rd

James 2

1 He forbiddeth to have any respect of persons, 5 But to regard the poor as well as the rich. 8 To be loving and merciful, 14 And not to boast of faith where no deeds are. 17 For it is but a dead faith, where good works follow not.
1.My brethren, have not the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ ain ^respect of persons.
2.For if there come into your company a man with a gold ring, and in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment,
3.And ye have a respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place, and say unto the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool,
4.Are ye not partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil bthoughts?
5.Hearken my beloved brethren, hath not cGod chosen the poor of this world, that they should be rich in faith, & heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
6.But ye have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you by tyranny, and do not they draw you before the judgment seats?
7.Do not they blaspheme the dworthy Name after which ye be named?
8.But if ye fulfil the eroyal Law according to the Scripture, which saith, *Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.
9.*But if ye regard the persons, ye commit sin, and are rebuked of the Law, as transgressors.
10.For *whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet faileth in one point, he is guilty of all.
11.For he that said, *Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now though thou doest none adultery, yet if thou killest, thou art a transgressor of the Law.
12.So speak ye, and so do, as they that shalbe judged by the Law of fliberty.
13.For there shalbe judgment merciless to him that sheweth no mercy, and mercy grejoiceth against judgment.
14.What availeth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath hfaith, when he hath no works? Can the faith save him?
15.For if a brother or a sister be *naked and destitute of daily food,
16.And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace: warm yourselves, and fill your bellies, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what helpeth it?
17.Even so the faith, if it have no works, is dead in itself.
18.But some man might say, Thou hast ithe faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith out of thy ^kworks, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19.Thou believest that there is one God: thou doest well: the devils also believe it, and tremble.
20.But wilt thou understand, ô thou vain man, that the faith which is without works, is dead?
21.Was not Abraham our father justified through works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the Altar?
22.Seest thou not that the faith lwrought with his works? and through the works was the faith made mperfect?
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.
24.Ye see then how that of works a man is njustified, and not oof faith only.
25.Likewise also was not *pRahab the harlot justified through works, when she had received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26.For as the body without the spirit is dead, even q so the faith without works is dead.

Notes

1-^.
Or, acceptation.
1-a.
As esteeming faith and religion by the outward appearance of men.
4-b.
That is, are you not evil affectioned?
5-c.
Seeing God esteems them, we may not contemn them.
7-d.
The Name of God and Christ, whereof ye make profession: and in that they dishonour God, it is not mete that you his children should honour them.
8-*.
Lev. 19.18, Mat. 22.39, Mar. 12.31, Rom. 13.9, Gal. 5.14
8-e.
Which is here taken proverbially, for the high or broad way, wherein there is no turnings, and every man can go it: so every man is our neighbour, as well the poor as the rich.
9-*.
Lev. 19.15, Deuter. 1.17 & 16.19,
10-*.
Mat. 5.19
11-*.
Exod. 20.14, Deut. 5.18
12-f.
By the mercy of God which delivered us from the curse of the Law.
13-g.
And feareth it not
14-h.
S. Paul to the Romans and Galatians disputes against them, which attribute justification to the works: and here S. James reasons against them which utterly condemn works: therefore Paul shows the causes of our justification, and James the effects: there it is declared how we are justified: here how we are known to be justified: there works are excluded as not the cause of our justification: here they are approved as effects proceeding thereof: there they are denied to go before them that shalbe justified: and here they are said to follow them that are justified.
15-*.
Luk. 3.11, 1 John 3.17
18-^.
Or, without works
18-i.
In thine own opinion.
18-k.
Here deeds are considered as joined with true faith.
22-l.
So that faith was not idle.
22-m.
The more his faith was declared by his obedience and good works, the more was it known to men to be perfect, as the goodness of a tree is known by her good fruit, otherwise no man can have perfection in this world: for every man must pray for remission of his sins, and increase of faith.
23-*.
Gen. 15.6, Rom. 4.3, Gal. 3.6
24-n.
Is so known and declared to man.
24-o.
Of that barren and dead faith whereof ye boast.
25-*.
Josh. 2.1
25-p.
Meaning hereby all them that were not Jews and were received to grace.
26-q.
Wherefore we are justified only by that lively faith, which doeth apprehend the mercy of God toward us in Jesus Christ.