Thomas Manton · 44 of 60

A Practical Commentary, or an Exposition with Notes on the Epistle of James. · Chapter IV. · Part 3

Know ye not.—He appealeth to their consciences; it is a rousing question. Worldly men do not sin out of ignorance so much as incogitancy; they do not consider.

That the friendship of the world.—By ἡ φιλία τοῦ κίσμου he understandeth an emancipation of our affections to the pleasures, profits, and lusts of the world. Men study to please their friends, and they are friends of the world therefore that seek to gratify worldly men or worldly lusts, and court outward vanities rather than renounce them; a practice unsuitable to religion. You may use the world, but not seek the friendship of it. Those that would be dandled upon the world's knees, lose a friend of Christ. As to instance, in pleasing the men of the world, Gal. i. 10, `If I yet please men, I were not the servant of Christ., So for gratifying of worldly lusts; we may use the comforts of the world, but may not serve the lusts and pleasures of it: that is a description of the carnal state, Titus iii. 3.

Is enmity with God.—When you begin to please the world you wage war against heaven, and bid open defiance to the Lord of hosts; the love of God and care of obedience is abated just so much as the world prevaileth in you. There is a like expression Rom. viii. 7, `The carnal mind is enmity against God;, averse and adverse. So doth the world not only withdraw the heart from God, but oppose him. A man can hardly serve two masters, though of the same judgment; but God and the world are opposite masters, they command contrary things: 1 John ii. 15, `If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him;, Mat. vi. 24, `Ye cannot serve God and mammon., They that match covetousness with profession seek to reconcile two of the most unsuitable things in the world.

Whosoever therefore.—General truths must be enforced by applicative inferences, and so they fall directly upon the soul: Job v. 27, `So it is, hear it, and know it for thy good.,

Will be the friend of the world.—Βουληθῆ noteth the aim and serious purpose. All do not find the world to favour them; do what they can, `the world is crucified to them;, but they are not as Paul was, `crucified to the world, Gal. vi. 14. Therefore the scripture taketh notice not of what is in the event, but the aim. Besides, the serious purpose and choice discovereth the state of the soul; he is also absolutely a worldly man that will be a friend of the world. So 1 Tim. vi. 9, οἵ βουλόμενοι πλουτεῖν, `they that will be rich., In heavenly matters the deliberate choice and full purpose discovereth grace: Acts xi. 23, `That with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord., Therefore Christians should look to their purpose and aim. What is it? What do you give your minds to? When a man setteth himself to grow rich, to lay up treasures upon earth, he is a worldly man; as when he giveth his heart and mind and whole man to do what God requireth, whatever cometh of it, he is a true servant of the Lord. To this purpose are those speeches of Solomon: Prov. xxiii. 4, `Labour not to be rich;, that is, do not give up thy heart and endeavours to find out and follow all ways to increase thy wealth and estate: so Prov. xxviii. 20, `He that maketh haste to be rich, &c., hath set up that for his purpose. Now this purpose of the soul may be known, partly by a resolute carrying on the end without weighing the means and consequences; partly by the diligence and earnestness of the spirit. When the end is fixed, we are patient of all labour, but impatient of check and disappointment.

Is the enemy of God.—Actively and passively; it maketh a man hate God, and to be hated by God. Duty will either make us weary of the world, or the world will make us weary of duty. The children of God have experience of the one, and hypocrites of the other.

