perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. As if he had said, "Be not deceived about the causes of good and evil; sin and death are certainly from ourselves. Let us therefore never ascribe either our sins or our temptations unto God; but every good and perfect gift is of God's free donation and grace, even from above, from the Father of lights, (both of the light of nature, and the light of grace,) with whom is no variable ness, neither shadow of turning from good to evil; he is unchangeable in his nature and being, and in his attributes and properties." Learn hence, 1. That we are very prone to err in our notions and apprehen sions, as touching the authors of good and evil; too ready to conclude either God or Satan to be the author of the sin we commit, and ourselves the authors of the good we do: Do not err, my beloved brethren, in this matter. Learn, 2. That as sin, which is nothing but evil and imperfection, is not from God, but wholly from ourselves, and our own corrupt hearts; so whatever is good, perfect, or praise-worthy, is wholly from God, and not from ourselves: we are neither by nature inclined to that which is good, nor are we able of ourselves to perform it; both inclination and ability are from God, who is the fountain of goodness and perfection, and can never cease to be so, for with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning. Learn, 3. That God being the infinite Father of lights, he hath no eclipses or decreases, no shadows or mixtures of darkness, but always shines with a settled and constant brightness, always is, and was, and to all eternity will be, immutably the same, and never undergo the least change, either of his essence and being, or of his properties and perfections: with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. As nothing argues greater imperfection than inconstancy and change, so the greater and more glorious the divine perfections are, the greater blemish and imperfection would mutability be; were God changeable, it would darken all his other perfections, and raze the foundations of all religion; for who could either fear or love, trust or serve, that being who is fickle and inconstant? What security could there be in his promises? and who would regard the terror of his threatenings, were he not invariable, and without shadow of changing? 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. These words are very expressive of four things, namely, of the efficient cause, the impulsive cause, the instrumental, and the final cause, of our regeneration. Observe, 1. The author and efficient cause of regeneration; he, that is, the Father of lights, mentioned in the foregoing verse, begat us. Note, that God, and God alone, is the prime efficient cause of regeneration; it is subjectively in the creature, it is efficiently from God; Christ appropriates this work to God, Matt. xi. 23. The scriptures appropriate it to God, Psal. xxxiv. 9. called his saints, and God himself appropriates it to himself, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. I will put my Spirit within them, &c. Observe, 2. The impelling, impulsive, and moving cause of regeneration, his own will: Of his own will begat he us: by his mere motion, induced by no cause, but the goodness of his own breast, of his own will, and not naturally, as he begat his Son from eternity of his own will, and not necessarily, by a necessity of nature, as the sun enlightens and enlivens, but by an arbitrariness of grace; of his own will, and not by an obligation from the creature; by the will of God, and not for the merit and desert of man. serve, 3. The instrumental cause of our regeneration: the word of truth, that is, the gospel, which is the great instrument in God's hand, for producing the new birth in the souls of his people. Here note, The gospel is called truth, by way of excellency, the word of truth, that is, the true word; and also by way of eminency, as containing an higher and more excellent truth than any other divine truth; the gospel declares the truth of all the Old-Testament types. serve, 4. The final cause of our new birth, That we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, that is, of his new creatures, the chief among his creatures; the first-fruits were the best of every kind to be offered to God, and were given as God's peculiar right and portion; thus the new creature is God's peculiar portion taken out of mankind, which being consecrated to God by a new begetting, they ought to serve him with a new spirit, new thankfulness, as lying under the highest obligations unto new obedience. Ob Ob 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath : 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. As if our apostle had said, "Seeing God has put such an honour upon his word, the word of truth, as by it to beget us to himself; therefore be swift to hear it, prize it highly, and wait upon the means of grace readily and diligently; but be slow to speak, that is, to utter your judgment of it, much more slow in undertaking to be a teacher and dispenser of it; also slow to wrath, or to contentions about the words and points of divinity: wrath and passion hinders all profit by the word, either preached, read, or discoursed about; and a forcible reason is rendered why all wrath should be suppressed, because the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God: that is, man's sinful anger will never put him upon doing those things which are just and righteous in God's account: or there is a figure in the words; more is intended than expressed; the meaning is, that the wrath of man is so far from work ing the righteousness of God, that it worketh all manner of evil." Learn hence, That man's anger is usually evil, and very unrighteous anger, justly moderated, is a duty, but such a duty as is very difficultly managed without sin; rash, causeless, and immoderate anger, gratifies the devil, dishonours God, discredits religion, and wounds our own peace. