Thomas Manton · 50 of 60
A Practical Commentary, or an Exposition with Notes on the Epistle of James. · Chapter IV. · Part 9
Obs. We shall live, and do this or that.—Mark! it is not enough that God suffer us to live, but he must also by the same will suffer us to do or act. The point is, that God's will concurreth not only to our lives, but actions. We may live, and yet not be able to do anything for the promotion of our designs: for if God suspend his concurrence, the creatures cannot act, at least not with any Cowardliness and success, which quite crosseth the doctrine of the philosophers. Seneca said, Quod vivamus, deorum munus est; quod bene vivamus, nostrum—that we live, it is by the benefit of the gods; that we live well, it is of ourselves. So Tully: Judicium hoc omnium mortalium est, &c.—this is the judgment of all men, that prosperity is to be sought of God, but wisdom to be gotten by ourselves. But in the scriptures we are taught otherwise, not only to seek success of God, but direction; he giveth abilities to perform, and a blessing when the action is finished. Without the efficacious as well as permissive will of God, `we can do nothing; he must give us life, and all things necessary to action. We must not only look up to him as the author of the success, but the director of the action. It is by his conduct and blessing that all things come to pass. Our very counsels and wills are subject to the divine government, and he can turn them as it pleaseth him, Prov. xxi. 1; and therefore we must not only commit our ways to his , but commend our hearts to the tuition of his Spirit. In short, all things are done by his will, and must be ascribed to his praise.
Ver. 16. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
Here the apostle cometh to charge more closely their arrogant presumption of outward success upon their consciences, especially it being aggravated by professed acknowledgment and avowing of it, against the threatenings of the word.
But now ye rejoice in your boastings.—It is not easy to define of what boastings the apostle meaneth. The persons to whom he wrote are charged, chap, ii., with glorying in their riches, and afterward for bearing up upon a mere profession of godliness, and glorying in their supposed religion; after that he chargeth them with glorying in a presumption of wisdom, manifested in their censorious insultations over the failings of others, chap. iii.; and now, last of all, for their glorying in their hopes, or fond prognostications of the success of their own endeavours, as if their lives and actions were in their own power, and exempted from the dominion and government of providence. Probably all these may be intended, for the apostle's expression is plural, ἀλαζονείαις, `ye glory in your boastings;, though I conceive the latter is principally intended, their avowing their confidence, notwithstanding the many threatenings which were ready to be executed upon them. For, though the apostle's doctrine be of general use, and at all times we must conceive our purposes with submission to the will of God, yet his chief drift is to check the security, carelessness, and carnal confidence of their hearts, judgments now approaching, and the happiness of the Jewish affairs running low, even to the bottom and dregs. For you shall see in the beginning of the next chapter he presently ringeth them a loud peal of threatenings, and representeth the avenging judge as at the door, or at hand, to recompense their . Now, because they would their confidence, yea, glory in it, what sad thoughts soever others had of the times, he saith, `Ye rejoice or glory in your boastings.,
Such rejoicing is evil; that is, though you think it a brave confidence, yet certainly it is but a carnal security. He saith no more of it, but it is evil, because they defended it as good; it is evil, as coming from an evil cause, pride, and wretched security; it is evil in its own nature, as being an outbraving of the word; it is evil in its effects, as hindering you from good, and putting you upon traffic and aspiring projects, when you should more solemnly mind humbling duties, and `be afflicted, and weep, and mourn, &c., as is pressed before, ver. 9. And this I conceive is the mind of the apostle in this verse, which is usually passed over by interpreters slightly, without that necessary regard which should be had to the scope of the context and epistle. Note hence:—
Obs. 1. That such is the degeneration of human nature, that it doth not only practise sins, but glory in them. Man fallen is but man inverted and turned upside down; his love is where his hatred should be, and his hatred where his love should be; his glory where his shame should be, and his shame where his glory should be. Many count strictness a disgrace, and sin a bravery. The apostle saith, Phil. iii. 19, `They glory in their shame., It cometh to pass some times through ignorance; men mistake evil for good, and so call revenge valour or resolution, and prosperity in an evil way the blessing of providence upon their zealous endeavours, and presumptuous carelessness a well-built confidence. God charged it upon his people that they had made great feasts of rejoicing when they had more cause to mourn: Jer. xi. 15, `The holy flesh is past from thee; when thou dost evil, then thou rejoicest., Usually, by our fond mistakes, thus it is we are blessing and praising God when we have more cause to humble and afflict our souls. Sometimes it is through stupidness and sottishness of conscience; when men have worn out all honest restraints, then they rejoice in evil, and delight in their perversities, Prov. ii. 14. The drunkards think there is a bravery in their strength to pour in wine, and can boast of the number of their cups; the soaken adulterer of so many acts of uncleanness; the swearer thinketh it the of his speech to interlard it with oaths; and proud persons think conceited apparel is their best ornament. Good God! whither is man fallen! First we practise sin, then defend it, then boast of it. Sin is first our burden, then our custom, then our delight, then our excellency.
Obs. 2. That we have no cause to rejoice or glory in our carnal confidence. It seemeth to come from a generous bravery, but indeed from lowness and baseness of spirit. It is but a running away from evil, not a mastering of it. Men dare not lay it to heart, because they know not how to fortify themselves against it. Faith and true confidence always supposeth and prepareth for the worst, but hopeth the best: it meeteth the adversary in open field, and vanquisheth it. The fool in the Gospel durst not think of his death that night, Luke xii. 16, 17, &c. This is the baseness of carnal confidence, to put off trouble when it cannot put it away; and however it scorn eth the threatening, it feareth the judgment, and are so ill provided to bear it that they durst not so much as think of it.
