James 1:1–18

Those who seek worldly glory display the qualifications which they think they have in their correspondence. But the apostles boast, at the beginning of their letters, that they are slaves of God and Christ.

Christ deigned to reveal himself to James after his passion, and eventually it became proverbial to say: "He appeared also to James." James refers to himself as a servant, but we must remember that there are two kinds of servitude, voluntary and involuntary. The involuntary servant is a slave who fears punishment, and therefore his service does not spring from love. But the voluntary servant is really no different from a son.

The opening resembles the titles of St. Paul's letters, and perhaps James is the author of it, whoever he may be. He was unacquainted with Paul's custom of writing to one particular nation and city, and for a particular reason. Instead, this author writes to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations because of the captivity, and not to the churches in every place, because he had no particular reason to be so specific.

Caesar sent Albinus to Judea as procurator when he was informed of the death of Festus. But the younger Annas, who as I said had received the high priesthood, was headstrong in character and audacious in the extreme. He belonged to the sect of the Sadducees, who in judging offenders are cruel beyond any of the Jews, as I have already made clear. Being a man of this kind, Annas thought that he had a convenient opportunity, as Festus was dead and Albinus still on the way. So he assembled a council of judges and brought it before James, the brother of Jesus, known as Christ, and several others. Annas charged them with breaking the law and handed them over to be stoned. But those who were considered the most fair-minded people in the city, and strict in their observance of the law, were most indignant at this, and sent secretly to the king, imploring him to write to Annas to stop behaving in this way. His conduct had been wrong from the first. Some of them too waylaid Albinus on the road from Alexandria and explained that it was illegal for Annas to assemble a council without his authority. Convinced by their arguments, Albinus wrote an angry letter to Annas, threatening to punish him. In consequence, King Agrippa deprived him of the high priesthood, which he had held for three months only, and appointed Jeshua son of Dammaeus.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the dispersion, greetings. Rejoice, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, Indeed, the Son is of the Father, truly the Lord. Therefore, if the servant is equally of the Father and the Son, the Son is equal to the Father in honor, and in essence and in operation. But above all worldly dignity, the Lord's apostles, boasting that they are servants of Christ, want this to be a sign of themselves, both in speaking and writing and teaching. Rejoice. James saw these godly sorrows and temptations as commendable and worthy of joy. For these are indeed a strong bond, and an increase of charity and remorse. Hence it is also said: "Son, if you come to serve God, prepare your soul for temptation." (Sirach 2:1) And Christ said: "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer." (Jn. 16:33) and: "Narrow and sorrowful is the path that leads to life." (Matt. 7:14) For neither without struggle and training can one obtain earthly or divine crowns. But, out of humility about himself, he calls them brothers, not sons. Moreover, for the virtuous and diligent, temptations or afflictions are a source of the highest joy, although their testing is evident through them. The trial, however, leads to perfect work. But someone will say: If temptations do this, how does Christ teach us to ask God in prayer not to be led into temptation? (Matt. 6:13) We therefore say that there are twofold temptations or afflictions. Some have their origin from ourselves; others, however, are brought to us by God for the sake of practice and the declaration of victory. There are two things that have their origin from us. Indeed, some, because of their unreasonable courage, which we call reckless boldness, are taught by the Lord to observe this: that the spirit is indeed ready: But that readiness is extinguished in the midst of struggles, nor does it yield to good in those who use it: but some are brought because of sin, as the destruction of the Sodomites. We should flee these temptations as much as we can, by living without sin. Moreover, those things that are from God, such as those that happened to Job or Abraham, should not be avoided, but rather, if it can be done in any way, they should be embraced through patience and thanksgiving. For God, who tempts, knows how to do this for the benefit and declaration of victory. James said that there are various temptations, because some come from God, as we have said, while others come from ourselves.

A servant of God, that is, of the Father, and of the Lord — Jesus; and if he is equally a servant of the Father and of the Son, then the Son is equal to the Father both in essence and in honor. The Apostles of the Lord place above every worldly dignity the fact that they are servants of Christ.

Because we are human, we live a most dangerous life amid the snares of temptation.

Nobody will take the disciples' joy from them because, although they suffered persecution and torture on behalf of Christ's name, yet they willingly bore all adversities because they were enkindled by hope in his resurrection and by their vision of him. Moreover, they thought it perfect joy when they encountered different kinds of temptations.

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. The word begins with the more perfect, so that it may reach those in order whom he saw being corrected and raised to the height of perfection. And it is to be noted that he does not simply say, "Rejoice" or "Consider it joy," but "Consider it all joy," when you encounter various trials; deem yourselves worthy of all joy if it happens that you endure trials for the sake of faith in Christ. This is grace, if someone endures suffering unjustly for the sake of God's conscience, as Peter says (1 Pet. II). And his co-apostle Paul: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. And all the apostles departed rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus. Therefore, we should not be saddened if we are tempted, but if we have been overcome by temptations.

Hence, if charity is patient, long-suffering and good, then it "shall suck as milk the abundance of the sea." In this way did Lawrence rejoice over the glowing embers as if they had been flowers. These fruits are in the spirit, not in the flesh. Hence in James: "Esteem it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various trials."

We therefore agree with Aristotle that what is intrinsically right may well be agreeable, and that the better a man is the more he will like it; but we agree with Kant so far as to say that there is one right act--that of self surrender--which cannot be willed to the height by fallen creatures unless it is unpleasant. And we must add that this one right act includes all other righteousness, and that the supreme cancelling of Adam's fall, the movement "full speed astern" by which we retrace our long journey from Paradise, the untying of the old, hard knot, must be when the creature, with no desire to aid it, stripped naked to the bare willing of obedience, embraces what is contrary to its nature, and does that for which only one motive is possible. Such an act may be described as a "test" of the creature's return to God: hence our fathers said that troubles were "sent to try us".

It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best. We can drag our patients along by continual tempting, because we design them only for the table, and the more their will is interfered with the better. He cannot "tempt" to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles.

"Falling into temptation" may mean being overwhelmed by temptation, for temptation is like a raging torrent which engulfs the traveler. In times of temptation some people manage to cross this torrent without being overwhelmed by the rising tide, because they are good swimmers who can avoid being swept away. But if others who lack their strength try to do it, they are overcome.

Syncletica said, 'All must endure great travail and conflict when they are first converted to the Lord but later they have unspeakable joy. They are like people trying to light a fire, the smoke gets in their eyes, their eyes begin to water, but they succeed in what they want. It is written, "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29), and so we must kindle divine fire with tears and trouble.'

[Syncletica] also said, 'When the devil does not use the goad of poverty to tempt us, he uses wealth for the same purpose. When he cannot win by scorn and mockery, he tries praise and flattery. If he cannot win by giving health, he tries illness. If he cannot win by comfort, he tries to ruin the soul by vexations that lead us to act against our monastic vows. He inflicts severe sicknesses on people whom he wants to tempt and so makes them weak, and thereby shakes the love they feel towards God. But although the body is shattered and running a high temperature and thirsting unbearably, yet you, who endure all this, are a sinner; you should therefore remember the punishments of the next world, the everlasting fire, the torments of judgement. Then you will not fail in the sufferings of this present time, indeed you should rejoice because God has visited you. Keep saying the famous text: "The Lord hath chastened and corrected me: but he hath not given me over unto death" (Ps. 118:18). Iron is cleaned of rust by fire. If you are righteous and suffer, you grow to a higher sanctity. Gold is tested by fire. When a messenger from Satan is given to you to be a thorn in your flesh, lift up your heart, for you have received a gift like that of St Paul. If you suffer from fever and cold, remember the text of Scripture, "We went through fire and water," and "thou broughtest us out into a place of rest" (Ps. 66:12). If you have overcome suffering, you may expect rest, provided you are following what is good. Cry aloud the prophet's words, "I am poor and destitute and in misery" (Ps. 66:29). Threefold suffering like this shall make you perfect. He said also, "Thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble" (Ps. 4:1). So let this kind of self-discipline test our souls, for our enemy is always in sight.'

Just as the world has to pass through winter before the spring comes and the flowers bloom, so a man must go through many temptations before he can inherit the prize of eternal life. For as Paul said: "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." Temptations come in three ways, by persuasion, by attraction and by consent. Satan persuades, the flesh is attracted, and the mind consents.

