Thomas Manton · 33 of 60

A Practical Commentary, or an Exposition with Notes on the Epistle of James. · Chapter II. · Part 10

Obs. 1. Works ratify the Spirit's witness. The apostle saith, `Then it was fulfilled;, that is, seen that Abraham was a believer indeed, according to the testimony of God. The Spirit assureth us sometimes by expressions, speaking to us by some inward whisper and voice; sometimes by impressions, implanting gracious dispositions, as it were writing his mind to us. It is well when both are sensible, and with the witness of the Spirit we have that of water, 1 John v. 8. To look after works is the best way to prevent delusion. Here is no deceit, as in flashy joys. Fanatic spirits are often deceived by sudden flashes of comfort. Works, being a more sensible and constant pledge of the Spirit, beget a more solid joy: 1 John iii. 29, `Hereby we know we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him;, that is, by real acts of love and charity. The way of immediate revelation is more flitting and inconstant; such actings of the Spirit being like those outward motions that came upon Samson—`the Spirit came upon him at times;, and so upon every withdrawment new scruples and doubts do arise. But the trial by grace is most constant and durable, it being a continual real pledge of God's love to us. Flashes of comfort are only sweet and delightful while felt; but it is said of grace, `the seed abideth in him, 1 John iii. 8, and `the anointing, ἐν ὑμῖν μένει, abideth in you, 1 John ii. 7. This is a standing glory, and the continual repast of the soul; whereas those ravishings are like delicacies which God tendereth to his people in the times of festivity and magnificence. Well, then, learn—(1.) That good works are not a doubtful and litigious evidence. Men of dark spirits and great fancy will be always raising scruples; but the fault is in the persons, not the evidence. (2.) Learn to approve yourselves to God with all good conscience in times of trial; this will ratify and make good those imperfect whispers and mutterings in your souls concerning your interest in Christ. Do as Abraham did: upon a call he forsook his country; though he were childless, he believed the promise of a numerous issue; when God tempted him, he offered Isaac. When God trieth your faith or obedience with some difficulty, then is the special time to gain assurance by being found faithful.

