Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither 18 shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.

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Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be 20 swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore laying aside all the filthiness and superfluity of

wickedness, receive with meekness the ingrafted word, 22 which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the 23 word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For

if any one be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he 24 is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For

he beheld himself, and went away, and immediately 25 forgot what manner of man he was. But he that looketh

his understanding, or shadow of turning-In his will. He infallibly discerns all good and evil, and invariably loves one and hates the other. There is in both the Greek words, a metaphor taken from the stars, particularly proper where the Father of lights is mentioned. Both are applicable to any celestial body, which has a daily vicissitude of day and night, and sometimes longer days, sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind. He is mere light. If there is any such vicissitude, it is in ourselves, not in him.

V. 18. Of his own will-Most loving, most free, most pure, just opposite to our evil desire, ver. 15, begat he us-Who believe, by the word of truth-The true word, emphatically so termed: the gospel: that we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures-Christians are the chief and most excellent of his visible creatures; and sanctify the rest. Yet he says, a kind of, for Christ alone is absolutely the first-fruits.

V. 19. Let every man be swift to hear-This is treated of, from ver. 21, to the end of the next chapter: slow to speak-Which is treated of in the third chapter: slow to wrath-Neither murmuring at God, nor angry at his neighbour. This is treated of in the third, and throughout the fourth and fifth chapters.

V. 20. The righteousness of God, here includes all duties prescribed by him, and pleasing to him.

V. 21. Therefore laying_aside-As a dirty garment, all the filthiness and superfluity of wickedness For however specious and necessary it may appear to worldly wisdom, all wickedness is both vile, hateful, contemptible, and really superfluous. Every reasonable end may be effectually answered, without any kind or degree of it. Lay this, every known sin, aside, or all your hearing is vain with meekness-Constant evenness and serenity of mind, receive-Into your ears, your heart, your life; the word-Of the gospel; ingrafted-In believers, by regeneration, ver. 18, and by habit, Heb. v. 14; which is able to save your souls-The hope of salvation nourishes meekness.

V. 23. Beholding his face in the glass-How exactly does the Scripture-glass shew a man the face of his soul!

V. 24. He beheld himself and went away-To other business; and forgotBut such forgetting does not excuse.

V. 25. But he that looketh diligently-Not with a transient glance, but bending down, fixing his eyes, and searching all to the bottom, into the perfect law-Ŏf love, as established by faith. St. James here guards us against misunderstanding what St. Paul says, concerning the yoke and bondage of the law. He who keeps the law of love is free, John viii. 31, &c.: he that does not, is not free, but a slave to sin, and a criminal before God, chap. ii. 10:

diligently into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and continueth therein, this man being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be happy in his 26 doing. If any one be ever so religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion 27 is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God, even the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

CHAP. II. 1. My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of 2 persons. For if there come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there come in also 3 a poor man in dirty raiment, And ye look upon him that weareth the fine apparel, and say to him, Sit thou here, in a good place, and say to the poor man, Stand thou 4 there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool, Ye distinguish not in yourselves, but are become evil-reasoning judges. 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom

and continueth therein-Not like him who forgot it and went away. This man -There is a peculiar force in the repetition of the word, shall be happy-Not barely in hearing, but doing the will of God.

V. 26. If any one be ever so religious-Exact in the outward offices of religion and bridleth not his tongue-From backbiting, tale bearing, evilspeaking, he only deceiveth his own heart, if he fancies he has any true religion at all.

V. 27. The only true religion, in the sight of God, is this, to visit-With counsel, comfort, and relief, the fatherless and widows-Those who need it most, in their affliction-In their most helpless and hopeless state; and to keep himself unspotted from the world-From the maxims, tempers, and customs of it. But this cannot be done, till we have given our hearts to God, and love our neighbour as ourselves.

CHAP. II. Ver. 1. My brethren-The equality of Christians, intimated by this name, is the ground of the admonition: hold not the faith of our common Lord, the Lord of glory-Of which glory all who believe in him partake: with respect of persons-That is, honour none, merely for being rich; despise none, merely for being poor.

