The Throne of Grace: By ROBERT TRAILL (London, March, 1696.) (Continued from Vol. LVII., page 329.)

APPLICATION.

Is there a throne of grace; and doth God sitting on it invite and call men to come to it, or to him on it? We are called to admire, adore, and praise the grace that shines in this constitution of God, and call to men. That person is sadly out in his praises (and such are never right in their prayers) that doth not deeply admire and heartily praise for this mercy of a throne of grace. We account a man ill employed in prayer, that asks many things of God, but forgets to ask the one thing needful: Is he any better employed in praise, who gives thanks for many mercies but neglects or forgets to praise for the greatest of all mercies, the throne of grace? before which all prayer and praise must come, if accepted, and for which highest praises should be given. In order to the raising of more sense of this highest favour, that God now deals with us on a throne of grace, consider,

1. The deep condescension of grace that appears in this dispensation. There is a glorious and stately stooping in it. The Lord had resolved in his own heart from eternity, to have the company of many of Adam’s offspring for ever with him in heaven. He seeth them fallen into a deep pit, out of which they can never get out by themselves. God and man by sin are at a vast distance. Sinners cannot remove it, nor make so much as one step towards God. Saved they cannot be, unless the distance be removed; saved they must be, because of his unalterable purpose. In this case, saith the Lord of mere grace, if men cannot ascend up to me, I will descend down to them, and draw them up again to me. This condescension of grace we should admire and praise. When David had got a gracious message and promise from God (and Christ and the throne of grace was in it) (II Sam. vii.) he sits down as a man amazed before the Lord, and most significantly expresseth his admiration and praise, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house? and is this the manner of man? and what can David say more? And what can David say better? To be swallowed up of wonder, is the best and highest praising. Who can forbear wondering at grace, that considers duly whose grace it is, where it finds us, and whither it brings us? When Paul speaks of it (and it was his usual theme), how sweetly doth he discourse of it? (Eph. ii. 1). Where did this grace find him and the Ephesians? what was their case and qualification for grace? They were dead in sin, walking after the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, working powerfully in them as children of disobedience; they were fulfilling the desires and lusts of the flesh, and of the mind; they were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Who can be lower, viler, and baser, except they that are in hell itself? yet in this case and condition grace made its first visit to them. All that this saving grace falls on, are lost and undone sinners, men at the very brink of hell. An elect child of God is worst and most sinful the moment preceding his conversion. Paul was at his worst (Acts ix.) when grace fell upon him. If there be nothing but the power of grace that can subdue the corruption of nature; if this corruption grow in its strength, till that subduing power of grace be applied; and if there be no middle state betwixt death and life (and these have been reckoned gospel-truths); how plain is it, that a sinner is at his worst when saving grace first comes upon him? 2. Whither did this grace bring Paul, and the Ephesians, and so all Christians? Out of the grave of sin, unto a new life, and up to heavenly places in Christ Jesus (ver. 4, 5, 6). O what a mighty arm hath the grace of God! It is nothing for grace to pull a man out of hell, and set him down in heaven. When shall this arm of Jehovah be revealed? When will perishing sinners long for a saving pull of the grace of God? 3. What is all this great work of grace for? (ver. 7). That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus. As if the apostle had said, “You and I cannot sufficiently, in our time and age, admire this kindness, grace, and riches of grace through Christ Jesus, that we have received: but as long as this world lasts, and as long as there are receivers of this same grace in future ages (and that will be as long as the world lasts; for the world lasts for the sake of the throne of grace, and for what God hath to do on it, and to give from it), there will be praisers of this grace; for every generation of receivers of this grace, owe praises for all the grace bestowed on all that have been before them. And when this world is at an end, there is a better world that shall succeed it, wherein better and higher praises will be given for ever. There is no other music, but the praises of free grace, in heaven; and none shall sing its praises there, but the happy receivers of it here.”

