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may be helpful: the command to love him as ourselves, shows the manner, not the measure, of our love; the kind, not the degree; the parity and likeness, not the equality of proportion: we must mind the good of our neighbour as really and truly, though not so vehemently and earnestly, as our own. Observe, 3. How the apostle convicts them of walking contrary to this law, in honour

any creature for contempt; he then that despiseth the poor reproacheth his maker, that is, condemneth the wisdom of God; which is as much seen in making poor as in making rich: in making vallies as in making hills. Observe farther, The apostle shows them what little reason and cause they had, as to vilify the poor, so to idolize and adore the rich: Do not rich men oppress you by tyranny, and draw you being the rich and despising the poor, and in fore the judgment-seat, like the vilest malefactors? Do not they blaspheme the name of Christ? that worthy name from which you are called Christians, and spit in the very face of your holy religion? Learn, 1. That wicked rich men are oft-times oppressors, sometimes persecutors: they have frequently both will and power, both disposition and occasion, to do both. 2. That oppressors and persecutors are generally blasphemers; they blaspheme the name of Christ, that worthy name which whosoever nameth ought to depart from all iniquity, 2 Tim. ii. 19.

8 If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Observe here, 1. The honourable title put upon the law of God, a royal law; royal in its author, Jesus Christ, Heb. xii. 25. Christ's voice shook mount Sinai : royal in its precepts; the duty it requires of us is noble and excellent, nothing but what is our interest as men, our honour and happiness as christians, and what tends to the perfecting and ennobling of our natures; royal in its rewards; true, our work can deserve no wages, however, our royal master will not let us work for nothing. Satan, as a master, is bad, his work much worse; but his wages worst of all. Christ is a royal master, obedience to his law is royal service: and how royal is his reward, in making us kings and priests unto God on earth, and crowned kings and princes with God in heaven! Observe, 2. Our duty declared, with relation to this royal law, namely, to fulfil it; If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures, that is, if ye pay a sincere respect to the whole duty of the law, if you come up in your obedience to that universal love of God and your neighbour, which the law requires, you do well; where by neighbour, we are to understand every one to whom we

judging according to men's outward quality and condition: If ye have respect to persons in this manner, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. How does the law convince ? not only by reproving, but by proving: it shows us a rule, and saith, "There ye have departed from it; here is a line, and there ye have transgressed it; either gone over it, or gone beside it." Learn hence, That the rule of the word discovers wickedness fully to the conscience of the sinner, who winks hard, and is loath to lie under the convictions of it.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Here the apostle doth suppose a case which ought to make every person conscientious in his obedience to the whole law of God, namely, that in case a man were careful to observe all the laws of God, except one, his living in the breach of that one shall be so far from being connived at upon the account of his obedience to all the rest, that he shall be liable to the punishment which is due to the transgression of the whole law; to the same punishment for kind, I say, not for degree; because the more and greater sins men are guilty of, the greater and severer shall be their punishment, which consists in being for ever banished from the presence of God, and in being imprisoned with devils and damned spirits, which is called eternal death. Learn hence, That whoever allows himself in any one sin, be it either of omission or commission, willingly, constantly, and with allowance from conscience, and doth not convert and turn from it unto God, he is certainly in a state of damnation, because he affronts the sovereignty, and contemns the authority, of that God that made and enacted the whole law, and also stands in a prepared readiness and disposition to break any other, yea, all other laws, in the grossest may assault him. Add to this, that living manner, whensoever any forcible temptation in the breach of any one law, will make a

person unmeet for the enjoyment of God, as supportable. But mercy rejoiceth against well as living in the breach of all.

