saith it;[2] also it is that of which the mercy-seat, so often made
mention of in the Old Testament, was a type, shadow, or figure; nor is
the terms of seat and throne of any strength to make this supposition
void. For it is common for the antitype to be put forth in words unto
us more glorious than is the figure or shadow of that thing. And the
reason is, for that the heavenly things themselves are far more
excellent than the shadow by which they are represented. What is a
sheep, a bull, an ox, or calf, to Christ, or their blood to the blood
of Christ? What is Jerusalem that stood in Canaan, to that new
Jerusalem that shall come down from heaven? or the tabernacle made with
corruptible things, to the body of Christ, or heaven itself? No marvel
then, if they be set forth unto us by words of an inferior rank; the
most full and aptest being reserved to set out the highest things
withal.
Before I proceed to give you a more particular description of this
throne of grace, as also how it may be know, I will a little touch upon
the terms themselves, and show briefly what must be implied by them.
[Import of the term grace.]
First, By this word grace, we are to understand God’s free, sovereign,
good pleasure, whereby he acteth in Christ towards his people. Grace
and mercy therefore are terms that have their distinct significations;
mercy signifies pitifulness, or a running over of infinite bowels to
objects in a miserable and helpless condition. But grace signifies that
God still acts in this as a free agent, not being wrought upon by the
misery of the creature, as a procuring cause; but of his own princely
mind.
Were there no objects of pity among those that in the old world
perished by the flood, or that in Sodom were burned with fire from
heaven? doubtless, according to our apprehension, there were many: but
Noah, and he only, found grace in God’s eyes; not because that of
himself he was better than the rest, but God acted as a gracious prince
towards him, and let him share in mercy of his own sovereign will and
pleasure. But this at first was not so fully made manifest as it was
afterwards. Wherefore the propitiatory was not called, as here, a
throne of grace, but a mercy-seat, albeit there was great glory in
these terms also; for, by mercy-seat was showed, not only that God had
compassion for men, but that also to be good was as his continual
resting-place, whither he would at length retire, and where he would
sit down and abide, whatever terrible or troublesome work for his
church was on the wheel[3] at present. For a seat is a place of rest,
yea, is prepared for that end; and in that here mercy is called that
seat, it is to show, as I said, that whatever work is on the wheel in
the world, let it be never so dreadful and amazing, yet to God’s church
it shall end in mercy, for that is God’s resting-place. Wherefore after
God had so severely threatened and punished his church under the name
of a whorish woman, as you may read in the prophet Ezekiel, he saith,
‘So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall
depart from thee; and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.’ And
again, speaking of the same people and of the same punishments, he
saith, ‘Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days
of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.’
And again, ‘I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt know
that I am the Lord; that thou mayest remember and be confounded, and
never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified
toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God’ (Eze
16:42,60-63). These, with many more places, show that mercy is God’s
place of rest, and thither he will retire at last, and from thence will
bless his church, his people.
But yet these terms, a throne, the throne of grace, doth more exceed in
glory: not only because the word grace shows that God, by all that he
doth towards us in saving and forgiving, acts freely as the highest
Lord, and of his own good-will and pleasure, but also for that he now
saith, that his grace is become a king, a throne of grace. A throne is
not only a seat for rest, but a place of dignity and authority. This is
known to all. Wherefore by this word, a throne, or the throne of grace,
is intimated, that God ruleth and governeth by his grace. And this he
can justly do: ‘Grace reigns through righteousness, unto eternal
life,[4] through Jesus Christ out Lord’ (Rom 5:21). So then, in that
here is mention made of a throne of grace, it showeth that sin, and
Satan, and death, and hell, must needs be subdued. For these last
mentioned are but weakness and destruction; but grace is life, and the
absolute sovereign over all these to the ruling of them utterly down. A
throne of grace!