Obs. 2. Believers are God's friends. This was not Abraham's title alone, but the title of all the righteous. Thus Christ saith, John xi. 11, `Our friend Lazarus sleepeth., And more expressly, John xv. 15, `Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends., Now they are friends to God—(1.) Because they are perfectly reconciled to him in Christ: we were enemies by nature; but God would not only pardon us, but receive us into friendship, Col. i. 21. Absalom was pardoned, but he `could not see the king's face., In other breaches, when the wound is healed, the scar remaineth; but now we are not only restored, and brought into an estate of amity, but advanced to higher principles. God doth not only spare converts, but delight in them. Periissemus nisi periissemus—we had been lost if we had not been lost; the fall made way for the more glorious restoration; as a broken bone, when it is well set, is strongest in the crack. (2.) All dispensations and duties that pass between them are passed in a friendly way: As (1st.) Communication of goods. Plutarch's reasoning is good: Τὰ τῶν φιλῶν πάνα κοινὰ, friends have all things in common; but God is our friend, and therefore we cannot want—a rare speech from a heathen. In the covenanted is ours, and we are his, Jer. xxxi. 33, and xxxii. 38, 39; Zech. xiii. 9. He maketh over himself to us, quantus quantus est, as great as he is; and so by an entire resignation we are given up to him. The covenant is like a conjugal contract, and may be illustrated by that of the prophet, Hosea iii. 3, `Thou shalt be for me, and I will be for thee., God maketh over himself and all his power and mercy to us, so that no dispensation cometh to us but in the way of a blessing; if it be so common a mercy as rain, `the rain shall be a rain of blessing, Ezek. xxxiv. 26; so we give up ourselves to God, even to the lowest interest and enjoyment: `Upon the horse-bells there shall be written, Holiness to the Lord, Zech. xiv. 20; all is consecrated. (2d.) Communication of secrets. So our Lord urgeth this relation: John xv. 15, `Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard I have made known to you., Servants are only acquainted with what concerneth their duty and work; the master commandeth, but doth not tell them the reason of the command. But now Christ had dealt more socially and sweetly with the apostles; he had opened all the secrets of the Father concerning his own resurrection, mission of the Holy Ghost, the calling of Gentiles, last judgment, eternal life, &c. And so shall you that lie in Christ's bosom know his secrets: Gen. xviii. 17, `Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do?, He will acquaint you with everything that concerneth your salvation and peace. So, on the other side, do believers open their secrets to God: Eph. iii. 12; Heb. x. 19, they `come with boldness to the throne of grace;, the word is, μετὰ παῤῥησίας, with liberty of speech; or, as it more strictly signifieth, liberty to speak all our mind. We may use some freedom with God, and acquaint him with all our griefs, and all our fears, and all our wants, and all our desires, as a friend would pour out his heart into the bosom of another friend; as it is said, Exod. xxxiii. 11, `The Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend., (3d.) Conformity and correspondency of will and affections. True friendship is built upon likeness and consent of wills: God and the soul willeth the same thing—holiness as the means, and God's glory as the end: John xv. 14, `Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you;, to do otherwise is but false, glavering affection. It is the commendation of Ephesus, Rev. ii. 6, `Thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate., No friendship like that where we love and hate the same things, to hate what God hateth, and love what God loveth. See Prov. viii. 13; so see Ps. cxxxix. 21. (4th.) By mutual delight and complacency; they delight in God, and God in them: Isa. lxii. 4, `The Lord delighteth in thee, in their persons, their graces, their duties; so do they delight in God, in their addresses to him, in his fellowship and presence , they cannot brook any strangeness and distance; they cannot let a day pass, or a duty pass, without some communion and intercourse with God. It is said of the hypocrites, Job xxvii. 10, that `they will not delight themselves in God., Formal duties are a burden, `What a weariness is it, Mal. i. 13, though it were a sickly lamb. The prodigal thought it best to be out of the father's eye, best in a far country, Luke xv.; but it is their delight to be with Christ; his work is sweet to them, his statutes their songs, Ps. cxix. 54; duties come from them freely, as graces do from God; he `rejoiceth over them to do them good;, and they can say, every one of them, `How do I delight in thy law!, (5th.) By the special favour and respect God beareth them. Others have but common mercies, they saving; they have `hidden manna, joys which others cannot conceive, Rev. ii. 17. Others are brought into the palace, Ps. xlv. 15, but they into the chambers of the great King, Cant. i. 4; they have closet mercies, a sweet fellowship with God in all their ways; others have the letter, they the power; others have the work of an ordinance, they the comfort: Cant. v. 1, `Eat, O friends, &c. Well, then—(1.) Here is comfort to the righteous, to those that have found any friend-like affection in themselves towards God, any care to please him. God is your friend; you were enemies, but you are made near through Christ. God delighteth in your persons, in your prayers, in your graces, your outward welfare. It is a great honour to be the king's friend; you are favourites of heaven! Oh! this is your comfort that delight in his presence, that walk in his ways as much as you can, though not as much as you should. (2.) Here is caution to you; your sins go nearest to God's heart: `It was my familiar friend, Ps. lv. 12. It was sad to Christ to be betrayed by his own disciples; it is a like grief to his Spirit when his laws are made void by his own friends: 2 Sam. xvi. 17, `Is this thy kindness to thy friend?, It was David's aggravation: Ps. xli. 9, `Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted., Unexpected injuries surprise us with the more grief. Oh! walk carefully, watchfully!

Ver. 24. You see then how by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

You see then.—It is either a consectary out of the whole discourse, or out of the particular example of Abraham; he alludeth to Paul's manner of reasoning: Rom. iii. 28, `Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law;, and probably this discourse is intended to correct the abuse of that doctrine.

How by works; that is, by the parts and offices of the holy life.

A man is justified; that is, acquitted from hypocrisy; for he is said to be justified, in the phrase of our apostle, whose faith appeareth to be good and right, or who is found just and righteous; as Christ is said to be `manifested in the flesh, but justified in the Spirit, 1 Tim. iii. 16; that is, approved to be God.

And not by faith only.—Not by a bare naked profession, or a dead vain faith, such as consisteth in a mere assent or empty speculation, which is so far from justifying that it is not properly faith.

The main work in the discussion of this verse is to reconcile James with Paul. The conclusions seem directly opposite. See Rom. iii. 28; Gal. ii. 16. Paul also bringeth the instance of Abraham against justification by works. Much ado there hath been to reconcile this seeming difference. Some upon this ground deny the authority of the epistle; so Luther, and many of the Lutherans at first. Camerarius speaketh boldly and rashly, as if heat of contention had obtruded the apostle upon the contrary extreme and error; but this is to cut the knot, not to untie it. The apostles, acted by the same Spirit of truth, could not deliver contrary assertions; and though men usually out of the extreme hatred of one error embrace another, yet it cannot be imagined, without blasphemy, of those who were guided by an infallible assistance. They show more reverence to the scriptures who seek to reconcile both places than to deny the authority of one. Many ways are propounded; I shall briefly examine them, that with good advice and evidence we may pitch upon the best.

