BIBLES NET. COM
Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
on the Whole Bible
Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
J A M E S.
CHAP. II.
In this chapter the apostle condemns a sinful regarding of the rich,
and despising the poor, which he imputes to partiality and injustice,
and shows it to be an acting contrary to God, who has chosen the poor,
and whose interest is often persecuted, and his name blasphemed, by the
rich,
He shows that the whole law is to be fulfilled, and that mercy should
be followed, as well as justice,
He exposes the error and folly of those who boast of faith without
works, telling us that this is but a dead faith, and such a faith as
devils have, not the faith of Abraham, or of Rahab,
| Regard Due to Poor Christians; Partiality Condemned. | A. D. 61. |
|
|
|
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring,
in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile
raiment;
3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and
say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor,
Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges
of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of
this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you,
and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are
called?
The apostle is here reproving a very corrupt practice. He shows how
much mischief there is in the sin of
prosopolepsia—respect of persons, which seemed to
be a very growing evil in the churches of Christ even in those early
ages, and which, in these after-times, has sadly corrupted and divided
Christian nations and societies. Here we have,
I. A caution against this sin laid down in general: My brethren,
have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with
respect of persons,
v. 1.
Observe here,
1. The character of Christians fully implied: they are such as have the
faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; they embrace it; they receive it; they
govern themselves by it; they entertain the doctrine, and submit to the
law and government, of Christ; they have it as a trust; they have it as
a treasure.
2. How honorably James speaks of Jesus Christ; he calls him the Lord
of glory; for he is the brightness of his Father’s glory, and
the express image of his person.
3. Christ’s being the Lord of glory should teach us not to respect
Christians for any thing so much as their relation and conformity to
Christ. You who profess to believe the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which the poorest Christian shall partake of equally with the rich, and
to which all worldly glory is but vanity, you should not make men’s
outward and worldly advantages the measure of your respect. In
professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should not show
respect to men, so as to cloud or lessen the glory of our glorious
Lord: how ever any may think of it, this is certainly a very heinous
sin.
II. We have this sin described and cautioned against, by an instance or
example of it
(v. 2, 3):
For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, &c.
Assembly here is meant of those meetings which were appointed
for deciding matters of difference among the members of the church, or
for determining when censures should be passed upon any, and what those
censures should be; therefore the Greek word here used,
synagoge, signifies such an assembly as that in the
Jewish synagogues, when they met to do justice. Maimonides says (as I
find the passage quoted by Dr. Manton) “That is was expressly provided
by the Jews’ constitutions that, when a poor man and a rich plead
together, the rich shall not be bidden to sit down and the poor stand,
or sit in a worse place, but both sit or both stand alike.” To this the
phrases used by the apostle have a most plain reference, and therefore
the assembly here spoken of must be some such as the
synagogue-assemblies of the Jews were, when they met to hear causes and
to execute justice: to these the arbitrations and censures of their
Christian assemblies are compared. But we must be careful not to apply
what is here said to the common assemblies for worship; for in these
certainly there may be appointed different places of persons according
to their rank and circumstances, without sin. Those do not understand
the apostle who fix his severity here upon this practice; they do not
consider the word judges (used in
v. 4),
nor what is said of their being convected as transgressors of the law,
if they had such a respect of persons as is here spoken of, according
to
v. 9.
Thus, now put the case: “There comes into your assembly (when of
the same nature with some of those at the synagogue) a man that
is distinguished by his dress, and who makes a figure, and there
comes in also a poor man in vile raiment, and you act partially,
and determine wrong, merely because the one makes a better appearance,
or is in better circumstances, than the other.” Observe hence,
1. God has his remnant among all sorts of people, among those that wear
soft and gay clothing, and among those that wear poor and vile raiment.
2. In matters of religion, rich and poor stand upon a level; no man’s
riches set him in the least nearer to God, nor does any man’s poverty
set him at a distance from God. With the Most High there is no
respect of persons, and therefore in matters of conscience there
should be none with us.
3. All undue honouring of worldly greatness and riches should
especially be watched against in Christian societies. James does not
here encourage rudeness or disorder. Civil respect must be paid, and
some difference may be allowed in our carriage towards persons of
different ranks; but this respect must never be such as to influence
the proceedings of Christian societies in disposing of the offices of
the church, or in passing the censures of the church, or in any thing
that is purely a matter of religion; here we are to know no man after
the flesh. It is the character of a citizen of Zion that in his eyes
a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth those that fear the
Lord. If a poor man be a good man, we must not value him a whit the
less for his poverty; and, if a rich man be a bad man (though he may
have both gay clothing and a gay profession), we must not value him any
whit the more for his riches.