The points, besides those observed in the exposition, are these:—

Obs. 1. That worldliness in Christians is spiritual adultery. It dissolveth the spiritual marriage between God and the soul; of all sins it is most unsuitable to the marriage-covenant, the covenant of grace, wherein God propoundeth himself to be `all-sufficient, Gen. xvii. 1. We have enough in God, but we desire to make up our happiness in the creatures; this is plain whoring: Ps. lxxiii. 27, `Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee;, that is, those which sought that in the world which is only to be found in God. There are degrees in this whoredom. You know there may be adultery in affection when the body is not defiled; unclean glances are a degree of lust. The children of God may have some outrunning and straggling thoughts: when the devil is at their elbows, the world may be greatened in their esteem and imagination: `Happy is the people that is in such a case, Ps. cxliv. 15; but they presently correct themselves, and return to the bosom of God; yea, rather, `happy is the people whose God is the Lord., In others there is a higher degree; they settle those affections upon the world which are only due and proper to God, as their care, delight, desire, fear, hope, which should be kept chaste and loyal to Jesus Christ; yet there is still some profession. As a woman that is not contented with one husband, and yet still retaineth the colour and pretence of the first marriage: this is in hypocrites, who divide their hearts between God and the world. There are others who plainly leave the Creator for the creature, and prefer the world before God, the profits and pleasures of it before communion with him in holy duties. To let the world share with God is an evil, but to prefer the world before God is an impiety. As a whorish wife preferreth every one before her own husband, so do the profane, who live as professed prostitutes: their love is wholly with drawn from God as a husband, and their obedience from him as a lord: they `love pleasures more than God, 2 Tim. iii. 4. Well, then, check worldly inclinations; when 3 r our hearts are too passionately drawn forth to present comforts and contentments, or when your thoughts are raised into too great admiration of them, or when worldly ease and pleasure hindereth and withdraweth you from duty, or are apt to prefer carnal satisfaction before communion with God, remember at such time this is adultery. You are not your own, but given up to God: 1 Cor. vi. 15, `Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? And shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid., This love is Christ's; these admiring thoughts, these pains, time, care, earnestness, they are all Christ's; and shall I give that which is Christ's to the world? God hath fenced us against outward adultery by fear and shame: some countries punish it with whipping, others with death. There is baseness and danger also in spiritual adultery. There is baseness; affections are impure, so far as they are let out upon other things rather than God: shall I be an adulterer or an adulteress to God? How will this expose me to the scorn of men and angels? At the last day they will come pointing, as in Ps. lii. 7, `This is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches!, This is a Gadarene, that loved his swine more than Christ, that preferred a game at cards before communion with God, a cup, a drunken meeting, before the house of God, &c. Spiritual harlots will not be able to look good men and angels in the face. There is danger in it too; God is a jealous God. Whoring under the law was punished with death: `Every one that goeth a-whoring from thee wilt thou destroy., There is nothing provoketh the Lord so much as this, that base things should be preferred before him.

Obs. 2. From that and adulteresses. The Syriac translation hath not this word; the vulgar hath only adulteri, yet the Greek copies have it. It is not usual in scriptures to speak to women; the speeches of the apostles in their epistles are usually directed to men, therefore it is the more notable. The note is, that women have special need to take heed of worldly pleasures and lusts: `You adulterers and adulteresses., Whore is a name of reproach; you cannot endure it. Ah! be not whores spiritually, doting too much upon outward pleasure and pomp. You are loyal to your earthly husbands; ah! be so to Jesus Christ. Men's hearts are more usually distracted with worldly cares, but yours are apt to be besotted with worldly pleasures; we usually call it softness and effeminacy. The apostle speaks of some women that `wax wanton against Christ, 1 Tim. v. 11; that is, when they begin to renounce the inward mortification of fleshly lusts. Remember you have a heavenly husband; let not soft delicacy so corrupt your minds as to make you forget your duty to him: you have a great many snares—your tenderness, others, examples, &c.

Obs. 3. That to seek the friendship of the world is the ready way to be God's enemy. God and the world are contrary; he is all good, and the world lieth in wickedness; and they command contrary things. The world saith, Slack no opportunity of gain and pleasure; if you will be so peevish as to stand nicely upon conscience, you will do nothing but draw trouble upon yourselves. Now, God saith, Deny yourselves, take up your cross, renounce the world, &c. The world saith, `Wilt thou take thy bread, and thy water, and thy flesh, and give it unto men whom thou knowest not whence they be?, 1 Sam. xxv. 11. But God saith, `Sell that ye have, and give alms, provide bags that waste not, &c. It were easy to instance in several such contrarieties. We find by experience that so far as we mingle with the world, so far are our hearts deadened and estranged from God; and by the encroachment of worldly delights and vanities upon the spirit, the love of God decayeth. It is a vain conceit to think we can serve God and our lusts too. The world and grace are incompatible; they may be together sometimes, as a rusty dial may be right by chance. But you will be put to trial; and when God and the world come in competition, you may see whose friendship you do desire. When a worldly man must do the one or the other, you shall see where his heart is; he will rather offend God than lose riches, pleasures, or preferment: he is loath to be bound up by the curt allowance of conscience and religion; and though he would gild all with a pretence of respect to God, yet carnal reasons oversway, and he taketh the world's part against God. Well, now, you see the enmity between God and the world. (1.) Think of it seriously, when you are about to mingle with earthly comforts and delights, and can neglect God for a little carnal conveniency and satisfaction; this is to be an enemy to God; and can I make good my part against him? He is almighty, and can crush you. What are our feeble hands to the grasp of omnipotency? See Ezek. xxii. 14. And he is a terrible enemy `when he whetteth his glittering sword, Deut. xxxii. 41. Nay, if none of all this were to be feared, the very estrangement from God is punishment enough to itself. Shall I renounce the love and favour of God, and all commerce and communion between him and me, for a little temporal delight and pleasure? God forbid. (2.) Learn how odious worldliness is; it is direct enmity to God, because it is carried on under sly pretences; of all sins this seemeth most plausible. Usually we stroke it with a gentle censure, and say, He is a good man, but a little covetous and worldly, &c. That is enough to entitle him God's enemy. The world reckoneth sins, not by the inward contrariety to God, but by the outward excesses and acts of filthiness; and therefore, because covetous persons do not break out into acts foul and shameful, they have much of the honour and respect of the world: Ps. xlix. 13, `Their way is folly, yet their posterity approve their sayings;, that is, praise and esteem such a kind of life. Sensual persons are like beasts, and therefore the object of common scorn; but worldliness suiteth more with carnal reason, and is a sin more human and rational: Ps. x. 3, `They bless the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth., The Lord abhorreth them, but men bless them; for they do not measure sins so much by the inward enmity, as by the outward excess. God's hatred ariseth from his own purity, but man's from the external inconveniences of disgrace and loss.

