. 12; xxxix. 5), the swine, the dog, the cat, etc. The editor of the Pictorial Bible well remarks: " There
is perhaps no kind of creature to which man has access which might not be tamed by him with proper perseverance. The ancients seem to have made more exertions to this end, and with much better success, than ourselves. The examples given by Pliny, of creatures tamed by men, relate to elephants, lions,andtigers,amongbeasts; to the eagle, among birds; to asps, and other serpents; and to crocodiles, and various fishes, among the inhabitants of the water. — Nat. Hist, viii., 9, 16, 17; x., 5, 44. The lion was very commonly tamed by the ancient Egyptians, and trained to assist both in hunting and in war." Notes in loc.
The only animal which has been supposed to defy the power of man to tame is the hyena, and even this, it is said, has been subdued in modern times. There is a passage in Euripides which has a strong resemblance to this of James:
1 AAAd TroiKikiai'i irpairiowv
"Small is the power which nature has given to man, but by various acts of his superior understanding he has subdued the tribes of the sea, the earth, and the air." Comp. on this subject the passages quoted by Pricoeus in the Critici Sacri, in loc. ^ And of birds. It is a common thing to tame birds, and even the most wild are susceptible of being tamed. A portion of the feathered race, as the hen, the goose, the
tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly ° poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse
we men, which are made after the similitude of God. •10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My
duck, is thoroughly domesticated. The pigeon,themarten,thehawk,the eagle, may be; and perhaps there are none of that race which might not be made subject to the will of man. IT And of serpents. The ancients showed great skill in this art, in reference to asps and other venomous serpents, and it is common now in India. In many instances, indeed, it is known that the fangs of the serpents are extracted; but even when this is not done, they who practice the art learn to handle them with impunity. 1 And of things in the sea. As the crocodile, mentioned by Pliny. It may be affirmed with confidence that there is no animal which might not, by proper skill and perseverance, be rendered tame, or made obedient to the will of man. It is not necessary, however, to understand the apostle as affirming that literally every animal has been tamed, or ever can be. He evidently speaks in a popular sense of the great power which man undeniably has over all kinds of wild animals—over the creation beneath him.
8. But the tongue can no man tame. This does not mean that it is never brought under control, but that it is impossible effectually and certainly to subdue it. It would be possible to subdue and domesticate any kind of beast, but this could not be done with the tongue. H It is an unruly evil. An evil without restraint, to which no certain and effectual check can be applied. Of the truth of this no one can have any doubt who looks at the condition of the world. H Full of deadly poison. That is, it acts on the happiness of man, and on the peace of society, as poison does on the human frame. The allusion here seems to be to the bite of a venomous reptile. Comp. Psa. cxl. 3: " They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adder's poison is under their lips." Rom. hi. 13: "With their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips." Nothing would better describe the mischief that may be done by the tongue. There is no sting of a serpent that does so much evil in the world; there is no poison more deadly to the frame than the poison of the tongue is to the happiness of man. Who, for example, can stand before the power of the slanderer? What mischief can be done in society that can be compared with that which he may do?
"Tis slander; Whose edge is sharper than the sword;
whose tongue Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie All corners of the world: kings, queens, and states, Maids, matrons— nay, the secrets of the grave This viperous slander enters."
9. Therewith bless we God. Men do this; that is, all this is done by the tongue. The apostle does not mean that the same man does this, but that all this is done by the same organ — the tongue. 1 Even the Father. Who sustains to us the relation of a father. The point in the remark of the apostle is the absurdity of employing the tongue in such contradictory uses as to bless one who has to us the relation of a father, and to curse any being, especially those who are made in his image. The word bless here is used in the sense of praise, thank, worship. 1[ And therewith curse we men. That is, it is done by the same organ by which God is praised and honored. 1 Which are made after the similitude of God. After his image. Gen. i. 26, 27. As we bless God, we ought with the same organ to bless those who are like him. There is an absurdity in cursing men who are thus made, like what there would be in both blessing and cursing the Creator himself.
10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. The meaning here may be, either that out of the mouth of man two such opposite things proceed, not referring to the same individual, but to different persons; or out of the mouth of the same individual. Both of these are true; and both are equally incongruous and wrong. No organ should be devoted to uses so
brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same 1 place sweet water and bitter?
bear olive-berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who b is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good con-
unlike, and the mouth should be employed in giving utterance only to that which is just, benevolent, and good. It is true, however, that the mouth is devoted to these opposite employments, and that while one part of the race employ it for purposes of praise, the other employ it in uttering maledictions. It is also true of many individuals that at one time they praise their Maker, and then, with the same organ, calumniate, slander, and revile their fellow-men. After an act of solemn devotion in the house of God, the professed worshiper goes forth with the feelings of malice in his heart, and with the language of slander, detraction, or even blasphemy on his lips. Tl My brethren, these things ought not so to be. They are as incongruous as it would be for the same fountain to send forth both salt water and fresh; or for the same tree to bear different kinds of fruit.
11. Both a fountain send forth at the same place? Marg., hole. The Greek word means opening, fissure, such as there is in the earth, or in rocks from which a fountain gushes. H Sweet water and bitter. Fresh water and salt. Ver. 12. Such things do not occur in the works of nature, and they should not be found in man.
12. Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive-berries? Such a thing is impossible in nature, and equally absurd in morals. A fig-tree bears only figs; and so the tongue ought to give utterance only to one class of sentiments and emotions. These illustrations are very striking, and show the absurdity of that which the apostle reproves. At the same time, they accomplish the main purpose which l*c had in view, to repress the desire ofbecoming public teachers without suitable qualifications. They show the power of the tongue; they show what a dangerous power it is for a man to wield who has not the proper qualifications; they show that no one should put himself in the position where he may wield this power without such a degree of tried prudence, wisdom, discretion, and piety, that there shall be a moral certainty that he will use it aright.
13. Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? This is spoken with reference to the work of public teaching; and the meaning of the apostle is that, if there were such persons among them, they should be selected for that office. The characteristics here stated as necessary qualifications are wisdom and knowledge. Those characteristics, it would seem, on which reliance had been placed, were chiefly such as were connected with a ready elocution, or the mere faculty of speaking. The apostle had stated the dangers which would follow if reliance were placed on that alone, and he now says that something more is necessary— that the main qualifications for the office are wisdom and knowledge. No mere power of speaking, however eloquent it might be, was a sufficient qualification. The primary things to be sought in reference to that office were wisdom and knowledge, and they who were endowed with these things should be selected for public instructors. H Let him show out of a good conversation. From a correct and consistent life and deportment. On the meaning of the word conversation, see Notes on Phil. i. 27. The meaning here is, that there should be an upright life, and that this should be the basis in forming the judgment in appointing persons to fill stations of importance, and especially in the office of teaching in the Church. Tf His works. His acts of uprightness and piety. He should be a man of a holy life. ^ With meekness of wisdom. With a wise and prudent gentleness of life; not in a noisy, arrogant, and boastful manner. True wisdom is always meek, mild, gentle; and that is the wisdom which is needful if men would become public teachers. It is remarkable that the truly wise man is always characterized by a calm spirit, by a mild and placid demeanor, and by a gentle, though firm, enuncia- versation a his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not; and lie not against the truth.