Suffering is a real bond, an encouragement to greater love, and the basis of spiritual perfection and godliness. Listen to the one who says: "If you want to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation." And again Christ said: "In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage." And again: "straight and narrow is the way." Everywhere you see suffering being praised, everywhere it is accepted as necessary for us. For in the world there is no one who wins a trophy without suffering, who has not strengthened himself with labors and dieting and exercise and vigils and many other things like that. How much more is that true in this battle!

If you count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, you give birth to joy, and you offer that joy in sacrifice to God.

The Word of God … causes us to despise all life's painful experiences and to count as joy every trial that assails us.

The apostle considers trials and sorrow for God's sake praiseworthy and worthy of joy, because they are the strongest bonds and the nurturing of love and contrition, which is why it is said: "My son! if you draw near to serve the Lord God, prepare your soul for temptation" (Sir. 2:1), and Christ said: "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good courage" (John 16:33), for without struggles one cannot receive crowns either in the world or from God.

He calls them not children, but brethren — out of humility. Trials bring the diligent every joy because through them the proving of such persons is revealed, and proving leads to perfect action. But then someone will say: if such is the effect of trials, then why does Christ teach us in prayer to ask God: "and lead us not into temptation" (Matt. 6:13)? We answer: trials are of two kinds. Some proceed from us, and others are sent upon us by God for our exercise and glorification. And the trials proceeding from us are also of two kinds. Some arise from imprudent boldness, which we call rashness, and from which the Lord commands us to guard ourselves, because although the spirit is willing, during struggles the willingness fades, and therefore such boldness does not end well for those who have it. Other trials, such as the destruction of the Sodomites (Gen. 19:13), are sent on account of sins. These trials must be avoided with all one's strength through a sinless life; but trials from God, such as those of Job and Abraham, not only should not be avoided, but if possible, one should draw them to oneself through patience and thanksgiving, because they make one worthy of glorification and crowns. He said "various trials" because some trials, as we have explained, come from God, and others from us.

When our Lord and God taught his disciples that they must pray to be delivered from temptation, he meant the kind of temptation which we readily and willingly fall into and which does not contain any kind of trial. But James is talking about the kind of trials which are unwanted and teaches that those who struggle for the truth should not be discouraged by them.

Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. And let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Therefore (he says) you are tempted by adverse things, so that you may learn the virtue of patience, and through it, you may be able to show and prove that you carry in your heart a firm faith in future reward. Nor should this place be considered contrary, but rather understood to be in harmony with, what the apostle Paul says: Knowing that tribulation produces patience, and patience, experience (Rom. V). For patience produces experience, because he whose patience cannot be overcome is proved to be perfect. Which is also subsequently taught here when it is said: And let patience have its perfect work. And again: The testing of your faith produces patience. Because that reason makes the faithful exercised through patience, so that through this their faith may be proved how perfect it is.

Syncletica also said, 'If you are troubled by illness, do not be miserable, even if you are so ill that you cannot stand to pray or use your voice to say psalms. We need these tribulations to destroy the desires of our body; they serve the same purpose as fasting and austerity. If your senses are dulled by illness, you do not need to fast. In the same way that a powerful medicine cures an illness, so illness itself is a medicine to cure passion. A great deal is gained spiritually by bearing illness quietly and giving thanks to God. If we go blind, let us not be upset. We have lost one means to excellence, yet we can contemplate the glory of God with the inward eyes of the soul. If we go deaf let us remember that we shall no longer hear a lot of silly talk. If suffering has weakened the strength of your hands, you still have inner strength against the enemy's attacks. If the whole body is afflicted by disease, your spiritual health is still increasing.'

Temptations can be endured by spiritual knowledge and faith in the Trinity.

Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience; but let patience have its perfect work, that your work may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Testing, James says, that which is searched, that which is received, that which is pure: as it is written: "tried in the fire, purified in the earth." (Ps. 11:7) But how does testing produce patience? Because that faith is proven to be pure, which is perfected through patience and endurance of the conditions inflicted. For it is the work of a truly faithful person to receive such desires with patience and thanksgiving: just as Job behaved, who gave thanks in all things (Job 1:1). "that your work may be perfect." James did not definitively say patience, that it has a perfect work, but imperatively, let [patience] have. For he does not preach that virtue which preceded it, but that which comes next, and he has determined how it should be done.

Although trials, as we have said, are of two kinds, patience is useful in each kind. In trials from God it is useful in that through them we receive glorification, as Abraham and Job received it, and in trials from us — in that by bearing them with gratitude we make, as it were, recompense for our sins, for whoever acknowledges his sins has laid the beginning of his salvation and has acquired a trait of the righteous, since the righteous man is the first to accuse himself.

Why do trials produce patience? It is because patience brings those who experience it to perfection.

Perfection is the love of God, which is that very same "perfect love which casts out fear," that is, the fear of being tempted. Perfection is also patience, which is the guardian of the soul as Scripture says: "By your patience you will gain your souls."

Note: the apostle did not say in the indicative mood: "patience has a perfect work," but in the imperative: "let it have," for he is not announcing an already completed virtue, but commanding one that must now be practiced.

He names wisdom as the cause of perfect work, for he knows that the proving of faith and patience in trials is not the lot of all people, but of those who are wise concerning God, which is why he stirs up those who wish to show faith and patience to pray for wisdom.

This is the faith by which the righteous person lives. This is the faith which believes in the one who justifies the ungodly. This is the faith by which glorying is cut out [Rom 1:17].… This is the faith which gains the bountiful outpouring of the Spirit.

What blessing will that man not possess who has asked for and received this wisdom from the Lord? This will give you an understanding of what grace is, for if this wisdom were from ourselves it would not be from above and we would not have to ask for it from the God who created us.

Just because faith may be given to us before we ask for it, it does not follow that it is not a gift of God. God may well give it to us before we ask him for it, just as he also gives peace and love. This is why we pray both that faith may be increased in those who already have it and also that it may be given to those who have not yet received it.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all abundantly and without reproach, and it will be given to him. All truly salvific wisdom must be asked of the Lord, because, as the wise man says: All wisdom is from the Lord God, and it was always with him (Ecclesiasticus I). Nor can anyone through free will, without the help of divine grace, although the Pelagians strongly contend otherwise, understand and be wise. But here it seems especially to be said of that wisdom which we need to use in temptations. If anyone (he says) among you cannot understand the usefulness of temptations that happen to believers for the sake of testing, let him ask God to grant him the sense by which he may discern with how much compassion the Father chastises the children whom He cares to make worthy of eternal inheritance. And he deliberately says: Who gives to all abundantly, lest anyone, conscious of his own frailty, should doubt that he can receive by asking, but rather let each one remember that the Lord has heard the desire of the poor. And as the same one says elsewhere: The Lord has blessed all who fear Him, the small with the great (Psalms CXIII). However, because many ask for many things from the Lord, who nevertheless do not deserve to receive, he adds how they ought to ask if they desire to obtain.

"If any of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask it of God, who gives abundantly to all men, and does not reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask with faith, without hesitation." For one who hesitates is not disciplined. This, then is the door. Such a desire extinguishes all others, and makes man to be lifted up from the world.

Why does James tell them to seek wisdom? It is so that they might have God's assurance. Only God should be asked for wisdom, not philosophers or astrologers. God gives wisdom like a fountain which never runs out of water, and he fills everyone whom he enters, but the wisdom of philosophers and other human agents is not given in abundance, and it is soon spewed out.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without blame, and it will be given to him. James says wisdom is the cause of the perfect work. "let him ask of God." Since he knows that the proof of faith and the endurance in afflictions is not the work of any men, but of those who are wise according to God, therefore he urges those who strive to achieve these things towards the pursuit of wisdom.

He speaks not of human wisdom, but of spiritual wisdom, for in it he indicates to us the cause of perfect work, and this cause is heavenly wisdom, being strengthened by which we can accomplish good completely.

But let him ask in faith, without doubting. That is, let him show himself to be such by living well, that he may be worthy to be heard when he asks. For he who remembers that he has not obeyed the Lord's commandments justly despairs that the Lord will attend to his prayers. For it is written: He who shuts his ear to the law, even his prayer shall be abominable (Proverbs XXVIII).

