THE THRONE OF GRACE- Burns, William Chalmers
CHAPTER 8
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
We considered this passage in part on a former occasion, and endeavored to explain the meaning of the expression, “throne of grace.” We say this throne to be clearly distinguished from all others – such as the
throne of justice, the throne of government, the throne of glory; and we also showed the necessity for this.Some people entertain ideas of the grace of God which would make it impossible for him to exercise it
without compromising some of his attributes. They imagine that, in order to show mercy to fallen man, or to rescue a son of Adam from ruin, God must stoop from his eternal throne, and descend from the eminence of
his infinite holiness and purity. It is not so. The Holy One can do just, and yet the justifies of him who believeth on Jesus. A throne of grace has been raised. Yes, Jehovah dispenses the rich gifts of his grace and love from a throne as pure and as rigorously just as the throne of justice itself; and when He grants free grace to any sinner, he does it as a King.
Sovereign grace, thus understood, does not compromise a single attribute, nor sully on perfection of the Godhead. What is the foundation-stone of the throne of grace? On what is it raised? On JESUS. He is the
corner-stone; and without him, upon whose perfect obedience and finished righteousness the throne rests, it could never have been set up; but now, just as the different colors of light meet and blend in the rainbow of the heavens, so do the Divine attribute circle round, and have fresh luster reflected back on them by the cross of Christ. And how is this? Because, when the holy God pardons a sinner, He does not look upon the guilty one, — he looks on Jesus. The nearest type to this manner of pardoning sinners is to be found in the Jewish dispensation. The mercy-seat was placed in the Holy of Holies, where none but the high priest might enter. The cherubim stood above, and how were they employed? Looking in toward the mercy-seat, which they covered with their wings. Does not this throw light on the expression, “Which things the angels desire to look into,” even “the mystery of godliness,” God manifest in the flesh? The mercy-seat was sprinkled with blood by the hand of the priest; and what does this remind you of? Ah! my dear friends, were the throne of grace not sprinkled with the atoning blood, it never could be ours to approach it; but it is sprinkled – an ever-flowing stream of cleansing laves its golden seat; and when the sinner approaches that throne, God does not look upon the guilty being before him, but on the blood on the mercy-seat. The eye of his justice rests on that blood, and is satisfied; and it is just when the sinner comes into the presence of God, smiting on his breast, and not daring to look up, but looking to the blood on the mercy-seat, to which God is looking also, that his eye meets that of Jehovah, and he is forever reconciled. Is this not simple? It is not clear? Justice finds complete satisfaction in the blood of Christ. Holiness finds complete satisfaction in the blood of Christ. Truth finds it, and purity. And, oh! dear fellow-sinner, why should not you? Do not, however, seek to reverse God’s order in this; do not ask “grace to help” before you ask and get “mercy” to pardon. If you ask for grace to make you better before you ask for mercy to pardon, you will not obtain it – you cannot expect it.God’s gifts are free. He gives not his Holy Spirit to dishonor Christ: he gives it to glorify Jesus. Come first for pardon. Come first to the blood of Jesus, and then you will receive the Spirit. Are you all convinced that you need mercy? Are you all convinced of sin? Some of you will say, “Of course, we are all sinners.” Is sin, then, a light thing – a thing of course? Then, my friends, death is a thing of course -judgment is a thing of course – hell is a thing of course. But this is not the view which many take of it. They seem to think, that as sin is a thing of course, therefore pardon is a thing of course. Is it so? Ah! “the soul that sinneth it shall die;” and who shall revoke the decree? “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” Have you offended? Have you ever lived for a day without loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind? If you have YOU ARE GUILTY. Let conscience do her work. She accuses you – she drags you to the bar. Deliver yourself at once, and without reserve, into the hands of justice. It is not yet too late. Now there is mercy – now there is full
pardon. Stifle not conviction: if you do, you will soon find yourself before that bar, from which you shall not depart without condemnation, and where you shall hear the decision which is without appeal passed on
your guilty souls. Give in, then, give in; you have sinned, you are heavy laden‘ come and accept freely- offered rest.But some among you say, “Sin does not oppress me; I have no heavy burden of transgression; I am not
guilty.” You are not guilty; or rather, you do not feel your guilt. Then woe to you if you do not feel it, for you are not seeking to have the load removed. Poor sinner! if it does not oppress you, it is just because you
make no effort to relieve yourself of it; you do not try to dis burden yourself; you are quietly submitting to the load; you are laying your neck to the ground, and there you lie unless the Spirit of God awaken and
deliver you. You know that though a man have a great stone attached to his neck, still if he lies down and puts his head to the ground, he will not even be aware of it. So with you. You have a burden enormous as
an Alp, but you have never sought to move it, and so you are not sensible of its weight, though it be of adamant, and bound to you with chains of iron. But once try to move it; try to get free from the bonds of slavery, and you will see it is impossible. You are unconscious of the burden: that makes it all the more dangerous – that makes it fatal.Believe me, then, it were as possible to move all round the globe, attempting to drag one of the Alps after you by the strength of a human arm, as to set out for heaven with a load of unpardonable sin upon you. But you are not required to set out with that load about you. Pardon is offered – peace is offered – grace is offered; not indeed on other terms than God’s; but we are here this night as ambassadors from him to a guilty world – we are here to proclaim to you the gospel – to proclaim it, not to sell it – not to take anything for it. You have nothing to give; and we offer it full and free to all – to each, whatever his past character, whatever his crimes. ‘Tis as free and as full as sovereign love and grace can make it. An now, are you going