15 This h wisdom descendeth not
16 For where envying and strife is, there is 2 confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom c that is from above is first pure, d then peace-
tion of his sentiments. A noisy, boisterous, and stormy declaimer we never select as a safe counselor. He may accomplish much in his way by his bold eloquence of manner, but we do not put him in places where we need far-reaching thought, or where we expect the exercise of profound philosophical views. In an eminent degree, the minister of the Gospel should be characterized by a calm, gentle, and thoughtful wisdom — a wisdom which shines in all the actions of the life.
14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts. If that is your characteristic. There is reference here to a fierce and unholy zeal against each other; a spirit of ambition and contention. 1 Glory not. Do not boast in such a case of your qualifications to be public teachers. Nothing would render you more unfit for such an office than such a spirit. If And lie not against the truth. You would lie against what is true by setting up a claim to the requisite qualifications for such an office, if this is your spirit. Men should seek no office or station which they could not properly seek if the whole truth about them were known.
15. This wisdom descendeth not from above. Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. iii. 3. The wisdom here referred to is that carnal or worldly wisdom which produces strife and contention; that kind of knowledge which leads to self-conceit, and which prompts a man to defend his opinions with overheated zeal. In the contentions which are in the world, in Church and State; in neighborhoods and families; at the bar, in political life, and in theological disputes; even where there is the manifestation of enraged and irascible feeling, there is often much of a certain kind of wisdom. There is learning, shrewdness, tact, logical skill, subtle and skillful argumentation— " making the worse appear the better reason;" but all this is often connected with a spirit so narrow, bigoted, and conten- tious, as to show clearly that it has not its origin in heaven. The spirit which is originated there is always connected with'gentleness, calmness, and the love of truth. H But is earthly. Has its origin in this world, and partakes of its spirit. It is such as men exhibit who are governed only by worldly maxims and principles. 1 Sensual. Marg., natural. The meaning is, that it has its origin in our sensual rather than In our intellectual and moral nature. It is that which takes counsel of our depraved appetites and propensities, and not of high and spiritual influences. 1 Devilish. Demoniacal (8uifioviu)or)<;). Such as the demons exhibit. See Notes on chap. ii. 19. There may be indeed talent in it, but there is the intermingling of malignant passions, and it leads to contentions, strifes, divisions, and "every evil work."
16. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion. Marg., tumult, or unquietness. Every thing is unsettled and agitated. There is no mutual confidence; there is no union of plan and effort; there is no co-operation in promoting a common object; there is no stability in any plan; for a purpose, though for good, formed by one portion, is defeated by another. H And every evil work. Of the truth of this no one can have any doubt who has observed the effects in a family or neighborhood where a spirit of strife prevails. All love and harmony, of course, are banished; all happiness disappears; all prosperity is at an end. In place of the peaceful virtues which ought to prevail, there springs up every evil pasfion that tends to mar the peace of a community. Where this spirit prevails in a Church, it is impossible to expect any progress in divine things; and in such a Church any effort to do good is vain.
"The Spirit, like a peaceful dove, Flies from the realms of noise and strife."
17. But the wisdom that is from above. Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. ii. 6, 7. The wisdom which has a heavenly origin, or which is from God. The man who is characterized by that wisdom will be pure, peaceable, etc. This docs not refer to the doctrines of religion, but to its spirit. U Is first pure. That is, the first effect of it on the mind is to make it pure. The influence on the man is to make him upright, sincere, candid, holy. The word here used (dyvo's) is that which would be applied to one who is innocent, or free from crime or blame. Comp. Phil. iv. 8; 1 Tim. v. 22; 1 John iii. 3, where the word is rendered, as here, pure; 2 Cor. vii. 11, where it is rendered clear [in this matter]; 2 Cor. xi. 2; Titus ii. 5; 1 Pet. iii. 2, where it is rendered chaste. The meaning here is, that the first and immediate effect of religion is not on the intellect, to make it more enlightened; or on the imagination, to make it more discursive and brilliant; or on the memory and judgment, to make them clearer and stronger; but it is to purify the heart, to make the man upright, inoffensive, and good. This passage should not be applied, as it often is, to the doctrines of religion, as if it were the first duty of a Church to keep itself free from errors in doctrine, and that this ought to be sought even in preference to the maintenance of peace — as if it meant that in doctrine a Church should be " first pure, then peaceable;" but it should be applied to the individual consciences of men, as showing the effect of religion on the heart and life. The first thing which it produces is to make the man himself pure and good; then follows the train of blessings which the apostle enumerates as flowing from that. It is true that a Church should be pure in doctrinal belief, but that is not the truth taught here. It is not true that the Scripture teaches, here or elsewhere, that purity of doctrine is to be preferred to a peaceful spirit; or that it always leads to a peaceful spirit; or that it is proper for professed Christians and Christian ministers to sacrifice, as is often done, a peaceful spirit in an attempt to preserve purity of doctrine. Most of the persecutions in the Church have grown out of this maxim. This led to the establishment of the Inquisition; this kindled the fires of Smithfield; this inspirited Laud and his friends; this has been the origin of no small part of the schisms in the Church. A pure sjririt is the best promoter of peace, and will do more than any thing else to secure the prevalence of truth. TI Then peaceable. The effect of true religion — the wisdom which is from above — will be to dispose a man to live in peace with all others. See Notes on Rom. xiv. 19; Heb. xii. 14. H Gentle. Mild, inoffensive, clement. The word here used (tTruiKti^) is rendered moderation in Phil. iv. 5; patient in 1 Tim. iii. 3; and gentle in Titus iii. 2; James iii. 17; and 1 Pet. ii. 18. It does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. Every one has a clear idea of the virtue of gentleness— gentleness of spirit, of deportment, of manners; and every one can see that that is the appropriate spirit of religion. Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. x. 1. It is from this word that we have derived the word gentleman; and the effect of true religion is to make every one, in the proper and best sense of the term, a gentleman. How can a man have evidence that he is a true Christian if he is not such? The highest title which can be given to a man is that he is a Christian gentleman. U And easy to be entreated. The word here used does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means easily persuaded, compliant. Of course, this refers only to cases where it is right and proper to be easily persuaded and complying. It can not refer to things which are in themselves wrong. The sense is, that he who is under the influence of the wisdom which is from above is not a stiff, stern, obstinate, unyielding man. He does not take a position, and then hold it whether right or wrong; he is not a man on whom no arguments or persuasions can have any influence. He is not one who can not be affected by appeals which may be made to him on the grounds of patriotism, justice, or benevolence; but he is one who is ready to yield when truth requires him to do it, and who is willing to sacrifice his own convenience for the good of others. See this illustrated in the case of the apostle Paul, in 1 Cor. ix. 20, 21, 22. Comp. Notes on that passage. H Full of mercy. Merciful; disposed to show compassion to others. This is one of the results of the wisdom that is from above, for it makes us like God, the "Father of mercies." See Notes on Matt. v. 7. ^ And good fruits. The fruits of good living; just, benevolent, and kind actions. See Notes on Phil, i. 11; 2 Cor. ix. 10. Comp. James ii.
