Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children… The force of which argument depends upon a double comparison, of the quality of the persons giving, and of the nature of the gift. I. I shall show what is comprehended in this gift of the Holy Spirit, and how great a blessing and benefit it is. St. Matthew expresseth this somewhat differently: "How much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matthew 7:11). Which, compared with the expression here in St. Luke, doth intimate to us, that the Spirit of God is the chief of blessings, or rather the sum of all good things. II. We shall in the next place consider what kind of asking, in order to the obtaining of this great blessing, is here required by our Saviour, when He says, "God will give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." It must have these three qualifications: 1. It must be hearty and sincere, in opposition to formal and hypocritical asking. 2. It must be earnest and fervent, and importunate, in opposition to cold, and faint, and careless asking. 3. It must be in faith, and a confident assurance that God will hear us, in opposition to doubting and distrust. III. To confirm and illustrate the truth of this proposition, that God is very ready to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. 1. From God's free promise and declaration. And besides that here in the text, I might produce several others, but I shall mention only one, which is very plain and express, and conceived in terms as large and universal as can well be devised (James 1:5). 2. From the comparison here used.It is a plain and undeniable argument, fitted to all capacities, because it proceeds upon two suppositions which every man must acknowledge to be true. 1. That earthly parents have generally such a natural affection for their children, as does strongly incline them to give them such good things as are necessary and convenient for them, and which will not suffer them, instead of good things, to give them such things as either are no wise useful, or any wise hurtful to them. This is a matter of common, and certain, and sensible experience, which no man can deny. 2. The other supposition, which is as evident in reason as the former is in experience, is this: that God is better than men, and that there is infinitely more goodness in Him than in the best man in the world; because goodness in its most exalted degree and highest perfection is essential to that notion which all men have of God; and this being a common principle, in which men are universally agreed, no man can gainsay it.But, for the farther illustration of this argument, we will consider a little more particularly the terms of the comparison which our Saviour here useth; our earthly and our heavenly Father; temporal and spiritual good things. 1. Our earthly and our heavenly Father; in which terms the givers are compared together. Now there are three considerations in a giver, which makes him capable of being bountiful, and dispose him to it. (1) That he have where. withal to be liberal, and can part with it without damage and prejudice to himself. (2) That he be good-natured, and have a mind to give. (3) That he be related to those to whom he gives, and be concerned in their welfare. Now all these considerations are more eminently in God, and with far greater advantage, than in any father upon earth. 2. Let us compare likewise temporal and spiritual good things; in which terms you have the gifts compared together. So that the whole force of the argument comes to this: that if we believe that earthly parents have any good inclinations towards their children, and are willing to bestow upon them the necessaries of life, we have much more reason to believe that God our heavenly Father is much more ready "to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him"; whether we consider the quality of the giver, or the nature of the gift. Application: 1. This is a matter of great encouragement to us under the sense of our own weakness and impotency. 2. Let us earnestly beg of God His Holy Spirit, seeing it is so necessary to us, and God is so ready to bestow this best of gifts upon us. 3. Let us take heed of "grieving the Spirit of God," and provoking Him to withdraw Himself from us. 4. God's readiness to afford the grace and assistance of His Holy Spirit to us, to enable us to the performance of our duty, and the obedience of His laws, makes all wilful sin and disobedience inexcusable. (Archbishop Tillotson.) Parallel Verses KJV: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? |
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