broad, greeting. 2. My brethren, d count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4. But let pa tience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5. If any of you h lack wifdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it fhall be given him. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the fea, driven with the wind and toffed. 7. For let not that man think that he fhall receive any thing of the Lord. 8. A double-minded man is unftable in all his ways. 9. (1) Let the brother of low degree rejoice [Or, glory] in that he is exalted: * 10. But the rich, in that he is made low: becaufe as the flower m Mat. 5. 12. † Heb. 10. on A&ts 5.41. Pet. 1. 6. See on 1 Cor. Rom. 5.3. See on Rom. See on Heb. 13. 21. 5. Prov. 2. 3. If thou crieft after knowledge, and lifteft up thy Voice for Understanding. it Mat. 21. 22. † Mar. 11. 24. Luk. 119. † Joh. 14. 13. Joh. 15. 7. t Joh. 16. 23, 24. See on Mat. 7.7. n of ther yet haft asked long Life; but bat asked Wifdom and Knowledge for thy felf, that thou mayft judgemy People, over whom I have 5 made thee King: Wisdom and Knowledge is granted unto thee, and I will give thee Riches, and Wealth, and Honour. Jer. ΙΟ 15 29. 12. 1 Joh. 5. 14. See on Mat. 7.7, 8. 6. Mar. 11. 24. What things foever ye defire when ye pray, be lieve that ye receive them, and ye fhall have them. 1 Tim. 2. 8. k Prov. 2. 6. The Lord giveth,-Lifting up holy Hands, without Wisdom: out of his Mouth cometh Wrath and doubting. Knowledge and Understanding. 8. " Jam. 4. 8. Purifie your Hearts ye double-minded. 10. +Joh. 14. 2. † Pfal. 103. 1 Chron. I. II, 12. God faid to Solomon; Because this was in thine Heart, and thou haft not 2015. asked Riches, Wealth, or Honour, nor the Life of thine Enemies, nei + Ifa. 40. 6. t1 Cor. 7.31. Pet. 1. 24. ti Joh. 2. 17. See on Jam. 4. 14. (1) By the Brother of low Degree, is meant, one who has always lived in mean Circumftances, and in a poor Condition, he, notwithstanding his Sufferings for the fake of Chrift, has great Reafon to rejoice; for by his becoming a Chriftian, he is highly advanced, having fuch Opportuni ties of Improvement in Holinefs and Virtue, which are much more valuable Goods than all the Riches, and Honours of this World. On the other fide, he who was Rich before, has great Reafon to rejoice, though for the fake of Chrift, and by his embracing his Religion, he is deprived of all his Riches; for thereby he has a Title to fubftantia! Goods, the Promife of an eternal Inheritance, which is not fubject to decay and rerifh, as all temporal Things are, even like the Flower of the Grafs by the burning Heat of the Sun. r the grafs he fhall pafs away. 11. For the fun is no ncr rifen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grafs, id the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the faion of it perifheth: fo alfo fhall the rich man fade aay in his ways. 12. P Bleffed is the man that endureth mptation for when he is tried, he fhall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them at love him. 13. Let no man fay when he is tempt, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted ith evil [Or, evils], neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away his own luft, and enticed. 15. Then when luft hath nceived, it bringeth forth fin and fin when it is fifhed, bringeth forth death. 16. Do not err, my beved brethren. 17. " Every good gift, and every perfect ift is from above, and cometh down from the Father f lights, a with whom is no variableness, neither fhaow of turning. 18. Of his own will begat he us with he word of truth, that we should be a kind of firft-fruits f his creatures. 19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, et every man befwift to hear, flow to fpeak, flow Exod. 20. 6. Shewing Mercy Into Thousands of them that love ne, and keep my Commandments. 15. e s See on Rom. 5. 12. น Cor. 4. 7. to See on I at Mal. 3. 6. See on Heb 5 13. 8. 18. b † Joh. 1. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 23. See on Joh. 3. 3. and on 1 Cor. Eph. 1. 12. † Jer. 2. 3. 4. 15. Sam. 2. 30.-Them that honour1ot Rev. 14. 4. See on Heb. 12. ne, I will honour, and they that de- fold, and fhall inherit everlasting 25 that hath Knowledge Spareth his Life. Jam. 2. 5. 1 to f wrath. 20. For the wrath of man worketh not the m • † Jam. 2. 12. eth P+Joh. 13. 17. If ye know thefe things, happy are ye if ye do them.. 5 26.4 Pfal. 34. 13. Keep thy 23. Luk. 6.47, &c. Who 25.2 Cor. 3. 18. We all The Tongue of the Just is 25 choice Silver. The Lips of the Righteous feed many. Prov. 15. 7. The Lips of the Wife difper Knowledge. Ecclefiafticus 14. 1. Bleffed is the Man that bath not lipt with his Mouth. Ecclefiafti cus 19. 