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and Tyger; and its Venom beyond the worst of Serpents.

9 & 10. It runs Men into Practices the most abfurd as well as impious; caufing them to use that very Mem ber, that was given us to celebrate the Praifes of God, to throw out Curfes and Imprecations against their Brethren that were created like themfelves, in the Image of God. Bleffing and Curfing out of the fame Mouth! How irrational and monftrous a Thing to be guilty of!

11 & 12. A thing as utterly inconfiftent with true Religion, as it is to fuppofe the fame Water, from the fame Part of a Spring, fhould be falt and fresh at the fame Time ; that a Fig-Tree fhould bear Olives, or a Vine produce Figs, i. e. a perfect Contradiction in the Nature of Things.

13. Whatever Christian Convert, or Jewish Zealot, therefore, would be indeed a Master of religious Wifdom, let hir fhow his Wisdom, first in the Suppreffion of this wretched Habit, and in reducing himself to a meek and charitable Difpofition toward his Brethren.

14 & 15. For as long as ever this haughty and contentious Spirit in religious Difputes, vents it felf through the Tongue, his Boafting is but Vanity, and his Pretences Hypocrify. The Wisdom he pretends to, is the Effect of nothing but fenfual and worldly Principles, and a perfect Imitation of the Devil and wicked Spirits.

16. For

16 For where envying and ftrife is, there is confufion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is firft pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hy. pocrify.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is fown in peace of them that make peace.

16. For nothing but Wickedness A. D. 60. and Deftruction can be the Result of a proud, cenforious, and contentious Difpofition.

17. Directly contrary to this, the Wisdom and Temper of true Religion exerts it felf in a Freedom from fenfual and worldly Inclinations, in rendering a Man mild and courteous, and perfwadable by Reason, kind and charitable to the Indigents generous, juft, and impartial to all Mankind, and fincere in all religious Pretences.

18. And whoever is of this peaceable and good Temper, and endeavours to perfwade others to it, will not fail to reap the happy Fruits and bleffed Effects of it.

CONGUERENG

CHA P. IV.

The CONTENTS.

The Apoftle illuftrates the woeful Effects of a Turbulent and Malicious Temper, from the then prefent State and Condition of the Jewish People. A fad Account of them. He endeavours to work their Cure, by perfwading them to Repentance and true Religion. Then diffwades the Chriftian Converts from the notorious Vice of Slander and Calumny; and from an immoderate and confident Pursuit of Worldly Projects, without any pious Regard to, or Reliance upon Divine Providence.

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A.D. 63. even of your lufts, that war in your mem

bers?

monftrable, from the prefent State and Condition of the Jewish People. Let any few tell me the real Cause of all thofe Calamities and Defolations, thofe Foreign, Civil, and Domeftick Broils, that are now the general Plagues of That Nation. What is it, but the Senfual and Ambitious Temper I have been describing?

2 Ye luft, and have
not: ye kill, and de-
fire to have, and can-
not obtain ye fight
and war, yet ye
not, because ye afk

have

2. Your Hearts are entirely bent upon Temporal Pleasure, and Temporal Dominion; you are impatient under the Government Providence has fubjected your Nation to. This puts you upon Seditious Practices, that can never gain your Ends; and your inteftine Discords make your Cafe ftill worse. Nor can God be fuppofed to profper a People, so estranged from all true Religion and Devotion toward Him.

not.

3 Ye afk, and re. ceive not, because ye afk amifs, that ye may confume it upon your

3. 'Tis true, you keep up the External Profeffion, and the Form of Worship and Prayer. But this can avail you little, while the Stress of your Defires is fixed on Worldly Pleasures, and the View of all your very Prayers is the Gratification of Luftful and Ambitious Principles.

lufts.

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fifteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

and Practice in us Chriftians? So A.D. 60. far from it, that you behold nothing but Peaceableness and Humility, the genuine Fruit of God's Spirit, and to which his fpecial Favour and Bleffing is annexed; according to thofe Words of Solemon (Prov. iii. 34.) Surely he fcorneth the Scorners, but he giveth Grace ‡ (or Favour) to the Lowly.

