Ohs. 4. From that can faith save him? that is, will you come before God with these hopes for salvation ? We should cherish no
234 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. II. 15, 16.
other confidence than such as will abide the day of the Lord, and hold out to salvation. Will this be a plea, then, when all mankind is either to be damned or saved, to say you made profession ? 1 John ii. 28. The solemnity of Christ's coming is the circumstance that is often used for detecting ungrounded hopes ; as Luke xxi. 36, ' Watch and pray, that you may be able to stand before the Son of man ;' that is, with- out sliame and remorse at liis coming. So 1 Jolm iv. 17, ' That we may have boldness at the day of judgment.' Men consider what will serve for the present purposes, what will quiet the heart, that they may follo^v' their business or pleasures with the less regret. Oh ! but consider what will serve you for salvation ; what will serve turn at the day of death or the day of judgment. No plea is sufficient but what may be urged before the throne of the Lamb. Well, then, urge this upon your souls, Will this faith save me — interest me in Christ, so as I may have boldness at the day of judgment ? As Christ asked Peter thrice, ' Lovest thou me ? ' so put the question again and again unto your souls. Can I look Christ in the face with these hopes ? Sincere graces are called ra eyo^xeva r)]<; acoTripla^, Heb. vi. 9, ' Things that accompany salvation.' This is the issue and result of all seK- inquiries, Is it a saving grace ? Nothing should satisfy me but what can save me.
Ver. 15-16. I/a brother or sister he naked, and destitute of daily bread, and one of you say to them, Depart in peace, he you ivairaed, be you filled ; notioithstanding ye give them not those things that are needful to the body, what doth it profit ?
If a brother or a sister. — The apostle compareth faith and charity, and showeth that pretences of faith avail no more than pretences of charity. By brother or sister he meaneth Christians, united together by the bond of the same profession, terms oft used in that sense in this epistle.
Be naked ; that is, ill-clothed ; so nakedness is often taken : so 1 Cor. iv. 11, 'We suffer hunger, we are naked;' that is, destitute of necessary apparel. So Job xxii. 6, ' Thou hast stripped the naked of their clothing;' that is, the ill-clothed are brought to worse poverty by thy extortion. So when men have not a decent garment, or be- coming their state, 1 Sam. xix. 24. Saul prophesied naked ; that is, without the vestment of a prophet.
And destitute of daily bread ; that is, not only of moderate sup- plies, but such as are extremely necessary. They have not from hand to mouth, or wherewith to sustain life for a day. Christ calleth it, aprov iiTLovaiov, ' present bread,' Mat. vi. 11. Under these two notions of nakedness and hunger, he comprehendeth all the necessi- ties of the human life, for tliese are the things utterly necessary. Therefore Christ saith, ' Take no thought what ye shall eat, or where- with ye shall be clothed,' I\Iat. vi. 31 ; ' And if we have food and raiment, let us be therewith content,' 1 Tim. vi. .S. And Jacob pro- jniseth worship if God would give him ' bread to eat, and raiment to ])ut on,' Gen. xxviii. 20. Till the world grew to a height of luxury, this was enough,^ The bill of provisi(xis was very short, ' food and raiment.'
^ ' Cibus et potua sunt divitia: Christianorum.' — Ilicron.
JaS. II. 15, 16.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 235
And one of you say to them ; that is, that hath ability otherwise to do them good ; for else good wishes are not to be despised ; and some can only give a cheap alms, prayers, and counsel.
Depart in peace. — A solemn form of salutation,! which is as much as, ' I wish you well' See Mark v. 34 ; Luke vii. 50, and Luke viii. 48.
Be you loarmed, or he you filled. — After the general form, he cometh to instance in good wishes, suitable to the double necessity fore- mentioned : ' Be warmed,' that is, be clothed ; it is opposed to ' naked.' So Job xxxi. 20, ' The poor were warmed with the fleece of my sheep.' The Sej^tuagint have it, eOapfjudvOrjaav airo Kovpa^ ajxvwv /jlov, ' Be filled ; ' that is, I wish you food to sustain your hunger.
Notiuitlistanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body ; that is, when you are able ; otherwise a hearty wish is of use and acceptance. So ' a cup of cold water ' is welcome. Mat. x. 42 ; and it is not reason that ' other men should be eased and we burdened,' 2 Cor, viii. 13. His chief aim was to shame the rich, that thought to satisfy their duty by a few cheap words and charitable wishes ; which offence was as common as pretence of faith, as appeareth