The Beauty of Grace

1 Peter 1:2. Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied.

The blessed apostle, having felt the efficacy and sovereignty of grace, is taken up with the thoughts of it; and so sweet is this wine of paradise that he commends it to these dispersed Christians to whom he writes, wishing them all increase.

Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied.

The words run in the form of a salutation: grace unto you, and peace. When we salute our friends, we cannot wish them a greater blessing than grace and peace. Other mercies lie without the pale and are dispersed in common to men; but grace is a special gift bestowed on those who are the favorites of heaven. In the words observe: 1. The connection. 2. The order.

The connection: grace and peace. The way to have peace is to have grace; grace is the breeder of peace; the one is the root, the other the flower; peace is the sweet water that drops from the limbeck of a gracious heart.

The order: first grace, then peace; grace has the priority. Grace and peace are two sisters, but grace is the elder sister. Give me leave at this time to prefer the elder before the younger — grace unto you be multiplied. For the illustration, consider: 1. What is meant by grace. 2. The author of it. 3. Why it is called grace. 4. The cogency of it.

What is meant by grace. This word grace has various meanings in Scripture.

Grace is sometimes taken for the favor of God (Genesis 6:8): Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; God did cast a gracious aspect upon him.

Grace is taken for beauty; as we say such a thing is graceful (James 1:11): the flower falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes.

Grace is taken figuratively and improperly for the show of grace; as we call that a face in the glass which is but the idea and resemblance of a face; so John 2:23 — many believed in his name; that believing was but a show of faith, as Augustine and Theophylact note.

Grace is taken in a genuine and proper sense — so in the text: grace be multiplied. It may admit of this description: grace is the infusion of a new and holy principle into the heart, whereby it is changed from what it was and is made after God's own heart. Grace makes not only a civil but a sacred change; it biases the soul heavenward and stamps upon it the image and superscription of God.

The author or efficient of grace is the Spirit of God, who is therefore called the Spirit of grace (Zechariah 12:10). The Spirit is the fountain from which crystal streams of grace flow. Man, as Clement of Alexandria observes, is God's harp or timbrel; the harp will not sound unless touched with the finger; so the heart of man cannot put forth any gracious harmony until first it be touched with the finger of God's Spirit. This blessed Spirit works grace in the subject: 1. Universally. 2. Progressively.

Universally (1 Thessalonians 5:23): the God of peace sanctify you wholly. The Spirit of God infuses grace into all the faculties of the soul; though grace be wrought but in part, yet in every part — in the understanding, light; in the conscience, tenderness; in the will, consent; in the affections, harmony. Therefore grace is compared to leaven (Matthew 13:33), because it swells itself into the whole soul and makes the conversation rise as high as heaven.

The Spirit of God works grace progressively, carrying it on from one degree to another. The Pelagians hold that the beginning of grace is from God, but the progress of grace is from ourselves — so God shall be the author of faith and we the finishers, God shall lay the first stone and we the superstructure. But there needs the continual influence of the Spirit to carry on the work of grace in our hearts. Should God withdraw his Spirit from the most holy men, their grace might fail and annihilate. If the sun withdraws its light, though never so little, there follows darkness in the air. We need not only habitual grace, but assisting, exciting, and subsequent grace. The ship needs not only the sails but the wind to carry it; there needs not only the sails of our abilities and endeavors, but the wind of the Spirit to blow us to the heavenly port.

Why is the work of holiness in the heart called grace?

Because it has a super-eminency above nature; it is a flower which does not grow in nature's garden — it is of a divine extraction (James 3:17). By reason we live the life of men; by grace we live the life of God.

It is called grace because it is a work of free grace; every link in the golden chain of our salvation is wrought and enameled with free grace. That one should be sanctified and not another — this is of grace. That God should pass by many of the noble, rich, and learned, and graft his heavenly endowments upon a more wild and luxuriant stock, a crabbed nature and weaker parts — well may it be called grace.

But why is grace not bestowed upon all?

We must hold with Zanchi that there is always a just reason of God's will; but in particular, I answer.

God gives grace to one and denies it to another to show his prerogative; God is not bound to give grace to all (Romans 9:15): I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Suppose two malefactors brought before the king — one he will pardon, but not the other; if any demand the reason, he will answer it is his prerogative. So God will give grace to one and not to another; he will make one a vessel of mercy and the other a vessel of wrath — this is his prerogative. The apostle has silenced all disputes of this kind (Romans 9:20-21): who are you that replies against God? Has not the potter power over the clay? If we could suppose a plant to speak — why was I not made a bird? or a beast — why should I not have reason? — just so it is when vain man enters into contest with God, why should I not have grace as well as another? Dispute not against prerogative; let not the clay syllogize with the potter.

God may justly deny his grace to any wicked man for two reasons.

Because once he had grace and lost it; if a father gives his son a stock to trade with and the son goes bankrupt, the father is not bound to set him up again. God gave Adam a stock of grace to begin the world with; Adam broke and made all his children bankrupts; God is not tied to give him grace again.

God may justly deny his grace to every wicked man because he is a despiser of grace — he tramples this pearl under foot (Proverbs 1:7). Is God bound to give grace to those who despise it? If a king's pardon is rejected once, he is not bound to tender it again.

The cogency and necessity of grace: it is most needful because it fits us for communion with God (2 Corinthians 6:14): what communion has light with darkness? God can no more converse with an ungracious soul than a king can converse with a swine; it is by grace that we keep a constant intercourse with heaven.

Let me with the greatest zeal and earnestness persuade all who have souls to save to endeavor after grace; this is the one thing necessary. Grace will be desirable at death; it is as useful now and more seasonable to look after (Proverbs 4:7): with all your getting, get understanding. Alexander, being presented with a rich cabinet of King Darius, reserved it to put Homer's works in as being of great value. The heart is a spiritual cabinet into which the jewel of grace should be put; we should desire grace above other things — above the gifts of the Spirit, yes, even above the comforts of the Spirit. Comfort is sweet, but grace is better than comfort; bread is better than honey. We may go to heaven without comfort, but not without grace; it is grace that makes us blessed in life and death. I shall show you twelve rare excellencies in grace: I shall set this fair virgin of grace before you, hoping that you will be tempted to fall in love with it.

