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Which is able to save. It is a high eulogy on heavenly truth, that we obtain through it a sure salvation; and this is added, that we may learn to seek and love and magnify the word as a treasure that is incomparable. It is then a sharp goad to chastise our idleness, when he says that the word which we are wont to hear so negligently, is the means of our salvation, though for this purpose the power of saving is not ascribed to the word, as if salvation is conveyed by the external sound of the word, or as if the office of saving is taken away from God and transferred elsewhere; for James speaks of the word which by faith penetrates into the hearts of men, and only intimates that God, the author of salvation, conveys it by his Gospel.

22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

27. Pure religion, and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

22. Estote factores sermonis, et non auditores solùm, fallentes vos ipsos.

23. Nam si quis auditor est sermonis, et non factor, hic similis est homini consideranti faciem nativitatis suæ in speculo:

24. Consideravit enim seipsum, et abiit, et protinus oblitus est qualis sit.

25. Qui verò intuitus fuerit in legem perfectam, quæ est libertatis, et permanserit, hic non auditor obliviosus, sed factor operis, beatus in opere suo erit.

26. Si quis videtur religiosus esse inter vos, nec refrænat linguam suam, sed decipit cor suum, hujus inanis est religio.

27. Religio pura et impolluta coram Deo et Patre, hæc est, Visitare pupillos et viduas in afflictione ipsorum, immaculatum servare se à mundo.

22. Be ye doers of the word. The doer here is not the same as in Rom. ii. 13, who satisfied the law of God and fulfilled it in every part, but the doer is he who from the heart embraces God's word and testifies by his life that he really away every uncleanness and remnant of wickedness, or evil, as the word xaxía more properly means. See Acts viii. 22; 1 Pet. ii. 16.

"Every uncleanness," or filthiness, means every kind of uncleanness arising from lustful and carnal indulgences; and "the remnant of wickedness," in thought and in deed, most suitably follows.-Ed.

believes, according to the saying of Christ, "Blessed are they who hear God's word and keep it,” (Luke xi. 28;) for he shews by the fruits what that implanting is, before mentioned. We must further observe, that faith with all its works is included by James, yea, faith especially, as it is the chief work which God requires from us. The import of the whole is, that we ought to labour that the word of the Lord should strike roots in us, so that it may afterwards fructify.'

23. He is like to a man. Heavenly doctrine is indeed a mirror in which God presents himself to our view; but so that we may be transformed unto his image, as Paul says in 2 Cor. iii. 18. But here he speaks of the external glance of the eye, not of the vivid and efficacious meditation which penetrates into the heart. It is a striking comparison, by which he briefly intimates, that a doctrine merely heard and not received inwardly into the heart avails nothing, because it soon vanishes away.

25. The perfect law of liberty. After having spoken of empty speculation, he comes now to that penetrating intuition which transforms us to the image of God. And as he had to do with the Jews, he takes the word law, familiarly known to them, as including the whole truth of God.

But why he calls it a perfect law, and a law of liberty, interpreters have not been able to understand; for they have not perceived that there is here a contrast, which may be gathered from other passages of Scripture. As long as the law is preached by the external voice of man, and not inscribed by the finger and Spirit of God on the heart, it is but a dead letter, and as it were a lifeless thing. It is, then, no wonder that the law is deemed imperfect, and that it is the law of bondage; for as Paul teaches in Gal. iv. 24, separated from Christ, it generates to bondage; and as the same shews to us in Rom. viii. 13, it can do nothing but fill us with diffidence and fear. But the Spirit of regeneration, who inscribes it on our inward parts, brings also the grace of adoption. It is, then, the same as though James had

1 Calvin takes no notice of the last sentence, "deceiving yourselves." The participle means deceiving by false reasoning it may be rendered with Doddridge, "sophistically deceiving yourselves."-Ed.

said, "The teaching of the law, let it no longer lead you to bondage, but, on the contrary, bring you to liberty; let it no longer be only a schoolmaster, but bring you to perfection: it ought to be received by you with sincere affection, so that you may lead a godly and a holy life."

Moreover, since it is a blessing of the Old Testament that the law of God should reform us, as it appears from Jer. xxxi. 35, and other passages, it follows that it cannot be obtained until we come to Christ. And, doubtless, he alone is the end and perfection of the law; and James adds liberty, as an inseparable associate, because the Spirit of Christ never regenerates, but that he becomes also a witness and an earnest of our divine adoption, so as to free our hearts from fear and trembling.

