Thomas Manton · 47 of 60

A Practical Commentary, or an Exposition with Notes on the Epistle of James. · Chapter IV. · Part 6

3. The last question is, What special acts doth the soul put forth when it draweth nigh to God? The answer may be given you from what was said before. There must be an act of faith in our wants; by faith we must see that in God which we stand in need of in sense. Fear must be acted in all our ways, keeping us in God's eye: persons loose and regardless are far from God: `Walk before me, &c., Gen. xvii. 1. Then love and humility must be acted in holy duties. Drawing nigh doth chiefly imply humble and fervorous addresses; when you come naked to God, as the rich man that will clothe you; hungry to God, as the bountiful man that will feed you; sick to God, as the physician that will cure you; as servants to your Lord, as disciples to your master, as blind to the light, as cold to the fire, &c. The creatures addresses are best when they begin in want and end in hope, when there is a rare mixture of humility and confidence; and love there must be in every duty, for God must be sought as well as served.

Well, then, let us all mind this duty. Sin is a departing from God, grace a returning. Draw nigh to him, make out after the comforts and supports of his presence: the way is by Christ, but you must resolve upon it; I must, and I will: Ps. xxvii. 8, `Thy face, Lord, will I seek;, there must be a care to bring the soul to this resolution. Mark that place, Jer. xxx. 21, `I will cause him to draw near and approach to me, saith the Lord; for who is this that engageth his heart to draw near to me?, that is, by my Spirit I will comfort them. But will you engage your hearts? Out of a conviction of the necessity and excellency of the duty, issue forth a practical decree: David doth, Ps. lxxiii. 28, `It is good for me to draw near to God.,

Object. There is one doubt in the text which must be cleared before we go further, and that ariseth from the phrase used, `draw nigh to God, as if it were in our own power. The old Pelagians abused this place; and the Rhemists in their notes say, that free-will and man's own endeavour is necessary in coming to God, and that man is a cause of making himself clean, though God's grace be the principal. Usually two things have been built upon this place:—(1.) That the beginning of conversion is in man's power; (2.) That this beginning doth merit or increase further grace from God; for, say they, God will not draw near to man ere he do first draw near to him; therefore, before special grace the beginning of conversion must be in man, and upon this beginning God will come in.

Sol. I answer—(1.) This place and the like showeth not what man will do, but what he ought to do. We left God ere he left us; therefore, we should be first in returning, as we were first in forsaking: the wronged party may in justice tarry for our submission; but yet, such is the Lord's kindness, that he loveth us first, 1 John iv. 19. (2.) Precepts to duty are not measures of strength: there is no good argument a mandato ad effectum, from what ought to be done to what can or shall be done. These things are expressed thus for another purpose: to show God's right, to convince the creature of weakness, to show us our duty, that man's endeavour is required, and that we should do our utmost, to convince us wherein we have failed, &c. (3.) These precepts are not useless; to the elect they convey grace. God fulfilleth what he commandeth: evangelical commands carry their own blessing with them; for, by the co-working of the Spirit, by this means they are stirred up and made to draw near to God. Towards others they are convincing, and show us our obstinacy and contumacy; we will not come to God, and lie at the foot of his sovereignty, saying, O Lord, thou hast said, Turn to me, and I will turn to you: `Turn us and. we shall be turned; draw us and we shall draw near to thee, Jer. xxxi. 18. Men pretend cannot; the truth is they will not come, hungry to the table, thirsty to the fountain; they will not lie at God's feet for grace: so that those precepts convince the reprobate, and leave them without excuse. I shall conclude all with that sweet saying of Bernard, Nemo te quaerere potest, nisi qui prius invenerit; vis igitur inveniri ut quaeraris, quaeri ut inveniaris; potes quidem inveniri, non tamen praeveniri—none can be aforehand with God; we cannot seek him till we have found him; he will be sought that he may be found, and found that he may be sought: it is grace that must bring us to grace; and the stray sheep cannot be brought home unless it be upon Christ's shoulders.

