02.04. Chapter 4 - Verse 13
James 4:13. Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.
Having formerly spoken against those that contemned the law, he now speaketh against those that contemned providence, promising themselves a long time in the world, and a happy accomplishment of their carnal projects, without any sense or thought of their own frailty, or the sudden strokes of God. In this verse he doth, as it were, personate them, and give a most accurate representation of their thoughts.
Go to now, ἄγε νῦν.—The vulgar readeth Ecce, as if it were ἴδου, see now, do you do rightly? But we render it better. It is a phrase that provoketh them to consideration, as awakening the attention of conscience, or as citing them before the presence and tribunal of God.1 The same adverb is used James 5:1. From this opening of the word observe:—
1 ‘Illud ἄγε est formula citationis ad tribunal Dei; sic non nemo in locum.’
Obs. That if we would know the evil of our actions, it is good to use reviews and reflecting thoughts. We sin and go on in sin because of incogitancy. There should be wise consideration aforehand to prevent the sin, and faithful recollection to prevent the going on in sin. God complaineth, Jeremiah 8:6, ‘No man saith, What have I done?’ This recollection citeth the soul before three bars:—(1.) Conscience; (2.) God’s eye; and (3.) God’s throne or tribunal. It rouseth up the light of conscience by comparing the action or speech with a principle of reason, or the word, as in the present case, thus: Am I Lord of future events, that I do so confidently determine or define them? Do those things hang on my will? Is my life or actions in mine own power? It draweth the soul into the presence of God thus: Would I have the jealous God, that disposeth of human events and successes, to take notice of such speeches? So before God’s judgment seat thus: Would I defend such actions or speeches before the tribunal of God? Will these carnal deliberations endure the severe search and trial of the great day? Thus should you in all cases review your actions, and, as the prophet saith, ‘Behold your way in the valley,’ Jeremiah 2:23.
Ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, &c.—By an imitation he reciteth the speeches or thoughts of the Jewish factors or merchants. Now we will go to Alexandria, or to Damascus, or to Antioch, which were the places of their usual traffic. Observe hence:—
Obs. 1. That carnal hearts are all for carnal projects. Thoughts are the purest offspring of the soul, and do discover the temper of it. Men are according to their devices. See Isaiah 32:6-8, ‘Liberal men devise liberal things.’ Carnal men are projecting how to spend their days and months in buying and selling and getting gain. The fool in the Gospel is thinking of enlarging his barns, and plucking down his houses and building greater, Luke 12:17-18; this engrosseth all his thoughts. One apostle describeth such men thus, ‘Minding earthly things,’ Php 3:19. Another thus, ‘Having an heart exercised with covetous practices,’ 2 Peter 2:14; that is, with earnest contrivances how to promote their gain and earthly aims. A gracious heart is for gracious projects, how they shall be more thankful, Psalms 116:12; how more holy, more useful for God, more fruitful in every good work; ‘what they shall do to inherit eternal life.’ Oh! consider, this is the better care, that more suiteth with the end of our creation and the nature of our spirits. We were sent into the world, not to grow great and pompous, but to enrich our souls with spiritual excellences, &c.
Obs. 2. Again you may observe, that carnal men send out their thoughts to forestall and fore-enjoy their contentments ere they obtain them. It is usual with men to feed themselves with the pleasure of their hopes. Sisera’s mother’s ladies looked through the lattice, pleasing themselves in the thought of a triumphant return, Judges 5:1-31. Thoughts are the spies and messengers of the soul; hope sendeth them out after the thing expected, and love after the thing beloved. When a thing is strongly expected, the thoughts are wont to spend themselves in creating images and suppositions of the happiness of enjoyment. If a poor man were adopted into the succession of a crown, he would please himself in the supposition of the future honour and pleasure of the kingly state. Godly men, that are called to be ‘co-heirs with Christ,’ are wont to pre-occupy the bliss of their future estate, and so do in a manner feel what they do but expect. So also do carnal men charm their souls with whispers of vanity, and feed themselves with the pleasant anticipation of that carnal delight which they look for; as young heirs spend upon their hopes, and riot away their estate ere they possess it. Well, then, look to it; it is a sure note of fleshliness when the world runneth so often in your thoughts, and you are always deflowering carnal contentments by these anticipations of lust and sin; and you have nothing to live upon, or to entertain your spirit withal, but these suppositions of gain and pomp, and the reversion of some outward enjoyment.
