NOTES

THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES.

This is supposed to have been written by James the son of

Alpheus the brother (or kinsman) of our Lord. It is called a

General Epistle, because written not to a particular person or

church, but to all the converted Israelites. Herein the

apostle reproves that antinomian spirit, which had even then

infected many, who had perverted the glorious doctrine of

justification by faith into an occasion of licentiousness.

He likewise comforts the true believers under their sufferings,

and reminds them of the judgments that were approaching.

It has three parts:-

I. The inscription,...................................... C. i. 1

II. The exhortation,

1. To patience, enduring outward, conquering inward,

temptations,......................................... 2-15

2. Considering the goodness of God,..................... 16-18

to be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

And these three are,

1. Proposed,........................................ 19-21

2. Treated of at large.

a. Let hearing be joined with practice,........... 22-26

Particularly with bridling the tongue,............ 26

With mercy and purity,............................ 27

Without respect of persons,.............. C. ii. 1-13

And so faith universally with works,........... 14-26

b. Let the speech be modest,............... C. iii. 1-12

c. Let anger, with all the other passions, be

restrained,.......................... 13-C. iv. 1-17

3. To patience again.

a. Confirmed by the coming of the judge, in which

draws near

The calamity of the wicked,..................... v. 1-6

The deliverance of the righteous,................. 7-12

b. Nourished by prayer,............................. 13-18

III. The conclusion,....................................... 19,20

-------------------------

1. A servant of Jesus Christ-Whose name the apostle mentions

but once more in the whole epistle, # James 2:1. And not at all

in his whole discourse, # Acts 15:14, &c.; or # Acts 21:20-25.

It might have seemed, if he mentioned him often, that he did it

out of vanity, as being the brother of the Lord. To the twelve

tribes-Of Israel; that is, those of them that believe.

Which are scattered abroad-In various countries. Ten of the

tribes were scattered ever since the reign of Hosea; and great

part of the rest were now dispersed through the Roman empire:

as was foretold, # Deut 28:25, &c.30:4.

Greeting-That is, all blessings, temporal and eternal.

Verse 2. My brethren, count it all joy-Which is the highest

degree of patience, and contains all the rest. When ye fall

into divers temptations-That is, trials.

Verse 4. Let patience have its perfect work-Give it full scope,

under whatever trials befal you. That ye may be perfect and

entire-Adorned with every Christian grace. And wanting

nothing-Which God requires in you.

Verse 5. If any want-The connexion between the first and

following verses, both here and in the fourth chapter, will be

easily discerned by him who reads them, while he is suffering

wrongfully. He will then readily perceive, why the apostle

mentions all those various affections of the mind. Wisdom-To

understand, whence and why temptations come, and how they are

to be improved. Patience is in every pious man already. Let

him exercise this, and ask for wisdom. The sum of wisdom, both

in the temptation of poverty and of riches, is described in the

ninth and tenth verses. Who giveth to all-That ask aright.

And upbraideth not-Either with their past wickedness, or

present unworthiness.

Verse 6. But let him ask in faith-A firm confidence in God.

St. James also both begins and ends with faith, # James 5:15;

the hinderances of which he removes in the middle part of his

epistle. He that doubteth is like a wave of the sea-Yea,

such are all who have not asked and obtained wisdom. Driven

with the wind-From without. And tossed-From within, by his

own unstableness.

Verse 8. A doubleminded man-Who has, as it were, two souls;

whose heart is not simply given up to God. Is unstable-Being

without the true wisdom; perpetually disagrees both with

himself and others, # James 3:16.

Verse 9. Let the brother-St James does not give this

appellation to the rich. Of low degree-Poor and tempted.

Rejoice-The most effectual remedy against doublemindedness. In

that he is exalted-To be a child of God, and an heir of glory.

Verse 10. But the rich, in that he is made low-Is humbled by a

deep sense of his true condition. Because as the flower

-Beautiful, but transient. He shall pass away-Into eternity.

Verse 11. For the sun arose and withered the grass-There is an

unspeakable beauty and elegance, both in the comparison itself,

and in the very manner of expressing it, intimating both the

certainty and the suddenness of the event. So shall the rich

fade away in his ways-In the midst of his various pleasures and

employments.

Verse 12. Happy is the man that endureth temptation-Trials of

various kinds. He shall receive the crown-That fadeth not away.

