CHAPTER I. The obedience of a Christian expressed under the notion of friendship to God
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 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.—
JAMES 2:21–23.
CHAPTER I
The obedience of a Christian expressed under the notion of friendship to God.—The title of being 'God's friend' is given to Abraham—The meaning of the apostle James, when he says,
Abraham was justified by works.
MY present subject is the obedience of a man already regenerated; and this the notion of friendship with God will in a large manner serve to illustrate unto us. Friendship is the strength of love, and the highest improvement of it. 'Thy friend,' says Moses, 'that is as thy own soul,' Deut. 13:6. Friendship is common to, and included in, all relations of love. A brother is (or ought to be) a friend; it is but friendship natural. Husband and wife are friends; that knot is but friendship conjugal. See one instance for both, Cant. 5: Christ had first called his church sister, and then spouse; and as not contented with both, though put together, he adds another compellation as the top of all, 'Oh my friends!' This friendship to God will therefore most perfectly and completely serve to express the love and obedience of the saints to God, which is here set forth in the text, in the example of Abraham, the state of whose person and temper of heart is herein made the common standard of all believers.
This phrase of being friends to God is not only expressive of the first work of God upon us, but it is sufficient to instruct and direct us, and
(as the Holy Ghost speaks upon another occasion) 'to make the man of God perfect.' The whole of that charge given to Abraham, who is here made our pattern, Gen. 17:1, 'Walk before me, and be thou perfect,' is summarily comprehended in this testimony of his carriage, whereby he made good the character of a friend, and so was called the friend of God. Other titles given us do more express our privileges, as to be called a son, an heir; but this of being a friend to God (the essential constitution and essence of which regeneration first gives us) expresseth more of duty and of the inward disposition of a Christian towards God, though it also be as high a title for dignity as any other. God writ upon the palms of his hands, and as a signet and a memorial on his right hand, the name of 'Abraham his friend;' he remembers him and his seed by it again and again, as if all were spoken in that one word. Our privilege by it I will not insist on, but the duty, the dispositions of it, I cannot omit, having gone so far in it, which Christ also insinuates, John 15:14. 'Ye are my friends, if ye do whatever I command you.'
That I may arrive at this portion of Scripture (my text), as it stands in coherence with the foregoing words, I must necessarily open the aim and intent of James therein, which hath had so much controversy upon it. The point which he pursues in this chapter and this epistle was to convince loose professors, who, building themselves upon Paul's doctrine (which if it had not been current in those times there had been no colour for their mistake), that faith alone being that which saved us, and justified us without works, they thereupon bad taken up a looseness of profession in practice, not judging inward holiness in their hearts, or an outward strictness in their lives necessary, seeing it was faith alone that saveth. Now, in this chapter, there are two mediums by which he evinceth the vanity of that deceit.
1. That even under the gospel, universal respect to all the commandments, one as well as another, is required, and upon the same ground to all as unto any one; yea, and that at the latter day,
God will judge every man according to this rule, which he terms the 'law of liberty,' ver. 12. The gospel requires a sincere respect unto all commandments; this you have from ver. 8 to the 14th, 'If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?'
The second part of this discourse, and which he prosecutes to the end of the chapter is, 1. That true saving faith hath always works of holiness, or such a respect unto all the commandments, accompanying it both in the heart and life. And 2. On the contrary, that faith which hath not these fruits is but a dead faith, and not the true genuine faith, such as all believers have that are saved. Yea, and 3. That every man's faith (and so together therewith every man that professeth himself to have true faith) must one day be put to an open trial, to justify the truth of itself, and of his profession, and this afore all the world. And the believer also will be put upon the justification of his having bad such a faith as God (ex consequenti, or in the sequel) professeth only to justify man upon; for at the latter day it is faith is the grace that must be tried and found unto honour and glory, 1 Peter 1:7. And the man that shall plead justification by faith
alone (which James contradicts not), and that he had a saving faith, must undergo this examination, whether his faith produced such works, yea or no, as the nature of true faith, with difference from false and unfeigned faith (which James disputes against), doth note.
These three assertions he intermingledly lays down. The first, ver. 14, 'What doth it profit a man, though he say he hath faith, and have not works?' 'Can ἡ πίστις, that faith, save him?' The second is in ver. 17,
'Even so faith, which hath not works, is dead, being alone,' and but such a faith as the devils have, ver. 19. The third is in verses 21 and 24, 'A man is justified by works, and not by faith only.' The issue of all which comes to this, that true sanctification and holiness of heart and life is required by God unto the possession and the enjoyment of salvation as well as faith, and serves to justify the truth of the faith, by which he hath alone the right to it.
Now, for the confirmation of all this, he allegeth the instance of Abraham as an undeniable conviction and sufficient evidence, as his preface to it shews: 'Wilt thou know, O vain man?' says he, ver. 20.
He gives such possessors the title of vain men, because they are vain in their imaginations, Rom. 1, and deceived in what they build on, and their religion will prove vain (as in chap. 1:26 he speaks); such a man 'deceives his own heart, and his religion is vain.'
Now wilt thou know, that is, shall I give thee an invincible demonstration for all these things? Both that that faith which is without works is a dead faith, a counterfeit faith, and so of another kind from saving faith. And 2dly, that whoever pleads he hath faith, must have a justification (in a right and true sense) by works, &c. For this, take that instance of our father Abraham: James 2:21, 'Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?' We must understand him here closely to