James 4:9

9 Suffre affliccios: sorowe ye and wepe. Let youre laughter be turned to mornynge and youre ioye to hevynes.

James 4:9 Meaning and Commentary

James 4:9

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep
Not in a bare external way; not by afflicting the body with fastings and scourgings, by renting of garments, and clothing with sackcloth, and putting ashes on the head, and other such outward methods of humiliation; but afflicting the soul is meant, an inward mourning and weeping over the plague of the heart, the impurity of nature, and the various sins of life; after a godly sort, and because contrary to a God of infinite love and grace; in an evangelical way, looking to Jesus, and being affected with the pardoning grace and love of God in Christ.

Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness;
meaning their carnal joy, on account of their friendship with the world, and their enjoyment of the things of it, since they consumed them on their lusts, and which betrayed enmity to God.

James 4:9 In-Context

7 Submit youre selves to god and resist the devyll and he will flye from you.

8 Drawe nye to god and he will drawe nye to you. Clense youre hondes ye synners and pourdge youre hertes ye waverynge mynded.

9 Suffre affliccios: sorowe ye and wepe. Let youre laughter be turned to mornynge and youre ioye to hevynes.

10 Cast doune youre selves before the lorde and he shall lift you vp.

11 Backbyte not one another brethren. He that backbyteh hys brother and he that iudgeth his brother backbyteth the lawe and iudgeth the lawe. But and yf thou iudge the lawe thou art not an observer of ye lawe: but a iudge.