Obs. 4. Another consideration of this place may be this : Naturally it is thus with us, but he giveth more grace ; when you are renewed and converted to the faith of Christ, you have another manner of spirit ; you are not carried by the old envious spirit that dwelleth in you, but by a more gracious spirit which God hath given you. Ob- serve, the old spirit and the new spirit are quite different. You will be otherwise by grace than what you were by nature. Conversion is discovered by a change.* Oh ! what a sad thing it is when Chris- tians are what they ever were ! You should have more grace ; your word should be, ego non sum ego — I am not I now ; or nunc ohliia mi hi — these were my old courses ; or, as the apostle, 1 Peter iv. 3, ' The time past may suffice to have walked in the lusts of the fie.sh,' &c.
Obs. 5. But ' he giveth more grace ; ' that is, more for better, as often in the scriptures. If you would seek God in a humble man- ner, you would be acquainted with richer matters ; you would not so envy and contend with one another about outward enjoyments. That which the world giveth is not comparable to what God giveth ; his is more grace. So John xiv. 27, ' Not as the world giveth give I unto you.' Blessings more excellent ! Here we cumber ourselves with
JaS. IV. G.] UPON TUE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 351
much serving, but God givetli more grace. Faith will show us greater things tlian these. The main reason why men dote upon the world is because they are not acquainted with a higher glory. Men ate acorns till they were acquainted with the use of corn ; a candle is much ere the sun ariseth. We have not a right apprehension of grace till we can see it yieldeth us more than the world can yield us. Creatures give us a temporary refreshing; the world serveth its seai<on ; but grace a full and everlasting joy.
Wherefoi^e he saith. — How cometh in this sentence ? I answer — He applieth it to his drift, which is to take them oflp from carnal pursuits, and to press them to humble addresses to God ; and there- fore they do ill who leave it out. As Erasmus, who thinketh it only noted at first in the margin, and put into the text by some scribe. But to the points.
Ohs. 1. God doth not only ofier grace, but discover the way how we may partake of it. Therefore ' he saith ' in scripture, or defineth the way how we may apply ourselves to him. God is hearty and in good earnest in the offers of grace ; he not only off'ereth, but teacheth, nay, di-aweth, John vi. 44, 45. Thus Christ discovereth the riches of his grace : ' Al jthings are given me of my Father,' Mat. xi. 27 ; then offereth them, ' Come to me,' &c., ver. 28, then showeth the way, 'Learn of me,' &c., ver. 29. Usually the soul sticketh at this. There is enough in Christ, but how shall I do to obtain it ? God will teach you, draw you; he is as willing to give faith as to give salvation.
Ohs. 2. Again, from that luherefore lie saith. Those that would have grace must take the right way to obtain it. Not only consider what God giveth, but what he saith. God, that hath decreed the end, hath decreed the means. That is the reason why we have not only promises in scripture, but directions ; it checketli those that would have the blessing, but would not use the means. Most content them- selves with lazy wishes ; vellent, sed nolunt, they would have grace, but lie upon the bed of ease, and expect to be rapt to heaven in a fiery chariot, or that grace should drop to them out of the clouds. God, that saith he will give grace, saith something else — that you must be humble to receive it.
Ohs. 3. Again, from the apostle's wherefore. It is an excellent art to rank scriptures in their order, and to know loherefore everything is spoken in the word, that we may suit absolute promises with condi- tional, and put every truth in its proper place, according to that analogy and proportion that they bear one to another ; as James linketh the general offers of grace with another promise, ' He giveth grace to the humble.' It is good to know truth in its frame. There is a compages, or sweet frame, in which all truths are joined by natural couples and connections ; as the curtains of the tabernacle were looped to one another. Indistinct apprehensions do but dispose to error or looseness. Truths awe most when we are sensible of that cognation or kin by which they respect and touch one another : ' Mary pondered these sayings in her heart,' Luke ii. 19 ; the word is avWa- jSovaa,^ compared them one with another. A hint here and a hint there
1 So in both editions. The word is, however, avu^dWovffa. The author's argument is not affected by the mistake. — Ed.