4. Of what importance it is to take care what rule we go by in judging
of men; if we allow ourselves commonly to judge by outward appearance,
this will too much influence our spirits and our conduct in religious
assemblies. There is many a man, whose wickedness renders him vile and
despicable, who yet makes a figure in the world; and, on the other
hand, there is many a humble, heavenly, good Christian, who is clothed
meanly; but neither should he nor his Christianity be thought the worse
of on this account.
III. We have the greatness of this sin set forth,
It is great partiality, it is injustice, and it is to set ourselves
against God, who has chosen the poor, and will honour and advance them
(if good), let who will despise them.
1. In this sin there is shameful partiality: Are you not then
partial in yourselves? The question is here put, as what could not
fail of being answered by every man’s conscience that would put it
seriously to himself. According to the strict rendering of the
original, the question is, “Have you not made a difference? And,
in that difference, do you not judge by a false rule, and go upon false
measures? And does not the charge of a partiality condemned by the law
lie fully against you? Does not your own conscience tell you that you
are guilty?” Appeals to conscience are of great advantage, when we have
to do with such as make a profession, even though they may have fallen
into a very corrupt state.
2. This respect of persons is owing to the evil and injustice of the
thoughts. As the temper, conduct, and proceedings, are partial, so the
heart and thoughts, from which all flows, are evil: “You have become
judges of evil thoughts; that is, you are judges according to those
unjust estimations and corrupt opinions which you have formed to
yourselves. Trace your partiality till you come to those hidden
thoughts which accompany and support it, and you will find those to be
exceedingly evil. You secretly prefer outward pomp before inward
grace, and the things that are seen before those which are not seen.”
The deformity of sin is never truly and fully discerned till the evil
of our thoughts be disclosed: and it is this which highly aggravates
the faults of our tempers and lives–that the imagination of the
thoughts of the heart is evil,
Gen. vi. 5.
3. This respect of persons is a heinous sin, because it is to show
ourselves most directly contrary to God
(v. 5):
“Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith? &c. But
you have despised them,
v. 6.
God has made those heirs of a kingdom whom you make of no reputation,
and has given very great and glorious promises to those to whom you can
hardly give a good word or a respectful look. And is not this a
monstrous iniquity in you who pretend to be the children of God and
conformed to him? Hearken, my beloved brethren; by all the love
I have for you, and all the regards you have to me, I beg you would
consider these things. Take notice that many of the poor of this world
are the chosen of God. Their being God’s chosen does not prevent their
being poor; their being poor does not at all prejudice the evidences of
their being chosen.
The poor are evangelized.” God designed to recommend his holy
religion to men’s esteem and affection, not by the external advantages
of gaiety and pomp, but by its intrinsic worth and excellency; and
therefore chose the poor of this world. Again, take notice that many
poor of the world are rich in faith; thus the poorest may become rich;
and this is what they ought to be especially ambitious of. It is
expected from those who have wealth and estates that they be rich in
good works, because the more they have the more they have to do good
with; but it is expected from the poor in the world that they be rich
in faith, for the less they have here the more they may, and should,
live in the believing expectation of better things in a better world.
Take notice further, Believing Christians are rich in title, and in
being heirs of a kingdom, though they may be very poor as to present
possessions. What is laid out upon them is but little; what is laid up
for them is unspeakably rich and great. Note again, Where any are rich
in faith, there will be also divine love; faith working by love will be
in all the heirs of glory. Note once more, under this head, Heaven is a
kingdom, and a kingdom promised to those that love God. We read of the
crown promised to those that love God, in the former chapter
(v. 12);
we here find there is a kingdom too. And, as the crown is a crown of
life, so the kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. All these things,
laid together, show how highly the poor in this world, if rich in
faith, are now honoured, and shall hereafter be advanced by God; and
consequently how very sinful a thing it was for them to despise the
poor. After such considerations as these, the charge is cutting indeed:
But you have despised the poor,
v. 6.
4. Respecting persons, in the sense of this place, on account of their
riches or outward figure, is shown to be a very great sin, because of
the mischiefs which are owing to worldly wealth and greatness, and the
folly which there is in Christians’ paying undue regards to those who
had so little regard either to their God or them: “Do not rich men
oppress you, and draw you before the judgment-seat? Do not they
blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called?
v. 7.
