James 1

2. No period put to his being. 1. No eclipse of his brightness: His essence shines with a fixed luster (James 1:17). With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Vespasian the Emperor gave a great reward to a woman who came to him, and professed she loved him. God gives a crown of life to them that love him (James 1:12). 3. Love is the only grace that shall live with us in Heaven.

Such glorious rewards are laid up for such as love God: That (as Austin says) they do not only transcend our reason, but faith itself is not able to comprehend them. A crown is the highest ensign of worldly glory; and God has promised a crown of life to them that love him (James…

Secondly, God is holy primarily: he is the original and pattern of holiness; holiness began at him who is the Ancient of Days. Thirdly, God is holy efficiently: he is the cause of all that holiness in others (James 1:17): "Every good and perfect gift comes from above." He made t…

Had I the tongue of angels, I could not sufficiently set forth the excellency of Scripture. It is a spiritual optic glass in which we behold God's glory; it is the tree of life, the oracle of wisdom, the rule of manners, the heavenly seed of which the new creature is formed (Jam…

Give your servant an understanding heart, and the speech pleased the Lord; and there is encouragement for us. If any one lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives liberally and upbraids not (James 1:5). Wisdom is in God, tanquam in fonte, as in the fountain; his wisdom is impart…

The oil of the sanctuary was made up of several sweet spices, pure myrrh, cassia, cinnamon (Exodus 30:23). Faith is the chief spice or ingredient in prayer, which makes it go up to the Lord as sweet incense (James 1:6). Let him ask in faith.

Pray that God's special presence may be with us, that our hearts may burn within us while God speaks. Pray that we may receive the word into meek humble hearts (James 1:22). That we may submit to it, and bring forth the fruits of it.

The word preached anoints the blind eye, mollifies the rocky heart; it beats off our fetters, and turns us from the power of Satan to God, (Acts 26:18). The word is the seed of regeneration, (James 1:18). The engine of salvation.

Come not here with hard hearts: who can expect a crop when the seed is sown upon stony ground? 4. If you would have the Word effectual, receive it with meekness (James 1:21). Receive with meekness the engrafted Word.

God would have us in patience possess our souls; (Luke 21:19) The Greek word for patience, [illegible], signifies to bear up under a burden without fainting or [reconstructed: fretting]; but to be contrary in affliction, and quarrel with God's will, where is this Christian patie…

The turning of the will to God is from God (Jeremiah 31:19): After I was turned I repented. 2. The organical cause, or instrument, by which the new creature is formed, is the Word of God (James 1:18): Of his own will he begat us by the Word of Truth. The Word is the seed out of…

For as it is said of the Gentiles that when 'their foolish heart was darkened' (that is, when left and given over to their own natural darkness) 'they became vain in their imaginations' — or as the original has it, in their reasonings (Romans 1:21) — and this even in those thing…

Is your heart inconstant and full of double-mindedness? He is unchangeable also, as he speaks there (James 1). Thus all objections that can be made may be answered out of his name.

Objection. But against this it may be objected, that Saint James says, James 1:13, God tempteth no man: and therefore no temptation is the action of God? Answer.

But we may safely and truly read the words thus; They were tempted: conceiving hereby, that they were enticed and allured by fair promises of life, to forsake their religion. So, the same word is used by Saint James, saying; Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own…

Behold, when we enter the profession of Christianity, we are set upon an high mountain: for the way of life is on high; and Christianity is the high calling of God. We therefore must be wise, as Solomon says, Proverbs 15:24, and look well to our conversation, having a strait wat…

Temptation] temptation is nothing else, but the enticement of the soul or heart, either by the corruption of man's nature, or the allurements of the world, or the devil, to any sin. (James 1:15) God tempts no man: that is, God moves no man to sin. Lead us not] Or carry us not in…

Indeed, David desired some kind of temptations (Psalm 26:1): prove me, O Lord. And James says, Account it for exceeding joy, when you shall fall into diverse temptations (James 1:2). Note also that every man by nature is the bondslaves of sin and Satan.

God says, I am Jehovah, and I change not (Malachi 3:6). With God (says Saint James) there is no variableness, nor shadow of change (James 1:17). Now such as God is, such is his decree or counsel.

I proceed next to the exhortation, to beseech you all who hear me this day, to put on bowels of mercies; be ready to indulge the miseries and necessities of others; Saint Ambrose calls charity the sum of Christianity, and the Apostle makes it the very definition of Religion, Jam…

Reason 3. That which lusts against the spirit, and by lusting tempts, and in tempting entices and draws the heart to sin, is by nature sin itself: but concupiscence in the regenerate lusts against the spirit (Galatians 5:17) and tempts as I have said (James 1:14): God tempts no…

Paul could bless God if by any means he might attain the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:11). 'My brethren,' said James, 'count it all joy when you fall into various trials' (James 1:2-3). My Father is about a design of love upon my soul — and do I do well to be angry wi…

Query 1. Does religion in any way countenance or patronize the sinful practices of its professors, or does it not rather impartially and severely condemn them? It is the glory of the Christian religion that it is pure and undefiled (James 1:27); no doctrine is so holy (Psalm 19:…

(1 Corinthians 15:47) The second man (both first, highest, second and all) is the Lord from heaven. 4. All our good, every perfect gift comes from heaven (James 1:17). Manna came not from the clouds.

