a Viz. As to his eternal Salvation ; wherein are the ends of Reli- gion - promoted by it? The Apoſtle had jutt before declared, that thev who are unmerciful to Men, ſhall find God ſevere to them- ſelves, and have Judgment without Mercy : but Siypocritical Proteſ- ſors boaſted of their Faith as ſufficient to ſecure them againſt that Judzment, though they negletted the Pra&ice of Holineſs and Righteouſneſs. Hence he ſeems to take occation for the following Diſcourſe, to beat down their vain Boaſting of an empty unfruittul Faith ; and poſſibly, leſt they ſhould abule or miſunderſtand what he had ſaid about the Law of Liberty, as it that inferred a Licenſe of finning, and living as they pleaſed. b Whether boaſtingly with his Mouth to others, or flatteringly in his Heart to himſelf, The Apoſtle doth not ſay, that a Man's having Faith ſimply 1s unproff- table, but either that Faith he pretends to- without Works, or his boaſting he hath Faith, when the contrary 1s evident by his not ha- ving Works. cSuch as he pretends to be good, and ſound and ſa- ving, but is really empty and dead, v. 26. and untruitful. dj, e. Good Works, ſuch as are not only Affs of Charity, to which the Papiſts would reſtrain it, but all the Fruits of Righteouſneſs and Ho- lincſs proceeding from Faith, and appearing both in Heart and Life. e The In errogation is a vehement negation, g. d, it cannot fave him, viz. ſuch a Faith az a Man may have (as well as boaſt he hath) without works. This James calls Faith only by way of Conceſſion for the preſent, though -it be but equivocally called Faith, and no more really ſo, than the Carcaſe of a Man is,a Man,
15 * If a brother or fifter f be naked g, and deſti- ture of daily food þ -
f A Chriſtian Man or Woman, who hath frequently thus called, ſee x Cor. 7, 12, 15. g Badly cloathed, or deſtitute of ſuch cloa- thing as is fit for them, Fob 22. 6. 1 Cor. 4. 11. h Matth, 6. 11. That which is neceffary for the ſuſtaining of Lite a Day to an end ; un- der theſe two of Nakedneſsand Hunger he comprehends all the Ca- lamities of Human Life, which may be relieved by the Help of others; as Food and Raiment contain all the ordinary Supports and Comforts of Life, Gen. 28. 20. Matth. 6. 25.and x Tim. 6.8.
16 And * one of you ſay unto them, Depart in
* r Joh.3. k
18,
peace 7, be ye warmed &, and be yehilled /, notwith- {tanding ye give them not thoſe things which are needful to the Body m7 - what doth 7t profit 72 ?
; An uſual Form of Salutation, wherein, under the Name of Peace, they wiſhed all Proſperity, and Happineſs to them they greeted, Mark 5. 34. Luke 7. 50. and 8. 48. k i.e. Beyecloathed ; the Warmth here mentioned being ſuch as is procured by Cloaths, 7ob
31. 20. | Or, ſatisfied with Food ; a Metaphor from the fatting of
Cattel with Graſs or Hay, The fame Word is uſed, Matth. 14. 20, Marh 6. 42. Phil. 4. 12. Theſe two good Wiſhes anſwer the two former great Wants, wm Underſtand , when ye are able to relieve them; tor he ſpeaks to the Rich, or ſuch as were in a Capacity of be- ing helpful to others. n Either what do your good Words, and charitable Wiſhes profit them, without charitable Deeds? Or, what do they prot your ſelves? Or both may be included : As your fair Specches convey no real Good to them, ſo they bring in no Reward to you from God.
17 Even fo faith o, if it hath not works, is dead p,
7 Gr. by it heing Falone 9. felf. 7 f
o That winch they boaſted of, and called Faith. p Void of that Life, in which the very Effence of Faith conſiſts, and which always
Ciſcovers it ſelf in vital A&jngs, and good Fruits, where it is not '
hindred by ſome forceable Impediment ; in Alluiion to a Corps which plainly appears to have no vital Principle1a it, all vital Ope- rations being, ccaled. It reſemles a Man's Body, and 1s called ſo, but in reality 15 not fo, but a dead Carcate, 4q Margin, by it (e/f
FUMES.
, or zn it felf, be it what it wil, it is but dead ; Or, as we render it
PF
being alone, i, e, not in ConjunRtion with Works, which always 4' ſhould be, :
15 Yea, a man 7 may fay s Thou haſt faith 7, and [ have works x : ſhew n works x, and I will ſhew thee my faith by nj works y. Eee:
r Any true Believer. 5s To any ſuch boaſtins Hypocrite, * Thon pretendeſt to have Faith, or admit thou haft Faith ; and an Bifts- rical Faith he night have, 5 4, 19, #4 1 do not boatt of my Kitt, or do ſay nothing of my raith, yet works 1 do projets to have. x There be two readings of theſe Words, but in both, the agrees with the reſt of tie Apoſtle's Dilcourſe. But if we take ti marginal reading, ſhew me thy Faith by thy Works, the Sore is, Evidence the tazth thou pretendeft to, by thy Works, as the Fruits of it ; let thy Attions vouch tor thy- Profeſſion. But it we take tho Reading in the Text withour thy Works, it is-a kind of Ironic! Expreſſion, 9. d. make it appear by convincing Arguments, that thou haſt true Faith, when yet thou wanteſt Works, the only Ar- gument of the Truth of it; underſtand here, but this tha can't nts y I will eaftly prove my Faith to be true and genuin, by thofe 200d Works it brings forth in me. Demonſtrate the Caute to me with- out the Effect, if thou canſt ; but I will eatily demonttrats the. Cauſe by the Effet, and prove the Root of Faith to be in ins, by my bringing forth that Fruit which is proper to it. It cannot 12nco Leinterred, that wherever fuch Works are, as Men count wad cal good, there muſt needs be Faith : The Apoſtle's meatitnz only | That wherever true Faith is, there good Works will certain!y be.
19 Thou believeſt thar there is one God >. thou dolt well a : * The devilsalfo believe b, and trem- ole ' ag
7 Thou g veſt thy Afent to this Truth, that there is one God, This may likewiſe 1mpty other Articles of the Creed, to which the like Atfent may be given. a Either this kind of Faith hathits good- nets, though 1t be not ſaving,or ironically, q. d, a great matter thou doſt, when thou goett almoit as high as the Devils. 6 Yield the like Afeent to the ſame Truth, c The Word fiznifes extreme |car and Horror, viz. fuch as the Thoughts of their Judge ſtrikes into them. This ſhews the Faith the Apoſtle ſpeaks of in this Place, not to be the Faith of God's Ele&t, which begets in Be.icvers an holv Confidence in God, and frees them from ſlaviſh Fears; whereas the Faith here ſpoken of, if it have any Efe& upon Men,it is but to nil them with Horror.