Consider how commonly riches are the incentives of vice and mischief,
of blasphemy and persecution: consider how many calamities you
yourselves sustain, and how great reproaches are thrown upon your
religion and your God by men of wealth, and power, and worldly
greatness; and this will make your sin appear exceedingly sinful and
foolish, in setting up that which tends to pull you down, and to
destroy all that you are building up, and to dishonour that worthy name
by which you are called.” The name of Christ is a worthy name; it
reflects honour, and gives worth to those who wear it.
| The Christian Law. | A. D. 61. |
|
|
|
8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are
convinced of the law as transgressors.
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not
kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art
become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the
law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed
no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
The apostle, having condemned the sin of those who had an undue respect
of persons, and having urged what was sufficient to convict them of the
greatness of this evil, now proceeds to show how the matter may be
mended; it is the work of a gospel ministry, not only to reprove and
warn, but to teach and direct.
Warning every man, and teaching every man. And here,
I. We have the law that is to guide us in all our regards to men set
down in general. If you fulfil the royal law, according to the
scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, you do well,
v. 8.
Lest any should think James had been pleading for the poor so as to
throw contempt on the rich, he now lets them know that he did not
design to encourage improper conduct towards any; they must not hate
nor be rude to the rich, any more than despise the poor; but as the
scripture teaches us to love all our neighbours, be they rich or poor,
as ourselves, so, in our having a steady regard to this rule, we
shall do well. Observe hence,
1. The rule for Christians to walk by is settled in the scriptures:
If according to the scriptures, &c. It is not great men, nor
worldly wealth, nor corrupt practices among professors themselves, that
must guide us, but the scriptures of truth.
2. The scripture gives us this as a law, to love our neighbour as
ourselves; it is what still remains in full force, and is rather
carried higher and further by Christ than made less important to us.
3. This law is a royal law, it comes from the King of kings. Its own
worth and dignity deserve it should be thus honoured; and the state in
which all Christians now are, as it is a state of liberty, and not of
bondage or oppression, makes this law, by which they are to regulate
all their actions to one another, a royal law.
4. A pretence of observing this royal law, when it is interpreted with
partiality, will not excuse men in any unjust proceedings. In is
implied here that some were ready to flatter rich men, and be partial
to them, because, if they were in the like circumstances, they should
expect such regards to themselves; or they might plead that to show a
distinguished respect to those whom God in his providence had
distinguished by their rank and degree in the world was but doing
right; therefore the apostle allows that, so far as they were concerned
to observe the duties of the second table, they did well in giving
honour to whom honour was due; but this fair pretence would not
cover their sin in that undue respect of persons which they
stood chargeable with; for,
II. This general law is to be considered together with a particular
law: “If you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are
convinced of the law as transgressors,
v. 9.
Notwithstanding the law of laws, to love your neighbour as
yourselves, and to show that respect to them which you would be apt
to look for yourselves if in their circumstances, yet this will not
excuse your distributing either the favours or the censures of the
church according to men’s outward condition; but here you must look to
a particular law, which God, who gave the other, has given you together
with it, and by this you will stand fully convicted of the sin I have
charged you with.” This law is in
Thou shalt do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect
the person of the poor nor the person of the mighty; but in
righteousness shalt though judge thy neighbour. Yea, the very royal
law itself, rightly explained, would serve to convict them, because it
teaches them to put themselves as much in the places of the poor as in
those of the rich, and so to act equitably towards one as well as the
other. Hence he proceeds,
III. To show the extent of the law, and how far obedience must be paid
to it. They must fulfil the royal law, have a regard to one part as
well as another, otherwise it would not stand them in stead, when they
pretended to urge it as a reason for any particular actions: For
whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is
guilty of all,
v. 10.
This may be considered,
1. With reference to the case James has been upon: Do you plead for
your respect to the rich, because you are to love your neighbour as
yourselves? Why then show also an equitable and due regard to the poor,
because you are to love your neighbour as yourself: or else your
offending in one point will spoil your pretence of observing that law
at all. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, if he offend in one
point, wilfully, avowedly, and with continuance, and so as to think
he shall be excused in some matters because of his obedience in others,
he is guilty of all; that is, he incurs the same penalty, and is
liable to the same punishment, by the sentence of the law, as if he had
broken it in other points as well as that he stands chargeable with.
