John Trapp on James 5

CHAP. V. Verſe 1. Go to now ye rich men]

THoſe rich wrethes mentioned, Chap. 2.6, 7. That blaſphemed God, and oppreſſed men. Magna cognatio ut reiſic nominis, divitijs & vitijs.

Weep and howl] Better weep here, where there are wiping-handkerchiefs in the hand of Chriſt, then to have your eyes whipt out in hell. Better howl with men, then yell with devils.

That ſhall come upon you] Gr. That are even now ſtealing upon you. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Verſe 2. Your riches are corrupted] Being ſubject to vanity and violence, Mat. 6.19. See the Note there. Provide your ſelves therefore bags, that wax not old; treaſure that faileth not, &c, Luk 12.33.

Verſe 3. And ſhall eat your fleſh] i.e. With hell-fire, which ſhall conſume your fleſh, nay your ſouls with eternall torments. Some ſtrong poiſon is made of the ruſt of mettals: none worſe then that of money.

For the laſt daies] Wrath for the day of wrath: or ſtore for old-age, it being the old mans care, as Plutarch obſerves, [non-Latin text not transcribed], That he ſhall not have what to keep him while alive, and what to bury him honeſtly when dead.

Verſe 4. Kept back by fraud crieth] Bloudſhed, Gen. 4.10. unnaturall luſt, Gen. 18.21. and oppreſſion (whether by force or fraud) cry to God, and he will hear, for be is gracious, Ex 22.27.

Lord of ſabbath] Who hath all power in his hand, and can eaſily reach you. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Verſe 5. Ye have lived in pleaſure] Ye have lain melting in ſenſuall delights, which have drawn out your ſpirits, and diſſolved them.

Ʋpon earth] No place of pleaſure to good men, but of purgatory, baniſhment and bondage. A place of that nature, that (as it is reported of the Straits of Magellan) which way ſoever a man bend his courſe (if home-ward) he is ſure to have the winde againſt him. [illegible: 1 word] 16.[illegible: 1 letter]5 It was a heavy charge laid upon Dives, Sonne, remember that thou in thy life time receivedſt thy good things, &c.

And been Wanton] Fulneſſe breeds forgetfulneſſe, Deut. 32.15.

As in a day of ſlaughter] For ſacrifice; when they uſed to have good chear, Prov. 7.14. And hereunto the Wiſeman alludeth, Pro 17.1. The Apoſtle here ſeemeth to intimate, that theſe rich ſenſualiſts lived upon the cream of ſinning, and had ſuch plenty, that they pickt out none but the ſweeteſt bits to nouriſh their hearts withall.

Verſe 6. Ye have condemned and killed] Take it either properly or metaphorically, or uſurers and extortioners, that not only [illegible: 1 letter]ob, but raviſh the poor, that are fallen into their nets, Pſal. 10.9. that is, their bonds, debts, morgages, as Chryſostome interpreteth it: there is neither equity nor mercy to be had at their hands; hence they are called men-eaters, Cannibals, &c.

And be doth not reſist you] Meekneſſe of ſpirit commonly draws on injuries and indignities from unreaſonable men.Veteremf[illegible: 1 letter]rendo injuriam invitas novam. A Crow will ſtand upon a ſheeps-back, pulling of wooll from her ſide, ſhe durſt not doe ſo to a Wolfe or a Maſtiffe.

Verſe 7. Be patient therefore] q. d. You poor oppreſſed ones, hold out faith and patience. You ſhall ſhortly have help As the mothers breſts ake to be ſuckling, ſo doth Gods heart yern to be helping.

Ʋnto the coming of the Lord] ſc. By particular deliverance: and not only by the generall judgement. Let patience have line and rope.

Waiteth for the precious fruit] Being in novum annum ſemper dives, as the proverb is, ever rich againſt the next year. Spes alit agricolas. Hope holds up the husbandmans heart.

And hath long patience] He looks not to ſow and reap in a day, as the Hyperboreans are ſaid to do, that ſow ſhortly after the Sunne-riſing with them, and reap̄, Heresbach. de re [illegible: 1 letter]uſtic. before the Sun ſet: becauſe the whole half year is one continuate day with them.

Verſe 8. For the coming] See Verſe 7. And he when he comes, ſhall ſet all to rights: We ſhall ſee ſo much reaſon in his proceedings, which now we comprehend not, that we ſhall yeeld him the only Wiſe God.

Verſe 9. Grudge not, &c.] Groan not, Grumble not, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. grow not ſowr, and ſullen one to another.

Leſt ye be condemned] As Sarah had been, if the Lord had come, as ſhe deſired him, to judge bewixt her and her huſband. The moſt guilty are commonly moſt querulous and complaint-full.

