II. Why is it called a throne and a throne of grace?
Passing what is said of the apostle’s alluding to the mercy-seat in the tabernacle and temple of old,
1. It is called a throne, because of the glory and majesty of God manifested here. God’s condescending to display and dispense his grace and mercy to sinners, is no debasing of God, but an advancing of his glory. When he gives grace, he acts royally, and as a king, with majesty. Araunah’s offering to David, is said to be like a king (II Sam, xxiv, 23). He was no king, but a subject; but he had a free, noble heart. The Lord on this throne of grace, dispenseth all acts of grace with great majesty, and as a king; but not as a King Judge, and Ruler, but as a King Benefactor, and Giver. This royalty of grace shines (1) in the greatness of the gifts, grace, and mercy; vastly above all that the creation can give; (2) in the manner of giving; free, sovereignly free. Grace and mercy is his own, and he doth with them as he will. When Moses prays (Exod. xxxiii, 18), I beseech thee, show me thy glory, we cannot conceive what was in his holy heavenly heart. He was now just come down from the mount the first time; he is going up again to spend other forty days there, in such communion with God as never mere man enjoyed before or since out of heaven; he had prevailed with God for Israel, and hath a most gracious answer (ver. 17). And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. What means Moses then by this prayer? (ver. 18). Whatever he meant, the Lord’s answer is much to be observed (ver. 19). And he said, I will make all my goodness (or beauty) pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee. (What is in this name that hath so much of glory and goodness in it, as should satisfy such a mighty hungerer for more of God, as Moses was?) I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. God’s glory shines highly, in his being the sovereign disposer of his own grace and mercy; and happy is the believer that adores this glorious sovereignty. Paul in Rom. ix, 15-25 makes a deep improvement of it. Jer. xvii, 12. A glorious high throne from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. See then that you, in all your pleadings for grace and mercy, remember that you are before a high stately throne. Approaches to God on the throne of grace should be managed with the deepest reverence and humility. So did the publican, when he came to it (Luke xviii, 13). God be merciful (propitious) to me a sinner (or me the sinner, the great singular sinner. So the Greek runs, as Luke vii, 37, 39). The deepest, profoundest adoration of the glorious majesty of God, is performed by a self-condemned sinner, pleading at this throne for the obtaining of the sovereign free grace of God. Lastly, It is called a throne, because grace reigns and is enthroned here (Rom. v, 21). Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Blessed reign! and blessed are all that are under the reign and dominion of the grace of God. Sin reigns through the unrighteousness of the first Adam unto eternal death, if men be let alone, and if grace do not break this reign of sin. And grace reigns through the righteousness of the second Adam unto eternal life. And nothing can dethrone grace; it will prevail, and reach its end, eternal life, in all it falls upon. O that captives to Satan, and slaves to sin and the law, would long to be under the reign of this stately power, the grace of God! and that believers themselves would give a more free and large subjection to it!
2. It is called a throne of grace,
First, Because grace erected and reared it up (Psal. lxxxix, 2). Mercy shall be built up for ever. Nothing but grace and mercy framed the throne of grace. I may allude to the Lord’s stately words to Job (chap. xxxviii, 4, 5, 6), speaking of the first creation (but this throne of grace was fixed before, as the King himself saith—Prov. viii, 23—I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was, Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? and Who laid the corner-stone thereof? No creature was on the council; it is a divine contrivance. But, now it is revealed, our faith, on the ground of this revelation, may, and should go back, and take a refreshing view of this eternal contrivance. The Lord builds a house of mercy, that a company of sinners may dwell in, with him, for ever. What laid the corner-stone of this throne, but grace? What brings in the inhabitants, preserves them, and perfects them, but grace? For whom is it prepared, and by whom shall this house of mercy be possessed, and with whom shall it be filled, but with vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory (Rom. ix, 23).
