Out of the whole discourse you may observe : —
Obs. 1. That in the scriptures there is sometimes a seeming differ- ence, but no real contrariety. The to evavrio^avh, the seeming dilfer- cnce, is ordered with good advice. God would prevent misprisions and errors on every side ; and the expressions of scripture are ordered so tbat one may relieve another.- As, for instance, some hold that Christ had only an imaginary body, and was man but in appearance; therefore, to show the reality of his human nature, you have thali
' See Mr Bull of the Covenant, p. 20.
' ' Alterius sic
Altera poscit opem res, et con jurat amice.'
JaS. II. 25.] UPON TRE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 265
expression, John i. 14, ' The word was made flesh.' Others, straining that expression, held a cliani^e of the Godhead into the humanity ; to correct Avhich excess we have another expression, 1 Tim. iii. 16, ' God manifested in the flesh.' To a Valentinian, nrginc; that place in Timothy for Christ's fantastic and imaginary body, we may oppose that in John, 'The word was made flesh;' to a Cerinthian, pleading for a change of the Godhead, we may oppose that in Panl, ' God manifested,' &c. So in some places we are bid ' to work out our salvation,' Phil. ii. 12, 13 ; and the whole business of salvation is charged upon us, to check laziness. In other places the will and deed is altogether ascribed to God, to prevent self-confidence. Thus Paul, having to deal with pharisaical justiciaries, proveth invincibly justifi- cation by faith without works ; James, having to deal with carnal gospellers, proveth as strongly that a profession of faith without works is vain. The scripture hath so poised and contempered all doctrines and expressions, that it might wisely prevent human mis- takes and errors on every hand, and sentences might not be violently urged apart, but measured by the proportion of faith.
Ohs. 2. That a bare profession of faith is not enough to acquit us from hypocrisy. Christ would not own them that professed his name but wrought iniquity, Mat. vii. 21, 22; so also the church should not own men for their bare profession. In these times we look more at gifts and abilities of speech than good works, and empty prattle weigheth more than real charity.
Ver. 25. Likewise also loas not RoJiah the harlot Justified hy icorJcs, tvhen she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another ivay .^
Here he bringeth another instance. But why doth he mention Rahab? (1.) Because this act of hers is made an effect of faith: Heb. xi. 31, ' By faith Pwahab the harlot perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies in peace.' It was indeed a great act of faith for one that had lived among heathens to be per- suaded of the power of the God of Israel, of the right they had to that land ; which faith was wrought in her by divine instinct, upon the report which was made of God and his works. (2.) Because this instance doth well to be annexed to the former. They might object that every one could not go as high as Abraham, the great idea and pattern of all believers ; ay ! but the lowest faith miist produce works as well as the highest ; and therefore he bringeth Rahab for an in- stance of the weakest faith. (1st.) For her person; she was a woman, a harlot, a heathen, when God wrought upon her; there being so many disadvantages, it is to be presumed this was as low an instance as can be brotight. (2d.) For the act itself, it was accompanied with weakness, with a lie, which indeed is suppressed, or not mentioned, lest it should deface the glory of her faith. (3d.) Because there might be some doubt of this instance. They might object that bare profession was accounted faith in Rahab, and she a harlot. He replieth that in Rahab the doctrine might be made good ; for her faith, how weak soever, yielded some self-denying act or fruit.
But you will say, How is this pertinent to the purpose, to prove that pretence or profession of faith without works is not enough to
26G AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. II. 25.
ac(iuit us of hypocrisy ? I answer — You must conceive it thus : If she had only said unto these messengers, I beHeve the God of heaven and earth hath given you this whole land for a possession, yet I dare not show you any kindness in this city, it had been but such a dead barren laith as he here treateth of; but this belief prevailed so flir with her, that she performed a grateful office to them, though she incurred present danger, and the tortures which the rage of her citizens would inflict upon her for harbouring spies. I come now to the words.
Likeiuise also. — It hath relation to the former instance of Abraham.
Was not Balmh the harlot. — Lyranus thinks that the word hazzonah, for harlot, was her proper name ; others think it only signi- lieth that she was a hostess or victualler ; so the Chaldee paraphrase rendereth it a woman that kept a tavern, hJD^pnjD Nnn. jvvalKa TTavhoKevTpiav ; the Chaldee word being formed out of the Greek, they derive the original zonah from zun, which signitieth to feed, though others derive it from zanah, he ylayecl the adulterer; and they think it altogether improbable for a prince of Judah to marry a com- mon harlot. But the article /; Tropvt], that harlot, so commonly used in scripture, and because this is still repeated as a noted circumstance, and the Syriac hath a word that properly and only signifieth harlot, seem to infer that she was indeed a woman of a vicious and infamous life , and it is but folly to excuse that which God would have made known for his own glory. Probably she might be both a hostess and a harlot too, as many times such are of an evil fame. She lived from lier parents ; no mention is made of husband and children : if her pre- tence had not been to keep a place of entertainment, it is not likely that the spies would turn into an open brothel-house, unless ignorant of it, or by divine providence guided thither.