able, a gentle, b and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruit, without l partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit ■ of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
14-26. IT Without partiality. Marg., * ' or wrangling. ' ' The word here used (aSiaKpiTo?) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, properly, not to be distinguished. Here it may mean either of the following things: (a) not open to distinction or doubt; that is, unambiguous, so that there shall be no necessity of attempting to distinguish it from other things with which it seems to be intermingled, and no doubt about its origin or nature; (b) making no distinction, that is, in the treatment of others, or impartial toward them; or (c) without strife, from oiaKpivu), to contend. The second meaning here suggested seems best to accord with the sense of the passage, and according to this the idea is that the wisdom which is from above, or true religion, makes us impartial in our treatment of others. That is, we are not influenced by a regard to dress, rank, or station, but we are disposed to do equal justice to all according to their moral worth, and to show kindness to all according to their wants. See chap. ii. 1-4. ^ And without hypocrisy. What it professes to be; sincere. There is no disguise or mask assumed. What the man pretends to be, he is. This is every where the nature of true religion. It has nothing of its own of which to be ashamed, and which needs to be concealed; its office is not to hide or conceal any thing that is wrong. It neither is a mask, nor does it need a mask. If such is the nature of the "wisdom which is from abo ve, " who is there that should be ashamed of it? Who is there that should not desire that its blessed influence should spread around the world?
18. And the fruit of righteousness. That which the righteousness here referred to produces, or that which is the effect of true religion. The meaning is that righteousness, or true religion, produces certain results on the life like theeffects of seed sown ingoodground, and as certainly produces such effects, as seed that is sown produces a harvest. H Is sown in peace. Is scattered over the world in a peaceful manner.
That is, it is not done amid contentions, and brawls, and strifes. The farmer sows his seed in peace. The fields are not sown amid the tumults of a mob, or the excitements of a battle or a camp. Nothing is more calm, peaceful, quiet, and composed than the farmer as he walks with measured tread over his fields scattering his seed. So it is in sowing the "seed of the kingdom," in preparing for the great harvest of righteousness in the world. It is done by men of peace; it is done in peaceful scenes, and with a peaceful spirit; it is not in the tumult of war, or amid the hoarse brawling of a mob. In a pure and holy life; in the peaceful scenes of the sanctuary and the Sabbath; by noiseless and unobtrusive laborers, the seed is scattered over the world, and the result is seen in au abundant harvest in producing peace and order. H Of them that makepeace. By those who desire to produce peace, or who are of a peaceful temper and disposition. They are engaged every where in scattering these blessed seeds of peace, contentment, and order; and the result shall be a glorious harvest for themselves and for mankind — a harvest rich and abundant on earth and in heaven. The whole effect, therefore, of religion is to produce peace. It is all peace— peace in its origin and in its results; in the heart of the individual, and in society; on earth, and in heaven. The idea with which the apostle commenced this chapter seems to have been that such persons only should be admitted to the office of public teachers. From that, his mind naturally turned to the effect of religion in general, and he states that in the ministry and out of it; in the heart of the individual, and on society at large; here and hereafter, the effect of religion is to produce peace. Its nature is peaceful as it exists in the heart, and as it is developed in the world; and wherever and however it is manifested, it is like seed sown, not amid the storms of war and the contentions of battle, but in the fields of quiet husbandry, producing in rich abundance a harvest of peace. In its
FROM whence come wars and 1 fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your a lusts that war a in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye 3 kill, origin, and in all its results, it is productive only of contentment, sincerity, goodness, and peace. Happy he who has this religion in his heart; happy he who with liberal hand scatters its blessing's broadcast over the world!
In the previous chapter (ver. 13-18) the apostle had contrasted the wisdom which is from above with that which is from beneath. The former is peaceable, pure, and gentle, leading to universal kindness and order; the latter earthly, sensual, and devilish. The points suggested in this chapter grow directly out of the remarks made there, and are designed to show the effect of the "wisdom which descendeth not from above," as evinced in the spirit of this world, and thus by contrast to show the value of true wisdom, or of the spirit of religion. Accordingly the apostle illustrates the effects of the wisdom of this world, or the spirit of this world, by showing what it produces, or what they do who are under its influence. We are not to suppose that the persons to whom the apostle addressed this epistle were themselves actually guilty of the things here referred to, but such things had an existence in the world, and it gave more life and spirit to the discussion to represent them as existing "among them." In illustrating the subject, he refers to the following things as resulting from the spirit that is opposite to the wisdom which is from above, viz.: (1.) Wars and fightings, which are to be traced solely to the lusts of men (vs. 1, 2); (2.) The neglect of prayer, showing the reason why they did not have the things which were necessary (ver. 2); (3.) The fact that when they prayed they did not obtain what they needed, because they prayed with improper motives, in order to have the means of gratifying their sensual desires (ver. 3); (4.) The desire of the friendship of the world, as one of the fruits of being under the influence of the wisdom which is not from above (ver. 4); (5.) Envy, as another of these fruits. Ver. 5. In view of these things, and of the danger to which they were exposed of acting under their influence, the apostle proceeds to give them some solemn cautions and admonitions. He tells them that God resists all who are proud, but gives grace to all who are humble (ver. 6); he counsels them to submit to God (ver. 7), to resist the devil (ver. 7), to draw nigh to God (ver. 8), to cleanse their hands and their hearts (ver. 8), to be afflicted and mourn over their sins, to become serious and devout (ver. 9), and to humble themselves before God that he might lift them up (ver. 10); he commands them not to speak evil one of another, since by so doing they in fact set them'selves up to be judges, and in the circumstances became judges of the law as well as of their brethren. Vs. 11, 12. He then rebukes the confident spirit which lays its plans for the future, with no just view of the frailty and uncertainty of human life, and shows them that all their plans for the future should be formed with a distinct recognition of their dependence on God for success, and even for the continuance of life. Ver. 13-16. The chapter closes with an affirmation that to him that knows how to do good and does it not, to him it is sin (ver. 17), implying that all that he had said in the chapter might indeed be obvious, and that they would be ready to admit that these things were true, but that if they knew this, and did not do right, they must be regarded as guilty.