But this then God plainly declareth, that he is resolved this way to
rule, and that he pointeth at sin as his deadly foe: and if so, then,
‘where sin aboundeth, grace must much more abound’ (Rom 5:20).[5] For
it is the wisdom and discretion of all that rule, to fortify themselves
against them that rebel against them what they can. Wherefore he saith
again, ‘Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the
law, but under grace’ (Rom 6:14). Sin seeks for the dominion, and grace
seeks for the dominion; but sin shall not rule, because it has no
throne in the church among the godly. Grace is king. Grace has the
throne, and the people of God are not under the dominion of sin, but of
the grace of God, the which they are here implicitly bid to
acknowledge, in that they are bid to come boldly to it for help: ‘That
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help; to help in time of need.’
For as from the hand and power of the king comes help and succour to
the subject, when assaulted by an enemy; so from the throne of grace,
or from grace as it reigns, comes the help and health of God’s people.
Hence it is said again, ‘A glorious high throne from the beginning is
the place of our sanctuary’ (Jer 17:12). Here then the saints take
shelter from the roaring of the devil, from the raging of their lusts,
and from the fury of the wicked. That also is a very notable place, ‘He
will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the
depths of the sea’ (Micah 7:19). He speaks here of God as solacing
himself in mercy, and as delighting of himself in the salvation of his
people, and that without comparison: ‘Who is a God like unto thee, that
pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of
his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he
delighteth in mercy’ (Micah 7:18). Thus is mercy and grace got into the
throne, reigns, and will assuredly conquer all; yea, will conquer, and
that with a shout. ‘Mercy rejoiceth against judgment’ (James 2:13).
Yea, glorieth when it getteth the victory of sin, and subdueth the
sinner unto God and to his own salvation, as is yet more fully showed
in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). But this, briefly to show
you something of the nature of the terms, and what must necessarily be
implied thereby.
[What is to be inferred from the term ‘throne of grace.’]
Second. We will in the next place show what is to be inferred from
hence. And,
1. To be sure this is inferred, that converted men are not every way,
or in every sense, free from the being of sin. For, were they, they
need not betake themselves to a throne of grace for help; when it saith
there is grace in God, it inferreth, that there is sin in the godly;
and when it saith, grace reigns, as upon a throne, it implies, that sin
would ascend the throne, would reign, and would have the dominion over
the children of God. This also is manifest, when he saith, ‘Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the
lusts thereof’ (Rom 7:12). And the only way to prevent it is to apply
ourselves, as by the text we are directed, to the throne of grace for
help against it.
2. The text implies, that at certain times the most godly man in the
world may be hard put to it by the sin that dwelleth in him; yea, so
hard put to it, as that there can be no ways to save himself from a
fall, but by imploring heaven and the throne of grace for help. This is
called the needy time, the time when the wayfaring man that knocked at
David’s door shall knock at ours (2 Sam 12); or when we are got into
the sieve into which Satan did get Peter (Luke 22:31); or when those
fists are about our ears that were about Paul’s; and when that thorn
pricks us that Paul said was in his flesh (2 Cor 12:7,8). But why, or
how comes it to pass, that the godly are so hard put to it at these
times, but because there is in them, that is, in their flesh, no good
thing, but consequently all aptness to close in with the devil and his
suggestions, to the overthrow of the soul? But now here we are
presented with a throne of grace, unto which, as presented with a
throne of grace, unto which, as David says, we must ‘continually
resort’; and that is the way to obtain relief, and to find help in time
of need (Psa 71:3).
3. As Christians are sometimes in imminent dangers of falling, so
sometimes it is so, that they are fallen, are down, down dreadfully,
and can by no means lift up themselves. And this happeneth unto them
because they have been remiss as to the conscionable performance of
what by this exhortation they are enjoined to. They have not been
constant supplicants at this throne for preserving grace; for had they,
they should, as the text suggests, most certainly have kept from such a
fall; help should have been granted them in their needful time. But
that is it, of which such are guilty, which is written in the prophet
Isaiah, ‘But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been
weary of me, O Israel’ (Isa 43:22). Therefore thou art profaned,
therefore thou art given to reproaches (Isa 43:28). Now, as they which
are falling are kept from coming down by coming to this throne of
grace, so those that are fallen must rise by the sceptre of love
extended to them from thence. Men may fall by sin, but cannot raise up
themselves without the help of grace. Wherefore, it is worthy of our
inquiry after a more thorough knowledge of this throne of grace,
whence, as we may well perceive, our help comes, and by what comes from
thence we are made to stand. I therefore come now to a more particular
description of this throne of grace; and to show how the godly know, or
may know it, from other thrones of God.
