Verse 6. "In faith." One of the conditions for the efficacy of our prayers is, that they should be presented in a spirit of "faith," by which is commonly understood, the belief in God's power and willingness to hear us. as far as shill be expedient for us; from this belief follows a firm and undoubting confidence of our being heard, so far as God is concerned. Of course, this confidence must always be accompanied with uncertainty, grounded upon our own unworthiness. ''Nothing wavering." The Greek word, διακρινομενος, means, expending the reasons on both sides. Hence, it means to waver in belief and confidence. ''For he that wavers (in the sense already assigned), is like the wave of the sea, &:c.," i.e., is agitated by various reasons and doubts between hesitation on one side, and confidence on the other; now sees reasons for hoping; again, for desponding. The figure employed by the Apostle, is often used to designate the opposite of calm confidence. When such a man should immovably adhere to God by faith in his unerring promises, he is tossed here and there by opposite doubts and reasonings.

Verse 7. "Let him not think," for, he will be disappointed in his hopes, "that he shall receive anything," i.e., the object of his wavering, hesitating petition ''from the Lord;" for such diffidence and hesitation is a direct insult to God's sovereign goodness and liberality.

Verse 8. "A double-minded man." The Greek word, διψυχος, means, a man having two souls. By it is meant here, not the hypocrite, who thinks one thing in his heart, and expresses another with his lips—an acceptation in which the word is oftentimes employed—but the man who entertains at the same time in his mind different and conflicting sentiments. Such a person never does anything; he is always hesitating in irresolution. The inference, which St. James wishes to deduce, is implied in the general proposition of this verse, viz., that he cannot approach the throne of God with firm confidence, so as to obtain the fruit of his prayer. "In all his ways," i.e., his actions and purposes. Most likely, allusion is here made to those vacillating and fainthearted Jewish converts, who, from the pressure of persecution, and for want of due confidence in God, were on the point of abandoning the Christian religion. It is to these the Apostle addresses his Epistle to the Hebrews.

Verse 9. St. James passes from general temptations (verses 2, 3) to particular ones, and  here refers to the temptations peculiar to poverty and riches; discontent in the former case, pride and arrogance in the latter. It would appear from chap. 9. 1 Cor. that some among the richer Christians haughtily looked down upon their poorer brethren, many of whom were reduced in circumstances, owing to the generous cession which they made of all their property. At this state of things, the poor man naturally repined; and hence, to remedy this growing evil, St. James tells the poor man to glory in his "exaltation " to the state of divine filiation.— (Vide Paraphrase .

Verse 10. "But the rich, in his being low." Some verb is understood to complete the sense. By some Expositors the word glory, is inserted, bearing an ironical meaning. "Let the rich (glory) in his being," &c. Others, with greater probability, insert the Words (be confounded or feel shame) "in his being," &c. It is not at all unusual in Scripture, to supply a verb of contrary signification, to that expressed in the sentence (v.g. St. Paul, I Ep. to Tim. chap, 4.) "Forbidding to marry, to abstain from food," i.e., commanding, "to abstain from food." The rich man should feel humbled were he to consider the lowly, fleeting, and inconstant nature of these riches, in which he places his confidence. "Because as the flower of the grass," which is its frailest and tenderest part, he shall pass away.

Verse 11. By a very striking illustration, he now shows how frail and fleeting is a man's tenure of riches. "For the sun rose with a burning heat." This regards the time of day, when the sun is fully risen and its heat most intense. Others understand the Greek word for "burning heat," τω καυσωνι, to mean the burning wind, called in Arabia, the Simoom, which blows at sun-rise, as is asserted by Oriental travelers. " And the beauty of the shape thereof." In Greek, προσωπου, of the face thereof, which, by a Hebrew idiom, refers to the external appearance of a thing. " So shall the rich man fade away in all his ways." "By ways," are meant his actions, his purposes, his designs of enjoyment, and of aggrandizement. In these latter words is contained the application of the foregoing illustration.

Verse 12. The Apostle pronounces the man happy, who patiently and perseveringly endures, with a prospect of future rewards (for, this is the meaning of the Greek verb, υπομενει, the tribulations of this life. "For when he hath been proved," i.e., shall have tested in the ordeal of tribulation (''gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation"), and his virtue proved to be solid and genuine, he shall then receive the crown of eternal life "which God (in some Greek copies, "which the Lord,'' in the Codex Vaticanus, which he) has promised to those that love him." He says, "love him;" because, without the love of God, no man could patiently endure the trials of a long life; and this patience, to be genuine, must be, what Divines call, an actus imperatus, of charity: for, "charity is patient," that is, dictates acts of patience, and without charity the greatest sufferings, even the giving of our bodies to the flames, is worth nothing.—(1 Cor. 13)

