An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

The Second Part.

Vers. 14. What doth it profit, my Brethren, though a man say hee hath Faith, and have not works? can Faith save him?

The other Admonition for avoiding the vanity of boasting, touching a vain and idle Faith. The Proposi∣tion is determined in the first words. That the Profes∣sion of Faith is unprofitable and vain, which is destitute of works. Hee proves this by nine Arguments.

Argum. 1. Because such Faith, which is void of fruits, cannot save him that boasts of his vain Faith: Therefore his profession is vain.

Vers. 15. If a Brother or Sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, bee you warmed, and filled: notwithstanding yee give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit?

Argum. 2. Verbal profession of empty charity is vain, and unprofitable, both to him that professes it, and to the hungry, to whom words are given in stead of meat: Therefore also the meer Profession of Faith is vain.

Vers. 17. Even so Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Argum. 3. Charity, which consists onely in an outward profession, is dead: Therefore also Faith which con∣sists in an outward profession, without works, is dead, and vain.

Vers. 18. Yea a man may say, Thou hast Faith, and I have works: Shew mee thy Faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my Faith by my works.

Argum. 4. Such a profession of Faith is apparently vain, when it shall come to the tryal, as it appears in the supposition of the Dialogue set down betwixt the true beleever, who can shew his Faith by his Works, and the boasting hypocrite, who cannot demonstrate his Faith by his life and works: Therefore that boasting of Faith is vain and unprofitable.

Vers. 19. Thou beleevest that there is one God, thou dost well: the Devils also beleeve, and tremble.

Argum. 5. Faith which is called Historical, where∣by wee beleeve the Truth of the Articles of Faith, touching the unity of God, and such like▪ although this bee good, yet it is not sufficient to salvation, it is not saving Faith; Because the Devils beleeve the Truth of the Divine Word, and tremble: Therefore much less doth the vain profession of Faith destitute of works profit to salvation.

Vers. 20. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that Faith without works is dead.

Argum. 6. Propounded by way of Dialogue; Hee that glorieth and resteth upon such Faith that is with∣out works, not knowing it to be dead, is a vain and empty man, as a vessel, the more empty it is the more it sounds: and hence hee proceeds to the seventh Argument.

Vers. 21. Was not Abraham our Father justified by works, when hee had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar?

Argum. 7. Proving that faith without works is dead, and consequently the profession of faith, which wanteth works, to be vain, from the example of Abraham, who in the foresaid matter touching the demonstration of his faith, whether it were alive or dead, is found and de∣clared just by his works, and here by an interrogation he urges the conscience of the hypocrite. Abraham the Fa∣ther of the faithful is justified before the whole world, be∣cause his faith was not dead, but alive by his works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the Altar, in testimony of the sincerity of his faith; or that he by a lively faith believed in God, and pleased not himself in the vain pro∣fession of an idle or dead faith, as many do: Therefore faith which is without works, is dead and vain. And so Iames very well agreeth with ••aul: For Paul argues thus, Rom. 4.2. If Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God; therefore he is not justified before God by works: But Iames argues thus, Abraham is justified by works before men, who might say to him, Shew me thy faith by thy works, or demon∣strate to me, that thy faith is not dead, but alive: From which antecedent it doth not onely follow, Therefore faith without works is dead; but also, the conclusion agree∣ing with Pauls conclusion, Therefore Abraham is justified before God, not by that dead faith, and void of works, but by a lively faith, and efficacious in works, and so the Apostles agree very well.

Vers. 22. Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

He shews that this is the minde of Iames, by convincing the boasting hypocrite, glorying of a dead faith; from this, that the faith of Abraham, together with the pro∣fession of faith, had works joyned with it, so that his faith is declared to be perfected by works, and not found vain or dead.

Vers. 23. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God.

From hence also he infers an exposition of that Scri∣pture which Paul cites in the matter of Justification by faith, and so he fully demonstrates his consent with Paul, Seeing that Abrahams faith is perfectly declared by his wo••ks, or the fruits thereof, then it is declared plainly, that the Scripture hath spoken true, He believed, &c. And so when it is said, that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness, it is manifest, that it is to be understood of faith not dead, but lively and operative by works: And Iames here sheweth, that this exposition of the Scripture, is the fulfilling, and the full sense of it: He saith, that Abraham was called the friend of God, that we may un∣derstand, that sincere reconciliation with God is wrought by faith, and true friendship is demonstrated by the ma∣nifestation of faith in works of obedience.

Vers. 24. Ye see then how that by works a man is justifi∣ed, and not by faith onely?

The conclusion follows from these premises, against the boasting of hypocrites, touching their vain faith, that all pro••••ssing faith before men, are justified by their works, and not onely by the profession of their faith, or by a dead and vain faith, which you hypocrites boast of.

Vers. 25. Likewise also, was not Rahab the harlot justi∣fied by works, when she had received the Messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Argum. 8. Rahab the Harlot was justified (before Is∣rael; viz. that she truly believed in God, and was truly converted) by works, when she had received the Messen∣gers of Israel, and dismissed them safe: Therefore vain is the profession of an idle faith. That Iames takes Ju∣stification for no other than as we have said, doth appear from this, that he calls Rahab an Harlot, or prostitute to filthy lusts: Therefore how impossible was it for her to be justified by workes before God, but onely by true faith, which sheweth it self to be true by works.

Vers. 26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Argum. 9. Even as an animate body, if it doth not breathe, it is dead; so faith, if it doth not produce works, it is dead: Therefore vain is the boasting of such an idle faith, wherein hypocrites please themselves.