John Trapp on James 4

CHAP. IV. Verſe 1. From whence come warres]

THat is, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Word-wars, needleſſe and endleſſe ſtrifes and contentions.

Even of your luſts] Gr. Of your pleaſures: for wicked men take pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe; it is their meat and drink, Pro. 4.17. they cannot ſleep, nay live without it, verſ. 16. Look how Tartarians feed upon carrion with as great delight, as we do upon veniſon: as the Tuckiſh gally-ſlaves eat opium, as it were bread: and as the maid in Pliny fed on ſpiders. and digeſted them into nouriſhment: ſo do ſenſualiſts feed upon ſins murthering morſels, and ſwallow them down with delight.

Verſe 2. Ye luſt and have not] viz. To the ſatisfying of your luſts; for that's an endleſſe piece of work. Luſt ſtill cries Give, Give: and is ever ſick of a ſpirituall dropſie: the barren womb, the horſleeches daughter, the grave, is nothing to this gulf, to this cu[illegible: 1 letter]ſe of unſatisfiableneſſe.

Becauſe ye ask not] He muſt be of a ſedate ſpirit that praies to purpoſe. How ſhall we think God will hear us when we hardly hear our ſelves? Married couples muſt agree, that their praiers be not hindered, 1 Pet. 3.7.

Verſe 3. Ye ask and receive not] Ye ask and miſſe, becauſe ye ask amiſſe. It is the manner that makes or marres an action.

Verſe 4. Yea adulterers and adultereſſes] You that have your hearts full of harlotry, that go a whoring from God after the creature, that minde only earthly things, Phil. 3.19. and wooe this Mundus immundus, this Propudium, this vile ſtrumpet the world, that laies forth her two breaſts of profit and pleaſure, and enſnareth many: for the which ſhe muſt be burnt, as a whore, by the fire of the laſt day.

Verſe 5. That the Scripture ſaith in vain] No: it doth not only ſay, but do: not only convince us that an evil and an envious ſpirit poſſeſſeth us (ſuch a ſpirit as luſteth to have other mens abilities eclipſed, that ſo our candle might ſhine alone) but alſo it giveth more grace: it not only convinceth, but converteth the ſoul, Pſal. 19.7. It cauſeth a man to rejoyce heartily in the good parts of others; and this is more then to excell others in any excellency, if this be wanting.

Verſe 6. But he giveth] Or, It, that is, The Scripture giveth, &c. transforming us into the ſame image, and conforming us to the heavenly patern by the ſpirit that breatheth in it. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

God reſiſteth the proud] Gr. Setteth himſelf in Battle-array againſt ſuch, above all other ſorts of ſinners, as invaders of his territories, and forragers or plunderers of his chief treaſures. Pray therefore to be preſerved from the perilous pinalce of ſelf-exaltation: God defieth ſuch as deifie themſelves; the knoweth them afar off, Pſ. 138.6, he cannot abide the ſight of them.

But giveth grace to the humble] Humility is both a grace, and a veſſel to receive grace. God poureth the oil of his grace into broken veſſels, contrite ſpirits.

Verſe 7. Reſiſt the devil] i. e. Worldly and fleſhly luſts ſtirred up by the devil, Epheſ. 4.26. Luſt reſiſted is ſin materially, not formally: for the guilt is done away, in that we do not allow it,M Ca[illegible: 1 letter]e[illegible: 2 letters] of Temp[illegible: 1 letter]. but abhor it, as ſome are of opinion.

And he will flee from you] He is but a coward therefore: for like the Crocodile, if you follow him he fleeth, if you flee from him he followeth you. In all other fights, the firſt encounter is ſharpeſt; but here, eaſieſt: for the old ſerpent having his head bruiſed and cruſhed, cannot now ſo eaſily thruſt in his mortall ſting, unleſſe we dally with him, and ſo lay our ſelves open.

Verſe 8. Draw night to God] viz. In duty, and he[illegible: 1 letter]'l draw nigh to you in mercy. Sanctifie him, Levit. 10.3. and he will ſatisfie you, Pſal. 91.16. The very Turks are remorſeleſſe to thoſe that bear up: but they receive humiliation with much ſweetneſſe.

Cleanſe your hands] For elſe there's no coming near God, Joſh, 24.19.

Ye double-minded] Ye that have your hearts divided betwixt two, and as it were cloven aſunder: Out with the corruption that cleaveth to your hearts: and then there will be a conſtancy and an evenneſſe in your mouths and manners.

