Stletropolitan Cabernacle Nutpit.
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Volume 16 · Sermon 958
DEIGRATIA.
2Sermon
DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, OCTOBER 30TH, 187O,BY
C.H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE,NEWINGTON.
“To the praise of the glory of his grace."Ephesians i.6.
No truth is more plainly taught in God's word than this,that the
salvation of sinnersis entirelyowing tothegraceof God.If there be
anything clear at all in Scripture,itis plainly there declared thatmen
arelostbytheir ownworks,but saved through thefreefavour of God;
theirruin isjustlymerited,buttheir salvationisalways theresultof
the unmerited mercy of God.In varied forms of expression,butwith
constant clearness and positiveness,this truth is over and over again
declared.Yet,plain as this truth is,and infuencing,as it should do,
every part of our doctrinal belief,itisfrequently forgotten.Many of
theheresieswhich divide theChristian church,springfrom acloudiness
upon this point.Were that word “ grace”but fully read, marked, and
learned,the great evangelical system would be far more firmly held,
is acommon fault amongallconditions of men.Sinncrs forget it,and
they seek salvationby theworks of thelaw;they refusc tosurrender
tothe sovereign grace of God,and entrench themsclvcs behind the
tottering fenceof their own righteousness.And saints forgct this,too,
and therefore their mindsbecome dark,their_spiritsfall intolegal
bondage,andwhere they oughttorejoiceintheLordunccasingly,they
becone despondent,and full of unbelieving dread.Brethren, I am
incessantly preachinghere the doctrines of grace,they are growingly
dear to me;but often as I preach them,Itrust they are not wearisome
toyou;and if they should be,that sad fact would not induce me to be
silent uponthem,but ratherurgemeto proclaim them more frequently
and fervently,for your weariness of them would be a clear proof that
you required to hear them yet again, and again, and again,until your
soulswere brought todelightinthem.There is nomusicoutof
melody of the name of Jesus.One of the early fathers was called the
angelic doctor, surely he is most angelic who preaches most of grace.
Grace among the attributes is the Chrysostom,it hasa goldenmouth;it
is the Barnabas,foritis full of consolation；it is the Boanerges,forit
thunders against self-righteousness.It is man’s star of hope,the well-
spring of his eternal life,the gced of his future bliss.
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I.We shall draw from the text our first observation.IN SALVATION
AS A WHOLE WE SEE THE GLORY OF GOD'S GRACE.
So the apostle tells us,“To the praise of the glory of his grace."
Every attribute of God has its own appropriate opportunity for dis-
and theLord takes care that there shall be a time when this glory
shall be so seen as to become the subject of praise tointelligent crea-
tures.There is greatgloryinhis power,andlong agohewho speaks and
itis done,who commands andit stands fast,made theheavens and the
earth.Itwas a great triumph ofpower,and other grand attributes
combinedtomakethedisplay stillmore glorious;wisdomwasthere
tobalance the clouds,prudence setacompassupontheface ofthe deep,
truth appointed the times and the seasons,andgoodness arranged the
habitableparts ofthe earthfor theliving creatures andforthesonsof
men.All the attributes of God were exercised,but power was greatly
magnifed,thepowerwhichbyawordcreated,andbyitsmerewillmade
all things to stand forth.On that occasion, whenthe glory of God’s
power was revealed,the morning stars sang together,and all the sons
ofGod shouted for joy.”They sawthe glory of the divine power,and
rendered theirjoyfulhomage.Onthataugust occasionmany ofGod’s
glory of his grace.”Grace found no objectsinapure creationupon
which to display its full glory; there was room for kindness,
benevolence, favour, goodness, and love, but grace in its truest and
deepestmeaningneedsundeserving creatures tooperate upon,sinful
creatures thatmaybepardoned,fallen creatures thatmayberestored,
condemned creatures thatmaybejustified,and there were none such
inthe creation asit camefromthedivinehand.