Obs. 3. Again, you may observe their confidence of future events: ‘We will go, and continue there a year,’ &c. Note thence, that carnal affections are usually accompanied with, certainly much encouraged by, carnal confidence. They are doubly confident: of the success of their endeavours, ‘We will get gain;’ of the continuance of their lives, ‘We will continue there a year.’ Lust cannot be nourished without a presumption of success: when men multiply endeavours, they little think of God, or of the changes of providence: it is enough to undo lust to suppose a disappointment; besides, when there is such a presence of means, we ascribe little to the highest cause. First the world stealeth away our affections, and then it intercepteth our trust; there is not only adultery in it, James 4:4, but idolatry, Ephesians 5:5. It is not only our darling, but our god; and that is the reason why worldly men are always represented as men of a secure presumption; as Luke 12:19, ‘Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; eat, drink, and be merry;’ so Job 29:18, ‘I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;’ so in that apocryphal passage, Sir 11:1-34
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Obs. 4. Again, from that to-day or to-morrow, and we will tarry there a year. Carnal men are not only confident of present, but future welfare, which argueth an heart stupidly secure, and utterly insensible of the changes of providence: Isaiah 56:12, ‘To-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant;’ Psalms 49:11, ‘Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever.’ Men love to enjoy their carnal comforts without interruption, thought of death, or change. Every day is as a new life,2 and bringeth sufficient care with it; we need not look out for so long time. But worldly men, in their cares, do not only provide for the morrow, but the next year; in their possessions do not only please themselves in their present happiness, but will not so much as suppose a change.
2 ‘Singulos dies singulas vitas puta, et quotidie demitur aliqua pars vitæ; hunc ipsum quem vivimus diem cum morte dividimus.’—Seneca.
We will continue there, ποιήσομεν—we will factor it there. He chiefly instanceth in trading, and accommodateth his words to the merchant’s profession, because too often and too sensibly are these carnal thoughts, hopes, and confidence found in merchants and men versed in worldly trading; though he intendeth to speak against all sorts of men that undertake anything in the confidence of their own wisdom and industry, without the leave and blessing of providence. Therefore observe hence:—
Obs. 1. From the letter of the place, that merchants are very liable to thoughts and discourses savouring of carnal presumption and confidence. In their bourses and exchanges they are always talking of wares, and gain, and traffic, without any thought of God: Hosea 12:7, ‘He is a merchant; the balances of deceit are in his hand;’ in the original, ‘he is a Canaanite.’ Canaan’s posterity, upon whom the curse fell, was most happy in this course of life;3 and being driven out of the land by the Israelites into the maritime towns, they were most famous for navigation. It is your ordinary calling to go from place to place; take God along with you wherever you go. Of all men you should be most cautelous: in your commerce be mindful of God and of yourselves; of God’s providence and your own frailty, that you neither be too much in the world, nor too confidant of your own industry.
3 See Samuel Bochartus his Phaleg, the second part.
Obs. 2. From the scope of the whole verse, that it is a vain thing to promise ourselves great matters without the leave of providence. To say, ‘We will go,’ ‘we will do thus and thus,’ it is vain; for we are not lords of our lives, nor lords of our own actions: Psalms 31:15, ‘My times are in thy hand;’ so Proverbs 27:1, ‘Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ To-day we are, and to-morrow not: we cannot tell what may be in the womb of the next morning. So for our actions: ‘Their works are in the hand of God,’ Ecclesiastes 9:1. The performance of them, and the success of them; we need counsel and a blessing. The prophet speaks of it as of a known case, Jeremiah 10:23, ‘Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in the sons of men to direct their steps.’ But when do men promise themselves great matters without the leave of providence? I answer—Many ways: the principal are these—(1.) When they undertake things without prayer. You may speak of success when you have asked God’s leave: Job 22:28, ‘Acquaint thy self with God, then thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established.’ (2.) When they are too confident of future contingencies and events, without any submission and reservation of the will of God, and boast upon mere human likelihoods: see Exodus 15:11; and Judges 5:28-30; so 1 Kings 20:10-11, ‘The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria suffice for handfuls for all the people; and the king of Israel said, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast as he that putteth it off.’ He would plunder Samaria so bare that he would not leave any dust there; but God disappointed him. (3.) When men’s endeavours are set up in God’s stead, we think all dependeth upon the course of sublunary causes, and so neglect God. (4.) When men promise themselves a time to repent hereafter.4 Many think within themselves, I will follow my pleasure and profits, and then spend my old age in a devout and retired privacy; first build, and trade, and bustle in the world, and adjourn God to the aches and dull phlegm of their age. Foolish man decreeth all future events as if all were in his own hands. Well, then, in all cases remember God; it is useful for princes and men employed in counsels for public welfare. How often do they prove unhappy because they do not seek God! We should ask counsel of the oracle before we take it from one another. The heathens saw a need to begin with God.5 So for soldiers; how soon is a battle turned! It is not for you to say, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake,’ &c. Solomon saith, ‘The battle is not always to the strong,’ Eccles. 9. So for traders; you must not say, I will send out a ship and get gain: how often are carnal presumptions checked! So for Christians; do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus; you cannot believe, repent when you will, nor pray as you will. Samson was mistaken when he said, ‘I will go forth and shake myself as at other times.’ The natural exercise of your faculties, and the divine assist ances of grace, do all hang upon God’s good pleasure.
4 ‘Audies plerosque dicentes, a quinquagesimo in otium secedam, sexagesimus annus ab officiis me demittet; et quam tandem longioris vitæ prædam accipis? Quis ista sicuti disponis ire patiatur?’—Seneca de Brevitate Vitœ.
5 ‘A Jove principium.’