JAMES CHAPTER 2 JAMES 2:1 It is not agreeable to the Christian profession to regard the rich, and despise the poor. JAMES 2:10 The guilt of any one breach of the law. JAMES 2:13 The obligation to mercy. JAMES 2:14 Faith without works is dead. JAMES 2:20 We are justified, as Abraham and Rahab were, b... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THERE COME UNTO YOUR ASSEMBLY; either church assemblies for worship, HEBREWS 10:25; and in these we find some respect of men's persons, which may here be blamed: see 1 CORINTHIANS 11:20. Or their assemblies for disposing church offices, and deciding church controversies, &c.; for he speaks of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE HAVE RESPECT TO HIM; Greek, look upon, viz. with respect and veneration, or a care and concern to please him. SIT THOU HERE IN A GOOD PLACE; an honourable place, either contrary to the usual orders of the churches, according to which, (as some say) the elder sat in chairs, the next to them on... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE YE NOT THEN PARTIAL IN YOURSELVES? Either, are ye not judged in yourselves, convicted by your own consciences of partiality, and accepting men's persons? Or, have ye not made a difference? viz. out of a corrupt affection rather than a right judgment; and then it falls in with our translation; _A... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH NOT GOD CHOSEN THE POOR? Not that God hath chosen all the poor in the world, but his choice is chiefly of them, 1 CORINTHIANS 1:26,28. Poor he means in the things _of this world, _ and in the esteem of worldly men; they are opposed to those that Paul calls _rich in this world,_ 1 TIMOTHY 6:17,1... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE HAVE DESPISED THE POOR; God's poor, viz. by your respecting persons. DO NOT RICH MEN? Either those that were unbelieving Jews or heathen; or such as made a profession of Christianity, but were not cordial friends to it; or, both may be included. OPPRESS YOU; insolently abuse you, and unrighte... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT THEY BLASPHEME? If the rich here spoken of were Christians, then they may be said to blaspheme Christ's name, when by their wicked carriage they caused it to be blasphemed by others, unbelievers, among whom they were, ROMANS 2:24 TITUS 2:5, &c.; 1 TIMOTHY 6:1: but if rich unbelievers be here... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE FULFIL; or, perfect; the word signifnies to accomplish perfectly, but no more is meant by it than sincerity in observing the duties of the law in an indifferent respect to one as well as another, which he seems to oppose to their partiality in the law, by respecting some and neglecting others.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF YE HAVE RESPECT TO PERSONS, YE COMMIT SIN; the second part of the apostle's answer, in which he sets _persons_ in opposition to _neighbour:_ q.d. If you, instead of loving your neighbour, which excludes no sort of men, poor no more than rich, choose and single out (as ye do) only some few (vi... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP: this is not an assertion, that any man doth keep the whole law so as to offend but in one point, but a supposition that if, or admitting, such a one were. THE WHOLE LAW; all the rest of the law, that one point only of the whole being excepted. AND YET OFFEND IN ONE POINT; s... [ Continue Reading ]
All proof of what he laid down in the former verse, by instancing in these two commands, there being the same reason of all the rest, the same sovereignty and righteousness of God appearing in them, and it being the will of God to try our obedience in one as well as another. THOU ART BECOME A TRANSG... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SPEAK YE, AND SO DO: the apostle concluding his discourse about respecting persons, which consisted both in their words and actions, be directs them how to govern themselves in both. AS THEY THAT SHALL BE JUDGED; viz. for both your words and actions, and that, not only in your own consciences at... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE SHALL HAVE JUDGMENT WITHOUT MERCY; shall be judged according to the rigour of the law, by pure justice without any mixture of mercy. THAT HATH SHOWED NO MERCY; that hath been cruel and unmerciful to his neighbour here. AND MERCY REJOICETH AGAINST JUDGMENT; either, 1. The mercy of God rejoice... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT; viz. as to his eternal salvation? Wherein are the ends of religion promoted by it? The apostle had just before declared, that they who are unmerciful to men shall find God severe to themselves, and have judgment without mercy: but hypocritical professors boasted of their faith a... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A BROTHER OR SISTER; a Christian man or woman, who are frequently thus called: see 1 CORINTHIANS 7:12,15. BE NAKED; badly clothed, or destitute of such clothing as is fit for them, JOB 22:6 1 CORINTHIANS 4:11. AND DESTITUTE OF DAILY FOOD: see MATTHEW 6:11; that which is necessary for the sustaini... [ Continue Reading ]
DEPART IN PEACE; a usual form of salutation, wherein, under the name of peace, they wished all prosperity and happiness to them they greeted, MARK 5:34 LUKE 7:50, LUKE 8:48. BE YE WARMED; i.e. be ye clothed; the warmth here mentioned being such as is procured by clothes, JOB 31:20. AND BE YE FILLED,... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN SO FAITH; that which they boasted of, and called faith. IS DEAD; void of that life, in which the very essence of faith consists, and which always discovers itself in vital actings and good fruits, where it is not hindered by some forcible impediment; in allusion to a corpse, which plainly appea... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN; any true believer. MAY SAY; to any such boasting hypocrite. THOU HAST FAITH; thou pretendest to have faith, or admit thou hast faith; and an historical faith he might have, as JAMES 2:19. AND I HAVE WORKS: I do not boast of my faith; or, to say nothing of my faith, yet works I do profess to h... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU BELIEVEST THAT THERE IS ONE GOD; thou givest thy assent to this truth, that there is one God. This may likewise imply other articles of the creed, to which the like assent may be given. THOU DOEST WELL; either this kind of faith hath its goodness, though it be not saving; or ironically, q.d. A... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WILT THOU KNOW? Either this question is in order to teaching, as 1 THESSALONIANS 13:12 ROMANS 13:3; and then the sense is: If thou hast a mind to know, I shall instruct thee: or, it is a teaching by way of question, as more emphatical and pressing; and then it is as if he had said, Know, O vain... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER; not only the father of us as Jews, (for to them he wrote), and according to the flesh, but as believers, and according to the promise; so all believers are called Abraham's children, ROMANS 4:11 GALATIANS 3:7. JUSTIFIED BY WORKS; found or declared to be justified, not onl... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS? He doth not say, works wrought with his faith, as he should have said, if he had intended their concurrence in justification; but FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS, i.e. his faith was not idle, but effectual in producing good works, it being the office and bus... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED; this illustrious instance of Abraham's obedience did so clearly evidence the sincerity of his faith, that it did most plainly appear, that what the Scripture said of him, it spoke most truly, viz. that he did indeed believe God, AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOU... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SEE THEN; an inference either from the instance of Abraham, or from the whole preceding discourse. HOW THAT BY WORKS; works of new obedience. A MAN IS JUSTIFIED; declared to be righteous, or approved as such, and acquitted from the guilt of hypocrisy. AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY; not by a mere professi... [ Continue Reading ]
This instance of RAHAB is joined to that of Abraham, either to show, that none of any condition, degree, or nation, was ever numbered among true believers, without good works; or else to prove, that faith, wherever it is sincere and genuine, is likewise operative and fruitful, not only in older disc... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT: this may be understood either, according to the marginal reading, of the breath; and then the sense is, that life and breath being inseparable companions, as the the of breath argues want of life in the body, so, lively faith and works being as inseparable, want of works argues want of l... [ Continue Reading ]