THE GOD OF ALL GRACE.

1 PETER v. 10.

"The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

THOUGH We find every where else the grace of God, and that God is gracious, and full of compassion, yet no where but in this place that he is the GOD OF ALL GRACE. And this is not spoken only to shew what he is in his nature simply, but what he is to his children; even as elsewhere, when it is said, God is love, 1 John iv. 8; and the like is not said of any other attribute. And what doth it signify? That God, in point of temptations, sufferings, trials of his children, and in all things else, deals with them purely upon the terms and principles of free grace; and will, in the issue, shew that he is no other than a God of grace, and of all grace towards us, all whose ways are mercy and love. Psalm xxv. 10.

As God is said to be "the God of all comfort," 2 Cor. i. 3, because "he comforteth in all tribula

tion," v. 4, and "comforteth them that are cast down," vii. 6; and because he hath in readiness a particular special comfort to give forth to every discomfort, and that in due time: so he is a God of all grace in respect of all gracious effects, which grace in God doth afford; and in respect to every need the saint may be supposed to be in, since God bath a proportionable grace for the supply and relief of it.

Though, however, that of his being "the God of all comfort" serves to clear the phrase, that he is "the God of all grace," unto all gracious effects; yet these two are not adequate, or of the same commensuration, but of the two his being "the God of all grace" is larger in respect of its gracious effects; for God's dispensations of grace are larger than his dispensations of comfort in this world. He gives grace where he does not give comfort; yea, and often he gives most grace where he gives not comfort, further than to uphold the soul from sinking. He carries on some souls, as he dealt with Christ at his death, unto the highest gracious acts of obedience, while yet he vouchsafes no comfort: witness the doleful expression of Christ, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" when he was in the highest performance of obedience, "obedience unto death." Thus in thy temptation God influences thee with grace, secretly assisting and strengthening, when he sensibly affords not comforting grace. Take this assurance home to thee, thou who hast been so many years" afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted."

There is no temptation that doth or can befal a saint, who is under the dominion of free grace, but hath a grace prepared, to be applied in due time. But you will say, God may be almighty, and nothing is too hard for his power, when yet I may not be relieved. But I reply, that he is "the God of all grace," who is in himself also the God

of all power; and hence I infer, that he hath a gracious will to put forth power, and to put forth all his power; for it is at grace's disposal. That he is the God of all grace makes him all willing: and that he is the God of all power, speaks his ability to help according to his will, which grace hath engaged; according to that of the Psalmist, "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy." Psalm Ixii. 11, 12.

As he hath grace for all needs, so he is a God of all grace to give forth help as the need and occasion shall require; for need is the time and season for grace to shew itself. "Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. iv. 16. So Solomon frames his prayer, that God would "maintain the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require; Heb. the thing of a day in his day." 1 Kings viii. 59.

God is a God of all grace in respect of dispensation, and will manifest himself to be so, and that by instances of all sorts; that so in the latter day he may have the honour of having been not only the God of all grace potentially, but the God of all grace actually, and in the performance of it. There is one sin, indeed, which is excluded, and that is the sin against the Holy Ghost, the devils' sin, a settled revenge against God, and so is distinguished from all other sins that are 66 human," or 66 common to man." 1 Cor. x. 13. Christ expressly saith, all manner of sins shall be forgiven unto men this only excepted; and the reason is, that God is a God of all grace; and therefore will shew all grace in pardoning all sorts of sins. And as this holds true in pardoning, so in supporting and relieving grace. Some will be apt to say, their temptations have been such as never befel any that have been saved. If

thou hast no instance of any that ever was under the like, and knowest no particular promise or example for thy case; yet this one declaration of God, that he is the God of all grace, speaks home to thy case fully and sufficiently. God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee," and that was enough. If no man or angel could tell thee of any instance or example, yet this is instead of all, he is the God of all grace, and that will reach thy case.

God commands us, who have but little grace in us, to abound in every grace: "As ye abound in every thing, in faith and utterance and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also." 2 Cor. viii. 7. He is speaking of the relieving the necessities of others, and the scope and intent of God's command is, and there is that in our grace which may be wrought up to it, that it should be drawn out as any opportunity is offered to exercise it. And will that God, who commands this of us, and professeth of himself, that he is the God of all grace to relieve the wants of those whom he hath taken care of, not abundantly supply you? If in these his commands, he doth bind and oblige us unto obedience, then surely, he obligeth himself by his promises to perform them. The very same thing that he commands us towards others, he will himself certainly fulfil. We have no grace but what he puts into us, and shall God, who is the fountain of all grace, not execute himself what he requires of us? God saith, as it were

of himself, I am a holy God, true, just, faithful; I abound in all these, and in every perfection else; shall I not abound in this grace also to relieve the spiritual needs of my poor children? What doth the apostle John say: "Whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" 1 John iii. 17. If God

speak thus to us concerning a brother, to us, that love but in part; and command us, if the case require it of us, "to lay down our lives for the brethren," ver. 16: shall not that God, of whom the same apostle saith, that he is love itself; and of whom he saith, "hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; shall not he, if he see a son in need of spiritual grace and deliverance out of temptation, draw out his compassion towards him?

But you ask, what may I, or any particular saint, apply to ourselves of all this. You find an example of the application made by David in Psalm lix. 10, "The God of my mercy shall prevent me." God, "the God of all grace," is the doctrine: God, "the God of my mercy," is the application. Thou mayest say of this God, He is the God of all the mercies, that any way belong to me, or that I can have need of. It is a wonderful condescension, that God should make this an attribute of himself: I am the God of the mercy of every particular saint of mine.

You may interpret it of mercy in the nature of God, and in that sense you may say, all the mercies that are in God are my mercies. In this same Psalm you find David saying, ver. 16, "I will sing aloud of thy mercy.". He calls it God's mercy, and yet again, ver. 17, he says, "The God of my mercy." The meaning is, all the mercy of God is my mercy ; I can lay claim to it as need is. And the reason of it is pregnant; for, is God our God? Then all the mercies in God upon the same account are our mercies; it was mercy in him that moved him to become our God at first, and that made him make over himself to us; so that if thou canst say, The God of my mercy, this doth draw the whole of God's being, and all the grace in him to thyself. Art thou called, do but look through this consideration: I am one whom God hath called with a holy calling and