Excellency 1. Grace has a soul-quickening excellency in it (Hebrews 10:38): the just shall live by faith. Men void of grace are dead; they have breath yet lack life; they are walking ghosts (Ephesians 2:1). The life of sin is the death of the soul; a sinner has all the signs of one who is dead: no pulse, no sense (Ephesians 4:19). Dead things have no beauty; there is no beauty in a dead flower; dead things cannot receive privileges — the dead heir is not crowned. But grace is the vital artery of the soul; it does not only irradiate but animate; therefore it is called the light of life (John 8:12). And believers are said to have their grave-clothes pulled off and to be alive from the dead (Romans 6:13). By grace the soul is grafted into Christ the true vine (John 15:5) and is made not only living but lively (1 Peter 1:3). Grace puts forth a divine energy into the soul.

Excellency 2. Grace has a soul-enriching excellency (1 Corinthians 1:5): you are enriched in all knowledge. As the sun enriches the world with its golden beams, so knowledge bespangles and enriches the mind. Faith is an enriching grace (James 2:5): rich in faith; faith brings Christ's riches into the soul, it entitles to the promises. The promises are full of heavenly riches — justification, adoption, glory; faith is the key that unlocks this cabinet of promises and empties out their treasure into the soul. The riches of grace excel all other riches; the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver (Proverbs 3:14).

These riches make a man wise; wisdom is the best possession; other riches cannot make one wise. A man may have a full purse and an empty brain; many a rich heir, though he lives to come of age, yet never comes to years of discretion. But these riches of grace have power to make a man wise (Psalm 111:10): the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The saints are compared to wise virgins (Matthew 25); grace makes a man wise to know Satan's devices and subtleties (2 Corinthians 2:11), and wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). Grace gives the serpent's eye in the dove's head.

These spiritual riches sanctify other riches. Riches without grace are hurtful — they are not wealth but snares; they are the bellows of pride, the fuel of lust; they are unblessed blessings. But grace sanctifies our riches, corrects the poison, takes away the curse, and makes them beneficial to us. Riches become certificates of God's love, wings to lift us up to paradise. Thus grace by a divine chemistry extracts heaven out of earth, and gives us not only the venison but the blessing.

Grace satisfies; other riches cannot (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Riches can no more fill the heart than a triangle can fill a circle; but grace fills up every chink and hiatus of the soul; it dilates the heart, it ravishes the affections with joy (Romans 15:13), which joy, as Chrysostom says, is a foretaste of heaven.

Excellency 3. Grace has a soul-adorning excellency; it puts beauty and luster upon a person (1 Peter 3:4-5): let your adorning not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair and wearing of gold, but let it be the hidden person of the heart, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is very precious. If a man has plate and jewels, cloth of gold, and hangings of tapestry, these adorn the house, not the man; the glory of a man is grace (Proverbs 4:9): she shall give to your head an ornament of grace. The graces are a chain of pearls that adorns Christ's bride; the heart inlaid and enameled with grace is like the king's daughter, all glorious within (Psalm 45:13). A gracious soul is the image of God, curiously drawn with the pen of the Holy Ghost; a heart beautified with grace is the angels' joy (Luke 15:7) and is God's lesser heaven (Isaiah 57:15; Ephesians 3:17). Reason does not so far exceed sense as grace does reason; grace changes corruption into perfection. Grace is the purest complexion of the soul, for it makes it like God. Grace is the flower of delight which Christ loves to breathe; grace is to the soul as the eye to the body, as the sun to the world, as the diamond to the ring. A soul decked with grace is as the dove covered with silver wings and golden feathers.

Excellency 4. Grace has a soul-cleansing excellency. By nature we are defiled; sin is an impure issue, a defiling thing (2 Corinthians 7:1). A sinner's heart is so black that nothing but hell can pattern it; but grace is the spiritual laver — therefore it is called the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). The grace of repentance cleanses; Mary's tears, as they washed Christ's feet, so they washed her heart; faith has a cleansing virtue (Acts 15:9): having purified their hearts by faith. Grace lays the soul a-whitening; it takes out the leopard's spots and turns the cypress into an azure beauty. Grace is of a celestial nature; though it does not wholly remove sin, it subdues it; though it does not keep sin out, it keeps it under; though sin in a gracious soul does not die perfectly, yet it dies daily. Grace makes the heart a spiritual temple with this inscription upon it: holiness to the Lord.

Excellency 5. Grace has a soul-strengthening excellency; it enables a man to do that which exceeds the power of nature. Grace teaches us to mortify our sins, to love our enemies, to prefer the glory of Christ before our own lives. Thus the three children by the power of grace marched in the face of death: neither the sound of the music could allure them nor the heat of the furnace affright them (Daniel 3:17). Grace is a Christian's armor of proof which does more than any other armor; it not only defends him but puts courage into him. Tertullian calls Athanasius an invincible adamant; grace makes a Christian not only bear suffering but glory in it (Romans 5:3). A soul steeled and animated with grace can tread upon the lion and adder (Psalm 91:13) and with Leviathan can laugh at the shaking of a spear (Job 41:29). Thus grace infuses a heroic spirit and derives strength into a man, making him act above the sphere of nature.

Excellency 6. Grace has a soul-raising excellency; it is a divine sparkle that ascends. When the heart is divinely touched with the lodestone of the Spirit, it is drawn up to God (Proverbs 15:24): the way of life is above for the wise. Grace raises a man above others; he lives in the heights while others creep on the earth; a Christian by the wing of grace flies aloft; the saints mount up as eagles (Isaiah 40:31). A believer is a citizen of heaven; there he trades by faith; grace shoots the heart above the world (Psalm 139:17; Philippians 3). Grace gives us conformity to Christ and communion with Christ (1 John 1:3): our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus. A man full of grace has Christ in his heart and the world under his feet; grace humbles, yet elevates.

