A douhle-minded man, ZL-^v)(o<i dvrjp. — The word signifieth one that hath two souls ; and so it may imply — (1.) A hypocrite, as the same word is used to that purpose, James iv. 8 : ' Purify your hearts, ye double-minded,' Sn/ru^j^oi. As he speaketh to open sinners to cleanse their hands, so to close hypocrites (whom he there calleth double- minded, as pretending one thing and meaning another), to purify their hearts, that is, to grow more inwardly sincere ; and so it suiteth very well with that phrase by which the Hebrews express a deceiver : Ps. xii. 2, ' With a double heart do they speak:' in the original, ' With a heart and a heart,' which is their manner of expression when they would express a thing that is double or deceitful, as divers or deceitful weights is a weight and a weight in the original, Pro v. XX. 23. As Theophrastus saith of the partridges of Paphlagonia, that they had two hearts ; so every hypocrite hath two hearts or two souls. As I remember, I have read of a profane wretch that bragged he had two souls in one body, one for God, and the other for anything.^ (2.) It implieth one that is distracted and divided in his thoughts, floating between two different ways and opinions, as if he had two minds, or two souls ; a-nd certainly there were such in the apostle's days, some Judaising brethren, that sometimes would sort with the Jews, some- times with the Christians, and did not use all due endeavours to be built up in the faith, or settled in the truth : as of ancient, long before this time, it is said of others, 2 Kings xvii. 33, ' They feared the Lord, and served their own gods ; ' they were divided between God and idols, which indifferency of theirs the prophet expresseth by a double or divided heart : Hosea x. 2, ' Their heart is divided, now shall they be found faulty.' Thus Athanasius applied this description to the Eusebiaus,2 that sometimes held one thing, and anon another, that a
^ ' Professus est se habere duas animas in eodem corpore, unam Deo dicatam, alteram uniciuque illam Yellefc.' — Callenucius lib. v. Hist. Neap.
- The Avians, so called from Eusebius, the Avian Bishop of Nicomedia, who recanted and fell again to his heresy. — Socrat. Scholast. lib. i. cap. 25.
56 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 8.
man could never have them at any stay or certain pass. (3.) And, more expressly to the context, it may note those whose minds were tossed to and fro with various and uncertain motions ; now lifted up with a billow of presumption, then cast down in a gulf of despair, being divided between hopes and fears concerning their acceptance with God. I prefer this latter sense, as most suiting with the apostle's pur- pose.
Is unstable, dKardararoe;. — Hath no constancy of soul, being as ready to depart from God as to close with him ; no way fixed and resolved in the religion he professeth.
In all /lis u'Liys. — Some apply it chiefly to prayer, because those that are doubtful of success often intermit the practice of it, regarding it only now and then in some zealous pangs, when conscience falleth upon them : but I suppose rather it is a general maxim, and that prayer is only intended by consequence, for the apostle saith, ' in all his ways,' Note, way, by a known Hebraism, is put for any counsel, action, thought, or purpose ; and so it implieth that all their thoughts, motions, and actions do float hither and thither continually.
The notes are these : —
Obs. 1. That unbelieving hypocrites are men of a double mind ; they want the conduct of the Spirit, and are led by their own affec- tions, and therefore cannot be settled : fear, the love of the world, carnal hopes and interests draw them hither and thither, for they have no certain guide and rule. It is said of godly men, Ps. cxii. 7, ' They shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; their heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord : ' they walk by a sure rule, and look to sure promises ; and there- fore, though their condition is changed, their heart is not changed, for the ground of their hopes is still the same. Carnal men's hearts rise and fall with their news, aud when affairs are doubtful, their hopes are uncertain, for they are fixed upon uncertain objects, ' They are con- founded, for they have heard evil tidings,' saith the prophet, Jer. xlix. 23 : upon every turn of affairs, they have, as it were, another heart and soul. That request of David is notable for the opening of this double mind, Ps. Ixxxvi. 11, * Unite my heart to fear thy name.' The Septuagint read evoxrov rrju KapSlav /xov, ' make my heart one,' that is, apply it only and constantly to thy fear ; imj)lying, that where men are divided between God and secular interests, they have, as it were, two hearts ; one heart inclineth them to a care of duty, the other heart discouragetli them by fears of the world : the heart is not ixova-)((a<i (which is Aquila's word in that place), after one manner and fashion. This double mind in carnal men bewrayeth it.self two ways — in their hopes and their opinions. (1.) In their hopes, they are distracted be- tween expectiition and jealousy, doubts and fears ; now full of confi- dence in their j)rayers, and anon breathing forth nothing but sorrow and despair ; and possibly that may be one reason why the psalmist compareth the wicked to chaff, Ps. i. 4, because they have no firm stay and subsistence, but are driven to and fro by various and un- certain motions, leading their lives by guess, rather than any sure aim. (2.) In their opinions, liypocrites usually waver and hang in suspense, being distracted between conscience and carnal affections ; their affec- tions carry them to Baal, their consciences to God ; as the prophet