The grace of God in Christian preaching highlights His unmerited favor freely given to sinners, transforming lives and sustaining spiritual growth (Ephesians 2:8-9). Illustrations often use images of abundant gifts, free offers, and continuous supply to emphasize God's generosity and the believer's response of faith and surrender (Romans 5:15-17).
Without the light of grace, a person cannot reach the haven of glory.
As the pilot of a ship, without the light of sun or moon or stars, cannot make the haven of any land, so a man without the light of grace cannot make the haven of glory. Cawdray.
God transforms the worst sinners into precious stones in His spiritual temple by grace.
God would build for himself a palace in heaven of living stones. Where did he get them? Did he go to the quarries of Paros? Hath he brought forth the richest and the purest marble from the quarries of perfection? No, ye saints: look to "the hole of the pit whence ye were digged, and to the rock whence ye were hewn!" Ye were full of sin: so far from being stones that were white with purity, ye were black with defilement, seemingly utterly unfit to be stones in the spiritual temple, which should be the dwelling-place of the Most High. Goldsmiths make exquisite forms from precious material; they fashion the bracelet and the ring from gold: God maketh his precious things out of base material; and from the black pebbles of the defiling brooks he hath taken up stones, which he hath set in the golden ring of his immutable love, to make them gems to sparkle on his finger forever. He hath not selected the best, but apparently the worst of men to be the monuments of his grace; and, when he would have a choir in heaven, he sent Mercy to earth to find out the dumb, and teach them to sing. Spurgeon.
Mr. Fletcher desired not earthly rewards but only more grace from God.
Mr. Fletcher of Made-ly, having written a pamphlet which secured the approval of the king, was asked what benefit the king should bestow upon him. Mr. Fletcher made the characteristic reply, that he was sensible of the kindness intended, but only wanted one thing; and that was, more grace.
No one can claim perfect action; all must rely on free grace for salvation.
If God should make us an offer thus large, — "Search all the generations of men since the fall of Adam, find one that has done only one action which has passed from him pure, without any stain or blemish at all, and for that one man's only action neither men nor devils shall be tormented," do you think any one person could be found that has done one such perfect action? We firmly believe not; and, if so, then all must be of free grace. It is the peculiar glory of gospel grace to humble every believer in the dust, and from gratitude and love to produce the best obedience. Hooker.
Pride hinders accepting God's free gift of grace until humility leads to acceptance.
A benevolent rich man had a very poor neighbor, to whom he sent this message: "I wish to make you the gift of a farm." The poor man was pleased with the idea of having a farm, but was too proud at once to receive it as a gift. So he thought of the matter much and anxiously. His desire to have a home of his own was daily growing stronger; but his pride was great. At length, he determined to visit him who had made the offer. But a strange delusion about this time seized him; for he imagined that he had a bag of gold. So he came with his bag, and said to the rich man, "I have received your message, and have come to see you. I wish to own the farm; but I wish to pay for it. I will give you a bag of gold for it." — "Let us see your gold," said the owner of the farm. "Look again: I do not think it is even silver." The poor man looked, tears stood in his eyes, and his delusion seemed to be gone; and he said, "Alas! I am undone: it is not even copper; it is but ashes. How poor I am! I wish to own that farm; but I have nothing to pay. Will you give me the farm?" The rich man replied, "Yes: that was my first and only offer. Will you accept it on such terms?" With humility, but with eagerness, the poor man said, "Yes: and a thousand blessings on you for your kindness!" Dr. Plumer.
Grace works silently and imperceptibly but is essential and life-giving like dew.
The grandest operations both in nature and in grace are the most silent and imperceptible. The shallow brook babbles in its passage, and is heard by every one; but the coming on of the seasons is silent and unseen. The storm rages and alarms; but its fury is soon exhausted, and its effects are partial, and soon remedied: but the dew, though gentle and unheard, is immense in quantity, and the very life of large portions of the earth. And these are pictures of the operations of grace in the church and in the soul.
— R. Cecil
God's grace must be continually nurtured through spiritual disciplines and seeking God.
As fire is kept up by blowing, and putting on wood; so the grace of God must be daily stirred by the use of the Word, sacraments, and prayer, by meditating, striving, seeking, and knocking. Cawdray.
Grace fully provides forgiveness and holiness, meeting us in our total helplessness.