Which the Lord hath promised to them that love him-And his

enduring proves his love. For it is love only that "endureth

all things."

Verse 13. But let no man who is tempted-To sin. Say, I am

tempted of God-God thus tempteth no man.

Verse 14. Every man is tempted, when-In the beginning of the

temptation. He is drawn away-Drawn out of God, his strong

refuge. By his own desire-We are therefore to look for the

cause of every sin, in, not out of ourselves. Even the

injections of the devil cannot hurt before we make them our own.

And every one has desires arising from his own constitution,

tempers, habits, and way of life. And enticed-In the progress

of the temptation, catching at the bait: so the original word

signifies.

Verse 15. Then desire having conceived-By our own will joining

therewith. Bringeth forth actual sin-It doth not follow that

the desire itself is not sin. He that begets a man is himself

a man. And sin being perfected-Grown up to maturity, which it

quickly does. Bringeth forth death-Sin is born big with death.

Verse 16. Do not err-It is a grievous error to ascribe the evil

and not the good which we receive to God.

Verse 17. No evil, but every good gift-Whatever tends to

holiness. And every perfect gift-Whatever tends to glory.

Descendeth from the Father of lights-The appellation of Father

is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows, "he begat

us." He is the Father of all light, material or spiritual,

in the kingdom of grace and of glory. With whom is no

variableness-No change in his understanding. Or shadow of

turning-in his will. He infallibly discerns all good and evil;

and invariably loves one, and hates the other. There is, in

both the Greek words, a metaphor taken from the stars,

particularly proper where the Father of lights is mentioned.

Both are applicable to any celestial body, which has a daily

vicissitude of day and night, and sometimes longer days,

sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind.

He is mere light. If there Is any such vicissitude, it is

in ourselves, not in him.

Verse 18. Of his own will-Most loving, most free, most pure,

just opposite to our evil desire, # Jas 1:15.

Begat he us-Who believe. By the word of truth-The true word,

emphatically so termed; the gospel. That we might be a kind of

first-fruits of his creatures-Christians are the chief and most

excellent of his visible creatures; and sanctify the rest. Yet

he says, A kind of-For Christ alone is absolutely the first-

fruits.

Verse 19. Let every man be swift to hear-This is treated

of from # Jas 1:21 to the end of the next chapter.

Slow to speak-Which is treated of in he third chapter.

Slow to wrath-Neither murmuring at God, nor angry at his

neighbour. This is treated of in the third, and throughout

the fourth and fifth chapters.

Verse 20. The righteousness of God here includes all duties

prescribed by him, and pleasing to him.

Verse 21. Therefore laying aside-As a dirty garment. All the

filthiness and superfluity of wickedness-For however specious

or necessary it may appear to worldly wisdom, all wickedness

is both vile, hateful, contemptible, and really superfluous.

Every reasonable end may be effectually answered without any

kind or degree of it. Lay this, every known sin, aside, or all

your hearing is vain. With meekness-Constant evenness and

serenity of mind. Receive-Into your ears, your heart, your

life. The word-Of the gospel. Ingrafted-In believers, by

regeneration, # Jas 1:18 and by habit, # Heb 5:14.

Which is able to save your souls-The hope of salvation

nourishes meekness.

Verse 23. Beholding his face in a glass-How exactly does the

scripture glass show a man the face of his soul!

Verse 24. He beheld himself, and went away-To other business.

And forgot-But such forgetting does not excuse.

Verse 25. But he that looketh diligently-Not with a transient

glance, but bending down, fixing his eyes, and searching all

to the bottom. Into the perfect law-Of love as established by

faith. St. James here guards us against misunderstanding what

St. Paul says concerning the "yoke and bondage of the law."

He who keeps the law of love is free, # John 8:31, &c.

He that does not, is not free, but a slave to sin, and a

criminal before God, # James 2:10.

And continueth therein-Not like him who forgot it, and went

away. This man-There is a peculiar force in the repetition

of the word. Shall be happy-Not barely in hearing, but doing

the will of God.

Verse 26. If any one be ever so religious-Exact in the outward

offices of religion. And bridleth not his tongue-From

backbiting, talebearing, evilspeaking, he only deceiveth

his own heart, if he fancies he has any true religion at all.

