220 ii. And bridle our tongues, or our religion is vain. But 26 If any man a mong you seem to be religious, and bridleth vain. BEC1. doctrines and precepts; this man not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work it enjoins : this James sman, I say, shall be happy in his deed, and 1. 25. shall find an advantage which mere speculative knowledge, though the most perfect and excel26 lent in its kind, could not possibly secure. then remember, that when I speak of his deeds, I mean not on any account to excuse him from not his tongue, but depaying proper regard to his words; for it is ne- ceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is cessary I should inculcate that if any man among you seem to be religious, not resolutely bridling his tongue, and reining it in, to prevent those sallies to which it may sometimes incline, but deceiving his heart with an imagination that a freedom from other acts of iniquity or from gross profaneness and wickedness of speech, or that some good intention, notwithstanding his exorbitancies of this kind, will excuse him before God, even though he indulge himself in venting irregular passions under sacred names; this man's religion [is] but vain, and will stand him in no real stead, whatever complacency he may at present find in his reli27 gious pretensions. Pure and undefiled religion, 27 Pure religion and and undefiled before God that which is clear and without any flaw *, or and the Father, .s this, blemish, before the penetrating eyes of God, To visit the fatherless even the Father, consists not merely in speculations or forms, or in the warmth of affection during the exercise of worship; but it is this, to take the oversight of orphans and widows in i Not bridling, but deceiving, &c.] That their k Without any flaw.] Archbishop Tillotson has justly observed, that there seems here to be an allusion to the excellence of a precious stone, which consists much in its being xalapa xai apiarlos, clear, and without flaw, or cloud. See his Works, Vol. II. p. 581.] And surely no gem is so precious or ornamental, as the lovely temper here described. 1 Pure and undefiled religion-consists not merely in the warmth of affection during the exercise of worship.] The original word Spaxue, which in conformity with our translators, I have rendered religron, strictly signifies Divine worship; and intimates here, that no kind of religious service paid to the Deity, can be of any avail, if we neglect the royal law of charity, and to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction; an idea which I have endeavoured to preserve in the paraphrase. m To Reflections on our duty to the Father of lights. ii. 221 and widows in their their affliction, with a tender regard to their SECT. to oversee them, in such a manner as to provide James IMPROVEMENT. 18 WITH all gratitude let us direct our eyes and our hearts to Ver. the unchangeable Father of lights, and acknowledge every 17 good and every perfect gift, as descending from him; but above all, the invaluable gift of his regenerating grace, to which, if we are the first fruits of his creatures, we are certainly indebted, and are thereby laid under the strongest engagements to consecrate ourselves continually to his service. Let us therefore listen with 19 a most obedient regard to every intimation of his will, and set a guard upon all our passions, that they may move in sweet and harmonious subjection to it. Especially, let us be slow to wrath, and not imagine that we can be justified in the exorbitances of our angry transports, because they may possibly arise in the cause of religion. The righteousness of God is not to be promoted, but 20 on the contrary, will be disgraced and obstructed, by such outrageous ungovernable sallies. Let every impure and malignant affec-21 tion be therefore banished from our minds, and let us pray that the word of God may be so ingrafted into our souls, as to become the effectual means of our salvation. Let us not rest in a mere 22 forgetful hearing, or indeed in an ineffectual remembrance ; m To take the oversight of, &c.] So Ja properly signifies, and may import, entering into measures for their subsistence, as well as sometimes going to them, and conversing with them in their a The 26 222 They are exhorted to avoid respect of persons: SECT. their blessing, as their guardians and friends; and that an unspotted ii. life, untainted with the vices of a degenerate age, may bear witVer. ness, that though in the world, are we not of it, and that we act 25 in consistency with those sublime and holy ends to which we profess as Christians to aspire. SECT. 111. II. 1. SECT. III. He cautions them against shewing an undue respect to men's external circumstances, and resting satisfied in a partial observation of the Divine precepts; especially where the royal law of charity or universal benevolence was in question. James II. 1-13. JAMES II. 1. a JAMES II. 1. not the faith of MY brethren, let me now caution you, that MY brethren, have you hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus our Lord Jesus Christ, James Christ, [the great Lord] of glory in a partial the Lord of glory, with respect of persons, so as to give undue preference respect of persons, to any upon account of their external circumstances; whereas the relation in which the meanest of your fellow Christians may stand to him, who is so glorious a personage as the Son of God, should certainly recommend them to your re2 gard and esteem. For I have observed something of this kind among many, which seems to require such an admonition as this; and have seen, that if a man come into your synagogue when you are met for religious worship, with a gold ring, [and] other parts of a splendid dress and at the same time there come in also a poor a The Lord of glory.] Dr. Whitby would render it, The glorious faith of our our Lord Jesus Christ; but I cannot think that by any means necessary. b Into your synagogue.] Mr. Cradock and Dr. Whitby explain this of their judicial assemblies, which the Jews held in their synagogues. Mat. x. 17; Acts xxii. 19. And they imagine it is probable, that when they were converted to Christianity, they preserved the same custom; and that the partiality here blamed, related to two persons, who had causes to try, when the visible superiority given to one, in the setting him in a more honourable place than the other, would tend to pervert justice in his favour; and which Maimonides says the Jewish precepts particularly forbid. But the representing both the parties as seated, does not suit this b man 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in a goodly apparel ; and there come in also poor man in vile rai ment: interpretation. It is urged that some civil distinctions might reasonably be made, and it must be allowed; but the apostle probably saw it rising too high; and in times of persecution, when poor people ventured their lives in behalf of Christianity, they had some peculiar title to honourable regard. c With a gold ring : χρυσοδακτυλιΘ.] Perhaps this compound word might have been rendered, Having his fingers adorned with gold rings. The learned Albert has observed, that those who valued themselves upon the richness and luxury of their dress, were accustomed to deck their fingers with a considerable rumber of costly and valuable rings, frequently wearing several upon one finger. Observ. Philolog, in loc. d And And not to regard too much external distinctions. 