02.01. Chapter 1 - Verse 08

James 1:8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

He proceedeth to a general consideration of the unhappiness of unbelievers, and he saith two things of them—that they are double minded and unstable. Possibly there may be a secret antithesis, or opposition, between the temper of these men and what he had said before of God. God giveth ἁπλῶς, with a single mind (James 1:5), and we expect with a double mind, our trust being nothing so sure as his mercy is free. But let us examine the words more particularly. A double-minded man, δίψυχος ἀνὴρ.—The word signifieth one that hath two souls; and so it may imply—(1.) A hypocrite, as the same word is used to that purpose, James 4:8, ‘Purify your hearts, ye double minded,’ δίψυχοι. As he speaketh to open sinners to cleanse their hands, so to close hypocrites (whom he there calleth double minded, as pretending one thing and meaning another), to purify their hearts, that is, to grow more inwardly sincere; and so it suiteth very well with that phrase by which the Hebrews express a deceiver: Psalms 12:2, ‘With a double heart do they speak:’ in the original, ‘With a heart and a heart,’ which is their manner of expression when they would express a thing that is double or deceitful, as divers or deceitful weights is a weight and a weight in the original, Proverbs 20:23. As Theophrastus saith of the partridges of Paphlagonia, that they had two hearts; so every hypocrite hath two hearts or two souls. As I remember, I have read of a profane wretch that bragged he had two souls in one body, one for God, and the other for anything.¹ (2.) It implieth one that is distracted and divided in his thoughts, floating between two different ways and opinions, as if he had two minds, or two souls; and certainly there were such in the apostle’s days, some Judaising brethren, that sometimes would sort with the Jews, sometimes with the Christians, and did not use all due endeavours to be built up in the faith, or settled in the truth: as of ancient, long before this time, it is said of others, 2 Kings 17:33, ‘They feared the Lord, and served their own gods;’ they were divided between God and idols, which indifferency of theirs the prophet expresseth by a double or divided heart: Hosea 10:2, ‘Their heart is divided, now shall they be found faulty.’ Thus Athanasius applied this description to the Eusebians,² that sometimes held one thing, and anon another, that a man could never have them at any stay or certain pass. (3.) And, more expressly to the context, it may note those whose minds were tossed to and fro with various and uncertain motions; now lifted up with a billow of presumption, then cast down in a gulf of despair, being divided between hopes and fears concerning their acceptance with God. I prefer this latter sense, as most suiting with the apostle’s purpose.

¹ ‘Professus est se habere duas animas in eodem corpore, unam Deo dicatam, alteram unicuique illam vellet.’—Callenucius lib. 6. Hist. Neap.

² The Arians, so called from Eusebius, the Arian Bishop of Nicomedia, who recanted and fell again to his heresy.—Socrat. Scholast. lib. 1. cap. 25. Is unstable, ἀκατάστατος.—Hath no constancy of soul, being as ready to depart from God as to close with him; no way fixed and resolved in the religion he professeth. In all his ways.—Some apply it chiefly to prayer, because those that are doubtful of success often intermit the practice of it, regarding it only now and then in some zealous pangs, when conscience falleth upon them: but I suppose rather it is a general maxim, and that prayer is only intended by consequence, for the apostle saith, ‘in all his ways.’ Note, way, by a known Hebraism, is put for any counsel, action, thought, or purpose; and so it implieth that all their thoughts, motions, and actions do float hither and thither continually. The notes are these:—

Obs. 1. That unbelieving hypocrites are men of a double mind; they want the conduct of the Spirit, and are led by their own affections, and therefore cannot be settled: fear, the love of the world, carnal hopes and interests draw them hither and thither, for they have no certain guide and rule. It is said of godly men, Psalms 112:7, ‘They shall not be afraid of evil tidings; their heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord:’ they walk by a sure rule, and look to sure promises; and therefore, though their condition is changed, their heart is not changed, for the ground of their hopes is still the same. Carnal men’s hearts rise and fall with their news, and when affairs are doubtful, their hopes are uncertain, for they are fixed upon uncertain objects, ‘They are confounded, for they have heard evil tidings,’ saith the prophet, Jeremiah 49:23, upon every turn of affairs, they have, as it were, another heart and soul. That request of David is notable for the opening of this double mind, Psalms 86:11, ‘Unite my heart to fear thy name.’ The Septuagint read ἔνωσον τὴν καρδίαν μοῦ, ‘make my heart one,’ that is, apply it only and constantly to thy fear; implying, that where men are divided between God and secular interests, they have, as it were, two hearts; one heart inclineth them to a care of duty, the other heart discourageth them by fears of the world: the heart is not μοναχῶς (which is Aquila’s word in that place), after one manner and fashion. This double mind in carnal men bewrayeth itself two ways—in their hopes and their opinions. (1.) In their hopes, they are distracted between expectation and jealousy, doubts and fears; now full of confidence in their prayers, and anon breathing forth nothing but sorrow and despair; and possibly that may be one reason why the psalmist compareth the wicked to chaff, Psalms 1:4, because they have no firm stay and subsistence, but are driven to and fro by various and uncertain motions, leading their lives by guess, rather than any sure aim. (2.) In their opinions, hypocrites usually waver and hang in suspense, being distracted between conscience and carnal affections; their affections carry them to Baal, their consciences to God; as the prophet saith to such men, 1 Kings 18:21, ‘How long will ye halt between two opinions?’ They are usually guilty of a promiscuous compliance, which, though used by them in carnal policy, yet often tendeth to their hurt; for this indifferency is hateful to God and men. God loatheth it: Revelation 3:15, ‘I know thy works; I would thou wert either hot or cold; but because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will spue tliee out of my mouth.’ Lukewarmness is that temper that is most ingrate to the stomach, and therefore causeth vomits: so are lukewarm Christians to God; his ways are not honoured but by a zealous earnestness. And man hateth it. Solon did not judge him a good citizen that in a civil war took neither part; usually such middling men,³ like those that come between two fencers, suffer on both sides. I confess, sometimes godly persons may be at a stand; those that make conscience of things are not rash in choice, and therefore usually there is some hesitancy before engagement, which, though it be an infirmity, yet God winketh at it as long as they endeavour satisfaction: but certainly a child of God should not rest in such a frame of spirit: sincerity is much tried by an ‘establishment in the present truth,’ 2 Peter 1:12; that is, by up rightness in the controversies of our age and time. Antiquated opinions, that are altogether severed and abstracted from present interests, are no trial, therefore it is good to be positive and settled, ἐν τῆ παρούσῃ ἀληθείᾳ, ‘in the truth that now is.’ I confess, such cases may happen, where the pretences of both sides are so fair, and the miscarriages so foul, that we know not which to choose; and (as Cato said of the civil wars between Cæsar and Pompey, quem fugiam video, quem sequar non video), we can better see whom to avoid, than whom to close with and follow; and thereupon there may be hesitancy and indifferency; but this is neither allowed for the present, nor continued out of interest, but conscience, and never descendeth to any base compliances for advantage.⁴