1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? Marg., brawlings. The reference is to strifes and contentions of all kinds; and the question then, as it is now, was an important one, What was their source or origin? The answer is given in the succeeding part of the verse. Some have supposed that the apostle refers here to the contests and seditions existing among the Jews, which afterward broke out in rebellion against the Roman authority, and which led to the overthrow of the Jewish nation. But the more probable reference is to domestic broils, and to the strifes of sects and parties; to the disputes which were carried on among the Jewish people, and which perhaps led to scenes of violence, and to popular outbreaks among themselves. When the apostle says "among you,"11 it is not necessary to suppose that he refers to those who were members of the Christian Church as actually engaged in these strifes, though he was writing to such; but he speaks of them as a part of the Jewish people, and refers to the contentions which prevailed among them as a people— contentions in which those who were Christian converts were in great danger of participating, by being drawn into their controversies, and partaking of the spirit of strife which existed among their countrymen. It is known that such a spirit of contention prevailed among the Jews at that time in an eminent degree, and it was well to put those among them who professed to be Christians on their guard against such a spirit, by stating the causes of all wars and contentions. The solution which the apostle has given of the causes of the strifes prevailing then, will apply substantially to all the wars which have ever existed on the earth. IF Come they not hence, even of your lusts? Is not this the true source of all war and contention? The word rendered lusts is in the margin rendered pleasures. This is the usual meaning of the word (vdcovij); but it is commonly applied to the pleasures of sense, and thence denotes desire, appetite, lust. It may be applied to any desire of sensual gratification, and then to the indulgence of any corrupt propensity of the mind. The lust or desire of rapine, of plunder, of ambition, of fame, of a more extended dominion, would be properly embraced in the meaning of the word. The word would equally comprehend the spirit which leads to a brawl in the street, and that which prompted to the conquests of Alexander, Caesar, or Napoleon. All this is the same spirit evinced on a larger or smaller scale. IF That war in your members. The word member (/xtA-os) denotes properly a limb or member of the body; but it is used in the New Testament to denote the members of the body collectively; that is, the body itself as the seat of the desires and passions. Kom. vi. 13, 19; vii. 5, 23; Col. iii. 5. The word war here refers to the conflict between those passions which have their seat in the flesh, and the better principles of the mind and conscience, producing a state of agitation and conflict. See Notes on Rom. vii. 23. Comp. Gal. v. 17. Those corrupt passions which have their seat in the flesh, the apostle says are the causes of war. Most of the wars which have occurred in the world can be traced to what the apostle here calls lusts. The desire of booty, the love of conquest, the ambition for extended rule, the gratification of revenge, these and similar causes have led to all the wars that have desolated the earth. Justice, equity, the fear of God, the spirit of true religion, never originated any war, but the corrupt passions of men have made the earth one great battle-field. • If true religion existed among all men, there would be no more war. War always supposes that wrong has been done on one side or the other, and that one party or the other, or both; is indisposed to do right. The spirit of justice, equity, and truth, which the religion of Christ would implant in the human heart, would put an end to war forever.
2. Ye lust, and have not. That is, you wish to have something which you do not now possess, and to which you have no just claim, and this prompts to the effort to obtain it by force. You desire extension of territory, fame, booty, the means of luxurious indulgence, or of magnificence and grandeur, and this leads to contest and bloodshed. These are the causes of wars on the large scale among nations, and of the contentions and strifes of individuals. The general reason is, that others have that which we have not, and which we desire to have; and not content with endeavoring to obtain it, if we can, in a peaceful and honest manner, and not willing to content ourselves without its possession, we resolve to secure it by force. Socrates is reported by Plato to have said on the day of his death, "Nothing else but the body and its desires cause wars, seditions, and contests of every kind; for all wars arise through the possession of wealth."— Phazdo of Plato, by Taylor, London, 1793, p. 158. The system of wars in general, therefore, has been a system of great robberies, no more honest or honorable than the purposes of the foot-pad, and more dignified only because it involves greater skill and talent. It has been said that "to kill one man makes a murderer, to kill many makes a hero." So it may be and desire to have, and can not obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your ■ lusts.
said that to steal a horse or to rob a house makes a man a thief or burglar; to fire a dwelling subjects him to the punishment of arson; but to plunder kingdoms and provinces, and to cause cities, towns, and hamlets to be wrapped in flames, makes an illustrious conqueror, and gives a title to what is deemed a bright page in history. The one enrolls the name among felons, and consigns the perpetrator to the dungeon or the gibbet; the other, accompanied with no more justice, and with the same spirit, sends the name down to future times as immortal. Yet in the two the all-discerning eye of God may see no difference except in the magnilude of the crime, and in the extent of the injury which has been inflicted. In his way, and according to the measure of his ability, the felon who ends his life in a dungeon or on the gibbet is as worthy of grateful and honored remembrance as the conqueror triumphing in the spoils of desolated empires. 1" Ye kill. Marg.,"or envy." The marginal reading "envy" has been introduced from some doubt as to the correct reading of the text, whether it should be Qoveuts., ye kill, or tySovuTi., ye envy. The latter reading has been adopted by Erasmus, Schmidius, Luther, Beza, and some others, though merely from conjecture. There is no authority from the manuscripts for the change. The correct reading undoubtedly is, ye kill. This expression is probably to be taken in the sense of having a murderous disposition, or fostering a brutal and murderous spirit. It is not exactly that they killed or committed murder previous to "desiring to have," but that they had such a covetous desire for the possessions of others as to produce a murderous and bloody temper. The spirit of murder was at the bottom of the whole; or there was such a desire of the possessions of others as to lead to the commission of this crime. Of what aggressive wars which have ever existed is not this true? ^Desire to have. That is, what is in the possession of others. T[ And can not obtain. By any fair and honest means; by purchase or negotiation, and this leads to bloody conquests. All wars might have been avoided if men had been content with what they had or could rightfully obtain, and" had not desired to have what was in the possession of others, which they could not obtain by honest and honorable means. Every war might have been avoided by fair and honorable negotiation. H Ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Notwithstanding you engage in contentions and strifes, you do not obtain what you seek after. If you sought that from God which you truly need, you would obtain it, for he would bestow upon you all that is really necessary. But you seek it by contention and strife, and you have no security of obtaining it. He who seeks to gain any thing by war seeks it in an unjust manner, and can not depend on the divine help and blessing. The true way of obtaining any thing which 'we really need is to seek it from God by prayer, and then to make use of just and fair means of obtaining it, by industry and honesty, and by a due regard for the rights of others. Thus sought, it will be granted if it will be for our good; if it is withheld, it will be because it is best for us that it should not be ours. In all the wars which have been waged on the earth, whether for the settlement of disputed questions, for the adjustment of boundaries, for the vindication of violated rights, or for the permanent extension of empire, how rare has it been that the object which prompted to the war has been secured! The course of events has shown that, indisposed as men are to do justice, there is much more probability of obtaining the object by patient negotiation than there is by going to war.
3. Ye ask and receive not. That is, either some of you ask, or you ask on some occasions. Though seeking in general what you desire by strife, and without regard to the rights of others, yet you sometimes pray. It is not uncommon for men who go even to an unrighteous war to pray, or to procure the services of a chaplain to pray for them. It sometimes happens that the covetous and quarrelsome, that those who live to wrong others, aud who are fond of litigation, pray. Such
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship a of the world is enmity with God?
whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy
men may be professors of religion. They keep up a form of worship in their families. They pray for success in their worldly engagements, though those engagements are based on covetousness. Instead of seeking property that they may glorify God and do good; that they may relieve the poor and distressed; that they may be the patrons of learning, philanthropy, and religion, they do it that they may live in splendor, and be able to pamper their lusts. It is not indeed very common that persons with such ends and aims of life pray, but they sometimes do it; for, alas! there are many professors of religion who have no higher aims than these, and not a few such professors feel that consistency demands that they should observe some form of prayer. If such persons do not receive what they ask for; if they are not prospered in their plans, they should not set it down as evidence that God does not hear prayer, but as evidence that their prayers are offered for improper objects, or with improper motives. If Because ye ask amiss. Ye do it with a view to self-indulgence and carnal gratification. 1 That you may consume it upon your lusts. Marg., pleasures. This is the same word which is used in ver. 1, and rendered lusts. The reference is to sensual gratifications, and the word would include all that comes under the name of sensual pleasure, or carnal appetite. It was not that they might have a decent and comfortable living, which would not be improper to desire, but that they might have the means of luxurious dress and living, -perhaps the means of gross sensual gratifications. Prayefsoffered that we may have the means of sensuality and voluptuousness we have no reason to suppose God will answer, for he has not promised to hear such prayers; and it becomes every one who prays for worldly prosperity, and for success in business, to examine his motives with the closest scrutiny. Nowhere is deception more likely to creep in than into such prayers; nowhere are we more likely to be mistaken in regard to our real motives than when we ask God for success in our worldly employments.