[What this throne of grace is.]
First, then, this throne of grace is the humanity, or heart and soul of
Jesus Christ, in which God sits and resteth for ever in love towards
them that believe in him. Forasmuch as Christ did, by the body of his
flesh, when here, reconcile them unto the Father. ‘The key of the house
of David,’ saith God, ‘will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open
and none shall shut; and he shall shut and none shall open. And I will
fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious
throne to his Father’s house’ (Isa 22:22,23). For a glorious throne to
his Father’s house, that is, for his Father’s house, to come to their
Father by; for that they shall always find him thereon; or, as another
scripture saith, in Christ reconciling them unto him, not imputing to
them their trespasses and sins (2 Cor 5:19). Nor is it possible, that
we lay aside the human nature of Christ, for us to find any such thing
as a throne of grace, either in earth or heaven; for that then nothing
can be found to be the rest of God. ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased,’ is God’s own language; but there is none other of
whom he hath so said (Matt 3:17). Wherefore he resteth in him towards
us, and in him only. Besides, grace cannot be extended towards us but
in a way of justice; for that the law and our sin obstructeth another
way (Gen 3:24). But, lay the human nature of Christ aside, and where
will you find, THAT that shall become such a sacrifice to justice for
the sin of men, as that God, for the sake of that, shall both forgive,
and cause that grace for ever should reign towards us in such a way? It
reigns through righteousness, or justice, by Jesus Christ, and no way
else. Christ Jesus, therefore, is this throne of grace; or him, or
that, by which grace reigns towards the children of God (Rom 5:21).
That scripture also gives us a little light herein, ‘And I beheld, and
lo! in the midst of the throne,’ &c., ‘stood a Lamb, as it had been
slain’ (Rev 5:6). This is to show the cause why grace is so freely let
out to us, even for that there stands there, in the midst of the
throne, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb as it had been slain,
or, as it was made a sacrifice for our sin; for, as a slain lamb, he
now lives in the midst of the throne, and is the meritorious cause of
all the grace that we enjoy. And though it seems by this text that the
throne is one thing and the Lamb another, yet the Lamb of God is the
throne, though not as a lamb or sacrifice, but as one that by his
sacrifice has made way for grace to run like a river into the world.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, is ALL; he is the throne, the altar, the
priest, the sacrifice, and all: but he is the throne, the priest, the
altar, and the sacrifice, under divers considerations. He is not the
throne as he is the priest; he is not the priest as he is the
sacrifice; he is not the sacrifice as he is the altar; yet is truly all
these. Yea, there is no throne of grace, no high priest, no
propitiatory sacrifice, &c., but he. Of all which we may yet speak
further before we conclude this treatise. I conclude, then, that Christ
Jesus, in his human nature, is this throne of grace. In his human
nature, I say, he has by that completely accomplished all things
necessary for the making way for grace to be extended to men; and that
that is not only God’s place of rest, but that by and from which, as
upon a glorious throne, his grace shall reign over devil, death, sin,
hell, and the grave, for ever. This human nature of Christ is also
called the tabernacle of God; for the fullness of the Godhead dwells in
it bodily. It is God’s habitation, his dwelling-place, his chair and
throne of state. He doth all in and by it, and without it he doth not
any thing. But to pass this, let us come to the next thing.
[Where the throne of grace is erected.]
