Ver. 19. Thoti helievest thei'e is one God, thou dost well ; the devils also believe, and tremble.
^ ' Bona opera sunt spei qusedam seminaria, caritatis incentiva, occulta pra)destina- tionis judicia, noa fiducise f undamenta, futurse felicitatis prsesagia,' &c. — Bernard.
240 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [Jas. II. 19.
This instance slio\vetli wliat faith he disputeth against, namely, such as cousisteth in bare speculation and knowledge ; which can no more save a man than looking on the sun can translate a man into the sphere and orb of it.
Thou bi'licvesf ; that is, assent^st to this truth : the lowest act of faith is invested with the name of believing.
There u one God — He instanceth in this proposition, though he doth limit the matter only to this, partly because this was the first article of the creed, the primitive truth in religion, ' that there is one God,' by it intending also assent to other articles of religion ; partly be- cause this was the critical difierence between them and the pagans, and the shibboleth of the Christian profession as to heathens.
Thou dost 2veU. — It is an approbation of such assent so far as it is good, and not rested in ; though it be not saving, yet so far as it is historical it is good — good in its kind, as a common work and i)repara- tion ; for so it is required: ' Hear, O Israel, our God is one Lord,' Deut. vi. 4. And so in another article of religion it is said, 1 John iv. 2, ' He that believeth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God ; ' that is, so far forth of God.
The deuds also believe; that is, assent to this truth, and other truths revealed in the word.
And tremble, <})pLcra-ovcn. — The word signifieth extreme fear and horror of spirit ; it cometh from <f)pl^, a word that implieth that noise which is caused by the commotion of the sea. Now, this clause is added, ' they tremble,' not to imply, as some suppose, that they do more than assent, as having an experience of some work upon their affections, but to disprove this kind of faith, and to show that it is not saving ; they have an assent which causeth horror and torment, but they liave not a faith which causeth confidence and peace, the proper fruit of that faith which is justifying, Eom. v. 1 ; Ej)h. iii. 12.
Obs. 1. Bare assent to the articles of religion doth not infer true faith. True faith uniteth to Christ, it is conversant about his per- son ; it is not only assensus axiomati, an assent to a gospel-maxim or proposition ; you are not justified by that, but by being one with Christ. It was the mistake of the former age to make the promise rather than the person of Christ to be the formal object of faith ; the promise is the icarrant, Christ the object: therefore the work of faith is terminated on him in the expressions of scripture. We read of coming to him, receiving him, &c. ; we cannot close with Christ without a promise, and we must not close with a promise without Christ : in short, there is not only assent in faith, but consent ; not only an assent to the truth of the word, but a consent to take Christ ; there must be an act that is directly and formally conversant about the person of Christ. Well, then, do not mistake a naked illumina- tion, or some general acknowledgment of the articles of religion for faith. A man may be right in o])inion and judgment, but of vile afi'ections ; and a carnal Cln-istian is in as great danger as a pagan, or idolater, or heretic ; for though his judgment be sound, yet his manners are heterodox and heretical. True believing is not an act of the understanding only, but a work of ' all the heart,' Acts viii. 37. I confess some expressions of scripture seem to lay much upon assent.
JaS. II. 19.] UPON TEE EriSTLE OF JAMES. 241
as 1 John iv. 2, and v. 1 ; 1 Cor. xii. 3 ; Mat. xvi. 17 ; but these places do either show that assents, where they are serious, and upon full con- viction, come from some special revelation ; or else, if they propound them as evidences of grace, we must distinguish times : the greatest difificulty lay then upon assent, rather than affiance. The truths of God suffering under so many prejudices, the gospel was a novel doc- trine, contrary to the ordinary and received principles of reason, per- secuted in the world, no friend to natural and carnal affections, and therefore apt to be suspected. The wind that bloweth on our backs, blew in their faces ; and that which draweth on many to assent to the gospel was their discouragement. Consent and long prescription of time, the countenance and favour of the world, do beget a veneration and reverence to religion ; and therefore assent now is nothing so much as it was then, especially when it is trivial and arreptitious, rather than deliberate ; for this is only the fruit of human testimony, and needeth not supernatural grace. Therefore do not please yourselves in naked assents ; these cost nothing, and are worth nothing. There is ' a form of knowledge,' Rom. ii. 20, as well as ' a form of godliness,' 2 Tim. iii. 5. ' A form of knowledge ' is nothing but an idea or module of truth in the brains, when there is no power or virtue to change and trans- form the heart.