172 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 26.
Jesuits, qui tlicologiam in caninam maledicentiam frcuififcrunt — that, like angry curs, cannot pass by one another witliout snarling.
These reasons being premised, the opening ot tiic verse will be the more easy.
If any man seemefh to he religious. — To himself or others, by the prac- tice of some few things by worship, and some duties of the first table.
A7id hridleth not his tongue ; that is, doth not abstain from the evils of the tongue, such as railing, reviling, censuring, and detraction, which latter, I suppose, is chiefly intended.
B7it drceiveth his oicn said. — It may be understood two ways: — (1.) Though he detract from others, yet he hath too good an opinion of himself, ^elf-love is the ground of hypocrisy ; they do not search themselves, suspect themselves. Judas said last, ' Master, is it I ? ' They are too equal to themselves, though too severe to others. (2.) The other sense may be, he cometh at length to flatter himself, to deceive his own soul, as well as to seem to others.
This man's religion is vain; that is, either he maketh his graces and the good things that are in him to be vain and unprofitable, or rather, his religion is pretended to no purpose.
Obs. 1. Besides what I have observed already from hence, you may collect from that seemeth to be religious, there may be religion only in pretence and seeming. So 1 Cor. viii. 2, ' If any man among you thinketh he knoweth anything ; ' that is, pleaseth, flattereth himself in the conceit of his knowledge. So Gal. vi. 3, ' If any man think him- self to be something, when he is nothing; ' that proudly overweeneth his own worth. Well, then, rest not in a ' form of godliness,' 2 Tim. iii. 5, or in a 'form of knowledge,' Rom. ii. 20; in a naked specula- tion, or in a varnished profession. These things may carry a fair show and semblance in the world, but are of no account before God. Still put yourselves to this question, Am I yet beyond a hypocrite ? Be what you would seem to be.^
Obs. 2, From that hridleth not his tongue. That it is a great part of religion to bridle the tongue. There are several evils that must be restrained — lying, swearing, cursing, railing, ribaldry. I shall speak of these five: — (1.) Lying. Beware of that, with all the kinds, equi- vocation and dissimulation. Truth is the ground of commerce. It is a sin destructive to the good of mankind. The devil, that is, the accuser, he is called the liar too. Oh ! do not cry up a report of others, till you have sifted it. ' Eej)ort, say they, and we will report it,' Jer. XX. 10 ; that is, bring us anything, and we will blaze it ; and so a little water is evaporated into a great deal of steam and smoke. Crassa negligrntia. dolus est, say the civilians — if you do not try it, you are guilty. (2.) Cursing. There is corruption at the heart when the tongue is so blistered. It is observable that when God would have the curses pronounced upon ]\Iount Ebal, he employed the servile tribes about it, only Keuben was amongst them, that pro.stituted his father's bed. There is seldom any blessing for them that use them- selves to curses. (3.) Swearing, It is said the righteous ' fearctli an oath,' Ecde.s. ix. 2. Not only those false-mouthed oaths, but minced oaths, and vain speeches, and peremptory asseverations in the
' 'QikhI videri vie, illiul esse debee.'
Jas, I. 27.] UPON TFIE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 173
slightest matters. Men that lavish away deep asseverations upon every trifle are, if the matter be anything more serious, put upon that which should be the last reserve, an oath. (4.) Bailing. I take it not only for the gross railing, but privy defamations and \vhis})erings to the prejudice of others, meddling with other men's matters ; as the a])ostlea often speak against these, so commending with a hut, as the scripture saith of Naaman, 2 Kings v. 1, 'A great man, an honourable man, a mighty man, hut he was a leper.' They say he is thus and tlms, hut, &c. ; and so wound while they protend to kiss. They make their praise but a preface to their reproach, which is but as an archer that draweth back his hand, that the arrow may fly with the more force. It w-as a great praise that Jerome gave Asella, Hahehat sllentium hquens—she was silent when she spake ; for she spake only of reli- gious and necessary things, not meddling with others' persons or fame. (5.) Ribaldry. Filthy ' rotten communication/ Col. iii. 8 ; adirpo^ Xoyo^, ' filthy speaking,' Eph. v. 4. Many travel under the burthen of a profane jest. Oh ! the filthy breath that cometh out of their mouths ! All foolish jesting cometh under this head. Aristotle's virtue, evrpairekla, is a sin with Paul, Eph. v. 4.
Ohs. 3. From that hut deceiveth himself. Hy})ocrites come at length to deceive themselves. A liar, by repeating his lies, beginneth to believe them. Natural conscience is pacified with a show. It is just with God to punish deceit with deceit. And as they cozen others, so tliey deceive their own souls ; as the carver fell in love witli an image of his own making, and thought it living. Hypocrisy endeth in hardness and gross blindness, and by custom men dote upon that which at first they knew was but paint and varnish ; as if God would be as easily mocked and deceived as men.