Further on,theLord tookoccasiontogive a display of the glory of
hisjustice.Weknownotpreciselywhen orhow，for therecord isnot
full and clear,butwehave the outlines ofthisfact,that there was once
agreatrebellion inheaven,certainof those brightinteligences known
tous as angels,for some reason or other,revolted from the divine
government under the leadership of that bright son of the morning,
who is nowfor ever called thePrince of darkness.There waswar in
heaven against the rule of theEternal.Then fewforth the thunder-
bolts ofJehovah’s strength,andthe rebelswere subduedat once by his
irresistible might.Then his justiceflamed forth in splendour,for we
readofthepitthatwasdiggedforthewicked,andofeverlastingfirein
hell preparedforthe devil andhis angels.Hurledfromthebattlements
ofheaven,theyfellinto the deeps ofperdition,drivenfrom the throne
oftheirglorythey became hopelesswanderersthroughouttherealms of
misery.Thepraise of the glory of divine justice maybe read inthese
terrible lines,“And the angels which kept not their frst estate,but
left their own habitation,he hath reservedineverlasting chainsunder
darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”Divine justice shall yet
furtherbedisplayedinthattremendousdaywhenthegreatwhitethrone
shall beset,andallnations shallbegatheredbeforeit,andthe unjust
shallreceivethevengeance duefortheirrebellion againstthemajesty
of God.Glorious shall bethe attribute of justice“when theLord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire
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takingvengeance on them that know not God,and that obey not the
gospel of ourLordJesus Christ:who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord,andfrom the_glory of his
power.”In all this we see no revelation of'"the glory of hisgrace.”
Tofallen angelshe dealt outjustice,upon themholiness shotforth her
restoration was given; the Mediator took not up the angels,but he
took up the seed of Abraham.So,too, in the last dread assize,
justice,notmercy,shallrulethehour heshallrender unto everyman
according tohisworks.Still there must needs be an opportunity to
glorifytheattribute ofgrace.Wheneverwe canclearlyperceivethat
thing for that attribute to exercise itself upon.It is always a hopeful
circumstance that there is mercy in God,and that this mercy endureth
for ever;forit seemstobeinevitablethat mercy should be exercised,and
hence whenwe see sinin theworld we expectto see mercy displaying its
power.Yonder I see in the surgeon’s dispensary apotent remedy,and
it suggests to me that a certain disease falls under his eye,and when it
read ofgracein theheartof God,ofpity，of freefavour,of sovereign
mercy，itis clearly implied that there wouid be guilty ones uponwhom
thatfreefavour would in due timebe bestowed.Accordingiy,wefind
that Godhas selectedthe salvationof the sons of men astheplatform
for the exhibition of his grace,that in his elect his grace may show
forth its glory, just as in other events the glory of his power or of his
justicehasbeenshown.
Iwant you to note that a displayof the glory of any attribute is not
amere proof that such anattribute exists,butanunusual revealing and
magnifyingof thatattribute,sothatitexcites the attentionandwonder
of all beholders.Letmego back again to a display of power, and
remindyou of amemorable event in the historyof thisworld during
have I raised thee up,that I might show forth my power in thee
Pharaoh,a man of apeculiarly determineddisposition,of ahigh and
haughtyspirit,resolvedtoresistthecommandsofJehovah,andtohold
Israel in bondage.Jehovah ordained to reveal in him whathis power
Aaron,who wrought great wonders in his presence,the Lord began to
dealwith thehaughty king.He turnedthewaters of Egyptintoblood,
and slew theirfish;the landbroughtforth frogs in abundance in the
chambers of their kings.He spake,and there came divers sorts of
fies, and lice in all their borders. He gave them hail for rain,and
faming fre in their land.He smote their vines also, and their fig-
trees;and brake the trees of their coasts.He spake,and the locusts
came,and caterpillars,and that without number,anddid eat up all
the herbs in their land,and devoured the fruit of their ground."
He sent a thick darkness over all theland,even darkness thatmight
be felt.The king's heart was cowed for awhile,but in desperate
obstinacyeardenedhisheartyetmoreutonarazenforeheadand
again said,Who is Jehovah thatI should obeyhisvoice?？Iwill not
let his people go.”Volley after volley the artillery of heaven was
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discharged uponhim;theLord mighty in battle gave his enemyno respite.
