Keader, thou art entreated to take notice, that the author being
* Philo. in lib. irepl tQv iv etoet vofiuv.
438 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [Jas. V. 12.
sensible that this book grew somewhat bulkish, purposely omitted those larger discourses which he conceived u})OU this verse concerning the lawfulness of oaths, the abuse of them in ordinary commerce and courts of civil judicature, as also the discussion of those questions whether the Old Testament did only forbid perjury, and the New added to the law the prohibition of rash and unnecessary oaths, as Papists, Socinians, and some of late think ; as also whether it is in any case lawful to swear by the creatures, and whether oaths so made be valid and obligatory. All these inquiries he purposely omitted, and would rather appear in this curt and contracted form than be burden- some; especially there being large discourses extant on all these matters. See the writers on the commandments, Grotius on Mat. v. 34, [(fee, and Mat. xxiii. 20-22 ; Perkins on Mat, v. ; Hammond's Pract. Cat., and Spanheim Dub. Evang., part 3, Dub. 124, et sequeniihus ; Brochman, Hist. Theol. Act. de Lege Dei, cap. 8, qu^est. 1-3 : Jacobus ad Portum in Kefut. Institut. Ostorodii, ad cap. 25, &c.
But Jet your yea he yea, and your nay, nay. — Some suppose that this is the same with what our Saviour speaketh. Mat. v. 37, which implieth that a Christian in his ordinary speech should content him- self with simple affirmations or negations, that he may abstain from all appearance of an oath ; but mark, our apostle doth not say, ' Let your speech be yea, yea, nay, nay,' but ' Let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay.' Yea and nay were the usual forms and words used in stipulations. Now, saith the apostle, let your yea be always yea, and your nay always nay ; that is, let your affirmations and negations be plain and sure-grounded on a mere truth ; as Paul saith his preaching of the gospel was not yea and nay, but yea and yea, 2 Cor. i. 18 ; so here, let your yea be yea. The first yea referreth to the promise, the second to the performance ; let there be yea in the promise, and yea in the per- formance ; and herein the ajiostle seemeth to strike at the root, falsehood being the cause of oaths : and we may observe : —
Ohs. That an excellent way to prevent swearing is to use a con- stant truth in our speeches, then we need not interpose an oath ; the credit of our communication will be enough. Oaths give suspicion of men's falseness and lightness. If men were serious and sincere in their discourses, their word would be equivalent to an oath, and their very affirming would be swearing ; whereas others in a doubtful case are hardly credited, though they swear never so deeply, because they sv.'ear so commonly ; for having prostituted the highest and most solemn way of assurance to every trifle, they have nothing left where- with to establish a controverted truth.
Lest ye fall into condemnation. — Many read Xva fxr} et? vTroKpiaiv Trearjre, least ye fall into hypocrisy, that is, be found liars ; but it seemeth by most translations, the Syriac, the Arabic, the Latin, that the original was read as we read it, vtto Kpiaiv Treo-T^re, fall into judgment. It is an allusion to that commination which in in tlne law that forbiddeth swearing : ' The Lord will not hold him guiltless that takethhis name in vain ; ' wiiere not only perjury, but rash oaths are forbidden ; for that word which we translate 'in vain,' is properly so rendered, according to the u.se of it in scripture, as the learned prove
JaS. V. 13.] Ul'ON TUE EPISTLE OF JAMEis. 439
against the Socinians ; so the Septuagint render it ; ^ and so Aquila.2 Note hence.
Obs. That rash and false swearing will bring a sure judgment ; for oaths, persons and lands mourn, Hosea iv. If duty doth not move, methinks thou shouldst startle at the danger and punishment. If thou becst not afraid to sin, yet it is strange thou art not afraid to burn.^ All sins are threatened with death, but this more expressly. God hath engaged himself that lie ' will not hold him guiltless ; ' usually they are brought to a speedy trial : Mai. iii. 5, ' I will be a swift witness,' &c. ; and judgment marcheth against them with a swift pace, ' the flying roll,' &c. ; Zech. v. 4. Certainly there is no sin that doth more weary the patience of God, because there is no sin that doth more banish the fear of God out of our hearts.
Ver. 13. 7s any among you afflicted ? let him pray. Is any merry ? let him sing psalms.
Here he diverteth to another matter, which is a direction how to behave ourselves either in an afflicted or in a prosperous condition, we being apt to fail or miscarry in both.
Is any among you afflicted!- let him -pray. — Some Latin copies read the whole verse in one sentence, strangely perverting the sense thus : Is any sorry among you ? let him pray and sing with an equal mind ; but the Greek readeth as we do, ' is any among you,' &c. He meaneth you that are in the church, that are the flock of Christ. Christianity giveth us no lease of temporal happiness, no exemption from the cross, rather the contrary ; 'miserable' is one of the church's names : Isa. liv. 6, 10, ' 0 thou afflicted.'