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clo thing, and say unto go the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool. 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, ai are become judges of evil thoughts? Dot God chosen the 223 man in mean and sordid raiment; you are apt SECT. to show an undue regard to the former, and to iii. put a visible slight on the latter, at his first ap- James pearance, without considering what may be the 11.2. real character of the one or the other. And 3 whatever may be said in excuse for this, it is often blame-worthy; for if ye have a respect, as bim, Sit thou here in a ye naturally have, for him who wears a splendid d place; and say to dress, and say to him, Sit there in an honourable place; and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool; And distinguish 4 not in yourselves according to the different characters of these two men, but only regard their outward appearance, you even become judges, who reason ill; you seem by such conduct to determine, that external circumstances are chiefly to be considered; which certainly is wrong, and if it were to be pursued, would produce very iniquitous and unjustifiable sentiments and prac5 Hearken, my be- tices. By such a conduct as this, you court the 5 loved brethren, Hath favour of the rich, and strongly intimate your poor of this world, rich contempt of the poor, as poor; but hearken, my in faith, and heirs of beloved brethren, and consider, for it is peculiarly the kingdom which he worthy of your most attentive regard; Hath not God apparently chosen many, who are among the poor of this world, [to be] rich in faith; and does it not appear that they are so? Are they not heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him; and just upon the point of being carried to a glory, that will eclipse that of the greatest monarchs on earth? And does it become you, believing this, to despise those who for any thing you know, may in a few days be carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, and placed in the most distinguished rank among the guests at the celestial banquet? But this indeed is the 6 case; you have often dishonoured the poor man, and though God may have condescended to visit him with such a gracious regard, and have enriched him with such inestimable mercies. On the other hand, do not the rich whom you court with so much respect and assiduity, tyrannize over you hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, d And distinguish not in your selves: xai & diexp¡Dale ev saulis.] This I take to be the exact rendering of this clause, as the verb is of the middle signification, and that it should not be read as in our English version, with an interrogation. e Judges, who reason ill] Our English version in this place is literal, but at the same time very obscure and ambiguous. Beza's observation is a just one, that the f To be rich in faith.] The ellipsis in 224 111. James The royal law of love is universally binding. do name, by the which ye 8 If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the SECT. you, and drag you to their tribunals? Are not and draw you before most of the rich your persecutors, rather than the judgment seats? your friends; Do they not blaspheme the honour- 7 Do not they blas11. 7. able name of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which pheme that worthy you are called? And do they not often compel are called? you to blaspheme it, and inflict the severest penalties upon you. if you refuse? So that on the whole, they often prove themselves the vilest of men. And can you think, that when this is the case, and you see so many poor saints courageously enduring these extremities, that you ought to fix your eyes so much on a glaring outside, and overlook that heroic worth which so often appears under a veil of poverty? I beseech you, learn to think more reasonably at all times, and especially to bring better sentiments into 8 your assemblies for public worship. And not only in such instances, but in all others, endea- scripture, Thou shalt vour to act equitably; for if you fulfil the noble love thy neighbour as and royal law, which according to that expres- thyself, ye do well. sion of the scripture, ought with a kind of imperial authority to govern all our sentiments; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; ye well that would be in every thing a rule to you, and particularly here; for none of you if you were reduced to poverty, would wish to be treated with marks of slight and contempt on that account, without anv regard to your character 9 in other respects. But if ye do in this partial manner, accept the persons of men, ye work iniquity therein, being convicted by the law, I have just now mentioned, as transgressors of it. And give me leave to say, that whatever zeal you may shew for any other precepts, if convicted here, you become guilty before God, 10 and forfeit your acceptance with him. For whoever shall keep the whole law in every other shall keep the whole instance, but allow himself to offend in one [par- one point, he is guilty ticular] he is in effect guilty of all; as he that of all. committed but one capital crime, would as surely suffer death, as if he had committed all that ever 11 were prohibited in that light. For it is certain, 11 For he that said, that he disregards the authority of the Law. Do not commit adultegiver, which has established every precept kill. Now if thou equally; as it is evident, he that says, Thou shalt commit no adultery, not commit adultery, hath also said, Thou shalt yet if thou kill, thou do no murder. If therefore thou art not an adul- gressor of the law. terer, but committest murder, thou art evidently a transgressor of the law. Hence it appears, that it is not by a regard to the Divine authori 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever law, and yet offend in ry, said also, Do not art become a trans ty |