Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2378
“Manasseh did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. And when he was in affliction, he asked the LORD, his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him: and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him, again, to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD, He was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:2,12,13.
THIS story of Manasseh is a very valuable one. I feel sure of this because you meet with it twice in the Word of God. It is a dreary story—a very dreary story—and the sad part of it is given twice in the Bible, while the consoling part of it is only recorded once. The Holy Spirit has some motive and reason for this, we may be sure. If you look in the Second Book of Kings, in the 21st Chapter, you will find, with some little alteration, the very same story that we have been reading, so far as the deplorable part of it is concerned. I take it that this is because God would have us pay great attention to this narrative. He would have us, again and again, dwell upon such wonders of Sovereign Grace as Manasseh presents to us.
Dear Friends, you have, here, the history of a great sinner, saved—I might say, a very great sinner, saved—and this is narrated in the Word of God that other great sinners, seeing it, may be encouraged to seek mercy as Manasseh sought and found it! No man, I trust, will be so base as to turn the mercy of God into an excuse for sin. He would deserve the deepest Hell, who would take encouragement to sin from the greatness of pardoning love! I will not suppose that anyone here is so driven by the devil as to do that, but I will trust that some great sinner, in whom despair has fixed itself, who has said, “Because there is no hope for me, therefore I will go farther into sin,” will be stopped in his evil course as he hears of the amazing, the immeasurable mercy of God to the greatest and most diabolical form of sinner!
This case of Manasseh is put in Scripture that it may breed its like, not in its sinfulness, but in its faith, its prayer, its humiliation, its seeking and its finding mercy. How many souls have been converted by reading the story of John Bunyan as he has written it in his, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners! I doubt not that many a swearing tinker has said, “There is mercy for me as well as for John of Elstow.” Who, that has read the first part of the, “Life of John Newton,” has not felt encouraged to seek and find the Savior? The story of Colonel Gardiner and how the Lord met with him has been blessed to many a soldier, and he has had hope against hope that there may be mercy even for him in the depth of his sin.
I can well remember the time when I carefully treasured up every instance of God’s mercy to sinners, as a man might store up pearls, for it seemed to me, then, that if I could find a soul like myself—equally sinful and equally convicted of sin, who, nevertheless, found mercy—then I, also, might find mercy, for I believed that God acted upon a certain style and scale and that He would do for me what He had done for others. “Then will I teach transgressors Your ways,” said David, as much as if he had said, “If You save me, then I shall know that it is Your way to save great sinners, and I will go and tell other sinners what Your ways are, and my case shall be a proof of how You will act towards them.”
I pray that while the door of Divine Mercy is open, some of you may come in. When the door of Noah’s Ark was open, you know that it was wide enough to let in the elephant and, consequently, there was plenty of room for the mouse, and where the camel could enter, you may be sure that the sheep could go. If you should not feel that you have sinned after the terrible fashion of Manasseh, yet, if there is room in God’s love for such as he, there is room enough for you! And the silver trumpet is ringing out the joyous invitation that we have often sung—
“Come, and welcome, to the Savior, He in mercy bids you come! Come be happy in His favor, Longer from Him do not roam. Come, and welcome, Come to Jesus, sinner, come!”
The good Brother who prayed, just now, pleaded that God would give us an unusual blessing and your hearts, as well as mine, said, “Amen!” May it come to some of you who did not pray for it! May the Lord be found of them that sought Him not, according to His ancient promise! May He now say, “Behold Me, behold Me,” to those who were not His people! And may some be found of Him who never could have been found of Him if His Grace were not most sovereign, most rich, and most free!
Now, in coming close to our subject, we are going to do two things. First, let us examine the case before us. And, secondly, let us consider why there should be others like it.