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9 But if ye have refpect to perfons, ye commit fin, and are convinced of the law as tranfgreffors.

10 For whosoever

fhall keep the whole *law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

were not Guilty in

II For he that said, Do not commit adultery, faid alfo, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a tranfgref

9. Whereas, by such an Unjuft A. D. 60. and Partial Proceeding, you violate and ftand convict breaking the Whole Law refpecting your Neighbour.

10. For, the wilful and habitual Breach of any One fuch Principal Command, renders a Man, in a juft Senfe, a Tranfgreffor of that* Whole Table of the Divine Law, though he other particular Instances.

11. Because the fame Divine Authority that forbids us any one Act of violating the Rights of our Neighbour, forbids us all the reft. The fame Divine Authority (for Inftance) that reftrains us from invading the Property of our Neighbour's Bed, reftrains us from Killing him. that, though you don't actually attempt his Life, yet, if you commit Adultery against him, you break in upon the whole Divine Authority, that establisheth all Right between Man and Man.

for of the law.

So

Iz So fpeak ye, 12. Deal by one another, thereand fo do, as they fore, both in Words and Actions, that fhall be judged as Men that expect hereafter to be by the law of liberty. judged by the pure and perfect Rule of Christianity. A Religion that while it is most strict in its Moral Obligations, debarring us from all those licenΗ ελευθερίας tious Practices the Jewish Zealots || think themselves privileged in; yet, as I faid, Chap. i. 25. is attended with Immunities and Bleffings far exceeding what the Mofaical Dispensation can pretend to.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath fhewed no mercy; and

mercy

13. For certainly, the Man, of what Profeffion foever, that shows no Tenderness and Impartiality towards his Brethren, fhall find Se

verity

*The whole Law- -he is Guilty of all: ödev tov vopov, the fame as voor Baxor in Verfe 8. viz. The Royal Law refpecting our Neighbour.

A. D. 60. mercy rejoiceth againft verity of Juftice, without Mercy, judgment*. at God's Hands. And no Perfon can fo fecurely and chearfully stand the great Tryal of Divine Judgment, as he that has been kind, impartial, and merciful to other Men, without any unreasonable Diftinctions.

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man fay he hath faith, and have not works? can faith

fave him?

15 If a brother or fifter be naked, and deftitute of daily food; 16 And one of you fay unto them, De part in peace, be you warmed, and filled : notwithstanding

ye

give them not thofe

14. Thus, I fay, the actual and careful Practice of Moral Virtue, is the Subftance and Life of true Religion. Mere Faith, and External Profeffion, without this, is of no Effect to any Man's Salvation.

15 & 16. Thus, when an indigent Brother prefents himself to you, as an Object of your Charity; to feed him with good Words and kind Wishes, without giving him any thing to clad his Body or fatisfy his Hunger, is to do juft nothing at all for him.

things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit ?

16 Even fo faith,

if it hath not works,
is dead, being alone.

17. The Cafe is the very fame with God, in all other Instances of Religion; the most loud Pretences to Faith, and the warmest Zeal for External Acts of his Worfhip, is to pay him no real Service, while the Practice of thofe Duties are wanting, that are the main Purposes of all Religion.

:

18 Yea, a man may fay, Thou haft faith, and I have works Shew me thy faith without thy works, my faith by my works.

and I will fhew thee

18. To fay, you are a true Member of God's Church, because you believe his Word and Revelation, and are a mere Professor of his inftituted Religion, is to take a thing for granted, without full Proof, and to give only your own Word for it. Whereas,

Ver. 13. Mercy rejoiceth against Judgment: KaraxаνXαтαÌ 2 xpiosas, Mercy triumphs over Condemnation; or The merci ful Man triumphs at his Judgment, or at his Trial. Mercy for the merciful Man, as Circumcifion is put for the Circumcifed Perfon, Rom, ii. 26, 27.

Whereas, he that shows the Sincerity of his Faith and A.D.60. Profeffion, by the good Influences it has in the Conduct

of his Life, concludes very rightly; as the Caufe is demonstrated by the Effect.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and

19. The few magnifies himself above the Gentile, for his Knowledge and Belief of the One True God. If that be all, the very Devils themtremble. felves are upon the Level with him for they believe the fame, and tremble at the Apprehenfions of his Divine Power and Juftice. And, if your Faith be no better than theirs, you have the fame Reason to tremble as they have.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father juftified by works, when he had offered Ifaac his fon upon the altar.