Excellency 7. Grace has a perfuming excellency; it makes us a sweet odor to God. Hence grace is compared to those spices which are most fragrant — myrrh, cinnamon, frankincense (Song of Solomon 4:13). There is a double perfume that grace sends forth.

Grace perfumes our names (Hebrews 11:2): by faith the elders obtained a good report. Grace was the spice which perfumed their names. How renowned was Abraham for his faith, Moses for his meekness, Phinehas for his zeal? What a fresh perfume do their names send forth to this day! The wicked cannot but see a splendid majesty in the graces of the saints; and though with their tongues they revile grace, yet with their hearts they reverence it. Thus grace is aromatic; it embalms the names of men; a gracious person when he dies carries a good conscience with him and leaves a good name behind.

Grace perfumes our duties (Psalm 141:2): let my prayer be set forth before you as incense. Noah's sacrifice was a perfume (Genesis 8:21): the Lord smelled a sweet savor. The sighs of a wicked man are an unsavory breath; his solemn sacrifice is dung (Malachi 2:3); there is such a noisome stench from a sinner's duties that God will not come near (Amos 5:21): I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. But grace gives a fragrance and sweetness to our holy things (Hebrews 11:4): by faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, God testifying of his gifts. Abel's sacrifice was better scented — God smelled a sweet savor of it; Jerome says God set his sacrifice on fire from heaven, testifying his acceptance of Abel's offering. If grace does so perfume you, wear this flower not in your bosoms but your hearts.

Excellency 8. Grace has a soul-ennobling excellency; it ennobles a man: grace makes us vessels of honor, setting us above princes and nobles. Theodosius thought it more dignity to be Christ's servant and wear his livery laced with the silver graces of the Spirit than to be great and renowned in the world (Isaiah 43:4): since you were precious in my sight, you have been honorable. Sin debases a man; Christ tells wicked men their pedigree (John 8:44): you are of your father the devil. The Hebrew word for vile signifies to be lightly esteemed; there is nothing so vile but an ungracious man will do — he is ductile and facile to anything, like wire which will be bent awry. But grace ennobles; he who is divinely born (1 John 3:1) acts suitably to his birth, hating whatever is disingenuous and sordid. The saints are called kings and priests for their dignity (Revelation 1:6) and jewels for their value (Malachi 3:17).

Excellency 9. Grace has a soul-securing excellency; it brings safety along with it. You all desire to be safe in dangerous times; if sword or pestilence come, if death peeps in at your windows, would you not be safe? Nothing will secure you in times of danger but grace; grace is the best life-guard; it sets Christians out of gun-shot and frees them from the power of hell and damnation. Proverbs 10:2: Righteousness delivers from death. Do not righteous men die? Yes, but righteousness delivers from the sting of the first death and the fear of the second. It was the saying of one: I am not afraid to die, but to be damned. But here is a believer's comfort: the fire of God's wrath can never kindle upon him. Grace is God's own image stamped on the soul, and he will not destroy his own image. Xerxes the Persian, when he destroyed all the temples in Greece, caused the temple of Diana to be preserved for its beautiful structure; that soul which has the beauty of holiness shining in it shall be preserved for the glory of the structure — God will not suffer his own temple to be demolished. Would you be secured in evil times? Get grace and fortify this garrison; a good conscience is a Christian's royal fort. David's enemies lay round about him, yet he says: I laid me down and slept (Psalm 3:5). A good conscience can sleep in the mouth of a cannon. Grace is a Christian coat of mail which fears not the arrow or bullet; true grace may be shot at, but can never be shot through. Grace puts the soul into Christ, and there it is safe — as the bee in the hive, as the dove in the ark. Romans 8:1: There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.

Excellency 10. Grace has a heart-establishing excellency (Hebrews 13:9): it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. Before the infusion of grace, the heart is like a ship without ballast — it wavers and tosses, being ready to overturn. Therefore a man void of grace is called a double-minded man (James 1:8) — today of one mind, tomorrow of another. Hearts unsanctified will be unsettled; they will face about to the rising side, following not what is best but what is safest. They are for that religion not which has the Word to guide it but the sword to back it; this Seneca calls a mind that rolls up and down and settles nowhere.

But grace consolidates and fixes the heart (Psalm 57:7): my heart is fixed, O God. Hypocrites are like meteors in the air; David was a fixed star; grace keeps the heart upright. The more sincere, the more steadfast; grace carries the heart to God as the center, and there it rests. A gracious heart cleaves to God, and let whatever changes come, the soul is settled as a ship at anchor.

Excellency 11. Grace has a preparatory excellency; it prepares and fits for glory. Glory is the highest pinnacle of our felicity, transcending all our thoughts; glory can have no hyperbole. Now grace tunes and fits the soul for glory (2 Peter 1:3): who has called us to glory and virtue — virtue leads to glory. First you cleanse the vessel, then pour in the wine; God first cleanses us by his grace, then pours in the wine of glory. The silver link of grace draws the golden link of glory after it; grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace in the flower. In short, glory is nothing else but grace commencing and taking its degrees.

Excellency 12. Grace has an abiding excellency; temporal things are for a season, but grace has eternity stamped upon it — it is called durable riches (Proverbs 8:18). Other riches take wings and fly from us; grace takes wings and flies with us to heaven. Seeming grace may be lost, as a blazing comet spends and evaporates; saving grace may fail in degree and suffer an eclipse. But still there is sap in the vine, and the seed of God remains (1 John 3:9); grace is a blossom of eternity, called the anointing that abides (1 John 2:27). Grace is compared to a river of the water of life (John 7:38); this river can never be dried up, for the Spirit of God is the spring that feeds it. God settles grace on the saints as an inheritance, and he will see that the entail shall never be cut off. He who has true grace can no more fall away than the angels, who are fixed stars in their heavenly orbs.

