That Faith, if it be a living Faith, will be a working Faith. It is the work 1of Faith which the Apostle here commends. This case is so stated by James that it needs no farther confirmation, Chap. 2. 20. Wilt thou know, or knowest thou not, O vain man, that Faith without works is dead? He is a most vain man who thinks otherwise, who hopes for any Benefit by that Faith which doth not work by Love. Satan hath no greater design in the world than to abuse Gospel Truths. When the Doctrine of free Justification by Faith, through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, was first fully revealed and declared, his great Design then was to persuade men that there was no need of Obedience, and so they could attain any manner of persuasion of the Truth of the Gospel, or make profession thereof, they might live in sin as they pleased, and neglect all good Works and Duties of Obedience. And although this be now condemned by all, yet indeed is it no more but what upon the matter most do practise according unto. For they suppose that by being of this or that Religion, Papists or Protestants, or the like, they shall be saved whatever their ways and works are. So Papists, for Instance, are indeed the greatest Solifidians in the world. For to own the Faith of the Church, is enough with them to secure the Salvation of any. This Abomination having been early started was seasonably suppressed by the writing of James and John. For the former directly and plainly lays open the Vanity of this pretence, declaring, that that Faith which they professed and boasted of, was not the Faith whereby any ⟨p. 98⟩should be justified before God, nor of the same kind with it. For this Faith is living, operative, and fruitful, and evidenceth it self unto all by its Works and Fruits. Whereas that Faith whereof vain men living in their sins did boast, was so far from being a Grace of the Spirit of God, that it was no other but what was in the Devils themselves, and which they could not rid themselves of if they would. The latter without expressing the occasion of it, spends his Epistle in, declaring the necessity of Love and Obedience, or keeping the Commandments of Christ. Wherefore the enemy of our Salvation being defeated in this Attempt, he betook himself unto the other extreme; contending that the works of Faith had the same place in our Justification with Faith it self.
That Faith, if it be a living Faith, will be a working Faith. It is the work 1of Faith which the Apostle here commends. This case is so stated by James that it needs no farther confirmation, Chap. 2. 20. Wilt thou know, or knowest thou not, O vain man, that Faith without works is dead? He is a most vain man who thinks otherwise, who hopes for any Benefit by that Faith which doth not work by Love. Sathan hath no greater design in the world than to abuse Gospel Truths. When the Doctrine of free Justification by Faith, through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, was first fully revealed and declared, his great Design then was to perswade men that there was no need of Obedience, and so they could attain any manner of perswasion of the Truth of the Gospel, or make profession thereof, they might live in sin as they pleased, and neglect all good Works and Duties of Obedience. And although this be now condemned by all, yet indeed is it no more but what upon the matter most do practise according unto. For they suppose that by being of this or that Religion, Papists or Protestants, or the like, they shall be saved whatever their ways and works are. So Papists, for Instance, are indeed the greatest Solifidians in the world. For to own the Faith of the Church, is enough with them to secure the Salvation of any. This Abomination having been early started was seasonably suppressed by the writing of James and John. For the former directly and plainly lays open the Vanity of this pretence, declaring, that that Faith which they professed and boasted of, was not the Faith whereby any ⟨p. 98⟩should be justified before God, nor of the same kind with it. For this Faith is living, operative, and fruitful, and evidenceth it self unto all by its Works and Fruits. Whereas that Faith whereof vain men living in their sins did boast, was so far from being a Grace of the Spirit of God, that it was no other but what was in the Devils themselves, and which they could not rid themselves of if they would. The latter without expressing the occasion of it, spends his Epistle in, declaring the necessity of Love and Obedience, or keeping the Commandments of Christ. Wherefore the enemy of our Salvation being defeated in this Attempt, he betook himself unto the other extream; contending that the works of Faith had the same place in our Justification with Faith it self.
- 1Obser. 1;