Verse 13. In this verse, the Apostle considers temptation in a different light from that in which he viewed it, verses 2, 3. There, it was considered as the temptation of trial or probation; in this verse, as the temptation of seduction. It appears that in the time of St. James many dangerous errors were propagated regarding the origin of good and evil. Simon Magus and others had been industriously circulating among the people, that temptations, even when viewed under the light of seductions to evil, come from God; and, not unlikely, they grounded these erroneous doctrines on the mistaken interpretation of the words of the Apostle to the Romans (chap 1), where God is said to have delivered men to a reprobate sense, &c. St. James here corrects this growing error, and says, that "God is not a tempter of evils," i.e., by no means tempts us to commit sin; since he tempts no one. Some interpreters give the Greek word, απειραστος, which is rendered into our Version, "a tempter of evils," a passive signification of which it is certainly susceptible. "God is incapable of being tempted to evil, and he tempts no one, i.e., he cannot be tempted himself, nor can he tempt others; just as we say of his veracity, he cannot be deceived nor can he deceive. In order to understand this verse clearly, and reconcile it with the foregoing, it is to be remarked, that in Scripture language, temptation is two-fold; of probation, or trial , of seduction, or deceit. Of the former, which has for object to try our virtue, and show us what we are, God is frequently said to be the author and direct cause (v.g Genesis, 22. regarding Abraham, also regarding Job, see also Deut. 13:3). Of the latter kind ot temptation, which has for object to entice us, by the promises of enjoyment, or impel us by the threats of punishment to commit sin, God cannot be the author; and to it there is reference in this verse and also in the words of the Lord's Prayer, "and lei I us not into temptation," i.e., permit us not by the subtraction of thy grace, to fall into temptation.

Verse 14. Here he points out the source of temptation viewed under this latter respect, viz., concupiscence, i.e., the strange proneness to evil and to the gratification of illicit pleasures, at variance with the laws of God, implanted in human nature, in its present fallen state. "Drawn away." Turned aside from God, and the straight path of duty, "Allured," the Greek word, δελεαζομενος, means, ensnared and caught as fishes with a bait.

Verse 15. The Apostle now describes the different stages in the commission of sin. First, concupiscence tempts us, (verse 14), by working on our weakness, and proposing to us gratification, whether coming interiorly or exteriorly. Next, "then, when concupiscence has conceived," (verse 15), which, most probably, means by a lull internal consent, "it brings forth (mortal) sin." If resisted, instead of being a sin, it is a source of merit. Again, "When sin is completed," i.e., externally committed, "it begets," or, gives birth to "death," i.e., the spiritual death of the soul here, entailing a liability to eternal death, hereafter. This interpretation. which is adopted by Estius, appears to be the most probable among the many given of this passage. But it may be objected:—Might it not be said in this interpretation, that concupiscence, when it conceives, begets death, since we understand "conceive," to mean, full internal consent, which constitutes a mortal sin? Yes, so it might; but, it is only of the external consummation of the deed, which manifests a proneness to sin and fullness of consent difficult to be remedied, and moreover, aggravates the internal consent, and is attended with the injury of a third person, that we can say beyond all exception, "it begets death." And the very absence of time and place, the want of opportunity to commit the external act, although the thought was fully consented to, is, to a certain extent, a favor from God, whom St. Augustine (Homil. 22, chap. 6), thus introduces, as addressing the sinner—" Ut aduterium non committeres, suasor defuit; ut suasor deesset, ego feci; locus et tempus defuit, ut haec deessent, ego feci."

Objection.—Does not God concur in actions intrinsically bad (v.g.), the hatred of God, from which act, even materially considered, malice can, in no order of things, be conceived to be separated?

Resp.—The concurrence of God in such actions is only what is termed a "concursus generalis," whereby man receives the power to love or hate God. But, that in the exercise of this power, he selects the hating of God, is the act of his own free will.

Verse 16. From this verse, it would appear there were some erroneous opinions circulated respecting the origin of good and evil. "Therefore," is not in the Greek.

