Julian Pe 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, Jerusalem. riod, 4775, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: Vulgar Era, 62. 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed 28. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. § 4. JAMES ii. 1-13. The Administration of Justice being in a most corrupt State at this Time among the Jews, the Apostle reproves them for shewing, as they were accustomed to do, Partiality in the Causes on which they were called upon to pass Judgment-He cautions those who make Profession of the Faith or Religion of our Lord, against making a Distinction of Persons on account of their Rank, or other external Circumstances, inwardly favouring one more than the other-This, he declares, is contrary to the Gospel of Christ, who hath chosen the Poor of this World to be rich in all spiritual Blessings, and has made them Heirs of his eternal Kingdom; but that they have despised the poor Man, although God has so enriched him, while by the Rich they are oppressed, and dragged before their Tribunals of Justice, to be maltreated and punished for their Faith, while they blaspheme the Name by which they are called-But, if they fulfil the royal Law of Christ, according to the Scriptures, (John xiii. 34. xv, 12.) they shall do well, and shall be guilty of no Partiality-But if they have respect to Persons in their Judg ment, they commit Sin against God, and their Brethren, and they are convicted as Transgressors of the LawFor he who offends in one particular Point-he who kills by his iniquitous Judgment—is guilty of all-for every Precept is enjoined by the same Authority-In giving Judgment, then, they are so to speak and act, as those who shall be judged by the Law of Liberty, which prescribes for them a Rule of Life, and frees them 28 In Pirke Aboth, cap. v. 14. it is said there are four kinds of men who visit the synagogues: 1. He who enters, but does not work. 2. He who works, but does not enter. 3. He who enters, and works. 4. He who neither enters, nor works. The first two are indifferent characters; the third is the righteous man; the fourth is wholly evil.-See Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 1015. and Dr. Clarke in loc. Julian Period, 4775. Valgar Era, 62. from the Guill, Power, and Dominion of Sin-teaching Jerusalem. 1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus 2 For if there come into 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 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men 8 If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, 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, 29 In the tract Shabbath, fol. 70. where they dispute concerning the thirty-nine works commanded by Moses, Rabbi Jochanan says, "But if a man do the whole, with the omission of one, he is guilty of the whole, and of every one." It was a maxim also, among the Jewish doctors, that if a man kept any one commandment faithfully, though he broke all the rest, he might assure himself of the favour of God; for while they taught that," He who transgresses all the precepts of the law, has broken the yoke, dissolved the covenant, and exposed the law to contempt; and so has he done who has broken even one precept," (Mechilta, fol. 5. Yalcut Simeoni, part i. fol. 59.) they also taught, that he who observed any principal command, was equal to him who kept the whole law, (Kiddushin, fol. 39.) and they give, for example, "If a man abandon idolatry, it is the same as if he had fulfilled the whole law," (Ibid. fol. 40.) To correct these erroneous vacillating doctrines, seems to have been the object of the apostle. Adam Clarke has collected from Schoetgen many rabbinical doctrines, or traditious, to illustrate this epistle, which bears evident internal proof that it was written by a Jew to Jews.-Sce Clarke in loc. or Schoetgen Hor. Hcb. vol. i. p. 1016-1020. Julian Pe- Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if Jerusalem. riod, 4775. thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. Vulgar Æra, 62. 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 shewed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judg ment. § 5. JAMES ii. 14, to the end. To shew the Jews the Absurdity of relying on the Know- 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead; being 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew 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 his son Isaac upon the altar? Julian Period, 4775. Vulgar Æra, 62. 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and Jerusalem. 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 30. So As many have considered that the doctrine of justification by good works, as preached by St. James, is in opposition to the doctrine of justification by faith alone, as taught by St. Paul, it will be necessary to show in what manner the two apostles are reconciled; for as they both wrote under the influence of one and the same divine Spirit, it is certain there ean be no real difference existing between them. In the first place, it will be necessary to remark, from the whole scope of St. Paul's argument, and from his allusions to baptism, and the blessings of which we are made partakers in that sacrament, which he enumerates-that it is most probable the apostle speaks of baptismal, or initial purification (chap. v. 1, 2.10). Every person who is presented at the holy font, is mystically washed, and receives remission of the sins of his Adamic nature, which is figuratively buried with him in baptism. He is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, raised again to a new life, or state of being; he is made God's child by grace, and adoption, and as such he is incorporated into the visible Church, or family, of his spiritual father. He is taken into covenant with God, and is made heir of his glorious promises, on the condition of faith alone in Christ, and a life consistent with his new creation and rela tionship to God. This is the justification to which St. Paul refers in his doctrine of justification, or remission of sins on faith alone; and it is evident that no man can lay claim, or merit by his own good works, this act of free pardon and grace, which could only be obtained by the sinless life and atoning sacrifice of the second Adam, the Son of God. Christ perfected the human nature of man, which he united to his divine nature; that it might be sanctified by his Spirit, and be reconciled to his heavenly Father through him. As far, then, as justification is concerned, the apostles cannot be said to oppose each other, as they evidently speak of distinct things-James confining himself to final justification, which is to be attained only by fufilling the conditions of the Gospel covenant, to which by baptism we have been admitted. On these conditions both the apostles in the most decided manner agree. St. Paul, while he forcibly insists that works of the law and good works cannot avail in our baptismal justification, which is imparted on the condition of faith alone; strenuously asserts with St. James, that although by faith alone we are received into a justified state with God, to obtain the final or second justification, to become joint-heirs with Christ, we must lead holy lives, shewing our faith by our conduct; a continuance in sin being inconsistent with a state of favour and grace. That all will receive the reward of their deeds in this world, and those only would attain to final justification, who are in Christ Jesus; who walk not after the flesh, which ought to have been buried in baptism, with all its carnal affections and appetites, but who walk after the Spirit in the holiness and purity of Christ, fulfilling the conditions of the Christian covenant. Here then, St. Paul and St. James are, without difficulty, reconciled; the former speaking of preceding works of righteousness not Julian Pe 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by riod, 4775. works, when she had received the messengers, and had VulgarÆra, sent them out another way? 62. 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. St. James again cautions the Christian Jews not to under- obtaining the first or initial justification, which was granted on Some commentators are of opinion that the Epistle of St. Jerusalem. |