Verse 27. The only true religion in the sight of God, is this,

to visit-With counsel, comfort, and relief. The fatherless

and widows-Those who need it most. In their affliction-In

their most helpless and hopeless state. And to keep himself

unspotted from the world-From the maxims, tempers, and customs

of it. But this cannot be done, till we have given our hearts

to God, and love our neighbour as ourselves.

Verse 1. My brethren-The equality of Christians, intimated by

this name, is the ground of the admonition. Hold not the faith

of our common Lord, the Lord of glory-Of which glory all who

believe in him partake. With respect of persons-That is, honour

none merely for being rich; despise none merely for being poor.

Verse 2. With gold rings-Which were not then so common as now.

Verse 3. Ye look upon him-With respect.

Verse 4. Ye distinguish not-To which the most respect is due,

to the poor or to the rich. But are become evil-reasoning

judges-You reason ill, and so judge wrong: for fine apparel

is no proof of worth in him that wears it.

Verse 5. Hearken-As if he had said, Stay, consider, ye that

judge thus. Does not the presumption lie rather in favour of

the poor man? Hath not God chosen the poor-That is, are not

they whom God hath chosen, generally speaking, poor in this

world? who yet are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom

-Consequently, the most honourable of men: and those whom God

so highly honours, ought not ye to honour likewise?

Verse 6. Do not the rich often oppress you-By open violence;

often drag you-Under colour of law.

Verse 7. Do not they blaspheme that worthy name-Of God and of

Christ. The apostle speaks chiefly of rich heathens: but are

Christians, so called, a whit behind them?

Verse 8. If ye fulfil the royal law-The supreme law of the

great King which is love; and that to every man, poor as well

as rich, ye do well.

# Lev 19:18.

Verse 9. Being convicted-By that very law.

# Exod 23:3.

V. 10. Whosoever keepeth the whole law, except in one point, he is

guilty of all-Is as liable to condemnation as if he had offended in every

point.

Verse 11. For it is the same authority which establishes

every commandment.

Verse 12. So speak and act-In all things. As they that shall be

judged-Without respect of persons. By the law of liberty-The

gospel; the law of universal love, which alone is perfect freedom.

For their transgressions of this, both in word and deed, the

wicked shall be condemned; and according to their works, done in

obedience to this, the righteous will be rewarded.

Verse 13. Judgment without mercy shall be to him-In that day.

Who hath showed no mercy-To his poor brethren. But the mercy

of God to believers, answering to that which they have shown,

will then glory over judgment.

Verse 14. From # James 1:22, the apostle has been enforcing

Christian practice. He now applies to those who neglect this,

under the pretence of faith. St. Paul had taught that "a man

is justified by faith without the works of the law." This some

began already to wrest to their own destruction. Wherefore St.

James, purposely repeating (# Jas 2:21,23,25) the same phrases,

testimonies, and examples, which St. Paul had used, # Rom 4:3,

# Heb 11:17,31, refutes not the doctrine of St. Paul, but the

error of those who abused it. There is, therefore, no

contradiction between the apostles: they both delivered the

truth of God, but in a different manner, as having to do with

different kinds of men. On another occasion St. James himself

pleaded the cause of faith, # Acts 15:13-21; and St. Paul

himself strenuously pleads for works, particularly in his latter

epistles. This verse is a summary of what follows.

What profiteth it? is enlarged on,

# Jas 2:15-17;

though a man say,

# Jas 2:18,19

can that faith save him?

# Jas 2:20.

It is not, though he have faith; but, though he say he have

faith. Here, therefore, true, living faith is meant: but

in other parts of the argument the apostle speaks of a dead,

imaginary faith. He does not, therefore, teach that true faith

can, but that it cannot, subsist without works: nor does he

oppose faith to works; but that empty name of faith, to real

faith working by love. Can that faith "which is without works"

save him? No more than it can profit his neighbour.

Verse 17. So likewise that faith which hath not works is a mere

dead, empty notion; of no more profit to him that hath it, than

the bidding the naked be clothed is to him.

Verse 18. But one-Who judges better. Will say-To such a vain

talker. Show me, if thou canst, thy faith without thy works.

Verse 19. Thou believest there is one God-I allow this: but

this proves only that thou hast the same faith with the devils.

Nay, they not only believe, but tremble-At the dreadful

expectation of eternal torments. So far is that faith from

either justifying or saving them that have it.

