James 1:22-27

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (23) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (25) But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (26) If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. (27) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Nothing can be more evident, from the whole scope of James's Epistle, taken in one mass of particulars, than that he is admonishing the real Church of God, made up of true, regenerated believers, against the nominal Church of Professors, in whose hearts, no saving change had been wrought. There were in this Apostle's days, as there have been in all ages of the Church, as well as in our days, vain talkers, whose religion consisted only in name. Such we read of, Hebrews 6:4; Tit 1-3. And James, through the whole of this Epistle, is continually speaking of these nominal Christians, by way of instructing the Lord's people. I beg the Reader, to pause over the Apostle's expression, of the perfect law of liberty. What can be meant by it, but the Person and work of Christ? The engrafted word, and the uncreated word, are those mirrors here referred to, into which by looking, we behold the Lord's perfections for his people. Paul hath a similar figure, But we all (saith the Apostle) with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Corinthians 3:18. Here, as in James, the Church of true children regenerated, and made new creatures in Christ Jesus, are considered, as looking wholly to Jesus. And thus looking under the Spirit's influence, (for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty), to Jesus, they imbibe his graces, are made to imitate his example, and delight in all that belongs to Jesus, and the holy principles of his Gospel. This is the life of God's children, a doer of the word, and not a hearer only. Whereas the nominal professor, knoweth these things only by name. And although he may observe the greatest punctuality, in attending ordinances; yet; where the heart is not regenerated, head-knowledge is but vain. The love of Christ is only known, and felt, and enjoyed in the renewed man. Where this is wanting, all is wanting. Where God the Spirit hath wrought the saving change, all acts of grace, more or less, wilt follow; and not only the purity of those principles, begotten by regeneration, will shew themselves in the life and conversation, in visiting the fatherless and widows, in their affliction, but through the Spirit, the child of God will be enabled to mortify the deeds of the body; and be kept from mingling with the heathen, and learning their works, Psalms 106:35; Romans 8:13.