128 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 19.
interests.^ All plonsures, hononrs, jn-ofits, are to be refused or received as they make us serviceable to the ^lor\' of God.
Ver. 19. Wherefore, my beloved bretlircn, let every man he swift to hear, slow to speak, sloiu to icratli.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, (f-c. — You see these words are in- ferred out of the former. The apostle saith, wherefore. Some make the cousequeuce thus: He hath begotten you, tlierefore walk as men regenerate ; for they make these sentences to be of a general concern- ment, and take them in the largest sense and extent of them. But this seemeth harsh, partly because it is not the use of the gospel to descend to such low civilities as the ordering of speech and the like ; much less would it urge such a weighty argument as regeneration in a matter of such common importance ; and indeed the inference in that sense is no way clear, and it would be a great gap and stride to descend from such a weighty and spiritual matter to mere rules of civility : i)artly because the subsequent context showeth these sen- tences must be restrained to the matter in hand ; for, ver. 21, he sub- inferreth out of these sayings an exhoitation to hear the word rightly ; therefore I conceive the connection to stand thus : He had spoken of the word of truth as being the instrument of conversion, and upon that ground persuadeth to diligent hearing and reverent speaking of it ; for so these sentences must be restrained, and then the coherence is more fluent and easy, as thus : You see what an honour God hath put on the word, as by it to beget us to himself ; therefore ' be swift to hear,' that is, of a docile or 'teachable mind, be ready still to wait upon God in the word ; be ' slow to speak,' that is, do not rashly precipitate your judgment or opinion concerning things of faith ; be ' slow to wrath/ tliat is, be not angrily prejudiced against those that seem to differ and dissent from you. Thus you see, if we con- sider these directions under a special reference to the matter in hand, the context is easy. I confess it is good to give scripture its full lati- tude in application, and therefore rules nmy be commodiously extended to repress the disorders of private conversation, as garrulity, when men are full of talk themselves, and morosity, when they cannot endure to hear others, and so also anger and private revenge; especially when any of these is found, as usually they ai-e, in Christian meetings and conventions, little patience, and much talk and anger. But the chief aim of the apostle is to direct them in the solemn hearing of the word.
The notes are these : —
Ohs. 1. From that loherefore. It is a great encouragement to wait upon the ordinances, when we consider the benefits God doth dispense by them. In the institution of every duty there is a word of com- mand and a word of promise. The command for our warrant, the promise for our encouragement. The command that we may come in obedience, and the i)romise that we may come in faith. Thus it is said, Isa. Iv. 3, ' Hear, and yoiu- soul sliall live.' Hear, that is the command. Your soul shall live, there is 1-he promise. It is God's mercy that no duty is a mere task, but a holy means; and ordinances are appointed, not only in sovereignty, but in mercy. Well, then, Christians are not only to look to the (jround of duties, but the end of
' ' Nesciunt siiis p.nrcere qui nihil smim norunt.' — Ambros.
JaS. I. 19.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 129
them, that sweeteneth them to us. God hath required nothing of you but for your own benefit : Prov. ix. 12, 'If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself.' God hath glory in your approaches, but you liave comfort. Oil ! consider, then, eveiy time you come to liear the word, the high privileges you may enjoy by it ! Say thus, when you come to hear : I am to hear that my soul may live, I am going to the word that is to beget me, to make my soul partaker of the divine nature. Christians do not raise their expectations to such a height of mercies as are offered to them in the ordinances.
Ohs. 2. Again, from the illative particle loherefore. Experience of the success of ordinances engageth us to a further attendance upon them. He hath begotten you by the word of truth, ' where- fore, be swift to hear.' Who would baulk a way in which he hath found good, and discontinue duty when he hath found the benefit of it ? When God hath given you success, he hath given you a seal of his truth, a real experience of the comforts of his service. The Stan- carists,^ that think ordinances useless for believers, fit to initiate us in religion, and no further, are ignorant of the nature of grace, the state of their own hearts, and the ends of the word. Because this proud sect is revived in our times, and many, as soon as they have found the benefit of ordinances, think they are above them, let us a little examine these particulars.