Before I come to the particular verses of this paragraph,
it will be necessary to premise somewhat concerning the persons to whom it is
to be referred; for it seemeth strange that any should be so vile under the
Christian name and profession as to oppress and persecute their brethren, and
that even to death; in these times of persecution, to 'condemn and kill the
just,' and 'draw them before the judgment-seats,' &c. Briefly, then, though
the main of the epistle concern the godly, and the principal intent be their
instruction and comfort, yet he taketh occasion many times to speak to the
ungodly and unconverted amongst them. The ancient holy seed was now upon the
dregs, guilty of oppression, injury, and all manner of profaneness; and because
these lived dispersed, and intermingled with the godly and those that were
gained to the Christian faith, he taketh occasion to divert and direct his
speech to them. That you may not look upon this as an uncertain conjecture,
give me leave to produce my grounds and reasons. - (1.) I may argue from the
inscription of the whole epistle 'to the twelve tribes' promiscuously, without
any express mention of their holy calling or faith, which is usual in the other
apostolical epistles. (2.) From the common and civil form of salutation,
chairein, greeting: the apostles, writing to Christians, do solemnly wish them
'grace and peace.' &c. (3.) From the style, which is more rousing and
pressing than usual, as intended for the awakening of secure sinners, or
persons carnal. (4.) The last verses of the epistle seem to intimate that much
of his scope was to convert unbelievers; see James v. 19, 20. (5.) Here he
plainly speaketh to rich wicked men, though the truth is, not so much for their
sakes as the sake of the godly, to encourage them to patience. For I like
Calvin's judgment well, that these six verses are not so much an admonition as
a denunciation, wherein the apostle doth not so much direct them what to do, as
foretell what should be done to them, that the godly might be encouraged to the
more patience under their oppressions; for that the apostle inferreth plainly,
ver. 7. I have been long in prefacing, but I hope you will judge it necessary,
it conducing much not only to the opening of this paragraph, but of many other
places in the epistle. From the whole we may learn: -
Obs. That we must not
so altogether mind believers, but that we must give unbelievers their portion,
terror to whom terror belongeth, as well as comfort to whom comfort. Christ's
sermon chiefly aimed at the disciples' profit, but yet there are many lessons
for the multitude: Mat. v. 1, 2, 'Jesus, when he saw the multitude; called his
disciples, and taught them;' the disciples in the people's hearing; and so
intersperseth many things that are of a general use and profit
Go to
now, age nun. - The phrase we opened before; it is a kind of asciting or
calling them to the throne of God's judgment.
Ye rich men, hoi
plousioi. - He doth not threaten rich men simply, but such as are afterwards
described, carnal rich men, such as were drowned in pleasures, puffed up with
pride, worldly, wicked, oppressive; and though he use the word rich, yet the
threatening is appliable not only to those that abuse their wealth, but also
their greatness, public place, authority, power, as to princes, judges,
magistrates, and their officers. Because the apostle speaketh indefinitely, ye
rich men, something is notable.
Obs. That it is hard to possess riches
without sin. Riches are called 'the mammon of unrighteousness,' Luke xvi. 9,
because they are usually possessed by wicked men, 'the men of God's hand.' Ps.
xvii. 14; and because they are most adored and admired by wicked men; and
because they are often gotten by unrighteous dealing, and hardly kept without
sin. It is a hard matter to have them and not to be hindered from heaven by
them, Mat. xix. 24; not to grow proud, sensual, injurious, carnal, and worldly.
We see the beasts, as boars and bulls, when they are full and in good plight,
grow man-keen and fierce; so do men wax insolent in the midst of their
abundance. Well, then, do not covet riches so much, or please yourselves in the
enjoyment of them, but look to your hearts with the more care; it is an easy
matter to offend in the midst of outward fulness. A long coat will soon be
draggled and turned into a dirty rag, and a short will not cover nakedness; the
mean is best. See Agur's choice, Prov. xxx. 9; when he saith, 'Give me not
riches,' he addeth, 'lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?'
There is no condition of life begetteth insolency and contempt of God so much
as a luxurious fulness. But you will say, What would you have us do? throw away
our estates? I answer - No; but (1.) Prize them less; when you possess them,
let them not possess you. Shall I value unrighteous mammon, the portion of the
men of God's hand? No; let me have 'the favour of God's people.' Ps. cvi. 4, 5,
and cxix. 132. A man cannot, know love and hatred by all that is before him.
