CHAP.~. upon the Epiftle of JAM B s. VE RS.I4· ' ;igbt fpring of Mercy is from fenfe of Gods Mercy; 'tis a thank: ) 'offering, not aJin-offiring. Verfe 14. Wh.1.t doth it profit: m1 Brethren, if aman~] he hath Faith, and bath no Work!? (an FtA.ith j'ave hi~ ? . Here is the fecond Exhortation againfl: boafiingcf an idle faith, and it fuiteth with the lafi Argument urged in behalf of the former matter :- He had fpoken of a·Law of Liberty ; now .• lefi this ex– preffion fhouldjufiifie the mifprifion of {ome falfe Hypocrites, who thought they might live as they lifl:, fo as they did profefs faith in Ch~ift, he difproveth the vanity of this conceit by divers Argu- . ments. What a'Oth it profit, my Brethreill,] That is, How will it fur– ther the ends of a Profefsion, or aReligion? So the Apofile, when he confuteth another fuch prefumptuons perfwafion, faith, MJ'~v ~P.'• I llm nothing, I Cor. q.2. that is, of no efieem with God, upon the fuppofition that his gifts were without charity. If amanfayhehathFaith,] Say,thatis, boafl:ofittoothers, or pride himfelf in the conceit of it. ~ris notable that the Apofile doth not fay, ifany hath faith, but ifany man fay he bath faith: Faith where ~tis indeed, is of ufe and profit to Salvation; anc\ he that bath Faith is fure of Salvation, but not always- he that faith he bath faith. Jn. this whole difcourfe the Apofl:les intent is to lhew, not what juflijieth, but Who u juflified; not what Faith doth, but what Faith i!: and the drift of the Context is not to lhew, that Faith Withoul WorkJ cloth not jufiifie, · but that a per– fwafion or affent Without Work! is not Faith : and the Jufrificati– on he fpeaketh is not fo much of theperfon ~s of the faith. And bath no Work!? J That is, if there be no fruits :md i!fues of Holinefs-from it. 'Tis the folly of the llapiUs to refirain it to ad:s of Charity. There are other products of Faith ; it being a grace that bath an univerfal influence into all the offices-of the ho~ ly life. · . pan F~eithfove him? J That is, a pretence of Faith: for other.: w1!e Fa;thjave~h; that is, in that way of cqncurrence in which any aB: of the Creatures can be faid to fave. ,So Paut, Ephef. 2. 8. !~ x,J.(!.(1~ ~iVr41{#ol ~~~ .,ij., 71'f>i(t)'' Ye arefav~d"}'grace through, . ---- -- -- -- --- ~ p 3 - · faith~-
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