Ver. 5. Do ye think the scripture saith in vain. The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

This scripture hath been much vexed with the several expositions of those that have dealt in it, because it doth not easily appear of what scripture or of what spirit the apostle speaketh. Two opinions are most worthy of regard. Some interpret it of the Spirit of God, others of the corrupt spirit of man. Those that refer it to the Spirit of God read it with a double interrogation, thus: `Doth the scripture speak in vain? doth the Spirit that dwelleth in us lust to envy?, And they interpret it thus: Do the scriptures speak in vain to this drift and purpose to which I have spoken to you? meaning the sentences last spoken, which are everywhere scattered throughout the word: `Doth the Spirit that is in us lust to envy?, that is, the Spirit of God, doth it lust in such a carnal manner? Their reasons are three:—(1.) Because the sentence supposed to be in the latter part of the text is nowhere found in scripture, and therefore some are forced to fly to the shift of some ancient book of piety now lost. (2.) The next is, because of that phrase, `The Spirit which dwelleth in us, which is most properly and most usually applied to the Spirit of God, who is given to us that he may dwell in us; but is not so proper to our corruption, which usually is not called `a spirit, or, at least, not `a spirit dwelling in us., (3.) The third is taken from the first clause of the next verse, `But he giveth more grace;, which he being a relative, must have an antecedent, and that is the Spirit of God here intended. These are the arguments.

The other opinion, that referreth it to the wicked spirit of man, expoundeth the place thus: `Doth the scripture say in vain?, that is, it is not for nothing that the scripture saith: what doth it say? That `the spirit dwelling in us;, that is, our corrupt nature. Some say Satan—more probably the former—`lusteth to envy?, that is, is mightily carried forth that way. To this opinion I do incline, and my reason is, the easiness and commodiousness of the sense. The other is more harsh and intricate: as also the suitableness of it with the scope of the apostle, which is to prove that carnal lusts are natural to us, and do not become him that would be a friend of God; those that are wholly carried to evil cannot be his friends. And so both text and context runneth smoothly.

But how shall we answer the contrary arguments?

I answer thus—(1.) The first is, that this saying, `The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy, is nowhere found in scripture. To which I reply, that the sense of it is found in scripture, though not the τὸ ῥῆτον, the express words; and when scripture is quoted generally, the sense is sufficient. The apostle, writing to Jews who were versed in scripture, quoteth it generally, and at large. As also doth Peter in many places, and so Paul: 1 Cor. xiv. 21, `In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people., So ver. 34, `Women are to be under obedience, as also saith the law., Now these words are nowhere in terminis, but are the drift of many scriptures. So Eph. v. 14, `Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, &c., where there is a general citation. So here it is the drift of many scriptures to speak of the corrupt nature of man, and a wicked spirit dwelling in us; though I conceive there is a special allusion to one place, as there is in all those other citations mentioned; and the place alluded to here is Gen. viii. 21, `The imagination of man's heart is evil, only evil, and that continually., And though there be no mention of envy, yet with good reason the apostle might apply a general place to his particular purpose. (2.) The second argument is taken from the property of the phrases, spirit, and κησεν, dwelleth, or hath taken up his habitation in us; but this may be very fitly applied to that natural and corrupt spirit which now we have. I have observed, that it is usual in the scripture to call the bent and strong propension of the soul, either to good or evil, spirit; as `we have not received the spirit of the world, 1 Cor. ii. 12. And the phrase of dwelling in us is used by the apostle, and applied to sin, Rom. vii. 17. Neither is there any emphasis in the word to cause it to be peculiar to the gift of the Holy Ghost; for it only noteth promiscuously any intimate abode. (3.) The third argument is taken from the beginning of the next verse. I answer—If you render it but `it giveth more grace, it is referred to the scriptures; if `he giveth more grace, it is referred to God, mentioned in ver. 4. But we shall examine that passage when we come to ver. 6.

