02.04. Chapter 4 - Verse 06

James 4:6. But he giveth more grace: wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. But he giveth more grace.—Some read it giveth, applying it to the scripture. It giveth grace, because it offereth it, and is a means in God’s hand of working it. But I rather suppose it is to be applied to God, for it is spoken in opposition to ‘the spirit in us that lusteth to envy;’ and so suiteth with the scope of the context, which is to show, that a wordly spirit is contrary to God. This clause, as thus applied, hath been severally expounded; but because the difference is mostly in the formality of expression, and the senses be all pious and subordinate one to another, it will not be amiss to improve them into so many several observations.

Obs. 1. You may refer it to the context thus: ‘Our spirit lusteth to envy; but he giveth more grace;’ that is, we are envious, and God is bountiful. It is usual in scripture to oppose God’s liberality to our envy, his good hand to our evil eye, Matthew 20:15. Damascene calleth God ἄθονος, one without envy, because he is most liberal. The note is, that an envious disposition is very contrary to God. God is for communication, and we are for confinement.¹ We would have all blessings within our line and pale; we malign the good of others, but God delighteth in it. This may make envy odious to us; we all affect to be like God. Our first parents greedily swallowed that bait, ‘Ye shall be as gods.’ We would be so in a cursed self-sufficiency, why are we not so in a holy conformity? To set on this thought, consider—(1.) God hath no need to dispense his blessings; we stand in need of one another, the highest monarch of the meanest subject. God was happy enough within himself before there was any creature: Acts 17:25. ‘He needed nothing.’ The Trinity was not solitary; the persons solaced themselves in one another before there was hill or mountain, Proverbs 8:30. Now, for us to desire all good things inclosed, whose happiness is dependent, and consisteth in a mutual communication, it must be exceeding vile. (2.) It is not only an unlikeness to God, but an injury to him; we would have him less good, and so do not only accuse the wisdom of his dispensations, but would straiten the goodness of his nature. Certainly, then, there is little of the Spirit of God where there is such an envious spirit. Grace standeth in a conformity to God, and therefore it is expressed by a ‘participation of the divine nature,’ 2 Peter 1:4. Grace is nothing else but an introduction of the virtues of God into the soul. Now, God delighteth in ‘giving more grace;’ and therefore such as are not communicative and diffusive of their good to others, or are all for an inclosure of blessings, or cannot rejoice in the parts, services, or excellencies of others, have nothing at all, or very little, of the nature of God in them.

¹ ‘Τρία ἐστιν, ἐν οἷς διαφέρων ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν ἰδιότητι ζωῆς, περιουσίᾳ δυνόμεως, καὶ τῷ μὴ διαλείπειν εὐποιεῖν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους.’—Themistius.

Obs. 2. Another consideration of this clause is this: Our spirit is strongly carried to envy, but God giveth more grace; that is, there is enough in him to check sins that are most impetuous and raging. There is enough in God to help the creature in its sorest conflicts. See Matthew 19:26, ‘It is impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God; but with God all things are possible.’ Usually we measure infiniteness by our last, and bring down divine attributes to the rate of creatures, judging of God by our own scantling; as if what is impossible to our endeavours were so also to the divine grace: Zechariah 8:6, ‘Because it is marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people, should it also be marvellous in my eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.’ There is more in God than there can be in nature, and Satan is not so able to destroy as Christ is to save. Well, then, when lusts are strong, think of a strong God, a mighty Christ, upon whom help is laid. You cannot cure your spirits of envy, pride, self-confidence, or vainglory; but God ‘giveth more grace.’ Sense of weakness should not be a discouragement, but an advantage. So it was to Paul; when he was weak in himself, he was always most strong in Christ, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Usually we vex ourselves with idle complaints: ‘This is a hard saying,’ John 6:1-71. These are austerities which nature can never endure, corruptions which we shall never overcome; and so are discouraged and draw back. Oh! consider, though nature be not only envious, but doth ἐπιποθεῖν πρὸς φθόνον, ‘lust to envy,’ yet ‘he giveth more grace.’ If there were a will, you would not want power; the chiefest thing that God requireth of the creature is choice and will: Isaiah 1:19, ‘If ye be willing and obedient,’ &c. All God’s aim is to bring, you upon your knees, and to take power out of the hands of his mercy.