Ver. 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
In this verse the apostle taketh off the prejudice and cavil whereby his admonition might be slighted and evaded. They might reply, We have no need to be taught such a plain lesson; we know that life is short, and that God's providence governeth all things. Do you, saith the apostle, know all this? then you are the more obliged to subject your desires to his will and pleasure, which he proveth by this general rule. There is nothing difficult in the words but that to him it is sin, αὐτῷ ἁμαρτία ἐστιν, that is sin indeed; there is more of the nature of sin, there is more of the effects of sin, which he shall find in his own conscience, and in hell torments, and God's judiciary dispensations. Like sayings you have elsewhere: see John ix. 41, and xv. 22. But you will say then, Are those that sin out of ignorance wholly free from sin? I answer—No. For (1.) Sins of ignorance are sins, though more remissible, 1 Tim. i. 13, though not so highly punished, Luke xii. 47. God's law was once impressed upon our natures, and we are obliged to all that was written upon Adam's heart. (2.) Affected ignorance rendereth us highly culpable, 2 Peter iii. 5, when men shut the windows, and resist the light; for then they might know, but would not. Out of this verse observe:—
Obs. 1. That it is not enough to know good, but we must do it also. Gifts in the mind, without a change in the heart, will not stead you. Often we find that men of much knowledge are apt to be enslaved by their appetites, the lower and more brutish faculties; and though they be orthodox, yet are unmortified; keen against errors, but indulgent to vices. Oh! consider, you should add to knowledge temperance, 2 Peter i. 5, otherwise what will it avail you? Others are ignorant of God in their minds, and you deny him in your lives. Others question the truth of religion, and you deny the power of it. Besides, it serveth to check slighting thoughts of a plain truth. We are apt to say, I know this enough already. Ah! but do I practise it? Is not this a new hint from God to convince me of my negligence? Surely God seeth I do not live up to this knowledge, therefore the same truth, this common truth, is returned to my mind, &c.
Obs. 2. Sins of knowledge are most dangerous. They are more sins than others, as having more of malice and contempt in them. There is more contempt both of the law of God and of God's kindness. See Mat xi. 20. It is a sign you love sin as sin; for when you know what it is you adventure upon it. Besides, sins against knowledge have more of the marks of God's vengeance upon them. In the reprobate they are punished with great despair and horror of conscience. See Prov. v. 11-14. Or with hardness of heart. Iron oft heated and oft quenched groweth the harder. It is just with God to punish contempt of light with obduracy, or with madness against the truth. The most moral heathens were the sorest persecutors, as Severus, Antoninus, &c. This is sensibly and clearly discerned in apostates, who are carried on with most wilful malice against the truths which they once professed: Hosea v. 2, `The revolters are profound to make slaughters., Forward professors turn violent persecutors. They would fain quench the light shining in their own bosoms. Alexander, once a disciple, but he `made shipwreck of the faith, 1 Tim. i. 20; and he is the man that must set on the multitude against Paul: Acts xix. 33, `The Jews drew out Alexander, and he beckoned with the hand., The same man is intended; for he dwelt at Ephesus, as we learn by both the epistles to Timothy. Now the Jews set him up as the fittest accuser of Paul. He knew his doctrine, and he must appear to turn all the blame of the uproar upon the Christians. Once more we read of this Alexander as a desperate enemy of the truth, 2 Tim. iv. 14. Certainly the rage and malice of such men is the greater because of the abundance of their light which they have renounced. No vinegar so tart as that which is made of the sweetest wine: Prov. xxviii. 4, `They that forsake the law praise the wicked;, that is, do not only commit sin, but approve it in others. Still they are the most violent and for ward men. Sometimes God giveth them up to sottishness. See Rom. i. 21-23. It is very notable, and it doth exceedingly verify the apostle's observation, that the most refined and civil heathens (who are presumed to have most light) were given up to the most beastly errors about the nature of God, as the Romans and Grecians worshipped fevers and human passions, deam cloacinam—every paltry thing for God; whereas the Scythians and more barbarous nations worshipped the thunder, the sun, things terrible in themselves; which plainly discovereth God's just judgment in `darkening their foolish heart, because they were not `thankful in the improvement of light received. But the greatest displeasure of God against sins of knowledge is declared hereafter in the torments of hell, where the proportions of everlasting horrors do rise higher and higher, according to the several aggravations of sin, Luke xii. 48. Thus God punisheth sins of knowledge in the reprobate; but his own children do also perceive the difference between these and other sins. Nothing breaketh the bones and scourgeth the soul with such a sad remorse as sins against light. This broke David's heart: Ps. li. 6, `Thou hadst put knowledge in my inward parts., He had committed adultery against checks of conscience, and the watchful light of his inward parts, &c. I might speak much more upon this argument, but that I only intend hints. Concerning the danger of sins of knowledge you may see more in Mr Thomas Goodwin's treatise called `Aggravations of Sins of Knowledge, whose judicious observations being so full and express, I shall presume to add no more.
Obs. 3. Sins of omission are aggravated by knowledge, as well as sins of commission. The apostle saith, `To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, &c. Usually in sins of commission natural light is most working, because there is an actual disturbance, by which the free contemplation of the mind is hindered; and because foul acts bring more shame and impress more horror than bare neglects; yet to omit a duty against knowledge may be as bad as to tell a lie against knowledge. The rule is positive, enforcing duty, as well as privative, forbidding sin; and according to the knowledge of it, so is the obligation. Oh! that we might be more conscientious in this matter, and be as tender of omitting prayer against light, and neglecting to meditate and examine conscience against light, as we are of committing adultery against light!
