Obs. 2. That an excellent way to moderate the excess of joy is to mix it with some weeping. He speaketh to men drunk with their present happiness, and his drift is to awaken them out of their sense- less stupor. The way to abate one passion is to admit the contrary : in abundance there is danger ; therefore in your jollity think of some mournful objects. Nazianzen reporteth of himself that this was his practice, when his mind was likely to be corrupted with ha])pines8, Tot9 Opevot<; air/yiyvofiai, &c., to read the Lamentations of Jeremiah,! ' Naz. Orat. 1.3.
JaS. IV. 10.] UPON' THE EPISTLE OF JAMES, 377
and to inure his soul to the consideration of matters sad and mournful It was God's own physic to Belshazzar, in the midst of his cups to hrinf:^ him to think of his ruin by a handwriting upon the wall. Well, then, when your mountain standeth strong, think of changes ; evils come upon us unawares when we give uj) our hearts to joy. The secure carnalist would not so nmch as suppose a possibility of his death that night, Luke xii. 19. Better it was with Job, chap. iii. 25, ' The evil which I greatly feared is come upon me.' The cockatrice killeth us not if we see it first.
And you7' joy to heaviness. — In all the context he noteth them as carnal, and as glorying in oppressing one another; such a joy and laughter is intended by which secure sinners please themselves in their present success, putting off all thoughts of imminent judg- ments.
Ohs. That prosperous oppression is rather matter of sorrow than joy to us. You laugh now, but God will laugh hereafter when your calamities and fears come, Prov. i. 20, Ps. xxxvii. 12, 13. Wicked men and carnal oppressors have never so much cause to be humbled as when they are prosperous ; it is but a sure pledge of their speedy ruin. Now you despise others, scoff at the servants and ways of God ; you puff, and the children of God sigh ; see Ps. xii. 5. Oh ! how will you hang the head when the scene is changed, and you are become objects of public scorn and contempt, and the children of God in a holy admiration shall say, as those in the prophet, ' Where is the rage of the oppressor now ? ' Isa. li. 13. Oh ! that men would awaken con- science, and say, I am a-laughing and triumphing ; have I not more cause to howl and mourn ? &c.
Ver. 10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and lie shall lift you up.
The apostle goeth on inculcating and pressing the same duty upon them ; and lest they should rest in external exercises, he usetli a word which more properly implieth the inward acts of the soul. Observe, from the context ; —
Ohs. It is not the outward expressions that God looketh after in mourning, but the humble heart. God, that is a spirit, doth not reckon so much of bodily exercise. Tears, and cries, and beating of the body may all be counterfeit, or else dene without a principle of grace ; and many times there may be inward humiliation where a dry brain doth not yield tears. Godly sorrow doth not always keep the road, and vent itself by the eyes. Pa))ists place much in tears and afflicting the body. The spirit-work is the more difficult; old wine and old bottles may well agree together, but not new wine and old bottles. Duties that require much spirit and soul-acts are too strong for weak men, I allude to Christ's expression concerning spiritual fasting. Mat, ix, 15, 16. Old carnal hearts cannot endure the rigour of such spiritual duties. Well, then, in your first duties see that ye do not only mourn and weep, but humble your souls. When ye confess sins, it is not words and tears that God looketh after, but a deep shame and feeling of the evil of your natures, iniquities of life, and defects in obedience. When you pray, look not so much at the outward heat and vehemency : the bodily spirits being agitated, there
378 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [Jas. IV. 10-
.will be much contention and earnestness of speech ; but see that the soul do reach forth after God by the tendency of holy ardours and desires. In the confessing of public sins, it is not the exact enumera- tion, apt language, but zeal for God's glory, compassion for others' good, holy desires of jiromoting righteousness, which the Lord look- eth after. Ashes and sackcloth are nothing to the work of the soul : Isa. Iviii. 5, ' Will you call this a fast, or an acceptable day to God ? ' &c.
In the sight of the Lord. — The like passage is in 1 Peter v. 6 ; but there it is ' Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,' &c. That expression implieth a motive or consideration to enforce the duty, but this in our apostle the sincerity of it. Observe hence : —
Obs. 1. That duties are then truly done when they are done as in God's sight. The dread and reverence of God maketh the heart more sincere ; so James i. 27, ' Pure religion and undefiled before God,' &c. ; so 1 Peter iii. 21, ' The answer of a good conscience towards God,' &c. In the })resence of God would you make such an answer ? So Ps. cxix. 168, 'I have kept thy testimonies, for all my ways are before thee ;' there was David's motive. Well, then, in all duties of worship remember that you are before God ; there is a broad and pure eye of glory fixed upon you. You have to do with God, that ' telleth man his thought,' that discerneth your s})irits better than you do your- selves. That is a right address which is described, Acts x. 33, ' We are all here present before God, to hear all things that are com- manded thee of God.' Here we come to pray, to hear, to humble ourselves before God. The .soul will have a double advantage by such thoughts ; the work will be more spiritual, and more pure and up- right. More spiiitual : I am not to be humbled befoie man, but before God. ' Man looketh on, the outward appearance, but God on the frame of the heart,' 1 Sam. xvi. 7. Will this satisfy God ? ' Is it such a fast as he hath chosen ? ' Isa. Iviii. 5. So also more pure and upright. Whatever a man doth to God, he will do it for God's sake : religious duties will be performed upon reasons of religion, not for custom and company, but for God, to God.