The Judge ſtandeth before the door] If the Magiſtrate be preſent we may not offend another, to defend our ſelves. Ecce judex pro foribus: Therefore, Hold a blow, as wee ſay.

Verſe 10 For an example of ſuffering] Examples very much affect us, as they did many of the Martyrs. See the Note on Mat. 5.12.

Above majori diſcit arare min[illegible: 1 letter]r.

Verſe 11. We count them happy] If they ſuffer as they ſhould doe, not elſe: Mithridates ſhew'd long patience, ſuch as it was, forced and fained. He was in a kinde of fever called Epialis, wherein men be cold without, but hot as fire within. This feaver he quenched with his vitall bloud, ſhed with his own hand.

Ye have heard of the patience of Job] His impatience is not once mentioned againſt him: but he is crowned and chronicled here for his patience. God paſſeth by infirmities, where the heart is upright.

And have ſeen the end of the Lord] That is, how well it was with Job at the laſt. Or (as others will have it) what a ſweet end the Lord Chriſt made, whereunto you were ſome of you eye-witneſſes, and ſhould be herein his followers.

Verſe 12. But above all things] Swear not in jeſt, leaſt ye go to hell in earneſt. See the Note on Mat. 5.34, 35. and on Mat 23.16, 18.

Verſe 13. Is any among you afflicted] Any one may: for grace is no target againſt affliction.

Let him pray] Not only becauſe praier is ſutable to a ſad diſpoſition, but becauſe it is the conduit of comfort, and hath virtutem pacativam, a ſetling efficacy.

Is any man merry] [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Gr. Is he right ſet, Well hung on, as we ſay? All true mirth is from the rectitude of the minde, from a right f[illegible: 1 letter]ame of ſoul, that ſets and ſhews it ſelf in a chearfull counte[illegible: 1 letter]ance.

Let him ſing Pſalmes] So that in all eſtates we muſt be doing ſomewhat for God, T'am Dei meminiſſe opus est, quam respirare.

Verſe 14. Is any man ſick?] Behold he Whom thou loveſt is ſick, ſaid Martha to our Saviour, Mat. 11. Si amatur, quomodo infirmatur, ſaith Auguſtine? If Chriſts friend, how comes he to be ſick? Well enough: Its no new thing for Chriſts beſt beloved to be much afflicted.

Let him ſend for the Elders] This help God hath previded for ſuch as are by ſickneſſe diſabled to pray for themſelves. Sick Abimelech was ſent to Abraham] (a Prophet) for praiers.

Anointing him with oyl] As an extraordinary ſign of an extraordinary cure. From miſtake of this text, the Church in ſtead of Paſtours had Ointers and Painters in times of Popery, who did not only ungere, but emungere, anel[illegible: 1 letter] men, but beguile them of their monies, and of their ſouls. Neither want there at this day, that hold this anointing the ſick as a ſtanding ordinance for Church-members amongſt us: and they tell of ſtrange cures too effected thereby.

Verſe 15. And the praier of faith] The Greek word for praier hath its denomination, from well pouring out the heart, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. or from well cleaving to God. Afflictions (ſaith one) cauſe us to ſeek out Gods promiſe, the promiſe to ſeek faith, faith to ſeek praier, and praier to finde God.

They ſhall be forgiven him] And ſo he ſhall be cured on both ſides.

Verſe 16. Confeſſe your faults] To any ſuch godly friend, as can both keep counſel, and give counſel. Often times the very opening of mens grievances eaſeth: the very o[illegible: 1 letter]ening of a vein cools the bloud. Howbeit, it is neither wiſdome nor mercy (ſaith a good Divine) to put men upon the rack of confeſſion, further then they can have no eaſe any way elſe. For by this means we [illegible: 1 letter]aiſe a jealouſie in them towards us, and oft without cauſe: which weakneth and tainteth that love that ſhould unite hearts in one. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

The effectuall ſervent praier] Gr. The Working praier, that ſets the whole man a work to do it, as it ſhould be done, and ſo works wonders in heaven and earth; being after a ſort omnipotent, as Luther ſaid.

Verſe 17. Subject to like paſſions] For he fled at the threats of Jezabel, Factus ſeipſo imbecillior, ſaith one: and he would have died, when under the Juniper, diſcontented.

Verſe 18. And the earth brought forth] When the roots and fruits ſeemed all dried up, and the Land paſt recovery. But praier never comes to late, becauſe God never doth.

Verſe 19. If any do erre from, &c.] Erre about fundamentals, fall into deadly hereſie, Damnable, Peter calleth it, 2 Epist. 2 1.

Verſe 20. Shall ſave a ſoul] A high honour to have any hand in ſuch a work.

Cover a multitude] i.e. He ſhall be a means that God ſhall cover them.