One by onehe brought uphisreserves,andfitted fresh arrows upon his
bow.'The lordly_monarch found himself stunnedwith the repeated
blows,and bewildered by the terrors of his omnipotent adversary.
knees.The angel of destruction was sent to smite all the first-born of
Egypt.And an exceeding great and bitter cry went upfrom every house-
holdin that dread night:for all the first-born were slain,from the
first-born ofPharaoh that satupon the throne,to thefirst-born of the
woman servantbehind themill.Thenitwasthat the astonished monarch
rose up in the night, and said to Moses and Aaron, “Rise up, and get
you forthfrom my people,andgo serve theLord asye have saidYet,
ere long, Pharaoh hardened his heart again, and pursued after the
Israelites with horses andwith chariots.Ye know the story，but we will
rehearse ityet again,for great is the Lord and greatly tobe praised,
andhis mighty acts which wereofoldaretobehad in perpetual re-
membrance.Even in heaven they shall sing the song of Moses,the
servantof God,andof theLamb；let us then rehearse it herebelow.
Ye remember howPharaoh inhis pride pursued the children of Israel,
saying,“Iwill pursue,I will overtake,Iwill divide the spoil;mylust
shall be satisfied upon them;Iwill drawmy sword,my handshall
of theLord into theheartof the sea.Then“theLordlookeduntothe
host of the Egyptians through the pillar offire andof the cloud,and
troubled the hostof the Egyptians,and took off their chariot wheels,
that they drave them heavily:so that the Egyptians said,Let us fee
from the face of Israel;for theLord fighteth for them against the
Egyptians.”Butin vain they turned themselves tofee,forina moment
whenMoses stretchedforthhis rod,thewaters,at the command of God,
returnedandcoveredthechariots andthehorsemen andall thehosts of
Pharaoh;they sank like lead in the mighty waters,the depths covered
them,there was not one of them left.
Thenwasseenthegloryof
Jehovah'spower,andthenwasheard thepraise ofthatglory,forMiriam
tookher timbrel,andwentforth inthe dance,whilethedaughters of
Israel followed her,and allthe hosts of Israel took up therefrainof her
song,“Sing unto theLord,forhehath triumphed gloriously;the horse
and the rider hathhe thrown into the sea.Then wasmade known the
praise of the glory of Jehovah’s power.Now,brethren,in the work of
the salvationofmanyou have a parallel case,for one attribute isot
Inore glorious than another.The praise of the glory of his grace”in
rescuingmanfrom the deepruin intowhichhehadfallen,ingivingthe
Wellbelovedtledanddienroutingsin,eath,ndell,nladin
our captivity captive,in upliftingus into heaven,andgiving us to be
partakers of hisglory through themerit ofJesus Christ our Lord-in
allthis,I say,grace is as glorious as was power at the Red Sea.No
gloriouswillthatworkof salvationbe,whichistothepraise of the
glory of sogreatand favourite an attribute as thegrace of God.I
have tried if I could to think of what grace at its utmost mus le:
but who by searching can find out God? It is not possible i.:ihe
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human mind to conceive of power at its utmost.Pharaoh's overthrow
givesyoubutaguessatwhattheomnipotenceof theLordcan
accomplish,it can shake all worlds to dust,dissolve the universe,and
annihilate creation.Power at its utmost,who shall compass it?And
it intheLord Jesus;and shall I err if I so speak? For inhim dwelleth
all the fulnessof the Godheadbodily;heis the onlybegottenof the
Father,full of grace and truth.But, my brethren,our minds cannot
seetheutmostpowerofgrace—humanintellectisnotgigantic
enoughtograspit all,butbelieveme,if anywhere thefullpraiseof the
gloryof God’sgrace is seen,it isbeheldinthesalvation of the chosen
sons of men.When all the chosen ones shall be gathered together, and
thechurch of God in heaven shall be perfect,notone livingstone
lacking ofthe entirefabric,then acrossthatedifice sha!lthisinscription
bewritten inletters of light,“To the praise of the glory of hisgrace."
