JaS. I. 27.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 175
To visit. — Under this word by a synecdoche are comprehended all duties of love. To visit, is to comfort them in their misery, to relieve them in their necessities ; and under this one kind of charity are com- prehended all duties to our nci^^hbour.
Hie fatherless and the luidows. — These are specified, but others are not excluded : there are other objects of charity, as the poor, the sick, the captive, the stranger, which are also spoken of in scriptures. But the fatherless and widows do most usually want relief, and are most liable to neglect and oppression. They are often mentioned elsewhere in scripture ; as Isa. i. 17, ' Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow ;' so Ps. cxlvi. 9 ; so Prov. xv. 25, and xxiii, 10.
In their affiiction ; that is, in their straits, and when most op- pressed ; and this is added lest men should think their duty per- formed by visiting those amongst the fatherless and widows that are rich and wealthy.
And to Iceep himself unspotted. — This is coupled with the former duty, to show the inseparable connection that should be between charity and holiness, and to show that that religion is false which doth not teach holiness as well as charity : as Papists sever them, and cry up charity as a merit to expiate the defect of holiness.
From tlie toorld. — The world, when it is taken in an ill sense, is sometimes put for the men of the world, and sometimes for the lusts of the world : 1 John ii. 15, ' Whatever is in the world is either the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, or the pride of life.' Now, to * keep ourselves unspotted from the world,' is to keep ourselves from the taint and infection of an evil example, and the prevalency and sovereignty of worldly lusts.
Out of this verse observe : —
Ohs. 1. That it is the glory of religion when it is pure : Ps. xix., ' The commandment of the Lord is pure ; ' no doctrine so holy in itself, and maketli such provision for good life. False religions are descried by their impurity. God suffereth false worshippers to fall into obscenities, that they may draw a just scorn upon themselves, Kom. i. Popery is no friend to good life : pardons set at sale make way for looseness. The true Christian religion is called ' a holy faith/ Jude 20. No faith goeth so high for rewards, nor is so holy for precepts. Well, then, an impure life will not suit with a holy faith. Precious liquor must be kept in a clean vessel, and ' the mystery of the faith ' held ' in a pure conscience,' 1 Tim. iii. 9. We never suit with our religion more than when the way is undefiled and the heart pure : ' Blessed are the undefiled in the way,' Ps. cxix. 1 ; and again, ' Blessed are the pure in heart,' Mat. v. 8.
Ohs. 2. That a pure religion should be kept undefiled. A holy life and a bounteous heart are ornaments to the gospel. Keligion is not adorned with ceremonies, but purity and charity. The apostle speaketh of making the doctrine of God our Saviour comely, Titus ii, 10. It is with us either to credit or to stain our religion : 'Wisdom is,' or should be, 'justified of her children,' Mat. xi. 19. By the innocency of their lives they bring a glory to their way. So also a bountiful man is an honour to his profession, whereas a covetous man sullieth it ; as the apostle saith, Rom. v. 7, ' For a
176 AN- EXPOSITIOX, WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 27.
righteous man would one scarcely die, but for a p^ood man would one even dare to die.' A man of a severe innocency is hated rather than loved, but a good or bountiful man gaineth upon the hearts of others ; they would even die for bim.
Ohs. 3. A great fruit and token of piety is provision for the afflicted. In the 2i3th of Matthew you see acts of charity fill uj) the bill. Works of mercy do well become them that do expect or have received mercy from God; this is to be like God, and we should never come to him, or go away from him, but with somewhat of his image in our hearts ; dissimilitude and disproportion is the ground of dislike. Now one of the chief glories in the Godhead is the un- weariedness of his love and bounty : he visits the latlierle.ss and the widows ; so should we : the spirit of our religion is forgiving ; and therefore the cruel hard heart is made bv Paul a kind of ' denying the faith,'! Tim. V.8.
Ohs. 4. Charity singleth out the objects that are most miserable. The apostle saith, ' the widows and fatherless,' and that ' in their afflictions.' That is true bounty when we give to those that are not able to make requital : Luke xiv. 12-14, ' When thou makest a dinner or supper, call not thy brethren, or friends, or rich neigh- bours,' &c. We cannot do the least duty for God but we have some self aims. We make our giving many times to be a kind of selling, and mind our adv-antage in our charity. Oh ! consider, our sweetest influ- ences should fall on the lower grounds : to visit the rich widows is but courtesy ; to visit the poor, and that in their affliction, that is charity.