For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. He who, with a conscience biting him for sin, doubts about receiving heavenly rewards, easily abandons the state of faith at the impulse of temptations, in which he seemed to serve God in peace, and at the whim of the invisible enemy, as if by a gust of wind, is carried away through various errors of vices.

"If any of you is wanting in wisdom, let him ask it of God, who gives abundantly to all men, and does not reproach; and it will be given to him. But let him ask with faith, without hesitation." For one who hesitates is not disciplined. This, then is the door. Such a desire extinguishes all others, and makes man to be lifted up from the world.

There will come a moment when there is bad news, or he is in trouble, or is living among a lot of other people who do not believe it, and all at once his emotions will rise up and carry out a sort of blitz on his belief. Or else there will come a moment when he wants a woman, or wants to tell a lie, or feels very pleased with himself, or sees a chance of making a little money in some way that is not perfectly fair: some moment, in fact, at which it would be very convenient if Christianity were not true. And once again his wishes and desires will carry out a blitz. I am not talking of moments at which any real new reasons against Christianity turn up. Those have to be faced and that is a different matter. I am talking about moments when a mere mood rises up against it.

The doubter is really full of pride. For if you have not believed that God will hear your request, you have not acted in such a way as to avoid being condemned already by the one who tests everything. The doubter has become double-minded even without wanting to be. It is therefore necessary to condemn a plague as dreadful as this.

James shows that the basis of human wisdom is faith. Here he may be contending against Simon Magus, who asked the apostles to give him the Holy Spirit but did not ask in faith.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven by the winds and swept away by force. "he who wavers." For if he trusts, let him ask; but if he wavers, let him not even ask, because he who does not trust that he will receive, will not obtain. "like a wave of the sea." For he who wavers, doubtful about his requests, after having endured for a little while, immediately withdraws. But this happens to him from pride, that he quickly despairs because he does not follow through on what he asks for: since he thinks great things of himself and deserves to be rejected in the request he makes. Moreover, he behaves in the opposite way to one who is of modest mind.

If he believes, let him ask, but if he does not believe, let him not even ask, for he will receive nothing of what he requests. The doubter is also the one who asks with arrogance. But it is evident that whoever asks with doubt is an offender, for if you are not confident that God will fulfill your request, then do not approach with a petition at all, lest through senseless double-mindedness you become an accuser of Him Who can do all things. Therefore one must implore deliverance from such a shameful malady.

Purely human merits are evil, and God does not crown them. Any good merit is a gift of God.

For let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord. "For let not man think that," namely, one who asks out of pride and carelessness. Remove from yourself the duplicity of mind, and never waver in your mind when you ask something from God, saying to yourself, "How can I ask and receive anything from the Lord, since I have sinned against Him so often?" Do not think of these things, but turn to the Lord with all your heart, and ask of Him without hesitation, and you will know the multitude of His mercy, which will never forsake you, but will fulfill the request of your soul. For God is not like men, who holds grudges against one another, but He forgets, and He has compassion on His creation.

The doubter is the one who is far from firm action and is perplexed as to whether this or that will come to pass or not. Such a person will not receive, as one who is not confident concerning what he expects.

A man of double mind is unstable in all his ways. In all his ways, in adversity and prosperity, he says. A man, however, is double-minded, who both kneels to pray to the Lord and utters prayerful words, yet inwardly doubts, due to his accusing conscience, that he can obtain. A man is double-minded who wants to rejoice here with the world and reign there with God. Likewise, a man is double-minded who seeks not inward reward in the good things he does but outward favor. Hence, it is well said by a certain wise one: Woe to the sinner who enters the land on two paths (Eccli. II). For the sinner enters the land on two paths, when what he shows in action belongs to God, and what he seeks in thought belongs to the world. However, all these are unstable in all their ways, because they are easily deterred by worldly adversities and entangled by prosperities, so that they stray from the path of truth.

Of such a one it is said: 'A man double in mind is inconstant in all his ways.' A man ought to follow the counsels of Saints Benedict and the others. He ought not to bring in new counselors, but follow the counsel of Christ, whose life is the certain form of living. If a religious says: 'There is no salvation except with us,' he speaks badly. He ought not to praise his own holy order in such a way that he condemns others. He can stand for his own religious order, provided that he does not go to excess in his manner of speaking and persuading.

Sooner or later, however, the real nature of his new friends must become clear to him, and then your tactics must depend on the patient's intelligence. If he is a big enough fool you can get him to realise the character of the friends only while they are absent; their presence can be made to sweep away all criticism. If this succeeds, he can be induced to live, as I have known many humans live, for quite long periods, two parallel lives; he will not only appear to be, but actually be, a different man in each of the circles he frequents. Failing this, there is a subtler and more entertaining method. He can be made to take a positive pleasure in the perception that the two sides of his life are inconsistent. This is done by exploiting his vanity. He can be taught to enjoy kneeling beside the grocer on Sunday just because he remembers that the grocer could not possibly understand the urbane and mocking world which he inhabited on Saturday evening; and contrariwise, to enjoy the bawdy and blasphemy over the coffee with these admirable friends all the more because he is aware of a "deeper", "spiritual" world within him which they cannot understand. You see the idea--the worldly friends touch him on one side and the grocer on the other, and he is the complete, balanced, complex man who sees round them all. Thus, while being permanently treacherous to at least two sets of people, he will feel, instead of shame, a continual undercurrent of self-satisfaction.

There is in modern discussions of religion and philosophy an absurd assumption that a man is in some way just and well-poised because he has come to no conclusion; and that a man is in some way knocked off the list of fair judges because he has come to a conclusion. It is assumed that the sceptic has no bias; whereas he has a very obvious bias in favour of scepticism.

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. "A man of double mind." James calls a man of double mind unstable and not firm, who is never firmly established for the future, nor securely for the present: but is led here and there and carried about: always moving to the future, but never enduring the present. But he also compared such a thing to a wave of the sea, which has neither firmness nor stability: and to a flower of grass, which likewise does not persist, but fades away at the same time as the sun rises. Consider, however, that he did not say that such a one is likened to a grass, but to a flower of grass, signifying by the flower a very short time. But since he knows that modesty of mind gives birth and is a nurturer of all things, and without this there is nothing excellent in upright and scholarly men, therefore he adds: Let the brother who is humble glory, etc. (James 1:9) But how and why was another called double-minded? That he is not established for the present life nor for the future: for life is also called soul, when it is said: "all that a man has will he give as a ransom for his life." (Job 2:4) "In all his ways." James means the ways of the mind's emotions by which hope is raised, whether useful or useless, according to what David says: "And you have known all my ways." (Ps. 138:4)

We who do not follow our Lord with complete and perfect faith but yet have withdrawn from foreign gods dwell in a no-man's land. We are cut down by the foreign gods as deserters, but because we are unstable and unreliable, we are not defended by our Lord.

Put away doubting from you and do not hesitate to ask of the Lord, saying to yourself, "How can I ask of the Lord and receive from Him, seeing I have sinned so much against Him?" Do not thus reason with yourself, but with all your heart turn to the Lord and ask of Him without doubting, and you will know the multitude of His tender mercies; that He will never leave you, but fulfil the request of your soul. For He is not like men, who remember evils done against them; but He Himself remembers not evils, and has compassion on His own creature. ... For those who doubt regarding God are double-souled, and obtain not one of their requests. But those who are perfect in faith ask everything, trusting in the Lord; and they obtain, because they ask nothing doubting, and not being double-souled. For every double-souled man, even if he repent, will with difficulty be saved.

The double-minded person is one who is in confusion, disordered, imperfect, divided in thought, a hypocrite; and by "ways" the apostle means the movements of the soul, by which hopes are elevated, whether good or bad, as David also said: "You have foreseen my ways" ("my ways are known to You") (Ps. 139:3). Otherwise: by "double-minded man" the apostle means one who is unsettled, who does not strive firmly toward either the future or the present, but is carried here and there and clings now to the future, now to the present. Such a person he likens to a wave of the sea, which has no constancy, and to the flower of grass, a flower that does not last long but withers with the rising of the sun, which is why he compared him not with the grass, which lasts longer, but with its flower, to represent his transience.

