The Discipline of Need
T. Manton. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him. 1. All men are concluded under an estate of lacking. Dependence begetteth observance. If we were not forced to hang upon Heaven, and live upon the continued supplies of God, we would not care for Him. 2. Want and indigence put us upon prayer, and our addresses to Heaven begin at the sense of our own needs. 3. There is need of great wisdom for the right managing of afflictions. (1) To discern of God's end in it, to pick out the language and meaning of the dispensation (Micah 6:9). Our spirits are most satisfied when we discern God's aim in everything. (2) To know the nature of the affliction, whether it be to fan or to destroy; how it is intended for our good; and what uses and benefits we may make of it (Psalm 94:12). The rod is a blessing when instruction goeth along with it. (3) To find out your own duty; to know the things of obedience in the day of them (Luke 19:41). There are seasonable duties which become every providence; it is wisdom to find them out — to know what to do in every circumstance. (4) To moderate the violences of our own passions. He that liveth by sense, will, and passion is not wise. Skill is required of us to apply apt counsels and comforts, that our hearts may be above the misery that our flesh is under. The Lord "giveth counsel in the reins," and that calmeth the heart. Well, then — (a) Get wisdom if you would get patience. Men of understanding have the greatest command of their affections. (b) To confute the world's censure; they count patience simplicity and meekness under injuries to be but blockishness and folly. No; it is a calmness of mind upon holy and wise grounds; but it is no new thing with the world to call good evil and to baptize graces with a name of their own fancying. As the astronomers call the glorious stars bulls, snakes, dragons, &c., so they miscall the most shining and glorious graces. Zeal is fury; strictness, nicety; and patience, folly! And yet James saith, "If any lack wisdom" — meaning patience. (c) Would ye be accounted wise? Show it by the patience and calmness of your spirits. We naturally desire to be thought sinful rather than weak. "Are we blind also?" (John 9:40). 4. In all our wants we must immediately repair to God. 5. More particularly observe, wisdom must be sought of God. He is wise, the fountain of wisdom, an unexhausted fountain. His stock is not spent by misgiving (Job 32:8). Men have the faculty, but God gives the light, as the dial is capable of showing the time of day when the sun shines on it. 6. God will have everything fetched out by prayer (Ezekiel 36:37). Prayer coming between our desires and the bounty of God is a means to beget a due respect between Him and us; every audience increaseth love, thanks, and trust (Psalm 116:1, 2). We usually wear with thanks what we win by prayer; and those comforts are best improved which we receive upon our knees. 7. Asking yieldeth a remedy for the greatest wants. Men sit down groaning under their discouragements because they do not look further than themselves. Oh! you do not know how you may speed in asking. God humbleth us with much weakness that He may put us upon prayer. That is easy to the Spirit which is hard to nature. 8. God's dispensations to the creatures are carried in the way of a gift. Usually God bestoweth most upon those who, in the eye of the world, are of least desert and least able to requite Him. Both not He invite the worst freely? (Isaiah 55:1). 9. "To all men." The proposals of God's grace are very general and universal. It is a great encouragement that in the offer none are excluded. Why should we, then, exclude ourselves? (Matthew 11:28). 10. God's gifts are free and liberal. Many times He giveth more than we ask, and our prayers come far short of what grace doth for us. (1) Do not straiten God in your thoughts (Psalm 81:10). When God's bounty is not only ever-flowing, but overflowing, we should make our thoughts and hopes as large and comprehensive as possibly they can be. (2) Let us imitate our heavenly Father, and give liberally — with a free and a native bounty; give simply, not with a double mind. 11. Men are apt to upbraid, but not God. (1) God gives quite in another manner than man doth. It is our fault to measure infiniteness by our last, and to muse of God according as we use ourselves. Let us learn not to do so. Whatever God doth He will do as a God, above the measure of the creatures, something befitting the infiniteness and eternity of His own essence. (2) God does not reproach His people with the frequency of their addresses to Him for mercy, and is never weary doing them good. 13. One asking will prevail with God. (T. Manton.) Parallel Verses KJV: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. WEB: But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.