2. Secondly, The next consideration of the words is, as they respect Christians already converted and called; and so the sense is, draw more near to God every day in a holy communion, and you shall have more grace from him. The note is:—

Obs. That gracious hearts should always be renewing their accesses to God by Christ. So 1 Peter ii. 5, `Coming to Christ as a living stone;, always coming to him in every duty, in every want. This maintaineth and increaseth grace, and maketh your lives sweet and comfortable, Drawing nigh to God is not the duty of an hour, or in season only at first conversion, but the work of our whole lives.

And he will draw nigh to you; that is, he will make us find that he is near to us by his favour and blessing. You have the like promise, Zech. i. 3, `Turn unto me, and I will turn unto you., So Mal. iii. 7, `Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.,

Obs. 1. Observe, that the way to have God to turn to us in mercy, is to turn to him in duty. This is the standing law of heaven; God will not vary from it; it is the best way for God's glory, and for the creatures, good. Mercies are most sweet and good to us when we are prepared for them by duty. Do not divide then between mercy and duty. Expectations in God's way cannot be disappointed. The prophet saith, Hosea x. 11, `Ephraim is an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn, but not to break the clods. The mouth of the beast that treadeth out the corn was not to be muzzled; in that work they had plenty of food. The meaning—Ephraim would have blessings, but could not endure the yoke of obedience. We are apt to lie upon the bed of ease, and securely look what God will do, but do not stir up ourselves to what we should do.

Obs. 2. God will be near those that are careful to hold communion with him. See Ps. cxlv. 18, `The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him, io all that call upon him in truth., Nigh to bless, to comfort, to quicken, to guide, to support them. Let it encourage us to come to God, yea, to run to him; we are sure to speed. The father ran to meet the returning prodigal, Luke xv. 18. He will prevent us with loving-kindness: `When they call I will answer, when they cry I will say, Here am I, Isa. lviii. 9. What have you to say to me? what would you have from me? Here am I to satisfy all your desires. Nay, elsewhere it is said, Isa. lxv. 24, `Before they call, I will answer, &c. When they do address themselves to seek God, he is nigh to counsel, to quicken, to enlighten, to defend; ready with blessing ere your imperfect desires can be formed into a request. So Ps. xxxii. 5, `I said, I will confess, and thou forgavest, &c. As soon as David had but conceived a repenting purpose, he felt the comfort of a pardon.

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, &c.—From the connection of this precept with the former you may observe:—

Obs. That unclean persons can have no commerce with God. You must be holy ere you can draw nigh to him; conformity is the ground of communion: Mat. vi. 9, `Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God., So Josh. xxiv. 19, `You cannot serve the Lord, for he is an holy God, &c. Without holiness God cannot endure our presence; he `will not take the wicked by the hand, Job viii. 20. And we cannot endure his presence: `The sinners in Zion will be afraid, Isa. xxxiii. 14. Well, then, when you would have free converse with God, come with a holy heart; there is special purgation required before worship. The Israelites were to wash themselves when they heard the law, Exod. xix. And David saith, Ps. xxvi. 6, `I will wash mine hands in innocency: and so compass thine altar, O Lord., He hath respect to the solemn washing, which God had appointed for such as came to the altar, Exod. xl. Again, if you would have sweet converse with God in your ways, walk holily; the Spirit of God loveth to dwell cleanly. See Ps. xxiv. 3, 4, `He that hath clean hands, and an holy heart, shall stand in his holy hill., Generally it was the custom of the eastern countries to wash before worship. The very heathen gods would be served in white, the emblem of purity.