Second: All skilled in the original languages, and all divines say that the particle "all" is taken pro singulis generum, vel pro generibus singulorum — all and every one of kinds, and for the kinds of all, though not absolutely excluding any kind. First, the word "all" is, in m…

So that to pray in faith, is to come to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through him a Father also to us, abundant in goodness and in truth; a Father that is great in counsel, and excellent in work; that has compassion of his own children, and will therefore perfo…

First; for the causes, the Holy Ghost usually sets forth the causes of our spiritual life, and if we find these causes to have been the work of that life, which we conceive our souls to be endowed with, we may from there argue the truth of our spiritual life, and from there the…

A Christian, look whatever it be that a Christian finds superfluous, and finds contrary to the life of Christ in his soul, either too much, or contrary to his spirit, that he abandons it more or less by degrees, measure after measure, and time after time. So the Apostle exhorts…

4. With respect to Christ himself, that he might be an exact pattern of obedience to God. The obedience is little worth, which is carried on in an even tenor, when we have no temptation to the contrary, but is cast off as soon as we are tempted to disobey (James 1:12): Blessed i…

A Christian's conversation is a continual act of worship; he ever behaves himself as before God, doing all things, whether they be directed to God or men, out of love to God, and fear of God, and so turns second table duties into first table duties. Pure religion, and undefiled…

A comforting power, giving the heirs of promise strong consolation (Hebrews 6:18). Do you find anything of this in your hearts, is it ingrafted in your souls (James 1:21)? Receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls.

Do not always reckon upon temporal felicity, refer that to God, but do as Jesus who in his sharp trials (Hebrews 12:2-3): "For the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." There is a sure Crown…

Secondly, when we delay our repentance, we add sin to sin, and so treasure up wrath against the day of wrath (Romans 2). Thirdly, when we defer to obey and turn to God, we grow to perfection in sin, and sin being perfected brings forth death (James 1:14). Lastly, late repentance…

Here remember, that by sin, is meant Original sin, which has two parts: guilt in the first offence of Adam, which is imputed to all mankind; and the disposition of all the powers of the soul to all manner of evil whatever. And this rebellious disposition is like a leprosy infect…

See the example of Gideon appeasing the Midianites (Judges 8:1), and Abigail pacifying David (1 Samuel 25). Fifthly, without meekness, we cannot savingly hear the word, either read or preached (James 1:21). It is further said, we must restore in the spirit of meekness.

For we were chosen before the foundations of the world were laid, as Saint Paul teaches (Ephesians 1:4). And Saint James says, that we were begotten by the word of truth, that we might be the first fruits of his creatures (James 1:18). He will then preserve us above all his crea…

But we grovel on the earth, we are unstable, and never continue stayed nor settled in that which we have once embraced: Answer. And therefore he separates God from men; for in him there is not so much as a shadow of turning: (James 1:17). Contrariwise, we are not so inclined, as…

When the judgment of God is mentioned in Scripture, it does not in any way set aside the forgiveness of sins. And yet let no man indulge himself, but let every man earnestly endeavor to bridle his tongue, (James 1:26.) First, let us speak of the sacred mysteries of God with the…

Hence we infer, that the minds of men are destitute of that sagacity which is necessary for perceiving the mysteries of heavenly wisdom which are hidden in Christ; and even that all the senses of men are deficient in this respect, till God opens our eyes to perceive his glory in…

It is not natural to them to take it upon them to do the part of teachers; but on the contrary, they are disposed to think that they are not the persons, that others are fitter for it than they; as it was with Moses and Jeremiah (Exodus 3:11, Jeremiah 1:6) though they were such…

And this is the same with our Receiving the Word preached so often mentioned in the Scripture; Acts 2. 41. James 1. 21; which is by Faith to give it Entertainment in our Hearts; which is the meaning of the Word in this Place, 2 Cor. 6. 1. Having taken the Profession of the Doctr…

(2.) That the effect of Regeneration or Conversion to God, is assigned to the Preaching of the Word, because of its efficacy thereunto in its own kind and way as the outward means thereof, 1 Cor. 4. 15. James 1. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Sect. 10 2ly; We may consider what is the Nature,…

Notwithstanding our utmost watchfulness, there is no man who lives and sins not — the best of our works and duties brought into the presence of God's holiness are but filthy rags; man even every man drinks in iniquity like water; and the deep humiliations and self-abasements of…

Lastly, Eye the Immutability of God. Look on him as the Rock of Ages, James 1:17 The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. Eye Jesus Christ, as the same yesterday, to day and for ever.

There are two ways whereby the blessed God condescends to manifest himself to men: his word and his works. Of the written word we must say, no words like these were ever written since the beginning of time, which can (as one speaks) take life and root in the soul, and does so as…

The Lord has given. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). What gifts does Job here mean?

Men may flatter themselues and say they loue God, but if it be not showed in the loue of their neighbours, they deceiue themselues, there is no loue of God in them. And therefore they are deceiued that thinke all is well with them, when they come to Church, and receive the sacra…

Be gentle showing all meekness to all men (Titus 3:2); especially revile not Christ's friends, God's children; revile not the saints, remember that no revilers, especially such revilers that persevere in that sin, shall inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10); and when t…

We must buckle on the armor of God, that we may be able to withstand in an evil day; and having done and endured all, to stand on the field as conquerors. In personal conflicts all our stock of suffering graces may be put to it; poverty will try our faith; disgrace our self-deni…