1. The Papists say that Paul speaketh of the first justification, by which a man, if unjust, is made just; and that by works he understandeth works done without faith and grace, by the sole power and force of free-will. But James speaketh of the second justification, whereby of just he is made more just; and by works he understandeth such as are performed in faith, and by the help of divine grace. To this I answer—;(1.) That it confoundeth justification with sanctification. (2.) That the distinction is false, and hath no ground in scripture. We can merit nothing after we are in a good estate, and are saved by grace all our lives: Rom. i. 17, `the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, for the just shall live by faith., If the righteousness whereby a sinner is justified be wholly absolved by faith, there is no place for works at all. But the apostle saith, throughout the whole life it is revealed from faith to faith; besides, the apostle Paul excludeth all works, even those done by grace. It is true, this error is less than that of the Pelagians, who said that by natural abilities the law might be kept to justification. However, it is not enough to ascribe justificatory works to the grace of God. So did the Pharisee: Luke xviii. 11, 12, `God, I thank thee, not myself. Yet he went not away justified. It is ill to associate nature with grace, and to make man a coadjutor in that in which God will have the sole glory. (3.) It is little less than blasphemy to say, We are more just by our own works than by the merits of Christ received by faith; for to that justification, whereby a man is made more just, they admit works. (4.) The phrase of being more just suiteth not with the scope of the apostle, who doth not show how our righteousness is increased, but who hath an interest in it. Neither will the adversaries grant that those against whom the apostle disputeth had a first and real righteousness; and beside, it is contradicted by the example of Rahab, who, according to their explication, cannot be said to be justified in their second way of justification, and yet in our apostle's sense she is justified by works; and therefore the Popish gloss will not remove the seeming contrariety between the apostles.

2. The Arminians and Socinians go another way to work; and that they may deceive with the fairer pretence, seem to ascribe all to grace, and to condemn the merit of all sorts of works, because poor, weak, and imperfect; but they make new obedience the instrument of justification, and say that the free grace of God is only seen in the acceptation of our imperfect obedience. So doth Socinus and others. And the way of reconciliation which they propose between the apostles is this: Paulus cum negat nos ex operibus justificari, nomine operum perfectam per totam vitam legis divinae observationem intelligit, nec aliud quidquam dicere vult, nisi nos ex merito ipsorum operum nequaquam justificari coram Deo, non autem ad nos coram ipso justificandos nulla opera nostra requiri; sunt enim opera, id est obedientia quam Cliristo praestamus, licet nec efficiens, nec meritoria, tamen causa sine qua non justificationis coram Deo atque aeternae salutis. That Paul, when he denieth justification by works, understandeth by works perfect obedience, such as the law required; and James only new obedience, which is the condition, without which we are not justified. So Socinus, 2 Synops. Justif., p. 17, and herein he is generally followed by the men of his own school. But to this I reply—(1.) That the apostle Paul doth not only exclude the exact obedience of the law, but the sincere obedience of the gospel, all kind of works from the business of justification, as appeareth by the frequent disjunction or opposition of faith and works throughout the scriptures. Take these for a taste:—Eph. ii. 8, 9, `By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast., So Rom. xi. 6, `If by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more of grace; otherwise work is no more work., The two ways of grace and works are incompatible. A mixed and patched way of works and grace together will never be accepted of God. The new cloth sewed on upon the old confidence makes the rent the worser. It was the error of those against whom Paul dealeth in his epistles to rest half upon Christ and half upon works; and therefore is he so zealous everywhere in this dispute: Gal. v. 4, `Christ is become of none effect unto you, whosoever are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace., For they did go about to mix both the covenants, and so wholly destroyed their own interest in that of grace. (2.) It is a matter of dangerous consequence to set up works, under what pretence soever, as the matter or condition of our justification before God. It robbeth God of his glory, and weakeneth the comfort of the creature. God's glory suffereth, because, as far as we ascribe to ourselves, so much do we take off from God. Now when we make our own obedience the matter or condition of our righteousness, we glory in ourselves, contrary to that, Rom. iv. 2, 3, and detract from free grace, by which alone we are justified, Rom. iii. 24, and the creature suffereth loss of comfort when his righteousness before God is built upon so frail a foundation as his own obedience. The examples of the children of God, who were always at a loss in themselves, show how dangerous it is to stand upon our own bottom. Take a few places: Job ix. 2, 3, `How shall a man be just with God? If he will contend with him, he can not answer him one of a thousand., So ver. 20, `If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me. If I say, I am perfect; it shall also prove me perverse., So ver. 30, 31, `If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean, yet thou shalt plunge me in a ditch; my own clothes shall abhor me., So also David showeth that he was never able to enter upon this plea, to justify himself by his own obedience, Ps. cxliii. 3, and cxxx. 3. And in the New Testament abundantly do the saints disown their obedience and righteousness, as not daring to trust it, yea, their new obedience upon gospel terms: 1 Cor. iv. 4, `I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified., He did what he was able, was conscious to himself of no crime and unfaithfulness in his ministry and dispensation, yet all this will not justify. So Phil. iii. 9, `Oh! that I might be found in him, not having my own righteousness, &c. He durst not trust the inquiry and search of justice with any act or holiness of his own.