Verse 20. But art than willing to know-Indeed thou art not:

thou wouldest fain be ignorant of it. O empty man-Empty of

all goodness. That the faith which is without works is dead

-And so is not properly faith, as a dead carcase is not a man.

Verse 21. Was not Abraham justified by works-St. Paul says he

was justified by faith, # Rom 4:2, &c.: yet St. James does not

contradict him; for he does not speak of the same justification.

St. Paul speaks of that which Abraham received many years before

Isaac was born, # Gen 15:6. St. James, of that which he did not

receive till he had offered up Isaac on the altar. He was

justified, therefore, in St. Paul's sense, (that is, accounted

righteous,) by faith, antecedent to his works. He was justified

in St. James's sense, (that is, made righteous,) by works,

consequent to his faith. So that St. James's justification by

works is the fruit of St Paul's justification by faith.

Verse 22. Thou seest that faith-For by faith Abraham

offered him, # Heb 11:17.

Wrought together with his works-Therefore faith has one

energy and operation; works, another: and the energy and

operation of faith are before works, and together with them.

Works do not give life to faith, but faith begets works, and

then is perfected by them. And by works was faith made perfect

-Here St. James fixes the sense wherein he uses the word

justified; so that no shadow of contradiction remains between

his assertion and St. Paul's. Abraham returned from that

sacrifice perfected in faith, and far higher in the favour of

God. Faith hath not its being from works, (for it is before

them,) but its perfection. That vigour of faith which begets

works is then excited and increased thereby, as the natural

heat of the body begets motion, whereby itself is then excited

and increased. See # 1John 3:22.

Verse 23. And the scripture-Which was afterwards written.

Was hereby eminently fulfilled, Abraham believed God, and it

was imputed to him for righteousness-This was twice fulfilled,

-when Abraham first believed, and when he offered up Isaac.

St. Paul speaks of the former fulfilling; St. James, of the

latter. And he was called the Friend of God-Both by his

posterity, # 2Chron 20:7; and by God himself, # Isa 41:8 so

pleasing to God were the works be wrought in faith. # Gen 15:6

Verse 24. Ye see then that a man is justified by works, and not

by faith only-St. Paul, on the other band, declares, "A man is

justified by faith," and not by works, # Rom 3:28. And yet

there is no contradiction between the apostles: because,

1. They do not speak of the same faith: St. Paul speaking of

living faith; St. James here, of dead faith.

2. They do not speak of the same works: St. Paul speaking of works

antecedent to faith; St. James, of works subsequent to it.

Verse 25. After Abraham, the father of the Jews, the apostle

cites Rahab, a woman, and a sinner of the gentiles; to show,

that in every nation and sex true faith produces works, and is

perfected by them; that is, by the grace of God working in the

believer, while he is showing his faith by his works.

Verse 1. Be not many teachers-Let no more of you take this upon

you than God thrusts out; seeing it is so hard not to offend in

speaking much. Knowing that we-That all who thrust themselves

into the office. Shall receive greater condemnation-For more

offences. St. James here, as in several of the following verses,

by a common figure of speech, includes himself: we shall receive,

-we offend,-we put bits,-we curse-None of which, as common

sense shows, are to be interpreted either of him or of the

other apostles.

Verse 2. The same is able to bridle the whole body-That is,

the whole man. And doubtless some are able to do this, and

so are in this sense perfect.

Verse 3. We-That is, men.

Verse 5. Boasteth great things-Hath great influence.

Verse 6. A world of iniquity-Containing an immense quantity of

all manner of wickedness. It defileth-As fire by its smoke.

The whole body-The whole man. And setteth on fire the course

of nature-All the passions, every wheel of his soul.

Verse 7. Every kind-The expression perhaps is not to be taken

strictly. Reptiles-That is, creeping things.

Verse 8. But no man can tame the tongue-Of another;

no, nor his own, without peculiar help from God.

Verse 9. Men made after the likeness of God-Indeed we have

now lost this likeness; yet there remains from thence an

indelible nobleness, which we ought to reverence both in

ourselves and others.

Verse 13. Let him show his wisdom as well as his faith

by his works; not by words only.

Verse 14. If ye have bitter zeal-True Christian zeal is

only the flame of love. Even in your hearts-Though it

went no farther. Do not lie against the truth-As if

such zeal could consist with heavenly wisdom.