Verse 17. Having shown the source and true cause of evil, St. James now points out the origin of all good. This comes "from above," from heaven, where God in a special manner dwells, from whom "every best gift," (in Greek, πασα δοσις αγαθη, every good giving), "and perfect gift" proceeds, by which it is implied, that not alone every good gift, but the very giving thereof, comes from God. Some interpreters say, that "every best gift," and "perfect gift," refer to the same thing, and are repeated for the sake of greater emphasis. Others make the former refer to all natural gifts, and the latter, which is called "perfect," or superexcellent, to the supernatural gifts of grace. In this verse, two things are asserted, viz., that everything coming from God is good and excellent, which refutes the impious assertion of Simon Magus, afterwards more fully evolved by the Manichees; and secondly, that God alone is the source of all good, which refutes the errors of Pagan philosophy, afterwards revived by the Pelagians. ''The father of lights;" he is called “father," because the first source and author "of lights," which may regard the natural lights of the sun, moon, and stars. Light is emblematic of good, as darkness is, of evil, or ''lights'' may be understood of the intellectual, spiritual lights, whether of nature, grace, or glory; and from God, as their great source, proceed all the good gifts, represented by the light of the heavenly bodies, and the gifts of intellectual knowledge, whether natural or supernatural, actual or habitual To him, then, we should have recourse, in order perfectly to understand these sublime paradoxes put forward by St. James, regarding the blessings of tribulation, and the joy they should cause in us (verses 2, 3), &c., and as father of all light and knowledge, he will enlighten our understanding to perceive them. "With whom there is no change," &c. The Apostle represents God, as a great luminous sun or body of light, diffusing his radiance and blessings throughout all creation; but, he removes from him all the imperfections of our present sun. He need not change from place to place, as our sun, who in his apparent to daily motion, makes his place different at morning, noon, and night. To this, the word ''change" most probably refers, which, in reference to God, means that there is no change in him, in reference to the distribution of his gifts, now dispensing good; again, evil. "Nor shadow of vicissitude," which, in reference to the natural sun, refers to his annual motion, when he apparently moves towards the tropics, and from them, and according to his proximity or distance are the shadows cast by him, shortened or lengthened. It is to this alternate lengthening and lessening of the different shadows, that the Greek words for "shadow of alteration," τροπης αποσκιασμα, refer. In reference to God, it means, that God is the constant and ever liberal source of good, not dealing it out at one time with a sparing, at another, with a liberal hand.

Verse 18. As an illustration of the good gifts conferred on us by God, the Apostle adduces that most excellent of good gifts, our spiritual regeneration in baptism. "Of his own will," i.e., without any merits of ours; and hence, this was on his part a perfectly gratuitous gift. "Hath he begotten us," which, most probably, refers to our spiritual birth ill baptism, whereby a new spiritual existence was conferred on us. "By the word of truth," may refer to the form of baptism; or, more probably, to the word of God, conceived through faith, which in adults is an indispensable condition, for receiving a new spiritual regeneration in baptism. The same idea is, very likely, conveyed here, as in chapter 5:26, to the Ephesians. "By the laver of water, in the word of life." "That we might be some beginning," in Greek, απαρχην , first-fruits, "of his creature, may refer to the members of the Church, who are selected by God, in preference to all other men, as his choice portion out of the rest of the mass of mankind. Others understand the words, of those who were first called to the Church and the faith; they were taken from the Jews, and they were the first fruits of such, as were, through their instrumentality in all future ages, to be associated to the Christian Church.

Verse 19. "You know, my dearest," &c. "You know;" in some Greek copies, it is ωστε wherefore; in the Codex Vaticanus, Ἴστε, "you know."  "And let every man be swift to hear, &c." St. James now proceeds to deliver wholesome instructions regarding the proper government of the tongue, and the repressing of all feelings of anger. It is commonly supposed by Commentators, that St. James here refers to the abuse of the gift of tongues, accorded to many in the infancy of the Church, to which reference is made (1 Cor. 14) The Jewish converts had an inordinate wish, after their conversion, to display the same power of speaking, which they exercised in the synagogue, to the confusion and disorder of the Christian assemblies.' St. James cautions them against this abuse. "And slow to anger," which a spirit of disputation is apt to engender. No doubt, the admonition of St. James here applies to Christians at all times, and recommends a due regard to silence on all occasions, together with a proper regulation of the tongue, and a restraint on the impulse of anger. The admonition conveyed in this verse, together with that subjoined in verse 22, forms a theme whereon St. James dilates, up to chapter 4:12, with the exception of a brief digression, at chapter 2:1-13.

Verse 20. Inverting the order of treating the admonitions of the preceding verse, he first refers to anger. In the words of this verse more is conveyed than is expressed; by it is meant, that not only an angry man does not perform good works whereby "the justice of God," that is, true justice, is acquired and preserved, but that he performs wicked, evil works.

Verse 21. He now recommends them to live up to their new spiritual existence (verse 18); and in order thereto, they should avoid evil, by laying aside their vicious affections; and do good, by receiving the word of God with meekness, &c. (verse 21). "All uncleanness." The Greek word, ρυπαριαν, literally regards the filth adhering to the body. Hence, some understand it of the sordid vice of avarice; others, of impurity. It more probably refers to sinfulness of all kinds, whereby the soul is defiled. "And abundance of malice." In this is specified the viciousness in general, referred to in the preceding words. It probably regards feelings of malevolence towards our neighbor. This is a source of anger. In the word "abundance," is conveyed an idea borrowed from agriculture. The husbandman carefully prunes away all superfluous and redundant weeds, whereby the earth is exhausted, and the good seed choked up; so they, too, should carefully cut away all the noxious affections, of which human nature, in its present fallen state, is so prolific; which, like tares, choke and prevent the growth of the good seed of God's word and grace in their hearts. "With meekness, receive the engrafted word." In the place of vindictive, revengeful desires, they should substitute a spirit of meekness, and in this spirit receive, or rather foster, the doctrines of truth, which, to distinguish them from those truths known by the light of reason, are termed "engrafted." In these latter words the Apostle inculcates the admonition given in the first part of verse 19, "be swift to hear," &:c.

