53 lines
3.2 KiB
XML
53 lines
3.2 KiB
XML
<div2 id="Jam.i" n="i" next="Jam.ii" prev="Jam" progress="81.53%" title="Introduction">
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<div class="Center" id="Jam.i-p0.1"><h2 id="Jam.i-p0.2">James</h2>
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<p id="Jam.i-p1">Completed by <span class="smallcaps" id="Jam.i-p1.1">S. Wright</span>.</p>
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</div>
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<hr/>
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<pb id="Jam.i-Page_966" n="966"/>
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<div class="Center" id="Jam.i-p1.3">
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<p id="Jam.i-p2"><b>AN</b></p>
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<h3 id="Jam.i-p2.1">EXPOSITION,</h3>
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<h4 id="Jam.i-p2.2">W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E
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R V A T I O N S,</h4>
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<h5 id="Jam.i-p2.3">OF THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF</h5>
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<h2 id="Jam.i-p2.4">J A M E S.</h2>
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<hr style="width:2in"/>
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</div>
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<p class="indent" id="Jam.i-p3"><span class="smallcaps" id="Jam.i-p3.1">The</span> writer
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of this epistle was not James the son of Zebedee; for he was put to
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death by Herod (<scripRef id="Jam.i-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Acts.12.1-Acts.12.2" parsed="|Acts|12|1|12|2" passage="Ac 12:1,2">Acts xii.</scripRef>)
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before Christianity had gained so much ground among the Jews of the
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dispersion as is here implied. But it was the other James, the son
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of Alpheus, who was cousin-german to Christ, and one of the twelve
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apostles, <scripRef id="Jam.i-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:Matt.10.3" parsed="|Matt|10|3|0|0" passage="Mt 10:3">Matt. x. 3</scripRef>. He is
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called <i>a pillar</i> (<scripRef id="Jam.i-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:Gal.2.9" parsed="|Gal|2|9|0|0" passage="Ga 2:9">Gal. ii.
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9</scripRef>), and this epistle of his cannot be disputed, without
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loosening a foundation-stone. It is called a general epistle,
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because (as some think) not directed to any particular person or
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church, but such a one as we call a circular letter. Others think
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it is called general, or catholic, to distinguish it from the
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epistles of Ignatius, Barnabas, Polycarp, and others who were noted
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in the primitive times, but not generally received in the church,
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and on that account not canonical, as this is. Eusebius tells us
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that this epistle was "generally read in the churches with the
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other catholic epistles." His. Eccles. page 53. Ed. Val. Anno 1678.
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James, our author, was called the just, for his great piety. He was
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an eminent example of those graces which he presses upon others. He
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was so exceedingly revered for his justice, temperance, and
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devotion, that Josephus the Jewish historian records it as one of
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the causes of the destruction of Jerusalem, "That St. James was
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martyred in it." This is mentioned in hopes of procuring the
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greater regard to what is penned by so holy and excellent a man.
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The time when this epistle was written is uncertain. The design of
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it is to reprove Christians for their great degeneracy both in
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faith and manners, and to prevent the spreading of those libertine
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doctrines which threatened the destruction of all practical
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godliness. It was also a special intention of the author of this
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epistle to awaken the Jewish nation to a sense of the greatness and
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nearness of those judgments which were coming upon them; and to
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support all true Christians in the way of their duty, under the
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calamities and persecutions they might meet with. The truths laid
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down are very momentous, and necessary to be maintained; and the
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rules for practice, as here stated, are such as ought to be
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observed in our times as well as in preceding ages.</p>
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</div2> |