Verſe 9. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Be afflicted] Or, Be miſerable: Ye are ſo, but ſee your ſelves to be ſo. Or, Afflict your ſelves, viz. with voluntary ſorrows for your ſins. See that ye be active here.

And mourn] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Savouringly and ſoakingly, with a deep and down tight ſorrow, ſo as a man would do in the death of his deareſt friend. The Greek work imports a funeral-gri[illegible: 1 letter]f.

And [illegible: 3 letters]p] In judgement at leaſt: and then, dry ſorrow may go as for as we[illegible: 1 letter], where teats will not come.

Let your laughter be turned] Turn all the ſtreams into this one cha[illegible: 3 letters], that may drive the mill, that may grinde the heart Meal was offered of old, and not whole corn.

And your joy to heavineſſe] [non-Latin text not transcribed] Tr[illegible: 1 letter]ſt[illegible: 3 letters] cum vul[illegible: 2 letters]s [illegible: 1 word]. Bu[illegible: 3 letters]as. Such as makes a man hang down his head, and go heavily through grief and ſhame.

Verſe 10. Humble your ſelves] He beats oft upon this moſt needfull, but much neglected duty of humiliation: and all's little enough; there being nothing that more goes againſt the heart and the hair with us, then to go downward; and yet it muſt be done, or we are undone.

And he ſhall lift you up] The lion of Judah rents not the proſtrate prey. Da[illegible: 1 letter]ie[illegible: 1 letter]s Chro. [illegible: 1 span] Bat as William the Conquerour ever held ſubmiſſion ſatisfactory for the greateſt offences, and often received rebels into grace: ſo doth Chriſt much more. The Sun in the morning gathereth clouds, but then it ſoon ſcattereth them again: ſo doth the Sun of righteouſneſſe caſt men down, that he may raiſe them up again.

Verſe 11. Speak not evil, &c.] As Ezekiels hearers did of him By the walls, and in the doors of the houſes, Chap. 33.30. and as too many of ours do; for the which they will be full dearly accountble. The tale-bearer hath the devil in his tongue, the tale-hearer in his ear.

Speaketh evil of the law] Which flatly forbiddeth detraction.

And judgeth the Law] As not ſevere enough, or as overſtrait.

Verſe 12. There is one law-giver] What doſt thou then do pierking into his place, by cenſuring and defaming another? Is not this to be a Pope in thine own cauſe, exalting thy ſelf above God, 2 Theſſ. 2.4. or at leaſt appealing from him to thy ſelf?

Verſe 13. We Will goe into ſuch, &c.] As if they were pettygods within themſelves, and needed not to call God into counſel, or to take his leave along with them. But ſuch confident exchange language became not the mouths of ſcattered exiles. And yet it is the common ſin in the diſperſed Jews in all places to this day.

Verſe 14. Ye know not What, &c.] God delights to croſſe ſuch vain boaſters, and to confute their confidences, that speak and live, as if their lives were riveted upon eternity. They might eaſily obſerve that many things fall out betwixt the cup and the lip, betwixt the chinne and the challice. Ne glorietur igitur accinctus quaſi diſcinctus. Sell not the hide before ye have taken the beaſt. Who knows what a great bellied day may bring forth? Proverbs 27.1. Whiles a woman is yet with childe, none can tell what kinde of birth is will be, Luke 12.16, 17.

It is even a vapour] Thy breath is in thy noſtrils, ever ready to puff out: at the next puff of breath thou maiſt blow away thy life. Petrarch relates of a certain holy man,Lib 3. Memor. that being invited to a feaſt on the morrow, he anſwered, I have not had a morrow-day to diſpoſe of, this many a year: If you would any thing of me now, I am ready.

Verſe 15. If the Lord will, &c.] So Socrates taught Alcibiades to ſay, If God Will, &c. And another could ſay, [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Nullius eſt foelix conatus & utilis unquam, Conſilium ſi non det que juvet que Deus.

Verſe 16. In your boastings] Of long life and ſutable ſucceſſe.Pſ[illegible: 1 letter]l. 64.9. God will ſhoot an arrow at ſuch ſuddenly, as he did at the rich fool, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman, Herod, Senacherib, and other bragadochio's.

Verſe 17. To him that knoweth] Leſt they ſhould reply, We know all this, that except we live and God liſt, we can do nothing: Do ye know to do well, ſaith he, and do it not? this encreaſeth your guilt.