16. There is one that peth in his Speech, but not from his Heart; and who is he that beb not offended with his Tongue? Ec clefiafticus 25. 8. Well is him that dwelleth with a Wife of Underftanding, and that hath not find with his TongueMat. 15. 11, 19. Not that which goeth into the Mouth 'defileth a Man: but that - whica 953 th his own heart, this mans religion is vain. 27. Pure eligion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, To vifit the fatherlefs and widows in their affiction, d to keep himfelf unfpotted from the M S CHA P. II. world. Y Brethren, have not the faith of our fus Chrift the Lord of glory, with erfons. 2. For if there come unto your (1) hich cometh out of the Mouth, this 5 I. 1 Cor. 2. 8. -Had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. bt Lev. 19. 15. Thou fhalt re kindleth. And the Tongue is a 10 not respect the Perfon of the Poor, re, a World of Iniquity, &c. 1 Pet. 3. 10. He that will love fe, and fee good Days, let him rain his Tongue from evil, and his ps that they speak no guile. r nor honour the Perfon of the Mighty but in Righteousness fhalt thou judgethy Neighbour. + Deut. 1. 17. Ye fhall not respect Perfons in 15 Judgment, but you fhall hear the Small as well as the Great; you fhall not be afraid of the Face of Man, for the Judgment is Gods.† Deut. 16. 19. Thou shalt not wreft Judgment, thou shalt not reSpect Perfons, neither take a Gift: for a Gift doth blind the Eyes of the Wife, and pervert the Words of the Righteous. † Prov: 24. 2325-It is not good to have refpect of Perfons in Judgment. Ecclefiafticus 42. I. -Accept no Perfon to fin thereby. † Mat. 22. 16. -Thou regardeft not the Perfon of Men. Jude ver. 16. Having Mens Perfons in Admiration because of Ad 27. Exod. 22. 22, &c. Ye fhall I vantage. (1) The Word tranflated Affembly, is in the Greek, Synagogue, which, in e New-Teftament, ftands not only for a Place of Publick Worship, but ra Court of Judicature. And the Circumftances here mentioned deterine it to this Senfe. As, First, We are here forbidden to have respect to rfons; that is, in Matters of Controverfie about the Rights of Men, muft fhew Favour neither to Rich nor Poor, but judge according to ..Truth man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in alfo a poor man, in vile raiment; 3. And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and fay unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and fay to the poor, Stand thou there, or fit here under my footstool: 4. Are ye not then partial in your felves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5. Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chofen the poor of this world 4 rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6. But ye have f despised the poor. Do not rich men opprefs you, and draw you before the judgment-feats? 7. Do not they blafpheme с Truth and Juftice. In other Cafes, respect to Perfons is a Duty, as ap pears from Rom. 13. 7. Render Honour to whom honour is due. Secondly, The mention of a Footstool, Ver. 3. determines this Place to this Senfe; for Footstools are proper to great Men, to Princes Thrones, and the Seats where Judges fit. Thirdly, The Fault they are charged with, Ver. 4. fhews that this whole Paffage is to be understood in this Senfe, name ly, that they were partial, and become Judges of evil Thoughts; for the gay Attire of the rich Man, and the fine outward Appearance he made, inclined them to favour his Caufe, while the poor Man was opprefs'd on the Account of his Poverty and mean Appearance. Add to this, Dr. Whitby cites a Canon of the Jews, by which it was provided, 'That when the Rich and Poor have a Suit together in their Confiftories, either both muft fit, or both muft ftand, to avoid all Marks of Partiality. Those who would fee a fuller Account of the Interpretation here given. may confult Mr. Kettlewell's Treatife of the Holy Sacrament, Part. III Chap. 4. But though this Paffage relates to publick Courts, yet thus much is evident from the Reason and Nature of Things, and a Duty which Chr ftian Charity lays upon the Rich, namely, to provide in Churches for pub lick Worfhip, decent Places to accommodate the Poor for hearing the Word of God, and performing other Parts of Religious Worship. I have often, with Concern, obferved, that, in great Congregations, fome have been by the Croud made uneafie, and almoft ready to faint, who might have been received into Seats which had few, and fometimes none all in them. The Souls of the Poor are as precious in the Sight of God as the Souls of the Rich, and the Poor are obliged to attend the pub lick. Worship, and therefore ought to be provided for in thể respect. |