The arguments to prove the perpetuation of grace are:

God's election (Romans 8:29-30): whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. Predestination is the grand cause of the saints' preservation; God chooses as well unto salvation as unto faith (2 Thessalonians 2:13). What shall make God's election void?

The power of God (1 Peter 1:5): we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. The saints' graces of themselves may break as glasses, but these glasses in the hand of God shall never break.

God's solemn engagement: the Lord has passed it under hand and seal, giving bond for the saints' perseverance (Jeremiah 32:40): I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, and they shall not depart from me. A believer's charter is confirmed under the broad seal of heaven. If grace does not endure to eternity, it is either because God lacks power to make good what he has decreed or truth to make good what he has promised — either of which to assert would be blasphemy.

Jesus Christ our blessed high priest appears in the court; and as he poured out blood on the cross, so he pours forth prayers in heaven for the saints' perseverance (Hebrews 7:25): he ever lives to make intercession for them. Christ is not only a priest but a Son, and therefore likely to prevail. What Christ prays for as man, he has power to give as God (John 17:24): Father, I will — there he prays as man; I will — there he gives as God.

So grace is an abiding thing; Christians, you may lose your friends, your estates, your lives, but you shall never lose your grace. Those who hold the doctrine of falling away from grace would make a believer wear Cain's mark — a continual shaking and trembling; they would spill a Christian's cordial and break a link in the chain of salvation.

Let us try whether our grace be true. There is something that looks like grace which is not; Chrysostom says the devil has a counterfeit chain for all the graces. Lapidaries have ways to try their precious stones; let us try our grace by a scripture touchstone — the painted Christian shall have a painted paradise.

The truth of grace is seen by a displeasure and antipathy against sin (Psalm 119:104): I hate every false way. Grace sets itself against characteristic sins (Psalm 18:23) and against the sins of the times (Revelation 2:2).

Grace is known by the growth of it; growth evidences life. Dead things do not grow; a picture will not grow; a hypocrite, who is but a picture of religion, does not grow. A good Christian grows in love to Christ, in humility, in good works (Psalm 92:12; Hosea 14:5): he shall grow as the lily, his branches shall spread. When the Spirit of God distills as dew upon the soul, it makes grace flourish and put forth into maturity.

True grace will make us willing to suffer for Christ; grace is like gold — it will abide the fiery trial (1 Peter 1:7). And if upon a serious scrutiny we find that we have the right jewel, the grace of God in truth (Colossians 1:6), this will be a deathbed cordial; we may with Simeon depart in peace, being assured that though we cannot resist death, yet we shall overcome it.

Let me lay down two or three directions for the attaining of grace.

If we would be enriched with this jewel of grace, let us take pains for it; we are bid to search for knowledge as a man searches for a vein of gold (Proverbs 2:2-3). Our salvation cost Christ blood; it will cost us sweat.

Second, let us go to God for grace; he is called the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10). We could lose grace of ourselves, but we cannot find it of ourselves. The sheep can wander from the fold, but cannot return without the help of the shepherd. Go to the God of all grace; God is the first planter, the promoter, the perfecter of grace. God is the Father of lights (James 1:17); he must light up this candle of grace in the soul. Grace is in his gift — it is not acquired but bestowed. Oh then go to God in prayer, lay your heart before him: Lord, I want grace; I want a humble, believing heart, and you are the God of all grace — all my springs are in you. Oh enrich me with grace; deny me not this before I die. What is gold in the bag if I have no oil in my lamp? Give me that anointing of God. I read in your Word of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22); Lord, my heart is a barren soil — plant some of these supernatural fruits in me, that I may be more useful and serviceable. Lord, I cannot be put off with other things. Who will you give grace to, if not to such as ask and are resolved not to give over asking?

If you would have grace, engage the prayers of others on your behalf; he is likely to be rich who has several stocks going; he is in the way of spiritual thriving who has several stocks of prayer going for him. If you had a child that were sick, you would beg the prayers of others; you have a soul that is sick — sick of pride, lust, sick unto death; oh beg the prayers of godly friends, that God will heal you with his grace. A Moses and a Jacob have much power with God; believers can prevail sometimes not only for themselves, but for their friends (James 5:16). A godly man's prayers may do you more good than if he should bestow upon you all his lands of inheritance.

If you would have grace, frequent the means of grace; lie at the pool of Bethesda, wait at the posts of wisdom's door. Inward grace is wrought by outward means; the preaching of the Word is God's engine for working grace — it is called the rod of his strength (Psalm 110:2) and the breath of his lips (Isaiah 11:4). By this he causes breath to enter; out of this golden pipe of the sanctuary, God empties the golden oil of grace into the soul. The ministry of the gospel is called the ministry of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:8) because the Spirit of God ordinarily makes use of it to work grace; this ministry is to be preferred before the ministry of angels.

Why is the Word preached the ordinary means to convey grace? Why not conference or reading?

The reason is, because God has appointed it to this end, and he will honor his own ordinances (1 Corinthians 1:21). What reason could be given why the waters of Damascus should not have as sovereign virtue to heal Naaman's leprosy as the waters of Jordan? Only this: because the Lord appointed and sanctified one to this work and not the other. If therefore we would have grace, let us wait where the manna falls and there expect the dew of the Spirit to fall with it; the power of God goes along with his Word.

How should we delight in ordinances! Sleidan says there was a church in France formerly which the Protestants called paradise, as if they thought themselves in paradise while they were in the house of God. Those ordinances should be our paradise which are the power of God unto salvation.

1 Peter 1:2 — Grace and peace be multiplied to you.

The blessed apostle, having experienced the power and richness of grace, was captivated by it. And since this wine of paradise is so sweet, he commends it to these scattered Christians to whom he writes, praying that they would receive more and more of it.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you.