Grace does not stand upon a distant mountain-top, and call on the sinner to climb up the steep heights that he may obtain its treasures: it comes down into the valley in quest of him; nay, it stretches down its hand into the very lowest depths of the horrible pit to pluck him thence out of the miry clay. It does not offer to pay the ninety and nine talents if he will pay the remaining one: it provides payment for the whole, whatever the sum may be. It does not offer to complete the work if he will only begin it by doing what he can: it takes the whole work in hand from first to last, presupposing his total helplessness. It does not bargain with the sinner, that if he will throw off a few sins, and put forth some efforts after better things, it will step in and relieve him of the rest by forgiving and cleansing him: it comes up to him at once, with nothing short of complete forgiveness as the starting-point of all his efforts to be holy. It does not say, "Go, and sin no more, and I will not condemn thee:" it says at once, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." Rev. H. Bonar.
Like a locked spring, we cannot return from sin without the key of God's grace.
As a spring-lock closes of itself, but cannot be unlocked without a key; so we of ourselves may run into sin, but cannot return without the key of God's grace. Cawdray.
God's grace reveals hidden struggles and leads to repentance and restoration.
A young man of fortune lived vilely and recklessly till his means were gone and he was abandoned by his friends and associates. He resolved to end his life, and went to the river's brink in the darkness for that purpose. A light in a house near attracted him. Going towards it, he heard singing and prayer. He entered, and found a meeting, in which the text was, "Do thyself no harm." He asked some there how they knew his thoughts, for he had told his intentions to no one; and they were as much surprised as he. This led to his repentance; and he was restored to favor, and became an eminent Christian.
A single grace in a remote heart can be more precious to God than many virtues elsewhere.
Dr. Kane, finding a flower under the Humboldt glacier, was more affected by it, because it grew beneath the lip and cold bosom of the ice, than he would have been by the most gorgeous garden-bloom. So some single struggling grace, in the heart of one far removed from divine influences, may be dearer to God than a whole catalogue of virtues in the life of one more favored of Heaven. Beecher.
God's grace is wonderful because it perfectly reflects His loving character.
GRACE, Wonder of "Mary," said a preacher, addressing a colored convert, "is not the love of God wonderful?—is it not wonderful?" She replied, "I do not think it is so wonderful, because it is just like him."
God's removal from the heart leaves no grace, only confusion and disorder.
GRACES, Removal of When the king removes his court, nothing is left behind but bare walls and rubbish. So, if God removes from a man's heart, wherein he has kept his court, his graces will not stay behind. Then farewell, peace; farewell, comfort: nothing is left behind but confusion and disorder. Spencer.
Weak graces are like chariots bringing us to God, the source of strength and grace.
GRACES, Weak Weak souls, remember this, — as Joseph sent chariots to bring his father and his brethren to him, so God would have your weak graces to be as chariots to bring you to himself, who is the Strengthener, Cherisher, and Increaser of grace. T. Brooks.
A debtor gratefully accepts a generous offer to pay his impossible debt, illustrating grace.
Suppose a poor man, utterly unable to pay his debts, were pressed by the sheriff for a claim of a thousand dollars, and the amount he must pay, or be imprisoned. Now if, in these circumstances, one who was able and willing to relieve him should kindly offer to pay the amount, "O sir!" methinks he would say, "how could I expect such a favor?" And, when assured that it was done with great cheerfulness, how thankfully would he accept the kind offer, and say, "O sir! I owe you a thousand thanks! I want words to express my sense of the great obligations I am under to you." Dr. Baker.
God uses even the faults of saints to accomplish His purposes and bring glory.
In a great naval contest of England, we are told that one ship ran aground, so as to be entirely out of reach of the enemy, but contributed very much to the victory by serving as a beacon to the other ships bearing down into action. It was not a way of contributing to the victory which any brave captain would choose; but it would be a matter of rejoicing, even in this way, to serve one's country. And so, though we would not choose that holy men of old should have fallen into sins, we rejoice that the great Captain of our salvation is making use of their failures to swell the triumphs of his people, and to bring glory to his great name. Lewis.
A Bible reader gives generously to the Bible society despite humble means.