Secondly, it is called a throne of grace, because grace hath here, and here only, a glorious display and discovery. Till men get a sight of God in Christ, they cannot tell what the grace of God is. Search heaven and earth, you can never get a view of God’s grace, till ye come to this throne. You may see God’s infinite power, and wisdom, and goodness, written in great characters, in the great volume of creation and providence; but till ye come to know God in Christ on this throne, you can never see that divine dainty, and saving blessing, the free grace of God; grace, as an everlasting fountain in the heart of God, pouring down, streaming forth eternal salvation on ruined unworthy sinners. Men should make a visit to the throne of grace, if they had no other errand but to get a sight of this precious thing, the grace of God. A right sight of it is saving. Believers should long to be in heaven, if they had no other errand, than to see the spring-head of that flood of grace that came down from heaven, to drag them out of hell, and to draw them up to heaven.
Thirdly, it is called a throne of grace, because all the acts and sentences passed at this new court, are all acts of grace. All the blessings given from this throne, are all of mere grace. Nothing is here but grace (John i, 17). The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Was there no grace nor truth under the law? Yes, a great deal; but it all belonged to Jesus Christ. There was grace under the law, but none but what related to Jesus Christ. There was truth under the law, but only as Christ was pointed at; otherwise all were but vain and beggarly rudiments, and empty dark shadows. The Jews see nothing of Christ in the Old Testament, and therefore find neither the saving mercy nor saving truth of God in it. And it is much worse with men (Christians I cannot call them) that see as little of Christ in the New Testament. Take the chain of salvation, and all the links of it, as the apostle names them (Rom. viii, 29, 30) and all of them are of grace. We are chosen by grace; we are given to Christ by grace; redeemed by him by grace; by grace we are justified through that redemption; by the same grace we are adopted; by the same grace we are saved, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; and by grace we shall be glorified. And they that will not claim these blessings, and hold them by this tenor of free grace, I dare not say that they shall never have them (for this grace can overcome its greatest enemies); but I may say, that they have at present no part or portion in this matter; and when they come to partake of grace, and to know the grace of God in truth (as Col. i, 6) they will be of another mind, and count it the best tenor to hold all by, even by free grace; yea, after all the riches of grace poured forth on believers in this life, when they come to receive the crown of glory, they receive it as humbly, yea more than they did any former act of grace from this throne. The overcomer by the blood of the Lamb, will receive the crown from his glorious Redeemer as humbly, and with owning it as a gift of grace, as much as ever he did receive a pardon in that blood, when his head was on the block, and the axe of law and justice lifted up to cut him off for his iniquity. There may be proud pleaders for (or rather presumers and expecters of) the crown of glory, but no proud receivers of it. We must look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude, ver. 21). Merit and worth are only for hell; and they have no room in heaven, nor in the way to it. Justice reigns in hell, and grace in heaven. So all will find that come to heaven; and so must they all know and believe that would be there. Sinners that are for merit, will find it sadly in hell. Men’s merit makes hell, and Christ’s merit makes heaven (Rom. vi, 23).
Fourthly, it is called a throne of grace, because the glory of grace is the last and highest end of the building of this throne, and of all the acts of grace dispensed at it, and from it. That proud monarch spoke vainly and wickedly (Dan. iv, 30) and was quickly by God punished severely for his sin. If we may be allowed to allude to such words, we may say of the throne of grace, Is it not that high throne that God hath built for the house of his kingdom, by the might of his power, and for the honour of the majesty of his grace? Are any chosen in Christ, and predestined to the adoption of children by him? It is to the praise of the glory of his grace (Eph. i, 4, 5, 6). Do they believe by grace? It is to the praise of his glory (ver. 12). Are they sealed and at last possessed of heaven? That is to the praise of his glory (ver. 14). Are they quickened when dead in sin, and advanced in and by Christ Jesus? This is to the praise of his grace (Eph. ii, 4, 7). All the blessings in time and eternity that the heirs of grace enjoy, are all to the praise and glory of that grace they spring from. We read in the word of none of the counsels of God before the creation of all things, but of his purpose of saving a company of poor sinful men by Jesus Christ; and of no other design in this purpose, but to magnify his grace in saving of them this way. So much of the signification of this word, a throne of grace.
(To be continued.)