Second. We will now come to discourse of the placing of this throne of
grace, or to discover where it is erected. And for this we must repair
to the type, which, as was said before, is called the mercy-seat; the
which we find, not in the outward court, nor yet within the first veil
(Heb 9:3-5); which signifies, not in the world, nor in the church on
earth, but in the holy of the holies, or after the second veil, the
flesh of Christ (Heb 10:20). There then is this throne of God, this
throne of grace, and no where here below. And for as much as it is
called the throne of God, of grace, and is there, it signifieth that it
is the highest and most honourable. Hence he is said to be far above
all heavens, and to have a name above every name. Wherefore he that
will come to this throne of grace, must know what manner of coming it
is by which he must approach it; and that is, not personally,[6] but by
runnings out of heart; not by himself, but by his Priest, his High
Priest; for so it was in the type (Heb 9:7). Into the second, where the
mercy-seat was, went the high priest alone, that is, personally, and
the people by him, as he made intercession for them. This then must be
done by those that will approach this throne of grace. They must go to
God, as he is enthroned IN Christ; BY Christ, as he is the High Priest
of his church; and they must go to him in the holiest, by him.
But again, as this throne of grace is in the Holiest, not in the world,
not in the church on earth, so it is in this Holiest set up above the
ark of the testimony; for so was the mercy-seat, it was set up in the
most holy place, above the ark of the testimony (Deut 10:1-5; 1 Kings
8:9; 2 Chron 5:10). The ark of the testimony. What was that? Why it was
the place of the law, the ark in which it was kept: the testimony was
the law, the ark was prepared to put that in. This ark in which was put
this law was set up in the holiest, and the mercy-seat was set above
it, for so was Moses commanded to place them. Thou shalt make an ark,
saith God, ‘and thou shalt make a mercy-seat’: the ark shall be called
the ark of the testimony, and there ‘thou shalt put the testimony that
I shall give thee,’ that is, the law, ‘and thou shalt put the
mercy-seat above upon the ark, and there I will meet with thee, from
above the mercy-seat between the two cherubims, which are upon,’ that
is, above, ‘the ark of the testimony,’ ‘shadowing the mercy-seat’ (Exo
25:16-22; Heb 9:5).
Thus, then, were things of old ordained in the type, by which we gather
what is now to be minded in our worshipping of God. There was an ark
made, and the two tables of stone, in which the law was writ, was put
therein (Deut 10:2-5). This ark, with these two tables, were put into
the holiest, and this mercy-seat was set above it. The Holy Ghost, in
my mind, thus signifying that grace sits upon a throne that is higher
than the law, above the law; and that grace, therefore, is to rule
before the law, and notwithstanding all the sentence of the law; for it
sitteth, I say, upon a throne, but the law sits on none; a throne, I
say, which the law, instead of accusing, justifieth and approveth. For
although it condemneth all men, yet it excepteth Christ, who, in his
manhood, is this throne of grace. Him, I say, it condemneth not, but
approveth, and liketh well of all his doings; yea, it granteth him, as
here we see, as a throne of grace, to be exalted above itself: yea, it
cannot but so do, because by wisdom and holiness itself, which is also
the Lord of the law, it is appointed so to do. Here, then, is the
throne of God, the throne of grace, namely, above the ark of the
testimony; on this God and his grace sits, reigns, and gives leave to
sinners to approach his presence for grace and mercy. He gives, I say
for those sinners so to do, that have washed before in the brazen laver
that is prepared to wash in first, of which we may speak more anon.
Now, behold the wisdom of God in his thus ordaining of things; in his
placing, in the first place, the law, and Christ the ark of the
testimony, and the mercy-seat, or throne of grace, so nigh together;
for doubtless it was wisdom that thus ordained them, and it might so
ordain for these reasons—
[Why the law and the mercy-seat are so near together.]