The work of salvation from first to last,as a whole,was devised and
carriedout and shallbeperfectedto thepraiseofthegloryof thegrace
of God.Thus much upon the frst head.Salvation is'of the Lord,
and in itgracereignswithouta rival.
II. Secondly,THIS IS TRUE OF EACH DETAIL OF SALVATION.
Igather that from the position of my text.The fifthverse speaks
ofpredestination andadoption,andthesixthversespeaksofacceptance
in theBeloved,andthepositionof my textputs all three ofthese
under the same mark,they are alltothe praise of the glory of his
grace”Brethren,the seais salt as a whole,and every dropof it is
salt in its degree:if the whole work of salvation be of grace,every
detail of thatwork isequally of grace.Therays ofthe sunas awhole
find all those properties there.Ihave justnow said that the whole of
salvationmightbe resernbled to agreat temple,and that across itsfront
would bewritten,“To the praise of the glory of his grace;”now some
of the the ancientEasternbuildings were erected bycertain monarchs,
andwere dedicated to them,andnot only wasthewholepile set up to
their honour,but each separate brick was stamped with the royal
brick bore the impress of thebuilder;so isit inthematter of salvation:
thewholeisofgrace,andeachparticularportionofitequallymanifests
in itsmeasure the free favourof God.Let mebeginat thebeginning,
andverybrieflyrehearse the differentsteps of thesalvation of a sinner.
There was,first ofall,the election of men by God before all time.
man,on account of any merit that existed in men or was foreseen to
exist;it was the resuit of free favour on God’s partthat any were
seemedgoodinthy sight,”istheSaviour'sanswer tothequestion why
God hashidden these thingsfrom the wiseandprudent,andrevealed
them unto babes.If anyman be chosenit is notbecause of anatural
worthiness or claim topreference,or any essentialexcellence in him
whichdemanded that God shouldmake the choice.Wewereheirs of
wrath even as others.No works were taken into account whatever.
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The divine choice according to Paul in the ninth of Romans was“ not
ofworks,but of him thatcalleth.It is not of him that willeth,
This is clearer still,perhaps,when we come to the next step,namely,
thatofredemption.Christhasredeemedhispeoplefrom the curseof
the law, having been made a curse for them.
CananymanseetheSon
of God expiring upon Calvary,bearing the sin of man,and say that
thoseforwhomhediedwereworthythatChrist shoulddieforthem?
It is downright blasphemy to connect any idea of merit with a gift so
vast and free as thegiftof.Jesus Christ toredeem usfrom our sins.
Why,sirs,had we every one of us been perfect, and had we kept God’s
have only done what was our duty to have done;and there could have
beennomerit aboutour servicewhich coulddeservethatChristshould
die for us.Should the Eternal Godever be thought tobe such a debtor
to his creatures that he must needs veil his splendour in human form,
and be despised and rejected and spat upon?*Shall it be said that the
Son of God owes to man that he should bleed and die for him?I
shudder whileIraise the question or suggest the thought.It must be
pure,spontaneous,disinterested mercy that nailed the Saviour to the
tree.Nothing could have brought him from the throne of glory to the
cross of woe but grace,unalloyed,unbounded grace.
AndwhenIturn onwardsfromredemptiontothe nextstep,namely,
that of our effectual calling,it is the same.Godispleased tocall many
of us by the word of the gospel, and every gospel call is a gracious
thing,for we donotdeserve tobe called away from our sins.If we
rejectthose calls,and resist them,andyetafterallthe effectual grace of
God comes in a more powerfulway and makes theunwilling willing,
and corrects the obstinacy of our hearts, why,this must be grace em-
phatically.To give the commoncall of the gospel to every sinner to
come toChrist,and tobelieve in him andlive,which callis given in
the gospel every day,is grace;buttocontinue that call,and to make
it effectual,even tothose whohave hitherto resisted it,why,this is
grace upon grace, superabounding grace.If you spread a table for
the hungry,there is favour to them；if you invite them to come,and
invite again and again,it is great favour;but if you“compel them to
come in,”astheparable hasit,andbid them sitthere,and layyourself
out until you have won their hearts and persuaded themto acceptyour
bounty,this is merey upon mercy.Yet such is effectual calling.That
ever theloveofGodshouldhave_constrainedyouandmetocome
and be saved when we so long stood out againstit—oh!this is“to the
praise of the glory ofhisgrace'
Mydearbrethren,take thenext step from effectualcalling topardon
andjustification.Ithinkit isnotneedful thatI should say that the
pardon of sin must always be the effect of grace.Thatstatement
is self-evident.It cannot be due to any man that he should have his
sins pardoned,forsinthat deservesa pardonisno sin;itcannot bede
to anyman that God should make him righteous,hebeing himself un-
righteous;that must be a spontaneous action on God's part,fowing
fromhispure bounty and love,No man can claim forgiveness,it were
sacrilege to suggest that he could.Pardon and justification,then,must
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befreely given us by God'sgrace through the redemption which is in.
