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21 The Glory Of God’s Grace
"To the praise of the glory of his grace.”—Ephesians 1:6 As the Lord shall be graciously pleased to give me wisdom and strength, I shall endeavor to call your attention to three leading particulars; I. What is grace, God's rich and free grace. II. Point out some branches of the glory of God's grace. III. Make a few remarks on some things as connected with our text, which the Lord has done to the praise of the glory of his grace. I. What then is God's free grace? The word grace is in almost everybody's mouth who makes a profession of religion. "Salvation is all of grace; we must be saved my grace," are words frequently spoken. But if you will allow the bulk of…
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31 The Cloud Of Witnesses
“Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset ns, and let us run with patience the race set before us.”—Hebrews 12:1First, Who are these witnesses? They are those who have witnessed to God's truth, as Abraham, Isaac, and others, as mentioned in the preceding chapter; also apostles, ministers, and people who have borne testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus. Secondly, What did they witness to? Salvation being all of grace, through faith; not of works, lest proud men should boast. Thirdly, Why called a cloud? Because, when gathered together, they are a number which no man can number, any more than he…
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32 The Peculiar People
A Sermon Preached By William Gadsby On Thursday Evening, May 18th, 1841, At Edward Street Chapel, Dorset Square, London. “A peculiar people.”—1 Peter 2:9 The whole verse reads thus: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” There is one little word contained in this verse which includes in it everything that is worthy of our desire. And with this little word, together with its connection, sealed in our consciences, all the devils in hell will never be able to destroy our interest in heavenly things. “Why,” you will say then, “what can this word be?” It is…
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33. Not Willing That Any Should Perish
Preached in Manchester, 9 Februay 1840. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”—2 Pet 3:9 To add to, or diminish from, the Word of God is a crime, though much employed in the frivolities of the world; and the office of a minister is a very responsible one. He is God's steward, and he must one day give up his stewardship; and if he seeks to please men, he is not a true servant of God; nay, it is insulting God. Some say God is not willing that any creature should perish, but every one should come to repentance; but in…
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36 God Is Love
“God is love.”—1 John 4:8,16 Beloved of the Lord,—It is your blessedness to prove, by the divine teaching of God the Holy Ghost, that God is Love,—eternal, immutable love. This precious truth you will not deny; but then you may often struggle under very deep depression of spirit and heartrending groans, lest you should not be interested in this glorious Three-One God of love. It is not enough for you to hear that God is love, nor to believe it as a most blessed truth, nor to say he loved David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul, &c., nor to look round you and say, concerning others, he loved them, or, he loved you, or, he loved thee. No; your heart thirsts to say, feelingly to say, he…
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50 The Long-Suffering Of The Lord
“Long-Suffering.”—Psalm 86:15Men and Brethren,—Through the mercy of the Lord, we have arrived at the commencement of another year. Many are the mercies we have received, and many are the insults we have offered to the great Giver of all our mercies. If we are truly led to enter into our own feelings and ways up to the present moment, we must be obliged to say that the Lord is a God "long suffering," or he would not have borne with our manners till now; for sure I am that none of us could have had patience with any of our fellow creatures who had acted towards us as we have acted towards the Lord. If they had been as dependent upon us as we are…
