James 2
SIBJames 2:1-7
Beware of taking up with such an empty profession of the truths, and of faith in Jesus Christ, our infinitely glorious and highly exalted Lord, the Purchaser and Bestower of all glory upon us, as leaves you under the power of a partial, unjust, and carnal, regard to men, not according to their religious characters, or the merits of their cause, but according to their higher or lower circumstances in life.—A preferring of one richly dressed, in your religious meetings or judicial decisions, and pouring contempt upon another who is meanly dressed, can proceed from nothing but a shameful partiality, and a carnal and biased manner of judgment.—And nothing can be more unreasonable among Christians, who cannot but remark that God has generally chosen mean persons to enrich them with faith, and all the other graces of his Spirit, and to render them heirs of his heavenly kingdom;—while great and rich men are generally condemned by him, and left to their own hearts’ lusts, to be persecutors of his people, and blasphemers of his name and religion
James 2:8-11
If, from a principle of faith in, and love to, Jesus Christ, your Lord and King, ye obey his high and supreme law, treating all your neighbours, particularly your fellow Christians, with as much kindness, equity, and mercy, in their various circumstances, as ye wish in like cases to be exercised towards yourselves, ye act a truly honourable and becoming part;—but, if ye regard persons merely or chiefly on account of their different worldly circumstances, ye stand convicted and condemned by that excellent law of God, which requires the most strict regard to equity:—and remember that, though ye should keep all the other commandments, yet, by a single breach in any particular point, ye break the whole law, as ye trample on that divine authority which connects together, and is the foundation of, the whole law, and counteract that love which is the fulfilment of the whole law, particularly of the second table of it. 12, 13. Let your whole conversation towards God and men, in disposition, thought, word, and deed, be such as becomes them who live under the dispensation of the gospel, and who expect to be judged at the last day according to the tenor of it; for they who, contrary to its grace and obligations, neglect to exercise compassion towards their poor brethren, shall have a severe sentence of condemnation and wrath fixed on themselves;—and they who, from true faith and love, exercise kindness toward them, shall have occasion to rejoice in their own deliverance from condemnation and wrath, and even in the hopes of it;—and God’s mercy shall, according to the gospel promises, triumph in their salvation
James 2:14-26
And remember that, if you have only a notional and lifeless faith, which does not effectually influence you to grant relief to your poor destitute brethren, and to the universal practice of righteousness and holiness, it is really naught, and no better than the faith of devils before God. For, however insufficient good works be to justify our persons, or entitle us to eternal life before God, as a righteous Judge,—yet they are absolutely necessary to prove our faith unfeigned, and to manifest us justified before the world, and even in our own consciences;—as is manifest from the case, not only of Abraham the father of the faithful, but of Rahab the Canaanitish harlot;—both of whom manifested their true faith and divine justification by their good works, which proceeded therefrom. **
REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. II.**—Decent respect is due to persons on account of their civil stations. But to prefer the rich, graceless and gay, as such, especially in matters of religion or equity, is highly unchristian: and, striking against the whole authority of the law-giver, and that universal love required in his law, amounts to a breaking of all his commandments, and leaves little hopes of mercy to the guilty in the great day of account. It is chiefly among the poor that true Christians are found; and God’s grace enriches and ennobles them.—Why then should we despise them! Rich persons are too generally blasphemers of God’s name and religion, persecutors of his saints, and oppressors of their inferiors. Why then should we partially caress them! It is not fine words of pity and compassion, and empty wishes of relief, but needful supplies, according to our ability, that God demands from us to our poor brethren; and in denying these we basely act the part of inhuman hypocrites. The best notions and professions of faith without good works, thereby produced, are but dead, devilish, and abominable, before God. No good works of ours can indeed justify our persons before God; but they are absolutely necessary to manifest our justification before men. **