John Trapp on James 2

CHAP. II. Verſe 1. The Lord of glory]

OR, Have not the glorious faith of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c. Faith is a glorious grace indeed.

With respect of perſons] i. e. Of their outward quality or conditions, as rich, poor, of this ſide or that, &c. Zanchy relates of a certain Frenchman, a friend of his, and a conſtant hearer of Calvins at Geneva, Zanch Miſcel. praeſat. that being ſollicited by him to hear Viret an excellent Preacher, who preached at the ſame time that Calvin did, he anſwered, If S. Paul himſelf ſhould preach here at the ſame hour with Calvin, Ego, relicto Paulo, aud[illegible: 1 letter]r[illegible: 1 letter]m Calvinum, I would not leave Calvin to hear Paul. This is not only partiality but anthropolatry or Man-worſhip, ſaith he. Grynaeus reports a ſpeech of George Duke of Saxony: Although I am not ignorant,Lect. in Hag. p. 41. ſaid he, that there are divers errours and abuſes cr[illegible: 1 letter]pt into the Church, Nolo tamen amplecti Evangelium quod Lutherus annunciat, yet I will no[illegible: 2 letters] of that Goſpel-reformation that Luther preacheth, Compertum eſt, It is for certain, ſaith Eraſmus, that many things are condemned as hereticall in Luthers writings, Eraſm epiſt. ad Cardin Mogunt that in Austins and Bernards books are approved for ſound and pious paſſages.

Verſe 2. For if there come, &c.] It is probable ſaith an Interpreter here, that the Primitive Chriſtians, the better to ingratiate with the richer Pagans, gave them very great reſpect, contrary to that Pſal. 15.4. But I rather think the Apoſtle ſpeaketh in this text of wealthier Chriſtians, unworthily preferred before better, but poorer perſons.

Verſe 3 That weareth the gay cloth.] As Hoſpinian tels us of the dogs that kept Vulcans Temple, and as others ſay of the Bohemian curres, that they will fawn upon a good ſute, but flie upon one that is in ragged apparrel: So is it with many. Veſtis virum.

Verſe 4. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Are ye not then partia[illegible: 1 letter] ] Or, Are ye not f[illegible: 1 letter]r ſo doing, condemned in your own conſciences? Or, Neither have ye ſo much as once doubted or gueſtioned the matter within your ſelves, whether in ſo doing you have not done amiſſe.

Verſe 5. Ch[illegible: 1 letter]ſen the poor] This the world wonders and ſtumbles at. [illegible: 1 word] Heathen Romans would not receive Chriſt (though they heard of his miracles and mighty works) into the number of their gods, becauſe he preached poverty, and made uſe of poor perſons. Aig[illegible: 1 letter]land King of Saragoſſa in Arragon, refuſed to be baptized, [illegible: 1 span]. becauſe he ſaw many Lazars and poor people expecting alms from Char[illegible: 2 letters]mains table: and asking what they were, was anſwered, That they were the meſſengers and ſervants of God. And can he keep his ſervants no better, ſaid he? I'le be none of his ſervants.Revel. [illegible: 1 letter]. But what ſaith Chriſt? I know thy poverty: but (that's nothing) thou art rich. And, The poor are Gospellized; not only receive it,Mat. 11. but are changed by it.

Heirs of the Kingdom] Heads deſtinated to the diadem, ſaith Tertullian.

Verſe 6. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Oppreſſe you] Subjugate you, and bring your heads under their gi[illegible: 1 letter]dles: trample upon you with the feet of pride and cruelty; yea, devour you, as the greater fiſh do the leſſer.

Draw you before the judgement ſeats] Vex you with lawſutes, and by might rob you of your right. Cedit viribus aequum.

Verſe 7.Am. Marc. lib [illegible: 1 letter] cap. 2. Doe not they [illegible: 3 letters]ſpheme] That is, Cauſe to be blasphemed, as Rom. 2.24. 1 Tim. 1.20, Marcellinus a Heathen Hiſtorian, taxeth the Chriſtians of his times for their diſſenſions; biting and devouring one another, till they were even conſumed one of another. A ſad thing that a Heathen ſhould ſee ſuch helliſh miſcarriages among Chriſts followers.

Verſe 8. If ye fulfill the royall law] Acknowledging Gods ſoveraignty, and ſending a lamb to the Ruler of the earth, Iſa. 16.1. ſeeking the help of that free or noble ſpirit of his, Pſalme 51.13. that royall, ruling ſpirit, as the Greek verſion there hath it.

Verſe 9. Ye commit ſin] That's flat: though ye have thought otherwiſe. See the Note on Verſe 4.

Verſe 10. He is guilty of all] The whole Law is but one copulative, Exod. 16.18. Ezek. 18.10, 11, 12, 13.I [illegible: 1 letter]yr. Clavit. He that breaketh one Commandment habitually breaketh all: not ſo actually. The godly keep thoſe Commandments, that actually they break: But a diſpenſatory conſcience keeps not any commandment.

