Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 2 · Part 11
The Epistle
IAMES 1.1.
Iames the seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, &c.
THis Epistle consists of 3. parts; a
Subscription, Iames the seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ.
Inscription, to the twelue tribes that are scattered abroad greeting.
Prescription, My brethren, count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers tentations.
Iames] Here two questions are moued ordinarily. The first concerning this Epistles authority. The second concerning this Epistles author. As for the first, I refer you to S. Hierom. Catalog. script. eccles. in vita Iacobi Iusti. Sixt. senen. bibliothec. lib. 1. pag. 25. Bellarm. de verbo dei. lib. 1. cap. 18. Dr. Whitaker, respon. ad Campian. rat. 1. Tyndal Prologue vponupon S. Iames. Doctor Hanmer obseruations vponupon Euseb. Eccles. hist. in English. lib. 2. cap. 23. Rogers explanat. of the confession of England, art. 6. Aretius, Caluin, Marlorat. argument. & prolegom. in epist. Iacob.
As for the second quare there were two blessed Apostles of this name, yMat. 10. Mark. 3.Iames the sonne of Zebedeus, and Iames the sonne of Alpheus. Now this Epistle was not penned as herein the zAuthores the sap. in text.most and best Diuines accord) by Iames the sonne of Zebedeus, so hee was slaine by cruell Herod, about the beginning of the preaching of the Gospell, Act. 12. But by Iames the sonne of Alpheus, called else where Iames the aMark. 15.40.lesser, and Iames the bGal. 1.19.Lords brother: this Iames was the cSee Ba…. Tom. 1. ad. in. 63.first Bishop of Hierusalem, of such vpright carriage toward men, as that hee was surnamed dE…seb …. lib. 2. cap. 23. Hierom. in cius vita. Aquitius loc.Iustus, and of such indesatigable deuotion in his prayers vntounto God, that (as eApud. Euseb. vbis….Hegesippus reportes) his knees were like a Cammels knee, benummed and made hard by reason of his continuall kneeling. And S. fHom. …. Mat.Chrysostome further addeth, that his forehead also became brawnie, through his daily prostrating himselfe vponupon the pauement in the Temple. The which I note, to condemne the proud and irreuerent behauiour of many, who comming into the Temple to pray, neither cast downe themselues as the Publican, not yet stand vp as the Pharisee; but they sit on their cushions (I feare in the feate of the scornfull) as if they were to blesse God, and not God to blesse them.
Seruant of God] Hee that serueth himselfe, serueth a foole; hee that serueth the gSee the … of Simon.diuell, serueth his enemie; he that serues the world, serues his seruant: the perfect and onelyonly true freedome is to serue the Lord. Wherefore this stile is no way base, but exceeding honourable, desired euen of the best, ambitiously. Samuel was Gods seruant, speake Lord saith he, h… 10. ….for thy seruant heareth thee. Iob the greatest of all the men of the East was Gods seruant, ha… thus not considered my seruant Iob? said the Lord to Satan, Iob 1.8. Dauid stiled in holy Scripture for his excellency kMat. 1.6.the King, boasted notwithstanding of this title. Behold O Lord, how that I am thy seruant, I am thy seruant, and the sonne of thine handmaid, Psalm. 116.14. All the Patriarkes, and Prophets, and Apostles hauehave gloried in this seruice. For if it bee reputed honourable to serue the King, it is assuredly greater preserment to serue the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. It is more credit to be a lPsal. 84.11.doorekeeper in the house of God, then to command in the Courts of other Princes. Now God (as earthly Kings) hath some seruants in ordinary, and other extraordinary. All Christians are his sworne seruants extraordinary, for they vowed in holy Baptisme to fight vnderunder Christs banner, against the world, the flesh, and the diuell, and to continue his faithfull souldiours and seruants vntil their liues end. The true profession of the true saith is Christs liuerie, and louelove is the cognisance of his liuery; for mGalath. 5.6.faith working by louelove, is the nMat. 22.12.wedding garment with Christs badge; by this (saith oIob. 13.35.he) shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye louelove one another.
