James 5:20 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

From the error of his way— This seems to be in its primary sense the same which is called the committing of sin, James 5:15 for the person erring is here called a sinner; but the expression undoubtedly includes the conversion of any unawakened person to the life of God. A man may err from the truth, by apostacy from the Christian religion, or by a wicked life, and embracing such corrupt doctrines as willadminister to and support his vices, or by an alienation in any way from the life of God. 1 Timothy 6:3. &c. Titus 1:1. In this text it cannot signify apostacy from the Christian doctrine, but some other crime committed bya professing Christian, or his withdrawing from that union with God which he before experienced; for he is called τις εν υμιν, one among you; that is, one who had not cast off the Christian profession, though he had acted in a high degree contrary to it. The phrase of covering sin is found Psalms 32:1; Psalms 35:2.Proverbs 10:12. 1 Peter 4:8 and it is used for one man's kindly overlooking the faults of another; 1 Peter 4:8. It is here to be understood of God's not taking any notice of the faults of justified souls, so as to punish them: when they had repented of and forsaken them, and obtained remission for them, they would be, as it were, covered up and hid from the view of God. The same thing is to be understood by the phrases made use of Psalms 103:12.Isaiah 38:17; Isaiah 43:25.Micah 7:18. Though, by reclaiming a sinner from the error of his way, we may prevent his being punished, and so cover his sins; yet that will not cover any of our own sins, in which we persist impenitently. If we ourselves be indeed, through divine grace, truly holy, we may, by converting others, increase our own reward; Daniel 12:3.; but converting others willnot cover any of those sins which we ourselves have not repented of and forsaken.

Inferences.—Let rich men read the address of the apostle to persons in their circumstances, with holy awe, and with a jealousy over themselves, lest their present prosperity be succeeded by misery, and their joy by weeping and howling; as it undoubtedly will be, if wealth be unjustly gotten, or sordidly hoarded up, or luxuriously employed to pamper their appetites, while the truest and noblest use of it, the relief of the poor, and the benefit of mankind, is forgotten. Especially have they reason to tremble who abuse wealth and power as the instruments of oppression; soon will all their stores be wasted, soon will they become poor and indigent, and find a terrible account remaining, when all the gaieties and pleasures of life are utterly vanished. In the mean time, the saints of God may be among the poor and the oppressed; but let them wait patiently for the day of the Lord, for his coming is near. They sow in tears, but let them comfort their hearts with the view of the harvest; in like manner as the husbandman demands not immediately the fruits of that seed which he has committed to the furrows. Adored be that kind Providence, which gives the former and the latter rain in its season. To him, from whom we have received the bounties of nature, let us humbly look for the blessings of grace, and trust him to fulfil all his promises, both for time and eternity.

And may it ever be remembered by all, and especially by the ministers of the gospel, of how great importance it is to be instrumental in saving a soul from death, an immortal soul from everlasting death; that so they may be animated to the most zealous and laborious efforts for that blessed purpose; and think themselves richly rewarded, though it were for the otherwise unsuccessful labours of a whole life, by succeeding even in a single instance.

Whatever trials we may meet with in this or any other part of duty, may we take the prophets of old, and the apostles of our Lord, for examples of suffering adversity and patience; especially remembering their Lord, and ours; remembering how abundantly the patience of good men has been rewarded, the end of the Lord with respect to holy Job, and many others, who have trod in his steps in succeeding ages; and remembering especially, that the Judge stands at the door, that in a very little time he will appear, not only to put an end to the trials of his faithful servants, but to crown their virtues and graces! In the mean time, the bowels of his compassion are abundant, and he will not be wanting in communicating all necessary consolations and supports. May we be so happy as to be acquainted with those of devotion, that in our affliction we may pray, and in our cheerfulness sing psalms; that we may know by blessed experience the efficacy of such a temper to soften the sorrows of life, and to sweeten its enjoyments. And as we desire to be visited of God in our afflictions, may we with Christian sympathy be ready to visit and relieve others in their sickness, or other kinds of distress. It is indeed the special office of the elders of the church, who should be sent for upon such occasions with readiness, and who, if they be worthy of their office, will attend with pleasure. But it is not their office alone. Let us be ready to pray for each other, in faith and charity; and where offences have been committed, let there be a frank and candid acknowledgment of them on the one side, and as hearty a forgiveness on the other. In a word, let the efficacy of the fervent prayer of the righteous be often reflected on, to excite fervour, and to engage to righteousness, and to lead us to honour those who maintain such a character, and who offer such petitions and supplications; that God may, in answer to their requests, shower down his blessings upon us, that our land may yield its increase, that righteousness may spring up out of the earth, and that in every sense, God, as our own God, may bless us. (Psalms 67:6-7; Psalms 85:11.)