Obs. 3. Another consideration is this: Though we are wicked and sinful, God will make his grace abound the more; our spirit lusteth to envy, and he giveth the more grace. Observe, God taketh occasion many times to discover the more grace by our sinfulness. So Romans 5:20, ‘Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.’ What a wise God do we serve, that can make our sins abound to his glory! And what a good God, that will take occasion from our wickedness to show the more grace! It is some kind of claim, Lord, I am a dog, Matthew 15:27; and if Christ died for sinners, I am sure I can plead that ‘I am chief’ of that number, 1 Timothy 1:15. If you have no other plea, offer yourselves this way to God, and take hold of the dark side of the promises.

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. Observe, 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 Christians 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 oblita mihi—these were my old courses; or, as the apostle, 1 Peter 4:3, ‘The time past may suffice to have walked in the lusts of the flesh,’ &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 manner, 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 14:27, ‘Not as the world giveth give I unto you,’ Blessings more excellent! Here we cumber ourselves with much serving, but God giveth more grace. Faith will show us greater things than 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 season; but grace a full and everlasting joy.

Wherefore he saith.—How cometh in this sentence? I answer—He applieth it to his drift, which is to take them off from carnal pursuits, and to press them to humble addresses to God; and therefore 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.

Obs. 1. God doth not only offer 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 offereth, but teacheth, nay, draweth, John 6:44-45. Thus Christ discovereth the riches of his grace: ‘All things are given me of my Father,’ Matthew 11:27; then offereth them, ‘Come to me,’ &c., Matthew 11:28, then showeth the way, ‘Learn of me,’ &c., Matthew 11:29. 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.

Obs. 2. Again, from that wherefore he saith. Those that would have grace must take the right way to obtain it. Not only consider what God giveth, but what be 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 checketh 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.

Obs. 3. Again, from the apostle’s wherefore. It is an excellent art to rank scriptures in their order, and to know wherefore everything is spoken in the word, that we may suit absolute promises with conditional, 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 2:19; the word is συλλαβοῦσα² compared them one with another. A hint here and a hint there maketh men loose and careless; as when absolute promises are not considered in the analogy of faith. Absolute promises may be our first encouragement, but conditional promises must be our direction; they are a plank cast out to save a sinking soul, but these show us the way how to get into the ark. Well, then, be not contented with sermon hints till you have gotten a pattern of sound words, and can discern the intent of God in the several passages of scripture, that you may rank them in their order; as the apostle here showeth the reason why God saith ‘he giveth grace to the humble.’

² So in both editions. The word is, however, συμβάλλουσα. The author’s argument is not affected by the mistake. ED.

He saith.—Where doth God say so? Some difference there is about referring this place to the right scripture from whence it is taken. Some conceive it was a holy proverb or known sentence among the Jews. But this cannot be. The phrase, he saith, seemeth to allude to some passage of scripture. Some refer it to Psalms 18:27, ‘Thou wilt save the afflicted people, and bring down the high looks:’ but that is wide; for humility here doth not imply a low, vile, and abject condition, but a grace and disposition of the mind; and that place cited speaketh only of saving the afflicted people of God. Many refer it to other general places; but most probably it hath respect to Proverbs 3:34, where it is said, ‘Surely he scorneth the scorners, and giveth grace unto the lowly.’ The only doubt is how that ‘he scorneth the scorners’ is here rendered ‘he resisteth the proud.’ I answer—It is done upon good grounds: partly because scorning and contempt of others is an immediate effect of pride; and partly because it is so rendered by the Septuagint, ἀντιτάττεται τοῖς ὑπερηφάνοις. And the apostles in their citations usually brought the words of that translation, because it was much in use both among Jews and other nations. Some suppose James alludeth to Peter, 1 Peter 5:5-8, for this is but an epitome of that place, and written after it, and so he may assert the divine authority of that epistle. But I rather rest in the former opinion.

God resisteth the proud, ἀντιτάττεται, standeth in battle-array, or in direct defiance and opposition against them: the proud man hath his tactics, and God hath his anti-tactics. The word showeth that there is a mutual opposition between God and the proud: they bring forth their battalia against God, and God his battalia against them. And I do the rather note it because in the Proverbs it is said, ‘He scorneth the scorners.’ They slight God, and God slighteth them: ‘Who is the Lord that I should fear him?’ and ‘What is this Pharaoh?’ They stand aloof from others, and God from them: Psalms 138:6, ‘He knoweth the proud afar off.’ Just as they do others;³ they ruin others to advance themselves, and God ruineth them: God still counteracteth the proud.

