For as the body, &c.— "And on such principles must all others expect justification and salvation; for as the body, without the spirit, is but a dead carcase, how fair and entire soever it may appear, and will at length fall into putrefaction and dissolution; so such a faith as remains without the substantial fruits of good works, which ought ever to attend it, is also dead: it now appears as a carcase in the sight of God, and as such will ere long perish."
Inferences.—The apostle could not intend to condemn those civil distinctions which are founded upon the different relations and circumstances of mankind in the present world; but surely God intended to teach us, how little esteem he sets upon riches, by bestowing them on many of the most undeserving of mankind, while he withholds them from his dearest children. And therefore to admire them, and others, on account of their riches, while we pour contempt on the poor, as poor, though so many of them are distinguished by the riches of the Divine favour, must be highly unreasonable, and to God highly offensive. As for those who are poor in this world, but rich in faith, let them adore the divine munificence to them, and think with pleasure of those durable riches, and of that everlasting kingdom, which God has prepared for them as their inheritance, if they be faithful unto death.
Whatever our stations be, let us pray that the royal law may be inscribed upon our hearts, and that we may love our neighbours as ourselves; guarding against that mean and prohibited respect of persons, which would expose us to conviction, as transgressors of the law. Let us also learn to guard against that partiality in our obedience to it, which is utterly inconsistent with sincerity. Let us remember, that the divine authority equally establishes every precept of it, and that the generous nature of the gospel dispensation, as a law of liberty, will be a sad aggravation of our presumptuous violation of it. A consciousness of those many defects and imperfections, which the best of men may see reason to charge themselves with, should certainly engage our most earnest application to God for mercy; and as we desire to obtain it, let it be our care to exercise mercy to others, both in the candour of our censures, on the one hand, and the readiness of our liberality, on the other.
And let the great and important lesson which the apostle teaches so plainly, and inculcates so largely, in the latter part of this chapter, be never forgotten. It is true indeed, (as St. Paul elsewhere fully proves,) that we are justified by faith in Christ, without the works of the law. The works of the Mosaic law are by no means necessary; and it is not by our obedience to any law, but by embracing and resting upon the mercy of God in Christ, for our salvation, that we obtain it. Nevertheless, it is vain to pretend to such a faith, if good works are not produced by it; and we might as soon expect the guardianship and counsel, the offices and consolations of friendship, from a dead corpse, as happiness from a mere assent, even to the most important doctrines. Let us therefore endeavour to shew our faith by our works. Let us be ready, with Abraham, to offer up our dearest comforts to God. Let us, with Rahab, be willing even to expose our lives in the defence of God's people, and his cause; otherwise our faith, being of no better a kind than that of the devils, will leave us the companions of their misery and despair; even though the conviction should now be so powerful as to make us tremble; or a false persuasion of our enjoying privileges to which we are utter strangers, should give as strong an emotion to any of the softer passions.
Let faith then be active and influential. Let love be without dissimulation. Let us not love merely in word but in deed, and charge it upon our consciences to be ready to authenticate by the most substantial offices of humanity, the profession that we at any time make of friendly wishes, or kind intentions. Otherwise, such professions will be worse than unprofitable; as, by encouraging only a false dependance and expectation, they will make the disappointment proportionably grievous and afflictive, to those whom we hypocritically, or lightly, pretended to compassionate or succour.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, The apostle,
1. Warns them against all undue respect of persons, because of their rank in life, especially in their judicial proceedings. (See the Introduction and Annotations.) My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, which centres in him as the object, and is derived from him as the author; the Lord of glory; with respect of persons; acting with undue partiality, unbecoming the disciples of Jesus, who is himself exalted to the highest glory, and has prepared eternal mansions for his faithful people, without distinction of rich or poor, and therefore we should make none in the merits of any cause which comes before us. Note; A sight of Christ and the glory provided for his saints, stamps vanity on all the puny differences which here subsist between men.
2. He gives an instance of the great evil and injustice of all such partiality. For if there come unto your assembly, that is, into your court, where causes civil or ecclesiastical are determining, a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man, who is a party in the cause to be tried, in vile raiment, making a wretched appearance; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and, with evident partiality on his side, say unto him with great deference, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, with insolence and contempt, Stand thou there, at a distance, or sit here under my footstool, in any despicable place; are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? disposed to favour the rich, and oppress the poor: and how criminal is such a behaviour? 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? Is not the gospel chiefly preached to them, because they will hear it? and are not those for the most part to be found among the poor, who yield to be saved by grace, and are accordingly made partakers of all the glorious privileges of the gospel? and if God hath so highly honoured them, we surely ought not to treat them with disdain or partiality. But ye have despised the poor; to your shame and guilt be it spoken. Do not rich men, to whom you pay such undue deference, oppress you, and draw you before the judgment-seats, with litigious suits, and exercise the most cruel tyranny over you? Do not they, who are high in the world, prove your bitterest persecutors, and blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? and then surely you have no cause to caress them. Note; (1.) All partiality in judgment is in God's sight abominable. (2.) Among the poor, God's saints are chiefly to be found; and the riches of faith, and heirship of glory, are infinitely more valuable than the wealth of both the Indies, or the widest earthly domains. (3.) They who love God, however poor, can never be despicable, since they are possessed of the highest dignity, as heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.
