John Trapp on James 1

CHAP. I. Verſe 1. To the twelve Tribes]

ONce very devout, Act. 26.7. ſtill the moſt nimble and Mercuriall wits in the world, but light, acriall and f[illegible: 2 letters]aticall, apt to work themſelves into the fools Paradiſe of a ſublime dotage.

Which are ſcattered abroad] Baniſhed from Rome by the Emperour Claudius, Sueton. cap. 25. Act. 18.1. and called by S. Peter, Strangers of the disperſion, 1 Pet. 1.1. The Jews at this day are a disjected and deſpiſed people, according to Deut. 28.64. having neither countrey nor reſting-place; even in Jeruſalem there be not to be found at this day an hundred houſholds of them.Breen v. Enqui

Verſe 2. Count it all joy] The world wondreth (ſaith Maſter Phi[illegible: 1 letter]pot the Martyr) how we can be ſo merry in ſuch extream miſery. But our God is omnipotent, who turneth miſery into felicity. Believe me there is no ſuch joy in the world as the people of Chriſt have under the croſſe;Act. and Mon. fol. 1668. I ſpeak it by experience, &c.

Into divers temptations] Croſſes ſeldome come ſingle (Catenata piorum crux) as neither do mercies,Ali[illegible: 2 letters] ex ali[illegible: 1 letter] m[illegible: 1 letter]lum. Terent. but trooping and treading one upon the heels of another. After rain cometh clouds, Eccl. 12.2. As in April, no ſooner is one ſhore unburdened, but another is brewed.

Verſe 3. The triall of your faith] Yea ſuch a well knit patience, as maketh a man ſuffer after he hath ſuffered, as David did from Shimei, but firſt from Abſolom. Tile-ſtones till baked are not uſefull: but well burnt and hardened they ſtand out all ſtorms and ill weather. See my Love-tokens, p. 170.

Verſe 4. Let patience have her perfect work] Patience muſt not be an inch ſhorter then the affliction. If the Bridge reach but half way over the Brook, we ſhall have but ill-favoured paſſage. It is the devils deſire to ſet us on a hurry: he knows his temptations will then work beſt.

Verſe 5. If any of you lack wiſdome] That is,Qui placidè ſortem ferre ſcit ille ſapit. Patience to bear afflictions as he ought, chearfully, thankfully, fruitfully, ſo as to be able to ſay, Well for the preſent, and it will be better hereafter, which is the patient mans Motto.

Let him ask it of God] It hath been queſtioned by ſome,Aquin. 2.2 q. 136. Whether a man can have patience, ſine auxilio gratiae, without the help of Gods grace. But Chriſtians know they cannot. It is not patience but pertinacy in godleſſe men.

And upbraideth not] Neither with preſent failings, nor former infirmities. Qui exprobrat, repoſcit. So doth not God;Tacit. unleſſe in caſe of unthankfulneſſe. For then he will take his own, and be gone, Hoſ. 2.8, 9.

Verſe 6. But let him ask in faith] See the Note on Heb. 11.6.

Nothing wavering] We are too ready in temptation to doubt, yea to hold it a duty to doubt. This (ſaith one) is to light a candle before the devil, as we uſe to ſpeak.

Verſe 7. That he ſhall receive] Unleſſe he ſtrive againſt his doubting, and wade out of it, as the Moon doth out of a cloud, Qui timidè rogat negare docet. He that praieth doubtingly, ſhuts heaven gates againſt his own praiers.

Verſe 8. Ʋnſtable in all his waies] As he is that ſtands on one leg, or as a [illegible: 1 word] on a ſmooth table. Contrariwiſe, a believer is as a ſqu[illegible: 1 letter]re-ſtone ſet into the building, 1 Peter 2.7. Shaken he may be, but he is rooted as a tree, wagge he may up and down as a ſhip at anchour, but yet he removes not.

Verſe 9. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Rejoyce in that be is exalted] Gr. In his ſublimity, in that hig[illegible: 1 letter] honour of his, John 1.12. This ſhould make him hold up his head, but not too high, be chearfull, but not withall ſcornfull. Laetiſimus, ſed non ſ[illegible: 3 letters]ri, gandentes in Domino, ſed caventes a recidivo. B[illegible: 1 letter]rn.

Verſe 10. In that he is made low] Drawn from that high eſteem of outward excellencies. He is now made a greater man, becauſe be ſeems too bigge for them: Or low, that is lowly.

Verſe 11. Shall the rich man fade] Periſh eternally, if he truſt in uncertain riches, and not in the living God. See Jam. 5.1. Thus that ſapleſſe fellow Nabal faded, when his heart died within him, not could his riches any more relieve him then they did that rich and wretched Cardinall, Henry Beanford Chancellour of England, in the raign of Henry the ſixt, who murmured at death, that his riches could not reprieve him till a further time. Fire (qu[illegible: 1 letter]th he) will not death be hired? Will money do nothing? No: money here bears no maſtery. Act. and Mon. [illegible: 1 word], 925.

Verſe 12. Bleſſed is the man] Provided that God teach him, as well as chaſtiſe him, Pſ. 94.12. inſtruct him as well as correct him. See my Love-tokens, par. 2.

He ſhall receive the crown] A man can be content to have his head broken with a bag of gold, ſo he may have it, when its done.

Verſe 13. I am tempted of God] The inclination of mans heart to good, is of it ſelf and properly of God, as light is of the Sun. His inclination to evil is by accident only of God, like as darkneſſe is of the Sun-ſet by accident, being properly not of the Sun, but of the earth.

Verſe 14. Drawn away of his luſt] Satan hath only a perſwading [illegible: 1 letter]l[illegible: 2 letters]ght, [non-Latin text not transcribed] quaſi [non-Latin text not transcribed] not an [illegible: 2 letters]f[illegible: 1 letter]rcing might. Our own concupiſcence carries the greateſt ſtroke.