;

20 & 21. But to convince you and them of the utter Falfity of this Principle; let the few tell me what it was that justified Abraham, the Father of his Nation, and of all faithful People? You cannot but know, by the exprefs Words of the Hiftory, it was not his mere Belief and Perfwafion, that God had order'd him to offer up his Son, or his confident Reliance upon God's Promife, and his being in Covenant with him, but his actual Entrance upon the Performance of what God had commanded him.

22 Seeft thou how

faith wrought with his works, and by

works was faith made perfect?

23 And the fcripture was fulfilled, which faith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righte

22 & 23. Thus that great Patriarch demonftrated the Excellence and Sincerity of his inward Principle, by the Practice of the nobleft Virtue. 'Twas this procured him that great Character, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God. Gen, xv. 6.

oufnefs and he was called the friend of God.
24 Ye fee then how
that by works a man
is justified, and not by
faith only.
25 Like-

24. And, if this were Abraham's
Cafe, 'tis in vain for any Jew or
Christian to expect to be faved, up-

on a different Foot from that of the
Father of the Faithful.

25. Again,

A. D. 60.

25 Likewife alfo, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had gers, and had fent

received the meffen

them out another
way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, fo faith without works is dead alfo.

25. Again, what was it that rendered the Harlot Rahab fo acceptable to God, as to fave her Life? Not her mere Conviction that the God of the Jews was the True God; but her actual Reception of the Spies, as his Meffengers; as the genuine Effect of fuch a Perfwafion.

26. From which Inftance, as a Confirmation of the Reason of the Thing itfelf; 'tis exceeding plain, that bare External Privileges, and outward Profeffion can no more make a true Ifraelite (much lefs a true Chriftian) than a Body without a Soul Man.

can make

up a

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Chap.i. 19. See 1 Tim. i.

CHA P. III.

The CONTENTS.

The Jewish Chriftians are again particularly diffwaded
from the Pride and Ambition of being called Doctors,
and Teachers; and from that Spirit of Contemning,
Reviling, Curfing, and Calumniating, to which the
Jewish Zealots were fo much addicted. The great Ad-
vantage of a gentle and peaceful Temper, and the fatal
Effects of a Cenforious and Unbridled Tongue.

11 M 7. Rom. ii.

19, 20.

Y brethren, be I.
not many ma-

Have already obferved to you,
that you can never answer the
fters, knowing that Character of true Chriftians, while
we fhall receive the
you harbour that Ambition of the
greater condemnation.
Jewish Zealots, of imperiously set-
ting up for Teachers; of Ufurping an Authority over
the Confciences of others, and be guilty of the Calumny
and Cenforiousness that is confequent to fuch Pride and
Affectation. Against this notorious Vice I must now more
particularly warn you. Confider then, the more Know-
ledge and Understanding you pretend to, the more hei-

nous

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nous are the Faults you commit, and that your Punish- A. D. 60. ment for them must be proportionable.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the fame is a perfect man, and able alfo to bridle the whole body.

2. The very best of us have their Slips and Failings. But the Liberties of the Tongue, are what most Men are too apt to tranfgrefs in, above all measure. And were thofe Zealots but free of the Vices of that very Member, wherewith they pretend to teach others, they had much better Pretence to Religious Perfection than now they have. The Government of the Tongue has a general good Influence upon the Conduct of human Life.

3 Behold, we put bits in the horses mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold alfo the fhips, which though they be fo great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whitherfoever the governour lifteth.

3, 4 & 5. And, as Horfes are
managed by the Bit, and Ships fteer'd
by the Rudder, that is, but a fmall
Piece, in Comparison of the Bulk
of the Veffel; fo the whole Conver-
fation of a Man is, in a manner,
guided and well-ordered by the tem-
perate Ufe of that little Member.
Which, whenever it flies out into
extravagant, uncharitable and abufive
Expreffions, becomes like a Spark
amongst combuftible Matter; blows
and confumes all before it.
up

5 Even fo the tongue is a little member, and boafieth things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity fo is the tongue amongst our members, that it de.

great

6. Well may fuch a Tongue be compared to Fire, for its defperate and deftructive Quality: It puts the whole World into Confufion and Disorder, and destroys like a Conflagration, begun from Hell itself.

fileth the whole body,
and fetteth on fire the
course of nature; and it is fet on fire of hell.

For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of ferpents, and things in the fea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind :

& But

7

& 8. When it once obtains, and has got the maftery over a Man's Conduct, 'tis unruly beyond the most favage Creature we know of: Its Fiercenefs exceeds that of the Lion

X

and

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