11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

As if the apostle had said, "He that threatened adultery with death, threatened also murder with death: it is the same Lawgiver that forbids both, and his authority is as truly contemned in transgressing one as both these laws. Disobedience to God in any one law, is a virtual denying of his authority to prescribe any law to us, and lays a foundation for universal disobedience; for if Almighty God's sovereignty be disowned in any one instance, it may as well be so in all others; the same reason that leads to the observation or violation of one law, doth oblige us to keep or break all the rest, and that is the authority of the Lawgiver. The whole law hath an equal obligation upon the conscience." From hence the apostle draws this inference, That persons should so speak and so do, so order their speeches and their actions, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. Note here, 1. That all we say and do, all our actions and expressions, do fall under the judgment and sentence of the law of God. 2. That the law of God, in the hand of Christ, is the law of liberty; we are freed from it as a covenant, freed from its condemnatory curse, freed from its rigorous exactions, bondage, and terrors. The law to a believer is a law of liberty, and to others a law of bondage and death. 3. That it will be a great help to us in our christian course, to think often that all our words and actions

must come into judgment; it is agreeable to the liberty of the gospel to believe and remember that all we say and do must be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

That is, He that whilst he lived showed no mercy, but had opportunity and ability to show it, shall have judgment without mercy; that is, shall be very severely handled by God in the great day, and the sen tence that shall pass upon him will be in

judgment, or triumpheth over judgment; that is, mercy in some degree of exaltation; such a mercy as has covetousness, hardheartedness, and penuriousness, with all its enemies, under its feet; such mercy qualifies, strengthens, and enables the person in whom it is found to be confidently secure that he shall receive no prejudice or hurt, but that judgment which God shall pass upon the world at the great day. Learn from hence, That merciful men, whose hearts and hands are much exercised in

doing good, and showing mercy, by means

of the consciousness of these God-like dispositions in themselves, are, or may be, full of a joyful and blessed security, that they shall stand in the great judgment of the world, and find favour and acceptance in the eyes of the judge; when all unmercifulness, covetousness, and hard-hearted persons, shall fall under the sentence, and be ground to powder by it; He shall have judgment without that showed no mercy; mercy, but mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in warmed and peace, be ye filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body: what doth it profit ? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Our apostle here enters upon the second part of his discourse contained in this chapter, namely, to show the vanity of a fruitless faith; that such a faith as is not the parent and principle of obedience, and productive of good works, is altogether ineffectual and unprofitable. Faith of no kind, when it is alone, is justifying; as there can be no good works without faith, so where true faith is it will be fruitful in good works, otherwise faith is no more faith; no be

lieving without obedience will avail us;

therefore St. Paul and St. James both agree to render to faith the things that are faith's, and not to take away from works the things that are work's. What doth it profit a man to say he hath faith, &c. As if our apostle had said, "Let not any person think his faith sufficient to justify and save him without the works of charity and mercy."

Alas! a mere wordy profession is a poor unprofitable thing! What will professing christianity, and saying we believe, avail to salvation, if we obey not Christ, and live not according to the gospel? Will good words feed the hungry or clothe the naked? Is it not like a mocking of them? Even so a notional knowledge, and a bare profession of faith, if it brings not forth the fruits of holiness and obedience towards God, of justice and righteousness, of love and mercy towards our neighbour, it is an ineffectual, dead thing; like a dead corpse, without a quickening and enlivening soul; it is altogether dead as to justification and salvation. Learn hence, 1. That a fruitless faith is certainly a dead faith. It is dead, because it does not unite us unto Christ; it is lifeless, because there is no liveliness in such a person's performances; for though faith be not always alike lively, yet if sincere, it is always living, and enables the christian to live unto Christ, and to bear much fruit, John xv. 5. He that abideth (that is, believeth) in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. Observe, 2. The comparison which St. James here makes between faith and charity; from whence he draws this con. clusion, "If charity towards the poor, professed in words, but without works, be counterfeit, then faith in Christ, professed in like manner, without obedience, is also counterfeit and false; but charity towards the poor in words, and not in deeds, is a counterfeit charity; accordingly faith in Christ, without obedience to his command, is a false faith; a dead faith, in regard to the effect, because it will never bring them, in whom it is, to life and salvation."

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

thou hast none, show thy faith then by something else; but that is unpossible, therefore thou vainly boastest of that which thou hast not but on the other side, says the sincere believer, I can make good what I say, proving the truth of my faith by the fruits of it in my works; this is a real demonstration that my faith is no vain ostentation, as yours is." This way of arguing is very convincing; it gripes the conscience of the hypocrite, and covers him with shame and confusion of face. Learn hence, That good works are the evidences by which we must judge of our faith now, and according to which Christ will judge of us and our faith at the great day. These two, faith and good works, ought to be as inseparable as light and the sun, as fire and heat. Obedience is the daughter of faith, and faith the parent and principle of obedience.