Princes and Prophets are the seruants of God in ordinary, so neere to God in ordinary, so neare to God in office, that they are called Gods. A Magistrate is a singer (as it were) of Gods owne hand; a Preacher is a p1. Cor. 4.1.steward in Gods owne qHeb. 3.5.house. So Saint Iames (as being an Apostle) was in this sense the seruant of Iesus Christ; and rAret. in loc.therefore such are deceiued greatly, who thinke that this author was not an Apostle, because hee calles not himselfe an Apostle; for first Iude being an Apostle, doth vse the same subscription in this Epistle, Iudas the seruant of Iesus Christ. 2. Seruant in his acception is nothing else but an Apostle; wherefore many Greeke copies, and the Syriac, and the vulgar Latine make this title to this Epistle, the generall Epistle of S. Iames the Apostle. Here thē obserue that to be called a Minister of Iesus Christ, is not (as the Papists obiect against our reformed Churches) any contemptible stile, seeing Saint Iames here doth afford vsus a paterne, and S. Paul. 1. Cor. 4.1. a patent, sic nos aestimat homo vt ministros Christi; so the Romish translation in Latine, and the Rhemish in English, lei a man esteeme vsus as the Ministers of Christ.
Of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ] These words are to be construed fAret. & Mar….copulatinely, Iames a seruant of Iesus Christ, which is God and Lord, as Tit. 2.13. looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Sauiour Iesus Christ. For the t…mediator betweene God and man, is perfect God, and perfect man, and yet not two, but one Christ; one not by confusion of substance, but by vnity of person, as Athanasius in his Creed.
To the twelue tribes which are scattered abroad] The Iewes were led captiue to Babylon, & other countries, out of which it is apparant, that some neuer returned into Iurie: for Paul (as wee reade in the storie of the u….Acts) found almost eueryevery where both in Europe, and in Asia, Synagogues of the Iewes. Now this dispersion of Gods owne people for their ingratitude toward him, is a manifest argument of his wrathfull indignation against sinne, and it is written for our x… 10.11.instruction, vponupon whom the ends of the world are come; for if God spared not his naturall branches, his peculiar enclosed y… 5.7.plant; z… 11.21.take heed left he also spare not thee, which art but a wild Oliue by nature. Remember the words of Azariah vntounto King Asa, a2. …. 15.2.the Lord is with you, while yee are with him and if ye seeke him, hee will bee found of you, but if ye for sake him, he will for sake you. Yet God in his wrath b…. 3.2.remembers mercy; for among these scattered people some were gathered to the Church, and truly conuerted vntounto Christ, vntounto whom our Apostle wrote this excellent letter, cAq…. in loc.Vt qui dispersicrant corpore, congregarentur mente. S. Iames, I say, sent not this instruction vntounto Iewes vnconuerted, dAretius.for then hee would hauehave proued that Iesus was the sonne of Mary, the Messias of the world, promised to the fathers. If he had written vntounto the Iewes in generall, hee would (as S. Matthew did) hauehave penned a booke of the generation of Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid, the sonne of Abraham, &c. But his greeting is vntounto such Iewes as were turned Christians, exhorting them to make demonstration of their faith out of their workes, leading a life answerable to their profession; for the light of the Gospell appearing, eTit. 2.12.teacheth vsus that we should denie vngodlines, and worldly lusts, and that we should liue soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. To conuert Iewes he wrote principally, but that which is said vntounto them, is said vntounto vsus, and all; fOccumen. Aretius.in which respect this letter is entituled, the generall or Catholike Epistle of S Iames.
