JaS. I. 2.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 21
Ver. 2. My hrethren, count it all joy luhen you fall into dicers temp- tations.
My hrethren. — A usual compellation in the scriptures, and very frequent in this epistle, partlj^ because of the manner of tlie Jews, who were wont to call all of their nation brethren, and partly because of the manner of the ancient Christians,^ who in courtesy used to call the men and women of their society and communion brothers and sisters ; partly out of apostolical kindness, and that the exhortation might be seasoned with the more love and good-will.
Count it ; that is, though sense will not find it so, yet in spiritual judgment you must so esteem it.
All joy ; that is, matter of chief joy. Udaav, all is thus used in the writings of the apostles, as in 1 Tim. i. 15, Trao-?;? avroSo;;^?'}? d^LO<;. ' worthy of all acceptation,' that is, of chief acceptation.
When ye fall, orav ireptTrea'qTe. — The word signifies such troubles as come upon us unawares, as sudden things do most discom})Ose the mind. But however, says the apostle, ' when ye fall,' and are suddenly circumvented, yet you must look upon it as a trial and matter of great joy ; for though it seemeth a chance to us, yet it falleth under the ordination of God.
Divers. — The Jewish nation was infamous, and generally hated, especially the Christian Jews, who, besides the scorn of the heathen, were exercised with sundry injuries, rapines, and spoils from their own brethren, and people of their own nation, as appeareth by the Epistle of Peter, who wrote to the same ])ersons that our apostle doth ; and also speaketh of ' divers or manifold temptations,' 1 Peter i. G. And again by the Epistle to the Hebrews, written also to these dis- persed tribes : see Heb. x. 34, ' Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods,' that is, by the fury of the multitude and base people, against whom the Christians could have no right.
Temptations. — So he calleth afilictions, which to believers are of that use and habitude.
The observations are : —
Ohs. 1. My 5re///re?i.— Christians are linked to one another in the bond of brotherhood. It was an ancient use, as I showed before, for Christians of the same communion to call one another brothers and sisters, which gave occasion of scorn to the heathen then. Quod f rat res nos vocamus, infamant, saith Tertullian ; and it is still made matter of reproach : what scoff more usual than that of holy brethren ? If we will not keep up the title, yet the affection which becomes the re- lation should not cease. The term hinteth duty to all sorts of Chris- tians ; meekness to those that excel in gifts or office, that they may be not stately and disdainful to the meanest in the body of Christ — it is Christ's own argument, ' Ye are brethren,' Mat. xxiii. 8 : and it also suggesteth love, and mutual amity. Who should love more than those that are united in the same head and hope ? Eodem sanguine Christi glutinati, as Augustine said of himself and his friend x\lipius ; that is, cemented with the same blood of Christ. We are all travel- ling homeward, and expect to meet in the same heaven : it would be
1 See Tertul. in Apol. cap. 39, Justin Mart, in fine Apol. 2, aud Clement. Alesand. lib. V. Stromat.
22 AN EXPOSITION', WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 2.
sad that brethren slioukl ' fall out by the way,' Gen. xlv. 24. It was once said, Aspice, ut se imiiuo dUigunt Christiani ! — See how the Christians love one another ! (Tertul. in Apol. cap. 39.) But alas ! now we may say, 8ee how they hate one another !
Obs. 2. From that count it, miseries are SAveet or bitter accord! ui;- as we will reckon of them. IScneca said, Levis est dolor si nihil opinio adjecerit — our grief lieth in our own opinion and apprehension of miseries. Spiritual things are worthy in themselves, other things depend upon our o})inion and valuation of them. Well, then, it stand- eth us much upon to make a right judgment ; therein lieth our misery or comfort ; things are according as you will count them. That your judgments may be rectified in point of afllictions, take these rules.
1. Do not judge by sense : Heb. xii. 11, 'No afHiction for the pre- sent seemeth joyous, but grievous,' &c. Theo})hylact observeth,^ that in this passage two words are emphatical, tt/jo? to irapov and hoKei,for tlie present and seemeth ; for the present noteth the feeling and expe- rience of sense, and seemeth the apprehension and dictate of it : sense can feel no joy in it, and sense will suggest nothing but bitterness and sorrow ; but we are not to go by that count and reckoning. A Chris- tian livcth above the world, because he doth not judge according to the world. Paul's scorn of all sublunary accidents arose from his spiritual judgment concerning them : llom. viii. 18, ' I reckon that the suft'erings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the joys that shall be revealed in us.' Sense, that is altogct,her for present things, would judge quite otherwise ; but saith the apostle, ' I reckon,' i.e., reason by another manner of rule and account : so lieb. xi. 26, it is said, that ' Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ better than the treasures of Egyi)t : ' his choice, you see, was founded in his judgment and esteem.