Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 958
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, October 30, 1870
“To the praise of the glory of His Grace.” Ephesians 1:6.
NO Truth of God is more plainly taught in God’s Word than this, that the salvation of sinners is entirely owing to the Grace of God. If there is anything clear at all in Scripture, it is plainly there declared that men are lost by their own works but saved through the free favor of God. Their ruin is justly merited, but their salvation is always the result of the unmerited mercy of God. In varied forms of expression, but with constant clearness and positiveness, this Truth is over and over again declared. Yet, plain as this Truth is, and influencing as it should be in every part of our doctrinal belief, it is frequently forgotten.
Many of the heresies which divide the Christian Church, spring from a confusion upon this point. Were that word “Grace” but fully read, marked, and learned, the great evangelical system would be far more firmly held, and plainly preached. But forgetfulness that “by Grace you are saved,” is a common fault among all conditions of men. Sinners forget it, and they seek salvation by the works of the Law. They refuse to surrender to the Sovereign Grace of God, and entrench themselves behind the tottering fence of their own righteousness.
And saints forget this, too, and therefore their minds become dark, their spirits fall into legal bondage, and where they ought to rejoice in the Lord unceasingly, they become despondent and full of unbelieving dread. Brethren, I am incessantly preaching here the Doctrines of Grace, they are growingly dear to me—and as often as I preach them, I trust they are not wearisome to you. And if they should be, that sad fact would not induce me to be silent upon them, but rather urge me to proclaim them more frequently and fervently! Your weariness of them would be a clear proof that you required to hear them yet again, and again, and again, until your souls were brought to delight in them.
There is no music out of Heaven equal to the sound of that word “Grace,” save only the celestial 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 has a golden mouth. It is the Barnabas, for it is full of consolation. It is the Boanerges, for it thunders against self-righteousness. It is man’s star of hope, the wellspring of his eternal life, the seed of his future bliss.
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 displaying itself. To each quality of the Divine Nature there is a glory, and the Lord takes care that there shall be a time when this glory shall be so seen as to become the subject of praise to intelligent creatures.
There is great glory in His power, and long ago He who speaks and it is done, who commands and it stands fast, made the heavens and the earth. It was a great triumph of power, and other grand attributes combined to make the display still more glorious. Wisdom was there to balance the clouds. Prudence set a compass upon the face of the deep. Truth appointed the times and the seasons, and Goodness arranged the habitable parts of the earth for the living creatures and for the sons of men.
All the attributes of God were exercised, but power was greatly magnified, the power which by a word created, and by its mere will made all things to stand forth. On that occasion, when the glory of God’s power was revealed, “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” They saw the glory of the Divine power, and rendered their joyful homage. On that august occasion many of God’s attributes were extolled, but there was no room for “the praise of the glory of His Grace.”
Grace found no objects in a pure creation upon which to display its full glory. There was room for kindness, benevolence, favor, goodness, and love—but Divine Grace in its true and deepest meaning needs undeserving creatures to oper-
ate upon, sinful creatures that may be pardoned, fallen creatures that may be restored, justified—and there were none such condemned creatures that may be in the creation as it came from the Divine hand.
Further on, the Lord took occasion to give a display of the glory of His Justice. We know not precisely when or how, for the record is not full and clear. But we have the outlines—there was once a great rebellion in Heaven. Certain of those bright intelligences known to us as angels, for some reason or other, revolted from the Divine government under the leadership of that bright son of the morning, who is now forever called the Prince of Darkness.