148 The royal law of love is universally binding. SECT. know, may in a few days be carried by angels iii. into Abraham's bosom, and placed in the most distinguished rank among the guests at the celestial banquet? But this indeed is the James ii. 6 7 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you case; you have often dishonoured the poor man, On the other hand, do not the rich whom you shalt love thy neigh 8 semblies for public worship. And not only 8 If ye fulfil the 9 other respects. But if ye do in this partial 9 But if ye have you may show for any other precepts, if con- are convinced of the 10 and forfeit your acceptance with him. For 10 For whosoever whoever shall keep the whole law in every other shall keep the whole Reflections on the vanity of mere external distinctions, 149 iii. James ii. 10 law, and yet offend instance, but allow himself to offend in one SECT. in one point, he is [particular,] he is in effect guilty of all; as he guilty of all. that committed but one capital crime, would as surely suffer death, as if he had committed all 11 For he that that ever were prohibited in that light. For it 11 said, Do not commit is certain, that he disregards the authority of adultery, said also, the Lawgiver, which has established every prethou commit no adul- cept equally; as it is evident, he that says, Thou tery, yet if thou kill, shalt not commit adultery, hath also said, Thou thou art become a shalt do no murder. If therefore thou art not an transgressor of the adulterer, but committest murder, thou art evi Do not kill. Now if law. dently a transgressor of the law. Hence it appears, that it is not by a regard to the Divine authority that thou abstainest from the former crime, since that would equally have preserved 12 So speak ye, thee from the latter. Let it therefore be your 12 and so do, as they care, that ye so speak and so act as those that that shall be judged shall be judged by the law of liberty, by the by the law of liberty. glorious gospel, which is a dispensation that sets us at liberty from the bondage of the Jewish ritual, and directs us to all the branches of that virtue and holiness, which is the truest liberty of the mind, and which being so excel. lent, must subject us to severer punishment if And especially we presume to contemn it. remember to maintain a regard to it, where For you 13 13 For he shall the rules of charity are concerned. have judgment with- know a particular stress is laid upon this showed no mercy; branch, as of the highest moment in the sight and mercy rejoiceth of God; as we are warned by our compassionagainst judgment. ate Lord himself, that on the one hand, he shall out mercy, that hath have judgment without mercy, who hath not ex- IMPROVEMENT. THE apostle could not intend to condemn those civil distinc- verse tions which are founded upon the different relations and circum- 1 stances of mankind in the present world; but surely God in- 4 tended to teach us, how little esteem he sets upon riches, by bestowing them on many of the most undeserving of mankind, while he withholds them from his dearest children; and to admire them, and others, on account of their riches, while we pour contempt on the poor, as poor, though so many of them are dis 150 iii. verse Faith cannot save, if it be not connected with works. SECT tinguished by the riches of the Divine favour, must be highly unreasonable, and to God highly offensive. As for those who are poor in this world, but rich in faith, let them adore the Divine munificence to them, and think with pleasure of those durable riches, and of that everlasting kingdom, which God has prepared for them as their inheritance. 5 8 Whatever our stations be, let us pray that the royal law may be inscribed upon our hearts, and that we may love our neigh9 bours as ourselves; guarding against that mean and prohibited respect of persons, which would expose us to conviction, as transgressors of the law. Let us also learn to guard against that partiality in our obedience to it, which is utterly inconsistent 10 with sincerity. Let us remember, that the Divine authority equally establishes every precept of it, and that the generous nature 11 of the gospel dispensation, as a law of liberty, will be a sad aggravation of our presumptuous violation of it. A consciousness 12 of those many defects and imperfections, which the best of men may see reason to charge themselves with, should certainly engage our most earnest applications to God for mercy; and as we 15 desire to obtain it, let it be our care to exercise mercy to others, both in the candour of our censures on the one hand, and the readiness of our liberality on the other. SECT. IV. The apostle largely descants on the inefficacy of a mere historical faith; and evinces, by most striking instances and illustrations, the utter insufficiency of it for our justification and eternal salvation. James II. 14, to the end. Τ JAMES II. 14. JAMES II. 14. SECT. IT is with real grief that I perceive many of W iv. James you seem highly to value yourselves upon profit mybreththe profession you make of the Christian re- ren, though a man ii. 14 ligion, without being suitably impressed with say he hath faith, a practical sense of its important principles, and influenced to a life agreeable to them, But what advantage [is there] my brethren, if any one say, he has faith, but has not suitable works, to support the justice of that pretension? a If any one say he has faith, but has not suitable works.] I am surprised at the immense pains commentators have taken, to reconcile St. Paul and St. James; and the many hypotheses they have formed for that purpose. Whereas to me nothing is more evident, than that the ideas they af fix to the words, faith, and works, are en tirely different. St. James, by the word faith, means simply an assent to the truth of religious principles, without determining whether it be, or be not, effectual; and then declares, that in case this assent does not produce good works, that is, the solid vir A pretence to charity, without its proper fruits, is