4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses. These words are frequently used to denote those who are faithless toward God, and are often applied to those who forsake God for idols. Hos. iii. 1; Isa. lvii. 3,7; Ezek. xvi.; xxiii. It is not necessary to suppose that the apostle meant that those to whom he wrote were literally guilty of the sins here referred to, but he rather refers to those who were unfaithful to their covenant with God, by neglecting their duty tohim,and by yieldingthemselves to the indulgence of their own lusts and passions. The idea is, " You have in effect broken your marriage covenant with God by loving the world more than him; and, by the indulgence of your carnal inclinations, you have violated those obligations to self-mortification and self-denial to which you were bound to your religious engagements." To convince them of the evil of this, the apostle shows them what was the true nature of that friendship of the world which they sought. It may be remarked here that no terms could have been found which would have shown more decidedly the nature of the sin of forgetting the covenant vows of religion than those which the apostle uses here. It is a deeper crime to be unfaithful to God than to any created being; and it will yet be seen that even the violation of the marriage contract, great as is the sin, is a slight offense compared with unfaithfulness toward God. U Know ye not that the friendship of the world. Comp. 1 John ii. 15. The term world here is to be understood not of the physical world as God made it, for we could not well speak of the '■'■friendship'''' of that, but of the community, or people, called " the world," in contradistinction from the people of God. Comp. John xii. 81; 1 Cor. i. 20; iii. 19; Gal. It. 3; Col. ii. 8. The "friendship of the world" (cfiiXia tov Koa-fwv) is the love of that world; of the maxims which govern it, the principles which reign there, the ends that are sought, and the amusements and gratifications which characterize it as distinguished from the Church of God. It consists in setting our hearts on those things; in conforming to them; in making them the object of our pursuit with the same spirit with which the}7 are sought by tho.se who make do pretensions to religion. See Notes on Rom. xii. 2. H Is enmity with God. Is in fact hostility ■gainst God, since that world is arrayed against him. It neither obeys his laws, submits to his claims, nor seeks to honor him. To love that world is, therefore, to be arrayed against God, and the spirit which would lead us to this is in fact a spirit of hostility to him. U Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world. ' ' Whoever" ho, may be, whether in the Church or out of it. The fact of being a member of the Church makes no difference in this respect, for it is as easy to be a friend of the world in the Church as out of it. The phrase "whosoever ioUV (fiov\i]5fi) implies purpose, intention, desigji. It supposes that the heart is set on it, or that there is a deliberate purpose to seek the friendship of the world. It refers to that strong desire which often exists, even among professing Christians, to secure the friendship of the world; to copy its fashions and vanities; to enjoy its pleasures; and to share its pastimes and its friendships. Wherever there is a manifested purpose to find our chosen friends and associates there rather than among Christians; wherever there is a greater desire to enjoy the smiles and approbation of the world than there is to enjoy the approbation of God and the blessings of a good conscience; and wherever there is more conscious pain because we have failed to win the applause of the world, or have offended its votaries, and have sunk ourselves in its estimation, than there is because we have neglected our duty to our Saviour, and have lost the enjoyment of religion, there is the clearest proof that the heart wills or desires to be the "friend of the world." IT Is the enemy of God. This is a most solemn declaration, and one of fearful import in its bearing on many who are members of the Church. It settles the point that any one, no matter what his professions, who is characteristically a friend of the world, can not be a true Christian. In regard to the meaning of this important verse, then, it may be remarked: (1.) That there is a sense in which the love of this world, or of the physical universe, is not wrong. That kind of love for it as the work of God which perceives the
] evidence of his wisdom and goodness; and power in the various objects of i beauty, usefulness, and grandeur spread around us, is not. evil. The world as such— the physical structure of the earth— of the mountains, forests, flowers, seas, lakes, and valleys, is full ofillustrations of the divine character, and it can not be wrong to contemplate those things Vlth interest, or with warm affection toward their Creator. Psa. cxi. 2. (2.) When that world, however, becomes our portion; when we study it only as a matter of science, without "looking through nature up to Nature's God;" when we seek the wealth which it has to confer, or endeavor to appropriate as our supreme portion its lands, its minerals, its fruits; when wre are satisfied with what it yields; when in the possession or pursuit of these things our thoughts never rise to God; and when we partake of the spirit which rules in the hearts of those who avowedly seek this world as their portion, then the love of the world becomes evil, and comes in direct conflict with the spirit of true religion. (3.) The statement in this verse is, therefore, one of most fearful import for many professors of religion. There are many in the Church who, so far as human judgment can go, are characteristically lovers of the world. This is shown (a) by their conformity to it in all in which the world is distinguished from the Church as such; (6) in their seeking the friendship of the world, or their finding their friends there rather than among Christians; (c) in preferring the amusements of the world to the scenes where spiritually, minded Christians find their chief happiness; (d) in pursuing the same pleasures that the people of the world do, with the same expense, the same extravagance, the same luxury; (c) in making their worldly interest the great object of living, and every thing else subordinate to that. This spirit exists in all cases where no worldly interest is sacrificed for religion; where every thing that religion peculiarly requires is sacrificed for the world. If this be so, then there are many professing Christians who are the " enemies of God." See Notes on Phil. iii. 18. They have never known what is true friendship for him, and by their lives they show that they can be ranked only among his foes. It becomes every professing Christian,
5 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit
that dwelleth in us lusteth ' to envy? a therefore, to examine himself with the deepest earnestness to determine whether he is characteristically afriend of the world or of God; whether he is living for this life only, pr is animated by thehigh and pure principles of those who are the friends of God. The great Searcher of hearts can not be deceived, and soon our appropriate place will be assigned us, and our final Judge will determine to which class of the two great divisions of the human family we belong — to those who are the friends of the world, or to those who are the friends of God.
5. Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain. Few passages of the New Testament have given expositors more perplexity than this. The difficulty has arisen from the fact that no such passage as that which seems here to be quoted is found in the Old Testament; and to meet this difficulty expositors have resorted to various conjectures and solutions. Some have supposed that the passage is spurious, and that it was at first a gloss in the margin, placed there by some transcriber, and was then introduced into the text; some, that the apostle quotes from an apocryphal book; some, that he quotes the general spirit of the Old Testament rather than any particular place; some regard it not as a quotation, but read the two members separately, supplying what is necessary to complete the sense, thus: "Do you think that the Scripture speaks in vain, or without a good reason, when it condemns sudi a worldly temper? No; that you can not suppose. Do you imagine that the Spirit of God, which dwelleth in us Christians, leads to covetousness, pride, envy? No. On the contrary, to such as follow his guidance and direction, he gives more abundant grace and favor.'' This is the solution proposed by Benson, and adopted by Bloomfield. But this solution is by no means satisfactory. Two things are clear in regard to the passage: (1.) That James meant to adduce something that was said somewhere, or which could be regarded as a quotation, or as authority in the case, for he uses the formula by which such quotations are made; and (2.) that he meant to refer, not to an apocryphal book, but to the inspired and canonical Scriptures, for he uses a term (»; ypacfrh), '■''the Scripture,'''' which is every where employed to denote the Old Testament, and which is nowhere applied to an apocryphal book. Matt. xxi. 42; xxii. 29; xxvi. 54, 56; John ii. 22; v. 39; vii. 38, 42; x. 35, et al. The word is used more than fifty times in the New Testament, and is never applied to any books but those which were regarded by the Jews as inspired, and which constitute now the Old Testament, except in 2 Pet. iii. 16, where it refers to the writings of Paul. The difficulty in the case arises from the fact that no such passage as the one here quoted is found in~so many words in the Old Testament, nor any of which it can fairly be regarded as a quotation. The only solution of the difficulty which seems to me to be at all satisfactory is to suppose that the apostle, in the remark made here in the form of a quotation, refers to the Old Testament, but that he had not his eye on any particular passage, and did not mean to quote the ivords literally, but meant to refer to what was the current teaching or general spirit of the Old Testament; or that he meant to say that this sentiment was found there, and designed himself to embody the sentiment in words, and to put it into a condensed form. His eye was on envy as at the bottom of many of the contentions and strifes existing on earth (chap. iii. 16), and of the spirit of the world which prevailed every where (chap. iv. 4), and he refers to the general teaching of the Old Testament that the soul is by nature inclined to envy; or that this is lodged deep in the heart of man. That truth which was thus uttered every where in the Scriptures was not taught "in vain. " The abundant facts which existed showing its development and operation in contentions and wars and a worldly spirit proved that it was deeply imbedded in the human soul. This general truth, that man is prone to envy, or that there is much in our nature which inclines us to it, is abundantly taught in the Old Testament. Eccl. iv. 4: " I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor." Job
6 But he giveth more grace: Wherefore he saith, a God resisteth
the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
v. 2: "Wrath killeth, and envy slayeth the silly one." Prov. xiv. 30: "Envy is the rottenness of the bones." Prov. xxvii. 4: " Who is able to stand befo re en vy?" For p a r t i c u 1 a r instances of this, and the effect, see Gen.xxvi.14; xxx. 1; xxxvii. 11; Psa. cvi. 10; lxxiii. 3. These passages prove that there is a strong propensity in human nature to envy, and it was in accordance with the design of the apostle to show this. The effects of envy to which he himself referred evinced the same thing, and demonstrated that the utterance given to this sentiment in the Old Testament was not "in vain," or was not false, for the records in the Old Testament on the subject found a strong confirmation in the wars and strifes and woiidliness of which he was speaking.! Saith in vain. "Says falsely;" that is, the testimony thus borne is true. The apostle means that what was said in the Old Testament on the subject found abundant confirmation in the facts which were continually occurring, and especially in those to which he was adverting. H The spirit that dwelleth in us. Many have supposed that the word spirit here refers to the Holy Spirit, or the Christian spirit; but in adopting this interpretation, they are obliged to render the passage " the spirit that dwells in us lusteth against envy," or tends to check and suppress it. But this interpretation is forced and unnatural, and is one which the Greek will not well bear. The more obvious interpretation is to refer it to our spirit or disposition as we are by nature, and it is equivalent to saying that we are naturally prone to envy. If Lusteth to envy. Strongly tends to envy. The margin is "enviously," but the sense is the same. The idea is, that there is in man a strong inclination tolookwith dissatisfaction on the superior happiness and prosperity of others; to desire to make what they possess his own; or at any rate to deprive them of it by detraction, by fraud, or by robbery. It is this feeling which leads to calumny, to contentions, to wars, and to that strong worldly ambition which makes us anxious to surpass all others, and which is so hostile to the humble and contented spirit of religion. He who could trace all wars and contentions and worldly plans to their source— all the schemes and purposes of even professed Christians that do so much to mar their religion and to make them worldly-minded to their real origin — would be surprised to find how much is to be attributed to envy. We are pained that others are more prosperous than we are; we desire to possess what they have, though we have no right to it, and this leads to the various guilty methods which are pursued to lessen their enjoyment of it, or to obtain it ourselves, or to show that they do not possess as much as they are commonly supposed to. This purpose will be accomplished if we can obtain more than they have; or if we can diminish what they actually possess; or if by any statements to which we can give currency in society the general impression shall be that they do not possess as much wealth, domestic peace, happiness, or honor as is supposed— for thus the spirit of envy in our bosoms will be gratified. 0. But he giveth more grace. The reference here is undoubtedly to God. Some have regarded this clause as a continuation of the quotation in the previous verse, but it is rather to be considered as a declaration of the apostle himself. The writer had just spoken of envy, and of the crimes which grew out of it. He thought of the wars and commotions of the earth, and of the various lusts which reign among men. In the contemplation of these things, it seems suddenly to have occurred to him that all were not under the influence of these things; that there were cases where men were restrained, and where a spirit opposite to these things prevailed. Another passage of Scripture struck his mind, containing the truth that there was a class of men to whom God gave grace to restrain these passions, and to subdue these carnal propensities. They were the humble, in contradistinction to the proud, and he states the fact that "God giveth more grace;" that is, that in some instances he confers more grace than in the cases referred to; to some he gives more grace to overcome their evil passions, and to subdue their corrupt inclinations,thau lie docs to others. The meaning may be thus expressed: "It is true that the natural spirit in man is one that tends to envy, and that it thus leads to all the sad consequences of envy. But there are instances in which higher grace or favor is conferred; in which these feelings are subdued, and these consequences are prevented. They are not indeed to be found among the proud, whom God always resists; but they are to be found among the meek and the humble. Wherefore submit yourselves to his arrangements; resist the devil; draw nigh to God; purify yourselves, and weep over your past offenses, and you shall find that the Lord will lift you up, and bestow his favor upon you." Ver. 10. 1 Wherefore he sailh. The reference here is to Prov. iii. 34: " Surely he scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly." The quotation is made exactly from the Septuagint, which, though not entirely literal, expresses the sense of the Hebrew without essential inaccuracy. This passage is also quoted in 1 Pet. v. 5. *H God resisteth the proud. The proud are those who have an inordinate self-esteem; who have a high and unreasonable conceit of their own excellence or importance. This may extend to any thing: to beaut}7, or strength, or attainments, or family, or country, or equipage, or rank, or even religion. A man may be proud of any thing that belongs to him, or which can in any way be construed as a part of himself, or as pertaining to him. This does not, of course, apply to a correct estimate of ourselves, or to the mere knowledge that we may excel others. One may knozo that he has more strength, or higher attainments in learning and in the mechanic arts, or greater wealth than others, and yet have properly no pride in the case. He has only a correct estimate of himself, and he attaches no undue importance to himself on account of it. His heart is not lifted up; he claims no undue deference to himself; he concedes to all others what is their due; and he is humble before God, feeling that all that he has, and is, is nothing in his sight. He is willing to occupy his appropriate place in the sight of God and men, and to be esteemed just as he is. Pride goes beyond this, and gives to a man a degree of self-estimation which is not warranted by any thing that he possesses. God looks at things as they are; and hence he abhors and humbles this arrogant claim. Lev. xxvi. 19; Job xxxiii. 17; Psa. lix. 12; Prov. viii. 13; xvi. 18; xxix. 13; Isa. xxiii. 9; xxviii. 1; Dan. iv. 37; Zech. x. 11. This resistance of pride he shows not only in the explicit declarations of his word, but in the arrangements of his providence and grace. (1.) In his providence— in the reverses and disappointments which occur; in the necessity of abandoning the splendid mansion which we had built; or in disappointing us in some favorite plan by which our pride was to be nurtured and gratified. (2.) In sickness— taking away the beauty and strength on which we had so much valued ourselves, and bringing us to the sad condition of a sick-bed. (3.) In the grave — bringing us down to corruption and worms. Why should one be proud who will soon become so offensive to his best friends that they will gladly hide him in the grave? (4.) In the plan of salvation he opposes our pride. Not a feature of that plan is fitted to foster pride, but all is adapted to make us humble, (a) The necessity for the plan — that we are guilty and helpless sinners; (b) the selection of a Saviour — one who was so poor, who was so much despised by the world, and who was put to death on a cross; (c) our entire dependence on him for salvation, with the assurance that we have no merit of our own, and that salvation is all of grace; (d) the fact that we are brought to embrace it only by the agency of the Holy Spirit, and that if we wrere left to ourselves we should never have one right thought or holy desire— all this is fitted to humble us, and to bring us low before God. God has done nothing to foster the self-estimation of the human heart; but how much has he done to "stain the pride of all glory!" See Notes on Isa. xxiii.9. TI But giveth grace unto the humble. The meaning is, that he shows them favor; that he bestows upon them the grace needful to secure their salvation. This he does (1.) because they feel their need of his favor; (2.) because they wrill welcome his teaching and value his friendship; (3.) because all the arrangements of his grace are adapted only to such a state of mind. You can not teach one who is so wise that he already supposes he
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist a the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw6 nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse • your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and knows enough; you can not bestow grace on one who has no sense of the need of it. The arrangements of salvation are adapted only to a humble heart.
