_Be not many masters_ Διδασκαλοι, _teachers._ Let none of you rashly, and without proper qualifications, undertake the office of teachers of others; an office into which many are ready to intrude themselves, without being called of God to it. “The great desire which the Jewish Christians, to whom th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold_, &c. As if the apostle had said, Think not the tongue a weak member because it is small; _we put bits in the horses' mouths that they may obey us_ May go as we direct them; _and_, strong, and sometimes furious as they are; _we turn about their whole body_ Influence as we please all their mo... [ Continue Reading ]
_The tongue is a fire_ Which often produces a great conflagration; _a world of iniquity_ This is a metaphor of the same kind with _a sea of troubles, a deluge of wickedness._ The meaning is, that a great collection of iniquity proceeds from the tongue. Indeed “there is no iniquity which an unbridled... [ Continue Reading ]
_For every kind of beasts_ Πασα φυσις θηριων, _every nature of wild beasts._ The phrase signifies the strength and fierceness of wild beasts, the swiftness of birds, the poison of serpents, the exceeding great force of sea-monsters; _is tamed_ Δαμαζεται, _is subdued_, or is capable of being subdued;... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therewith bless we God_ That is, therewith mankind bless God; for the apostle, as appears from the next clause, did not speak of himself particularly, or of his fellow-apostles, or even of true private Christians, who certainly do not _curse men._ Perhaps in this last clause he glanced at the uncon... [ Continue Reading ]
_Doth a fountain send forth at the same_ opening, alternately, and at different times, _sweet water and bitter_ As if he had said, No such inconsistency is found in the natural world, and nothing of the kind ought to be known in the moral world. Estius observes, “that the apostle's design was to con... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who is a wise man_, &c. People are naturally desirous of the reputation of possessing an understanding superior to that of others. Now, let us consider in what way the sense we have may be best manifested; let him who would be thought wise show his wisdom, as well as his faith, by his works; _let h... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the wisdom that is from above_ Of celestial origin; which comes from God; _is first pure_ From all unholy and corrupt mixtures, whether of error or sin. It is agreeable to the tenor of divine and evangelical truth, and conscientious in the discharge of every duty to God and man; it is therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the fruit of righteousness_, &c. The principle productive of this righteousness, is sown, like good seed, in the peace of a believer's mind, and brings forth a plentiful harvest of happiness, (which is the proper fruit of righteousness,) for _them that make peace_ That labour to promote this pu... [ Continue Reading ]