As the Lord led me to meditate on this chapter recently I have been encouraged not only by the Scripture, but also by reading Matthew Henry's concise commentary notes on it. A little lengthy, but well worth the time. I hope this is a blessing to some of you, as it was to me.
~Brittany
James 1:1-11
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to
the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall
into divers temptations; Knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that
ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall
receive any thing of the Lord. A double
minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let
the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because
as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning
heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace
of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his
ways.”
Christianity teaches men to be joyful under troubles: such
exercises are sent from God's love; and trials in the way of duty will brighten
our graces now, and our crown at last. Let us take care, in times of trial,
that patience, and not passion, is set to work in us: whatever is said or done,
let patience have the saying and doing of it. When the work of patience is
complete, it will furnish all that is necessary for our Christian race and
warfare. We should not pray so much for the removal of affliction, as for
wisdom to make a right use of it. And who does not want wisdom to guide him
under trials, both in regulating his own spirit, and in managing his affairs?
Here is something in answer to every discouraging turn of the mind, when we go
to God under a sense of our own weakness and folly. If, after all, any should
say, This may be the case with some, but I fear I shall not succeed, the promise
is, To any that asketh, it shall be given. A mind that has single and
prevailing regard to its spiritual and eternal interest, and that keeps steady
in its purposes for God, will grow wise by afflictions, will continue fervent
in devotion, and rise above trials and oppositions. When our faith and spirits
rise and fall with second causes, there will be unsteadiness in our words and
actions. This may not always expose men to contempt in the world, but such ways
cannot please God. No condition of life is such as to hinder rejoicing in God.
Those of low degree may rejoice, if they are exalted to be rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom
of God; and the rich may
rejoice in humbling providences, that lead to a humble and lowly disposition of
mind. Worldly wealth is a withering thing. Then, let him that is rich rejoice
in the grace of God, which makes and keeps him humble; and in the trials and
exercises which teach him to seek happiness in and from God, not from perishing
enjoyments. - MHCC
James 1:12-18
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is
tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them
that love him. Let no man say when he is
tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man: But every man is
tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth
forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning. Of his own
will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures.”
It is not every man who suffers, that is blessed; but he who
with patience and constancy goes through all difficulties in the way of duty.
Afflictions cannot make us miserable, if it be not our own fault. The tried
Christian shall be a crowned one. The crown of life is promised to all who have
the love of God reigning in their hearts. Every soul that truly loves God,
shall have its trials in this world fully recompensed in that world above,
where love is made perfect. The commands of God, and the dealings of his
providence, try men's hearts, and show the dispositions which prevail in them.
But nothing sinful in the heart or conduct can be ascribed to God. He is not
the author of the dross, though his fiery trial exposes it. Those who lay the
blame of sin, either upon their constitution, or upon their condition in the
world, or pretend they cannot keep from sinning, wrong God as if he were the
author of sin. Afflictions, as sent by God, are designed to draw out our
graces, but not our corruptions. The origin of evil and temptation is in our
own hearts. Stop the beginnings of sin, or all the evils that follow must be
wholly charged upon us. God has no pleasure in the death of men, as he has no
hand in their sin; but both sin and misery are owing to themselves. As the sun
is the same in nature and influences, though the earth and clouds, often coming
between, make it seem to us to vary, so God is unchangeable, and our changes
and shadows are not from any changes or alterations in him. What the sun is in
nature, God is in grace, providence, and glory; and infinitely more. As every
good gift is from God, so particularly our being born again, and all its holy,
happy consequences come from him. A true Christian becomes as different a
person from what he was before the renewing influences of Divine grace, as if
he were formed over again. We should devote all our faculties to God's service,
that we may be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. -MHCC
James 1:19-21
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to
hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For
the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and
superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which
is able to save your souls.”
Instead of blaming God under our trials, let us open our
ears and hearts to learn what he teaches by them. And if men would govern their
tongues, they must govern their passions. The worst thing we can bring to any
dispute, is anger. Here is an exhortation to lay apart, and to cast off as a
filthy garment, all sinful practices. This must reach to sins of thought and
affection, as well as of speech and practice; to every thing corrupt and
sinful. We must yield ourselves to the word of God, with humble and teachable
minds. Being willing to hear of our faults, taking it not only patiently, but
thankfully. It is the design of the word of God to make us wise to salvation;
and those who propose any mean or low ends in attending upon it, dishonour the
gospel, and disappoint their own souls.
-MHCC
James 1:22-25
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves. For if any be
a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his
natural face in a glass: For he
beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of
man he was. But whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
If we heard a sermon
every day of the week, and an angel from heaven were the preacher, yet, if we
rested in hearing only, it would never bring us to heaven. Mere hearers are
self-deceivers; and self-deceit will be found the worst deceit at last. If we
flatter ourselves, it is our own fault; the truth, as it is in Jesus, flatters
no man. Let the word of truth be carefully attended to, and it will set before
us the corruption of our nature, the disorders of our hearts and lives; and it
will tell us plainly what we are. Our sins are the spots the law discovers:
Christ's blood is the laver the gospel shows. But in vain do we hear God's
word, and look into the gospel glass, if we go away, and forget our spots,
instead of washing them off; and forget our remedy, instead of applying to it.
This is the case with those who do not hear the word as they ought. In hearing
the word, we look into it for counsel and direction, and when we study it, it
turns to our spiritual life. Those who keep in the law and word of God, are,
and shall be, blessed in all their ways. His gracious recompence hereafter,
would be connected with his present peace and comfort. Every part of Divine
revelation has its use, in bringing the sinner to Christ for salvation, and in
directing and encouraging him to walk at liberty, by the Spirit of adoption,
according to the holy commands of God. And mark the distinctness, it is not for
his deeds, that any man is blessed, but in his deed. It is not talking, but
walking, that will bring us to heaven. Christ will become more precious to the
believer's soul, which by his grace will become more fitted for the inheritance
of the saints in light. -MHCC
James 1:26-27
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not
his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
When men take more pains to seem religious than really to be
so, it is a sign their religion is in vain. The not bridling the tongue,
readiness to speak of the faults of others, or to lessen their wisdom and
piety, are signs of a vain religion. The man who has a slandering tongue,
cannot have a truly humble, gracious heart. False religious may be known by
their impurity and uncharitableness. True religion teaches us to do every thing
as in the presence of God. An unspotted life must go with unfeigned love and
charity. Our true religion is equal to the measure in which these things have
place in our hearts and conduct. And let us remember, that nothing avails in
Christ Jesus, but faith that worketh by love, purifies the heart, subdues
carnal lusts, and obeys God's commands.
-MHCC