vain. 151 and have not works? Can such a faith, as may be separated from good SECT. works, save him? Consider the case, when Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or iv. sister be naked, and men make professions of charity, without pro- James destitute of daily ducing the proper fruits of it, and you will .15 food; easily see how vain such a pretension is. If, for instance, a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food for the subsistence of life, 16 And one of And one of you, who calls himself a Christian, 16 you say unto them, Depart in peace, be say to them, We heartily pity your case, and ye warmed, and fill feel the tender emotions of that love which ed; notwithstand- our relation to each other requires; depart ing, ye give them therefore in peace, whithersoever the provinot those things which are needful to dence of God may lead you, and I sincerely the body; what doth wish that you may meet with suitable accomit profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, modations may ye be clothed and sheltered, warmed, and fed to the full; but with all these soft addresses, ifye give not to them either food, or raiment, or any money to purchase the things necessary for the body; what does [it] profit them to be addressed with such hypocritical professions of love? Yea, does it not rather seem a cruel mockery, than a real kindness? So 17 also faith, how zealously soever it may be professed, and how orthodox soever those articles are to which an assent is given, if it have not suitable works to attend it, being by itself, is dead, and producing no substantial fruit, is altogether 18 Yea, a man insignificant. But one better instructed in 18 may say, Thou hast Christianity may perhaps say to one of these forward professors in order to bring matters to a short issue, Thou sayest that thou hast faith, and I make it appear in my life and conversa is dead, being alone. tues of the heart and life, it cannot be accepted by God. Whereas St. Paul by the word faith means a cordial and vital assent to Divine truth, which influences the heart to a holy temper, and according to the gracious terms of the gospel, entitles a man to Divine acceptance, without any regard at all to the Mosaic law, and previous to the production of any of those good works which will naturally be the fruit of it. Had Luther calmly considered this, he would not have denied the inspiration of St. James, out of regard to his supposed heterodoxy in the business of justification; nor would one of his followers have presumed to charge him express ly with lying, as Limborch tells us he did, Mentitus est Jacobus in caput suum. Lim By. b Faith, if it have not works, &c.] From this passage it appears, that we should not confine the idea of the word faith, as used by St. James, to a mere assent, for it would be an absurd supposition, that a mere assent should have any works. this word therefore St. James, (as we ob. served in the former note,) means simply an assent, whether it be or be not effectual. Nor is it indeed the assent that saves, when accompanied with works. So that the apostle's assertion is more critically and correctly true, than many of his com mentators have apprehended. 152 Abraham's faith was perfected by works. SECT. tion, that I have works, which naturally spring faith, and I have from that principle: give me then the evidence works: iv. shew me thy faith without thy I offer thee; shew me thy faith by thy works, works, and I will James ii. 18 and I will also in return shew thee my faith shew thee my faith by my works; let us without quarrelling about by my works. different explications of faith, make it manifest to each other, that our profession is truly solid, by its substantial effects upon our tempers and 19 lives. Thou assuredly believest that there is 19 Thou believest one only true and living God, and therein thou that there is one God; thou doest doest well; it is the grand fundamental princi- well; the devils also ple of all true religion. But remember, it is believe and tremble. a principle common to those who are entirely destitute of religion; for the devils also firmly believe it, and cannot withhold their assent; they are persuaded by dreadful experience of his existence, and of the terrors of his wrath, so as even to tremble in the expectation of that full display of it, to which they know they are 20 inevitably doomed. But wilt thou know, O vain 20 But wilt thou empty man, who restest in that which might be know, O vain man, found in equal, or in higher degrees, in the in- works is dead? fernal spirits, that faith without works, a persuasion of the truths of Christianity, if it produces no solid fruits of holiness, is really dead as to any valuable purpose that can be expected 21 from it. Take an instance of this in the most that faith without he had offered Isaac 21 Was not Abracelebrated of all the patriarchs; I mean the ham our father justiinstance of Abraham, our great, and illustrious fied by works, when father: was he not plainly justified by works, his son upon the alwhen, in consequence of that full persuasion tar? he had of a Divine commission and command to do it, he offered his son Isaac upon the altar, intending, in obedience to what he apprehended the will of God, actually to have slain him, and to have trusted in God to accomplish the promise of a numerous seed to descend from him, 22 by raising him from the dead. Thou seest 22 Seest thou how then in this instance, that faith co-operated with faith wrought with his works, and by his works, and animated him to zeal, and works was faith self denial in them; and faith was perfected by made perfect? works; the integrity of it was made fully Show me thy faith, &c.] This version the margin of our bibles, ex Tv ERY WV 08, is so very different from our own, that and, ex Tv gyvus, though some copies, many of my English readers will be much read the first clause, xgis TOY Egger 08, surprised at it. But I have followed the which our translators have followed. most and best copies, which read it, as in |