Cleanse your hands.—It noteth good works; as pureness of heart implieth faith and holy affections. Thus it is often taken in scripture, as Job xvii. 9, `The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that is of pure hands shall grow stronger and stronger., Therefore washing the hands was a sign of innocency, as Pilate did in the matter of Christ. Thus the apostle Paul biddeth us, 1 Tim. ii. 8, to `lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting., So God telleth the Israelites, Isa. i. 15, 16, `Your hands are full of blood; wash you, make you clean, &c. When we come to empty the fountain of goodness, we must not do it with impure hands. The hands in all these places are put synecdochically for the whole body, and all the external organs of the soul, because they are principally employed in the accomplishing of many sins, as in bribes, rapine, lust, fights, &c.

Obs. Observe, that the Lord hath required not only holy hearts, but holy hands. The goodness of your hearts must appear in the integrity of your conversations. When men's actions are naught, they pretend their hearts are good. Is there no evil in the hand? The heart must be pure and the way undefiled, that we may neither incur blame from within nor shame from without; and when sin is once committed, the hand must be cleansed as-well as the heart. It is in vain to pretend repentance and washing the heart, when the hand is full of bribes or ill-gotten goods, and no restitution is made.

Ye sinners.—In this first clause he speaketh to men openly vicious, such as were tainted with the guilt of outward and manifest sins; so the word sinners is used in this place, as elsewhere, where it is put in definitely. So John ix. 31, `The Lord heareth not sinners;, that is, men of a corrupt life. So Mary Magdalene is called `a sinner, Luke vii. 37, that is, openly profane. So, `He eateth and drinketh with sinners, Mat. xi. 9, and Luke xv. 2. Now the chief work of open sinners is to cleanse the hands, or reform the life, that by such representations they may be beaten off from the fond presumption of a good heart whilst the life is scandalous.

Purify your hearts.—He speaketh this, partly because in this latter clause he dealeth with hypocrites, whose life is plausible enough, their main care should be about their hearts; partly because all cometh out of the heart.

Obs. Observe, if you would have a holy life, you must get a clean heart. True conversion beginneth there; spiritual life, as well as natural, is first in the heart. See 1 Peter ii. 11, 12, `Abstain from fleshly lusts . . . having your conversations honest., First mortify the lusts, then the deeds of the body of sin. If you would cure the disease, purge away the sick matter, not only stop the flux of the humours; lest sin return again, cast salt into the spring: Isa. lv. 7, `Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, &c. Mark, not only his way or course of life, but his thoughts, the frame of his heart; the heart is the womb of thoughts, and thoughts are the first issues and out-goings of corruption: Mat. xv. 19, `Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, &c. First the thoughts, then the practices. Well, then, they are foolish and vain men that are over-industrious about the outward man, washing the outside of cups and platters, Mark vii., altogether for dressing up a garb and pretence of religion. That which God looketh after and loveth is `truth in the inward parts, Ps. li. 6. God will easily find us out under our disguise, as the prophet did Jeroboam's wife. Be not careful merely of honour before the people, but of your hearts before God; and let conscience be dearer to you than credit. Many are sensible of failings in the carriage, because they betray and expose us to shame; you should be as sensible of distempers in the heart; lusts must not be digested without regret and remorse, no more than sins.

Ye double-minded, δίψυχοι.—The word signifieth `of two hearts, or `two souls., An hypocrite hath `an heart and an heart, which is odious to God; they halt between God and Baal, and deny the religion which they profess; their thoughts are divided, and their affections hover always in a doubtful suspense between God and the world. See the notes on chap. i. 8.

Ver. 9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness.

He now prescribeth them another remedy against their carnal affections and practices; it is proposed with the more earnestness, because of the calamity then ready to fall upon the people and nation of the Jews.

Be afflicted, ταλαιπωρήσατε. What is the meaning? Must we draw affliction and unnecessary troubles upon ourselves? I answer—(1.) It must be understood of some commendable afflicting ourselves; and therefore must either imply that our corporal afflictions and distresses ought to be borne patiently. `Be afflicted;, that is, if God bring it upon you, bear it, be content to be afflicted; it is our duty to be what God would have us to be; let your will be done when the Lord's is. Or else, (2.) Know your misery, be sensible of it; it is some happiness to know our misery. Man, in a proud obstinacy, choketh his grief and stifleth conviction. Or else (3.) It noteth compassion and fellow-feeling of others, sorrows. A member is sensible of pain as long as it holdeth the body: Heb. xiii. 3, `As being in the body, &c. A pinch or wound in the arm discomposeth the whole body; members will have a care of one another. Or else, (4.) And so most properly to the context, humbling and afflicting the soul for sin; sorrow seemeth to be made for that purpose and use.