Why then did he call him double-minded? Because he does not strive with confidence toward either the present or the future life, for in Scripture the soul is also called life, for example: "all that a man has he will give for his soul" ("for his life a man will give everything that he has") (Job 2:4). Remove double-mindedness from yourself and do not hesitate at all to ask from God; do not say within yourself: "How can I ask from the Lord and receive, when I have sinned so much against Him?" Do not think this way, but with all your heart confess and turn to the Lord and ask Him without doubt, and you will know His tender compassion, because He will not abandon you, but: "will fulfill the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4), for God does not bear malice and is merciful to His creatures.

Let the humble brother boast in his exaltation. Therefore, he says, you must consider it all joy when you fall into various trials, because everyone who humbly endures adversities for the Lord receives lofty rewards of the kingdom from Him.

This verse applies to Hebrew slaves who were great and proud and high in their own eyes but in their slavery had become the lowest of the low. It is as if he were saying that life was harder for the rich people with whom they were living than it was for them as their servants. The boasting referred to here is not vain glory but joy in times of temptation.

Let the brother who is humble glory, in his exaltation: Because James likens the wavering, to a wave driven by the wind, who, being inflated, is exalted together with the winds of the sea, but before he is raised, he prostrates himself and gives himself up: but this very thing happens to the wavering one, who, in spite of his pride, does not confirm his petitions in any of the things that are necessary; therefore, James adds: "Let the brother who is humble glory." As if he were saying: Whoever wishes to ask for something, let him first ask for what is right, and He will not refuse those who ask. For of these is the kingdom of God and righteousness. (Matt. 6:33) Then let him be tolerant in the petition of such, and let him not depart immediately when he has prayed a little, for that is arrogant; but let him wait until he receives, by enduring with humility. "Who is humble, in his exaltation." From humility according to God, all good is bestowed upon us. James calls the rich arrogant and proud, whom he also calls humble, because by the very act of being elevated, he is brought low.

Since the apostle recognizes humility as the guardian of everything good and nothing is accomplished without it among the diligent, he adds: "Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation." He likens the doubter to a wave of the sea, which rises at the blowing of the wind and sinks down sooner than it is raised up. The doubter experiences something similar when, through pride, he does not ground his petitions on anything unchangeable. Therefore the apostle adds: "Let the lowly brother glory." He speaks as if to say: whoever wishes to ask for something, let him first ask for what is necessary, concerning the obtaining of which he cannot be deceived, that is: "the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matt. 6:33). Then let him ask for this constantly — not in such a way that he prays a little and immediately gives up, for this is characteristic of the proud — but let him ask persistently, patiently awaiting what he will receive with humility of soul.

But the rich man in his humility. It is understood from the previous verse to boast. It is clear that this is said with sarcasm, which in Greek is called irony. Thus, he says, the rich man must remember that his glory, in which he boasts of his wealth and despises or even oppresses the poor, is to end, so that humbled, he may perish forever, like that rich man in purple who despised the poor Lazarus.

For like the flower of the grass, he will pass away. The flower of the grass delights both the sense of smell and sight, but swiftly loses the grace of its charm and sweetness. Therefore, the present happiness of the wicked is most rightly compared to this, which can in no way be lasting.

Scripture says that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled." Wealth is a rich man's flower, but the elements of the universe are out to snatch it away from him. James says very little about the humble man, but it is enough, for he will receive his glory from God. But the rich are condemned at great length, so that no one will be tempted to follow their example.

But the rich, in that he is made humble: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. "But the rich, in that he is made humble." It would have been more fitting for James to say, "But let the rich man be ashamed in his humility," but avoiding saying it in an offensive manner, he added this instead: "and the beauty of its appearance." Appearance, that is, face or countenance, He spoke in a critical manner: for this is said of man alone and not of other animals; however, among the quadrupeds, the snout is not called a face. but on birds it is a beak.

For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls. The scorching heat of the sun is taken to mean the stern sentence of the judge, by which the temporal glory of the reproved comes to an end. However, the elect also flourish, but not like the grass. For the righteous will flourish like a palm tree (Ps. XCI). The unrighteous flourish temporarily, who will quickly wither like grass, and like the herbs of the field will soon fall. The righteous flourish like trees, because their flower, that is, their most certain hope, awaits everlasting fruit. And their root, that is, charity, remains firm and immovable. Hence, the wise man says: I have flourished like a vine with the sweetness of fragrance (Eccl. XXIV). Finally, Naboth, a just man, preferred to die rather than transfer the vineyard of his fathers into a garden of herbs. For to transfer the vineyard of the fathers into a garden of herbs is to change the strong works of virtues, which we have received from the teaching of the fathers, into the fragile pleasure of vices. But the righteous prefer to lay down their soul rather than choose earthly goods over heavenly ones. Hence, it is almost sung about them that they will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season (Ps. I), and so forth. But what of the unrighteous? And his face's beauty perishes. So too, the rich man withers away in his ways. He does not mean every rich man, but the one who trusts in uncertain riches. For he has set the rich man in opposition to the lowly brother, showing that he speaks of that rich man who is not humble. For even Abraham, though he was rich in the world, after death received the poor man in his bosom, leaving the rich man in torment. But he did not leave the rich man because he was rich, for he himself had been rich, but because he was not merciful and humble, which he himself had been. And conversely, he received the beggar Lazarus, not because he was poor in possessions, which he himself had been, but because he was humble and innocent, which he himself had been. Therefore such a rich man, that is, proud and impious, preferring earthly joys over heavenly ones, will wither away in his ways, that is, will perish in his wicked acts, because he neglected to enter the straight path of the Lord. But while he, like grass before the sun's heat, falls, the righteous, on the contrary, like a fruitful tree, endure the same sun's heat, that is, the severity of the judge, and further bring forth the fruits of good works for which they are eternally rewarded. Hence it is rightly added:

In the allegorical sense, the sun signifies Christ. It rises in the nativity, it goes down in death; it orbits through noon in the ascension; it is inclined to the north in the judgment. Concerning the judgment, James says: "For the sun rises with a burning heat and parches the grass, and its flower falls."

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower thereof falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. "in his ways." James speaks of ways or paths of the rich, in prosperous success, or business, among which he unexpectedly receives a change to unhappiness and misfortune.

The apostle likens wealth to the flower of grass, wishing to show how quickly it passes away.

He used the word "face" not in its proper meaning, for it is used only of a person, and is not used of other objects.

By "pursuits" he means undertakings in the present life.

If anyone is so zealous for continence or good works that he neglects to seek the rewards of eternal recompense in return for them, that person may indeed appear to have a fine linen miter on his head, but he does not have little crowns, for although he certainly displays the image of virtue before other human beings, he does not acquire the reward of virtue with the Lord.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he is tested, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. This is similar to that in Revelation: "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life," which God has promised, He says, to those who love Him (Revelation 2). He openly admonishes that one ought to rejoice all the more in temptations, the more it is evident that God imposes a greater burden of temptations on those He loves, so that through the exercise of temptations they may be proven perfect in faith; when they have been proven to be truly faithful, that is perfect and entire, lacking nothing, they rightly receive the promised crown of eternal life.

"A great sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." We shall have this crown if we wish to imitate the glorious Virgin. Whence it is written: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been proved, he shall receive the crown of life."