Verſe 11. For he that ſaid] God ſpake all thoſe words, Exod. 20. and ſaid: there is the ſame divine authority for one Commandment as another. The Phariſees had their minutula legis: but Chriſt cries them down, Mat. 5. The Jews at this day ſet ſ[illegible: 1 letter]eſly argue, Curſed is he that abides not in all things, therefore he is not curſed, that abides in ſome things only.

Verſe 12. As they that ſhall be judged] Or, As they that ſhould judge by the law of liberty; which is ſo called, becauſe it doth freely and fully diſcover unto every man, without reſpect of perſons, the errours and evils of his life. And we ſhould walk as paterns of the rule. See the Note on Matthew 11.19.

Verſe 13. For he ſhall have mercie] See the Note on Matthew 5.7.

And mercy rejoyceth againſt judgement] That is, [non-Latin text not transcribed], ab [illegible: 1 word] Cervix, [illegible: 1 letter]eadeth on the neck of judgement. The mercifull man glorieth, as one that hath received mercy, and ſhall not come into condemnation: for Gods mercy rejoyceth againſt ſuch a mans ſins, as againſt an adverſary, which he hath ſubdued and trampled on.

Verſe 14. Though a man ſay he hath faith] Saying ſerves not the turn. Livy telleth us of the Athenians, Liv. de[illegible: 1 letter] 4. that they waged Word-warre againſt Philip King of Macedony. Quibus ſ[illegible: 1 letter]lis valebant, and that was all they could doe. M[illegible: 1 letter]n may word it with God, and yet miſcarry, Iſa. 58.2, 3. He is too wiſe to be put off with words: he turns up our leaves, and looks what fruit: whereof if he mi[illegible: 2 letters]e, he laies down his basket, and takes up his ax, Luk. 13.7. Chriſtianity is not a talking, but a walking with God, and at the laſt day it ſhall be required of men, non quid legerint, ſed quid egerint, non quid dixerint, ſed quomodò vixerint, Not what they have ſaid, but how they have acted.

Can faith ſave him?] That is, An ineffectuall faith, that worketh not by love, ſuch as is the faith of the Solifidians.

Verſe 15. If a brother or a ſister] As it may b[illegible: 2 letters]all the beſt to be: and they are not of the Cameleon-kinde to live (with Ephraim) upon winde, Hoſ 12.1. to be fed with fair words, or to be cloathed with a ſute of complements. Sion ſhould be taken by the hand, Iſa. 51.18. And Tyrus converted, leaves hoarding and heaping up wealth, and fals to feeding and cloathing Gods poor people, Iſa. 23.18.

Verſe 16. And one of you ſay] This age aboundeth with mouth mercy, which is good cheap. But a little handfull were better then a great many ſuch mouth-fuls.

Be you warned] But with what? with a fire of words. Be filled: But with what? with a meſſe of words. Away with theſe aiery courteſies.

Verſe 17. Is dead, being alone] That is, Being workleſſe: for life diſcovers it ſelf by action; ſo doth true faith by truſt in God, and love to men. A tree that is not for fruit, is for the fire.

Verſe 18. My faith by my works] It appeared by the fruits it was a good land, Numb. 13.23. It appeared that Dorcas was a true believer by the coats ſhe had made: ſo here.

Verſe 19. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Believe and tremble] Gr. Roar as the ſea, and ſhrike horribly, Act. 16.29. Mar. 6.49. Their hearts ake and quake within them: and ſhall any man mock at Gods menaces?

Verſe 20. But wilt thou know] Interrogatio docturientis, ſaith Piſcator. A queſtion made by one that is deſirous to teach.

Verſe 21. Justified by works] ſc. Declarativè & in foro humano, but not before God, Rom. 3.2. It is ſaith that juſtifieth the man: but they are works that juſtifie faith to be right and reall, ſaving and juſtifying.

Verſe 22, Wrought with his works] Or, Was a help to his works, and was her own midwife to bring them forth of her ſelf, into the open light, Heb. 11.17.

Was faith made perfect] That is, Declared to be operative and effectuall.

Verſe 23. And it was imputed] See the Note on Gen. 15.6. on Rom. 4.3. and on Gal, 3.6.

The friend of God] A very high ſtile. If Euſebius held it ſuch an honour to be the friend of Pamphilus, and Sir. Fulk Greevill Lord Brook, to be friend to Sr Philip Sidney, cauſing it to be ſo engraven upon his tomb: What is it to be the friend of God? And yet ſuch honour have all the Saints.

Verſe 24. By works a man is justified] Declaratively, as by faith apprehenſively, by God effectively.

Verſe 25. The Meſſengers] Gr. The Angels, ſo Luk. 7.24. Act. 12.15. See the Notes there.

Verſe 26. As the body, &c.] Yet is not charity the ſoul of faith, but the vitall ſpirit only.