³ ‘Magnum miraculum! altus est Deus; erigis te, et fugit a te.’—August. The proud.—In the Proverbs it is the scorners. Scorning is a great sign of pride: disdain of others cometh from overvaluing ourselves. God hath made every man an object of respect or pity; it is pride that maketh them objects of contempt, and in them their maker, Proverbs 17:5. It is a description of wicked men to ‘sit in the seat of scorners,’ Psalms 1:1. It is a sin so hateful to God, that he taketh notice of disdainful gestures; ‘Putting forth of the finger’ in a scoff, Isaiah 58:9. But giveth grace.—It is meant spiritually, of such help and grace whereby they may overcome their carnal desires; carnal lusts cannot be overcome but by the assistance of grace. To the humble.—It is not taken for a vile and abject condition, but for the disposition of the soul; and yet not for a moral humility, but for a holy brokenness and contrition; as by proud, in a spiritual sense, are meant stiff-necked and unhumbled sinners. The main observations out of this latter clause, besides those hinted in the explication, are these:—

Obs. 1. That of all sins God setteth himself to punish the sin of pride, ἀντιτάττεται. He abhorreth other sinners, but against the proud he professeth open defiance and hostility. One asked a philosopher what God was a-doing? He answered, Totam ipsius occupationem esse in elevatione humilium, et superborum dejectione—that his whole work was to lift up the humble and cast down the proud. It is the very business of providence; the Bible is full of examples. This was the sin that turned angels into devils; they would be above all, and under none, and therefore God tumbled them down to hell. Noluit Deus pati cohabitationem superbiœ, as one saith, God could not endure to have pride so near him. Then it wrecked all mankind when it crept out of heaven into paradise. You may trace the story of it all down along by the ruins and falls of those that entertained it. The time would fail me to speak of all. Pharaoh, and Herod, and Haman, and Nebuchadnezzar, are sad instances, and do loudly proclaim that all the world cannot keep him up that doth not keep down his own spirit. Herod did but endure the flatteries of others; he had on a suit of cloth of silver,⁴ and the sunbeams beating upon it, then the people cried, ‘The voice of God, and not of man,’ because the angels were wont to appear in shining garments; now, because he rebuked them not, he was eaten up of worms: see Acts 12:1-25. Nay, I observe God hath punished it in his own people; there are sore instances of his displeasure against their pride. ‘Uzziah’s heart was lifted up,’ 2 Chronicles 26:16, and then smitten of leprosy, and so died, ἀπὸ λυπῆς καὶ ἀθυμίας, out of grief and sorrow, as Josephus saith. David’s numbering the people, and glorying in his own greatness, cost the lives of seventy thousand. So Hezekiah, 2 Chronicles 29:8, ‘Wrath was upon him, and all Judah and Jerusalem.’ These judgments on pride are sure and resolved. A man’s pride will surely bring him low, Proverbs 29:23. If they do not visibly light upon the first person, they overtake the posterity: Proverbs 15:25, ‘The house of the proud shall be destroyed.’ All their aim is to advance their house and family, but within two or three ages they are utterly wasted and ruined. And I observe that judgments on pride are very shameful, that God may pour the more contempt upon them: ‘After pride cometh shame.’ Proverbs 11:2; not only ruin, but shame. Herod in his royalty eaten up with worms. Pharaoh is not assaulted with armies, but with gnats and flies. Miriam smitten with leprosy, a nasty and shameful disease. Goliath, the swelling giant, falleth by the cast of a stone out of the sling of a ruddy youth.

⁴ ‘Ἔνθα ταῖς πρώταις τῶν ἡλιακῶν ἀκτίνων ἐπιβολαῖς ὁ ἅργυρος καταυγἀσθεις θαυμασίως ἐπέστιλβε, μαρμαίρων τὶ φοβερὸν καὶ τοῖς εὶς αὐτὸν ἀτενίζουσι φρικῶδες.’—Josephus.

