The justification spoken of in James is of the believer. It has been often taken as if it were to modify, in some respects, the doctrine which Paul has already proclaimed. But justification with James is not the justification of the ungodly. It is the justification of the professed believer, which of necessity is by those works which, if faith has not, it is "dead, being alone"-having no life, no reality, in it. Thus his justification is not before God, as Paul's is; and Paul leaves evident room for that which James speaks of."If Abraham were justified by works," says Paul,"he hath whereof to glory, but not before God."Thus, he does not deny that Abraham was justified by works, while he does absolutely deny that he was justified by works before God.

When the professed believer is justified by his works, that is not at all needful for God, who knows absolutely the reality or the unreality. For man it is; and that is how James puts it:"A man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without thy works" (that is clearly impossible), " and I will show thee my faith by my works." Thus the fruits of faith which are here in question are by no means only morality. Abraham offers up his son. Rahab, as men would say, betrays her country; but both of these own a higher allegiance than that to men; and they are the witnesses thus,
of the epistle is according to the second place- which in fact it should have among the Catholic Epistles-that of testimony.

Abraham was justified by faith, when, alone with God under the stars of heaven, he was pointed to those witnesses of God's promise to him:he simply believed, and "it was counted to him for righteousness." But when James appeals to his justification by works, it was to what men saw when he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar. "See how faith wrought with his works," he says:

The testing of this in some places may seem minute, and that is the perfection of it. He says, If you put the poor man in a poor place in your synagogue, how can you claim that you have recognized the true glory of the Lord of glory- whom you would have put in the same place if you had judged Him in the same way ? The question is one of faith; and where does faith see poverty or riches ?

Another characteristic of James connected with this is "patience." That is the fruit of faith distinctly, or, perhaps we may say of hope, which is but faith looking forward. It is what the trial of faith works, and therefore blessed is he who endureth the trial. If only patience have "her perfect work," we are "perfect and entire, wanting in nothing." Then the Word governs the soul-it is the mirror in which we are to see ourselves. The general drift in James' epistle thus agrees thoroughly with its numerical place. F. W. G.