The Grace of Christ, or,
Sinners Saved by Unmerited Kindness
William S. Plumer, 1853
"We believe it is through the grace of our
Lord Jesus that we are saved." Acts 15:11
ALL HONOR IS DUE TO CHRIST
If these things be so, then we should study to magnify
Christ—both in life and in death. He is the Savior—and such a Savior! He is
mighty to redeem—and strong to deliver. The law came by Moses—but grace and
truth by Jesus Christ. He counted it not robbery to be equal with God, yet
made himself of no reputation. It is therefore just that he should have a
name above every name—that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord—to the glory of God
the Father. He lays his hand upon both God and man. He has at once an
almighty arm—and a brother's heart! None is more exalted—yet none stoops
so low. None is mightier—yet none is more tender. He shall not break the
bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. He shall not fail, nor be
discouraged, until he sets judgment in the earth. He shall drink of the
brook in the way; therefore shall he lift up the head. He is meek and lowly,
merciful and mild; at the same time he is the omnipotent Jehovah. There is
none like Jesus! Our Beloved is more than any other beloved. He alone can do
sinners good. His blood atones. His obedience to the precept of the law is a
perfect righteousness. His intercession is all prevalent and unspeakably
glorious. This part of his work is still going on. It is a perpetual fruit
of his love. We are deeply interested in it.
Gurnall says: "Suppose a king's son should get out of a
besieged city, and leave behind his wife and children, whom he loves as his
own soul; would this prince, when arrived at his father's palace, delight
himself with the splendor of the court, and forget his family in distress?
No; he would come post to his father, and entreat him, as ever he loved him,
that he would send all the force of his kingdom to raise the siege, and save
his dear family from perishing. Nor will Christ, though gone up from the
world, and ascended into his glory, forget his children for a moment, who
are left behind him." He ever lives to make intercession for them. Him the
Father hears always.
Jesus is Prophet, Priest and King. He is made unto us
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. By his Spirit he
enlightens, purifies and comforts the heart. His word cannot be broken. His
power cannot be resisted. The law of heavenly kindness is in his heart. The
covenant of his peace shall stand. Great is his faithfulness. He is both God
and man. Someone has said: "A mere man, by himself alone, could as little
redeem a world as he could create one; and though God by himself alone can
doubtless create, uphold and govern the world; yet, in order to redeem it,
the union of the two divided parts is necessary, and a voluntary
satisfaction for sins required, which he alone can make, who at the same
time stands above the law and under the law."
Who could see any fitness in a Savior, who was not both
God and man in one person forever? Such an one is our Lord Jesus Christ!
One of the ancients thought that he had been made solely
for the purpose of admiring the sun. But, believing soul, you have been made
a Christian, that you might admire Christ. His royal titles are Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! I cannot tell
you in what he is most excellent. "I find no fault in him"—in either of his
offices, or in either of his natures, in his work, or in his sufferings, in
his humiliation, or in his exaltation. In him dwell all excellencies, human
and divine. He is full of grace and truth. His glory is that of the
only-begotten of the Father. There is none like him, no, not one! He is the
chief among ten thousand and altogether lovely. As the apple tree among the
trees of the forest, so is our Beloved among the sons of men. Wherever he is
there is heaven! Redemption by his blood, salvation by his grace will justly
be celebrated forever. It should be highly and often spoken of in the church
militant. This theme will be ever welcome to the holy, because it is
infinite, and because it will ever be developing new wonders and glories.
In the conduct of some of his professed people nothing is
more incongruous, nothing awakens such doubts of their interest in his
salvation—as their lack of glowing love to him and to his cause. By him
alone can bond or free, Jew or Gentile, Greek or barbarian be saved. Such
kindness as his, deserves our hearty thankfulness. If Christ had merely
cherished some secret pity for us, and never expressed it, silence on our
part would not be so bad. But he loved us openly. He loved us unto death.
Never attempt to divide the honors which are due to him alone. Angels are
indeed sent forth to minister to them, who shall be heirs of salvation, but
they are not our saviors. Man may be the instrument of our salvation, but
God alone is its Author. Beware of sacrificing to your own net, and burning
incense to your own dragnet.
Left to yourself, you are neither wise, nor strong, nor
prudent, nor holy, nor diligent, nor safe. Praise and magnify the Lord
Jesus Christ, for of him, and from him, and by him, and through him, and to
him are all things. Praise him the whole week, for his mercies flow down
continually. Praise him at night, for his goodness runs through the day.
Praise him in the morning, for those who seek him early shall find him.
Praise him at midnight, for at that hour David gave thanks. Praise him seven
times a day, for every day he fills you with food and gladness. Praise him
in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in life and in death. Crown
him with songs, for he crowns the year with his goodness. Let his praise be
continually in your mouth. Praise him the more when others maintain silence,
or murmur against him, and blaspheme his holy name. Let their failure to do
their duty arouse you to do yours. Whoever is found among the impious or
profane-you must be numbered with the grateful. Would you make your burdens
light? Extol the Son of God. That night cannot be very dark, in which he
"gives songs." Who would not magnify and honor such a Savior?
His works of creation praise him, and shall not his works
of redemption bless him? His angels, his heavenly multitudes, the sun and
moon, the stars of light, the heaven of heavens, the water above the
heavens, the dragons and all deeps, fire and hail, snowy vapors, stormy wind
fulfilling his word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars,
beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying fowl, do praise him. Their
voice is gone out to the ends of the world. Shall these all in their way
praise him, and shall his people keep silence?
Saints owe him a debt of gratitude for existence, for
reason, for immortality; but for his grace they owe him a song that should
never end. To say nothing against him at the best evinces a very low grade
of virtue. To have a disposition to praise him and to suppress it is not
enough. Let the feeling be indulged, let the song be sung, let the shout be
uttered. Let all the saints cry, Hosanna to the Son of David! Let them laud
him saying, Hallelujah! He who has a praising heart has a continual feast.
Praise him in the highest. If saved, this shall be our work when the sun and
moon shall be gone forever. In the temple above they sing a new song,
saying—You are worthy: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by
your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and
have made us kings and priests unto our God! Says one who saw—"Then I looked
and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and
ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living
creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb,
who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To
him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and
power, forever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the
elders fell down and worshiped!" Revelation 5:11-14. Who, who would not join
this grandest chorus of the universe?
If creation praises its Maker, shall not the new creation
magnify its Author? He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,
the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is Christ the Lord. Jehovah says:
"Whoever offers praise glorifies me." Often does he bind us by the most
solemn commands to do this duty. Hear his words: "Give unto the Lord the
glory due unto his name: come before him, worship the Lord in the beauty of
holiness." "You who fear the Lord praise him!"
These are but samples of his authoritative teachings. In
accordance with them let us ever say, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but
unto your name give glory, for your mercy and for your truth's sake." "Unto
him be glory in the Church by Jesus Christ, throughout all ages, world
without end." "To God only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ, forever.
Amen." Let us not be offended at doxologies to Christ. None but his enemies
dislike to hear him praised by hosannas in the highest. "When the
chief-priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the
children crying in the temple, saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' they
were greatly displeased." Matt. 21:11, 15. Be not like these surly old
hypocrites—but like those little children out of whose mouths he perfected
praise. Do as Pliny says the early Christians did, and "sing a hymn to Jesus
Christ as God," as your Savior and your eternal portion!