A hermit was living in a cave in the Thebaid with one well-tested disciple. It was usual for him to teach the disciple during the evening and show him how the soul should progress, and after the address he used to pray and send him away to sleep. Some devout laymen who knew of the hermit's ascetic life happened to visit him. He gave them counsel and they went away. Then he sat down after the evening prayers as usual to instruct the brother. But while he was talking, sleep overcame him. The brother waited for the hermit to wake and end with the usual prayer. But he went on sleeping and the brother went on sitting for a long time and in the end the disciple felt he must go and sleep though he was uneasy about it. So he pulled himself together, and resisted the temptation, and went back to sit by the hermit. A second time he was forced away by the longing for sleep, but he sat down again. This happened seven times, and still he went on resisting it. In the middle of the night the hermit woke up, and found him sitting nearby and said, 'Haven't you gone away yet?' He said, 'No, you did not send me away, abba.' The hermit said, 'Why did you not wake me up?' He answered, 'I did not dare to nudge you for fear of upsetting you.' They both got up and began to say the morning prayers. After that the hermit sent his disciple away. When the hermit was sitting alone, he was shown a vision of a glorious place, with a throne in it, and on the throne seven crowns. He asked the angel who showed him the vision, 'Whose crowns are those?' and he replied, 'They are the crowns of your disciple. God had given him this place and throne because of his goodness and tonight he has been granted these seven crowns.' The hermit was amazed and called his disciple to him with wonder and said, 'Tell me what you did all night.' He answered, 'Alas, abba, I did nothing.' The hermit could see that he was being humble and concealing something, and said, 'Look here, I can't rest until you tell me what you did and thought last night.' But the brother was not aware that he had done anything and could not say a word. Then at last he said to the hermit, 'Indeed, abba, I did nothing, except that seven times I was driven by wandering thoughts to go away and sleep; but you had not sent me away as you usually do, so I did not go.' Then the hermit at once understood that every time he resisted the temptation, God bestowed a crown on him. To the disciple he said nothing, thinking it best for his soul, but he told other directors of souls, to teach us how God can bestow crowns upon us even for resisting little temptations. It is good that a man discipline his whole self for God's sake. As it is written, 'The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by storm' (Matt. 11:12).

James does all he can to encourage people to bear their trials with joy, as a burden which is bearable, and says that perfect patience consists in bearing things for their own sake, not for the hope of some better reward elsewhere. He nevertheless tries to persuade his hearers to rely on the promise that their present state will be put right. The person who has fought the hard battles will be perfectly able to handle anything. Someone who comes through his troubles in this way will be duly prepared to recieve his reward, which is the crown of life prepared by God for those who love him.

Let us not be troubled when we are plunged into darkness, especially if we are not the cause of it ourselves. For this darkness is brought about by divine providence for reasons that are known only to God. Our soul becomes suffocated and placed, as it were, in the middle of a storm system. Even if someone tries to approach Scripture—or whatever he approaches, it is only darkness on darkness that he finds instead that causes him to give up. How often is it that he is not even allowed to approach. He is totally incapable of believing that any other possibilities are out there that might give him some peace again. It is an hour filled with despair and fear! The soul is utterly deprived of hope in God and the consolation of faith. It is entirely filled with doubt and fear.But those who have been tested by the distress of such an hour know that in the end it is followed by a change. God never leaves the soul for a whole day in such a state, otherwise it would lose life and all Christian hope.… Rather, he allows it to emerge very soon from the darkness. Blessed is he who endures such temptations. For, as the Fathers say, great will be the stability and the strength to which he will come after that. This struggle will not be over all at once, however; neither will grace come and dwell in the soul completely at once, but gradually. After grace, the trial returns. Sometimes there is temptation, sometimes consolation.… We do not expect complete deliverance from it here, nor do we expect complete consolation.

We see no garments or cloaks, but we see crowns more valuable than any gold, than any contest prizes or rewards, and ten thousand blessings stored up for those who live upright and virtuous lives on earth.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation: for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him. It seems that this blessed one has made use of the discourse about temptations more securely, in which he says, "Rejoice, my brethren, when you fall into divers temptations." (James 1:2) Then, remembering the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:12), which commands what is best, namely that we pray that we may not fall into temptation, he repeats the discourse: according to what is proposed here, showing what temptation is sent by God, namely, which is also a source for joy, and which is from our will. Yet it can rightly be said that the Lord and God Jesus Christ, looking to the weakness of human nature, admonishes the disciples to flee temptations, since they were still more badly affected: which he also did to others in many places, meanwhile abstaining from those who perfected them. But after our weak nature was strengthened by the thought of His resurrection and ascension into heaven: His [Jesus] brother [James] according to the flesh teaches us, so that we may not fear temptations, since we can, after being strengthened by the Lord's afflictions, overcome every ensuing affliction and temptation. Since there are twofold temptations, as we have said, patience is useful in both: in those that come from God, because afterwards we attain praise from victory, like Abraham; in those that are from ourselves, because by enduring with gratitude, we refer this as a kind of compensation for the sins we have committed. He who was conscious of his own sins, lays the beginning of his salvation and conforms himself to the form of a righteous man, as the first accuser of himself.

Disasters are the common lot of the saints, who must suffer them. It is by enduring them and overcoming them that the virtue of the righteous has always been noticeable. With invincible strength they have defied all trials—the heavier the sufferings they endured, the more courageous were their victories.

We have said that trials are of two kinds and that patience is useful in each kind. The apostle, remembering the Lord's Prayer, which suggests to us the safest course, that is, that we should pray not to fall into temptation, returns to an explanation of which temptation is from God and which is from us, from our own will. However, the following is also good: the Lord and God, looking upon the great weakness of human nature, proposed that we pray for the removal of temptations from us, since His disciples were still far from perfect; but when through the knowledge of His resurrection and His ascension into heaven our weak nature was strengthened, then His brother according to the flesh teaches us no longer to fear temptations.

Any testing which comes from God is for good, not for evil.… It is quite otherwise with the devil. He tempts in order to kill those whom he has tempted. Furthermore, the devil does not know what is inside us, but God knows and has given everyone his task to accomplish, according to his sovereign will.

By temptation in this context, James meant the bad sort by which we are deceived and subjected to the devil. There is another kind of temptation [mentioned in Deuteronomy 13:3] which is really a kind of testing that comes from God.

No one, when tempted, should say that they are tempted by God. Hitherto he has spoken about the temptations which we endure externally by the permission of the Lord for the sake of being tested; now he begins to address those which we endure internally, instigated by the devil, or even persuaded by the fragility of our nature. Here he first destroys the error of those who believe that just as good thoughts are inspired by God in us, so also bad ones are thought to be generated in our mind by His instigation. Therefore, no one, when tempted, should say that they are tempted by God, namely with that temptation by which a wealthy person withers while traveling his paths. That is, no one who has committed robbery, theft, false testimony, murder, adultery, or other such things, should say that they had to commit these acts under the compulsion of God, and thus could by no means avoid the perpetration of these deeds.

For God is not a tempter of evils. It is understood as temptations. Indeed, He tempts no one. That is, with the temptation that deceives the merciful so that they sin. For there are two kinds of temptation. One which deceives, another which tests. According to that which deceives, God tempts no one. According to that which tests, God tempted Abraham. Of whom even the prophet asks: "Test me, O Lord, and try me" (Psalm 26).

Many schools of thought encourage us to shift the responsibility for our behaviour from our own shoulders to some inherent necessity in the nature of human life, and thus, indirectly, to the Creator. Popular forms of this view are the evolutionary doctrine that what we call badness is an unavoidable legacy from our animal ancestors, or the idealistic doctrine that it is merely a result of our being finite. Now Christianity, if I have understood the Pauline epistles, does admit that perfect obedience to the moral law, which we find written in our hearts and perceive to be necessary even on the biological level, is not in fact possible to men. This would raise a real difficulty about our responsibility if perfect obedience had any practical relation at all to the lives of most of us. Some degree of obedience which you and I have failed to attain in the last twenty-four hours is certainly possible. The ultimate problem must not be used as one more means of evasion. Most of us are less urgently concerned with the Pauline question than with William Law's simple statement: "if you will here stop and ask yourselves why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it."

If ever we find ourselves afflicted by illness, grief or trouble, let us not blame God, for God cannot be tempted by evil and does not tempt anyone. Each of us is scourged with the ropes of our own sins.

A brother asked Pambo, 'Why does the enemy prevent me doing good to my neighbour?' He said, 'Do not talk like that, or you will make God a liar. Say, "It is I myself do not want to be kind to others." For God came down to us and said, "I have given you the power of treading upon scorpions and snakes" (Luke 10:19), and so you are beyond the power of the enemy. Why then do you not tread down these evil spirits?'