The words take the form of a greeting: grace and peace to you. When we greet our friends, we could wish them no greater blessing than grace and peace. Other mercies lie outside this circle and are distributed broadly among people in general. But grace is a special gift bestowed on those who are heaven's favorites. Notice two things in the words: first, the connection; second, the order.

The connection: grace and peace. The way to have peace is to have grace. Grace produces peace — one is the root, the other the flower. Peace is the sweet water that drips from the heart that grace has made new.

The order: first grace, then peace. Grace has priority. Grace and peace are like two sisters, but grace is the elder. Allow me to present the elder before the younger — grace to you be multiplied. To set this out clearly, consider: first, what is meant by grace; second, who produces it; third, why it is called grace; fourth, why it is so necessary.

What is meant by grace? The word grace has several meanings in Scripture.

Sometimes grace means the favor of God (Genesis 6:8): "Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord" — God looked upon him with gracious favor.

Grace is sometimes used to mean beauty or attractiveness (James 1:11): "The flower falls, and its beauty perishes."

Grace is sometimes used in a loose and improper sense to mean the outward appearance of grace. Just as we call the image in a mirror a face — though it is only the reflection of a face — so John 2:23 speaks of many who "believed in His name." That believing was only a show of faith, as Augustine and Theophylact observe.

Grace is also used in its true and proper sense — as in the text: grace be multiplied. It may be described this way: grace is the implanting of a new and holy principle into the heart, by which the heart is transformed from what it was and made after God's own heart. Grace does not merely produce a moral change but a sacred one. It orients the soul toward heaven and stamps upon it the image and mark of God.

The author and source of grace is the Spirit of God, who is therefore called "the Spirit of grace" (Zechariah 12:10). The Spirit is the fountain from which clear streams of grace flow. As Clement of Alexandria observes, man is like God's harp or tambourine — the harp will not sound unless touched by the player's finger. So the heart of a person cannot produce any gracious harmony until it is first touched by the finger of God's Spirit. This blessed Spirit works grace in the soul in two ways: universally and progressively.

Universally (1 Thessalonians 5:23): "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely." The Spirit of God infuses grace into all the faculties of the soul. Though grace is worked only in part, it works in every part — light in the understanding, tenderness in the conscience, willing consent in the will, and harmony in the affections. This is why grace is compared to leaven (Matthew 13:33) — it works its way through the whole soul and raises a person's whole manner of life toward heaven.

The Spirit of God also works grace progressively, carrying it forward from one degree to the next. The Pelagians hold that the beginning of grace is from God but the progress of grace comes from ourselves — so God begins the work of faith and we complete it; God lays the first stone and we build the rest. But the Spirit's continual influence is needed to carry the work of grace forward in our hearts. If God were to withdraw His Spirit from even the most holy of men, their grace might fail and collapse. When the sun withdraws its light even a little, darkness fills the air. We need not only the established habit of grace but the Spirit's ongoing help, awakening, and guidance. A ship needs not only sails but wind to move. We need not only the sails of our own effort and ability but the wind of the Spirit to carry us into the heavenly harbor.

Why is the work of holiness in the heart called grace?

Because it is far above nature — it is a flower that does not grow in nature's garden. It comes from a divine source (James 3:17). By reason we live as human beings. By grace we live the life of God.

It is called grace because it is entirely a work of free grace. Every link in the golden chain of our salvation is forged and adorned by free grace. That one person should be sanctified and not another — this is grace. That God should pass over many of the noble, wealthy, and learned, and graft His heavenly gifts onto a more rough and unpolished nature, on weaker abilities — this rightly deserves to be called grace.

But why is grace not given to everyone?

We must hold with Zanchi that there is always a just reason in God's will — even when it is not fully visible to us. But specifically, I answer as follows.

God gives grace to one person and withholds it from another to demonstrate His sovereign right. God is not obligated to give grace to all (Romans 9:15): "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy." Imagine two criminals brought before the king — he pardons one but not the other. If anyone demands a reason, the king answers: it is my royal prerogative. In the same way, God gives grace to one and not to another. He makes one a vessel of mercy and another a vessel of wrath — this is His sovereign right. The apostle has put all disputes of this kind to rest (Romans 9:20-21): "Who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Does not the potter have a right over the clay?" If we could imagine a plant complaining — why was I not made a bird? Or an animal asking — why wasn't I given reason? — it would be just as absurd as when sinful humanity argues with God: why do I not have grace as well as another? Do not dispute with sovereign prerogative. Let the clay not argue with the potter.

God may also justly withhold His grace from any wicked person for two reasons.

First, because that person once had grace and threw it away. If a father gives his son money to start a business and the son goes bankrupt, the father is not obligated to set him up again. God gave Adam a store of grace to begin the human race with. Adam squandered it and made all his children bankrupt. God is not bound to give it back again.

Second, God may justly withhold His grace from any wicked person because that person is a despiser of grace — he tramples this pearl underfoot (Proverbs 1:7). Is God obligated to give grace to those who despise it? If a king's pardon is refused once, he is not bound to offer it again.

The necessity of grace: it is absolutely essential because it makes us fit for fellowship with God (2 Corinthians 6:14): "What fellowship has light with darkness?" God can no more hold fellowship with a graceless soul than a king can converse with a pig. It is grace that keeps us in constant communication with heaven.

Let me urge everyone who has a soul to save to pursue grace with the greatest earnestness. This is the one thing necessary. Grace will be priceless at the hour of death — and it is just as valuable now, and even more appropriate to seek now (Proverbs 4:7): "With all your acquiring, acquire understanding." When Alexander was presented with the fine jewel-cabinet of King Darius, he reserved it to hold Homer's works, regarding them as most precious. The heart is a spiritual cabinet in which the jewel of grace should be placed. We should desire grace above everything else — above the gifts of the Spirit, yes, even above the comforts of the Spirit. Comfort is sweet, but grace is better than comfort. Bread is better than honey. We may reach heaven without comfort, but not without grace. It is grace that makes us blessed in life and in death. I will show you twelve remarkable qualities of grace — I will set this beautiful gift before you, hoping that you will be moved to love it.