1. That we that approach the throne of grace might, when we come there,
be made still to remember that we are sinners—‘for by the law is the
knowledge of sin’ (Rom 3:20)—and behold just before us is this ark in
which are the two tables that condemn all flesh: yea, we must look that
way, if we look at all; for just above it is the mercy-seat or throne
of grace. So then here is a memento for them that come to God, and to
his throne of grace, for mercy, to wit, the law, by which they are
afresh put in remembrance of themselves, their sins, and what need they
have of fresh supplies of grace. I read that the laver of brass and the
foot of it was made of the looking-glasses of the women that assembled
at the door of the tabernacle (Exo 38:8), methinks to signify, that men
might see their smyrches[7] when they came to wash; so here you see the
law is placed even with the mercy-seat, only that stood above, whereby
those that come to the throne of grace for mercy might also yet more be
put in mind that they are sinners.
2. This also tendeth to set an edge upon prayer, and to make us the
more fervent in spirit when we come to the throne of grace. Should a
king ordain that the axe and halter should be before all those that
supplicate him for mercy, it would put yet an edge upon all their
petitions for his grace, and make them yet the more humbly and
fervently implore his majesty for favour. But, behold, the mercy-seat
stands above, is set up above the ark and testimony that is in it.
Here, therefore, we have encouragement to look for good. For observe,
though here is the law, and that too in the holiest of all, whither we
go; yet above it is the mercy-seat and throne of grace triumphant, unto
which we should look, and to which we should direct our prayers. Let us
therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, notwithstanding the ark
and testimony is by; for the law cannot hurt us when grace is so nigh;
besides, God is now not in the law, but upon the throne of grace that
is above it, to gave forth pardons, and grace, and helps at a time of
need.
This, then, may serve to inform some whereabout they are, when they are
in their closets, and at prayer. Art thou most dejected when thou art
at prayer? Hear me, thou art not far from the throne of grace; for thy
dejection proceedeth from thy looking into the ark, into which God hath
ordained that whosoever looks shall die (1 Sam 6:19). Now if thou art
indeed so near as to see thy sins, by thy reading of thyself by the
tables in the ark, cast but up thine eyes a little higher, and behold,
there is the mercy-seat and throne of grace to which thou wouldest
come, and by which thou must be saved. When David came to pray to God,
he said he would direct his prayer to God, and would look up (Psa 5:3).
As who should say, When I pray, I will say to my prayers, O my prayers,
mount up, stay not at the ark of the testimony, for there is the law
and condemnation; but soar aloft to the throne that stands above, for
there is God, and there is grace displayed, and there thou mayest
obtain what is necessary to help in time of need. Some, indeed, there
be that know not what these things mean; they never read their sin nor
condemnation for it; when they are upon their knees at their devotion,
and so are neither dejected at the sight of what they are, nor driven
with sense of things to look higher for help at need; for need, indeed,
they see none. Of such I shall say, they are not concerned in our text,
nor can they come hither before they have been prepared so to do, as
may appear before we come to an end.
[How the godly distinguish the throne of grace.]
SECOND. And thus have I showed you what this throne of grace is, and
where it stands. And now I shall come to show you how you shall find
it, and know when you are come to it, by several other things.
First, then, about the throne of grace there is ‘a rainbow—in sight
like unto an emerald’ (Rev 4:1-3). This was the first sight that John
saw after he had received his epistles for the seven churches. Before
he received them, he had the great vision of his Lord, and heard him
say to him, I am he that was dead and am alive, or ‘that liveth and was
dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, amen; and have the keys of
hell and of death’ (Rev 1:18). And a good preparation it was for a work
of that nature that now he was called unto; to wit, that he might the
more warmly, and affectionately, and confidently attest the truth which
his Lord had now for him to testify to them. So here, before he
entereth upon his prophecy of things to come, he hears a first voice,
and sees a first sight. The first voice that he heard was, ‘Come up
hither,’ and the first sight that he saw was a throne with a rainbow
round about it. ‘And immediately,’ saith he, ‘I was in the Spirit; and
behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he
that sat was to look upon like a jasper, and a sardine stone, and there
was a rainbow round about the throne’ (Rev 4:1-3).