Not that all sins are equal, but that all carry the same contempt of
the authority of the Lawgiver, and so bind over to such punishment as
is threatened on the breach of that law. This shows us what a vanity it
is to think that our good deeds will atone for our bad deeds, and
plainly puts us upon looking for some other atonement.
2. This is further illustrated by putting a case different from that
before mentioned
(v. 11):
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.
Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet, if thou kill, thou art become a
transgressor of the law. One, perhaps, is very severe in the case
of adultery, or what tends to such pollutions of the flesh; but less
ready to condemn murder, or what tends to ruin the health, break the
hearts, and destroy the lives, of others: another has a prodigious
dread of murder, but has more easy thoughts of adultery; whereas one
who looks at the authority of the Lawgiver more than the matter of the
command will see the same reason for condemning the one as the other.
Obedience is then acceptable when all is done with an eye to the will
of God; and disobedience is to be condemned, in whatever instance it
be, as it is a contempt of the authority of God; and, for that reason,
if we offend in one point, we contemn the authority of him who gave the
whole law, and so far are guilty of all. Thus, if you look to the law
of the old, you stand condemned; for cursed is every that continueth
not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do
them,
Gal. iii. 10.
IV. James directs Christians to govern and conduct themselves more
especially by the law of Christ. So speak and so do as those that
shall be judged by the law of liberty,
v. 12.
This will teach us, not only to be just and impartial, but very
compassionate and merciful to the poor; and it will set us perfectly
free from all sordid and undue regards to the rich. Observe here,
1. The gospel is called a law. It has all the requisites of a law:
precepts with rewards and punishments annexed; it prescribes duty, as
well as administers comfort; and Christ is a king to rule us as well as
a prophet to teach us, and a priest to sacrifice and intercede for us.
We are under the law to Christ.
2. It is a law of liberty, and one that we have no reason to
complain of as a yoke or burden; for the service of God, according to
the gospel, is perfect freedom; it sets us at liberty from all slavish
regards, either to the persons or the things of this world.
3. We must all be judged by this law of liberty. Men’s eternal
condition will be determined according to the gospel; this is the book
that will be opened, when we shall stand before the judgment-seat;
there will be no relief to those whom the gospel condemns, nor will any
accusation lie against those whom the gospel justifies.
4. It concerns us therefore so to speak and act now as become those who
must shortly be judged by this law of liberty; that is, that we come up
to gospel terms, that we make conscience of gospel duties, that e be of
a gospel temper, and that our conversation be a gospel conversation,
because by this rule we must be judged.
5. The consideration of our being judged by the gospel should engage us
more especially to be merciful in our regards to the poor
(v. 13):
For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shown no mercy;
and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Take notice here,
(1.) The doom which will be passed upon impenitent sinners at last will
be judgment without mercy; there will be no mixtures or allays in the
cup of wrath and of trembling, the dregs of which they must drink.
(2.) Such as show no mercy now shall find no mercy in the great day.
But we may note, on the other hand,
(3.) That there will be such as shall become instances of the triumph
of mercy, in whom mercy rejoices against judgment: all the children of
men, in the last day, will be either vessels of wrath or vessels of
mercy. It concerns all to consider among which they shall be found; and
let us remember that blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy.