³ ‘ ̓Μέσος ἀπʼ ἀμφοτἐρων κακῶς πάσχει’— Nazar. Orat. 13.

⁴ ‘Bonus animus nunquam erranti obsequium accommodat.’—Ambros.

Obs. 2. That doubtfulness of mind is the cause of uncertainty in our lives and conversations. Their minds are double, and therefore their ways are unstable. First, there is (as Seneca saith), nusquam residentis animi volutatio, uncertain rollings of spirit; and then vita pendens, a doubtful and suspensive life.⁵ For our actions do oft bear the image and resemblance of our thoughts, and the heart not being fixed, the life is very uncertain. The note holdeth good in two cases:—(1.) In fixing the heart in the hopes of the gospel; (2.) In fixing the heart in the doctrine of the gospel; as faith sometimes implieth the doctrine which is believed, sometimes the grace by which we do believe.⁶ A certain expectation of the hopes of the gospel produceth obedience, and a certain belief of the doctrine of the gospel produceth constancy.

⁵ Sen. lib. de Tranquill.

⁶ ‘Fides quæ creditur, et fides qua creditur.’

1. None walk so evenly with God as they that are assured of the love of God. Faith is the mother of obedience, and sureness of trust maketh way for strictness of life. When men are loose from Christ, they are loose in point of duty, and their floating belief is soon discovered in their inconstancy and unevenness of walking. We do not with any alacrity or cheerfulness engage in that of whose success we are doubtful;⁷ and therefore, when we know not whether God will accept us or no, when we are off and on in point of trust, we are just so in the course of our lives, serve God by fits and starts, only when some zealous moods and pangs come upon us. It is the slander of the world to think assurance is an idle doctrine. Never is the soul so quickened and enabled for duty as it is by ‘the joy of the Lord:’ Nehemiah 8:10, ‘The joy of the Lord is your strength.’ Faith, filling the heart with spiritual joy, yieldeth a strength for all our duties and labours; and we are carried on with life and vigour when we have most lively apprehensions of the divine grace.

⁷ ‘Προαίρεσις οὐκ ἔστιν ἀδυνάτων.’—Arist. Ethic.

2. None are so constant in the profession of any truth as they that are convinced and assured of the grounds of it. When we are but half convinced, we are usually unstable. I remember the apostle speaketh of a thing which he calleth ἴδιον στήρυγμον, ‘our own stead fastness.’ 2 Peter 3:17, ‘Lest ye fall from your own steadfastness into the error of the wicked.’ Every believer hath, or should have, a proper ballast in his own spirit, some solid, rational grounds that may stay and support him; otherwise, when the chain of consent is broken, we shall soon be scattered. So elsewhere a believer is bidden to render λόγον, ‘a reason of the hope that is in him,’ 1 Peter 3:15; that is, those inward motives that constrained his assent to the truth. Thus also the apostle Paul chargeth us, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, first to ‘prove all things,’ and then to ‘hold fast that which is good.’ It is unsafe to engage till a full conviction, or to resolve without evidence, for there is no likelihood of holding fast till we have proved. Well, then, labour to understand the grounds of your religion. If you love a truth ignorantly, you cannot love it constantly. There is still a party left in the soul to betray it into the hands of the opposite error. To take up ways without any trial is but a simple credulity, which will soon be abused and misled; and to take up ways upon half conviction is hypocrisy, which by that other part of the mind not yet gained will be soon discovered. Look upon it, then, as brutish to follow the track, and base to profess before you are ascertained.