' All things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace, through the thanksgiving of manj^ may redound to the glory of God.'
The second ground of comfort is from the main end of all, ivhich is the glory of God. Here is a sweet combination of the grace of God and the glory of God, ' that abundant grace, through the thanksgiving of many, might redound to the glory of God.' The links of this chain are these : — God sutlers his children in this world to be exercised ; in the exercise he giveth evidence of his presence, by grace and by comfort ; and after all delivers them, giving them cause and matter of praise ; and that praise is the praise not only of themselves, but of many. The praise of themselves and many, returneth to the glory of God. Here is grace breedeth praise, praise breedeth glory.
We will handle the words as they lie : ' that the abundant grace, through the thanksgiving of many, may redound to the glory of God.'
' The abundant grace.' What doth he mean by abundant grace ? We shall know it a little by distinguishing a little the word of grace in the Scripture.
Primitive* grace is the free favour of God in forgiving of sins, and access to life everlasting.
Second!;/, The next grace that springs from that is grnce vherehy we are sanctified, usually called habitual f grace, whereby our natures have a stamp of Christ on them, and we are transformed into his image.
Thirdlij, Grace is the stirring of us up, exciting grace stirring up that grace that is in us ; and draws it forth to particular actions, of doing, and suffer- ing, and resisting, and carrying ourselves as Christians should do. For besides the favour of God, and the fruit of that favour, which is of our nature, there must be spiritual stirring grace to act and stir up the grace which would otherwise lie sleeping in us ; there must be new grace on all occasions. ' God must give the will and the deed,' Philip, ii. 13. God must stir us up to every good action, as I have shewed at large heretofore. A man cannot do the good he is enabled to do b}' an habitual grace, unless he have grace to stir him up to do. As he hath all graces in general to enable him, so he must have new graces for every new act ; he must have constancy of spirit. And if the troubles be great, there be enlargements of grace ; as if a man carries a greater burden, he must have more strength. But,
Fourthly, Grace is any favour that cometh from the primitive grace and favour of God. As we say of a great man, when he giveth a petty thing to an inferior person. This is such [a] man's grace.
Or grace is such a thing that springeth from his love and favour to * That is, 'primarily.' — G. f That is, = grace as a ' liabit." — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP, rv', VEB,. 1 5. 471
ns. So not only Ibo favour of God that accepts to life everlasting, and that inward grace of God's Spirit, and that actual grace that stirs to every good action, but everything that comes from God is grace.
When God once enters into covenant with us, to become our God, to love us in Christ, whatsoever befalls us comes to us as a fruit of that love ; for he being Lord of heaven and earth, and having all things at command, will not sutfor the wind to blow upon his church, will not suffer the waves to beat upon it, but out of love, and for the good of the church ; for other- wise his government and wisdom would be impeached. And,
Fifthly and laslli/, By abundant grace is meant the presence of God, the assistance of God unto Paid in suffering, and God's delivering him out of trouble. These two things he specially means. God's presence in troubles, and delivering him out of them.
It is a grace of God that we have faith. It is a grace of God that we have strength to suffer for that faith. To endure anything is a special grace. ' To j^ou it is given to suffer,' Phihp. i, 29. It is a more special grace when we have not only grace to believe, and grace to suffer, but strength of faith. And therefore ' it is given, not only to believe, but to suffer.' It is grace to have special peace, and joy, and comfort in the midst of all spiritual contrary conditions. And therefore God's presence and comfort in the midst of his disconsolate estate was a gi'ace ; and not only the doctrine of suffering for Christ [is] a grace, but whatsoever comes from the presence of God is a grace likewise. And likewise his deliver- ance out is a grace. For as gold comes purer out of the furnace, so Paul comes richer in experience out of trouble ; rich in faith, rich in love, rich in mortification ; more heavenly-minded in the experience of God and his ways, and eveiy way ; and therefore it is an exceeding grace. And then [it is] a grace that God will bound and limit the malice of the devil and his instruments, that thus long they shall trouble them, and then set them at liberty. So that hereby we may plainly see, that all is done in favour of the church.