_My brethren_ The equality of Christians intimated by this name is the ground of the admonition; _have_ That is, _hold; not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory_ Of which glory all who believe in him partake; _with respect of persons_ So as to give undue preference to any on account... [ Continue Reading ]
_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_ C... [ Continue Reading ]
_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_ The phrase, νομος βασιλικος, _royal law_, here admits of three interpretations. 1st, As the Greeks called a thing _royal_ which was excellent in its kind, it may m... [ Continue Reading ]
_So speak ye, and so do_ In all things; _as they that shall be judged_ Without respect of persons; _by the law of liberty_ The gospel, (see on James 1:25,) 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... [ Continue Reading ]
_What doth it profit_ From James 1:22, the apostle has been enforcing Christian practice; he now applies to those who neglected 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 destru... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yea, a man_ Who judges better; _may say_ To such a vain talker, in order to bring matters to a short issue; _thou hast faith_ Thou sayest; _and I_ make it appear by my life and conversation that I _have works_ Which naturally spring from that principle. _Show me thy faith without thy works_ If thou... [ Continue Reading ]
_Was not_, &c. As if he had said, Take an instance of this in the most celebrated of all the patriarchs, _our father Abraham._ Was not he _justified by works_ Did not his works manifest the truth and liveliness of his faith; _when_ In consequence of the full persuasion he had of a divine command to... [ Continue Reading ]
_Seest thou_ Or _thou seest_ then, in this instance; _how faith wrought_ together _with his works_ And animated him to great zeal and self-denial in them. Therefore faith has one energy and operation, works another. And the energy and operation of faith are before works, and together with them. Work... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the scripture_ Which was afterward 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, and St. James of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Likewise also_, &c. After Abraham, the father of the Jews, the apostle cites Rahab, a woman and a sinner of the Gentiles, to show 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 showing his faith by... [ Continue Reading ]