Obs. Observe, if we would not be afflicted of God, we should afflict ourselves for sin. Voluntary humiliations are always best and sweetest; they please God best, and they do us most good. God is most pleased then. Christ was `wounded with one of the spouse's eyes, Cant. iv. 9. The angels rejoice at the creatures, repentance, Luke xv. 7. Some say there shall be godly sorrow in heaven, because there will be memory and remembrance of sins in heaven, and because it is rather a perfection than an oppression of nature. But that is a strain beyond elah; there all `tears are wiped from our eyes., But, however, it is pleasing to heaven, to God, and angels; and then these self-afflictings do us most good. Voluntary mournings prevent enforced. `Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted, Mat. v. 4, that do it freely, and of their own accord. It is one of the attributes of God, `he comforteth those that are cast down, 2 Cor. vii. 6. You see it preventeth misery; if not, it comforteth in misery. This mourning hath always a joy going along with it. Chrysostom observeth that the greatest mourner in Israel was the sweet singer in Israel. A Christian is never more truly joyful than after, yea, in godly sorrow. True conviction of sin is caused by `the Comforter, John xvi. 8. There is consolation mixed with it. Besides, it is of great profit to the soul. The rain maketh the ground flourish; and melted metals are fit to receive any stamp. `By the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better, Eccles. vii. 3. It is bitter physic, but it procureth health. Holy tears are the sponge of sin; a hard heart must be soaked, and a filthy heart must be washed in this water. We are most considerate when most pensive. Besides all this, the issue and end of it is very sweet. God will `revive the spirit of the humble, and restore comfort to the mourners, Isa. lvii. 15. Well, then, be afflicted; it is a hard duty, but of great profit. Make your sorrow to draw water for the sanctuary; affections, like the Gibeonites, must not be abolished, but kept for temple uses.

And mourn and weep.—Why so many words to one purpose? The whole verse and the next is of the same strain. I answer—(1.) It is a hard duty, and needeth much enforcement.

Obs. 1. Flesh and blood must be much urged to acts of sorrow. They are painful to the body, and burdensome to the mind^ Frothy spirits love their pleasure and ease: `The fool's heart is in the house of mirth, Eccles. vii. A loose, garish spirit doth not love to converse with mournful objects, or to be pressed to mourning duties. It showeth how instant and earnest we should be in pressing such duties as these. Oh! `weep, `mourn, `be afflicted., It is one of the fancies now in fashion, men would be altogether honeyed and oiled with grace; the wholesome severities of religion are distasted. Some that would be taken for Christians of the highest form are altogether prejudiced against such doctrines as this is, and think we are legal when we press humiliation. How may the poor ministers of the gospel go to God, and say as Moses did, Exod. vi. 12, `The children of Israel have not hearkened unto me, how then shall Pharaoh hear me?, Lord, the professors will not brook such doctrine as this is, how shall we hope to prevail with the poor, blind, carnal world? Certainly it is very sad that that which was wont to be a badge of profaneness men should now adopt it into their religion; I mean, scoffing at doctrines of repentance and humiliation.

