02.03. Chapter 3 - Verse 14

James 3:14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in our hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Having showed what was the effect and token of true wisdom, he inferreth that if the contrary were found in them, they had little cause to glory, rather to be ashamed; and opposeth two things to the former double effect of wisdom to meekness and good works, envy and strife. But if ye have.—The apostle’s modesty in reproving is observable. He doth not positively tax them, but speaketh by way of supposition. So also James 1:25 and James 2:14. In reproofs it is wiser to proceed by way of supposition than direct accusation.

Ye have bitter envying.—He noteth the root of tongue-evils. We pretend zeal and justice, but the true cause is envy. He calleth it ζῆλον πίκρον, ‘bitter envying,’ to distinguish it from that ἀγαθὴ ἔρις, that ‘holy emulation,’ which maketh us strive who shall excel each other in the ways of godliness; as also from true zeal for God’s glory, which they pretended; as if he had said, It is a zeal, but a bitter zeal. As also to note the original of it; it proceedeth from the overflow of gall and choler, that ‘root of bitterness’ that is in the heart. It also noteth the effects of it. It is bitter to ourselves and others. It maketh us displeasant to those with whom we do converse; and though it be sweet for the present, yet when conscience is opened, and we taste the fruits of it, it proveth ‘bitterness in the issue.’ And it showeth whither that similitude, James 3:11, tendeth, ‘Doth a fountain at the same time send forth sweet water and bitter?’ And strife in your hearts.—This is the usual effect of envy. And he saith ‘in your hearts;’ because, though it be managed with the tongue or hand, it is first contrived in the heart, and because this aggravateth the matter. Breaches may fall out between Christians in their converse besides intention; but where they are affected and cherished, they are abominable.

Glory not; that is, either of your Christianity, an evil so contrary to it being allowed, or of your zeal, it being so deeply culpable, or of any special wisdom and ability, as if able to reprove others; this most probably. For the main bent of the discourse is against opinionative wisdom. You have no reason to boast of your wit and zeal in censuring or contention, as men are wont to do in such cases, unless you will glory in your own shame; rather you have cause to be humbled, that you may get these vile affections mortified, And lie not against the truth.—Some say by a carnal profession. Hypocrisy is a practical lie. Some speak lies, others do them: John 3:21, ‘He that doth the truth cometh to the light,’ &c. Rather by false pretences of zeal and wisdom. It is a pleonasm usual in the apostle’s writings: Romans 9:1, ‘I say the truth in Christ, I lie not;’ and 1 John 1:6, ‘We lie, and do not the truth.’

Out of this verse observe:—

Obs. 1. That envy is the mother of strife. They are often coupled: Romans 1:29, ‘Full of envying,’ then followeth ‘murder and debate.’ So Romans 13:13, ‘Not in strife and envying;’ 1 Corinthians 3:3, ‘There is among you envying, strife, and factions;’ so 2 Corinthians 12:20, ‘Envyings, wraths, strifes,’ and Galatians 5:20, ‘Emulations, wraths, strifes, seditions,’ These things being so solemnly coupled in scripture, intimate to us that envy is but a cockatrice egg, that soon bringeth forth strife. The world had an early experience of it in Cain and Abel, and afterwards in Abraham and Lot’s herdsmen; then in Joseph and his brethren: Genesis 37:4, ‘They envied Joseph, and could not speak peaceably to him;’ and Genesis 37:11, ‘They envied him,’ and they conspired to slay him; so in Saul and David: 1 Samuel 18:9, ‘He eyed David’ ever afterward; so also in the priests against Christ: ‘For envy they delivered him,’ Matthew 27:18. There are two sins which were Christ’s sorest enemies, covetousness and envy. Covetousness sold Christ, and envy delivered him. These two sins are still enemies to Christian profession. Covetousness maketh us to sell religion, and envy to persecute it. The church hath had sad experience of it. It is the source of all heresies.¹ Arius envied Peter of Alexandria, and thence those bitter strifes and persecutions. It must needs be so. Envy is an eager desire of our own fame, and a maligning of that which others have. It is compounded of carnal desire and carnal grief. Well, then, ‘let nothing be done through strife and vainglory,’ Php 2:3. Scorn to act out of that impulse. Should we harbour that corruption which betrayed Christ, enkindled the world, and poisoned the church?

¹ ‘Fucrunt quidam nostronim vel minus stabilita fide, vel minus docti, vel minus cauti, qui dissidium facerent unitatis vel ecclesiam dissiparent; sed ii quorum fides fuit lubrica, cum Deum nosse se aut colere simularunt, augendis opibus et honori studentes affectabant maximum sacerdotium, et a potioribus victi secedere cum suffragatoribus suis maluerunt, quam eos ferre præpositos quibus concupiebant ipsi præpomi,’ &c.—Lactan., lib. 4, Instit., cap. ult.

