JAMES 2. 26.
HOwsoever the Apostle his scope in this Chapter be much controverted, yet vers. 14. doth manifestly evidence his purpose, which is to take off Titular Believers, who glory in the Name and Profession of Faith from all their confident boasting, if their Faith be not accompanied with an holy and godly life. Some think this dangerous mistake grew from a misunderstanding of many places in Pauls Epistles, where he seemeth only to set up Faith, and makes no matter of Sanctification. Whereupon the reconciliation of Paul and James, these two great Apostles, hath to all seemed very difficult; to others impossible, who therefore have expunged this Epistle out of the Canon.
I will not trouble you with the several waies of Reconciliation endeavoured by the learned; That which I shall pitch upon is this, That Paul speaks of Faith in it’s relation to Justification, considering it only in that act, shewing that Faith onely, and no other grace justifieth. James demonstrateth what kinde of Faith this is, viz. an actual operative one, which puts a man upon all holy duties. Paul proveth that Faith alone justifieth, and James, that this Faith which doth only justifie, is not alone, but accompanied with other graces. Paul argueth against a Pharisee that sets up his own works against Faith, James argueth against a carnal Gospeller or Publican, that thinketh a bare profession will save. Nor is it any wonder that such an errour spread, That a man by his Faith only should inherit heaven, seeing even in Augustines time it was a general opinion, which that Father did with much fear and modesty gain-say, That every Christian, in that he was a Christian, though a drunkard, whoremonger, &c. would be saved?
The Apostle useth several weighty arguments to overthrow such a vain confidence, in all which he doth not derogate from Faith, but discover Presumption.
For in the first place, to shew the weaknesse of such a profession of Faith, he compareth it with a profession of Charity, vers. 15, 16. If one give good words to a brother in need, bid him, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but give him nothing, would not this be ridiculous? So thou believest there is a God, a hell, a day of judgement, but livest in prophanenesse and impiety, Is not this thy Faith a mockery?
Secondly, He compareth this Faith with that of the Devils, and sheweth the Devils go further then such loose Christians; they believe a God and tremble, but so do not many dissolute believers: how Devils believe, and whether an hypocrites faith goeth further then theirs, are noble Questions, but not at this time to be discussed?
Thirdly, He proveth the insufficiency of such a Faith from Abrahams faith, the pattern of all: Abrahams faith that justified him, was a working faith, it made him offer up his onely Sonne, when God commanded him. That very place which Paul brings to prove Abraham was justified by faith, James brings to prove, that this faith was not alone, but working eminently.
Lastly, In my Text, The Apostle argueth à simili, from a similitude, as the Body without the Spirit is dead, so is Faith without Works. By Spirit, some understand breath, and so they think, that as without breath the body is discovered to be dead, so without holy works faith is declared to be dead; and this they doe, lest it should be thought, that as the soul is the form of the body, so a godly life should be the form of faith: Whereas indeed by other places, Faith is the form or efficient rather of holinesse; and therefore Faith is much rather to be compared to the soul, for it’s that which animateth all our actions, and makes them acceptable to God. But we may retain the word Spirit, understanding it of the Soul, for the Apostle doth not consider a man here ad intra, in respect of God and Justification, but ad extra, in respect of others, and the declaration of his Justification. And so the sense, as the body is known to be dead, if we perceive no vital or animal actions flowing from the soul, we perceive it not breathe, stir, or move; so is a mans faith dead, if we see it not demonstrated by effectual operations in the way of grace. Thus as it was in Christ, his Divine Nature, which was hidden, became manifest by those miraculous operations he wrought, that none else could do; so faith is latent in a man, and breaks out in the discovery of it self by an holy life; and in this sense Faith is said to be made perfect by works, viz. declaratively, and by manifestation.
Observ. That a divine Faith, or perswasion of the truths in Religion, is not evidence sure enough of our being in the state of grace.
Orthodoxy is not enough for Heaven. To be a good sound Protestant and no more, will not carry us out of the wildernesse into Canaan. To have a sound judgement, but an ungodly life, is to be like the Toad, which they say hath a Pearl in her head, but her body is full of poyson. It is not enough to say, You thank God you are none of the Hereticks or Sectaries, unlesse also you can say, You are none of the swearers, proud, prophane men. We may by experience observe what a strong support this is to many men, when they die, that they die in the true faith, they die no Papists, no Arminians, &c. Now although when errors creep in, as the Frogs once did into Aegypt, getting into every house and chamber almost, it be a great mercy to be preserved in the truth, and that also by truth we come to grace; yet because there are too many Solifidians, as the Papists calumniate the Protestants Doctrine, men who relie onely upon this, that they are of the Reformed Religion, but yet are not of a Reformed Conversation, it is necessary to drive this Point home to the very heart.