7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. That is, in his arrangements for obtaining his favor. Yield to what he has judged necessary for your welfare in the life that is, and for your salvation in the life to come. The duty here enjoined is that of entire acquiescence in the arrangements of God, whether in his providence or grace. All thes(kare for our good, and submission to them is required by the spirit of true humility. The object of the command here, and in the succeeding injunctions in respect to particular duties, is to show them how they might obtain the grace which God is willing to bestow, and how they might overcome the evils against which the apostle had been endeavoring to guard them. The true method of doing this is by submitting ourselves in all things to God. ^Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. While you yield to God in all things, you are to yield to the devil in none. You are to resist and oppose him in whatever way he may approach you, whether by allurements, by flattering promises, by the fascinations of the world, by temptation, or by threats. See 1 Pet. v. 9. Satan makes his way, and secures his triumphs, rather by art, cunning, deception, and threatenings, than by true courage; and when opposed manfully he flies. The true way of meeting him is by direct resistance, rather than by argument; by steadfastly refusing to yield in the slightest degree, rather than by a belief that we can either convince him that he is wrong, or can return to virtue when wehave gone a certain length in complying with his demands. No one is safe who yields in the least to the suggestions of the tempter; there is no one who is not safe if he do not yield. A man, for example, is always safe from intemperance if he resist all allurements to indulgence in strong drink, and never yields in the slightest degree; no one is certainly safe if he drink even moderately.
8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Comp. 2 Chron. xv. 2. This declaration contains a great and important principle in religion. If we wish the favor of God, we must come to him; nor can we hope for his mercy unless we approach him and ask him for it. We can not come literally any nearer to God than we always are, for he is always round about us; but we may come nearer in a spiritual sense. We may addresshim directly in prayer; we may approach him by meditation on his character; we may draw near to him in the ordinances of religion. We can never hope for his favor while we prefer to remain at a distance from him; none who in fact draw near to him will find him unwilling to bestow on them the blessings which they need. H Cleanse your hands, ye sinners. There may possibly be an allusion here to Isa. i. 15, 16: "Your hands are full of blood; wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil." The heart is the seat of motives and intentions— that by which we devise any thing; the hands, the instruments by which we execute our purposes. The hands here are represented as defiled by blood, or by acts of iniquity. To wash or cleanse the hands was, therefore, emblematic of putting away transgression. Matt, xxvii. 24. Comp. Deut. xxi. 6; Psa. xxvi. 6. The heathen and the Jews were accustomed to wash their hands before they engaged in public worship. The particular idea here is, that in order to obtain the favor of God it is necessary to put away our sins; to approach him with a purpose and desire to be pure and holy. The mere washing of the hands, in itself, could not recommend us to his favor; but that of which the washing of the hands would be an emblem would be acceptable in his sight. It may be inferred from what is said here that no one can hope for the favor of God who does not abandon his transgressions. The design of the apostle is, evidently, to state one of the
weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble0 yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
conditions on which we can make an acceptable approach to God. It is indispensable that we come with a purpose and desire to wash ourselves from all iniquity; to put away from us all our transgressions. So "David said, "I will wash my hands in innocency; so will I compass thine altar, O Lord." Psa. xxvi. 6. If And purify your hearts. That is, do not rest satisfied with a mere external reformation; with putting away your outward transgressions. There must be a deeper work than that: a work which will reach to the heart, and which will purify the affections. This agrees with all the requisitions of the Bible, and is in accordance with what must be the nature of religion. If the heart is wrong, nothing can be right If, while we seek an external reformation, we still give indulgence to the secret corruptions of the heart, it is clear that we can have no true religion. If Ye doubleminded. See Notes on chap. i. 8. The apostle here seems to have had his eye on those who were vacillating in their purposes; whose hearts were not decidedly fixed, but who were halting between good and evil. The heart was not right in such persons. It was not settled and determined in favor of religion, but vibrated between that and the world. The proper business of such persons, therefore, was to cleanse the heart from disturbing influences, that it might settle down in unwavering attachment to that which is good. 9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep. That is, evidently, on account of your sins. The sins to which the apostle refers are those which he had specified in the previous part of the chapter, and which he had spoken of as so evil in their nature, and so dangerous in their tendency. The word rendered "be afflicted" means properly to endure toil or hardship; then to endure affliction or distress, and here means that they were to afflict themselves; that is, they were to feel distressed and sad on account of their transgressions. Comp. Ezra viii. 21. The other words in this clause are those which are expressive of deep grief and sorrow. The language here used shows that the apostle supposed that it was possible that those who had done wrong should voluntarily feel sorrow for it, and that, therefore, it was proper to call upon them to do it. % Let your laughter be turned to mourning. It would seem that the persons referred to, instead of suitable sorrow and humiliation on account of sin, gave themselves to joyousness, mirth, and revelry. See asimilar instance in Isa.xxii. 12, 13. It is often the case that those for whom the deep sorrows of repentance would be peculiarly appropriate give themselves to mirth and vanity. The apostle here says that such mirth did not become them. Sorrow, deep and unfeigned, was appropriate on/iccount of their sins, and the sound of laughter and of revelry should be changed to notes of lamentation. To how many of the assemblies of the vain, the gay, and the dissipated might the exhortation in this passage with propriety be now addressed! If Your joy to heaviness. The word here rendered heaviness occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means dejection, sorrow. It is not gloom, melancholy, or moroseness, but it is sorrow on account of sin. God has so made us that we should feel sorrow when we are conscious that we have done wrong, and it is appropriate that we should do so.
