Tuesday, November 20, 2007

It Gushes From His heart!

(adapted from Winslow's, "The Believer Drawing near to God")

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Why is it called a throne of grace?

Because a God of grace sits upon it, and the scepter of grace is held out from it, and all the favors bestowed there are the blessings of grace.

This is just the throne we need!

We are.... the poor, the needy, the helpless, the vile, the sinful, the unworthy.

We have nothing to bring but our deep wretchedness and poverty, nothing but our complaints, our miseries, our crosses, our groanings, our sighs and tears.

But it is the throne of grace!

For just such is it erected.

It is set up in a world of woe, in the midst of the wilderness, in the very land of the enemy, in the valley of tears!

It is a God of grace who sits upon it, and all the blessings He dispenses from it are the gifts of grace. Pardon, justification, adoption, peace, comfort, light, direction; all, all is of grace!

No worth or worthiness in the creature extracts these blessings; no price he may bring purchases them; no tears or complainings or misery move the heart of God to compassion; all is of grace.

God is so full of compassion, and love, and mercy, He does not need to be moved to pour it forth. It gushes from His heart as from a full and overflowing fountain, and flows into the bosom of the poor, the lowly, the humble and the contrite; enriching, comforting and sanctifying their souls.

Therefore whatever your case, you may come.

If it is a throne of grace (as indeed it is) then why not come? To keep away from the throne of grace because of unfitness and unpreparedness to approach it, is to alter its character from a throne of grace to a throne of merit.

Why, stand a long way off?

If the poor, the penniless, the disconsolate and the guilty are welcome here, if this throne is crowded by such; why make yourself an exception?

Why not come too?

What is your case? What is your sorrow? What is your burden?

Ah! perhaps you can disclose it to no earthly ear. You can tell it to God only. Then take it to Him.
Let me tell you for your encouragement that God has His secret audience chamber, where He will meet you alone, and where no eye shall see you and no ear shall hear you but His, where you may open all your heart, and reveal your real case, and pour all your secrets into His ear!

Precious encouragement!

The throne of grace is for the needy!

What a blessing then is the throne of grace!

It is for those who are in need, those to whom all other doors are closed, with whom all other resources have failed, who have nowhere else to look, nowhere else to fly.

To such is the throne of grace always open.

Behold, then, the throne of grace, and draw near!

You are welcome.

Come with your cross, come with your infirmity, come with your guilt, come with your need, come with your wounded spirit, come with your broken heart, come and welcome to the throne of grace!

Come without price, come without worthiness, come without preparation, come without fitness, come in a bad state of mind, come with a hard heart, come and welcome to the throne of grace!

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