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. These words are a direction given for the right hearing of, and due profiting by, the word of God in order to the former, our apostle shows. 1. What we must lay aside, namely, all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness: that is, all sensual Justs and angry passions. And, 2. Receive with meekness, calmness, and submission, the engrafted word; that is, the word planted and sown in our hearts by the hands of Christ's ministers: which is able to save our souls, that is, from hell and damnation; yet does not the word save of itself, but God by the word; the power of the word is not intrinsical, but extrinsical, Learn, derived from God, whose the word is. Learn hence, 1. That as all sin in general, so anger, wrath, and malice in particular, but then especially when we go forth to ought to be laid aside by us at all times, hear the word of God. Learn, 2. That the word must be received with all meekness of spirit, if we would hear it with profit and advantage; there must not be found with us either a wrathful fierceness, wrangling, but humility and brokenness of or a proud stubbornness, or a contentious spirit, docibility, and tractableness of spirit, under the word; otherwise all our hearing will be an addition to our sin, and an aggravation of our condemnation. 3. That the word must not only be aped and engrafted in us, or it will never be prehended and received by us, but implantable to save our souls: Receive the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Quest. But how may we know when the word is an engrafted word? Answ. When it is a fruitful word, Col. i. 6. The word of the truth of the gospel is Learn, 4. Though hearing of the word be come unto you, and bringeth forth fruit. hearers, but not only hearers. Alas! bare a duty, yet it must not be rested in; be hearing of the word is the least part of christianity, and the lightest part of christianity; though we be intelligent hearers, though we be very diligent and attentive hearers, though we be affectionate bearers, yea, though we make great proficiency in deceive us at last, if nothing farther be knowledge by our hearing, yet all this will added to it. Therefore learn, 5. That the doers of the word are the best hearers, yea, the only hearers in God's account: not to hear at all is atheistical, and produces no religion; to hear, and not to know and be affected with what we hear, is stoical, and to do, is pharisaical, and breeds a lame rebreeds a blind religion; to know, and not ligion; the practical hearer is the only approved hearer in the account of God: A good understanding have they that do thy commandments, Psal. cxi. Without this, all our hearing is but selfLastly, deceiving, and this is the most shameful deceit, the most dangerous deceit, and if timely parable and eternal deceit : Be ye doers of care and endeavours prevent not, an irrethe word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. word, and not a doer, he is like 23 For if any be a hearer of the In these words our apostle declares the vanity and unprofitableness of a bare hearing of the word, by a similitude taken from a man looking in a glass; though he sees in a glass his natural face which he was born with, whilst he is looking in it, yet no sooner is he gone from it, but he forgets the figure and fashion of his own countenance, having had only a slight and transient view of it; so in like manner the preaching of the word has not an awakening influence, and leaves not an abiding impression upon most hearers, who are willing to be deceived, and to deceive themselves, by a bare and naked hearing of divine truths. Learn hence, that the word of God is a glass, or as a glass, in which the soul's complexion may be seen; in this glass we may see both God and ourselves; Christ's beauty and our deformity; both our disease and our remedy. Learn, 2. That the glass of the word must not be carelessly and cursorily looked into, with a slight and superficial glance; but if we desire to have all the spots and blemishes of our souls thoroughly discovered, we must keep it before our eyes continually, and daily dress our souls by it. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Observe here, 1. The title given to the word of God, particularly the gospel, it is called liberty, a law of liberty, and a perfect law of liberty; partly because it calleth us to a state of liberty and freedom, and teacheth us the way to true liberty, and offers us the assistance of a spirit of liberty; partly because it spareth none, but dealeth with all persons freely, without respect of persons: the gospel, or word of God, then, is a law of liberty. Observe, 2. The duty here required, with reference to this law of liberty, namely, to look into it, and continue therein; to look into it with an accurate and narrow inspection, as the disciples did into Christ's sepulchre, and as the angels look into the mysteries of salvation, 1 Pet. i. 12. To look into the law of liberty, implies deepness of meditation and liveliness of impression; and continuing therein, imports perseverance in the knowledge, faith, and obedience, of the gospel, in order to our fruitfulness in good works: If ye abide in me, and my word abide in you, says Christ, ye shall bring forth much fruit, John xv. 5, 7. Observe, 3. The reward promised and insured to such as look into the gospel, that law of liberty, that continue in it, and are doers of the word required by it, they are blessed in their deed: there is a blessedness annexed to the doing of that work, which the word of God requires; yet mark the distinction of scripture phrase; the apostle doth not say, that the doers of the word shall be blessed for their deed, but in their deed; it is an evidence of our blessedness, not the ground of it, the way, though not the cause, of blessedness. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Observe here, 1. That there have been, are, and ever will be, many professors of religion, who seem, and only seem, to be religious. Observe, 2. That an unbridled and ungoverned tongue is a certain sign and evidence of a man's being only seem ingly religious; it seems there were many unbridled tongues in the apostle's days amongst the professors of christianity, which put the apostle upon spending the whole third chapter about the government of the tongue; the grace and word of God are bridles, which we are to put on, to restrain us from sinful and excessive speaking. Observe, 3. That such a man as pretends to religion, and seems to be religious, without bridling and governing of his tongue, all his religion is but vain and selfdeceiving; vain, that is, empty in show and appearance only, nothing in truth, and in reality; or vain, that is, ineffectual; it doth not perform its office, it does not answer its end, their religion will do them no good, stand them in no stead; that faith, that hope, those prayers, which will consist with the reigning evils of the tongue, are vain and self-deceiving; that religion which cannot drive the devil out of the tongue, will never prove Christ to be in the heart; that religion which cannot tame the tongue, will never save the soul; though some evils of the tongue may consist with grace, yet an unbridled tongue cannot consist with it: deceit in our lips is as bad as falschood in our dealings, and virulence in our tongue as bad as violence in our hands; and if thy religion be vain, all is vain to thee; thy hopes are vain, thy comforts are vain. The sum is, that an unbridled tongue, in a religious professor, is enough to prove his religion vain. 27 Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Observe here, 1. That the apostle doth not set down the whole of religion, but an eminent part and instance of it only: Pure religion is this: that is, this is the practice of religion, without which all religion is vain; this is eminent fruit, which springs from the root of pure religion; if pure religion live in the heart, the fruits of pious charity will appear in the life. Observe, 2. The acts of charity, when they flow from a religious principle, do commence acts of Opnostia, worship. To visit the widow and fatherless, considered in itself, may be only an act of indifference and civil courtesy; but when it is performed as an act of duty, in obedience to the command of God, or as an act of mercy and pity, for the supply of their wants by our purse, or for the comforting of their hearts by our counsel; being thus done out of conscience, it is as acceptable to God as an act of wor ship, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. Observe, 3. How the apostle joins charity and purity together; a pretence to the one without the other, discovers the insincerity of both; the relieving of the afflicted, and a life unspotted, must go together, or God accepts of neither Pure religion is this, To visit the widow, and keep himself unspotted from the world; that is, from the defilement and pollutions of the world by the lusts thereof; plainly intimating, 1. That the world is a filthy place, a dirty, defiling thing. What company almost can you come into, generally speaking, that is not sooty and leprous? How hard is it to converse with them, and not be polluted and infected by them? even as hard as it is to touch pitch, and not be defiled. 2. That it is our duty, and ought to be our daily endeavour, to keep ourselves as untainted by and unspot 4 ted from the world as we can and that we may escape the pollutions which are in the world through lust, let us be instant in prayer, diligent in our watch, that if we cannot make the world better, that shall not make us worse. 3. That we should more and more grow weary of the world, and long for heaven, where there is nothing that defileth, where we shall have pure hearts, pure company, every thing agreeable, and this is not for a few years, but for everlasting ages. Lord! when shall we ascend on high to live with thee in purity! CHAP. II. Our apostle's design in this chapter is twofold, namely, first to admonish against that common sin of respecting persons in religious matters because of worldly advantages. Secondly, To caution and warn against that fatal opinion of the sufficiency of a bare naked faith, in order to salvation, without the presence and testimony of works to recommend it to God's acceptation. As touching the former of these, our apostle thus speaks: MY brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring in goodly apparel; and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment ; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? For the better understanding of these words, let us consider, 1. What the apostle doth not; 2. What he doth, condemn. 