The points are these:—

Obs. 1. Though sin be natural to us, it is not therefore the less evil. It is the apostle's argument against envy and lust, `The spirit that is in us lusteth to it., Poison by nature is more than poison by accident. We pity that which is poisoned, we hate that which is poisonous; as we pity a dog that is poisoned by chance, but hate a toad that is poisonous by nature. We use it as an excuse. We are sinners, and so are all by nature. Ah! this is the greatest aggravation. So David, Ps. li. 5, `In sin was I born, and conceived in iniquity, Lord, I have committed adultery, and I have an adulterous heart and nature! We should set against those sins with the more care, and be humbled for them with the more grief, that are natural to us.

Obs. 2. From that doth the scripture say in vain? Yet it is nowhere in the same terms and words. The scripture saith that which may be inferred from the scope of it and by just consequence. Immediate inferences are as valid as express words. Christ proveth the resurrection not by direct testimony, but by argument, Mat. xxii. 32. What the scripture doth import, therefore, by good consequence, should be received as if it were expressed.

Obs. 3. Carnal persons make the scriptures speak in vain as to them: 2 Cor. vi. 1, `We beseech you, receive not the grace of God in vain;, that is, the offers of the gospel. When the word of God hath not an answerable effect, it is to us a vain and dead letter. Oh! do not let the scriptures, by way of comfort, counsel, or reproof, speak in vain to you. When you meet with any moving passage, ask within yourselves, Wherefore was this spoken in the word of God? was it spoken in vain? or shall I make it so? &c.

Obs. 4. From that the spirit that dwelleth in us. Some understand it of Satan, as we hinted, `who worketh in the children of disobedience, Eph. ii. 2, but more properly of our own spirit, the bent of our carnal hearts. Naturally we have all a wicked spirit that dwelleth in us. We commit sin, as heavy bodies move downward, not from an impression without, but from our own spirit and nature. Oh! be the more earnest to partake of the divine nature, and be more watchful over yourselves. Your own spirit is the cause of sin; inward concupiscence is the worst enemy, James i. 14.

Obs. 5. From that πρὸς φθόνον ἐπιποθεῖ, lusteth to envy, or desireth towards envy. A carnal spirit is strongly carried out in the ways of sin; it desireth after it. Suspect such desires as are too vehement; pantings after earthly matters come from lust.

Obs. 6. From that to envy. Natural corruption doth most of all bewray itself by envy. We have it as soon as we come into the world, and it is a hard matter to leave it ere we go out of it again; children suck it in with their milk. The devil first envied us the favour of God, and ever since we have envied one another. The children of God are often surprised. So Joshua, Num. xi. 29. So Peter envied John, as excelling him in the love of Christ, John xxi. 20, 21. It is a sin that breaketh both tables at once; it beginneth in discontent with God, and endeth in injury to man; it is the root of hatred against godliness. They that are at the bottom of the hill fret at those that are at the top, and men malign what they will not imitate. Wicked men would have all upon the same level. Abel's sacrifice was better than Cain's, and therefore Cain murdered him. Man would have his own weaknesses lie hid under the common defects; or else out of self-love, like the sun, he would shine alone; and thence come outrages in the world: Prov. xxvii. 4, `Wrath is cruel, and anger outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?, The heat of anger is soon spent, but envy is a settled, crooked malice, that doth but watch advantage to destroy.

Ver. 6. But he giveth more grace: wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

But he giveth more grace.—Some read it giveth, applying it to the scripture. It giveth grace, because it offereth it, and is a means in God's hand of working it. But I rather suppose it is to be applied to God, for it is spoken in opposition to `the spirit in us that lusteth to envy;, and so suiteth with the scope of the context, which is to show, that a wordly spirit is contrary to God. This clause, as thus applied, hath been severally expounded; but because the difference is mostly in the formality of expression, and the senses be all pious and subordinate one to another, it will not be amiss to improve them into so many several observations.

