Ver. 21. Was not Abraham our fail ler justified hy luorlcs, tvJien he offered Isaac iqjon the altar ?
Here he propoundeth the demonstration that might convince the vain man, which is taken from the example of Abraham ; the believers of the Old and New Testament being all justified the same way.
IVas not Abraham our father. — He instanceth in Abraham, because he was the prime example and idea of justification, and because many were apt to plead that instance urged by Paul, Kom. iv. 1^, &c., and because he was a man of special reverence and esteem among the Jews. And he calleth liim ' our father,' because he was so to those to whom he wrote, to the twelve dispersed tribes, and because he is to all the faithful, who are described to be those that ' walk in the steps of our father Abraham,' Rom. iv. 12. And indeed this is the solemn name and title that is given to Abraham in the scriptures, ' Abraham our father.' See John viii. .53 ; Acts vii. 2 ; Kom. iv. 1.
Justified hi/ worJcs ; that is, declared to be just by his works before God and the world. But you will say, is not this contrary to scripture ? It is said, Kom. iii. 20, ' I3y the works of the law no man is justified ; ' and particularly it is said of Abraham, that he was ' not justified by works,' Kom. iv. 2. How shall we reconcile this difference? I shall not enter upon the main rpiestion till I come to the 24th verse ; only, for tlie clearing of the present doubt, give me leave to return some- thing by way of answer. Some distinguisli of justification, it is either in foro divino or humano, in heaven or before men, and that is again
JaS. II. 21.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 245
either in our own consciences or in the siji^lit of others : in the two latter senses they grant that works do justify ; though not before God, yet in the court of conscience and before the world. Tlie distinction is not altogether without warrant of scripture, for, Eoru. iii. 20, ' By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight.' Mark that, in his sight, implying there is another justification before men, which may take in works. So also Kom. iv. 2, that ' Abraham had not whereof to glory before God.' That last clause implieth he could avouch his sincerity, as Job also did, befoie men. Job xxxi. Well, then, according to this opinion, these two ])laces may be thus recon- ciled : Paul speaketh of the use and office of laith inforo divino, before God, and James speaketh of the eflects and qualities of faith by which it is justified before men. And thus the business may be fairly accom- modated ; but that I believe there is somewhat more in it, because he speaketh of some special justification that Abraham received upon his offering of Isaac ; and you shall find that from God he then received a justification of his faith, though thirty years before that he had received a justification of his person. When he was an idolater and ungodly, Joshua xiv. 2, Kom. v. 4, then God called him out of grace, Gen. xii. 3, and justified him. It is said, ' He believed, and it was counted to him for righteousness,' Gen. xv. 6. He was justified by imputation, and absolved from guilt and sin, so as it could not lie upon him to damnation. But now, when he offered Isaac, his faitli was justified to be true and right, for that command was for the trial of it ; therefore upon his obedience God did two things — renewed the promise of Christ to him, Gen. xxii. ] 6, 17, and gave him a testimony and declaration of his sincerity, ver. 12, ' Now I know that thou fearest God,' saith Christ to him, who is there called the ' Angel of the Lord.' I conceive, as works are signs in foro huiiiano, to men, by which they may judge of the quality of faith, so inforo divino, before God, God judging ' according to our works,' as it is distinctly said, Eev. XX. 12. God will evince the faith of his saints to be right by producing their works, and will discover the ungrounded hopes of others by their works also, for great and small are all judged accord- ing to that rule. And not only hereafter, but now also doth God judge according to works ; that is, look upon them as testimonies and declarations of faith. ' Now I know that thou fearest God ;' that is, now I have an experience ; upon which experience Abraham was justified and the promise renewed. I conceive our apostle alludeth to that experience, for he speaketh as in a known case, ' Was not Abraham justified by works?' that is, upon this did not he receive a testimony and declaration from God that he was justified ? And suitable to this the author of the Book of Maccabees saith, 1 Mac. ii. 52, ' Was not Abraham found faithful in tenqjtation? and it was imputed to him for righteousness.' Found faithful is a phrase equivalent to that which James useth, ' was justified.' Therefore Paul and James may be thus reconciled : Paul speaketh of the justifying of a sinner from the curse of his natural condition, the occupations of the law, &c., and accepting him into the favour of God, which is of grace, and not of debt; James of tlie justifying and approbation of that faith by which we are thus accepted with God. God giveth us the comfort of our