Briefly to clear this point more fully, let me lay down a few propositions.

(1.) Whosoever would be accepted with God must be righteous: Hab. i. 13, `Thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity., God cannot give a sinner, as a sinner, a good look. (2.) Every righteousness will not serve the turn: it must be such as will endure the pure eyes of his glory. Hence those phrases, `justified in thy sight, Ps. cxliii. 2; Rom. iii. 20; and `glorying before God., Rom. iv. 2; so Gal. iii. 11 , &c. (3.) Such a righteousness can be found in no man. Our obedience is a covering that is too short: Job xv. 14, `What is man, that he should be clean? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?, So 1 Sam. vi. 20, `Who can stand before this holy God?, The least defect leaveth us to the challenge of the law and the plea of justice. (4.) This righteousness is only to be had in Christ; there is no other name given under him; there indeed it is to be found; therefore he is called, `The Lord our righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6, and he is `made to us righteousness, 1 Cor. i. 30. Therefore we are bidden `to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Mat. vi. 33. We must seek God's righteousness if we would enter into God's kingdom. (5.) This righteousness is made ours by faith: ours it must be, as in the first proposition, and ours it is only by faith: Rom. i. 17, `The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith., From first to last the benefit of Christ's righteousness is received by faith; it is the fittest and most self-denying grace; it is the grace that beginneth our union with Christ; and when we are made one with Christ, we are possessed of his righteousness and merit, as our right, for our comfort and use. So see Rom. iii. 22, and Phil. iii. 9, where the righteousness of God by faith is opposed to `our own righteousness, which is of the law;, which intimateth to us that this righteousness is of God, and that it is made ours by faith. (6.) Those that receive the righteousness of Christ are also sanctified by him. New obedience is an inseparable companion of justification: 1 Cor. i. 30, `righteousness and sanctification;, by virtue of the union we have both: 2 Cor. v. 17, `Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature., So that obedience is not the condition of justification, but the evidence; not the condition and qualification of the new covenant, so much as of the covenanters. Faith justifieth, and obedience approveth: it must be in the same subject, though it hath not a voice in the same court.

3. The orthodox, though they differ somewhat in words and phrases, yet they agree in the same common sense, in reconciling James and Paul. Thus, while some say Paul disputeth of the cause of justification, and so excludeth works; James, of the effects of justification, and so enforceth a presence of them; and others say Paul disputeth how we are justified, and James how we shall evidence ourselves to be justified; the one taketh justification for acquittance from sin, the other for acquittance from hypocrisy; the one for the imputation of righteousness, the other for the declaration of righteousness. Or as others, Paul speaketh of the office of faith, James of the quality of faith; Paul pleadeth for saving faith, James pleadeth against naked assent; the one speaketh of the justifying of the person, the other of the faith, &c. All these answers are to the same effect, either subordinate to one another or differing only in expression, and do very well suit with the scope of the apostle. You shall see everywhere he seeketh to disvalue and put a disgrace upon that faith he speaketh of; he calleth it a vain dead faith, a faith which is alone, &c. And when he fixeth the scope of the disputation, he saith, `Show me thy faith by thy works;, where he plainly discovereth what was the matter in controversy, to wit, the evidencing of their faith. And it is notable, that when he beginneth to argue, the proposition which he layeth down is this, that a bare profession of faith without works will not save. It is true, it is delivered by way of question, ver. 14, `What will it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, and hath not works? Will faith save him?, Or, as it is in the original, will ἡ πίστις, will that faith save him? Now such questions are the strongest way of denial, for they are an appeal to the conscience; and you shall see that the conclusion is this always, that faith which is alone and without works, is dead; which plainly showeth what was the τὸ ζητούμενον, or the thing in question, to wit, the unjustifiableness of that faith which is without works.