Obs. 2. It is a necessary duty; those that will be Christians must look to mourn. The Spirit descended in the form of a dove, to note both meekness and mourning. Christian affections will be tender. God's glory cannot be violated, but your heart will even bleed if it be right: Ps. cxix. 136, `Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, because thy law is made void., When sins are common, your souls will `weep sore in secret places, Jer. xiii. 17. If afflictions light on God's heritage, you will have a fellow-feeling, Rom. xii. 15. Nay, there will be not only occasions offered without, but within. Your own sins, your own wants. Your sins: Lam. v. 16, `Woe is us, for we have sinned., Times shall come when you shall have occasion to mourn like the doves of the valleys. Oh! woe the time that ever I sinned against God! Your wants and needs: all gracious supplies are to be fetched out this way. The disciple is not above his Lord. `By prayers, and tears, and strong cries, &c., Heb. v. 7. His requests were uttered with deep sighs. Christ, that shed his blood, did also shed tears; and if he were `a man of sorrows, certainly we must not be men and women of pleasures. Well, then, do not call mourning melancholy. The world dealeth perversely with the children of God; they provoke their sorrow, and then upbraid them with it; your sins and injuries give them occasion to mourn, and then you blemish the holy profession, as if it were mopishness and melancholy. Those tears that you see upon the eyes of God's children are either shed for their own sins or yours. If for yours, you should not upbraid them, but bear them company; mourn with these doves of the valleys. If for their own, `a stranger doth not intermeddle with their joys., The sun shineth many times while it raineth: there may be joy in their hearts whilst there are tears in their eyes. Again, it serveth to press us to this duty: better be a `mourner in Zion, than a `sinner in Zion., The mourners were marked for preservation. Though it be a duty against the heart and hair, yet imitate those holy ones of God that `watered their couches with tears, Ps. vi. 6, that wished `their heads to be fountains of water, Jer. ix. 1. It is likely you will come short of them, but high aims and attempts in duty will do you no hurt. He that shooteth at the sun, though he come far short, will shoot higher than he that aimeth at a shrub; it is best to eye the highest and worthiest examples. Again, it showeth how little of a Christian is found in them that are strangers to godly sorrow, that bathe and steep their souls in fleshly delights. Christ was `a man of sorrows, and the Spirit is a `mourning dove., I confess some Christians are of a sadder temper than others; the Spirit acteth with difference and variety; in some more mournfully, in others more raisedly. Some men's lives are spent in the silence of meditation, others in the heat of service, in doing and suffering for God. The one makes use of Christ's love, like holy Niobes, to dissolve and melt away their souls in tears; the other to quicken themselves to action and more resolution for God. But certainly every Christian is of tender bowels, and they will find frequent occasions of mourning; and unless we be well humbled, we can hardly do well or suffer well.

Obs. 3. The next reason of this multiplication of words is to show that we must continue and persevere in it. We would soon turn over our hard lesson, and love not to dwell upon sad thoughts; therefore the apostle returneth the duty again and again to our care: `Be afflicted, and then `mourn, and then `weep., Sorrow doth not work till it be deep and constant, and the arrows stick fast in the soul. David saith, `My sin is ever before me, Ps. li. 3. We must be held to it; slight sorrows are soon cured. Mourning is a holy exercise, by which the soul is every day more and more weaned from sin, and drawn out to reach after God. Well, then, it checketh those that content themselves with a hasty sigh, and a little blowing upon the matter: judge you, is this being afflicted and mourning and weeping? Check such a vain heart as would presently run out into the house of mirth again. But you will say, Would you have us turn Heraclites, to be always weeping? I answer—(1.) True it is that sorrow befitteth this life rather than joy. Now we are `absent from the Lord, under the burden of a `vile body, and vicious affections; it is our pilgrimage; we have only a few `songs., God's statutes, Ps. cxix. 54. The communion that we have with God in ordinances is but little. Grace is mixed with sin, faith with doubts, knowledge with ignorance, and peace with troubles. Now `we groan., Rom. viii. 23. We are waiting and groaning for a full and final deliverance. We are as they that `pass through the valley of Baca, Ps. lxxxiv. 6; the Septuagint read δακρύων, tears. (2.) There are some special seasons and occasions of mourning, as chiefly in the time of God's absence: `When the bridegroom is gone, then shall they mourn, Mat. ix. 15; when we have lost the comforts and refreshings of God's presence, or the quickenings of his Spirit. The absence of the sun maketh the earth languish; when you have lost the shine of his countenance, you should cry after him. So in times of great guilt, public or personal: `Deep calleth on deep, and floods to floods;, the deluge of sins upon the flood of holy tears. So in times of great distempers, and the growing of carnal lusts. The persons to whom the apostle speaketh were envious, proud, covetous, ambitious, and he biddeth them `weep and mourn, &c. Salt water and bitter potions kill the worms; so doth bitter weeping fleshly lusts: the exercises of repentance are the best means for the mortifying of carnal desires. So in times when judgments are threatened. Thunder usually causeth rain; and threatenings should draw tears from us. So in times of calamity, when judgments are actually inflicted: Isa. xxii. 12, `Then the Lord called to sackcloth, and baldness, and ashes., So also in times of great mercies, it is a fit season to remember our unkindness; the warm sun melts: she wept much, because she was pardoned much, Luke vii. 38, with 47. When Christ had washed her soul with his blood, she washed his feet with her tears.