Verse 22. The Apostle here enters on one of the principal subjects of this Epistle—viz. the refutation of the erroneous doctrine of the sufficiency of faith alone, a doctrine broached, even at this early period. "Deceiving yourselves." The Greek word for "deceiving," παραλογιζομενοι, means, adopting sophistical reasoning. The sophism by which the heretics, in the days of St James, as well as in modern times, deceive themselves, is founded on the difference of meaning between the "works of the law," without which St. Paul says (Rom. 3), we are justified by faith, and the "works" performed by grace and faith, which Catholics require for justification.

Verses 23, 24. From this example, and from its applications (verse 25), the necessity of good works is clearly inferred. Such a man, carelessly and hurriedly looking into the mirror εσοπτρω, sees his countenance, but afterwards forgets to wipe off and remove the blemishes which the looking into the mirror may have disclosed to him. To such a person, the looking into the glass proves to be quite useless, of no service whatever; so it is with the man, who merely hears the word of God, without reducing it to practice. In the application of this comparison, the mirror is the word of God, which represents to us what we are, and what we ought to be. "The countenance of a man” is the state of his conscience; the defects in his visage, are the sins whereby the purity of his soul is sullied; to see one's self in the mirror is to hear the word of God, and remark the difference there is between what we are and what we ought to be, according to the gospel; to forget the state of one's countenance, is to forget the truths preached; and to neglect removing the blemishes, is to neglect wiping off by tears of repentance, the uncleanness caused by sin, m the soul. How many are there to whom the example of the mirror is perfectly applicable.

Verse 25. This is an application by contraries of the example already adduced— "has  looked into." The Greek word, παρακυψας, means to look into narrowly and closely as is done by those who stoop down to obtain a closer view. "The perfect law," i.e., the gospel law, which, unlike the old, "that brought nothing to perfection," (Heb. 7:19), perfects us by grace and justification; ''of liberty," exempting us from servitude and the fear of punishment, so that we can set all the menaces of the law at defiance, it makes us free sons of God, and not slaves of the synagogue; "and has continued therein," by making it the subject of meditation, day and night; "this man will be blessed, &c." Hence, according to St. James, it is only on condition of not forgetting the precepts of the law, and of performing the works which it enjoins, a man will obtain the happiness of justice here and of glory hereafter. Can a stronger argument be adduced in proof of the necessity of good works for justification and eternal life?

Verse 26. "If any man think himself,"' &c. In some Greek copies, if any man (among you) think, &c. ; "among you," is omitted in the Codex Vaticanus. The Apostle, among the works required, reckons governing the tongue, and restraining it from detraction, rash judgments, self-praise, and other faults, to which persons, who have the character of piety, are liable. "Deceiving his own heart," while endeavoring to reconcile two things perfectly incompatible, viz.: true religion and the unrestrained indulgence in the vices of the tongue—"this man's religion," that is, his religious practices and profession, are of no avail to him. St. James, then, refers to those vices of the tongue, such as boastful, slanderous, polluting language, which are mortal and deadly sins. Is there any vice more common, than this shocking vice of the tongue, and withal, so little attended to, or scrupled?

Verse 27. Lest it might be imagined that the mere act of bridling the tongue, and not injuring our neighbor, would suffice; he now mentions some of the principal works in which pure religion is exercised. "Religion, clean," in opposition to the vain and empty religion of the Jews, who regarded all its purity as consisting in certain ceremonies and legal purifications, "and undefiled," in opposition to the impious and impure rites of the Pagans and Heretics—consists in "this," or rather dictates the following acts; for, the following are the, actus eliciti, (as they are called) of the virtue of mercy, and only the, actus imperati, of religion, "to visit the fatherless," &c., or, what comes to the same, to administer to their wants, and this is "pure religion," since there can be no other than a pure motive in relieving such, there being no hope of temporal retribution in the case, "and to keep one's self unspotted from this world," i.e., from the vices of this wicked world, principally luxury, avarice, and ambition; for, the great leading maxims of this world are, the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, &c.; the preserving of one's self from these is -"undefiled religion." This proves the necessity of good works, since it is in the performance of them, "clean," or pure religion consists.