Let no one who is tempted say he is tempted by God: for God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempts no man. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own conscience. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin: but sin, when it is conceived, brings forth death. "Let no one who is tempted say." If there are two kinds of temptations, why does James now reject the cause of all temptation from God? But consider that he does not say: He who was tempted, but he who is tempted. For he who, through his own fault and depravity, gives rise to temptations, so that he is a perpetual slave, says that he is not tempted by God, but by his own desire. He who has overcome the temptation that has come upon him, having established himself more securely, still becomes difficult to tempt, especially by those arising from himself. For having turned towards a wiser life, he has blocked the source of temptations, and now he lives free from temptations. But God cannot be tempted by evil: according to him who said (although he is external to us and unfamiliar to faith); Divine and blessed nature neither endures trouble nor inflicts it on others. For around mortal and earthly nature, in which variety and change are evident, all these things that preoccupy our nature occur. Indeed, lust and sin, and the death of the soul that follows from this, have been established as certain stages leading to human perdition. For lust, seizing a place to stay, having found a dwelling place, has wrought sin, which gives birth to death, unless, by removing it from the mind, we renew for ourselves the beginning of another life. Therefore, it sufficiently demonstrates divine nature, neither able to be tempted nor providing temptations to others; however, it says here that thoughts disturb and confuse the splendor of the soul. For those things that are from God greatly soothe the soul, illuminating it and revealing his ineffable beauty in many ways: therefore, he now adds.

God is said to tempt when he abandons those who stubbornly fall into the snares of temptation. That is how Adam succumbed to the wiles of the tempter when he abandoned the commands of the Creator.

If trials are of two kinds, then why does the apostle now place every temptation outside the will of God? But note: he did not say "tempted" in the past tense, but "being tempted" in the present. Whoever through sin and an intemperate life devises temptations for himself and, as if in a constant storm, plunges into dangers — such a person, the apostle says, is tempted not "by God," but by his own desire. For whoever has overcome an assailing temptation and has become firmer does not easily yield to temptations, especially those arising from himself, because in freedom from temptations he constantly inclines toward a more philosophic life.

God cannot be tempted by evil, as it is said: "That which is divine and blessed neither does anything itself nor gives anything to do to others." All this is characteristic of mortal and earthly nature, in which change and mutability are observed — these primary properties of our nature. Desire and sin and the death of the soul born from it have become, as it were, steps in human perdition. For desire, having found a place of refuge, produced sin, which gave birth to death, and only by uprooting it through repentance do we lay the foundation of our other life.

Against this fault medicinal aid is sought from him who can heal all illnesses of this sort, not by separating an alien nature from us but by healing our own nature.

The one giving birth is lust, the thing born is sin. Lust does not give birth unless it conceives, and it does not conceive unless it entices and receives willing consent to commit evil. Therefore our battle against lust consists in keeping it from conceiving and giving birth to sin.

But each one is tempted by his own desire, being drawn away and enticed, etc. Drawn away from the right path and enticed into evil. On this verse, Jerome, against Jovinian, says: "Just as in good works God is the perfecter, for it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God who shows mercy and helps, so that we may be able to reach the goal, so in evils and sins, our seeds are the incentives, but the perfection is of the devil. When he sees us building on the foundation of Christ with hay, wood, and stubble, he sets fire beneath it. Let us build with gold, silver, precious stones, and he will not dare to test it, although even in this there is no certain and secure possession: for a lion lies in wait in hiding places to kill the innocent. And the furnace tests the potter's vessels, but testing of tribulation tests just men."

Actual sin draws its origin from the free will of each person through suggestion, delight, consent, and action, according to that passage in James: Each one is tempted, being drawn away and enticed by his own concupiscence. If, however, suggestion and delight stop short of consent, it is a venial sin. But if consent and action follow in those things which are prohibited by divine law, the sin is a consummated mortal sin. Since sin denotes a withdrawal of the will from the First Principle, insofar as the will is made to be moved by Him, according to Him, and for His sake, every sin is a disorder of the mind or will, around which virtue and vice are naturally found. Actual sin, therefore, is an actual disorder of the will. Now this disorder is either so great that it destroys the order of justice—and in this way it is called mortal sin, because it is apt to take away life, by separating the soul from God, through whom the just soul is given life—or it is so slight that it does not destroy that order, but disturbs it in some respect, and then it is called venial sin, because from it we can quickly obtain pardon, since through it grace is not taken away, nor is divine enmity incurred.

I know we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden. Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable. An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula. It is more certain; and it's better style. To get the man's soul and give him nothing in return--that is what really gladdens our Father's heart. And the troughs are the time for beginning the process.

Gerontius of Petra said, 'Many people who are tempted by pleasures of the flesh do not sin with the body but lust with the mind; they keep their bodily virginity but lust in their heart. It is better then, beloved, to do what is written, "Let everyone keep a close guard upon his heart" (Prov. 4:23).'

A hermit used to say, 'A lustful thought is brittle like papyrus. When it is thrust at us, if we do not accept it but throw it away it breaks easily. If it allures us and we keep playing with it, it becomes as difficult to break as iron. We need discernment to know that those who consent lose hope of salvation and for those who do not consent, a crown is made ready.'

Abraham, who was a disciple of Agatho, once asked Poemen, 'Why do the demons attack me?' Poemen said to him, 'Is it the demons who attack you? It is not the demons who attack me. When we follow our self-will then our wills seem like demons and it is they who urge us to obey them. If you want to know the kind of people with whom the demons fight, it is Moses and those like him.'

A brother asked some of the monks whether evil thoughts defiled a man. When they were asked this question, some said, 'Yes,' but some said, 'No, for if that were so, we ordinary people could not be saved. If we think of vile actions but do not do them, it is this which brings salvation.' The questioner was discontented with the monks' diverse answers, and he went to an experienced hermit and asked him about it. He replied, 'Everyone is required to act according to his capacity.' Then the brother asked him, 'For the Lord's sake, explain this saying to me.' So he said, 'Look here, suppose there was a valuable jug and two monks came in, one of whom had a great capacity for a disciplined life, and the other a small capacity. Suppose that the mind of the more disciplined man is moved at the sight of the jug and he says inwardly, "I'd like to have that jug," but the idea leaves him at once, and he puts away any thought of it, then he would not be defiled. But if the less disciplined man covets the jug and is strongly moved by an impulse to take it, and yet after a struggle he does not take it, he would not be defiled either.'

A brother asked a hermit, 'What shall I do, for I am troubled by many temptations, and I do not know how to resist them?' He said, 'Do not fight against them all at once, but against one of them. All the temptations of monks have a single source. You must consider what kind of root of temptation you have, and fight against that and in this way all the other temptations will also be defeated.'

A brother asked Poemen about the words, 'Do not render evil for evil' (1 Thess. 5:15). He said to him, 'The passions work in four stages: first in the heart, then in the face, third in words, fourth in deeds – and it is in deeds that it is essential not to render evil for evil. If you purify your heart, passion will not show in your expression, but if it does, take care not to speak about it; if you do speak, cut the conversation short in case you render evil for evil.'

Each one of us is tempted by our own lust, so let us fight and resist and not give in nor allow ourselves to be lured by it, nor allow it to conceive anything to which it might then give birth. It is like this—lust coaxes and coddles you, it excites and urges you on, positively encouraging you to do something wrong. Do not give in and it will not conceive. If you ponder it willingly and with pleasure, then it will conceive and give birth, and you will die.

Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. Temptation occurs in three ways: by suggestion, by delight, by consent. By the suggestion of the enemy, and by delight or also by the consent of our frailty. But if, while the enemy suggests, we do not want to delight or consent to sin, this very temptation leads us to victory, by which we may deserve to receive the crown of life. Yet if, by the suggestion of the enemy, we are gradually drawn away from right intention, and begin to be enticed by vice, we indeed offend by delighting, but have not yet incurred the fall of death. However, if from the delight of the offense conceived in the heart, the birth of a wrong action follows, then we, already guilty of death, are left by the victorious enemy. To prove this by examples, Joseph was tempted by the words of his mistress, but because he did not have lustful desire, he could only be tempted by suggestion, not by delight or consent; thus, he emerged victorious. David was tempted by the sight of another man's wife, and because he had not yet overcome the desire of the flesh, he was drawn and enticed by his own desire. And when he completed the conceived crime, he fell into the guilt of death, which he nonetheless escaped by repenting. Judas was tempted by avarice, and being greedy, he was drawn and enticed by his own desire, and fell into destruction by consenting. Job was tempted in many ways, but because he did not place his possessions or bodily health above divine love, he could be tempted by hostile suggestion, but never could he consent to or even delight in sin. Therefore, what is said, "Sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death," looks back conversely to this, which was said above about the one who endures temptation, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life. For just as the one who overcomes temptation merits the rewards of life, so indeed the one who is enticed by his desires and overcome by temptation, rightfully incurs the ruin of death.