Verse 15. This wisdom-Which is consistent with such zeal.

Is earthly-Not heavenly; not from the Father of Lights.

Animal-Not spiritual; not from the Spirit of God.

Devilish-Not the gift of Christ, but such as Satan

breathes into the soul.

Verse 17. But the wisdom from above is first pure-From all

that is earthly, natural, devilish. Then peaceable-True

peace attending purity, it is quiet, inoffensive. Gentle-Soft,

mild, yielding, not rigid. Easy to he entreated-To be persuaded,

or convinced; not stubborn, sour, or morose. Full of good

fruits-Both in the heart and in the life, two of which are

immediately specified. Without partiality-Loving all, without

respect of persons; embracing all good things, rejecting all

evil. And without dissimulation-Frank, open.

Verse 18. And the principle productive of this righteousness is

sown, like good seed, in the peace of a believer's mind, and

brings forth a plentiful harvest of happiness, (which is the

proper fruit of righteousness,) for them that make peace-That

labour to promote this pure and holy peace among all men.

Verse 1. From whence come wars and fightings-Quarrels and wars

among you, quite opposite to this peace? Is it not from your

pleasures-Your desires of earthly pleasures. Which war-Against

your souls. In your members-Here is the first seat of the war.

Hence proceeds the war of man with man, king with king, nation

with nation.

Verse 2. Ye kill-In your heart, for "he that hateth his

brother is a murderer." Ye fight and war-That is, furiously

strive and contend. Ye ask not-And no marvel; for a man full

of evil desire, of envy or hatred, cannot pray.

Verse 3. But if ye do ask, ye receive not, because ye ask

amiss-That is, from a wrong motive.

Verse 4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses-Who have broken your

faith with God, your rightful spouse. Know ye not that the

friendship or love of the world-The desire of the flesh, the

desire of the eye, and the pride of life, or courting the

favour of worldly men, is enmity against God? Whosoever

desireth to be a friend of the world-Whosoever seeks either

the happiness or favour of it, does thereby constitute himself

an enemy of God; and can he expect to obtain anything of him?

Verse 5. Do you think that the scripture saith in vain-Without

good ground. St. James seems to refer to many, not any one

particular scripture. The spirit of love that dwelleth in all

believers lusteth against envy-

# Gal 5:17; is directly opposite to all those unloving tempers

which necessarily flow from the friendship of the world.

Verse 6. But he giveth greater grace-To all who shun those

tempers. Therefore it-The scripture. Saith, God resisteth the

proud-And pride is the great root of all unkind affections.

# Prov 3:34

Verse 7. Therefore by humbly submitting yourselves to God,

resist the devil-The father of pride and envy.

8. Then draw nigh to God in prayer, and he will draw nigh unto

you, will hear you; which that nothing may hinder, cleanse your

hands-Cease from doing evil. And purify your hearts-From all

spiritual adultery. Be no more double minded, vainly

endeavouring to serve both God and mammon.

Verse 9. Be afflicted-For your past unfaithfulness to God.

Verse 11. Speak not evil one of another-This is a grand

hinderance of peace. O who is sufficiently aware of it!

He that speaketh evil of another does in effect speak evil

of the law, which so strongly prohibits it. Thou art not a

doer of the law, but a judge-Of it; thou settest thyself

above, and as it were condemnest, it.

Verse 12. There is one lawgiver that is able-To execute the

sentence he denounces. But who art thou-A poor, weak, dying

worm.

Verse 13. Come now, ye that say-As peremptorily as if your

life were in your own hands.

Verse 15. Instead of your saying-That is, whereas ye ought

to say.

Verse 17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth

it not-That knows what is right, and does not practise it.

To him it is sin-This knowledge does not prevent, but

increase, his condemnation.

Verse 1. Come now, ye rich-The apostle does not speak this so

much for the sake of the rich themselves, as of the poor

children of God, who were then groaning under their cruel

oppression. Weep and howl for your miseries which are coming

upon you-Quickly and unexpectedly. This was written not long

before the siege of Jerusalem; during which, as well as after

it, huge calamities came on the Jewish nation, not only in

Judea, but through distant countries. And as these were an

awful prelude of that wrath which was to fall upon them in

the world to come, so this may likewise refer to the final

vengeance which will then be executed on the impenitent.