| Faith and Works. | A. D. 61. |
|
|
|
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath
faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily
food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye
warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things
which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show
me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by
my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the
devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is
dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had
offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works
was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham
believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and
he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works,
when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out
another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
In this latter part of the chapter, the apostle shows the error of
those who rested in a bare profession of the Christian faith, as if
that would save them, while the temper of their minds and the tenour of
their lives were altogether disagreeable to that holy religion which
they professed. To let them see, therefore, what a wretched foundation
they built their hopes upon, it is here proved at large that a man is
justified, not by faith only, but by works. Now,
I. Upon this arises a very great question, namely, how to reconcile
Paul and James. Paul, in his epistles to the Romans and Galatians,
seems to assert the directly contrary thing to what James here lays
down, saying if often, and with a great deal of emphasis, that we
are justified by faith only and not by the works of the law. Amicæ
scripturarum lites, utinam et nostræ–There is a very happy agreement
between one part of scripture and another, notwithstanding seeming
differences: it were well if the differences among Christians were as
easily reconciled. “Nothing,” says Mr. Baxter, “but men’s
misunderstanding the plain drift and sense of Paul’s epistles, could
make so many take it for a matter of great difficulty to reconcile Paul
and James.” A general view of those things which are insisted on by the
Antinomians may be seen in Mr. Baxter’s Paraphrase: and many ways might
be mentioned which have been invented among learned men to make the
apostles agree; but it may be sufficient only to observe these few
things following:–
1. When Paul says that a man is justified by faith, without the
deeds of the law
(Rom. iii. 28),
he plainly speaks of another sort of work than James does, but not of
another sort of faith. Paul speaks of works wrought in obedience to the
law of Moses, and before men’s embracing the faith of the gospel; and
he had to deal with those who valued themselves so highly upon those
works that they rejected the gospel (as
at the beginning most expressly declares); but James speaks of works
done in obedience to the gospel, and as the proper and necessary
effects and fruits of sound believing in Christ Jesus. Both are
concerned to magnify the faith of the gospel, as that which alone could
save us and justify us; but Paul magnifies it by showing the
insufficiency of any works of the law before faith, or in opposition to
the doctrine of justification by Jesus Christ; James magnifies the same
faith, by showing what are the genuine and necessary products and
operations of it.
2. Paul not only speaks of different works from those insisted on by
James, but he speaks of a quite different use that was made of good
works from what is here urged and intended. Paul had to do with those
who depended on the merit of their works in the sight of God, and thus
he might well make them of no manner of account. James had to do with
those who cried up faith, but would not allow works to be used even as
evidence; they depended upon a bare profession, as sufficient to
justify them; and with these he might well urge the necessity and vast
importance of good works. As we must not break one table of the law, by
dashing it against the other, so neither must we break in pieces the
law and the gospel, by making them clash with one another: those who
cry up the gospel so as to set aside the law, and those who cry up the
law so as to set aside the gospel, are both in the wrong; for we must
take our work before us; there must be both faith in Jesus Christ and
good works the fruit of faith.
3. The justification of which Paul speaks is different from that spoken
of by James; the one speaks of our persons being justified before God,
the other speaks of our faith being justified before men: “Show me
thy faith by thy works,” says James, “let thy faith be justified in
the eyes of those that behold thee by thy works;” but Paul speaks of
justification in the sight of God, who justifies those only that
believe in Jesus, and purely on account of the redemption that is in
him. Thus we see that our persons are justified before God by faith,
but our faith is justified before men by works. This is so plainly the
scope and design of the apostle James that he is but confirming what
Paul, in other places, says of his faith, that it is a laborious faith,
and a faith working by love,
1 Thess. i. 3; Titus iii. 8;
and many other places.
4. Paul may be understood as speaking of that justification which is
inchoate, James of that which is complete; it is by faith only
that we are put into a justified state, but then good works come in for
the completing of our justification at the last great day; then,
Come you children of my Father–for I was hungry, and you gave me
meat, &c.
II. Having thus cleared this part of scripture from every thing of a
contradiction to other parts of it, let us see what is more
particularly to be learnt from this excellent passage of James; we are
taught,
1. That faith without works will not profit, and cannot save us.
What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, and
have not works? Can faith save him? Observe here,
(1.) That faith which does not save will not really profit us; a bare
profession may sometimes seem to be profitable, to gain the good
opinion of those who are truly good, and it may procure in some cases
worldly good things; but what profit will this be, for any to gain the
world and to lose their souls? What doth it profit?–Can faith save
him? All things should be accounted profitable or unprofitable to
us as they tend to forward or hinder the salvation of our souls. And,
above all other things, we should take care thus to make account of
faith, as that which does not profit, if it do not save, but will
aggravate our condemnation and destruction at last.
(2.) For a man to have faith, and to say he has faith, are two
different things; the apostle does not say, If a man have faith
without works, for that is not a supposable case; the drift of this
place of scripture is plainly to show that an opinion, or speculation,
or assent, without works, is not faith; but the case is put thus, If
a man say he hath faith, &c. Men may boast of that to others, and
be conceited of that in themselves, of which they are really
destitute.
2. We are taught that, as love or charity is an operative principle, so
is faith, and that neither of them would otherwise be good for any
thing; and, by trying how it looks for a person to pretend he is very
charitable who yet never does any works of charity, you may judge what
sense there is in pretending to have faith without the proper and
necessary fruits of it: “If a brother or a sister be naked, and
destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace,
be you warmed and filled, notwithstanding you give them not those
things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?
v. 15-17.