What should be the reason of all this, that God should so expressly set himself against pride? I answer—Because of all sins he hateth this sin, Proverbs 16:5. Other sins are more hateful to man, because they bring disgrace, and have more of baseness and turpitude in them; whereas pride seemeth to have a kind of bravery in it; but now the Lord hateth it because it is a sin that sets itself most against him. Other sins are against God’s laws, this is against his being and sovereignty. Pride doth not only withdraw the heart from God, but lift it up against God. It is a direct contention who shall be acknowledged the author of blessing and excellency: ‘They set their heart up as the heart of God,’ Ezekiel 28:6. Babylon speaketh in the name and style of God, ‘I am, and there is none beside me.’ So Nineveh, Zephaniah 2:15. And as it riseth against his being, so against his providence. Pride setteth up an anti-providence; it entertaineth crosses with anger, and blessings with disdain, and citeth God before the tribunal of its own will. So also it is the greatest enemy to God’s law; there is pride in every sin. Sinning is interpretative confronting of God and ‘despising the commandment,’ 2 Samuel 12:9. The will of the creature is set up against the Creator. But the sin of pride is much more against the law of God; it is a touchy sin, and cannot endure the word that reproveth it. Other sins disturb reason, this humoureth it. Drunkenness is more patient of reproof, conscience consenting to the checks of the word; but pride first blindeth the mind, and then armeth the affections; it layeth the judgment asleep, and then awakeneth anger. Besides, pride is the cause of all other sins. Covetousness is the root of evil, and pride is the soul of it. Covetousness is but pride’s purveyor. We pursue carnal enjoyments that we may puff up ourselves in the possession of them; and usually that which is pursued in lust is enjoyed in pride. It is but the complacency of the soul in an earthly excellency: Habakkuk 2:5, ‘He is a proud man,’ and therefore ‘enlargeth his desire as hell.’

Use 1. The use of all is, first, to caution us against pride. There are two sorts of pride, one in the mind, and the other in the affections—self-conceit and an aspiring after worldly greatness; both are natural to us, especially the former. (1.) We are marvellous apt to be puffed up with a conceit of our own excellency, be it in riches, beauty, parts, or grace; the apostle, 1 John 2:16, calleth it ‘pride of life,’ because it spreadeth throughout all the employments and comforts of life. Other lusts are limited, either by their end, as ‘lusts of the flesh,’ to content the body; or by their instrument, as ‘lusts of the eyes;’ but pride is of a universal and unlimited influence. It is ‘pride of life;’ the whole life is but sphere enough for pride. Those that have nothing excellent cannot excuse themselves from fearing it. We many times find that men that have nothing to be proud of are most conceited: bloaty spirits are soon puffed up, like bladders filled with wind. We see it in our natures: man was never more proud than since he was wretched and miserable. Pride came in by the fall, and that which should take down the spirit hath raised it. But much more have they that excel cause to suspect themselves; as rich men: 1 Timothy 6:17, ‘Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not highminded.’ It is hard to carry a full cup without spilling, and not to lift up ourselves when we are raised up by God. Persons that grow up into an estate out of nothing are most apt to be proud; partly because not able to digest a sudden change; such happiness is a strange thing to them, and therefore soon oversetteth the spirit; partly because they look upon themselves as the makers of their own fortunes: ‘Is not this great Babel which I have built?’ Other men’s estates descend upon them, but there is some concurrence of their industry, and so they are more apt to ‘sacrifice to their net’ for the fatness of their portion, Habakkuk 1:16. When you are thus apt to pride yourselves in your present greatness, and entertain your souls with such whispers of vanity, remember this is a sure prognostic of a sudden fall. And as rich men are liable to this evil, so men of parts. Parts, especially if exercised with public applause, are like a strong liquor, it maketh men giddy and drunk with pride. It is hard to go steady when a consciousness of parts within, and public acclamations without, like violent winds, fill the sail. Knowledge of itself is apt ‘to puff up,’ 1 Corinthians 8:2, especially when publicly discovered; therefore the apostle saith that young preachers are prone to ‘fall into the condemnation of the devil,’ 1 Timothy 3:6. Oh! consider God’s judgments upon pride in parts. Staupicius was proud of his memory,⁵ and God smote it. We find nothing causeth madness so much as pride. Nebuchadnezzar lost his reason and turned beast when he grew proud. Many young men that were proud of their gifts have, by the just judgment of God, lost all the quickness and smartness of them, and quenched their vigour in fleshy and carnal delights. Remember, whatever we have was given of grace; and if we grow proud of it, it will soon be taken away by justice. Nay, not only men of parts, but of much grace and mortification, may be surprised with pride; it once crept into heaven, then into paradise; the best heart can have no security. Christians are not so much in danger of intemperance and sensual lusts as pride; it groweth by the decrease of other sins; and therefore pride is put last, 1 John 2:16, as being Satan’s last engine. They that are set upon the pinnacles of the temple are in danger to be thrown down this way. Paul was apt to grow proud of his revelations, 2 Corinthians 12:7. In heaven only we are most high and most humble. A worm may breed in manna; strong comforts, raised affections, and strange elevations, may much puff up, and by gracious enjoyments we sometimes grow proud, secure, self-sufficient, and disdainful of others, Romans 14:10; but this will cost you a shrewd decay. (2.) For the other part of pride, aspiring after worldly greatness; by such fond pursuits you do but engage God to oppose you. Many men mistake ambition, and think that desire of great place is only unlawful when it is sought by unlawful means; but to affect greatness is contrary to the rules of the gospel. We should refer our advancement to the sweet invitation of providence, and stay till the master of the feast bids us sit higher. In our private choice we should be contented with a tolerable supply of necessaries: ‘Whosoever exalteth himself,’ &c., Luke 14:8-9; not whosoever is exalted. In the Olympic games the wrestler did never put on his own crown and garland: Hebrews 5:5, ‘Christ glorified not himself as high priest, but was called of God as Aaron.’ When we do not stay for the call of providence, it is but an untimely desire of promotion, which either God crosseth, or else it proveth a curse and snare to us.

