VII.

THE UNANIMITY OF PAUL AND JAMES.

JAMES ii. 24.

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

THE apostle is here cutting at such professors as talk of their faith, while their souls were dead to God, without any love to him, motion towards him, or exercise upon him.

Now such a confidence as this, which is without the proper works that attend genuine faith, what doth it profit, my brethren? It is of no avail. It doth not apply the atonement, nor put on an imputed righteousness; it is not attended with peace, it doth not work by love, nor doth it prevail with God in prayer, nor hath it been attended with the seal of the Spirit, nor with the witness of him; and therefore the talker of this faith is as dead and as barren to God as ever he was; and then what doth it profit? "Can faith save him?" No, faith is no saviour; there is salvation in no other name under heaven but in Christ; and such a faith as this, which performs not the works of faith, can never bring Christ into the soul, to dwell in the heart; nor lead us out of self, that we may dwell in Christ by faith. He

that believes shall be saved; but this is not that faith that accompanies salvation. Faith which comes from God, and which is God's gift to us, and God's work in us, is given us to live by: "The just man shall live by his faith." But this faith brings nothing in, and therefore must starve the soul.

"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food; and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" This brother and sister set forth the state and case of the miserable sinner, who is poor and wretched, blind and naked, and destitute of all food but husks and the bread of deceit; but then, does the faith of God's elect send the poor creature away in such a miserable condition as this, saying, be ye warmed and filled, but at the same time does nothing for him? I trow not.

Faith is a hand to clothe the naked. "The righteousness of Christ is revealed from faith to faith; and is to and upon all that believe." It not only puts on clothing, but it warms us also; for it works by love, and love makes the heart burn within us; it brings daily food to the soul. "We live by the faith of the Son of God," who is the bread of life; and whose flesh is meat indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed; and they that believe have everlasting life, and shall never die.

Now, as such a poor brother or sister, being

sent empty away, with a Be ye warmed and filled, without any relief given, profiteth nothing; "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

But true faith is never alone, for where true faith is, there is Christ; for he dwells in the heart by faith. "I live by the faith of the Son of God; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." The Holy Ghost also always accompanies true faith. "The day ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Besides, faith has two sisters, that are sure to abide with her, and ever will. "And now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three." And, as faith always works by love, and cannot work without it, it is plain that this faith cannot be the faith of God's elect, because it is dead, being alone. But can faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit of life, be dead? or can faith that works by love be alone?

"Yea a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works." James still pursues this prating fool. Before, this man is represented as saying, I have faith; and this report, conveyed by sounding his own trumpet, goes abroad, and another circulates it, and says, "Thou hast faith;" then says James, "I have works." But "shew me thy faith without thy works:" which is what no man can do; for faith is as a grain of mustard seed in the heart, which is hid from all but God, and the possessors of it. "I will shew thee my faith by my works," says James. Faith overcomes the

world, and separates us from it, insomuch that our old companions can see it, and wonder that we run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of us. Faith centers in Christ. We all meet in the unity of the faith, that is, in our covenant head; and the believer abides in him, and abides by him, both in faith and affection, while others despise him. Faith obtains promises, and mixes itself with the word, which may be known by sound doctrine, sound words, sound speech that cannot be condemned, and by the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, spoken in faith and love. Faith is attended with the light of life, for he that believeth in Christ shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life; and this light is to shine before men, and is attended with good works, such as holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience, a willingness to live honestly, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; which are some of the blackest of all crimes: by manifestation of the truth, setting it forth in all its freeness and fulness, appealing to every man's conscience in the sight of God; dealing faithfully with souls, and setting light by the world; abhorring covetousness, and willing to relieve the poor of the flock; watching over each other for good, seeking the welfare of their souls, guarding them against all those who lie in wait to deceive, especially the free-willers, who hold the leaven of the pharisees, which is hypocrisy; and by a

warm attachment to Christ, and a steady adherence to truth; not like the simple, that believeth every word, but like a wise man, that looks well to his way. James shewed his faith by such works as these.

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well." This is a bare assent of the natural mind, founded upon divine history, which is what none but a heathen will deny. But true faith exceeds this assent, and confession too; it sees him that is invisible to the eye of the body, and to the light of nature; it gives credit to God's word, and flies to him as to the great rewarder of all that diligently seek him; and receives the blessings of life and peace, love and comfort that are in him, and views him as the greatest of all treasure; such are rich in faith, and rich towards God.

"The devils also believe, and tremble." These devils go further than this man in his dead confidence, which fixes the poor carnally secure hy pocrite in such a state, who sits down at ease under the wo of God, dead in sin: Wo unto them that are at ease in Zion, and to the dead in such a profession under the sound of gospel grace.

The devil's faith has some feeling in it. He believes in one God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and he feels his own guilt, and God's curse; he is in chains, and he knows it; he knows that Christ has destroyed his works, and bruised his head, and he hates him for it, and opposes him, and yet