Coming Boldly To The Throne Of Grace
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16
Very few, comparatively, of the subjects of an earthly monarch are permitted free access to majesty. This is too high an honour to be made common. Kings’ courts are for the noble and eminent. The poor and destitute, the miserable and distressed have no admission there; but, ye poor, distressed subjects of Jesus, the King of kings, it is not thus with you. Your King, though ever on a throne, where majesty and glory shine with the brightest lustre, yet grace, mercy and kindness are freely dispensed to needy souls. Hither you are invited to come; yea more, to come boldly. Why? Because you are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing? Nay, but because your King knows you are poor and miserable, blind and naked creatures in yourselves, day after day. Nothing to present to your King to procure his favour, nothing to bring which deserves his acceptance of you. But he loves your persons, and has riches for your poverty, eye-salve for your blindness, a garment for your nakedness, a robe for your rags, and mercy for your misery; yea, a heaven of grace for your hell of deserts.
Your Mediator with his blood, your High Priest with his much incense, always intercedes. There can be no period of your life but what is a ‘time of need.’ Who has obtained all the mercy; who has found all the grace which can be dispensed from his throne? Thou art still a sinner, and wantest mercy and grace; thou hast still need of both; and as thou findest thy want of mercy, thy need of grace, hither thou mayest always repair with boldness. Here thou mayest ever expect a rich supply; for God the Father is the fountain of grace and mercy, Jesus thy Saviour is the treasurer. All fulness of grace dwells in him. The spirit, the comforter, is the dispenser of mercy and grace. Why then, oh soul, that backwardness, that shyness, which too, too often hangs upon thee? What privilege so great; what encouragement so strong?
‘Come with boldness,’ yet consistently with awe and reverence. Boldness of faith is grounded on something without a man, on nothing in him; not on the fervent heart of love, the bleeding heart of repentance, the active life of obedience, the suffering mind of patience; but faith fixes on Jesus, and the believer comes with an empty heart and hand to be filled with the free gifts of grace. He may come with boldness of speech to Jesus as his friend and brother, freely to pour out his com plaints into his loving heart, and to tell him of all his sorrows. Sweetest encouragement from the Friend of sinners! ‘Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,’ (most blessed promise!) ‘and I will give you rest.’
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