away with your load? Surely you dare not. Dear fellow-sinners, we are now before a throne of grace; the rent veil is behind us – the mercy-seat before; come then, let us come together; if you fear that you cannot
believe, then think of the pardons which so many have been lately obtaining, and will you not all accept them? Say you are willing to take them at God’s hands, and you are freed, pardoned, saved! Once more I
press on you to delay no longer. As ambassadors for God, we beseech you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” Be ye reconciled Do you not yet understand the simplicity of this? I fear many of you
are staying away till you are made a little better – a little more fit to be pardoned, and then you think you could approach a throne of grace. What a contradiction! Oh, it would not be a throne of grace if such
preparations were necessary – it would not be free, unlimited sovereign grace; ah, no! Why will you yet persist in these pride-devised preparations and conditions, which you think are to entitle you to approach the Lord? Oh, would you but learn to look at Christ, and not at yourselves! Do you expect satisfaction from anything within you, sinner? Is it possible you are looking there for that which is to make you acceptable to the Holy One? Dear friend, you must renounce yourself before you can be pleasing in the Father’s sight. Why, why do you not joyfully accept the permission and invitation to look out of yourselves altogether, far beyond to Immanuel, who saves his people from their sins?Far would we be from advising poor sinners never to look inwards. Without this you could not learn how impossible it is for you to do anything for your own salvation. If you are not sure yet whether you are dead in sin or not – look with inl If you want to see a sentence of awful condemnation passed on all you are and have been – look withinl If you want to be terrified by sights of corruption – look withinl Ah! it is by doing
this that proud self-satisfied sinners begin to learn that a dreadful malady rages in the soul; that it is contagious, incurable, and ends in the second death. But why look longer? Ah, beloved! do you think it helps to cure a sick man, to brood over his malady, and to be so taken up with it that he forgets to send for a physician? Surely not. All he needs is once to know that he has a violet distemper in him – he loses not a moment in meditation on his disease. They were absurd – that were folly. Sick, he calls for the physician, thankful to take everything he prescribes; fearing death, he uses remedies as quickly as he hears of them. Now you should act in this way in regard to your souls.Has anyone here discovered that he or she is a sinner – that you are guilty – that you are condemned – that
you are lost? Oh, does not that discovery satisfy you? You are convinced of sin, but is it to stop here? Is it not an amazing proof of your desire to trust to something in yourselves, that your very convictions are a comfort
to you? Some people cherish their convictions, cling to their convictions, get attached to their convictions; and there they stop. Ah! is one look of your heart not enough? You have been convinced of sin – happy for
you that you have been so; but surely you must see that conviction is only a blessed step when it ends in conversion; when it is the first on the path that leads to Jesus. Now that you are convinced of sin, do not stop there! Have you seen your vileness, your wretchedness and misery? then come at once. The new and living way is the only way of approach now. Blessed be God, ‘its paved with the righteousness of Jehovah- Jesus, “the way, the truth, and the life.” Approaching, then, by this new and living way, consecrated by the Holy One himself, coming in Christ and by Christ to the Father, look to the blood on the mercy-seat, and let your hearts be filled with love, and your lips with praise. Can you not love? Look to Immanuel on the cross and in the garden, and your heart will melt ere long – looking there you will be saved, and looking you must
love.Why are you not all to be saved? Why is one to leave this house to-night with his burden of sin, when he may now have it removed? You came here Satan’s bondsmen, will you not go forth the freemen of the Lord Immanuel? You came in clothed with filthy garments. Believe, and you shall go forth in the white robes of the Lamb’s imputed righteousness! You may leave this place the sons of God – heirs of glory, pardoned, saved. And will you not? God out as you came in you cannot, for if you reject Christ you are more guilty than before. But then you need not do this, nor again go away without Christ, and in him you may have all the blessings of complete redemption, if you will – if you will. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may now obtain mercy, and find grace to help in this our time of need.
I.
Sound, sound the truth abroad,
Bear ye the Word of God
Through the wide world;
Tell what our Lord has done,
Tell how the day is won,
And from his lofty throne
Satan is hurled.
II.
Far over sea and land,
(‘Is our Lord’s own command,)
Bear ye his name;
Bear it to every shore,
Regions unknown explore,
Ester at every door, —
Silence is shame.
III.
Sipped on the wings of love,
Jesus, who reigns above,
Bids us to fly;
They who his message bear
Should neither doubt nor fear,
He will their friend appear,
He will be night.
IV.
When on the mighty deep,
He will their spirits keep
Stay’d on his word;
When in a foreign land,
No other friend at hand,
V.
Ye who, forsaking all,
At your loved Master’s call,
Comforts resign;
Soon will your work be done,
Soon will the prize be won,
Brighter than yonder sun
Then shall ye shine.
AIR.,-National Anthem.