The first meeting of the Shoreditch Bible Association was held in the church, which was very much crowded. Some weeks afterwards, the collectors called on a widow, who kept a small grocer's shop, for her subscription, which she had always paid very cheerfully. As they were going away, she said, "Gentlemen, I have got a young man, a lodger, who is always poring over the Bible: I dare say he would subscribe." The collectors were introduced to him to solicit his subscription. He answered, "I certainly will;" and gave them a guinea, and desired them to put down his name as a subscriber of sixpence a week. The gentlemen were astonished, and hesitated at taking so much, and wished to return a part. He answered, "No, I owe my all to the Shoreditch Bible Association." About a month afterwards, the committee wished to increase its number. This young man was proposed and accepted. But when the matter was mentioned to him, he warmly replied, "No, gentlemen, you must pardon me, I am not worthy to form a part of your committee. If you want more money, I will gladly give it; but to act on your committee, I cannot." They in vain pressed the matter, and wished to know his reasons. About a year after, he requested his landlady to desire the gentlemen to wait upon him when they called, (he had regularly paid his subscription through the medium of his landlady,) as he wanted to speak to them; which they did. "Now, gentlemen," said he, "my lips are unsealed. I take my departure for America this week. Here are five guineas. I will now tell you my short history. Two years ago, I was one of the most profligate young men in the city of London. I was a common pickpocket. At your anniversary, seeing the church crowded, I, with several of my companions in iniquity, entered, in order to pursue our sinful practices. From the crowded state of the church, we were separated. I got into the middle aisle, just in front of the speakers. The first words I caught were, 'Thou shalt not steal.' My attention was fixed; my conscience was touched; and tears began to flow. In vain did my companions make their signals to commence our operations. As soon as the meeting closed, I hurried away, threw myself into the first coach I found, drove to my lodgings in the west end of the town, paid my rent, took away all my things, and came into this part of the city, in order to hide myself from my companions; and providentially found this house. I immediately inquired for a Bible; and for the first time in my life began to read it. I found my convictions of the evil of my conduct increased, and I hope I have now found peace and rest in believing on that Saviour whom the Bible reveals."
Whitefield preached Jesus' willingness to save even the worst sinners, surprising listeners.
Some ladies called one Saturday morning to pay a visit to Lady Huntingdon, and, during the visit, her ladyship inquired of them if they had ever heard Mr. Whitefield preach. Upon being answered in the negative, she said, "I wish you would hear him; he is to preach to-morrow evening." They promised her ladyship they would certainly attend. They fulfilled their promise; and when they called the next Monday morning on her ladyship, she anxiously inquired if they had heard Mr. Whitefield on the previous evening, and how they liked him. The reply was, "Oh my lady, of all the preachers we ever heard, he is the most strange and unaccountable! Among other preposterous things, would your ladyship believe it, he declared that Jesus Christ was so willing to receive sinners, that he did not object to receive even the devil's castaways? Now, my lady, did you ever hear of such a thing since you were born?" To which her ladyship made the following reply: "There is something, I acknowledge, a little singular in the invitation, and I do not recollect to have ever met with it before; but as Mr. Whitefield is below in the parlor, we will have him up, and let him answer for himself." Upon his coming up into the drawing-room, Lady Huntingdon said, "Mr. Whitefield, these ladies have been preferring a very heavy charge against you, and I thought it best that you should come up and defend yourself. They say, that, in your sermon last evening, in speaking of the willingness of Jesus Christ to receive sinners, you expressed yourself in the following terms: 'That so ready was Christ to receive sinners who came to him, that he was willing to receive even the devil's castaways.'" Mr. Whitefield immediately replied: "I certainly, my lady, must plead guilty to the charge; whether I did what was right, or otherwise, your ladyship shall judge from the following circumstance. Did your ladyship notice, about half an hour ago, a very modest single rap at the door? It was given by a poor, miserable-looking, aged female, who requested to speak with me. I desired her to be shown into the parlor, when she accosted me in the following manner:— 'I believe, sir, you preached last evening at such a chapel.' 'Yes, I did.' 'Ah, sir, I was accidentally passing the door of that chapel, and hearing the voice of some one preaching, I did what I never had been in the habit of doing,—I went in; and one of the first things I heard you say was, that Jesus Christ was so willing to receive sinners, that he did not object to receive the devil's castaways. Do you think, sir, that Jesus Christ would receive me?' Mr. Whitefield answered her there was not a doubt of it, if she was but willing to go to him. This was the case; it ended in the conversion of the poor creature to God. When she died, she left highly satisfactory evidence that her great and numerous sins had been forgiven, through the atonement of the Lord Jesus.
