Tlie notes are these: —
Obs. 1. From that knowing^ ignoiance is the cause of sorrow. When we do not lightly discern of evils, we grieve for them. Our strcriglh, as men,lietli in reason ; as Christians, in sjjiritual discourse. Paul was instructed, Phil. iv. 11, and that made him walk with such an equal mind in unequal conditions. Solomon saith, Prov. xxiv. 5,
^ ' Eum nulla .idversitas dejicit, quem nulla prosperitas corrurnpit.' — Greg. Mor. • ' Igni.s lion est diversua et diversa agit; paleam in cineros vertit; auro sordes tollit.' -Aug. in Ps. xxxi.
JaS. I. 3.] UPON' THE EPISTLE OF JAMES, 29
' A wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledpjo incrcasctli strength ;' and he saith afterwards, ver. 10, ' If thou faintest in affliction, thy strength is hut small ; ' tliat is, thou hast hut little prudence or know- ledge" There lieth the weakness of our spirits. Children are scared with every trifle. Did we know what God is, and whereto his dealings tend, we should not faint. Well, then, labour for a right discerning. To help you, consider : — (1.) General knowledge will not serve the turn. The heathens had to yicoarov, excellent notions concerning God in the gene- ral, Rom i. 19; hut they were 'vain in their imaginations,' ver. 21 — ■ ev Toi? 8ia\oyia/j.oi(;, in their practical inferences, when they were to bring down their knowledge to particular cases and experiences. They had a great deal of knowledge in general truths, but no prudence to apply them to particular exigences and cases. Many can discoui'se well in the general ; as Seneca, when he had the rich gardens, could persuade to patience, but fainted when himself came to suffer.^ So Eliphaz chargeth it upon Job, that he was able to instruct and strengthen others, ' But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest ; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled,' Job iv. 45. Therefore it must not only be a knowledge, but a prudence to make application of general truths, that in particular cases we may not be disturbed and discomposed. (2.) Our knowledge must be drawn out in actual thoughts and spiritual dis- course. This bringeth in seasonable succour and relief to the soul, and therein Heth our strength. Observe it, and you shall always find that the Spirit worketh by seasonable thoughts. Christ had taught the apostles a great many comforts, and then he promiseth, John xiv. 26, ' The Comforter shall come ; kuI avafivjjo-et, and he shall bring all things to j'our remembrance which I shall say to you.' That is the proper office of the Comforter, to come in with powerful and season- able thoughts to the relief of the soul. The apostle ascribeth their fainting to ' forgetting the consolation,' Heb. xii. 5. Nay, observe it generally throughout the word — our strength in duties or afflictions is made to lie in our distinct and actual thoughts. Would we mor- tify corruptions? It is done by a present acting of the thoughts, or by spiritual discourse ; therefore the apostle saith, Rom. vi. 6, ' Know- ing this, that our old man is crucified with him ; ' so would we bear afflictions cheerfully. See Heb. x. 34, ' Ye took it joyfully, kno^ying that you have a better and more enduring substance ; ' and Rom. v. 3, ' Knowing that tribulation worketh experience.' And so in many other places of scripture we find that the Spirit helpeth us by awaken- ing and stirring up proper thoughts and discourses in the mind. (3.) Those thoughts which usually beget patience are such as these : — (1st.) That evils do not come by chance, or the mere fury of instruments, but from God. So holy Job : ' The arrows of the Almighty are with- in me,' Job vi. 4. Mark, 'the arrows of the Almighty,' though Satan had a great hand in them, as you may see, Job ii. 7 — God's arrows, though shot out of Satan's bov/. And then, (2d.) That where we see anything of God, we owe nothing but reverence and submission ; for he is too strong to be resisted, too just to be questioned, and too good to be suspected. But more of this in the fifth chapter.
Obs. 2. From that SoKtfiiov, the trial, the use and ordination of
^ "SenecEe praedivitis hortos.' — Juvenal,
30 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 3.
])Grsecution to the people of God is tiial. God malcctli use of the worst iustniments, as fine gold is cast into the fire, the most devouring cle- ment. Innocency is best tried by iniquity.^ But why doth God try us ? Not for his own sake, for he is omniscient ; but either — (1.) For our sakcs, that we may know ourselves. In trials we discern the sin- cerity of grace, and the weakness and liveliness of it ; and so are less strangers to our own hearts. Sincerity is discovered. A gilded pot- sherd may shine till it cometh to scouring. In trying times God heateth the furnace so hot, that dross is quite wasted ; every interest is crossed, and then hirelings become changelings. Therefore, that w^e may know our sincerity, God usetli severe ways of trial. Sometimes we discover our own weakness, Mat. xiii. ; we find that faith weak in danger which we thought to be strong out of danger ; as the blade in the stony ground was green, and made a fair show till the height of sum- mer. Peter thought his faith impregnable, till the sad trial in the high priest's hall, Mat. xxvi. G9. In pinching weather weak persons feel the aches and bruises of their joints. Sometimes we discern the liveliness of grace. Stars shine in the night that lie hid in the day. It is said, Eev. xiii. 10, ' Here is the patience and faith of the saints ; ' that is, the time when these graces are exercised, and discovered in their height and glory. Spices are most fragrant when burnt and bruised, so have saving graces their chiefest fragrancy in hard times. The pillar that conducted the Israelites appeared as a cloud by day, but as a fire by night. The excellency of faith is beclouded till it be put upon a thorough trial. Thus for ourselves, that we may know either the sincerity, or the weakness, or the liveliness of the grace that is wrought in us. (2.) Or for the world's sake. And so, (1st.) for the present to convince them by our constancy, that they may be con- firmed in the faith, if weak and staggering, or converted, if altogether imcalled. It was a notable saying of Luther, Ecclesia totum mun- dum convertit sanguine et oratione — the church converteth the whole world by blood and prayer. We are proved, and religion is proved, when we are called to sufferings. Paul's bonds made for the fur- therance of the go-spel : Phil. i. 12, 13, ' Many of the brethren w\axed confident in my bonds, and are much more bold to speak the word without fear,' In prosperous times religion is usually stained with the scandals of those that profess it ; and then God bringeth on great trials to honour and clear the renown of it again to the world, and usually these prevail. Justin Martyr was converted by the con- stancy of the Christians (Niceph. lib. iii. cap. 2G). Nay, he himself confesseth it.2 When he saw tiie Christians so willingly choose death, he reasoned thus within himself : Surely these men must be honest, and there is somewhat eminent in their principles. So 1 remember the author of the Council of Trent saith concerning Anne de Burg, a senator of Paris, who was burnt for Protestantism, that the death and constancy of a man so conspicuous did make many curious to know wliat religion that was for which he had courageously endured pun- ishment, and so the number was much increased.^ (2d.) We are tried