Greeting] This kind of salutation hath occasioned gCaietan. in loc.some to doubt of this Epistles authority; Saint Peter and S. Paul, in their inscriptions hauehave grace and peace. Saint Iude, mercy, and peace and louelove bee multiplied vntounto you. But this (as they thinke) is prophane, taken rather out of Platoes Academie, … out of Christs schoole. For hEpist. ad ….Plato reports that in Greece the Physitians salutation is, foreign, the Philosophers foreign, and the vulgars foreign. iRealm. de verb. dei. l. b. 1. cap. 18.Answere is made that this forme of saluting, although it were common among the Heathens, is notwithstanding apostolicall, and that a paterne hereof is found, Act. 15.23. The Apostles and the Elders, and the brethren, vntounto the brethren of the Gentiles in Antiochia, and in …ria, and in Cicilia, foreign greeting. 2. Saint Iames being a kMarlorat.spiritual Physitian wisheth here perfect health of the lSalutemin presenti, gratiae: in saturo. gloriae. Aquin. in loc.soule so well as the body. 3. foreign signifying to reioyce (considering he wrote to people dispersed, and distressed vnderunder the Crosse) is both as sit, and as full as the salutation of peace; for there is no true ioy in the spirit, without peace of conscience, Rom. 14.7. The kingdome of God is not meate nor drinke, but righteousnes and peace, and …oy in the holy Ghost, an m… Rom. 14.17.vpright life breedes in the iustified peace of conscience, and peace of conscience makes a ioyfull heart.
My brethren count it exceeding ioy, when ye fall into diuerse temptations … Wee reade Acts 8. that there was a great persecution against the Church at Hierusalem, and that all the conuerted Iewes were scattered abroad thorow the regions of Iudea and of Samaria. Now for the comfort of these distressed professours (as nA…ain. in loc.some coniecture) S. Iames wrote this instruction and because their condition vnderunder the crosse was vntounto flesh and blood exceeding grieuous, he beginneth o….ire ips…, with this exhortation pBeza.aptly. count it all ioy when ye fall into diuerse temptations. He that suffers as a q1. Pet. 4.15.murtherer, or as a theefe, or as an euill doer hath hereby griefe of heart, but blessed is the man that endureth temptation in Christs cause. To cast our selues into temptation affordes matter of sorrow, but if we for righteousnes sake by Gods appointment fall into sundry temptations our sorrow shall be turned into ioy, Iohn 16.20. Here the Gospell and Epistle meet our Apostle (count it for exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations) is answerable to Christ (let not your heart be troubled) and both are fitly read on this day, which is solemnized to the praise of God in comme notation of the ioyous Martyrdome of two blessed Apostles, Saint Philip, who for the constant profession of the Christian faith (as r…Hyppositus reported) was vnderunder Domitian the cruell Emperour crucified with his head downeward, and S. s…Iames euen for the same cause being Bishop of Hierusalem was cast downe headlong by the Scribes and Pharisees from the pinnacle of the temple, and afterward stoned, and finally brained with a Fullers club.
This exhortation to constant cheerefulnes vnderunder the crosse for the Gospell is pressed here by diuers and sundry reasons (as tA … Poseator.expositions hauehave well obserued) all which in breife may bee reduced either to the fruit, or else to the root of this Christian vertue. The fruit in this world, knowing this that the trying of your faith gendreth patience, and let patience hauehave her persit worke, &c. There is a twofold temptation (as uEpis. 146.Augustine told Consentius) vn a deceptionis, alter a probat. onis: a temptation to deceiue, which is from the diuell and our owne concupiscence, verse 13.14. of this present Chapter. Againe, there is a temptation to proue and improue, the xSee Drusias. … in loc.which is from God, and so suffering for the Gospell is termed here …temptation, and a triall of our faith. The fruit in the world to come is eternall happines, vers. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tryed he shall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that louelove him. See Gospell appointed for this day.
As for the root, if any lacke wisedome, yAquin. A…ctius. Caluin.that is true iudgement how to beare the crosse, let him aske it of God: he is a giuing God, from him is eueryevery good and perfect gift, verse 17. Ergo, he giueth also this: he giueth vntounto all indifferently without any respect of person: exclude not thy selfe from an vniuersall number, he liberally giueth, and vpbraideth not after he hath giuen, hee giues for the measure fully, for the manner cheerefully. Wherefore come to him, and aske of him in saith, and it shall be giuen vntounto you. See Gospell Sun. 5. after Easter.