And entiſed] As the ſilly fiſh is by the bait covering the hook, being firſt drawn aſide into the clear water.

Verſe 15. When luſt hath conceived] As the plot of all diſeaſes lies in the humours of the body; ſo of all ſin, in the l[illegible: 1 letter]ſt of the ſoul. There is in it a [non-Latin text not transcribed], a tacite conſent, a ſeed-plot of all ſin.Emp[illegible: 1 letter]doclis vocabu um apud A[illegible: 1 letter]iſtot. The Papiſts ſay (but falſly) that it is the ſmalleſt of all ſins, not deſerving any more of Gods wrath, then only a want of his beatificall preſence, and that too without any pain or ſorrow of minde from the apprehenſion of ſo great a leſſe. There are alſo of ours that ſay, That it is not forbidden by the law: but ſure we are, it is curſed and condemned (and therefore forbidden) by the Law.

Verſe 16. Do not erre] Winder not, as wandering ſtarres, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. to whom is reſerved the blackneſſe of darkneſſe for ever, Jude 13. by ſeeking to father your faults upon God, as Adam did, Gen. 3.12.

Verſe 17. Every good gift, &c.] An Hexameter verſe in the Greek: as little intended perhaps by the Apoſtle, as the firſt line in Tacitus, which yet may be ſcanned a long verſe.

And perfect giving] Not temporals only (which are good Gifts,) but ſpirituals alſo, thoſe perfect givings. The greateſt excellencies in us do as much depend upon G[illegible: 2 letters], as the effigies in the glaſſ[illegible: 1 letter] doth upon the face that cauſeth it; or as the light doth upon the Sunne that father of all the light in the lower world.

With whom is no variableneſſe] No Parallax, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as there is with the Sun, when he d[illegible: 1 letter]clines and leaves us darkling. This word notes the Suns motion from Eaſt to Weſt, as the following word [illegible: 1 word], turning, notes his motion every year from North to South. that which the Apoſtle would here aſſent is, that God tempts no man to evil, becauſe he is unchangeably good, and can be no other.

Verſe 18. Of his own will begat [illegible: 1 letter]e us] Gr. Brought he us forth, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as a ſpeciall inſtance of his free grace and fatherly goodneſſe, Epheſ. 1.4, 5.

Verſe 19. Swift to hear] Reaching after that word of truth, the Goſpel, ver. 18. and drinking it [illegible: 1 word] as the dry earth doth the dew of heaven. Life doth now enter in to the ſoul at the ear, as at firſt death did. Gen. 3.

Slow to ſpeak] We reade oft, He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear, but never, He that hath a tongue to ſpeak, let him ſpeak: for this we can doe faſt enough without bidding.

Slow to wrath] Slow to ſnuffe at thoſe that reprove you▪ See the Note on Heb. 13.22. Rage not when touched, though to the quick.

Verſe 20.Exod. 32. Mark 6. For the wrath of man] Unleſſe it be as Moſes and Chriſts anger was, pure and free from guile and gall, prompting us to pity, and pray for the party.

Verſe 21. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. All filthineſſe] Gr. The ſtinking filth of a peſtilent ulcer. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Sinne is the devils vomit, the ſouls excrement, the ſuperfluity or garbage of naughtineſſe, as it is here called, by an al[illegible: 1 letter]uſion to the garbage of the ſacrifices caſt into the brook Kidron, that is, into the Town-ditch. Retentio excrementorum eſt parens morborum. Out with it therefore.

Receive with meeknes] It is ill ſowing in a ſtorm: ſo a ſtormy ſpirit will not ſuffer the Word to take place. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

The engraffed word] Engraffed upon the heart, as the ſcience upon the ſtock: or ſowed in the ſoul, and mingled with faith, that it may bring forth fruit to God.

Verſe 22.Iſidor. l. 11. c. 3. And not hearers only.] The Panotij in Scythia are ſaid to have ſuch large ears, as that therewith they cover their whole bodies. Such are our hearers only.

Deceiving your own ſouls] Either as by falſe reckoning, or falſe reaſoning. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Verſe 23. His naturall face] Gr. The face of his nativity, that wherewith he was born into the world.

Verſe 24. Straightway forgetteth] Naturaliſts make mention of a certain creature called Cervarius, that though he be feeding never ſo hard and hungerly, if he caſt but back his head, he forgets immediately the meat he was eating, and runs to look after new.

Verſe 25. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Whoſo looketh into, &c.] As into a glaſſe wiſhtly and intently with the body bowed down. Get thee Gods law as a glaſſe to [illegible: 1 letter]oot in,Ser. of repent. ſaith M. Bradford: So ſhalt thou ſee thy face foul arraied, and ſo ſhamefully ſawcy, mangy, pocky and ſcabbed, that thou canſt not but be ſorry at the contemplation thereof. It is ſaid of the Baſilisk that if he look into a glaſſe, he preſently dieth▪ Sin doth. Phyſitians in ſome kinde of unſeemly convulſions wiſh the patient to view himſelf in a glaſſe, which will help him to ſtrive the more, when he ſhall ſee his own deformity: So reflect, &c.

Not a forgetfull hearer] Some are as hour-glaſſes, no ſooner turned up, but running out immediately.

Verſe 26. But deceiveth] The heart firſt deceiveth us with colours, and when we are once a doating after ſin, then we j[illegible: 1 letter]yn and deceive our hearts by fallacious reaſonings.

Verſe 27. And widdows] A vine whoſe root is uncovered thrives not: a widdow, whoſe covering of eyes is taken away, joyes not.