10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord. Comp. Matt, xxiii. 12. See Notes on ver. 6. That is, be willing to take your appropriate place in the dust on account of your transgressions. This is to be done " in the sight of the Lord," or before him. Our sins have been committed against him, and their principal aggravation, whoever may have been wronged by them, and great as may be their criminality in other respects, arises from that consideration. Psa. li. 4: "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." Luke xv. 18: "I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned agaimt heaven, and before thee." As the Being against whom we have sinned is the only one who can pardon, it is proper that we should humble ourselves before him with penitent confession. 1 And he
11 Speak a not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh
evil of Ms brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the
shall lift you up. He will exalt you from the condition of a broken-hearted penitent to that of a forgiven child; he will wipe away your tears, remove the sadness of your heart, fill you with joy, and clothe you with the garments of salvation. This declaration is in accordance with all the promises in the Bible, and with all the facts which occur on the earth, that God is willing to show mercy to the humble and contrite, and to receive those who are truly penitent into his favor. Comp. Luke xv. 23.
11. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. It is not known to whom the apostle here particularly refers, nor is it necessary to know. It is probable, that among those whom he addressed there were some who were less circumspect in regard to speaking of others than they should be, and perhaps this evil prevailed. There are few communities where such an injunction would not be proper at any time, and few churches where some might not be found to whom the exhortation would be applicable. Comp. Notes on Eph. iv. 31; 1 Pet. ii. 1. The evil here referred to is that of talking against others— against their actions, their motives, their manner of living, their families, etc. Few things are more common in the world; nothing is more decidedly against the true spirit of religion. If He that speaketh evil of his brother. Referring here probably to a Christian brother, or to a fellow- Christian. The word may however be used in a larger sense to denote any one— a brother of the human race. Religion forbids both, and would restrain us from all evil speaking against any human being. If And judgeth Ids brother. His motives or his conduct. See Notes on Matt. vii. 1. If Speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law. Instead of manifesting the feelings of a brother, he sets himself up as a judge, and not only a judge of his brother, but a judge of the law. The lata here referred to is probably the law of Christ, or the rule which all Christians profess to obey. It is that which dames elsewhere calls the "law of liberty" (see Notes on chap. i. 25); the law which released men from the servitude of the Jewish rites, and gave them liberty to worship God without the restraint and bondage (Acts xv. 10; Gal. iv. 21-31) implied in that ancient system of worship; and the law by which it was contemplated that they should be free from sin. It is not absolutely certain to what the apostle refers here, but it would seem probable that it is to some course of conduct which one portion of the Church felt they were at liberty to follow, but which another portion regarded as wrong, and for which they censured them. The explanation which will best suit the expressions here used is that which supposes that it refers to some difference of opinion which existed among Christians, especially among those of Jewish origin, about the binding nature of the Jewish laws in regard to circumcision, to holy days, to ceremonial observances, to the distinctions of meats, etc. A part regarded the law on these subjects as still binding; another portion supposed that the obligation in regard to these matters had ceased by the introduction of the Gospel. Those who regarded the obligation of the Mosaic law as still binding would of course judge their brethren, and regard them as guilty of a disregard of the law of God by their conduct. We know that differences of opinion on these points gave rise to contentions, and to the formation of parties in the Church, and that it required all the wisdom of Paul and of the other apostles to hush the contending elements to peace. Comp. Notes on Col. ii. 16-18. To some such source of contention the apostle doubtless refers here; and the meaning probably is that they who held the opinion that all the Jewish ceremonial laws were still binding on Christians, and who judged and condemned their brethren who did not, by such a course judged and condemned "the law of liberty" under which they acted — the law of Christianity that had abolished the ceremonial observances, and released men from their obligation. The judgment which they passed, therefore", was not only on their brethren, but was on that law of Christianity which had given greater liberty of conscience, and which was intended to abolish
law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one Lawgiver, who a is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
the obligation of the Jewish ritual. The same thing now occurs when we judge others for a course which their consciences approve, because they do not deem it necessary to comply with all the rules which we think to be binding. Not a few of the harsh judgments which one class of religionists pronounces on others are in fact judgments on the laws of Christ. We set up our own standards, or our own interpretations, and then we judge others for not complying with them, when in fact they may be acting only as the law of Christianity properly understood would allow them to do. They who set up the claim to a right to judge the conduct of others should be certain that they understand the nature of religion themselves. It may be presumed, unless there is evidence to the contrary, that others are as conscientious as we are; and it may commonly be supposed that they who differ from us have some reason for what they do, and may be desirous of glorifying their Lord and Master, and that they may possibly be right. It is commonly not safe to judge hastily of a man who has turned his attention to a particular subject, or to suppose that he has no reasons to allege for his opinions or conduct. H Bat if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. It is implied here that it is the simple duty of every Christian to obey the law.: He is not to assume the office of a judge about its propriety or fitness, but he is to do what he supposes the law to require of him, and is to allow others to do the same. Our business in religion is not to make laws, or to declare what they should have been, or to amend those that are made: it is simply to obey those which are appointed, and to allow others to do the same, as they understand them. It would be well for all individual Christians and Christian denominations to learn this, and to imbibe the spirit of charity to which it would prompt.
12. There is one Lawgiver. There is but one who has a right to give law. The reference here is undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Legislator of the Church. This, too, is a most important and vital principle, though one that has been most imperfectly understood and acted upon. The tendency every where has been to enact other laws than those appointed by Christ — the laws of synods and councils—and to claim that Christians are bound to observe them, and should be punished if they do not. But it is a fundamental principle in Christianity that no laws are binding on the conscience but those which Christ has ordained, and that all attempts to make other laws pertaining to religion binding on the conscience is a usurpation of his prerogatives. The Church is.safe while it adheres to this as a settled principle; it is not safe when it submits to any legislation in religious matters as binding the conscience. TI Who is able to save and destroy. Comp. Matt. x. 28. The idea here would seem to be, that he is able to save those whom you condemn, and to destroy you who pronounce a judgment on them. Or, in general, it may mean that he is intrusted with all power, and is abundantly able to administer his government; to restrain where it is necessary to restrain; to save where it is proper to save; to punish where it is just to punish. The whole matter pertaining to judgment, therefore, may be safely left in his hands; and, as he is abundantly qualified for it, we should not usurp his prerogatives. John v. 22. Tf Who art thou that judgest another? "Who art thou, a weak and frail and erring mortal, thyself accountable to that Judge, that thou shouldst interfere, and pronounce judgment on another, especially when he is doing only what that Judge permits him to do? See this sentiment explained at length in the Notes on Rom. xiv. 4. Comp. Notes, Rom. ii. 1; and Matt. vii. 1. There is nothing more decidedly condemned in the Scriptures than the habit of pronouncing a judgment on the motives and conduct of others. There is nothing in which we are more liable to err, or to indulge in wrong feelings; and there is nothing which God claims more for himself as his peculiar prerogative. 13. Go to now. The apostle here in-