Verse 2. The riches of the ancients consisted much in large

stores of corn, and of costly apparel.

Verse 3. The canker of them-Your perishing stores and motheaten

garments. Will be a testimony against you-Of your having buried

those talents in the earth, instead of improving them according

to your Lord's will. And will eat your flesh as fire-Will

occasion you as great torment as if fire were consuming your

flesh. Ye have laid up treasure in the last days-When it is

too late; when you have no time to enjoy them.

Verse 4. The hire of your labourers crieth-Those sins chiefly

cry to God concerning which human laws are silent. Such are

luxury, unchastity, and various kinds of injustice. The

labourers themselves also cry to God, who is just coming to

avenge their cause. Of sabaoth-Of hosts, or armies.

Verse 5. Ye have cherished your hearts-Have indulged yourselves

to the uttermost. As in a day of sacrifice- Which were solemn

feast-days among the Jews.

Verse 6. Ye have killed the just-Many just men; in particular,

"that Just One," # Acts 3:14. They afterwards killed James,

surnamed the Just, the writer of this epistle. He doth not

resist you-And therefore you are secure. But the Lord cometh

quickly, # Jas 5:8.

Verse 7. The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit-Which

will recompense his labour and patience. Till he receives the

former rain-Immediately after sowing. And the latter-Before

the harvest.

Verse 8. Stablish your hearts-In faith and patience.

For the coming of the Lord-To destroy Jerusalem.

Is nigh-And so is his last coming to the eye of a believer.

Verse 9. Murmur not one against another-Have patience also

with each other. The judge standeth before the door-Hearing

every word, marking every thought.

Verse 10. Take the prophets for an example-Once persecuted

like you, even for speaking in the name of the Lord. The

very men that gloried in having prophets yet could not bear

their message: nor did either their holiness or their high

commission screen them from suffering.

Verse 11. We count them happy that endured-That suffered

patiently. The more they once suffered, the greater is

their present happiness. Ye have seen the end of the Lord

-The end which the Lord gave him.

Verse 12. Swear not-However provoked. The Jews were notoriously

guilty of common swearing, though not so much by God himself as

by some of his creatures. The apostle here particularly forbids

these oaths, as well as all swearing in common conversation.

It is very observable, how solemnly the apostle introduces this

command: above all things, swear not-As if he had said, Whatever

you forget, do not forget this. This abundantly demonstrates

the horrible iniquity of the crime. But he does not forbid the

taking a solemn oath before a magistrate. Let your yea be

yea; and your nay, nay-Use no higher asseverations in common

discourse; and let your word stand firm. Whatever ye say, take

care to make it good.

Verse 14. Having anointed him with oil-This single conspicuous

gift, which Christ committed to his apostles, # Mark 6:13,

remained in the church long after the other miraculous gifts

were withdrawn. Indeed, it seems to have been designed to

remain always; and St. James directs the elders, who were the

most, if not the only, gifted men, to administer at. This was

the whole process of physic in the Christian church, till it was

lost through unbelief. That novel invention among the Romanists,

extreme unction, practised not for cure, but where life is

despaired of, bears no manner of resemblance to this.

Verse 15. And the prayer offered in faith shall save the

sick-From his sickness; and if any sin be the occasion

of his sickness, it shall be forgiven him.

Verse 16. Confess your faults-Whether ye are sick or in health.

To one another-He does not say, to the elders: this may, or may

not, be done; for it is nowhere commanded. We may confess them

to any who can pray in faith: he will then know how to pray for

us, and be more stirred up so to do. And pray one for another,

that ye may be healed-Of all your spiritual diseases.

Verse 17. Elijah was a man of like passions-Naturally as weak and

sinful as we are. And he prayed-When idolatry covered the land.

Verse 18. He prayed again-When idolatry was abolished.

Verse 19. As if he had said, I have now warned you of those

sins to which you are most liable; and, in all these respects,

watch not only over yourselves, but every one over his brother

also. Labour, in particular, to recover those that are fallen.

If any one err from the truth-Practically, by sin.

Verse 20. He shall save a soul-Of how much more value than

the body! # Jas 5:14.

And hide a multitude of sins-Which shall no more, how many

soever they are, be remembered to his condemnation.

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