What will such a charity as this, that consists in bare words, avail
either you or the poor? Will you come before God with such empty shows
of charity as these? You might as well pretend that your love and
charity will stand the test without acts of mercy as think that a
profession of faith will bear you out before God without works of piety
and obedience. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being
along,”
We are too apt to rest in a bare profession of faith, and to think that
this will save us; it is a cheap and easy religion to say, “We believe
the articles of the Christian faith;” but it is a great delusion to
imagine that this is enough to bring us to heaven. Those who argue thus
wrong God, and put a cheat upon their own souls; a mock-faith is as
hateful as mock-charity, and both show a heart dead to all real
godliness. You may as soon take pleasure in a dead body, void of soul,
or sense, or action, as God take pleasure in a dead faith, where there
are no works.
3. We are taught to compare a faith boasting of itself without works
and a faith evidenced by works, by looking on both together, to try how
this comparison will work upon our minds. Yea, a man may say, Thou
hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and
I will show thee my faith by my works,
v. 18.
Suppose a true believer thus pleading with a boasting hypocrite, “Thou
makest a profession, and sayest thou hast faith; I make no such boasts,
but leave my works to speak for me. Now give any evidence of having the
faith thou professest without works if thou canst, and I will soon let
thee see how my works flow from faith and are the undoubted evidences
of its existence.” This is the evidence by which the scriptures all
along teach men to judge both of themselves and others. And this is the
evidence according to which Christ will proceed at the day of judgment.
The dead were judged according to their works,
Rev. xx. 12.
How will those be exposed then who boast of that which they cannot
evidence, or who go about to evidence their faith by any thing but
works of piety and mercy!
4. We are taught to look upon a faith of bare speculation and knowledge
as the faith of devils: Thou believest that there is one God; thou
doest well; the devils also believe, and tremble,
v. 19.
That instance of faith which the apostle here chooses to mention is the
first principle of all religion. “Thou believest that there is a
God, against the atheists; and that there is but one God, against
the idolaters; thou doest well: so far all is right. But to rest
here, and take up a good opinion of thyself, or of thy state towards
God, merely on account of thy believing in him, this will render thee
miserable: The devils also believe, and tremble. If thou
contentest thyself with a bare assent to articles of faith, and some
speculations upon them, thus far the devils go. And as their faith and
knowledge only serve to excite horror, so in a little time will thine.”
The word tremble is commonly looked upon as denoting a good effect of
faith; but here it may rather be taken as a bad effect, when applied to
the faith of devils. They tremble, not out of reverence, but hatred and
opposition to that one God on whom they believe. To rehearse that
article of our creed, therefore, I believe in God the Father
Almighty, will not distinguish us from devils at last, unless we
now give up ourselves to God as the gospel directs, and love him, and
delight ourselves in him, and serve him, which the devils do not,
cannot do.
5. We are taught that he who boasts of faith without works is to be
looked upon at present as a foolish condemned person. But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
v. 20.
The words translated vain man—anthrope kene, are
observed to have the same signification with the word Raca,
which must never be used to private persons, or as an effect of anger
(Matt. v. 22),
but may be used as here, to denote a just detestation of such a sort of
men as are empty of good works, and yet boasters of their faith. And it
plainly declares them fools and abjects in the sight of God. Faith
without works is said to be dead, not only as void of all those
operations which are the proofs of spiritual life, but as unavailable
to eternal life: such believers as rest in a bare profession of faith
are dead while they live.
6. We are taught that a justifying faith cannot be without works, from
two examples, Abraham and Rahab.
(1.) The first instance is that of Abraham, the father of the faithful,
and the prime example of justification, to whom the Jews had a special
regard
(v. 21):
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered
Isaac his son upon the altar? Paul, on the other hand, says (in
ch. 4 of the epistle to the Romans)
that Abraham believed, and it was counted to him for
righteousness. But these are well reconciled, by observing what is
said in
which shows that the faith both of Abraham and Rahab was such as to
produce those good works of which James speaks, and which are not to be
separated from faith as justifying and saving. By what Abraham did, it
appeared that he truly believed. Upon this footing, the words of God
himself plainly put this matter.
Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son; therefore in blessing I will bless thee. Thus the
faith of Abraham was a working faith
(v. 22),
it wrought with his works, and by works was made perfect. And by
this means you come to the true sense of that scripture which saith,
Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness,
v. 23.
And thus he became the friend of God. Faith, producing such
works, endeared him to the divine Being, and advanced him to very
peculiar favours and intimacies with God. It is a great honour done to
Abraham that he is called and counted the friend of God. You see then
(v. 24)
how that by works a man is justified (comes into such a state of
favour and friendship with God), and not by faith only; not by a
bare opinion, or profession, or believing without obeying, but by
having such a faith as is productive of good works. Now besides the
explication of this passage and example, as thus illustrating and
supporting the argument James is upon, many other useful lessons may be
learned by us from what is here said concerning Abraham.
[1.] Those who would have Abraham’s blessings must be careful to copy
after his faith: to boast of being Abraham’s seed will not avail any,
if they do not believe as he did.
[2.] Those works which evidence true faith must to works of
self-denial, and such as God himself commands (as Abraham’s offering up
his son, his only son, was), and not such works as are pleasing to
flesh and blood and may serve our interest, or are the mere fruits of
our own imagination and devising.
[3.] What we piously purpose and sincerely resolve to do for God is
accepted as if actually performed. Thus Abraham is regarded as
offering up his son, though he did not actually proceed to make a
sacrifice of him. It was a done thing in the mind, and spirit, and
resolution of Abraham, and God accepts it as if fully performed and
accomplished.
[4.] The actings of faith make it grow perfect, as the truth of faith
makes it act.
[5.] Such an acting faith will make others, as well as Abraham, friends
of God. Thus Christ says to his disciples, I have called you
friends,
John xv. 15.
All transactions between God and the truly believing soul are easy,
pleasant, and delightful. There is one will and one heart, and there is
a mutual complacency. God rejoiceth over those who truly
believe, to do them good; and they delight themselves in him.
(2.) The second example of faith’s justifying itself and us with and by
works is Rahab: Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by
works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out
another way?
v. 25.
The former instance was of one renowned for his faith all his life
long, This is of one noted for sin, whose faith was meaner and of a
much lower degree; so that the strongest faith will not do, nor the
meanest be allowed to go without works. Some say that the word here
rendered harlot was the proper name of Rahab. Others tell us
that it signifies no more than a hostess, or one who keeps a
public house, with whom therefore the spies lodged. But it is very
probable that her character was infamous; and such an instance is
mentioned to show that faith will save the worst, when evidenced by
proper works; and it will not save the best without such works as God
requires. This Rahab believed the report she had heard of God’s
powerful presence with Israel; but that which proved her faith sincere
was, that, to the hazard of her life, she received the messengers,
and sent them out another way. Observe here,
[1.] The wonderful power of faith in transforming and changing sinners.
[2.] The regard which an operative faith meets with from God, to obtain
his mercy and favour.
[3.] Where great sins are pardoned, there must prefer the honour of God
and the good of his people before the preservation of her own country.
Her former acquaintance must be discarded, her former course of life
entirely abandoned, and she must give signal proof and evidence of this
before she can be in a justified state; and even after she is
justified, yet her former character must be remembered; not so much to
her dishonour as to glorify the rich grace and mercy of God. Though
justified, she is called Rahab the harlot.
7. And now, upon the whole matter, the apostle draws this conclusion,
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is
dead also,
v. 26.
These words are read differently; some reading them, As the body
without the breath is dead, so is faith without works: and then
they show that works are the companions of faith, as breathing is of
life. Others read them, As the body without the soul is dead, so
faith without works is dead also: and then they show that as the
body has no action, nor beauty, but becomes a loathsome carcass, when
the soul is gone, so a bare profession without works is useless, yea,
loathsome and offensive. Let us then take head of running into extremes
in this case. For,
(1.) The best works, without faith, are dead; they want their root and
principle. It is by faith that any thing we do is really good, as done
with an eye to God, in obedience to him, and so as to aim principally
at his acceptance.
(2.) The most plausible profession of faith, without works, is dead: as
the root is dead when it produces nothing green, nothing of fruit.
Faith is the root, good works are the fruits, and we must see to it
that we have both. We must not think that either, without the other,
will justify and save us. This is the grace of God wherein we stand,
and we should stand to it.
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
|
Back to Bibles Net . Com – Online Christian Library Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary – Free Download |
Copyright 2008. Bibles Net. Com. All Rights Reserved.