2. Consider the infinite wisdom of this contrivance of a throne of grace for sinners. The Lord wisely consulted poor man’s case, his sinfulness, his misery, and his infirmity. No where else can God and sinners meet in peace, but at this throne of grace. Here is the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians iii. 10). Grace abounds in all wisdom and prudence (Eph. i. 8). Yet not according to the sorry rules of the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes (or great leading men) of this world, that come to nought: but the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom (hid to them that are lost, II Cor. iv. 3) which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (I Cor. ii. 6, 7, 8). God and holy angels may meet in peace, whenever he is pleased to manifest his glory to them; though they be sensible of their meanness as creatures, and deeply humble before his majesty. But where God and angels meet comfortably, God and sinners cannot meet comfortably. That light and manifestation of divine glory that makes a holy angel happy, would confound and destroy a sinful man (Isa. vi. 1-5). The seraphims adore humbly and praise; Isaiah, a sinner, sinks; he is terrified with the sight, and with the song. And yet this was a sight of Christ (John xii. 41); but his divine majesty and holiness as God was then represented to him, which terrified the prophet. But when sin is forgiven by an act of grace (ver. 6, 7) then, upon the Lord’s saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah answered, Here am I, send me (ver. 8). Now I have tasted the grace of my Lord, I will run his errands; let him send me where and to what he pleaseth.

3. Consider how costly the erecting of this throne of grace was. It was a dear building. The throne of God’s essential glory is in his own super-excellent being, and falls under no acts of the divine will. When he had a mind to rear up a throne of glory to his name, in creating a world, there was no more needful but his word of power, his almighty Fiat, Let it be; and all things sprung up out of nothing, in marvellous order, and beauty, and goodness. But when a throne of grace is to be erected for sinners, there is more to be done. Here God’s own Son must be made man; in that nature must be charged with their sins; and must discharge that debt, by bearing the wrath of God, and curse of the law, even unto death (Rom. iii. 25). The apostle gives us a description of the throne of grace: God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation, a mercy-seat, a throne of grace. But his blood went for it: law and justice exacted it, and Christ paid it. On this comes forth the blessed proclamation of grace, “Whoever he be of lost mankind that will come to this throne of grace by faith, and will receive his justification in and by this blood, and will trust to it only, shall never come into condemnation.” This Paul preached (Acts xiii. 38, 39). What is this grace revealed for? (Rom. iii. 26). To declare at this time God’s righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. We all know that God is just, and the condemner of transgressors of his holy law: but how the gospel is framed so as that God’s justice may appear in justifying of a believing sinner, is far deeper, and more hardly known and believed. But take in but these three things, and it will appear,

First, God was just, and the punisher of the sins of the elect laid on Jesus.

God’s sending of his Son and laying of the sins of his people on him, was an act of amazing grace and mercy. But the exacting the debt of sin of him, when the Father laid it on, and the Son took it on him, was of justice, and strict glorious justice. Never did justice shine so in its glory and purity, as in bruising the Son of God for the sins that were laid on him. The sending of millions to hell for their sins (and all such have them all to answer for, who offer to pay their debt with their own coin), and have no interest in Christ’s undertaking), is a display of divine justice, that men may grumble at, but cannot hinder. The praise of spotless justice will rise up to eternity by the torments of the damned. But he that is ignorant of God’s righteousness, can far less conceive the glory of justice in bruising a sinless man, who was also in the form of God, and counted it no robbery to be equal with God (Phil. ii. 6) (though some in our days think it blasphemy to say so), a person beloved of the Father above all creature-thought; and that for the sins of others, and they also the beloved of the Father in his eternal purpose.

Secondly, God is just in not exacting the same debt of sin twice; both of his Son, and of his people, in whose stead he paid it.

Thirdly, God is just in discharging of his Son, from whom he hath received the full and covenanted satisfaction for sin;

and he is just in discharging them for whom this satisfaction was given. He is just in raising Christ from the dead; and he arose for our justification (Rom. iv. 25, 26). We are justified freely by his grace; but this free, free grace flows to us through the channel of redemption by the blood of Christ. And both this grace and this blood is set forth in the gospel to our faith; and must be applied unto by faith, and applied to us in believing. Whatever the thoughts of men be of these things, free grace and dear blood are the stay of all the redeemed on earth, and the everlasting song of all the glorified in heaven.

