Ohs. 3. Again, from that lueep and howl. Nothing but woe to them, as if they were past hope and counsel, and only left to terror and threatening. He had said, Go to noiu before to the ambitious traffickers, James iv. 13, but he instructeth them, and only threateneth these. Rich sinners are most incurable, i The reason is, prosperity begetteth security : Hosea xii. 8, ' And Ephraim said, I am become rich, I have found me out substance ; they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin.' Because they were rich, they were not sensible of their civil crafts and subtleties. Besides, these are seldom faithfully reproved ; and when they are, are most unwilling to bear a reproof ; they storm at it, as if their greatness should bear them out : Jer. v. 5, * I went to the great men, but they had dissolved the bands, and wholly broken off the yoke.' The meaning is, they had cast off all manner of respect and subjection to the law of God. Well, then, you that have great estates, beware of these two things — security in sin, and storming at the reproofs of sin. Salvian, in his fourth book ' De Gubernatione Dei,' saith that he could not speak against the vices of great men, but one or other of them would be objecting, there he meant me, he hit me ; and so storm and fret. Alas ! as he replieth, it is not we speak to you, but your own consciences ; we speak to the order, but conscience speaketh to the person.2
For the miseries thai shall come upon you, TaXanrcopiaLq raU vir'ep- 'X^ofMevaa. — But what are these ? Partly sore afflictions in this life, partly hell torments in the life to come ; both may be understood. (1.) The temporal miseries which lighted up Jerusalem, Christ foretold them, Luke xix. 43, 44 ; and they came to pass about some forty years after his ascension — see Josephus, lib. vi., vii. ; as also the calamities which everywhere attended the people of the Jews wherever they were scattered, especially in Alexandria, a city in which the Jews were two
^ Aristotle calleth them avidrovs, Etliic, lib. iv. cap. 1.
- ' Si autem in se esse uovit quae loquor, non hoc a mea lingua dici existimet, sed a conscientia sua.' — Salvian. de Gnber. Dei, lib. ir.
VOL. IV. 2 C
402 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. V. 1.
parts of tive,^ yet were they ransacked, and by the command of Flac- cus forced into a strait place of the city, without sustenance, food, or fresh air, where they were not able to stir one for another, and if any straggled abroad, they Avcre knocked down and slain ; many were smoked and choked to death in a fire, where thoy wanted fuel to burn them outright. Thirty-eight of their counsellors and rich men were sent for, dragged through the streets, scourged to death, &c. This may be intended in part. (2.) Hell torments, which are indeed miseries to come ; the other are but ' the beginning of sorrows' to what Dives or the rich man in the Gospel felt in the flames. See Luke xvi. 24. From all observe : —
Ohs. That sore miseries and judgments shall come upon wicked rich men : ' Howl, ye rich men, for the miseries,' &c. Thou shalt not be miserable as a murderer or a fornicator (as Salvian glosseth), but as a rich man, because thou hast ill used thy wealth, at least not employed it for God's glory. 2 See what a strain of threat- enings there is against rich men, Luke vi. 24, 25, ' Woe unto rich men, for you have received your consolation : woe unto you that are full, for you shall hunger : woe unto you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep,' &c. So Isa. v. 8, ' Woe to them that join house to house and field to field, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.' It is notable that in both these places words that do merely imply riches are used, though the worldly man be in- tended, that placeth all his delight, love, care, confidence, and glory in his riches. To rich men much is committed ; they have more oppor- tunities and obligations to do good than others, and yet usually have least hearts, and therefore they are called to a more severe account in this world and the world to come. Sometimes in this world God reckoneth with them ; in all changes rich men have the greatest pro- portion of calamity. The winds shake Ihe tallest cedars most sorely. God lovetli to bear down the strong oaks, Amos ii. 9. But in the world to come they come sadly to know what it is to have a portion only in this world. God will not give you a double heaven. Oh ! who would for a temporal heaven adventure an eternal hell ! Oh! then, if there be any worldly, wicked, rich man that heareth me this day, ' Go to now, weep and mourn for the calamities that are coming upon you.' You will say. We do no hurt with our wealth. Ay ! but what good do you do ? ' Your garments are moth-eaten,' and your money rusted ; you are wretched and worldly, negligent in religion, careless to lay out your substance for good uses ; and ' to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.' So also the poor may learn hence not to envy worldly pomp and glory. A little with righteousness is a greater blessing, and a pledge of more; all their great treasure bringeth but a trouble and a curse. See Ps. xxxvii. IG, ' A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.' Your little may bring you more comfort than if all their store were