⁵ See Melchior Adamus in Vita Staupicii.

Use 2. The next use is, that we should not envy a proud person, no more than we would a man upon the gallows; they are but lifted up that they may be cast down for ever. We are apt to pity the drunkard, but envy the proud:⁶ it is Chrysostom’s observation. You had need pity them too, for they are near a fall: Proverbs 16:19, ‘Better be of a meek spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud;’ that is, better be of the depressed party than to cry up a confederacy with those that grow proud upon their successes.

⁶ ‘Ἀσώτους ἀποκαλοῦσι δυστυχεῖς, φιλοτίμους καὶ φιλοδόξους ἐπαινοῦσιν ὡς λάμπρους,’ &c.—Chrysost. Orat. 65 de Gloria.

Use 3. Observe the instances of God’s displeasure against pride upon yourselves, or those that are near you. Paul took notice of that thorn that was in his flesh, ‘Lest,’ saith he, ‘I should be exalted above measure,’ 2 Corinthians 12:7. So you may often say, This was an affliction to correct and abate my pride, a prick at the bladder of my flatuous and windy spirit. So on others related to you; near experiences do more work upon us, and leave the greater impressions of awe: See Daniel 5:22, ‘And thou, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.’ God taketh it ill when we do not improve the marks of vengeance upon our nearest friends: we see others how their gifts are blasted for pride; children taken away for pride, estates wasted for pride, and we do not lay it to heart.

Obs. 2. God’s grace is given to the humble. We lay up the richest wine in the lowest cellars; so doth God the choicest mercies in humble and lowly hearts. Christ did most for those that were most humble; as for the centurion, ‘I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof,’ so for the Syrophenician woman, ‘I am a dog,’ &c. There is excellency enough in God; he requireth only sense of emptiness in us. God loveth to make all his works creations; and grace worketh most freely when it worketh upon nothing. It is not for the honour of God that the creatures should receive aught from mercy till they are brought upon their knees; the condition which he proposeth is, ‘only acknowledge thine iniquities,’ Jeremiah 3:13. Lumps of unrelenting guiltiness are as vessels closed up, and cannot receive grace; humility fitteth a man to receive it, and maketh a man to esteem it. The humble are vessels of a larger bore and size, fit to receive what grace giveth out. You may learn hence why humble persons are most gracious, and gracious persons most humble. God delighteth to fill up such; they are vessels of a right bore. The valleys laugh with fatness when the hills are barren; and the laden boughs will bend their heads, &c.