ChristJesus.
Markyou well,that the next series of stepswhichwe call sanctification,
or perseverance,or better still,gracious conservation,all of these must
beof.grace too.Nomanhasany claim upon God tokeep him from
Godto sendmegracebywhichIam enabledtokeepfrom sin,isno
right of mine;it must behis freelove that does it;and if from day to
spirit back,if after a thousand slipshe stillrestoresmy soul and estab-
lishesmy goings,Idare not praise myself for it,butImust gratefully
put the crown of my perseverance inrighteousness upon the head of
thatinfinite gracewhichhaswrought all myworks inme.
Beloved,ifyou will thus atyour leisuresurvey allthe steps of the
workofgrace,youwillbepersuaded thatyou couldnotsayof onemore
than another,Thisisof divine grace，”but youwould haveto confessit
equally of all.There is no point in the Christian's life where his own
merit availshim,no_periodwhere hisown strength comes totherescue
of divine power.It must be grace that makes the dead soul live,
grace thatwashes theblack soul,andmakes it white as snow,but it
must be equally grace which keeps that soul from going back to its
former filthiness.From foundation to pinnacle the temple of our
salvation is all ofgrace.
Certain scepticalphilosophershavehalf concededthattheremayhave
beenan exhibition of divine strength in thebeginning,when thegreat
orbsofheaven were first causedtorevolve,but then theyaffect to
questionwhether any fresh power isputforth to preserve the stars in
their courses;butyou and I know that no forces of the past will sufice
for the present demand,andwebelieve that divinepoweris always
streaming forth to urge on the wheels of the universe.It is even so
in the little world within us.It was grace that set our hcartsmoving
towards Christ and holiness;it is equally grace that keeps us still
following after the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus.As the
tion.In everyjotand everytittle ofourheavenlycharta,graceguided
the pen.From first to last salvation is free.For by grace are ye
saved throughfaith;and that not of yourselves:it is the gift of God:
not of works,lest any man should boast.
II.Now,brethren,in the third place,having shown that salvation
is of grace as a whole and of grace in all its details, I shall notice
that THE PECULIAR GLORIES OF THIS GRACE OUGHT TO BE POINTED
OUT, and to be considered by us.
What are the peculiar glories of divine grace?This isnot a fashion-
abledoctrine,but we will speak it outplainly and honestly.In
thatthefavourofGodisgiventomanaccordiugtotheabsolute
willofthe AlmightyGod,and for noreason known tousbut the
good pleasure ofhis will.When a man gives away anything in
kindness to the poor,he likes to exercise his own sovereignty in
the gift,but no man is so absolutely a possessor of the goodthings
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of thislife as tohave aright to the exercise of an altogether absolute
sovereignty over his goods.There must be some limit to human
rights; a man, even in his free gifts,ought not to give to some, and
he ought in preference to give to others;but the greatand gracious
God has no limits to his absolute will.There are no rights remaining
to fallen man before God,except the right to suffer the infliction of
justice.Man has so forfeited all claims upon God, that on the ground
of righthe canreceive nothingbuteternalwrath-nothingwhatever.
Nor does anyclaim.or pretence of claim inany degreeinfluence the
determination of theMostHigh inthe giftofhisgrace.Over the
heads of allmen he speaks with thunderingvoice,“Iwill have mercy on
whomI will have mercy,and I will havecompassion onwhomI will have
compassion.”Absolute sovereignty is one of the glories of divine grace.