Out of the whole discourse you may observe:—

Obs. 1. That in the scriptures there is sometimes a seeming difference, but no real contrariety. The τὸ ἐναντιοφανὲς, the seeming difference, is ordered with good advice. God would prevent misprisions and errors on every side; and the expressions of scripture are ordered so that one may relieve another. As, for instance, some hold that Christ had only an imaginary body, and was man but in appearance; therefore, to show the reality of his human nature, you have that expression, John i. 14, `The word was made flesh., Others, straining that expression, held a change of the Godhead into the humanity; to correct which excess we have another expression, 1 Tim. iii. 16, `God manifested in the flesh., To a Valentinian, urging that place in Timothy for Christ's fantastic and imaginary body, we may oppose that in John, `The word was made flesh;, to a Cerinthian, pleading for a change of the Godhead, we may oppose that in Paul, `God manifested, &c. So in some places we are bid `to work out our salvation, Phil. ii. 12, 13; and the whole business of salvation is charged upon us, to check laziness. In other places the will and deed is altogether ascribed to God, to prevent self-confidence. Thus Paul, having to deal with pharisaical justiciaries, proveth invincibly justification by faith without works; James, having to deal with carnal gospellers, proveth as strongly that a profession of faith without works is vain. The scripture hath so poised and contempered all doctrines and expressions, that it might wisely prevent human mistakes and errors on every hand, and sentences might not be violently urged apart, but measured by the proportion of faith.

Obs. 2. That a bare profession of faith is not enough to acquit us from hypocrisy. Christ would not own them that professed his name but wrought iniquity, Mat. vii. 21, 22; so also the church should not own men for their bare profession. In these times we look more at gifts and abilities of speech than good works, and empty prattle weigheth more than real charity.

Ver. 25. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Here he bringeth another instance. But why doth he mention Rahab? (1.) Because this act of hers is made an effect of faith: Heb. xi. 31, `By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies in peace., It was indeed a great act of faith for one that had lived among heathens to be persuaded of the power of the God of Israel, of the right they had to that land; which faith was wrought in her by divine instinct, upon the report which was made of God and his works. (2.) Because this instance doth well to be annexed to the former. They might object that every one could not go as high as Abraham, the great idea and pattern of all believers; ay! but the lowest faith must produce works as well as the highest; and therefore he bringeth Rahab for an in stance of the weakest faith. (1st.) For her person; she was a woman, a harlot, a heathen, when God wrought upon her; there being so many disadvantages, it is to be presumed this was as low an instance as can be brought. (2d.) For the act itself, it was accompanied with weakness, with a lie, which indeed is suppressed, or not mentioned, lest it should deface the glory of her faith. (3d.) Because there might be some doubt of this instance. They might object that bare profession was accounted faith in Rahab, and she a harlot. He replieth that in Rahab the doctrine might be made good; for her faith, how weak soever, yielded some self-denying act or fruit.

But you will say, How is this pertinent to the purpose, to prove that pretence or profession of faith without works is not enough to acquit us of hypocrisy? I answer—You must conceive it thus: If she had only said unto these messengers, I believe the God of heaven and earth hath given you this whole land for a possession, yet I dare not show you any kindness in this city, it had been but such a dead barren faith as he here treateth of; but this belief prevailed so far with her, that she performed a grateful office to them, though she incurred present danger, and the tortures which the rage of her citizens would inflict upon her for harbouring spies. I come now to the words.

Likewise also.—It hath relation to the former instance of Abraham.

Was not Rahab the harlot.—Lyranus thinks that the word hazzonah, for harlot, was her proper name; others think it only signifieth that she was a hostess or victualler; so the Chaldee paraphrase rendereth it a woman that kept a tavern, תתא פדוקיתא, γυναῖκα πανδοκεύτριαν; the Chaldee word being formed out of the Greek, they derive the original zonah from zun, which signifieth to feed, though others derive it from zanah, he played the adulterer; and they think it altogether improbable for a prince of Judah to marry a common harlot. But the article ἡ πόρνη, that harlot, so commonly used in scripture, and because this is still repeated as a noted circumstance, and the Syriac hath a word that properly and only signifieth harlot, seem to infer that she was indeed a woman of a vicious and infamous life , and it is but folly to excuse that which God would have made known for his own glory. Probably she might be both a hostess and a harlot too, as many times such are of an evil fame. She lived from her parents; no mention is made of husband and children: if her pretence had not been to keep a place of entertainment, it is not likely that the spies would turn into an open brothel-house, unless ignorant of it, or by divine providence guided thither.