Sermons by the late Rev. Richard de Courcy

by Richard De Courcy

But, what endears the provision, and the God of all grace, who made it, is; that it is a feast for sinners—for sinners of the race of Adam—for the poor, the wretched, the guilty, and the undone—for those, who have nothing to pay, nothing to plead, and nothing to bring but misery and sin. And this leads me to consider,

II. The extent and freeness of the invitation itself.

We are here carefully to distinguish the general invitation of a preached gospel from the inward and effectual call of the Holy Spirit: because, though in the salvation of individuals they always co-operate, yet experience demonstrates, that, in innumerable instances, the influences of the latter do not necessarily and invariably attend the promulgation of the former. If they did, what multitudes would be saved! Yet, that sinners may be left without excuse for their obstinacy and unbelief, the ministers of Christ are authorized to “preach the gospel to every creature;” Mark, xvi. 15; and to give a general call, to all that have ears to hear, to come to the gospel feast. And, whatever some may argue to the contrary, who affect to be “wise above that which is written,” and who indulge themselves in a sort of mischievous refinement on the system of evangelical truth; yet it is evident, as well from the blessings which have particularly distinguished the ministrations of those, who give a general call, as from the fact recorded in the parable, of multitudes having been actually invited, who made light of the invitation; that the ministers of Christ are warranted to “set life and death before all,” and to beseech them to “choose life, that they may live;” Deut. xxx. 15; yea, to exhort even a Simon Magus to “pray God, if haply the sin of his heart may be forgiven,” though previously in “the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity.” Acts, viii. 22. Yet they know that the power to “choose life,” to “pray with the spirit,” and the blessing of forgiveness, are all of God; that none can “come to Christ except the Father draw him;” John, vi. 44; and that a putrid corpse in the grave could as soon raise itself to life, or the “dry bones,” Ezek. xxxvii. 1–4, in Ezekiel’s vision, form themselves, by their own power, into an army of living men, as sinners “dead in sin,” Ephes. ii. 1, can, without a divine agency, obey the invitation of the gospel. But, knowing that to obey, and not to reason against the divine command, is the duty of ministers; satisfied that secret things belong unto the Lord, who reserves the knowledge of the human heart, and the distribution of his own favors, to himself; and being persuaded that God can make the breath of life accompany the breath of men, for the purpose of “quickening whom he will,” John, v. 21, they, therefore, in imitation of the prophet, who cried out, “O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!” say to sinners in general, “Come; for all things are now ready.”

Besides, the gospel furnishes us with arguments so forcible, and contains in itself motives so constraining, as to warrant and encourage an address to all, as rational creatures. These arguments and these motives are principally reducible to this one, that “God commendeth his love towards us, in that when we were yet SINNERS, Christ died for us.” Rom. v. 8. And, as all are in that predicament, it is upon a presupposition of that humiliating truth, and the suitableness of a proportionate remedy, that I proceed to urge the gospel invitation upon all present, and to recommend the great provision of the covenant, because it exhibits a feast for sinners. This is the leading motive.

1. Had man retained his primeval innocence; to delight himself in God as his supreme portion, and to feast the powers of his soul in contemplating his glorious perfections; would have been an employ as easy as it would have been pleasant. In that case, the creatures would have been considered as so many streams leading up to one common fountain of goodness and blessedness; while the wisdom, power, and benignity, which they displayed, would have afforded to the mind an exhaustless fund of love, and praise, and wonder, through everlasting ages. But he sinned; and by sin was cut off from the fountain of his happiness. The crown of honor fell from his head; and the moral image of God, in which he had been created, was lost. So that whatever delight he may have once experienced, in a contemplation of the nature, works, and attributes of Deity; it must have all ceased in the moment of his transgression. He could not, in his fallen state, have derived any comfort from a view of perfections, that bore the tremendous aspect towards him as a rebel against his Maker. But here grace interposed. The guilty fugitive is called back from his apostacy, and invited to a scene, where he beholds all Heaven’s attributes receiving their respective claims, and all harmonizing together for the purpose of his salvation. Even stern justice itself advances to plead the sinner’s cause; and, in sweet concert with truth and mercy, to shower blessings on his guilty head. It points to Calvary; there shews its vindictive sword lying at the foot of the cross, reeking with the blood of the slaughtered Lamb; and cries with a loud voice, “Deliver him from going down to the pit; for I have found a ransom.” Job, xxxiii. 24. Thus justice infinite, joins to spread the most delicious part of the gospel repast; because it is written, “God is just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.” Rom. iii. 26. And, though this part of the feast may be particularly disgustful to the disciple of Sozo, [151] who tramples under foot the blood of the covenant, by denying its atoning virtue, and the Deity of him who shed it; though it may be thought unworthy the notice of the proud Sceptic, who employs his philosophic wit to ridicule what he does not understand; or, though the Pharisee should be so enamored with his dear idol, Self, as to fly from a truth that aims at pulling the dagon of self-righteousness down to the ground; yet to one, who hath felt himself a sinner, and hath been made to dread the requisitions of God’s justice as a bar to preclude the claims of mercy, no saying will appear so worthy of acceptation, as that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save the chief of sinners,” and that God is both “faithful and just,” when he extends forgiveness through his Son. 1 Tim. i. 15. 1 John, i. 9.