19 Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

As if the apostle had said, "Be thou cither Jew or christian, thou believest that there is a God, and assentest to the articles of religion; herein thou doest well: but this is no more than what the devils do; for they also believe and tremble; and if thou hast no better faith, and no better fruit of thy faith than they, thou hast the same reason to tremble which they have." Observe here, 1. That a bare and naked assent to the truths of the gospel, yea, to the fundamental truths and articles of religion, is not faith that will justify and save: the devils have it, yet have no hopes of salvation with it: they believe that there is a God, and a Christ that died for others, though not for them; so that an atheist, that does not believe a God, is worse than a devil; for he believes that there is a God, whose being the atheist denies. Observe, 2. That horror is the fruit and effect of the devils' faith; the more they know of God, the more they dread him the more they think of him, the more they tremble at him. O God! all knowledge of thee out of Christ is uncomfortable; thine attributes, which are in themselves dreadful and terrible, being beheld by us, in thy Son, do yield comfort and sweetness to us!-the devils believe and tremble.

St. James brings in these words by way of dialogue, between a sincere believer that has true faith, and a false-hearted hypocrite that only pretends to it: thus, "Thou sayest thou hast true faith, thou hast no works to evidence its truth; I say, I have true faith, because I have good works, which are the genuine effects and fruits of it. Come we now to the trial, and let it appear who saith true, thou or I: if thou that hast no works, sayest true, prove thy 20 But wilt thou know, O vain faith to be true some other way. Works man, that faith without works is

dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Our apostle here goes on to prove, that a person is justified by works, that is, by a working faith, from the example of Abraham; and the argument lies thus: "If Abraham of old was justified by a working faith, then we cannot be justified without it at this day; but Abraham, the father of the faithful, and the friend of God, was justified by a working faith; therefore faith without works will justify no man. As Abraham was justified, so must we and all others be justified, because the means and method of justification were ever one and the same, and ever will be uniform and alike. But Abraham was justified by a working faith, his faith was full of life, efficacy, and power, in bringing forth obedience unto God; witness his ready compliance with that hard and difficult command, the offering up his son Isaac. Seest thou how faith wrought with his works? that is, how his faith did both direct and assist him in that work? Heb. xi. By faith Abraham offered up Isaac, and by works was his faith made perfect, that is, declared to be perfect; for Abraham was justified five and twenty years before he offered up his Son, but his conquering the difficulties of that work, showed the perfection of his faith; as the goodness of the fruit declares the excellency of the tree, so the fruit of obedience evidenced the sincerity of Abraham's faith," From hence then it may and must be concluded, that a barren and empty faith is a dead faith; dead, because it may be found in and with a person dead in trespasses and sins; dead, because it receives not the quickening in fluences of the Spirit of God; dead, because it wants operation, which is the effect of life; dead, because unavailable to eternal life. Observe farther, The honourable character and noble testimony here given of