Let your laughter be turned into mourning.—He meaneth their carnal rejoicing in their outward comforts and possessions, they being gotten by rapine and violence, as in the context. Observe hence:—

Obs. 1. That it is a good exchange to put away carnal joy for godly sorrow; for then we put away a sin for a duty, brass for gold; yea, we have that in the duty which we expected in the sin, and in a more pure, full, and sweet way. God will give us that in sorrow which the world cannot find in pleasure; serenity, and contentment of mind. When the world repenteth of their joy, you will never repent of your sorrow, 2 Cor. vii. 10. Solomon saith, Prov. xiv. 13, `The end of that mirth is heaviness., Worldly comforts in the issue and close grow burdensome; but who ever was the sadder for the hours of repentance? Job `cursed the day of his birth, but who ever cursed the day of his new birth? In this exchange of laughter for sorrow, you give that which is good for nothing for that which is useful to your souls. Eccles. ii. 2, 3, `I have said of laughter, thou art mad;, that is, it bringeth forth no solid comfort or profit. When we turn our laughter into mourning, God will turn our mourning into laughter: John xvi. 20, `Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy., Out of these salt waters God breweth the wine of spiritual consolation. It is the curse of wicked men that their joy will be `bitterness in the issue:, their wine proveth at length to be like `the gall of asps;, a cup of deadly drink to their conscience. Well, then, be not prejudiced against godly sorrow. Planctus lugentium are better then plausus theatrorum, the saddest duties are sweeter then the greatest triumphs, and the worst and most afflicted part of godliness is better than all the joys and comforts of the world. It is better to have your good things to come, than here: Luke xvi. 21, he lived in jollity, but his good days were past. Do not measure things by the present sweetness, but by the future profit; that which droppeth honey may prove wormwood. See Luke vi. 25, `Woe unto you that laugh now, for you shall weep, &c.

Obs. 2. That an excellent way to moderate the excess of joy is to mix it with some weeping. He speaketh to men drunk with their present happiness, and his drift is to awaken them out of their sense less stupor. The way to abate one passion is to admit the contrary: in abundance there is danger; therefore in your jollity think of some mournful objects. Nazianzen reporteth of himself that this was his practice, when his mind was likely to be corrupted with happiness, τοῖς θρένοις συγγίγνομαι, &c., to read the Lamentations of Jeremiah,and to inure his soul to the consideration of matters sad and mournful. It was God's own physic to Belshazzar, in the midst of his cups to bring him to think of his ruin by a handwriting upon the wall. Well, then, when your mountain standeth strong, think of changes; evils come upon us unawares when we give up our hearts to joy. The secure carnalist would not so much as suppose a possibility of his death that night, Luke xii. 19. Better it was with Job, chap. iii. 25, `The evil which I greatly feared is come upon me., The cockatrice killeth us not if we see it first.