who writes it in the heart, Fer. 31.33. And thus it may be taken particularly for the Word of the Goſpel, in oppoſition to the Lai which came to Mens ears from without, and admoniſhed them of their Duty, but was not writ in their hearts, or engratted there, to form them unto obedience to it. Or, that it may be engraffed, j. e. Intimately united to, or rooted in the heart by a vital union, or madenatural to it (as ſome render the word) the heart being tranſ- formed by the power of it, and conformed to the Precepts of if, 2 Cor. 3.18. Rom. 6. 17. { viz. when received by Faith. #- In- ſtrumentally, as being the means wherein God puts forth his power in ſaving them, Roy. 1. 16.4 Your ſelves, the Soul as the nobleſt part, 15 by a Synecdoche, put for the whole Perſon, ſee 1 Pet. 1. 9.
22 * Put be ye doers of the word x and not hear- ers only y deceiving your own ſelves 2.
x The ſame as doers of theWork, v. 25. namely,which the Word preſcribes, g..d. receive the Word by faith into your Hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in your Lives; ſee Luke 11. 28. 7ohn 13. 17. .y Not contenting your felyes with a bare hearing the Word, though 1t have no intluence upon you. xz Playing the Sophiſters with, or putting a tallacy upon your ſelves, particularly,perſwading your ſelves into a good opinion of your ſtate, mcerly becauſe of your being hearers of the Word, Matth. 7. 21.
23 For * if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like untoa man a beholding his na- tural faceb ina glals c :
a The Greek word here uſed, properly figninnes the Sex, not the Species, but is indifferently uſed by this Apoſtle with the other, as v. 12, and 20. fo that by a Man looking his Face 1n a Glaſs, is meant any Man or Woman. b Or, the face of his Nativity by an Hebraiſm, for natural Face, as we tranſlate it, 7. e. his own Face, that which Nature gave him, or he was born with. c The Word 1s here com- pared to 4 Looking-Glaſs; as the Glaſs repreſents to us the Features and Complexions of our Faces, whether beautiful or deformed ; fo the Word ſhews us the true tace of our Souls, the beaut;; of God's {mage when reſtored to them, and the Spots of Sin which ſo greatly disfigure them, |
24 For he beholdeth himſelf, and gocth his way, and ftraightway forgetteth what mannzr o! man he was d.
d The remembrance of what his Face is, vaniſhcth as ſoon as his Eye is off the Glaſs ; he remembers not the Spots he ſaw in his Face to wipe them off. So he that ſees the Blemiſhes of his Soul, in the Giats of the Word, and doth not remembcr them to do them May, looks in that Glaſs (7.v, hears the Word) in vain.
25 But whoſo looketh e to the perfect * law of 1
\ ol. [T.
FUMES.
mad partakers of a Divine Nature, John tr. 13. and 1 Pet. 1. 3, 23+ {
c #. ©, The Word of the Golpcl, as the Inſtrument or Mcans whcrc- by we are regenerated: Why it is called the Word of Truth, fee FP.
he hears into pratiice, P/azl. 103.
ſeems, 1s otten taken, 1 Cor. 3.
1n2,and ſpeaking evil of others
1? ” by : ; 1 ms OF TY ALI berry /. aUnagG CONTIiuyeth TPEFOM
getiul here: fhall be bletR-1
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er Þ bur
into a thing); ind is utrd of the Diſciples looking tato Crit?” » pulcher, Luke 24. 12. 7:n 20.5, ſee 1 Pet. t. 12. and
oppoied to looking into a Gli, which is more thzhit, a! ſuch prying and 1nquifitivensf,, f The whole DUittrioc of the Scrty tare, or eſpecially the Guipe! calied a Law, 7 . 27 any is a Rule, and by reaſon co! the yowerit hith over the !icurt;; aid Law of Liberty, becaulc 1t ſhows the way to the butt Z55+ 5, treedoin from Sin, the Bondage of tie C: ro. onal Law, the rizour of tac Moral, and from the Wrath 9: Gud;
) and hkewiſe the way of for ving Good freely and in-enuoully as - Children; and becauſe beins received into the Heart, 1t 15 acco:npanied with the Spirit or Adyr:- tion who works th:s Liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17. It 5 called a perfed Law, not only as kcing intire and without any detcet, bur as directing vs to the greateſt Perfeftion, full contorinity to God, and enjoyment of him, 2 Tim, 3.15, 17. g Perſeveres 1n the ſtudy, bulict, and o- bedience of this DoQrine, (Pſal. 1. 2.) 1n all conditions, and under a!! temptations and affittions. This ſeems to be oppoict to him, when he hath looked in a Glaſs,goes away v2.4.5!
Wile are let forth 2ht, ſuperficial hearers, who do not continue in Chriſt's W 7obn8.31. hGr. heaver of forgetfulneſs, by an lehratn 157 4 getful Hearer ; it anſwers to him in the former Veric, thit ! what manner of man he was, and impiics. not only, not roms the Truths we have heard, but a not pro*tifing them, +: the next Clauſe. i Viz. which the Word diretts hum to <Q: gular Number 1s put tor the Plural; he meatehe tat reduuy ts i8. þ Tins is oppoſed to hire Troy inz, and the doer of the Work tis faid tobe blotite 1 4, of by tis 2 as the evidence of his preſent begun bletledrett, and re 4 future perfect Happincis.
26 If any man among you fee /to he rl ind * bridlech nor his toncoue x, but decetrert iis wi heart z, that man's region 75 Vain -, | :
1 Seems to others, or rather to himſelf ; thinks himfelt reli 1908, becauſe of his heariny and outward Worthip ; thus the word rendr. 0 * 3. 12.and 8.2, and 14. 37. G.t. 6. 3: Here he ſhews who arc not ders of the Work, as in the next Vert-, whoare. m Reftrains 1t not trom the common Vices of the Tongur, reviling, r:iling, cenſuring, &c. n Either decetveth his own heart mn thinking himſelf Religious, when indulging himfelr in thinss fo cen- trary to Religicn, or deceives his own heart, being blinded with felt - loye, and liſted up with ſelf-conceit, which is the cauſe of his cenſur-
o Empty ard to ro purpoſe, hs ving noreality in it ſelf, and bringing no te netit to him.
27 Pure p religion and undefiled q betore God » ard the Father {is this, To vifit 7 the fatherleis and wi- dows z in their affliction x, ard tro keep himfelt un ſpotted ob the world y.