02.02. Chapter 2 - Verse 09

James 2:9. But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Here is the second part of the apostle’s answer. In the former part there was the concession, ‘Ye do well,’ if you give this respect in obedience to the law: but here is the correction; you give it contrary to the direction of the law, and so it is not a duty, but a sin. But if ye have respect to persons; that is, if, in distributing the honours and censures of the church, you judge altogether according to men’s outward quality and condition, as before was cleared—

Ye commit sin; that is, it is not a duty, as you pretend, but a sin; and, whatever you think, the law, which is the rule of Christ’s process, will find you guilty. And are convinced of the law.—This may be understood, either generally, that, whatever their pretences were, yet the law would find them out, and distinguish their unjust partiality from a necessary respect; or else, more especially, it may be understood of the law which they urged, ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself;’ which required an equal respect to the neighbour, however distinguished, whether rich or poor; or else the apostle intendeth the law against respect of persons: Leviticus 19:15, ‘Thou shalt do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.’ To which place I suppose the apostle alludeth, because it is so fair for his purpose, and because in that context the general of love to the neighbour is repeated, see Leviticus 19:18; and in that the Septuagint have the very same words which the apostle useth in James 2:8. As transgressors.—Ὡς, the word in the original for as, implieth reality,¹ not only similitude and likeness; that is, that you are indeed transgressors. I do the rather note it for the opening of a like expression in a matter important and weighty; it is in John 1:14, ‘We saw his glory, as the glory of the only-begotten Son of God;’ that is, not like the glory of the Son of God, but that he was indeed so.

¹ ‘Veritatem, non similitudinem.’—Laurent, in locum.

Little is to be observed out of this verse, because the matter of it is handled in the context. Only note:—

Obs. 1. That the word and rule discovereth wickedness when our blind consciences do not. Conscience hath but a weak light, and that light is partial: ‘Favour thyself’ is the language of corrupt nature; and, therefore, that we may not be injurious to our own quiet, deluded conscience is apt to mistake every pretence for duty, and the outward work of every duty for the power and life of it; therefore the apostle saith of the heathens, that had but a little light, that they only minded ἔργον νόμον, ‘the work of the law,’ Romans 2:15; that is, the external matter of the commandment. Nay, those that have more light are every way as unfaithful in the use of it. Paul rested contented with his pharisaism and outward righteousness, till, by a serious application of the rule, he found that to be a merit of death which he had formerly reckoned upon as a plea for life. That I suppose he intendeth when he sayeth, ‘I was alive without the law, but the commandment coming, I died,’ Romans 7:9. Well, then, we see we have need to attend upon the word, and consult with the law, not the crooked rule of our own consciences.

Obs. 2. It is but a crafty pretence when one part of the law is pleaded to excuse obedience to another; for when we pick and choose, we do not fulfil God’s will, but our own.² These pretended submissive respect to the rich, as due by the law, but forgot those other precepts that established a duty to the poor. Conscience must be satisfied with something; therefore men usually please themselves in so much of obedience as is least contrary to their interests and inclinations, and have not an entire uniform respect to the whole law. It is as if a servant should think himself dutiful when he goeth to a feast or a fair when his master biddeth him; when, in the meantime, he declineth errands of less trouble, but of more service: whereas in such matters he doth not obey his master’s will, but his own inclination. So in commands easy and compliant with our own humours and designs, we do not so much serve God as our own interests; and there is more of design than of duty and religion in such actions; and, therefore, they lose their reward with God. As to instance in a matter suitable to the context, God hath required that persons should be hospitable and harborous. Now men of a social nature will soon hear in that ear, and think themselves liberal and bountiful because they spend much in festivity and entertainment, or in feasting with their rich neighbours; whereas little or nothing is done out of a well-tempered charity, and in refreshing the poor members of Christ. Now this is no more accepted of God than the offering of a dog’s head in sacrifice; because all this is but a lust fed and served under a pretence of religion—joviality under the disguise of Christian charity and bounty; and, therefore the apostle maketh entertainments to be but ‘sowing to the flesh,’ Galatians 6:8; for I suppose the drift of that context is to distinguish between what is spent in charity and luxury: and in the process of the last day (described Matthew 25:1-46), Christ doth not ask what thou hast done to the rich, but to his poor members—to the hungry, the naked, &c. Well, then, beware of such a partial, disproportionate obedience. Hypocrites use to divide between the tables between duty to God and duty to man; and in the respects due to man they are swayed more by their own humours and interests than the true motives of obedience; and, therefore, though they usually exceed in their duty and submission to the rich, yet they neglect if not contemn the poor, either in their suffrages and elections to ecclesiastical honours and offices, or in acts of judicature, or in duties of private charity, in visits and entertainments; which respect of persons our apostle justly disproveth, taxing it for a transgression, and not a duty.

² ‘Qui facit solummodo ea quæ vult facere, non dominicam voluntatem implet, sed suam.’—Salvian.