V. 2. With gold rings-Which were not then so common as now.

V. 3. Ye look upon him-With respect.

V. 4. Ye distinguish not-To which the most respect is due, to the poor or to the rich but are become evil-reasoning judges-Ye reason ill, and so judge wrong. For fine apparel is no proof of worth in him that wears it.

V. 5. Hearken-As if he had said, Stay, consider, ye that judge thus. Does not the presumption lie rather in favour of the poor man? Hath not God chosen the poor-That is, are not they whom God hath chosen, generally speaking, poor in this world; who yet are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom Consequently the most honourable of men? And those whom God so highly honours, ought not ye to honour likewise?

ye

6 which he hath promised to them that love him? But have disgraced the poor. Do not the rich oppress you, 7 and drag you to the judgment-seats? Do they not blas8 pheme that worthy name by which ye are called? If ye

fulfil the royal law, (according to the Scripture,) * Thou 9 shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted 10 by the law tas transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty 11 of all: For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not commit murder. If then thou commit no adultery, yet if thou commit murder, thou art become 12 a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so act, as 13 they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment without mercy shall be to him that hath shewed no mercy but mercy glorieth over judgment.

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What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say

V. 6. Do not the rich often oppress you-By open violence; often drag youUnder colour of law?

V. 7. Do not they blaspheme that worthy name-Of God and of Christ. The apostle speaks chiefly of rich heathens. But are Christians, so called, a whit behind them?

V. 8. If ye fulfil the royal law-The supreme law of the great King, which is love; and that to every man, poor as well as rich, ye do well.

V. 9. Being convicted-By that very law.

V. 10. Whosoever keepeth the whole law, except in one point, he is guilty of all-Is as liable to condemnation, as if he had offended in every point.

V. 11. For it is the same authority which establishes every commandment. V. 12. So speak and act-In all things, as they that shall be judged-Without respect of persons, by the law of liberty-The gospel; the law of universal love, which alone is perfect freedom. For their transgression of this, both in word and deed, the wicked shall be condemned. And according to their works, done in obedience to this, the righteous will be rewarded.

V. 13. Judgment without mercy shall be to him-In that day, who hath shewed no mercy-To his poor brethren. But the mercy of God to believers, answering to that which they have shewn, will then glory over judgment.

V. 14. From chap. i. 22, the apostle has been enforcing Christian practice. He now applies to those, who neglect this, under the pretence of faith. St. Paul had taught, That a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law. This some began already to wrest to their own destruction. Wherefore St. James, purposely repeating, ver. 21, 23, 25, the same phrases, testimonies, and examples, which St. Paul had used, Rom. iv. 3, Heb. xi. 17, 31, refutes, not the doctrine of St. Paul, but the error of those who abused it. There is, therefore, no contradiction between the apostles: they both delivered the truth of God, but in a different manner, as having to do with different kinds of men. On another occasion, St. James himself pleaded the cause of faith, Acts xv. 13-21. And St. Paul himself strenuously pleads for works, particularly in his latter epistles. This verse is a summary of what follows. What profiteth it, is enlarged on, ver. 15-17 though a man say, ver. 18, 19: can that faith save him? ver. 20. It is not, though he have faith; but, though he say he hath faith. Here, therefore, true living faith is meant. But in other

:

he hath faith, and have not works? Can that faith save 15 him? If a brother or a sister be naked, and want daily 16 food, And one of you say to them, Depart in peace: be

ye warmed and filled, but give them not the things needful 17 for the body, what doth it profit? So likewise faith, if it 18 hath not works, is dead in itself. But one will 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. 19 Thou believest there is one God: thou dost well: the 20 devils also believe and tremble. But art thou willing to

know, O empty man, that the faith which is without 21 works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified

by works when he had offered up Isaac his son upon the 22 altar? Thou seest that faith wrought together with his

parts of the argument the apostle speaks of a dead, imaginary faith. He does not therefore teach, that true faith can, but that it cannot subsist without works. Nor does he oppose faith to works, but that empty name of faith, to real faith working by love. Can that faith which is without works save him? No more than it can profit his neighbour.

V. 17. So likewise that faith which hath not works is a mere dead, empty notion; of no more profit to him that hath it, than the bidding the naked be clothed is to him.

