And iiphraideth no man. — Here he reprovetli another usual blemish of man's bounty, which is to upbraid others with what they have done for them, and that eateth out all the worth of a kindness : the laws of courtesy requiring that the receiver should remember, and the giver forget : i but God upbraideth not. But you will say, what is the meaning then of those expostulations concerning mercies received? iind why is it said. Mat. xi. 20, ' Then he began to uj)l)raid the cities, in which many of his mighty works were done'? Because of this objection, some expound this clause one way, some another ; some suppose it implicth he doth not give proudly, as men use to do, up- braiding those that receive with their words or looks : so God up- braideth not, that is, doth not disdainfully reject the asker, or twit him with his unworthiuess, or doth not refuse because of present failings,
1 'HcCc beneficii inter duos lex est, alter oLlivisci debet datistatim, alter accept! nun- quam.' — Sen. de BeneficiU.
JaS. I. 5.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 39
or former infirmities. But I think it ratlier noteth God's indefati- gableness to do good : ask as oft as you will, he upbraideth you not with the frequency of your accesses to him : he doth not twit us with asking, though he twitteth us with the abuse of what we have re- ceived upon asking. He doth upbraid, not to begrudge his own bounty, but to bring us to a sense of our shame, and to make us own our ingratitude.
And it shall he given Jiim. — Besides the nature of God, here he urgeth a promise, ' Let him ask of God, and it shall be given him.' The descriptions of God help us to form right thoughts of him, and the promise, to fasten upon him by a sure trust.
The notes are these : —
Ohs. 1. That all men are concluded and shut up under an estate of lacking:' ' If any of you.' This supposition, as we showed before, is a universal affirmative. God's wisdom suffereth the creatures to lack, because dependence begetteth observance ; if we were not forced to hang upon heaven, and live upon the continued supplies of God, we would not care for him. We see this — the less sensible men are of the condition of mankind, the less religious. Promises usually invite those that are in want, because they are most likely to regard them : Isa. Iv. 1. ' Ho, every one that thirsteth, and he that hath no money ; ' Mat. xi, 28, ' The weary and heavy laden.' In the 5th of Matthew, ' The poor in spirit,' and ' they that hunger and thirst after righteous- ness : ' being humbled by their own wants and needs, they are most pliable to God's offers. Well, then, do not think your lot is above the lot of the rest of the creatures. God only is avTdpfCT]<i, self-happy, self- sufficient; other things are encompassed w^ith wants, that they may look after him : Ps. cxlv. 15, 16, ' The eyes of all things are upon thee, and thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.' The crea- tures are made up of desires, that their eyes may be upon God. Certainly they want most that want nothing : be sensible of your con- dition.
Ohs. 2. From that lack, want and indigence put us upon prayer, and our addresses to heaven begin at the sense of oiir own needs. The father should not have heard from the prodigal, had he not ' begun to be in want,' Luke xv. 16. Observe it : the creature first beginneth with God out of self-love. The first motive and allurement is the supply of our wants. But, remember, it is better to begin in the flesh and end in the spirit, than to begin in the spirit and end in the flesh. It is well that God sanctifieth our self-love to so blessed a purpose. If there had not been so many miseries, of blindness, lameness, possessions, palsies, in the days of Christ's flesh, there would not have been such great resort to him. The first motive is want.
Ohs. 3. From that toisdom, considered with respect to the con- text ; and the note is, that there is need of great wisdom for the right managing of afflictions. Cheerful patience is a holy art and skill which a man learneth of God : ' I have learned to abound, and to be abased,' Phil. iv. 10. Such an hard lesson needeth much learning. There is need of wisdom in several respects : — (1.) To discern of God's end in it, to pick out the language and meaning of the dispensation :
40 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. I. 5.
Micah vi. 0, ' Hear the rod/ Every providence hath a voice, though sometimes it be so still and low that it requireth some skill to hear it. Our spirits are most satisfied when we discern God's aim in everything. (2.) To know the nature of the affliction, whether it be to fan or to destroy ; how it is intended for our good ; and what uses and benefits we may make of it : ' Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest, and teachest out of thy law,' Ps. xciv. 12. The rod is a blessing when instruction goeth along with it. (3.) To find out your own duty ; to know the things of obedience in the day of them : ' Oh ! that thou wert wise in tliis thy day,' Luke xix. 41. There are seasonable and proper duties which become every providence : it is wisdom to find them out ; to know what to do in every circumstance. (4.) To moderate the violences of our own passions.^ He that liveth by sense, will, and passion, is not wise. Skill is required of us to apply apt counsels and comforts, that our hearts may be above the misery that our flesh is under. The Lord 'giveth counsel in the reins,' and that calmeth the heart. Well, then: (1.) Get wisdom, if you would get patience. Men of understanding have the greatest command of their affections. Our hastiness of spirit cometh from folly, Prov. xiv. 29 ; for where there is no wisdom, there is nothing to counterbalance affection. Look, as discretion sets limits to anger, so it doth to sorrow. Solomon saith, Prov. xix. 11, 'The discretion of a man deferreth his anger ; ' so it doth check the excesses of his grief. (2.) To confute the world's censure ; they count patience, sim- plicity, and meekness under injuries, to be but blockishness and folly. No ; it is a calmness of mind upon holy and wise grounds ; but it is no new thing with the world to call good evil, and to bap- tize graces with a name of their own fancying. As the astronomers call the glorious stars bulls, snakes, dragons, &c., so they miscall the most shining and glorious graces. Zeal is fury ; strictness, nicety ; and patience, folly ! And yet James saith, ' If any lack wis- dom,' meaning patience. (3.) Would ye be accounted wise ? Show it by the patience and calmness of your spirits. We naturally desire to Ijc thought sinful rather than weak. ' Are we blind also ? ' John ix. 40. We all affect the repute of wisdom, and would not be accounted blind or foolish. Consider, a man of boisterous affections is a fool, and he that hath no command of his passions hath no under- standing.