Obs. 1. From that very jy^tifid and tender mercy. — God's mercy is seldom spoken of without some addition of much, or great, or tender, &c. Most commonly in the Old Testament it is expressed plurally, mercies and loving -kindnesses, and very often are those additions of much and great annexed : Exod. xxxiv. 6, ' Great in mercy ; ' 2 Sam. xxiv. 14, ' His mercies are very great ; ' so Ps. cxxx. 7, ' With him there is plenteous redemption:' so 'abundant mercy,' 1 Peter i. 3 ; Eph. ii. 7, 'The exceeding riches of his grace.' God delighteth to discover this attribute in its royalty and magnificence. Certainly, there is more in God's mercy than in men's sins ; our ephah is full, but God's mercy is over-full ; and there is enough in God to supply all our wants. When you can exhaust overflowing mercy, then you may complain ; and there is enough in God to satisfy every particular believer. We all drink of the same fountain, and yet cannot draw it dry. Oh ! when shall we learn of our heavenly Father not only to do good works, but to abound in them more and more ? He is rich in mercy, when shall we be rich in good works ? &c.
Ohs. 2. God is very tender to his people in misery. Sense doth but make lies of God. When we hearken to the voice of our own feeling, we are apt to say as Job, ' Thou art turned to be cruel,' Job XXX. 31 ; or at least as David, ' I am cut off"/ though at that very time God had a gracious respect to him, ' nevertheless thou heardest the^ voice of my supplications,' Ps. xxxi. 22. Israel is chidden for saying ' My way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment passed over by my God,' Isa. xl. 27 ; that is, God hath left me out of the
^ ' HoXvairXayx^ot abundat intima misericordia.' — Beza. VOL. lY. 2 E
434 AN EXPOSITION, AVITU NOTES, [JaS. V. 12,
count of providence, and the roll of those whom he is to look after ; he doth not take notice of my case. Do but wait a little while, and you shall see that the Lord is very pitiful and tender. God's children have been at length ashamed of their hasty words, and when provi- dence hath had its course, they can easily see that, though the outside and bark of it w\as rough and harsh, yet it was lined with pity and mercy.
Ohs. 3. From the two words pitiful and merciful, God hath every way provided for the comfort of his people. He hath pity for their afflictions, and pardon for their sins. He was sensible of Job's misery and Job's weakness; his compassion might be discouraged by our murmurings, but that he is merciful as well as pitiful. Afflicted persons may hence comfort themselves, and answer the objections of their sad spirits ; when you have injuries from men, you shall find pities in God. Ay ! but I have sinned. I answer — There is mercy in him as well as pity, &c.
Ohs. 4. From the order of the words, very intiful, and then of tender mercy ! There is in God, first, bowels, and then bounty ; so Exod. sxxiv. G, ' Merciful and gracious.' Oh ! then, let us learn of our heavenly Father, when we do good, to do it with all our hearts ; let the spring be witliin us : Isa. Iviii. 18, ' Draw out thy soul to the hungry,' and then satisfy the afflicted person.
Ver. 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation.
For the context, some say this is the coherence between the former matter and the present verse. Men in affliction are usually impatient, and impatience bewrayeth itself by oaths and curses — a conceit very injudicious, and no way complying with the intent of the apostle. We need not stick at method and connection ; it is usual with James and the other apostles to divert from one matter to another, according as the necessity of the times did require, without any curiosity or obser- vation of the laws of method. In this verse there is an admonition or dissuasive from swearing, in which you may note : —
1. The vehemency of proposal : but above all things.
2. A direction proposed : —
[1.] Negatively, sioear not ; wherein some forms of oaths are specified, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath. [2.] Positively, let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay.
3. Here is a comminatory reason and enforcement, lest ye fall into condemnation.
But above all things, irpo ttuvtwv, aBe\(f)OL. — The phrase hath under- gone several constructions, it properly .signifietli before all things ; therefore Lyra i intcrpreteth the apostle thus, Do not swear before all things ; before every word and promise. The exposition were plausible, if the posture of the Avords were fJLy ofxvveTe, a8eX(f)oi, irpo ttuvtcov, ' My brethren, swear not before all things ;' but it is, ' Before all things, my brethren,' &c. Therefore I rather take it for a form of vehemency and earnestness, frequent in the a})ostolical epistles : ' Above all things talco the shield of faith,' Eph. vi. 16. So 1 Peter iv. 8, ' Above all things