REFLECTIONS.—1st, The apostle addresses himself,

1. To the rich oppressors. Go to now, ye rich men, whose portion is in this world only, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you, both temporal and eternal. Your riches are corrupted, your hoarded stores putrify; and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered, laid by in useless bags; and the rust of them, which by time they have contracted like iron, shall be a witness against you, to upbraid your covetousness and avarice; and shall eat your flesh as it were fire, bringing down divine vengeance upon your guilty heads: ye have heaped treasure together for the last days, to provide for distant years to come, but they shall be a prey to the destroyers of your city and nation, and be to you a treasure of wrath against the day of wrath. Behold, the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth against you for judgment, and the cries of them which have reaped, complaining of your injustice and oppression, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, who will avenge their quarrel. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; indulging every brutish appetite, and making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof: ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter; faring sumptuously on the spoils of iniquity, fattening yourselves as beasts for the slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just, both the Lord himself, and many of his righteous servants; and he doth not resist you, meekly and patiently resigned to suffer. Note; (1.) Though wicked men may prosper for a while, God keeps a strict account of all their ways, and will bring them to judgment for these things. (2.) Riches are to be used, not to be hoarded in bags, or barns, or wardrobes; then they prove a blessing, else they are only treasures of wrath. (3.) Though the poor may groan under the yoke of oppression without present redress, there is one who heareth their appeal, and will vindicate their cause. (4.) Pleasure, luxury, and indulgence, may for a while lull the sinner's soul asleep; but he will soon be awakened from his short-lived dream, and startled with the fearful looking-for of judgment, when too late he will begin to weep and howl in vain.

2. He addresses himself to the persecuted poor saints. [1.] Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord, who will come, and will not tarry, to espouse your cause, and rescue you from the power of your oppressors. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain, expecting the desired harvest, when he hopes to reap the fruit of all his toils. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, when your redemption from every misery will be completed for ever. [2.] Grudge not one against another, brethren; groan not under your sufferings through envy, fretfulness, or desire to revenge; lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door; and that consideration should powerfully plead with you to wait with patience, and refer yourselves entirely to his determination. [3.] Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, faithfully discharging their commission, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience, whose noble behaviour bravely imitate under the like persecutions. Behold, we count them happy which endure with meekness and resignation the will of God, because their end must be peace and blessedness eternal. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, how eminently exemplary, and have seen the end of the Lord, the happy issue which God put to his troubles; or that perfect pattern of submission to the will of God which Jesus himself shewed under all his sufferings: that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy, sympathising with his suffering saints, and delivering them out of all their afflictions. We need not therefore be discouraged under any cross; the victory is secured for every faithful saint, and the end of it shall be their eternal glory.

2nd, The apostle,
1. Warns them against all profane swearing. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay: except in solemn cases, where an appeal to God is lawful, never exceed a simple affirmation or denial in your conversation, lest ye fall into condemnation, and bring guilt upon your own souls. Note; Swearing is of all sins most unprofitable; and whilst it offers the higher affront to God, affords not even a momentary pleasure to the offender.

2. He teaches them how to behave in adversity and prosperity. Is any among you afflicted, let him pray, humbly spreading his case before the Lord, that he may obtain the needful relief. Is any merry? in prosperous circumstances, and happy, in his soul, let him sing psalms, and praise the gracious giver of every good gift.

3. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, as the symbol of the miraculous power with which the elders were invested; and the prayer of faith shall save and recover the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, which may have brought such a visitation upon him, they shall be forgiven him. Note; The removal of sickness is a great mercy, but the pardon of sin still far greater, for which we are especially called upon to offer up our prayers.

4. Confess your faults one to another, and take shame to yourselves, where you have offended your brother. Or if any thing lies particularly upon your conscience, communicate it to some pious friend, or able minister of Christ, and pray one for another over the sins you confess and bewail, that they may be healed, their guilt pardoned, and their power subdued.

5. He shews the great efficacy of prayer. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much; a memorable example of which we have in the case of Elias, who was a man subject to like passions as we are, liable to many infirmities; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, as a punishment upon Ahab and rebellious Israel, and a means to convince them of the greatness of their sins; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months; so long the land of Israel was parched with drought, and a severe famine followed. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit; and as the effect of Elijah's prayer was so wonderful, we may comfortably be assured, that when we, like him, pray with faith and fervency, our prayers too shall receive an answer of peace.

6. He concludes with warmly recommending a zeal for the conversion of men's souls. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, in principle or in practice, backsliding from Christ, and one convert him, recovering him back again to the great Shepherd's fold; let him know, that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his ways, shall save a soul from death, preventing that eternal ruin which must otherwise have ensued, and shall hide a multitude of sins, which, when a sinner is converted, shall be forgiven and blotted out, as well as be the means of preventing all the evil which must have ensued from his ill example and influence. Note; (1.) Nothing is so valuable an acquisition as an immortal soul: one such won to Christ is better than the riches of both the Indies. (2.) Death eternal, of body and soul, is the wages of sin; and unless we are saved from it now, we must be undone for ever.*

* The Reader is referred to the different Authors mentioned often already.

James 5:20

20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.