2nd, The apostle,
1. Lays down the only proper rule of conduct. If ye fulfil the royal law, enacted by the King of kings, according to the scripture, where he hath revealed his will to us; and among the most eminent precepts stands this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, treating every man with that benevolence, kindness, and impartiality, which, if you were in their case, you would reasonably expect from them; ye do well; such a conduct is honourable, and becoming your profession. But if ye have respect to persons, shewing more favour to the rich than the poor, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors, (Leviticus 19:15,) and one such wilful iniquity must issue in your eternal ruin, if you be not washed therefrom in the atoning blood. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet should offend in one point, he is guilty of all; such an allowed transgression would be as evident a contempt to the authority of the Lawgiver, as if he broke every precept; and, as the wages of every sin is death, it must expose the soul to the wrath of God. 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, and liable to suffer its awful penalty.
2. He exhorts them to behave as becomes the gospel which they profess. So speak ye, and so do, in every word and work seek to approve yourselves to God, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty; and who being brought under the gospel dispensation of light and grace, have the strongest obligations to shew an impartial, genuine, universal, and cheerful obedience to the Redeemer's commands.
3. He supports his exhortation by a most awful consideration. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy, but has been partial to the rich, and oppressive to the poor; whilst, on the other hand, where by divine grace the heart has been influenced to exercise fervent love, there mercy rejoiceth against judgment; such a one shall not be afraid of appearing at God's bar, but through the great Redeemer shall have boldness, and, if faithful unto death, shall find favour with God in that day. Note; A solemn sense upon our minds of an approaching judgment, will necessarily have the most powerful influence on our conduct.
3rdly, The apostle, having spoken of the royal law, proceeds to shew the influence of faith on all holy obedience; not, as many vainly suggest, in opposition to St. Paul, or to correct his doctrine; the word of both of them proceeded from that one Spirit, who is truth itself, and cannot contradict his own revelation. St. Paul speaks of faith as justifying the sinner as a sinner in the sight of God; St. James speaks of it as justifying us on the day of judgment, when all men shall be rewarded according to their works, for which St. Paul was equally an advocate.
1. True faith ever produces genuine fruit, and worketh by love, without which the profession of faith is useless. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Saying and having are very different things. What can a boasted name signify? Can faith, such a faith, save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and the necessaries of life; and one of you, pretending to charity, 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? such empty words have nothing of godlike charity in them, and are as mere sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone, an empty profession, without real life and power. Yea, a man may say to a vaunting hypocrite who pleads his faith, Thou hast faith in name, and I have works; shew me thy faith, to which thou makest such vain pretensions; without thy works, of which thou art destitute, how wilt thou prove its genuineness and reality? and I will shew thee my faith by my works, which are the only indisputable evidences of its truth. Thou mayest perhaps say thou are no atheist; thou believest that there is one God; so far thou dost well: but what influence has this faith upon thee? the devils also believe and tremble, and their faith is perhaps in this sense more operative than thine. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead, and wants every proof of its soundness and sincerity. Note; (1.) To rehearse the articles of our creed, if we have not the truth of faith in our heart, will not advance us above the devils. (2.) All pretences to faith are but delusion, where men's works deny him in whom they profess to believe.
2. He supports what he advances with scripture evidence:
[1.] In the case of Abraham. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, and proved to be a true believer, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? then his justification in the sight of God, which he had many years before obtained, (Romans 4.) became evident. Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, effectually engaging him to obey God's command; and by works was faith made perfect; manifested to be right in kind, and in the most vigorous exercise. And the scripture was fulfilled, and evidenced to be true, which said, many years before that event, (see Genesis 15:6.) Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then, by this instance, how that by works a man is justified, and the reality of his character as a believer evidenced; and not by faith only, which is such only in name, without producing any genuine fruit that demonstrates its living influence.
[2.] In the case of Rahab. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works; and did she not give a solid proof of the faith she possessed; when, in consequence thereof, great as the danger was to which she must expose herself, she had received the messengers, who came to spy out the country, and had sent them out another way?
From the whole therefore it appears evident, that nominal faith, or the mere profession of it, without any living fruits of grace produced from it, is mere hypocrisy. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Where that vital principle is implanted, its powerful energy will be evidenced; and we may as assuredly conclude, where no fruits of grace appear in the temper and conversation, that the soul is really dead in sin, as that the body is dead when the spirit is departed, and nothing but the lifeless clay remains.