' ' Turcicum imperium, quantum quantum est, mica est quam paterfamilias canibua projicit.' — Lutk.
* ' Ut dominetur aliis prius servit ; curvatur obscquio ut honore donetur.' — Anibros. » Dr Jackson in his Treatise of Faith, part ii. c. '20, p. 457.
JaS. II. 1.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 183
Herod and the Pharisees. It was an excellent commendation that which they gave to Christ, Mark xii. 14, ' Thou carest for no man, and regardest the person of no man, but teachest the way of God in truth.' Ah ! we should learn of our Lord and Master. We are never true ministers of Jesus Christ till we deal alike with persons that are alike in themselves. (6.) When we contemn the truths of God be- cause of the persons that bring them to us. Usually we regard the man rather than the matter, and not the golden treasure so much as the earthen vessel ;^ it was the prejudice cast upon Christ, ' Is not this the carpenter's son ? ' We look upon the cup rather than the liquor, and consider not lohat, but lolio bringeth it. Matheo Langi,2 Arch- bishop of Saltzburg, told every one tliat the reformation of the mass was needful, the liberty of meats convenient, and to be disburthened of so many commands of men just ; but that a poor monk (meaning Luther) should reform all was not to be endured. So in Christ's time the question was common, ' Do any of the rulers believe in him ? ' Thus you see we are apt to despise excellent things, because of the despicableness of the instrument : ' The poor man delivered the city' (saith Solomon) ' but he was forgotten,' Eccles. ix. 15, 16. The same words have a different acceptation, because of the different esteem and value of the persons engaged in them. Erasmus observed, that what Avas accounted orthodox in the fathers, was condemned as heretical in Luther.^ Thus you see how many ways in religious matters we may be guilty of respect of persons.
ilse. Oh ! consider these things. It is a heinous evil, and a na- tural evil. We are marvellous apt to think that there is no emin- ency but what consisteth in outward greatness. This is to disvalue the members of Christ ; yea, to disvalue Christ himself : ' He that despiseth the poor,' though they be but the common poor, ' reproacheth their maker,' Prov. xvii. 5. But to despise poor Christians that are again renewed to the image of God, that is higher ; and it is highest of all when a Christian doth despise Christians ; as it is far worse for a scholar to disvalue scholarship, or a soldier his profession, than for other men. It is nothing so bad in -worldly men, that are acquainted with no higher glory. Oh ! consider what a dishonour it is to Christ for you to prefer mammon before him, as if wealth could put a greater ■\'alue upon a person than grace.
Ohs. 2. That Jesus Christ is a glorious Lord, not only in regard of his own person, which is ' the brightness of his Father's glory,' Heb. i. 3, or in regard of his present exaltation, whereby he hath ' a name above all names,' Phil. ii. 9. Not only as he enjoyeth it in himself, but as he dispenseth it to others. He will give you as much glory as your hearts can wish for. He putteth an honour upon you for the present. You may be sure you shall not be disgraced by him, either in your hope ; it is such as ' shall not make you ashamed,' Rom. v. 5 : false wor- shippers may be ashamed, as Baal's were, of their trust in their god,
^ ' Omnia dicta tauti existimantur, quantus est ipse qui dixerit, nee tarn dictionis vim atque -vartutem quam dictatoris cogitant dignitatem.' — Salvia, contra Avaint.,Yib. i.
- Hist, of Council of Trent. Edit. Lond. 1G29, p. 55.
2 ' Compertum est damuata ut hecretica in libris Lutheri, quae in Bernardi, Augustin- ique libris ut orthodoxa immo et pia leguntur.' — Erasm. in Epist. ad Card. Mogunt.
184 AX EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. II. 1.
1 Kingjs xviii ; or of your enjoyments : you are ' made comely in his comeliness,' Ezek. xvi. 14 ; and the church is called ' the fairest among women,' Cant. v. D ; or of your service: your work is an ornament to you. God himself is ' glorious in holiness,' Exod. xv. 11. But for the future you will always tind him a Lord of glory ; sometimes in this world, after you have been a long time beclouded under disgrace, re- proach, and sutiering. When hair is shaven, it cometh the thicker, and with a new increase ; so, when the razor of censure liath made your heads bare, and brought on the baldness of reproach, be not dis- couraged : God hath a time to ' bring forth your righteousness as the noon-day,' Ps. xxxvii. G, by an apparent conviction to dazzle and dis- courage your adversaries. The world w^as well changed when Con- stantine kissed the hollow of Paphnutius' eye, that was erewhile put out for Christ. Scorn is but a little cloud that is soon blown over. But if Christ do not cause your enemies to bow to you, yet he will give you honour among his people ; for he hath promised to honour those that honour him, 1 Sam. ii. 30 ; and he is able to do it, for the hearts of all men are in his hands, and he can dispose of their respects at pleasure. That sentence of Solomon intimateth that God is resolved upon it, ' A man shall be commended according to his wisdom,' Prov. xii. 8. But, however, suppose all this were not, in the next world you shall be sure to find Christ a Lord of glory, when he cometh to i)ut the same glory upon the saints which the Father hath put upon himself, John xvii. 22, 24. ' In that day,' as the apostle saith, ' he will be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe,' 2 Thes. i. 10. It is a notable expression ; not only admired in himself, but in his saints ; as if he accounted the social glory which resulteth to his person from the glory of his children a greater honour to him than his own personal glory. Well, then, look to your thoughts of Christ. How do you consider him ? as a Lord of glory? The apostle saith, ' To them that believe, Christ is precious,' 1 Peter ii. 7, in the ori- ginal, Ti/ir;, an honour. They account no honour like the honour of having relation to Christ. You will know this disposition by two notes : — (1.) All other excellencies will be as nothing. Birth, ' an Hebrew of the Hebrews;' dignity, ' a Pharisee ;' moral accomplish- ments, 'touching the law, blameless ; ' beauty and esteem in the world, ' if any man might have confidence in the flesh, I much more ; ' yet * I count all things but dung and loss, for the excellency of the know- ledge of Christ,' Phil. iii. 8. (2.) All other abasures will be nothing: TaTretw?, the ' brother of base degree ' may count his baseness for Christ a i)referment ; let him ' rejoice in that he is exalted,' James i. 9. So of Moses it is said, he 'esteemed the reproaches of Christ better treasures than the riches of Egypt,' Heb. xi. 2G. Mark, he did not only endure the rc})roaches of Christ, but counted them treasures, to be reckoned among his honours and tilings of value. So Thuanus re- porteth of Ludovicus Marsacus, a knight of Prance, when he was led, with other martyrs that were bound with cords, to execution, and he for his dignity was not bound, he cried, ' Give me my chains too; let me be a knight of the same order.'' Certainly it is an honour to be