Concupiscence, when it has conceived, brings forth sin; and sin, when it is consummated, begets death. If, however, suggestion and delight stop short of consent, it is a venial sin. But if consent and action follow in those things which are prohibited by divine law, the sin is a consummated mortal sin. But if it happens in a middle way, such that there is consent without action, either because one wills to proceed to action but cannot—then the will is reckoned as the deed, nor is one less culpable than if one were caught in the very act; or because one does not will to proceed to action, but wills to take inward pleasure in the delight—and then the woman eats, but not the man: and although the sin is not fully consummated, it is nevertheless to be counted among mortal sins, because when the woman eats, the whole man deserves to be condemned.

Because reason is not compelled to consent to these things, if after the sense of delight there is consent to the deed: then there is full consent, and thereby sin is consummated, because it has reached the man, that is, the supreme part of reason, upon which the fullness of consent depends. But because there is consent not only to the deed, but also to the delight, in which the inferior portion follows sensuality: therefore, if in sensual delight reason succumbs to sensuality, the woman obeys the serpent, and thereby there occurs a subversion of right order, and thus a subversion of justice; on account of which mortal sin is committed.

Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live for ever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live for ever. Perhaps my bad temper or my jealousy are gradually getting worse—so gradually that the increase in seventy years will not be very noticeable. But it might be absolute hell in a million years: in fact, if Christianity is true, Hell is the precisely correct technical term for what it would be.

The desires of sinners are the birth pangs of death.

If we sin when we are drunk with pleasure, we do not notice it. But when it gives birth and reaches its goal, then all the pleasure is extinguished and the bitter core of our mind comes to the surface. This stands in contrast to women in labor. For before they give birth, such women have great pain and suffering, but afterwards the pain goes away, leaving their bodies along with the child. But here it is quite different. For until we labor and give birth to our corrupt thoughts, we are happy and joyful. But once the wicked child called sin is born we are in pain as we realize the shame to which we have given birth, and then we are pierced through more deeply than any woman in labor. Therefore I beg you right from the start not to welcome any corrupt thought, for if we do so the seeds will grow inside us, and if we get to that stage, the sin inside us will come out in deeds and strike us dead by condemning us, in spite of all our confessions and tears. For there is nothing more destructive than sin.

Since it has been proven concerning the Divine nature that God is neither Himself tempted nor tempts others, here by "temptations" he means thoughts that disturb the soul, for temptations from God do not disturb but strengthen the soul by illuminating it, which is why he says: "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (Jas. 1:17), whereas everything that proceeds from us has imperfection.

"Do not be deceived" into thinking that temptations come from God.

Do not therefore err, my most beloved brethren, by assuming that the temptations of vices originate from God. Although we know that some, due to the demands of the merits of preceding crimes, have again fallen into other wickednesses by the permission of the just and rigorous judge. Hence is the saying of the Apostle: "And as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness" (Rom. I).

You know, my most beloved brothers. "It is well known," he says, "to you that you yourselves had the inclination to fall to the depths, but it happened that you were enlightened by the Lord, not by your own provision, but by heavenly grace anticipating you."

This refers to the deception of the heretics who think that because God rules the physical world in darkness and in light, in drought and in rain, in cold and in heat, so he also rules over human wills with the same determinateness—in good and in bad, in sadness and in joy, in death and in life. Because of this error, James goes on to add that it is "every good endowment and every perfect gift" which comes from the Father of lights.

Do not err, my brethren. Those that corrupt families shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If, then, those who do this as respects the flesh have suffered death, how much more shall this be the case with any one who corrupts by wicked doctrine the faith of God, for which Jesus Christ was crucified! Such an one becoming defiled [in this way], shall go away into everlasting fire, and so shall every one that hearkens unto him.

The lights are either the rational powers or else those who have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

If doing something ourselves means that it is not also a work of God, then casting mountains into the sea would not be a work of God, since Matthew [17:20] and Luke [17:6] both say that this can be done by the power of faith.

You should hope for this perseverance in obedience to the Father of lights, from whom descends every good and perfect gift, and ask for it every day in your prayers, and in so doing have confidence that you are not strangers to the predestination of God's people, for he allows you to do even this.

Man's merit is a free gift, and no one deserves to receive anything from the Father of lights, from whom every good gift comes down, except by receiving what he does not deserve.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. After he has taught that the vices by which we are tempted do not come from God to us, but arise from ourselves, he shows on the contrary that whatever good we do, we receive this by the gift of God. Hence he calls Him the Father of lights, whom he knows to be the author of spiritual gifts. To which also agrees the saying of the Apostle Paul: "For what do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. IV).

With whom there is no variability or shadow of turning. Because in God's nature there is no changeability, nor does His light, as the light of this world, suffer any shadow of turning, it is clear that He sends us gifts of light alone, and does not also send us the darkness of errors.

The spices of this second ointment, on the contrary, are not produced on our earth at all, we seek to gain them for ourselves from afar. I mean that all that is good, everything that is perfect, is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light. For this ointment is made from the gifts of God bestowed on the human race. Happy the man who makes it his business to gather these carefully for himself and keep them in mind with due thanksgiving. When they shall have been pounded and refined in the heart's receptacle with the pestle of frequent meditation, all of them fused together in the fire of holy desire, and finally enriched with the oil of gladness, you will have an ointment more excellent than the former, and far more precious.

Concerning grace, therefore, insofar as it is a gift divinely given, the following must be held: that it is a gift which is immediately given and infused by God. For indeed, with it and in it the Holy Spirit is given, who is the uncreated gift, the best and perfect gift, which descends from the Father of lights through the incarnate Word.

The origin of Scripture is not through human investigation, but through divine revelation, which flows from the Father of lights, from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth is named. And so that we may arrive at the fruit and goal of Scripture by a right progress, we must begin from the beginning, that is, that with pure faith we approach the Father of lights, bending the knees of our heart, so that He Himself through His Son in the Holy Spirit may give us true knowledge of Jesus Christ and with that knowledge love of Him.

If we consider the origin of grace, I ask what is the original principle of grace. It is certain that grace is the best gift and the perfect gift, descending from above from the Father of lights. I set forth the universal affirmative major premise thus: "Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration:" but grace is the best gift and the perfect gift: therefore it descends from above from the Father of lights.

As to the origin of grace I said that grace is nothing other than "an excellent gift and a perfect endowment, descending from the Father of lights" through the Word incarnate, through the Word crucified, and through the Word inspired. And that Word leads us back to the highest principle. And from this the following description of grace is given: that grace is the best endowment and the perfect gift, descending from the Father of lights, healing from evil, strengthening in good, and consummating in glory.

Wisdom is light: light, I say, "descending from above from the Father of lights, from whom is every best gift and every perfect gift." This light descends to illuminate our cognitive power, to gladden our affective power, and to strengthen our operative power. It descends from the most high God into the intellect, from the intellect into the affection, and even to the lowest, namely operation.

Concerning wisdom, four points are to be noted: its origin, its dwelling, its door, and its beauty. As to the origin, it was said that wisdom was a light "coming down from the Father of Lights" within the soul, and that by radiating through it, made it in the form of God, and the house of God. This descending light makes the intellective power beautiful, the affective power delightful, and the operative power strong.

He is called the Father of the age to come, for He Himself is the Principle of those influences by which we will live in the future. As James writes: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights." And later: "Of His own will He has begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be, as it were, the first-fruits of His creatures." We are now the beginning of creatures, but then we shall be creatures in full.

It is good to have the sign of Zabulon, which is "a dwelling of fortitude," which implies the first stability. "Because Thou, O Lord, art my hope." Hence, "the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the just man runs to it and is safe." He alone is at peace who fixes himself upon that "with which there is no change, no shadow of alteration." Hence, "in Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded."

Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, James in the first chapter of his Epistle. In this word is touched the origin of every illumination, and together with this is intimated the generous emanation of manifold light from that fontal light. Although, however, every illumination of knowledge is internal, we can nevertheless reasonably distinguish, so that we may say that there is a light that is exterior, namely the light of mechanical art; a light that is inferior, namely the light of sensitive knowledge; a light that is interior, namely the light of philosophical knowledge; a light that is superior, namely the light of grace and Sacred Scripture. The first light illuminates with respect to artificial form, the second with respect to natural form, the third with respect to intellectual truth, the fourth and last with respect to salvific truth.