Fourth and lastly, To raise your thoughts of the greatness of this favour, of having a throne of grace to come to, consider what rich provisions are made at this throne for sinners.

This the text speaks of, and we shall in order handle them. We shall only now say a few words. There is no court in all God’s dominions that a sinner can come to, and find any mercy or grace, but only at this throne of grace. If you talk of law, or justice, or equity, these are all frightful courts to sensible sinners. They know their cause and case is bad; and that if they come to any bar but that of the throne of grace, they must be cast. But at this throne of grace, they that have nothing, may get every thing; they that deserve wrath, may obtain mercy; they that are cast and condemned at the court of justice, may be acquitted and freed from all sentences, and be adjudged to eternal life, by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. All that is needful to salvation, is dispensed at this throne. Yet all that is given, is old in the purpose of grace from eternity, old in the everlasting covenant, old in the purchase of Jesus Christ; only it is newly given according to the sinner’s necessity (II Tim. i. 9). Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling (this was done as yesterday; but how came we by this saving and this calling?), not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace (Paul still opposeth works to grace, and grace to works, in the matter of justification and salvation; and so doth his Lord and Master that taught him, and so do all that know either grace or works rightly), which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began. Let this be still kept in mind, that whatever you can need, there is a suitable and abundant supply to be had at this throne of grace.

I shall conclude this exercise, with naming two sorts of people that will be specially welcome to the throne of grace.

1. They that come to the throne of grace soon and early; I mean, young people, children, that begin betimes to be courtiers and attendants at this throne (Prov. viii. 17). I love them that love me; and those that seek me early, shall find me, saith the King on this throne of grace. O that young people would try and use this throne of grace betimes! They would find Christ very gracious to them. He would discover his beauty, and give them of his love, that would cool their thirst after sinful pleasures. They might grow rich and strong in grace, before they be old; or if they die young, they should be transplanted to a better soil, and be nearer the Son of Righteousness, than they can be in this world. Never did a saint got safe ashore in heaven bewail his arriving there too soon.

2. They that come to the throne of grace to get, and not to give. Take heed to your spirits in this matter. When you come to the throne of grace, come to receive out of Christ’s fulness, and come not to bring grace with you to add to Christ’s store. He loves to give, and glories in giving; but he scorns to receive grace from you; and in truth you have none but what he gives. Bring your wants to him to supply, but bring not your fullness to brag of. Spread your sins before this throne with shame and sorrow, and plead for a gracious pardon; but take heed you bring not your sorrow, tears, and repentance, nay, nor your faith itself, as a plea for that pardon. How abominable is it to Christians’ ears, and how much more unto Christ’s, to hear a man plead thus for pardon: “Here is my repentance; where is thy pardon? Here is my faith; where is thy justification?” I know men abhor to say so. But take good heed, lest any thought bordering on it enter into thy heart. Faith is the tongue that begs pardon? faith is the hand that receives it, it is the eye that seeth it; but it is no price to buy it. Faith useth the gospel plea for pardon; but itself, neither in habit nor act, is the plea itself. That is only Christ’s blood. Christ’s blood goes for the remission of your sins, if ever they be forgiven; and is the only plea to be heard at the throne of grace. There are too many like the Pharisee (Luke xviii. 11). It would seem by Christ’s words (verse 14) that both came for justification. The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus with himself; God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, or as this publican. Poor wretch! The publican was a far better man than he, as Christ testifieth. He came to the throne of grace, like a man that would carry something away. It is a rule of this court (Luke i. 53). He hath filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he hath sent empty away. According to this rule, the Lord dealt with the Pharisee and the publican; and so will he deal with you, as you are like the one or the other, in your approaches to, and pleadings at the throne of grace.