Another glory ofthis grace isitsentire freeness.Man is not expected
to do anything to earn or obtain the grace of God；he would not if he
were expected;he could not if he were required.'He has so utterly
departed from God thathehas lost thefavour of God:tolose it
was in his power, to gain it again is not.Nor does God bestow his
favour on anymanbecause of anything he sees in the man,neither
his wealth,nor his fame,nor his position,nor his character.He looks
down on man and passes by kings and princes to let his love settle
on the poor;he looks on men, and often selects the grossest trans-
gressor and the chief of sinners,thatthese should become eternal monu-
mentsof his power to save them.This he does, and continues still to
domost freely,spontaneously,because so it seems good in his sight.
Another glory of his grace is its fulness.Where God bestows his
cannot countthem,and sogross that he cannot estimate them,yet the
grace of God makes a clean sweep of them all.“ I, even I, am he that
blotteth outthy transgressions for mine own sake,andwill not
remember thy sins.I have blotted out,as a thick cloud,thy trans-
gressionsand,asacloud,thy sins”Allmanner of sinand blasphemy
shall be forgiven unto men.Blasphemy is expressly mentioned asa
violent form of evil and direct attack upon God.The most heinous
forms of human iniquity the grace of God blots out of the book of
remembrance,and he takes those who committed those heinous sins,
changes their nature,makes them his children,receives them at last
into his glory, and all because of the free favour which is in his heart
towardsthem.
Another glory of thisgrace is its unfailing continuance.Where once
the grace of God has fallen,it is never taken away.If God in his
mercyvisits amanwith grace,he never afterwards revokes thepardon
he gives,or recalls the favour he has bestowed.The gifts and calling
of God are without repentance."”Grace is no intermittent brook fow-
ing to-day and driedup.to-morrow,no feeting meteor dazzling all
beholdersandthenvanishinginthickdarkness.
"Whom oncehe loves he never leaves,
Butlovesthem to the end."
His grace is unchanging, his mercy endureth for ever.
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Another glory of it is that it is unalloyed and unmingled.God's grace
in saving soulsrules alone.Humanmeritdoesnotintrudehereand
there tomake a patchwork of the whole.Grace triumphant cansay,
“Ihave trodden the winepress alone,and of thepeople there was none
withme”Grace is Alpha,grace is Omega.It is grace's glory that no
mortalfingertouchesherwork,andnohumanhammerisliftedupthereon.
This is what men cannot bear.They will have it that man must have
some merit,must do some little.But it must not be.A clear stage
thegrace of God demands;it saves,and it alone from first to last.
NeedIadd thatitis onegloryof thisgrace thatwhileitthus reveals
itselfsofully,itneverinterferes withanyotherattributeofGod？Inter-
fere,did I say?It only tends toillustrate all the other glories of the
divine character.God is absolutein hisfavour,buthe is never unjust.
He gives justice to all;he allots to each one his portion due. “What,”
their sins so far as they are concerned,but he does so justly;for he
frst laid their sins upon their Surety,and exacted from Christ the
vengeance due for their transgressions.He is as just towards his
saints as if he had no mercy upon them,for in their Substitute his
justice has received thefull payment of his demands.There is no attri-
bute of God that grace ever slights.It is on thebest terms with
God's truth, though truth said，“I will by no means spare the guilty.”
God hasnot spared the guilty,for he laid the guilt on Christ and did
not spare him; and now his people are not guilty,they are absolved,
there isnocondemnation to them,their transgressionisforgiven,their
sin is covered.I say, again, this is the glory of grace,one of its
especial crowns andadornments,that thoughit hasitsway andworks
asfreely as if justice were dead,and holiness were withered,yet it
never does invade the realm of any one of those bright attributes,but
God is as just, and as holy, as if he were not gracious, and yet his
salvation.