Riches are given to the good, lest they should be thought evil; to the bad,
lest we should think them the only and chiefest good. (2.) Do the more good;
duties recovered out of the hand of difficulty are the more commendable: 'Make
you friends of the unrighteous mammon,' Luke xvi. 9. It is usually the matter
of sin; do you make it the matter of duty. The more liable we are to sin in any
estate, the more commendable every way is the duty of it (3.) Seek God the more
earnestly for grace; in a full estate you need it much. It is not simply and
absolutely impossible for a rich man to go to heaven. Poor Lazarus resteth
there in the bosom of rich Abraham. God can loosen the heart from the world, so
as riches shall be no impediment to hinder you from heaven. Whatever
difficulties we are told of in the way to heaven, they serve only to make us
despair of our own strength and abilities, Mat xix. 26.
Weep and howl,
klausate ololusontes, weep howling. - The first word is proper to the sorrow of
man, or the reasonable creatures, and so it noteth the height of the calamity;
it would be such as would make them 'howl like wolves of the evening.' Howling
is a sign of great grief; nature overburdened striveth to give it vent by loud
complaints. Some observe an allusion; they that had lived after the manner of
beasts, like hounds and wolves, are here bidden to howl like beasts; but this
may be a strain of wit. That inquiry is most necessary and solid, whether this
be spoken here by way of counsel or commination. Some think it spoken by way of
counsel, as if he would have them prevent their judgments by godly sorrow.
Obs. The truth is, this is the way to escape judgments, when we mourn for
them before they come. After great showers the air is clear. It is better weep
and howl in a way of duty, than in a way of judgment. There will be weeping and
howling hereafter, but it will be to no purpose. 'Cast him into utter darkness,
where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' But I rather look upon it as a
threatening and denunciation of judgment than an advice or invitation to
repentance. Partly because it is usual with the prophets to utter their
threatenings in an imperative and commanding form, especially when they would
note the sureness of judgments, as if already come; as here, weep, howl. And
the prophets do so to check their present security and jollity to whom they
speak. See the 15th and 16th chapters of Isaiah, and Jer. xlviii. 36, &c.
Partly because our apostle seemeth to cut off all hope from them: 'For the
miseries that shall come upon you,' not 'lest miseries shall come upon you.'
Partly because his main drift is to speak to the poor Christians, that they
might be the more patient under the oppression of these great men, by showing
that their prosperity should not always last. Observe hence: -
Obs. 1. That
many that frolic away their days have more cause to weep and howl. 'Go to now,'
&c., that is, you are merry and voluptuous, and dream of nothing but golden
days, without the least thought of the miseries that are hastening upon you.
After fine weather cometh a storm, and when the wind is still, the great rain
falleth. They that were to go first into captivity had their merry banquets,
Amos vi., the first seven verses. Well, then, learn that they are not most
happy who have least trouble, but who have least cause.
Obs. 2. Again, you
may observe from the pressing of the rich to howl, and his endeavour to wean
them from their jollity, 'Go to now,' &c., that riches and outward
enjoyments are a sorry ground of rejoicing. This is a joy that may end in
sorrow; the rich are called to howling. When rich men are troubled, we ask what
such a man should ail? The barbarous Irish ask why they mean to die? But the
judgment of God and the world are contrary; 'his thoughts are not as your
thoughts,' Isa. lv. 8. The world thinketh that none have more cause to rejoice,
and God that none have more cause to mourn. Well, then, look to the ground of
your rejoicing: Ps. xciv. 19, 'In the midst of my sad thoughts thy comforts
delight my soul.' Christians should look to the rise of their contentment, and
be sure their comforts be such as flow from God. What a difference is there
between David and the carnal fool in the Gospel! David biddeth his soul be
merry upon this ground, 'God is the light of thy countenance,' Ps. xlii. 5. And
the fool saith, 'Soul, eat, drink, and be merry.' Upon what ground? - ' thou
hast goods laid up for many years,' Luke xii. 19.