7 Submit yourselves
therefore to God: re-
fift the devil, and he
will flee from thee.
8 Draw nigh to
God, and he will

draw nigh to you:
cleanfe
your hands,
ye finners, and purify
your hearts, ye dou-
ble minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:

*

let

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Ver. 5. Do you think the Scripture faith- the Spirit in UsThefe Words are, by fome Interpreters, thought to refer to Numb. xi. 29. Envieft thou for my fake? i. e. fhould the Gifts of the Spirit, conferred upon One, move Another to Envy? But, as thofe Words are very different from St. James, who was not here fpeaking of Gifts and Spiritual Preheminence at all; I judge the Paraphrafe to be the most agreeable and coherent Senfe. For I think it will clear this Paffage of all Difficulties, if we divide the fifth Verfe into two. Interrogations; viz. Do ye think that the Scripture fpeaks in vain? i. e. the Scripture quoted in the fixth Verfe; or any of thofe Scriptures that speak against Pride and Envy. Then, The Spirit that is in Us lufleth [or lufteth it] to Envy? in us; i. e. in Us Apoftles, or Chriftians. No; far from it; it puts us into a far better Way of obtaining God's Grace or Favour; viz. by Peaceableness and Humility. Wherefore [not He, but] it, the Scripture faith, God refifteth the Proud, &c.

Ver. 6. Giveth Grace, i. e. Favour or Bleffing. xá anfwers tonin the Hebrew: Its primary Senfe is Favour; which in the New Teftament is branched out into feveral Acceptations, including either the Bleffings of the Gospel in general, or any Principal Branches of them. But is rarely (that I can find) used to fignify any inward Motions, or fecret Operations of the Holy Spirit on the Mind, unless when it expreffeth the Extraordinary Gifts, and Miraculeus Endowments on the Apostles and First Chriftians,

A, D. 60. let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heayinefs.

thofe Corrupt Inclinations, that have hitherto divided you between God and the World: By thus ftriving against the Temptations of the Devil, you fhall be enabled to overcome them; and upon Condition of fo thorough a Humiliation and Rpentance, God will be reconciled to you, avert the Judgments that hang over you, and make you again, his beloved Church and People.

10 Humble your felves in the fight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 Speak not evil
one of another (bre-
thren) he that speak-
eth evil of his bro
ther, and judgeth his
brother, fpeaketh evil
of the law, and judg-
eth the law: but if
thou judge the law,
thou art not a doer of
the law, but a judge.
Difciple of that Law,

12 There is one Rom. xiv. law-giver, who is able to fave, and to deftroy who art thou that judget another ?

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13 Go to now, ye that fay, To day or to morrow we will go into fuch a city, and continue there a year,

11. As to you, dear Brethren, that are already converted to Chriftianity, be fure to avoid that pernicious Cuftom of Slander and rafh Cenfure. Remember, that whoever haftily and unjustly Condemns another Man, reflects upon Religion it felf, fets up for a Judge, and makes himfelf Wifer than the Divine Law. And such a one must not pretend to be a true while he fets himself above it.

12. Confider, that God alone, who gives us his Laws, has the Right to Judge and Condemn us for the Breach of them: And how dare Man take His Work out of his Hands!

any

13. Another Thing, I would Correct in you all is, that Confidence, and unthoughtful Affurance, with which you are apt to pursue your Worldly Projects; without a due Senfe of, and pious Dependance upon Divine Providence. Some of you Chriftian Converts, I find, are too much tainted with the Jewish Spirit of Worldly-mindedness. You cut out Bufinefs, and conclude upon the Succefs, as if Time and Events were at your Disposal.

and buy and fell, and
get gain:

14

Whereas ye

know not what shall
be on the morrow: for
what

14 & 15. You forget what Changes and Difappointments a fingle Day may produce; and that Life it felf

is

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