Obs. 1. You may refer it to the context thus: `Our spirit lusteth to envy; but he giveth more grace;, that is, we are envious, and God is bountiful. It is usual in scripture to oppose God's liberality to our envy, his good hand to our evil eye, Mat. xx. 15. Damascene calleth God ἄφθονος, one without envy, because he is most liberal. The note is, that an envious disposition is very contrary to God. God is for communication, and we are for confinement. We would have all blessings within our line and pale; we malign the good of others, but God delighteth. in it. This may make envy odious to us; we all affect to be like God. Our first parents greedily swallowed that bait, `Ye shall be as gods., We would be so in a cursed self-sufficiency, why are we not so in a holy conformity? To set on this thought, consider—(1.) God hath no need to dispense his blessings; we stand in need of one another, the highest monarch of the meanest subject. God was happy enough within himself before there was any creature: Acts xvii. 25. `He needed nothing., The Trinity was not solitary; the persons solaced themselves in one another before there was hill or mountain, Prov. viii. 30. Now, for us to desire all good things inclosed, whose happiness is dependent, and consisteth in a mutual communication, it must be exceeding vile. (2.) It is not only an unlikeness to God, but an injury to him; we would have him less good, and so do not only accuse the wisdom of his dispensations, but would straiten the goodness of his nature. Certainly, then, there is little of the Spirit of God where there is such an envious spirit. Grace standeth in a conformity to God, and therefore it is expressed by a `participation of the divine nature, 2 Peter i. 4. Grace is nothing else but an introduction of the virtues of God into the soul. Now, God delighteth in `giving more grace;, and therefore such as are not communicative and diffusive of their good to others, or are all for an inclosure of blessings, or cannot rejoice in the parts, services, or excellencies of others, have nothing at all, or very little, of the nature of God in them.

Obs. 2. Another consideration of this clause is this: Our spirit is strongly carried to envy, but God giveth more grace; that is, there is enough in him to check sins that are most impetuous and raging. There is enough in God to help the creature in its sorest conflicts. See Mat. xix. 26, `It is impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God; but with God all things are possible., Usually we measure infiniteness by our last, and bring down divine attributes to the rate of creatures, judging of God by our own scant ling; as if what is impossible to our endeavours were so also to the divine grace: Zech. viii. 6, `Because it is marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people, should it also be marvellous in my eyes? saith the Lord of hosts., There is more in God than there can be in nature, and Satan is not so able to destroy as Christ is to save. Well, then, when lusts are strong, think of a strong God, a mighty Christ, upon whom help is laid. You cannot cure your spirits of envy, pride, self-confidence, or vainglory; but God `giveth more grace., Sense of weakness should not be a discouragement, but an advantage. So it was to Paul; when he was weak in himself, he was always most strong in Christ, 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. Usually we vex ourselves with idle complaints: `This is a hard saying, John vi. These are austerities which nature can never endure, corruptions which we shall never overcome; and so are discouraged and draw back. Oh! consider, though nature be not only envious, but doth ἐπιποθεῖν πρὸς φθόνον, `lust to envy, yet `he giveth more grace., If there were a will, you would not want power; the chiefest thing that God requireth of the creature is choice and will: Isa. i. 19, `If ye be willing and obedient, &c. All God's aim is to bring, you upon your knees, and to take power out of the hands of his mercy.

Obs. 3. Another consideration is this: Though we are wicked and sinful, God will make his grace abound the more; our spirit lusteth to envy, and he giveth the more grace. Observe, God taketh occasion many times to discover the more grace by our sinfulness. So Rom. v. 20, `Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound., What a wise God do we serve, that can make our sins abound to his glory! And what a good God, that will take occasion from our wickedness to show the more grace! It is some kind of claim, `Lord, I am a dog, Mat. xv. 27; and if Christ died for sinners, I am sure I can plead that `I am chief, of that number, 1 Tim. i. 15. If you have no other plea, offer yourselves this way to God, and take hold of the dark side of the promises.

Obs. 4. Another consideration of this place may be this: Naturally it is thus with us, but he giveth more grace; when you are renewed and converted to the faith of Christ, you have another manner of spirit; you are not carried by the old envious spirit that dwelleth in you, but by a more gracious spirit which God hath given you. Observe, the old spirit and the new spirit are quite different. You will be otherwise by grace than what you were by nature. Conversion is discovered by a change. Oh! what a sad thing it is when Christians are what they ever were! You should have more grace; your word should be, ego non sum ego—I am not I now; or nunc oblita mihi—these were my old courses; or, as the apostle, 1 Peter iv. 3, `The time past may suffice to have walked in the lusts of the flesh, &c.