Obs. 2. From that strife in your hearts. There is nothing in the life but what was first in the heart: Matthew 15:19, ‘Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, blasphemies, thefts, adulteries;’ there is the source of sin, and the fountain of folly. As the seeds of all creatures were in the chaos, so of all sins in the heart. Well, then, look to the heart; keep that clean if you would have the life free from disorder and distemper: Proverbs 4:23, ‘Keep thy heart above all keeping, for out of it are the issues of life.’ The Jews were banished in England for poisoning fountains. The heart is the fountain, keep it clean and pure; be as careful to avoid guilt as shame. If you would have the life holy before men, let the heart be pure before God; especially cleanse the heart from strife and envy. Strife in the heart is worst; the words are not so abominable in God’s eye as the will and purpose. Strife is in the heart when it is kept and cherished there, and anger is soured into malice, and malice bewrayeth itself by debates or desires of revenge; clamour is naught, but malice is worse. The apostle forbiddeth κραύγην, clamour,’ or the loudness of speech, Ephesians 4:31. But ‘woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds,’ Micah 2:1. Studied wickedness is worst of all.

Obs. 3. Envious or contentious persons have little reason to glory in their engagements. Envy argueth either a nullity or a poverty of grace; a nullity where it reigneth, a weakness where it is resisted, but not overcome: ‘They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh, with the lusts and affections thereof,’ Galatians 5:24. He is a carnal man that is carried away with any inordinate affection or lust. Now, of all lusts, this is the most natural: ‘The spirit that is in us lusteth to envy,’ James 4:5. Children betray it first; vidi zelantem parvulum—I saw, saith Augustine, a little child looking pale with envy. As it is natural, so it is odious; it is injurious to God and his dispensations, as if he had unequally distributed his gifts. It is hurtful to others; we malign the good that is in them, thence hatred and persecution; it is painful to ourselves, therefore called ‘the rottenness of the bones,’ Proverbs 14:30. In short, it ariseth from pride, it is carried out in covetousness and evil desire, and ends in discontent. Oh! then, beware of this bitter envying and strife: Ephesians 4:31, ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger be put away from you.’ It is hateful to God, prejudicial to others, troublesome to ourselves; it is its own punishment. Nothing more unjust than envy, and yet nothing more just, saith Nazianzen. Will you know what it is? Discontentedness at another man’s good and prosperous estate, holiness, esteem, renown, parts, &c. In carnal things it is sordid, in higher things it is devilish; in the one we partake with the beasts, who ravenously seek to take the prey from one another; in the other with the devils and evil angels, who, being fallen from happiness, now malign and envy those that enjoy it. Envy discovereth itself—(1.) By grief at others’ enjoyments, Genesis 4:1-26. Cain is sad because Abel’s sacrifice was accepted; their having is not the cause of our want, but our envying it. (2.) In rejoicing at their evils, disgrace, ruin: Psalms 22:7, ‘They laughed me to scorn; This is he,’ &c. David fasted for an enemy’s fulness, &c. (3.) By incommunication: men would have all things inclosed within their line and pale; are vexed at the commonest of gifts, because they would shine alone. Moses, contrarily: ‘Would to God all did prophesy,’ Numbers 11:28-29. Consider these things, how unsuitable to your profession. So also for strifes; they do not become those who should be cemented with the same blood of Christ.² All strifes are bad: your heart was never the better when you came from them; but envious strifes are worst of all, and yet usually this is the sum of our contests, ‘Who shall be greatest?’ Opinions are drawn in for the greater gloss and varnish (as Paul said, Some preached gospel out of envy; Php 1:15), but usually that is the main quarrel; and so religion, which is the best thing, is made to serve the vilest affection.

² ‘Eodem sanguine Christi glutinati.’—Aug.

Obs. 4. Envy and strife goeth often under the mask of zeal. These were apt to glory in their carnal strifes; it is easy to take on a pretence of religion, and to baptize envious contests with a glorious name. One faction at Corinth entitled their sect by the name of Christ, ‘I am of Christ,’ 1 Corinthians 1:12, they are reckoned among the rest of the factions; ‘I am of Christ,’ in the apostle’s sense, is as bad as ‘I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos, and I am of Cephas.’ Well, then, examine those affections that are drawn forth under a disguise of religion; there may be zeal in the pretence, and bitter envy at the bottom. Sin is often arrayed in the garments of virtue; and there are so many things that look like zeal, but are not; and our own interest is so often concerned in the interests of religion, that we have need to suspect ourselves, lest the wild gourds of frowardness and passion be mistaken for ‘the planting of the Lord,’ zeal and righteousness. There are two shrewd presumptions, upon which, if you cannot absolutely condemn such motions, you have cause to suspect them. One is, when they boil up into irregular and strange actions: true zeal, though it increase the stream, doth not usually overflow the banks, and break one rule to vindicate another. The other is, when we are apt to glory and boast, as in this place: we usually boast of graces of our own making: 2 Kings 10:16, ‘Come and see my zeal for the Lord of hosts,’ was in effect but, Come and discern my pride and hypocrisy. Hypocrites have so little of the power of religion, that they adore their own form.

Obs. 5. Hypocrisy and carnal pretences are the worst kind of lies. The Lord complaineth, ‘They compass me about with lies.’ The practical lie is worst of all; by other lies we deny the truth, by this we abuse it; and it is worse sometimes to abuse an enemy than to destroy him. It had been more mercy in Tamerlane to have executed Bajazet, than to have carried him up and down in scorn as his footstool. Hypocrites do not only feign against religion, but carry it up and down as a footstool, upon which they step into their own interests and advancement. The practical lie is little better than blasphemy: Revelation 2:9, ‘I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not.’ It is a ‘lie against the truth’ indeed, and a blasphemy, when we entitle it to our unclean intents.