IV.I have brought you thus far on,into the very bowels of the text,
and now,in the fourthplace,THIS GRACE OUGHT TO BE THE SUBJECT OF
Here needs a tongue more fuent farthan mine; or rather here is
wanted no tongue but awarm heart and grateful thought to sit down
andwashedinit,as many of you as have been taken from amongmen
andmade tobe theLord’sown peculiar people,Iaskyou nowin silence
topraise God whileyourmind surveys the whole planofyour salvation.
Chosen orever the earthwasgrace,free grace；giveninto thehands
of Christ tobe histreasure-all of grace;redeemed with theheart's
blood of Immanuel,all out of his free favour to you;preserved when
youwererunninginto sin,slavesofSatan,madonyouridols,preserved
in Christ Jesus by longsuffering grace; called with that voice which
wakes the dead,andendowedwithspiritual life,altogetherof grace;
adoptedinto the divine family,madepartakers of the divine nature,
because grace so willed itwhat wonders are here! Brother,in your
case itwas grace of the most eminent degree.If you do not say soof
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your case,I must say so of mine.Above all the sons of men I humbly
claim to be most indebted to the grace of God.But I doubt not, my
brother,you also claim thesame.Therewere specialities about our
character,there were peculiarities about our sin,there were dificulties
about our constitution,which all tended tomake it very remarkable
that we should be the subjects of the divine love.Each one of us can
say一
“What was there in me that could merit esteein,
Or give the Creator delight?”
Now,you willglorify God ifyou let your soul in silence muse at the
foot ofthethrone of grace,andworshiphim ofwhose mercyyouhave
solargelybeen made arecipient.
When you have done this,mayI askyouinthe nextplace tolet all
menseetheresult of gracein you!It hasbeen acommon slander
against the doctrine of grace that itmakes light of good works,and
leads mentolicentiousness,a slanderwhich thelivesof thepeopleof
Godhaveamplyansweredinthepast.Nowyetowhom thismercy
ance of evil,your careful walking,your close fellowshipwith Christ,
provetogainsayerstoademonstrationthatgraceisaholy thing
wherever bestowed,for it renews the heart and sanctifies the life.You
aredegradingthegraceofGodwhenyou arenotwalkingasbecometh
thehouseholdoffaith；you arehonouringGodbetterbyholinessthan
by writing the sweetest poetry,or by uttering themost seraphic
grace."
Add to your holy living your own personal testimony.I do not care
before conversion.I am not sure that the records of horrid lives of
base men are ever profitable if they are written;perhaps the best thing
to say is,"Of which things we are now ashamed;”but at the same
time tellit to others that the grace of God has savedyou.If you were
before conversion given to great sins,be ashaned of them,but do tell
thatgrace has saved such asyou are.Be boldto testifyinall companies
that the grace of God is equal to all emergencies,andcan save the lost
from goingquite downintothe jawsof perdition.Publish it every-
where that the mercy of Godcanblotoutthegrossest andvilest sins,
to receive the most devilish of sinners, and that he passes by trans-
gression, iniquity, and sin, for Jesus Christ's sake.Let the angels
know it.When you are introduced to heaven,publish there what
God's grace has done,and till you getthere let menknow it here below,
" to the praise of the glory of his grace."
V.And now,lastly, let me say that the doctrine which we have
taught this morning, THE TRUTH WHICH WE HAVE TRIED FULLY
TO PREACH,IS THE GREAT GROUND OF HOPE FOR SINNERS.
For,in the first place, if it be so that salvation is all of the free
favour of God,then here is hope for everyman.You will enquire
How?” I will reply thus. Suppose there be here a man who has
DEIGRATIA.
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the like crime have been pardoned,and have been the subjects of
divine grace；why should henot be?If salvationwere bymerit, such
amanclearlywould be shutoutofhopeandrightly consideredevery
man would be,forwehave none of usahalf a-grainofmeritif we were
ransacked through and through;but if it be of grace,why should not
the grace of Godpitch onmeas well as on any otherman?And if
it be proved that the grace of Godis so sovereign that it has often
fallenontheveryworstofmen,whynotonme,ifIam theveryworst
ofmen?And if I find it written,that him that cometh to Christ he
will in nowise cast out,then I, even if I be the worst of men,am
encouraged to come to Christ.Hehas saved others,the worst of men,
he tellsmeifIcome,if anyone comes,hewillnotcast himout；then
why should not I go?Why not,indeed?If there were anything like
preparation,orreadiness,ormerit,oradaptation,thentherewouldbe
hope for me；butif it isa matter altogether of pure,gratuitous gift,
outabrightencouragement to every sinner,anditholdsouthope even
totheexceedinglygrosstransgressor,becausegraceisevidentlymagnifed
in changing thenature ofgreat sinners.IfIbeagreat transgressorand
have desperatelysinned,whatroomtherewillbeforgracetoglorifyitself
andasktobemadeatrophyofhisgrace?