Excellence 1: Grace has a soul-enlivening quality (Hebrews 10:38): "The righteous will live by faith." People without grace are spiritually dead. They breathe, but they lack life. They are walking ghosts (Ephesians 2:1). The life of sin is the death of the soul. A sinner shows all the signs of death — no pulse, no sensation (Ephesians 4:19). Dead things have no beauty. There is no beauty in a dead flower. Dead things cannot receive what belongs to the living — a dead heir cannot be crowned. But grace is the vital artery of the soul. It does not merely illuminate — it animates. This is why it is called "the light of life" (John 8:12). Believers are said to have their grave-clothes removed and to be alive from the dead (Romans 6:13). Through grace the soul is grafted into Christ the true vine (John 15:5) and is made not only living but full of life (1 Peter 1:3). Grace releases a divine energy into the soul.

Excellence 2: Grace has a soul-enriching quality (1 Corinthians 1:5): "You have been enriched in all knowledge." Just as the sun enriches the world with its golden rays, so knowledge illuminates and enriches the mind. Faith is an enriching grace (James 2:5): "rich in faith." Faith brings Christ's riches into the soul and gives a claim to the promises. The promises are full of heavenly riches — justification, adoption, glory. Faith is the key that opens this treasury of promises and pours their wealth into the soul. The riches of grace surpass all other riches. "Her profit is better than the profit of silver" (Proverbs 3:14).

These riches make a person wise. Wisdom is the most valuable possession of all — and other riches cannot produce it. A person may have a full purse and an empty mind. Many a wealthy heir, though he lives to come of age, never comes to good judgment. But the riches of grace make a person truly wise (Psalm 111:10): "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The saints are compared to wise virgins (Matthew 25). Grace makes a person wise enough to recognize Satan's schemes and strategies (2 Corinthians 2:11), and wise for salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). Grace gives the serpent's discernment in the dove's innocence.

These spiritual riches also sanctify earthly riches. Riches without grace are harmful — they are not wealth but traps. They fan the flames of pride and fuel sinful desires. They are blessings that carry a curse. But grace sanctifies our earthly wealth, neutralizes the poison, removes the curse, and makes our resources genuinely beneficial. Earthly riches become tokens of God's love and wings that lift us toward paradise. So grace, by a divine alchemy, extracts heaven from earth and gives us not only the feast but the blessing.

Grace satisfies the soul — other riches cannot (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Riches can no more fill the heart than a triangle can fill a circle. But grace fills every gap and empty place in the soul. It expands the heart and fills the affections with joy (Romans 15:13) — which joy, as Chrysostom says, is a foretaste of heaven.

Excellence 3: Grace has a soul-adorning quality. It gives beauty and radiance to a person (1 Peter 3:3-4): "Your adornment must not be merely external — braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry. But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." A person may have fine silverware and jewels, gold cloth, and tapestry on the walls — these adorn the house, not the person. The true glory of a person is grace (Proverbs 4:9): "She will present you with a garland of grace." The graces are a chain of pearls adorning Christ's bride. The heart inlaid and adorned with grace is like the king's daughter — "all glorious within" (Psalm 45:13). A gracious soul is the image of God, artfully drawn by the pen of the Holy Spirit. A heart made beautiful by grace is the joy of angels (Luke 15:7) and is God's earthly dwelling place (Isaiah 57:15; Ephesians 3:17). Reason exceeds the senses, but grace exceeds reason by far more. Grace transforms corruption into wholeness. Grace is the soul's finest complexion — it makes the soul like God. Grace is the flower of delight that Christ loves to breathe in. Grace is to the soul what the eye is to the body, what the sun is to the world, what the diamond is to the ring. A soul adorned with grace is like a dove covered with silver wings and golden feathers.

Excellence 4: Grace has a soul-cleansing quality. By nature we are defiled. Sin is a polluting thing — it corrupts everything it touches (2 Corinthians 7:1). A sinner's heart is so dark that only hell could fully match it. But grace is the spiritual cleansing bath — this is why it is called "the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5). The grace of repentance cleanses. Mary's tears washed Christ's feet — and as they did so, they washed her heart. Faith has a cleansing power (Acts 15:9): "cleansing their hearts by faith." Grace makes the soul white. It removes what seemed fixed and permanent, transforming darkness into something beautiful. Grace is of a heavenly nature. Though it does not completely remove sin, it brings sin under control. Though it does not keep sin out entirely, it keeps sin from ruling. Though sin in a gracious soul does not die completely, it dies daily. Grace makes the heart a spiritual temple, with this inscription over the door: holiness to the Lord.

Excellence 5: Grace has a soul-strengthening quality. It enables a person to do what is beyond the power of human nature. Grace teaches us to put sin to death, to love our enemies, and to value the glory of Christ above our own lives. So the three young men, empowered by grace, walked calmly into the face of death — neither the sound of the music could lure them nor the heat of the furnace frighten them (Daniel 3:17). Grace is a Christian's tested armor that does what no other armor can — it does not merely protect him but puts courage into him. Tertullian calls Athanasius an unconquerable diamond. Grace makes a Christian not only endure suffering but boast in it (Romans 5:3). A soul fortified and energized by grace can tread on the lion and the serpent (Psalm 91:13) and like Leviathan can laugh at the shaking of a spear (Job 41:29). So grace instills a heroic spirit and draws strength into a person, enabling him to act far above what human nature is capable of.

Excellence 6: Grace has a soul-lifting quality. It is a divine spark that rises. When the heart is touched by the Spirit like a magnet, it is drawn upward to God (Proverbs 15:24): "The way of life for the wise goes upward." Grace raises a person above others. He lives at a higher elevation while others crawl along the ground. A Christian, on the wings of grace, soars upward. The saints mount up like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). A believer is a citizen of heaven. He conducts his most important business there by faith. Grace shoots the heart above the world (Psalm 139:17; Philippians 3). Grace gives us likeness to Christ and fellowship with Christ (1 John 1:3): "Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." A person full of grace has Christ in his heart and the world under his feet. Grace humbles — yet it also elevates.