Obs. 3. Again, from that
weep and howl. Nothing but woe to them, as if they were past hope and counsel,
and only left to terror and threatening. He had said, Go to now before to the
ambitious traffickers, James iv. 13, but he instructeth them, and only
threateneth these. Rich sinners are most incurable. The reason is, prosperity
begetteth security: Hosea xii 8, 'And Ephraim said, I am become rich, I have
found me out substance; they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin.'
Because they were rich, they were not sensible of their civil crafts and
subtleties. Besides, these are seldom faithfully reproved; and when they are,
are most unwilling to bear a reproof; they storm at it, as if their greatness
should bear them out: Jer. v. 5, 'I went to the great men, but they had
dissolved the bands, and wholly broken off the yoke.' The meaning is, they had
cast off all manner of respect and subjection to the law of God. Well, then,
you that have great estates, beware of these two things - security in sin, and
storming at the reproofs of sin. Salvian, in his fourth book 'De Gubernatione
Dei,' saith that he could not speak against the vices of great men, but one or
other of them would be objecting, there he meant me, he hit me; and so storm
and fret. Alas! as he replieth, it is not we speak to you, but your own
consciences; we speak to the order, but conscience speaketh to the person.
For the miseries that shall come upon you, talaipooriais tais
huperchomenais. - But what are these? Partly sore afflictions in this life,
partly hell torments in the life to come; both may be understood. (1.) The
temporal miseries which lighted up Jerusalem, Christ foretold them, Luke xix.
43,44; and they came to pass about some forty years after his ascension - see
Josephus, lib. vi., vii.; as also the calamities which everywhere attended the
people of the Jews wherever they were scattered, especially in Alexandria, a
city in which the Jews were two parts of five, yet were they ransacked, and by
the command of Flaccus forced into a strait place of the city, without
sustenance, food, or fresh air, where they were not able to stir one for
another, and if any strangled abroad, they were knocked down and slain; many
were smoked and choked to death in a fire, where they wanted fuel to burn them
outright. Thirty-eight of their counsellors and rich men were sent for, dragged
through the streets, scourged to death, &c. This may be intended in part.
(2.) Hell torments, which are indeed miseries to come; the other are but 'the
beginning of sorrows' to what Dives or the rich man in the Gospel felt in the
flames. See Luke xvi. 24. From all observe: -
Obs. That sore miseries and
judgments shall come upon wicked rich men: 'Howl, ye rich men, for the
miseries,' &c. Thou shalt not be miserable as a murderer or a fornicator
(as Salvian glosseth), but as a rich man, because thou hast ill used thy
wealth, at least not employed it for God's glory. See what a strain of
threatenings there is against rich men, Luke vi. 24, 25, 'Woe unto rich men,
for you have received your consolation: Woe unto you that are full, for you
shall hunger: woe unto you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep,'
&c. So Isa. v. 8, 'Woe to them that join house to house and field to field,
that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.' It is notable that in
both these places words that do merely imply riches are used, though the
worldly man be intended, that placeth all his delight, love, care, confidence,
and glory in his riches. To rich men much is committed; they have more
opportunities and obligations to do good than others, and yet usually have
least hearts, and therefore they are called to a more severe account in this
world and the world to come. Sometimes in this world God reckoneth with them;
in all changes rich men have the greatest proportion of calamity. The winds
shake the tallest cedars most sorely. God loveth to bear down the strong oaks,
Amos ii. 9. But in the world to come they come sadly to know what it is to have
a portion only in this world. God will not give you a double heaven. Oh! who
would for a temporal heaven adventure an eternal hell! Oh! then, if there be
any worldly, wicked, rich man that heareth me this day, 'Go to now, weep and
mourn for the calamities that are coming upon you.' You will say, We do no hurt
with our wealth. Ay! but what good do you do? 'Your garments are moth-eaten,'
and your money rusted; you are wretched and worldly, negligent in religion,
careless to lay out your substance for good uses; and 'to him that knoweth to
do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.' So also the poor may learn hence
not to envy worldly pomp and glory. A little with righteousness is a greater
blessing, and a pledge of more; all their great treasure bringeth but a trouble
and a curse. See Ps. xxxvii. 16, 'A little that a righteous man hath is better
than the riches of many wicked.' Your little may bring you more comfort than if
all their store were cast into one heap, and bestowed upon you. So Prov. xv.
16, 'Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure, and
trouble therewith.' These are principles that are only relished by men of a
mortified and contented mind.
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