06.?. 9. To all men. The proposals of God's grace are very general and universal. It is a great encouragement that in the offer none are excluded. Why should we, then, exclude ourselves? Matt. xi. 28, ' Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden.' Mark, poor soul, Jesus Christ maketli no exceptions. He did not except thee that hast an heavy load and burden of guilt upon thy back : ' Come, all ye.' So here ; the lack is general, ' If any ; ' and the supply is general, ' He giveth to all men/ God never told thee that this was never intended to thee, and that thy name was left out of the Lamb's book. And it is a base jealousy to mistrust God without a cause.
Obs. 10. From that liberally, God's gifts are free and liberal. Many times he giveth more than we ask, and our prayers come far short of what grace doth for us. There is an imperfect modesty in our thoughts and requests. We are not able to rise up to the just excess and infiniteness of the divine goodness. The apostle saith, God will ' do above what we,can ask or think,' Eph. iii. 20. As it is good to ob- serve how the answers of prayer have far exceeded the desires of the creature, which usually are vast and capacious, let me give you some instances. Solomon asked wisdom, and God gave liberally ; he gave him wisdom, and riches, and honour in great abundance, 1 Kings iii. 13. Jacob asked but food and raiment for his journey, and God multi- plieth him from his staff into two bands, Gen. xxviii. 20, with xxxii. 10. Abraham asked but one son, and God gave him issue as the stars in the heavens, and the sand on the sea-shore. Gen. xv. with xxii. Saul came to Samuel for the asses, and he heareth news of a kingdom. The prodigal thought it much to be received as an hired servant, and the father is devising all the honour and entertainment that possibly he can
^ Greg. Naz. Orat. 40, de Eaptismo, circa med.
JaS. I. 5.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JA5IES. 43
for him — the calf, the ring, the robe, &c., Luke xv. In Mat. xviii. 26, the debtor desired but forbearance for a little time : ' Have a little patience, and I will pay thee all ; ' and in the next verse his master 'forgave the debt.' Certainly God's bounty is too large for our thoughts. The spouse would be drawn after Christ, but the King brought her into his chambers, Cant. i. 4. David desired to be de- livered out of the present danger : Ps. xxxi. 4, ' Pull me out of the net ; ' and God advanced him to honour and dignity : ' Thou hast put my feet in a large room,' ver. 8. Well, then : (1.) Do not straiten God in your thoughts : ' Open your mouths, and I will fill them,' Ps. Ixxxi. 10. God's hand is open, but our hearts are not open. The divine grace, like the olive-trees in Zechariah, is always dropping ; but we want a vessel. • That expression of the virgin is notable : Lul^e i. 46, ' My heart doth magnify the Lord,' fjieyaXvvet, that is, make more room for God in my thoughts. When God's bounty is not only ever- flowing, but overflowing, we should make our thoughts and hopes as large and comprehensive as possibly they can be. When the King of glory is drawing nigh, they are bidden to set open the doors, Ps. xxiv. 7. No thoughts of ours can search out God to perfection ; that is, exhaust and draw out all the excellency and glory of the Godhead ; but certainly we should rise and ascend more in our apprehensions. (2.) Let us imitate our heavenly Father, give liberally, cnrXm — that is the word of the text — with a free and a native bounty : give simply, not witli a double mind. Some men have a backward and a close heart, liberal only in promises. Consider, God doth not feed you with empty promises. Others eye self in all their kindness, make a market of their charity ;^ this is not simply, and according to the divine pattern. Some men give grudgingly, with a divided mind, half inclining, half forbearing ; this is not like God neither. Others give in guile, and to deceive men ; 2 it is kindness to their hurt, Scopa dScopa, giftless gifts ; — their courtesy is most dangerous.3 Give like your heavenly Father, liberally, simply,
Obs. 11. From that and uphraideili not. Men are apt to do so, but God giveth in another manner. Observe from hence. First, in the general, that God giveth quite in another manner than man doth. It is our fault to measure infiniteness by our last, and to muse of God. according as we use ourselves. The soul, in all her conclusions, is directed by principles and premises of sense and experience ; and because we converse with limited natures and dispositions, therefore we do not form proper and worthy thoughts of God. It was the gross idolatry of the heathens to ' turn the glory of the incorruptible God into the image of a man,' Eom. i. 23; that is, to fancy God according to the shape and figure of our bodies. And so it is the spiritual idolatry of Christians to fancy God according to the model and size of their own minds and dispositions. I am persuaded there doth nothing disadvan- tage us so much in believing as this conceit that ' God is altogether like ourselves,' Ps. 1. 21. We, being of eager and revengeful spirits, cannot believe his patience and pardoning mercy ; and that, I suppose,