1. What is here not condemned, namely, 1. The paying of civil respects to all persons, according to their character, and a different respect to persons, according to their different qualities; honour is to be given to whom honour is due, and the rich are entitled to respect, and that they receive it from us is no ways displeasing unto God. 2. Much less doth our apostle here speak against honouring magistrates, or paying respect to our ecclesiastical or civil rulers and governors in their courts of judicature: civility, yea, christianity, calls for outward respect and reverence to them that are above us, especially if in authority over But positively, that which is here con us. demned, 1. In general, is partiality in our respect to persons in religious matters, for in the things of God all are equal; the rich and the poor stand upon the same terms of advantage; external relations and differences bear no weight at the gospel beam; therefore to disesteem any of the poor members of Christ, as such, is to disesteem and undervalue Christ himself. Holiness is not less lovely to him because clothed with rags, nor unholiness less loathsome because it goes in a gay coat with a gold ring. Wickedness is abominable to Christ, and ought to be so to us, though it sits upon a throne; and holiness shines in his eye (and may it in ours also) though it lies upon a dunghill. 2. That which seems here to be condemned in particular, is the accept ing of persons in judgment, upon the account of outward advantages, proceeding not according to the merits of the cause, in their ecclesiastical and civil judicatures, but according to external respects. Our apostle would by no means have them pay a deference to a rich man in judgment, because of his riches or gay attire; nor to pass over the poor saints in their assemblies, for want of the gold ring or goodly apparel, seeing their faith clothed them with a greater and more valuable glory, which renders them more honourable than any riches or gay clothing could do. And mark the apostle's vehement expostulation, which carries with it the force of a severe reprehension: Are ye not partial, and become judges of evil thoughts? As if he had said, "Are ye not condemned in yourselves, and convinced in your own consciences that you do evil? Are you not become judges of evil thoughts? that is, do you not pass judgment upon your evil thoughts, in thinking the rich worthy of respect in judgment for his gorgeous attire, and outward greatness, and the poor fit to be despised for his outward meanness? Is not this an evil, a very evil thought in you, to think him the best man that weareth the best clothes, and him a vile person that is in vile apparel?" From the whole learn, 1. That men are very prone to worldly greatness in general, yea, to give too great a preference to it, even in matters of judgment. Man is very often swayed in judgment by the power, pomp, and splendour of men; we are apt to think that they that are worth most are most worthy; thus men, good men, may misjudge of men; but thus to accept the persons of men, either in spiritual or civil judgment, is a provoking sin. 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him? To prevent the growing evil condemned in the foregoing verse, of undervaluing those that are rich in grace, because poor in estate, the apostle in this verse declares how God himself gives countenance to the contrary practice; he confers a threefold him, they are rich in faith, and heirs of the dignity upon them; they are chosen by kingdom of heaven now. As if the apostle had said, "Are they fit to be despised by riched by God?" And to stir up their atyou, that are thus highly dignified and entention to what he speaks, he ushers in his interrogations with this, Hearken my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the That such as are poor in this world, and poor of this world, &c. Learn hence, disesteemed of men, may yet be chosen of God, rich in grace, and heirs of glory This he does, to demonstrate the sovereignty his wisdom. The first choice that Christ and freeness of his grace, and the glory of made of persons to be his followers were poor men; and ever since, generally speakpel; God has more rent, and better paid ing, they are the poor that receive the goshim, from a smoky cottage than from many and forget God. stately palaces, where men wallow in wealth, you, 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress and draw you before the judgmentseats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? Our apostle here charges them downright with that sin which he had been before condemning, namely, an undue respect of persons, despising the poor, whom God himself hath chosen and honoured: But ye have despised the poor. Despising the poor is a sin not only against the word, but against the works of God; it is a sin against his word and express command, backed with a severe threatening, Enter not into the vineyard of the poor; that is, oppress them not, for his avenger is mighty, and God will plead his cause for him. It is also against his works and his end in creation; for God never made |