Abraham, for and upon the account of his faith and obedience. He was called the Friend of God. All true believers are God's friends; as friends they are reconciled to him, and communications from him; as him, as friends they enjoy communion with friends there is a conformity of wills and affections between them, they like and love, they will and choose, the same things; as friends they desire and long for the complete fruition and enjoyment of each other. James draws from this instance of AbraObserve lastly, The inference which St. ham, Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith. By faith only, he means faith that is alone, solitary, and by itself, without works. Quest. But doth not St. James, by affirming that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only, contradict St. Paul, who says, By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in God's sight? Rom. . 20. Ans. Not at all, 1. Because they do not speak, ad idem, to the same thing; St. Paul speaks of justification before God, St. James of justification before men; St. Paul speaks of the justification of our person, St. James of the justification of our faith. 2. They do not speak iisdem, to the same persons: St. Paul had to do with false apostles and judaizing christians, who sought to substitute the works of the law, and a righteousness of their own, instead of, or at least in conjunction with, the grace of God; but St. James had to do with hypocritical professors, who abused St. Paul's doctrine of free grace, and took encouragement to sin, affirming, that if they believed, it was sufficient, no matter how they lived; therefore St. James urges the necessity of good works, as evidences of the sincerity of our faith. The sum of the matter is this, What God has joined none must divide, and what God has divided none must join; he has separated faith and works in the business of justification, according to St. Paul, and none must join them in it; and he has joined them in the lives of justified persons, as St. James speaks, and there we must not separate them. St Paul as sures us, that works have not a co-efficiency in justification itself; but St. James assures us, that they may and ought to have a co-existency in them that are justified.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Here the apostle declares that Rahab was justified by a working faith, as Abraham was before her, which appeared in her entertaining the spies, lodging them in her house, and dismissing them with all possible privacy, which was a notable evidence of her faith in the God of Israel, her faith being accompanied with great self-denial, and Indeed, exposing her to a mighty hazard. Rahab's faith was mixed with great infirmity, she told a lie; but that is overlooked by God, and her faith only recorded, not her failing divulged. Rahab's lie, Sarah's laughter, Job's impatience, are not mentioned: we discover corruption in the very exercise of our graces; but O! how good a master do we serve, that pardons our infirmities, and accepts our sincerity! Learn hence, That the duties and services of be

lievers, though blemished with many de

fects, do find acceptance with God, and shall not fail to be rewarded by him. Rahab's faith was seen in receiving the spies, her weakness and infirmity appeared in her lying; God pitied and pardoned the one, and accepted and rewarded the other.

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

In this verse the apostle sums up the whole matter, by comparing a dead faith to a dead corpse; as that is imperfect, wanting its best and noblest part: so faith without works wants that which dignifies and completes it. Faith, without holiness to enliven it, is a dead body, without the spirit to quicken it. Again, as a dead corpse is useless as well as imperfect; though it has eyes, it sees not, feet, it walks not; mouth, but it speaks not: thus it is with a dead faith, being unaccompa nied with a good life; no believing without obedience, will avail us; for though there is no merit in our obedience that we should be saved for it, yet is there such a necessity of obedience, that we shall never be saved without it. Again, as a dead corpse is noisome to us, so is a profession of faith without obedience loathsome to God; he says, to all the workers of iniquity, Depart from me, I know you not, I approve you not. As the body without the spirit is dead, that is, as the body is known to be dead, if we perceive no vital actions flowing from the soul, so is faith dead, if we see it not demonstrated by effectual operation; as it is necessary to the

being of a living body that it be united to the soul, so it is necessary to the being of a living christian's faith, that it brings forth works of obedience in the christian's life: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

CHAP. III.

Our apostle had at the latter end of the first chapter discoursed concerning the evils of the tongue, showing that man's religion to be vain, which doth not teach him to bridle and govera that unruly member, and keep it within the bounds of reason and religion; in this chapter be returns to the same argument, and shows the great necessity we lie under to watch over our words, and to avoid the sins of the tongue, and this both as an argument of our sincerity, and as an ornament to our profession. Accordingly thus he speaks :

MY brethren, be not many mas

ters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

For the clearer understanding of these words, let us consider, 1. What the apostle does not forbid, namely, private and brotherly admonition, which proceeds from christian love one towards another, much less does he condemn public and authorized reproof: God has made it the duty of all to admonish and reprove each other charitably; he has made it the duty of others to admonish and censure evil-doers authoritatively; this therefore is not forbidden. Observe, 2. What it is that is here forbidden, namely, such a reproving of others as is supercilious and masterly, managed with sharpness and severity, rashly, and rigidly. As if the apostle had said, "Be not magisterial and censorious towards your brethren, as if every one of you had many masters in him." Censuring of others is an arrogation of mastership over others, and the assuming of a power over them which God never gave us; it is a bold usurpation of God's authority: we may admonish, reprove, and warn, but it must not be in a lordly manner, in a masterly way, which is reviling rather than reproving; we must consider what may stand with charity, as well as what will consist with truth; every evil must not be divulged, but some must be covered with a cloak of love; there may be, and oft-times is, a great deal of malice in reporting truth. Observe next, The remedy prescribed against censuring others, namely, the considering ourselves that we shall thereby receive the greater damnation; sharp reprovers in judging others, pronounce a doom upon

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