A man abandoned suicide after reflecting on Jesus' suffering and found hope in Christ.
A gentleman was known by his nearest and dearest friend, his wife, never to lie down upon his pillow some years before his death, or raise his head from it in the morning, without repeating the short hymn annexed to this anecdote; and sometimes he would inadvertently burst into ejaculations in company, when two or three lines of it were distinctly heard before he could recollect himself: the cause at that time was unknown; but, after his decease, a paper was found in his bureau to the following purport: "You will no longer be surprised at my involuntary effusions of feeble gratitude to the Almighty, which broke forth occasionally in gay company, when you shall read that many years since the dread of approaching poverty, disgrace, humiliation, and desertion of friends, had brought me to the fatal resolution of putting an end to my existence. Conscious that I had brought misfortune upon a numerous family by my own imprudence, dissipation, and pride, I considered my punishment as an act of justice. The destined moment arrived; already had I loaded, primed, and cocked; when, strange to relate! though I had not read a page in the Bible for years, a reflection came suddenly across my mind; 'Jesus of Nazareth,' said I to myself, 'was a man (for I disbelieved in his divinity) acquainted with sorrows, endured a life of poverty, was exposed to public scorn and derision, suffered pain of body and agony of mind, and had nothing to reproach himself with, yet this reformer of the morals of mankind, this benefactor to society, this illustrious pattern of fortitude, patience, and humility, was, by an unthankful world, put to death: he was crucified! but he crucified not himself!' Repeating these last words a second time with unusual energy, pride, disdain, shame, and contempt of my inability humbly to imitate this striking example of bearing afflictions manfully, produced a passionate conflict of mind, in which paroxysm I madly flung the pistol some distance from me; to add to the affecting scene, it went off, unheard but by my affectionate wife, who religiously kept the secret: her consolations restored me to temporary tranquillity, but the work of Providence was not yet completed; not a week had elapsed, and settled melancholy was again taking possession of my soul, when a letter announced the death of a distant relation, and summoned me to the reading of his will, by which he had bequeathed me sufficient not only to clear me of all encumbrances, but to enable me, with the assistance of a considerable surplus, to exert my abilities in the line of my profession for the support of my family, and even to aim at a moderate independence, which you will find I have at length acquired.'
"Rise, oh my soul! the hour review, When, awed by guilt and fear, Thou durst not Heaven for mercy sue, Nor hope for pity here!
Dried are thy tears, thy griefs are fled, Dispell'd each bitter care; For Heaven itself did send its aid, To snatch thee from despair!
Then here, oh God, thy work fulfil And from thy mercy's throne Vouchsafe me strength to do thy will, And to result my own.
So shall my soul each power employ Thy mercies to adore,
While Heaven itself proclaims with joy One rescued sinner more!"
A couple recounts losing worldly things but gaining freedom from sin and guilt through religion.
An aged couple, in the vicinity of London, who in the early part of life were poor, but who, by the blessing of God upon their industry, enjoyed a comfortable independency in their old age, were called upon by a Christian minister, who solicited their contributions to a charity. The old lady was disposed to make out some excuse, and to answer in the negative, both for her husband and herself; and therefore replied, "Why, sir, we have lost a deal by religion since we began: my husband knows that very well." And being willing to obtain her husband's consent to the assertion, she said, "Have we not, Thomas?" Thomas, after a long and solemn pause, replied, "Yes, Mary, we have lost a deal by our religion! I have lost a deal by my religion. Before I got religion, Mary, I had got a water pail, in which I carried water, and that you know I lost many years ago. And then I had an old slouched hat, a patched old coat, and mended shoes and stockings; but I have lost them also long ago. And, Mary, you know that, poor as I was, I had a habit of getting drunk, and quarreling with you; and that you know I have lost. And then I had a burdened conscience, and a wicked heart; and then I had ten thousand guilty feelings and fears: but all are lost, completely lost, and like a millstone cast into the deepest sea. And, Mary, you have been a loser too, though not so great a loser as myself. Before we got religion, Mary, you had got a washing-tray, in which you washed for hire; and God Almighty blessed your industry: but since we got religion, you have lost your washing-tray. And you had got a gown and borne much the worse for wear, though they were all you had to wear; but you have lost them long ago. And you had many an aching heart concerning me at times; but those you happily have lost. And I could even wish that you had lost as much as I have lost, and even more; for what we lose by our religion, Mary, will be our eternal gain." We need not add, the preacher did not go away without substantial proof that Thomas deemed his losses for religion his most weighty obligations to the goodness of Almighty God, as the richest boon of grace on earth, and the most authentic pledge of glory in the world to come.
