Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2502
Delivered by C. H, Spurgeon
“The LORRD will give grace and glory.” Psalm 84:11.
WHEREVER, in the Old Testament, you see the word, “LORD,” in capital letters, it ought to be read, “JEHOVAH,” SO our text really is, “JEHOVAH will give grace and glory.”
Who else could give either grace or glory? But God is full of grace—His very name is Love—it is His Nature to freely dispense of His goodness to others. As it is according to the nature of the sun to shine, so it is according to the Nature of God to give good things to His creatures. In Him all fullness dwells—all grace and all glory are perpetually resident in Jehovah, the Infinite. What a mercy it is that we, poor empty sinners, have to do with a God of such fullness and of such goodness! If He were shorthanded with His love, what would become of us? If He had but little graciousness, if He had but little glory, then we great sinners must certainly perish. But since the Lord is a bottomless well of love and a topless mountain of grace, we may come to Him, and come freely, without any fear that either His grace or His glory will ever suffer any diminution.
Note again that the text says, “Jehovah will give grace and glory.” Not only has He these wondrous blessings, but He has them that He may give them freely. If He were to keep them to Himself, He would be none the richer, and when He distributes them, He is none the poorer! The Lord does not sell grace or glory, He does not put them up to auction to those who can give something in return for them. God is a great Giver and a great Forgiver. He gives grace and glory without money, without price and without any merit in the receiver. The Lord gives—there is nothing freer than a gift and there can be nothing freer than that greatest of all the gifts of God, eternal life! That expression, “eternal life,” sums up these two things—grace and glory. “The Lord will give grace and glory.” It is His glory to give His grace and because of His graciousness, He gives glory!
Should not this Truth of God be a comfort to anyone here who is struggling against sin and who is crying, “How shall I ever get to Heaven?” This is the answer—“The Lord will give grace and glory. ""But I am so unworthy.” “The Lord will give grace and glory.” “But I can offer Him no recompense.” There is no need of any recompense, for, “the Lord will give grace and glory.” “But I cannot procure these by any effort of my own.” You have not to procure them, for, “the Lord will give grace and glory.” O you who are full of needs and empty of everything else, come and joyfully accept the free gift of God in Christ Jesus, for, according to the text, “the Lord will give grace and glory”!
There are just two things for me to talk about at this time—the first gift and the last gift. ”The Lord will give grace.” That is His first gift. “The Lord will give glory.” That is His last gift. Glory never comes without grace coming first, but grace never comes without glory coming last—the two are bound together and, “what God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” He never gave grace without giving glory and He never gave glory without first giving grace. You must have the two. They must go together—you must not attempt to tear this seamless coat—“The Lord will give grace and glory.”
I. So we begin with THE FIRST GIFT—‘“The Lord will give grace.”
And, first, let me say that the Lord will give grace to all those who feel that they need it and confess their need. God will not give Divine Grace to a man who boasts of his merits and who claims a reward as a debt. God will meet such a man on his own ground and deal with him on his own terms—and will give him only what he merits—and what he really deserves. And what will that be, Sirs? O you who are pharisaic and boastful of your own righteousness, listen to the answer to this question! Such a man’s deserts will be shame and confusion of face forever! Remember what Jehovah says by His servant Isaiah, “Behold, all you that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks. Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that you have kindled. This shall you have of My hand—you shall lie down in sorrow.”
If you are willing to meet God on the ground of being undeserving and guilty, God will meet you on those terms and, so meeting you, He will come in robes of Divine Grace and say to you, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions and, as a cloud, your sins.” Claim anything as of a rightand God will only give you what you have a right to claim! And that will be everlasting destruction from His Presence and from the glory of His power! But confess that you are guilty! Put the rope around your neck and stand ready for the death sentence to be executed! Acknowledge that you are an undeserving, ill-deserving, Hell-deserving sinner and appeal to the unmerited mercy of God—and you shall have grace freely given to you. Put yourself where grace can come to you, that is, in the place of the guilty, the worth-less—in the place of those who merit Divine Wrath and deserve nothing better—and then God will meet you in mercy, and you will prove the truth of our text, “The Lord will give grace.” Come, then, you black sinners, for “the Lord will give grace.” Come, then, you worthless ones, for “the Lord will give grace.”