And continueth. This is firmly to persevere in the knowledge of God; and when he adds, this man shall be blessed in his deed, or work, he means that blessedness is to be found in doing, not in cold hearing.1

26. Seem to be religious. He now reproves even in those who boasted that they were doers of the law, a vice under which hypocrites commonly labour, that is, the wantonness of the tongue in detraction. He has before touched on the duty of restraining the tongue, but for a different end; for he then bade silence before God, that we might be more fitted to learn. He speaks now of another thing, that the faithful should not employ their tongue in evil-speaking.

It was indeed needful that this vice should be condemned, when the subject was the keeping of the law; for they who have put off the grosser vices, are especially subject to this disease. He who is neither an adulterer, nor a thief, nor a drunkard, but, on the contrary, seems brilliant with some outward shew of sanctity, will set himself off by defaming others, and this under the pretence of zeal, but really through the lust of slandering.

The object here, then, was tô distinguish between the true worshippers of God and hypocrites, who are so swollen with

'It may be rendered thus,-" The same shall be blessed in (or by) the doing of it," that is, the work. The very doing of the law of liberty, of what the gospel prescribes, makes a man blessed or happy.-Ed.

Pharisaic pride, that they seek praise from the defects of others. If any one, he says, seems to be religious, that is, who has a show of sanctity, and in the meantime flatters himself by speaking evil of others, it is hence evident that he does not truly serve God. For by saying that his religion is vain, he not only intimates that other virtues are marred by the stain of evil-speaking, but that the conclusion is, that the zeal for religion which appears is not sincere.

But deceiveth his own heart. I do not approve of the version of Erasmus-" but suffers his heart to err;" for he points out the fountain of that arrogance to which hypocrites are addicted, through which, being blinded by an immoderate love of themselves, they believe themselves to be far better than they really are; and hence, no doubt, is the disease of slandering, because the wallet, as Æsop says in his Apologue, hanging behind, is not seen. Rightly, then, has

James, wishing to remove the effect, that is, the lust of evilspeaking, added the cause, even that hypocrites flatter themselves immoderately. For they would be ready to forgive, were they in their turn to acknowledge themselves to be in need of forgiveness. Hence the flatteries by which they deceive themselves as to their own vices, make them such supercilious censors of others.

27. Pure religion. As he passes by those things which are of the greatest moment in religion, he does not define generally what religion is, but reminds us that religion without the things he mentions is nothing; as when one given to wine and gluttony boasts that he is temperate, and another should object, and say that the temperate man is he who does not indulge in excess as to wine or eating; his object is not to express the whole of what temperance is, but to refer only to one thing, suitable to the subject in hand. For they are in vain religious of whom he speaks, as they are for the most part trifling pretenders.

James then teaches us that religion is not to be estimated by the pomp of ceremonies; but that there are important duties to which the servants of God ought to attend.

To visit in necessity is to extend a helping hand to alleviate such as are in distress. And as there are many others

whom the Lord bids us to succour, in mentioning widows and orphans, he states a part for the whole. There is then no doubt but that under one particular thing he recommends to us every act of love, as though he had said, "Let him who would be deemed religious, prove himself to be such by selfdenial and by mercy and benevolence towards his neighbours."

And he says, before God, to intimate that it appears indeed otherwise to men, who are led astray by external masks, but that we ought to seek what pleases him. By God and Father, we are to understand God who is a father.

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CHAPTER II.

1. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment ;

3. And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

4. Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

1. Fratres mei, ne in acceptionibus personarum fidem habeatis Domini Jesu Christi ex opinione, (vel, gloria.)

2. Si enim ingressus fuerit in cœtum vestrum vir aureos anulos gestans, veste indutus splendida ; ingressus autem fuerit et pauper in sordida veste;

3. Et respexeritis in eum qui vestem fert splendidam, et ei dixeritis, Tu sede hic honeste, et pauperi dixeritis, Tu sta illic, vel, Sede hic sub scabello pedum meorum;

4. An non dijudicati estis in vobisipsis, et facti judices malarum cogitationum?

THIS reproof seems at first sight to be hard and unreasonable; for it is one of the duties of courtesy, not to be neglected, to honour those who are elevated in the world. Further, if respect of persons be vicious, servants are to be freed from all subjection; for freedom and servitude are. deemed by Paul as conditions of life. The same must be thought of magistrates. But the solution of these questions is not difficult, if what James writes is not separated. For he does not simply disapprove of honour being paid to the rich, but that this should not be done in a way so as to

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