John Newton's humility and grace sustained him despite failing eyesight near life's end.
Two or three years before the death of John Newton, when his sight was so dim that he was no longer able to read, an aged friend and brother in the ministry called on to be kindled, and the spectators were on the tiptoe of expectation, this young warrior, who sat composedly among the chiefs, having before prepared two fleet horses, with the necessary provisions, sprang from his seat, rushed through the crowd, loosed the victim, seized her in his arms, placed her on one of the horses, mounted the other himself, and made the utmost speed towards the nation and friends of the captive. The multitude, dumb and nerveless with amazement at the daring deed, made no effort to rescue their victim from her deliverer. They viewed it as the act of their deity, submitted to it without a murmur, and quietly retired to their village. The released captive was accompanied through the wilderness toward her home, till she was out of danger. He then gave her the horse on which she rode, with the necessary provisions for the remainder of her journey, and they parted. On his return to the village, such was the respect entertained for him, that no inquiry was made into his conduct; no censure was passed on it; and, since this transaction, no human sacrifice has been offered in this or any of the Pawnee tribes. Of what influence is one bold act in a good cause!
On the publication of this anecdote at Washington, the young ladies of a female seminary, in that city, presented this brave and humane Indian with a handsome silver medal, on which was engraven an appropriate inscription, accompanied by an address, of which the following is the close:—"Brother, accept this token of our esteem; always wear it for our sake; and, when you have again the power to save a poor woman from death and torture, think of this and of us, and fly to her rescue."
# JUMILITY.
him to breakfast. Family prayer succeeding, the portion of Scripture for the day was read to him. It was suggested by "Bogatsky's Golden Treasury:" "By the grace of God, I am what I am." It was the good man's custom, on these occasions, to make a few short remarks on the passage read. After the reading of this text, he paused for some moments, and then uttered the following affecting soliloquy:—"I am not what I ought to be! An! how imperfect and deficient! I am not what I wish to be! I abhor that which is evil, and I would cleave to what is good! I am not what I hope to be! Soon, soon, I shall put off mortality, and with mortality all sin and imperfection! Yet, though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was, a slave to sin and Satan; and I can heartily join with the apostle, and acknowledge, "By the grace of God, I am what I am!" Let us pray!"
Prayers for acceptance with God focus on grace and Christ's righteousness, not self-righteousness.
"It has been often observed," says Dr. Owen, in his Doctrine of Justification, "that the schoolmen themselves, in their meditations and devotional writings, speak a language quite different from that which they use in their disputes and controversies; and I had rather learn what men really think on this head from their prayers than from their writings. Nor do I remember that I ever heard any good man, in his prayers, use any expressions about justification, wherein any thing of self-righteousness was introduced. Nor have I observed that any public liturgies (the Mass-Book excepted), guide men in their prayers before God to plead any thing for their acceptance with him, or as the means or condition thereof, but grace, mercy, the righteousness and blood of Christ alone."
Salvation is like swimming to glory on the plank of free grace, not on works.
Mr. M'Laren, and Mr. Gustart, were both ministers of the Tolbooth Church, Edinburgh. When Mr. M'Laren was dying, Mr. G. paid him a visit, and put the question to him, "What are you doing, brother?" His answer was, "I'll tell you what I am doing, brother; I am gathering together all my prayers, all my sermons, all my good deeds, all my ill deeds; and I am going to throw them all overboard, and swim to glory on the plank of Free Grace."
Dr. Ives used criminals to illustrate human depravity restrained only by God's grace.
The Rev. and pious Dr. Ives, whose house was on Oxford road, and by which the criminals were carried weekly in carts to Tyburn, used to stand at his window, and say to any young friends who might be near him, pointing out any of the most notorious malefactors, "There goes Dr. Ives!"—If an explanation was asked, he took occasion to expound the innate corruption of the human heart; and appealed to the experience of his auditors, "whether they had not felt the movements of those very passions, errors, prejudices lusts, revenge, covetousness, &c., whose direct tendency was to produce the crimes for which these offenders satisfied the claims of public justice, and which were solely prevented from carrying them to the same dreadful fate, by the restraining grace of God."
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