V. 18. But one-Who judges better, will say,-To such a vain talker, Shew me, if thou canst, thy faith without thy works.

V. 19. Thou believest there is one God-I allow this. But this proves only that thou hast the same faith with the devils. Nay, they not only believe, but tremble-At the dreadful expectation of eternal torments. So far is that faith from either justifying or saving them that have it.

V. 20. But art thou willing to know-Indeed thou art not thou wouldst fain be ignorant of it: O empty man-Empty of all goodness, that the faith which is without works is dead--And so is not properly faith, as a dead carcass is not a man.

V. 21. Was not Abraham justified by works? St. Paul says, he was justified by faith, Rom. iv. 2, &c. Yet St. James does not contradict him. For he does not speak of the same justification. St. Paul speaks of that which Abraham received many years before Isaac was born, Gen. xv. 6. St. James of that which he did not receive, till he had offered up Isaac on the altar. He was justified therefore in St. Paul's sense, that is, accounted righteous, by faith, antecedent to his works. He was justified in St. James's sense, that is, made righteous, by works subsequent to his faith. So that St. James's justification by works, is the fruit of St. Paul's justification by faith,

V. 22. Thou seest that faith-(For by faith Abraham offered up Isaac, Heb. xi. 17) wrought together with his works-Therefore faith has one energy and operation, works another. And the energy and operation of faith are before works, and together with them. Works do not give life to faith, but faith begets works, and then is perfected by them. And by works was faith made perfect Here St. James fixes the sense wherein he uses the word justified: so that no shadow of contradiction remains, between his assertion and St. Paul's. Abraham returned from that sacrifice perfected in faith, and far higher in the favour of God. Faith hath not its being from works; for it is before them; but its perfection. That vigour of faith which begets works, is then excited and increased thereby as the natural heat of the body begets motion, whereby itself is then excited and increased. (See 1 John iii. 22.)

23 works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and 24 he was called the friend of God. Ye see then, that a 25 man is justified by works, and not by faith only. In like manner was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, having received the messengers, and sent them out another 26 way? Therefore as the body without the spirit is dead, so the faith which is without works is dead also.

CHAP. III. 1. My brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we all offend. If any one offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, able also to bridle the 3 whole body. Behold we put bridles into the mouth of horses, that they may obey us, and we turn about their 4 whole body. Behold also the ships, though they are so large, and driven by fierce winds, yet are turned about by a very small helm, whithersoever the steersman list5 eth. So the tongue also is a little member, yet boasteth * Gen. xv. 6. 2 Chron. xx. 7.

V. 23. And the Scripture-Which was afterwards written, was hereby eminently fulfilled, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness-This was twice fulfilled, when Abraham first believed, and when he offered up Isaac. St. Paul speaks of the former fulfilling, St. James of the latter. And he was called the friend of God-Both by his posterity, 2 Chron. xx. 7, and by God himself, Isa. xli. 8. So pleasing to God were the works he wrought in faith.

V. 24. Ye see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only St. Paul, on the other hand, declares, a man is justified by faith, and not by works, (Rom. iii. 29.) And yet there is no contradiction between the apostles; because, 1. They do not speak of the same faith; St. Paul speaking of living faith, St. James here of dead faith. 2. They do not speak of the same works: St. Paul speaking of works antecedent to faith, St. James, of works subsequent

to it.

V. 25. After Abraham, the father of the Jews, the apostle cites Rahab, a woman, and a sinner of the Gentiles; to shew that in every nation and sex true faith produces works, and is perfected by them: that is, by the grace of God working in the believer, while he is shewing his faith by his works.

CHAP. III. Ver. 1. Be not many teachers-Let no more of you take this upon you, than God thrusts out: seeing it is so hard not to offend in speaking much knowing that we-That all who thrust themselves into the office; shall receive greater condemnation-For more offences. St. James here, as in several of the following verses, by a common figure of speech, includes himself. We shall receive-we offend-we put bits-we curse-None of which (as common sense shews) are to be interpreted either of him, or of the other apostles.

V. 2. The same is able to bridle the whole body-That is, the whole man. And doubtless some are able to do this, and so are in this sense perfect. V. 3. We-That is men.

V. 5. Boasteth great things-Hath great influence.