And if any should say,But if we are not the grossest of sinners,
then we seemto be shut out!Ianswer,No,but rather to be included，
becauseif anywill say,“God savesthegreatestof sinners,because they
glorify his grace most,I should reply,God is not actuated by any
selfish motive.He does not save men that he may get anything byit,
andyoufromwhomhecanderivenothingaretheverypeopleheis
likelyto save,to prove theutter freeness and disinterestedness of his
love.Donot foramomentimagine we are going toput sin in the
place of merit,and make it appear that the greatnessof their sinis the
reasonwhy theLordwill savemen.If therebe no reason forgrace in
human merit,muchlessinthe degree of demerit;if you have never
gone intogross sin,thank God for it,but for all thatyou are sinner
enough;if you see yourself asyou are,you are black enough in all
conscience,you neednotbe anyviler；andbecause your casedoesnot
toyou appear as though you couldglorify God,it isnottherefore to be
argued thatit appears so to himwho seethnot asman seeth.When a
surgeonmeets witha case which apparently will bringno credit tohim
invulgar eyesif he cures it,it isthehighest honour tohim that he
wasnotdeterred bythefear thatitwould bringhimnohonour.Itis
highly glorious to’God that he is not affected by the praise of men.
Thereishope,then,foryou who cannotbenumberedwith thegrossest
of transgressors.If all is of grace, then it neither shuts out big
norlittle,andwhile thegraciouspromisesringlikeapealof silverbells,
“Come unto me all ye that labour”and that with a general and
universal note,to every sinnerunder heaven,“Whosoever believeth in
him is not condemned“Believe in theLord Jesus Christ,and thou
and such likepassages,why,we aregreatly encouragedtocome toJesus.
This doctrine that salvation is all of grace,and not of us at all,is one
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METROPOLITANTABERNACLEPULPIT.
of the very best reasons why I,though I do notfeel right,nor act right,
s
nothing else, should come as I am,even now, and put my trust in the
bloodandrighteousnessof Christ,andtrustthatI,evenI,shall find
acceptance in the Beloved. O that some hearts, to-day, may by the
Holy Spirit be encouraged to come to Christ. If you have any goodness,
this sermon is a death knell for you. If you have any merits, away
with you,away with you;Christ camenot to_calltherighteous,but
sinners to repentance.If you are not sick,what do you here?'The
physician is come to heal the sick, not those who are in health.But if
you have nothing that could deserve aught of God, then to you is the
word of this salvation sent, “To the praise of the glory of his grace."
Mylastwordshallbrieffyindicatewhatistheprivilegeofeach sinner
whowould rejoice in the sovereign grace of God.Often aswe explain
faith,yet still we need to explain it again.I met with anillustration
takenfrom theAmerican war.One had been trying to instruct a dying
officer in what faith was. At last he caught the idea, and he said,“↑
could not understand it before,but I see it now.It is just this—I
surrender, I surrender to Jesus." That is it. You have been fighting
against God, standing out against him,trying to make terms more or
lessfavourabletoyourself;nowhereyou standinthepresenceof
God, and you drop the sword of your rebellion and say, “Lord, I sur-
render, I am thy prisoner..I trust to thy mercy to save me.I have
done with self, I fall into thy arms."
“Aguilty,weak, and helplessworm,
On Christ's kind armsI fall,
Be thou my strength and righteousness,
My Jesus and my all."
May God bless you. Amen.
PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON—Psalm xiV.;
Ephesians i. 1—14.