2. The condition of the persons, for whom the gospel feast is prepared, affords another most powerful motive to encourage our approach to it. The messengers in the parable were commanded to invite “the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind.” Persons labouring under bodily infirmities, here represent poor sinners oppressed with spiritual maladies, and waiting, like the paralytic at Bethesda’s pool, for a cure. Such crowd about the door of mercy; and only such will bless the hand of the great Physician. The call is general: but, to none will it be particular, or welcome, or effectual, but to those who see their wants, and feel their sins. The message of the gospel is manna itself for sweetness, to such as have received the sentence of death in themselves by the law. But the “full soul loatheth this honey-comb.” Prov. xxvii. 7. It would be deemed an insult, to spread a feast for the full; to recommend a physician, or propose a remedy to persons in health; to offer water to him that is not thirsty, or a garment to him who is already clothed; to preach liberty to him who is not bound, or to point him to a fountain who is clean in his own eyes. But, though the “whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick,” Mat. ix. 12, to such as see themselves foul and leprous, lost, and guilty, the streams of Jordan were not more efficacious to eradicate Naaman’s leprosy, than the fountain of Christ’s blood is to cleanse from sins of the deepest dye. Say not then, “I am unworthy; my sins are too enormous to be forgiven; my spiritual maladies of too long standing, and too inveterate, to be cured; and my heart of too stubborn a mould, to be softened or vanquished.” If all the enormities of Manasseh, the blasphemings and persecutions of Saul, the backslidings of David and Peter, and all the guilt of Magdalen, met in thy single person, so as to make thee a monster in iniquity; yet, all this accumulated transgression would be no more to the infinite merit of the Redeemer’s blood, than the smallest cloud to the sun’s meridian brightness, or the debt of one single mite to the treasure of an empire; than a drop to the ocean, or a grain of sand to the globe. “The blood of Jesus cleanseth from ALL sin.” 1 John, i. 7. No patient ever failed under the care of that great Physician: no indigent beggar was ever spurned from his door: no heart ever remained unsoftened under the influence of his grace: no sinner ever perished at the foot of his cross. If you are weary and heavy laden, Jesus saith, “Come unto ME, and I will give you rest.” Mat. xi. 28. If your heart be hard and unbelieving, he saith again, “My son give me thine heart.” Prov. xxiii. 26. If your transgressions are numerous and aggravated, he saith again, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isa. i. 18. If all the rebellion of the prodigal centres in thy conduct, and thou, nevertheless, art desirous of returning to thy God; see, as in his case, the Father of mercies runs to meet thee, he opens his arms to embrace thee, his house to receive thee, his wardrobe to clothe thee, his heart to love and pity thee, and he spreads his table with the richest dainties wherewith to feed thy famished soul. And if thou still persist to think thy case even worse than his, and unbelief could furnish thee with ten thousand arguments to keep thee from coming to Christ, the following glorious promise is sufficient to overturn them all: “Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” John, vi. 37.

3. But, the last, and by no means the least motive, that I shall mention under this head, as an inducement to warrant and encourage the self-diffident and returning sinner to partake of the blessings of the gospel, is, that they are all the free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 23. “Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, let him come.” Isa. lv. 1. Indeed a moment’s serious reflection on the nature of the favors requisite to a sinner’s salvation, such as, an interest in the covenant, peace with Heaven, pardon of sin, justification before God, the spirit of holiness, and eternal life; or on the greatness of the price, with which they have been purchased, even “the blood of God;” Acts, xx. 28; or on the demerit of those, who are the recipients of those immense favors;—might convince any one of the folly and presumption of expecting the very least, on the ground of personal worthiness; and yet encourage the hope and banish the fears of the weakest and most depressed sinner upon earth. “Think not” then, as the apostle said to Simon the sorcerer, “that the gift of God may be purchased with money”—with human merit. Acts, viii. 20. Were you a possessor of all the treasures of the earth, or of all the moral excellencies that ever centred in any natural man since the fall, you would not therefore be entitled to even the crumbs that fall from God’s table. Yet the deepest poverty, the greatest unworthiness, are no bars to preclude your receiving the choicest of his favors, even eternal life. As, therefore, you have nothing to pay off the immense debt you owe, so nothing is required; no merit, no works, no recommendation whatever. All is purchased already; and all gratuitously tendered. Nothing remains for the sinner, convinced of his lost condition, but to receive with an empty hand and humble heart what infinite beneficence freely offers. Mercy’s door is open. The ministers of Christ invite you in. The master of the feast bids you welcome, saying, “Eat, O friends, drink; yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.” Solomon’s Song, v. 1. The table is spread with ten thousand rich and costly benefits. The banquet is a feast of love; and “the spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth, say, Come, and let him that is athirst, Come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev. xxii. 17.—But this leads me to urge,

III. The grand argument mentioned in the text to excite obedience to the invitation, viz. “All things are ready.”

This head of the discourse will contain little more than a recapitulation of the principal subjects already considered; and they might, indeed, on that account, be thought superfluous. But, as upon occasion of a sumptuous entertainment, it would engage the attendance of a guest more, to see presented all together the several delicacies to which he is invited, than to hear a logical discussion about their various qualities; I shall, therefore, now bring together in one view, all that a God of rich grace and profuse munificence hath exhibited in the gospel feast; praying, if it be his blessed will, that all who hear the invitation this day may have grace to accept it.

“All things are ready.”—The great deed is ready, that recites the covenant stipulations between the Father and the Son, and records the names of all the ransomed of the Lord; signed by infinite truth, and sealed with blood. Psal. xl. 6–9. Heb. x. 5–9.