Excellence 7: Grace has a sweet-smelling quality. It makes us a fragrant offering to God. This is why grace is compared to the most fragrant spices — myrrh, cinnamon, and frankincense (Song of Solomon 4:13). There are two ways that grace sends out this fragrance.

Grace perfumes our names (Hebrews 11:2): "By faith the men of old gained approval." Grace was the spice that preserved and perfumed their reputations. How renowned was Abraham for his faith, Moses for his meekness, Phinehas for his zeal? What a fresh and sweet fragrance their names still carry today! Even the wicked cannot help but sense something majestic in the graces of the saints. Though they mock grace with their tongues, they inwardly reverence it. Grace is aromatic — it embalms a person's name. A gracious person, when he dies, carries a good conscience with him and leaves a good reputation behind.

Grace also perfumes our acts of worship (Psalm 141:2): "May my prayer be counted as incense before You." Noah's sacrifice was a pleasing fragrance (Genesis 8:21): "The Lord smelled the soothing aroma." The prayers of a wicked man are like foul breath. His solemn offerings are like dung (Malachi 2:3). The stench rising from a sinner's religious duties is so foul that God will not come near (Amos 5:21): "I will not smell your solemn assemblies." But grace gives fragrance and sweetness to our holy acts (Hebrews 11:4): "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which God testified about his gifts." Abel's sacrifice had a sweeter aroma — God smelled it with favor. Jerome says God lit Abel's sacrifice with fire from heaven, confirming His acceptance of the offering. Since grace so perfumes you, wear this flower not in your collar but in your heart.

Excellence 8: Grace has a soul-ennobling quality. It elevates a person — raising him above princes and nobles. Theodosius considered it greater dignity to be a servant of Christ, wearing the livery adorned with the silver graces of the Spirit, than to be great and celebrated in the world (Isaiah 43:4): "You were precious in My sight; you were honored." Sin degrades a person. Christ tells wicked people plainly who they are related to (John 8:44): "You are of your father the devil." The Hebrew word for "worthless" means to be held in the lightest possible regard. There is nothing too low for an ungracious man to do — he is pliable to anything, like wire that bends in any direction. But grace ennobles. The person born of God (1 John 3:1) lives in a way consistent with that new birth, hating everything that is base or unworthy. The saints are called kings and priests for their dignity (Revelation 1:6) and jewels for their value (Malachi 3:17).

Excellence 9: Grace has a soul-securing quality — it brings safety. Everyone wants to be safe in dangerous times. If war or plague comes, if death peers through your window, who would not want to be secure? Nothing will keep you safe in times of danger like grace. Grace is the best protection. It places Christians beyond the reach of damnation and frees them from the power of hell. Proverbs 10:2: "Righteousness delivers from death." Do righteous people not also die? Yes — but righteousness delivers from the sting of the first death and from all fear of the second. One man said: I am not afraid to die — only to be damned. But here is a believer's comfort: the fire of God's wrath can never touch him. Grace is God's own image stamped on the soul — and He will not destroy His own image. When Xerxes the Persian destroyed all the temples in Greece, he ordered the temple of Diana to be spared because of its beautiful structure. In the same way, the soul that has the beauty of holiness shining in it will be preserved for the glory of its construction — God will not allow His own temple to be demolished. Do you want safety in evil times? Obtain grace and strengthen this garrison. A good conscience is a Christian's royal fortress. David's enemies surrounded him on all sides — yet he said: "I lay down and slept" (Psalm 3:5). A good conscience can sleep in the mouth of a cannon. Grace is a Christian's chainmail that is not pierced by arrow or bullet. True grace may be shot at, but it can never be shot through. Grace places the soul in Christ — and there it is safe, like a bee in the hive or a dove in the ark. Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Excellence 10: Grace has a heart-steadying quality (Hebrews 13:9): "It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace." Before grace is infused, the heart is like a ship without ballast — it rocks and shifts, on the verge of capsizing. This is why the person without grace is called double-minded (James 1:8) — of one mind today, another tomorrow. Hearts not sanctified by grace will be unsettled. They will turn whichever way the wind blows — following not what is best but what is safest. They align with whatever religion has the sword behind it rather than the Word in front of it. Seneca calls this a mind that rolls about endlessly and settles nowhere.

But grace fixes and steadies the heart (Psalm 57:7): "My heart is steadfast, O God." Hypocrites are like meteors in the sky — briefly bright and then gone. David was a fixed star. Grace keeps the heart upright. The more sincere a person is, the more steadfast he is. Grace draws the heart toward God as a center, and there it finds rest. A gracious heart clings to God — and whatever changes come, the soul remains settled like a ship at anchor.

Excellence 11: Grace has a preparatory quality — it readies and equips us for glory. Glory is the highest summit of human happiness, exceeding all our thoughts. No words can exaggerate it. Grace tunes and prepares the soul for glory (2 Peter 1:3): He "called us to His own glory and excellence" — virtue leads to glory. First you clean the vessel, then you pour in the wine. God first cleanses us by His grace, then pours in the wine of glory. The silver link of grace draws the golden link of glory after it. Grace is glory in the bud; glory is grace in full bloom. In short, glory is nothing other than grace having come to full maturity.

Excellence 12: Grace has a lasting quality. Earthly things are for a season, but grace has eternity stamped on it — it is called "enduring riches" (Proverbs 8:18). Other riches grow wings and fly away from us. Grace grows wings and flies with us to heaven. A counterfeit grace may be lost, like a blazing comet that burns itself out. True saving grace may weaken and go through periods of eclipse. But still there is sap in the vine, and "the seed of God remains" (1 John 3:9). Grace is a blossom of eternity — called "the anointing that abides" (1 John 2:27). Grace is compared to "rivers of living water" (John 7:38). This river can never run dry, because the Spirit of God is the spring that feeds it. God settles grace on the saints as an inheritance, and He guarantees that the title will never be broken. The person who has true grace can no more fall away than the angels can — who are fixed stars in their heavenly orbits.