In the beginning I call upon the first principle, from whom all illuminations descend as from the Father of lights, from whom is every good gift and every perfect gift, namely the eternal Father, through his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that by the intercession of the most holy Virgin Mary, mother of the same God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and of blessed Francis, our leader and father, he may give the enlightened eyes of our mind to direct our feet in the way of that peace which surpasses all understanding; which peace our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed and gave.

I do believe that God is the Father of lights—natural lights as well as spiritual lights (James i. 17). That is, God is not interested only in Christian writers as such. He is concerned with all kinds of writing. In the same way a sacred calling is not limited to ecclesiastical functions. The man who is weeding a field of turnips is also serving God.

Yet you were not—or so it seemed to me—telling me that "Nature", or "the beauties of Nature", manifest the glory. No such abstraction as "Nature" comes into it. I was learning the far more secret doctrine that _pleasures_ are shafts of the glory as it strikes our sensibility. As it impinges on our will or our understanding, we give it different names—goodness or truth or the like. But its flash upon our senses and mood is pleasure.

But aren't there bad, unlawful pleasures? Certainly there are. But in calling them "bad pleasures" I take it we are using a kind of shorthand. We mean "pleasures snatched by unlawful acts." It is the stealing of the apple that is bad, not the sweetness. The sweetness is still a beam from the glory. That does not palliate the stealing. It makes it worse. There is sacrilege in the theft. We have abused a holy thing.

...Gratitude exclaims, very properly: "How good of God to give me this." Adoration says: "What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off and momentary coruscations are like this!" One's mind runs back up the sunbeam to the sun.

To be bad, he must exist and have intelligence and will. But existence, intelligence and will are in themselves good. Therefore he must be getting them from the Good Power: even to be bad he must borrow or steal from his opponent.

You cannot expect God to look at Dick's placid temper and friendly disposition exactly as we do. They result from natural causes which God Himself creates. Being merely temperamental, they will all disappear if Dick's digestion alters. The niceness, in fact, is God's gift to Dick, not Dick's gift to God. In the same way, God has allowed natural causes, working in a world spoiled by centuries of sin, to produce in Miss Bates the narrow mind and jangled nerves which account for most of her nastiness. He intends, in His own good time, to set that part of her right. But that is not, for God, the critical part of the business.

James calls God the Father of intelligent lights, that is to say, the illuminator of all rational beings, from whom, as the giver of these things, the divine gifts come to human beings. These gifts, James says, are the very best, complete and without defect, undoubtedly perfect. But as there are some people who argue from this that only the good things in life come from God, and not things which are regarded as bad or harmful, we have to recall such passages as "he brought evil on them," "Evil came down from God onto the gates of Jerusalem" and so on. From these and other similar examples it is clear that bad things as well as good may come about through God's judgment.

For changeableness itself is a shadow, which if it altered the light by any changes, would as it were obscure it. But because in God changeableness entereth not, "no shadow of changing" intercepts His Light.

God never changes or transforms himself into other forms, lest by changing he should somehow appear to be mortal. For the modification implied in change from one thing to another involves a share in death of some sort. Therefore there is never any addition of parts or of glory in him, lest anything should seem to have been wanting to the perfect one in the first place. Nor can there be any diminution in him, for that would imply some degree of mortality in him.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shadow due to change. In His destined will, He has begotten us by the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. "is from above, from the Father of lights." Since those things that come from us do not have perfection, but rather much imperfection, nor do they illuminate the soul, think what perfection they will have who acquire it after a joyful journey through life, and with much effort hardly cleanse the ugliness contracted from birth, and then reach divine splendor. "With whom there is no change." For He Himself cries out through the prophet: "I am and I do not change." (Mal. 3:6) But what James says: "shadow due to change," that is, not even doubt or any shadow of doubt. "In His destined will." He said destined will, silencing those who foolishly assert that the world was produced by chance. For since James said above: with whom there is no change, and from this he shows that God is unchanging, he adds: "In His destined will, He has begotten us." For if we are born, it is clear that we are also changed. For how could that which proceeds from non-being to being through change be unchangeable? Then, because James said: He has begotten us, lest anyone suspect that He has begotten the Son in the same way as us, and that He was born as a Son together with us, he adds: "By the Word of Truth." For all things, according to blessed John, were made through the Son. (John 1:3) Therefore, if progress has happened to us through the Word of Truth, who have our being from the Word, we are not begotten together with him from whom we were made. "we should be a kind of first fruits." That is, the first and most honored. But κτίσματα means the visible creature itself.

The soul gradually ascends to the heavens after the resurrection. It does not reach the highest point immediately but goes through many stages during which it is progressively enlightened by the light of Wisdom, until it arrives at the Father of lights himself.

Hear what God says: "I am, I am and I do not change." He remains always firm and unchanging in his being, and those who have been formed by the gospel and who have been transformed by his commands through the gift and transformation which comes from above, are called to persevere in these precepts as much as their strength permits and not to be swept away by the times in which we live. Therefore Paul also warned people, saying: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may prove what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is."

Suppose we had told you that we had freely received grace from the Father of lights, from whom comes every good and perfect gift, but that we do not care for you to receive it also. If so, we would then have deserved to become an object of abhorrence on the part of God and of yourselves. But instead we present to you the truth from Holy Scripture and from experience and show you the royal way.

By the Father of lights understand God, and by lights either the angelic powers or people illumined by the Holy Spirit.

With the God of lights there is no variation, for He Himself proclaims through the prophet: "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Mal. 3:6), and the expression "shadow of turning" means that in God one cannot even conceive of any change.

The birth here applies in the first instance to the Son and then by extension to the creatures. For to him belong truth and consubstantiality with God, whereas to the creatures belong honor and inheritance. The fact that the same name is used does not mean that the same honor is given, nor should things which are said by extension be taken to mean that they apply in the first instance as well. By "first fruits" James means that we are the first and most highly honored. For by "creatures" he means the visible creation, of which humanity is the most highly honored part.

Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth. And the Lord in the Gospel: "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" (John XV). And in the prophet Hosea: "I will love them freely" (Hosea XIV). Therefore, what he had said, that every good and every perfect gift comes from God, he confirms by adding consequently, that not by our merits, but by the benefit of His will, through the water of regeneration, He has transformed us from children of darkness into children of light.

That we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. Lest we imagine that by saying, "He begot us," we become what He is, this demonstrates that a certain preeminence is granted to us in creation by this adoption. Indeed, some have translated the verses as follows: "Of His own will He begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." That is, that we should be better than the other creatures we see. For the law commanded to consecrate the firstfruits of crops or animals to the Lord, and the firstfruits of gold and silver were to be offered for the work of the tabernacle, which means the best of the metals. And of the ancient people of God, the prophet Jeremiah said: "Israel is holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of His harvest" (Jer. II).

It is said in the Epistle of James: "Of his own will he begot us by the Word of truth, that we might be a certain firstfruits of his creatures." Through the Word incarnate there descends to us an abundance of graces.

He is called the Father of the age to come, for He Himself is the Principle of those influences by which we will live in the future. As James writes: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights." And later: "Of His own will He has begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be, as it were, the first-fruits of His creatures." We are now the beginning of creatures, but then we shall be creatures in full.

Just as the heavenly powers rule over the angelic creatures, so we human beings rule over the lower creation.

He said "of His own will" because there are people who, by the instigation of the devil, reason that the world came together as if by chance. Above he said: "with whom there is no variation," and thereby showed that the Divinity is unchangeable; now he adds: "of His own will He brought us forth." If we came into being, then it is evident that we are not unchangeable, for is it possible that what came from non-being into being through change should be unchangeable?

And lest anyone, on account of the word "brought forth," should think that God begot the Son in the same way as us, the apostle added: "by the word of truth," for according to the words of John the Theologian: "all things were made through Him" (John 1:3), that is, through the Word of truth; therefore, if we came into being through the Word, we are not of the same nature as Him from Whom we derive our being. The words "a kind of firstfruits" signify preeminence and the highest dignity, and by "creatures" he means the visible creation.