So it is a grace, that God hath put bounds and limits to the boundless malice of Satan and his instruments, to deliver the church, or any poor member of the church, as Paul was, at any time ; and therefore they were to reckon all graces that they were to praise God for, both for his trouble and for his deliverance out of trouble, they being both graces.
Quest. But why doth he call it ' abundant grace ? '
Ans. This St Paul doth out of his abundant humility, and out of his abundant love to God ; out of his abundant measure of knowledge of the love of God towards him ; for Paul's seeing and knowing were his own ; want of worth in himself and his own weakness in himself, at the best, are nothing in themselves.* And St Paul, weighing and considering the mighty power and malice of the enemy, the devil and his instruments, that laboured to trouble him and oppose the gospel, — when Paul saw that opposition and his own weakness ; when Paul saw likewise the evidence and demonstration of the excellency of God in being present with him in trouble, and deliver- ing him out of trouble, saw the power, and goodness, and mercy of God, here was an abundant grace, here was a spring-tide of grace, as an over- flowing, as he saith, ' My cup overfloweth,' Ps. xxiii. 5. I have not only for necessity, but something for abundance : ' My cup overfloweth, and thoa
Qu. ' for Paul seeing and knowing his own want of worth in himself, and his own weakness in himself, and that his own worth and his own strength, at the hest, are nothing in themselves ' ? — Ed.
472 COMMENTARY ON
hast spread my tabic in the sight of mine enemies.' David considered the circumstances of God's bounty, for it was al)undant. And Paul considerin}:; the great comforts that he had in the Lord, his great enemies and God's, and the malice of them against him and his God ; here was an abundant grace. Beloved, let us learn from hence, first of all, to see God in evenjthhi;) that befalls 11^ : in sulforings, deliverance, the dealing of others towards us. See the grace of God in it. There is, you know, in things in this world, the bulk and surplus, or body of things ; and then there is the spirit, and quintessence, and vigour of things : an extract, the vigour and quintessence of things. What are they ? They are next to nothing. Take out God's grace, God's mercy out of things, what arc things ? what is the world ? Take away God's love, what is riches ? what is honour and worth ? There- fore, in every thing, sec it as a grace, see it as derived from the primitive grace, from the favour and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. And then we cannot but be thankful, for we shall see the sweetness of grace. Every little gift, though by the hand of man, nay, every injury that is sanctified, he seeth it as a grace of God, looks to sec God in it, his free love and grace among men. What is that that commends any thing to us that comes from another ? Not the thing, but the mind pf the person that sends it ; not the bringer, but the sender. So when we have anything, look to God the sender. Look not to the thing, but to the love of God in the thing, which is the spirit, and quintessence, and vigour of the thing, the best thing. Nay, anything in the world is the love of God in it, derived to us through it. Let the grace of God be derived through losses, crosses, injuries ; they be sweet. ' It is given to sufler,' Philip, i. 29. Every one is not partaker of such a favour. See the grace and favour of God in health, and wealth, and strength, and riches, the life and quintessence of all, which commends all to a Christian soul. God deriveth and conveyeth his grace and love to men through this. This is a little drop of that great love that he beareth to me in Jesus Christ. This cometh from that love by which he mtends heaven to me. And when God intends heaven and happiness, and to be with him for ever, everything that befalls us by the way hath something of that love, as it were dipped in that love. Whatsoever befalls us between this and heaven, if we be God's children, it hath a tincture of that love, to make him keep heaven for us. And therefore labour to see the grace and love of God in everything, see the language of Canaan, the language of the Spirit of God. That that puts the style upon grace, a free gift, an unde- served thing issuing from love, it implieth love and freeness and undeserving in the person that hath it. Therefore, conceive of every thing, we have it fu'st from it ; is undeserved on my part, comes from love. This will make us use things as we should, to the glory of the Giver, and it will make us comfortable in all conditions, as grace. And labour, as the apostle doth here, to see them abundant graces, to raise the favours of God to an high esteem, as Paul doth here : ' It is abundant grace.' "-And that we may think the grace of God is great, considering to whom he hath denied it. Hath not he denied it to thousands ? Therefore w^e have abundant grace in us, with great opposition ; therefore an abundant grace. Consider the designs of the devil and devilish-minded men, who would have the church trampled under foot. Is it not above our worth ? Do we deserve so much ? Oh no ! Then it is ' abundant grace.' We that deserve nothing should be thankful for everj^thing, as a beggar that deserveth nothing is thankful for every little gift. Labour thus to see a grace in everything, and labour to see an abundant grace.