The reasons to believe that grace is permanent are:

God's election (Romans 8:29-30): "Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined." Predestination is the great guarantee of the saints' preservation. God chooses His people to faith as surely as He chooses them to salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13). What could possibly undo God's election?

The power of God (1 Peter 1:5): "We are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed." The graces of the saints may in themselves be as fragile as glass — but these fragile things held in the hand of God will never break.

God's solemn commitment: the Lord has put this in writing and sealed it, pledging His word for the saints' perseverance (Jeremiah 32:40): "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me." A believer's charter is confirmed under heaven's own seal. If grace were not to last into eternity, it would be because God either lacked the power to carry out what He decreed or the faithfulness to fulfill what He promised — and to claim either would be blasphemy.

Jesus Christ our great high priest appears in the heavenly court. As He poured out blood on the cross, so He pours out prayers in heaven for the saints' perseverance (Hebrews 7:25): "He always lives to make intercession for them." Christ is not only a priest but a Son — and therefore certain to be heard. What Christ asks for as man, He has the power to grant as God (John 17:24): "Father, I desire" — there He prays as man; "I desire" — there He speaks with the authority of God.

So grace is something that endures. Christians, you may lose your friends, your wealth, your very lives — but you will never lose your grace. Those who teach that a believer can fall away from grace would put believers under Cain's mark — living in constant shaking and dread. They would drain a Christian's deepest comfort and break a link in the very chain of salvation.

Let us test whether our grace is genuine. There is something that looks like grace but is not. Chrysostom says the devil has a counterfeit version of every grace. Jewelers have ways of testing precious stones. Let us test our grace against the touchstone of Scripture — the person who has only a painted grace will receive only a painted paradise.

True grace shows itself through a deep dislike and opposition to sin (Psalm 119:104): "I hate every false way." Grace sets itself against the characteristic sins of each person's nature (Psalm 18:23) and against the sins that are most fashionable in the age (Revelation 2:2).

Grace is also known by its growth — and growth is evidence of life. Dead things do not grow. A painting does not grow. A hypocrite, who is only a picture of religion, does not grow. A genuine Christian grows in love for Christ, in humility, and in good works (Psalm 92:12; Hosea 14:5): "He will flourish like the lily and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon." When the Spirit of God falls like dew upon the soul, He causes grace to bloom and reach toward full growth.

True grace will make us willing to suffer for Christ. Grace is like gold — it endures the fiery trial (1 Peter 1:7). And if upon careful self-examination we find that we truly have "the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:6), this will be our comfort in the hour of death. Like Simeon, we may depart in peace — assured that though we cannot prevent death, we will overcome it.

Let me offer two or three directions for obtaining grace.

First, if you want this jewel of grace, you must work for it. We are told to seek for wisdom as one searches for a vein of gold (Proverbs 2:2-3). Our salvation cost Christ blood — it will cost us sweat.

Second, go to God for grace. He is called "the God of all grace" (1 Peter 5:10). We can lose grace on our own, but we cannot find it on our own. A sheep can wander away from the fold, but it cannot find its way back without the shepherd. Go to the God of all grace. God is the first planter, the one who advances grace, and the one who brings it to completion. God is the Father of lights (James 1:17) — He must light this candle of grace in the soul. Grace is in His gift — it is not achieved but received. Go to God in prayer then, and pour out your heart before Him: Lord, I need grace. I need a humble, believing heart — and You are the God of all grace. All my springs are in You. Enrich me with grace. Do not let me die without it. What is gold in the purse if there is no oil in my lamp? Give me that anointing of God. I read in Your Word of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Lord, my heart is barren soil — plant some of these supernatural fruits in me, so that I may be more useful to You. Lord, I cannot be satisfied with anything less. To whom will You give grace, if not to those who ask — and who are resolved not to stop asking?

Third, if you want grace, enlist the prayers of others on your behalf. A merchant who has multiple investments is more likely to prosper. In the same way, the person who has many prayers being offered for him is more likely to grow spiritually. If you had a sick child, you would beg others to pray for him. You have a soul that is sick — sick with pride and lust, sick to death. Beg the prayers of godly friends, that God would heal you with His grace. A Moses or a Jacob can have great power with God. Believers can sometimes prevail not only for themselves but for their friends (James 5:16). A godly person's prayers may do you more good than if he gave you all his earthly inheritance.

Fourth, if you want grace, make regular use of the means of grace. Lie at the pool of Bethesda. Wait at the posts of wisdom's door. Inward grace is worked through outward means. The preaching of the Word is God's instrument for producing grace — it is called "the rod of His strength" (Psalm 110:2) and "the breath of His mouth" (Isaiah 11:4). Through it He causes life to enter. Out of this golden channel of the sanctuary, God pours the golden oil of grace into the soul. The ministry of the Gospel is called "the ministry of the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:8) because the Spirit of God ordinarily uses it to work grace. This ministry is to be valued above even the ministry of angels.

Why is the preached Word the ordinary means of conveying grace — why not private conversation or reading?

Because God has appointed it for this purpose, and He honors His own ordinances (1 Corinthians 1:21). What reason could be given why the waters of Damascus should not have healed Naaman's leprosy as well as the waters of the Jordan? Only this: the Lord appointed and sanctified the Jordan for this work and not Damascus. Therefore, if we want grace, let us wait where the manna falls — and expect the dew of the Spirit to fall there with it. The power of God accompanies His Word.

How much we should delight in the means of grace! Sleidan says there was a church in France which the Protestants called paradise — as though they felt they were in paradise whenever they entered the house of God. The ordinances that are the power of God for salvation should be our paradise.