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that Abraham offered his son, Heb. xi. 17. — cm /ripyei, wrought with) Therefore faith has one kind of efficacy and operation (hspysiav), works another : and indeed faith before works and with them. Works do not give life to faith ; but faith produces works, and works make perfect faith. — zrs\siu>Qri, was made perfect) He does not say, teas made alive. That which faith derives from works is not its re- ality and truth, for it has a true existence before works, but its per- fection and its attaining to the Divine friendship ; ver. 23. Comp. John xv. 10. The vigour of faith, which produces works, is in- creased, excited, and strengthened by the very act of producing them, just as the natural heat of the body is promoted by the exer- cise which it first stimulates. See 1 John iii. 22. Abraham re- turned from that sacrifice much more perfect in faith than he had gone to it. The same word, rsXsiovedai, is used by Alexander Aphrodisiensis, in his 2d Book, respecting the soul, Chapter III., rpirog bs sen , when he describes the intellect as increased by the knowledge of things situated beyond [external to] itself. Faith itself is made perfect , that is, is shown to be true, by works.
23. ’EKXripuQri i] ypa(p the Scripture was fulfilled) The sense is here anticipated by Prolepsis,1 for it was fulfilled before it was written : but at what part of Abraham’s time was it fulfilled ? When he first believed, or afterwards, when he offered his son ? At both times : but James especially refers to the time of the offering, since he is speaking of the state of Abraham after his justification : and to this the expression, he teas called the friend of God , has re- ference; but from this he proves justification by works; from the former expression, justification by faith. — bs) I have found this particle in two Latin MSS. I mention this circumstance, lest other versions should increase the doubt respecting the genuine reading of the word. — %ui fiXog 0sou sz,Xi j^, and he was called the friend of God) This is the second part of the whole verse ; for it has no reference in its connection to the verb was ful- filled. Abraham had already been the friend of God, before his death ; and after his death he was so called by his posterity, 2 Chron. xx. 7 ; and by God Himself, Is. xli. 8. He was the friend , in an active sense, the lover of God , which has a reference to works ; and in a passive sense, loved hy God , which has a refer- ence to justification by works. Both these senses, united together by the force of the relatives, are found also in John xv. 14. In
1 See, under the title Amfliatio, Append.
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