God does not sell His blessings!

Thomas Bradbury,

Bless God, He does not descend to barter. Our God does not sell His blessings to the highest bidder, or to any bidder at all. He gives. Yes, and that without stint. Look at that precious word by James “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5) This apostle had no groveling views of his God. He knew how willing and delighted God is to give to the impotent, indigent, and importunate. God in Christ does not rebuke the frequent caller, neither can He upbraid the infirmities of those who know not what to pray for as they ought. His munificence is fully set forth here, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) This has respect to the gracious manner of His giving, as well as to the goodness, perfection, and certainty of His gifts. There is no evil in the giving or the quality of His gifts. They are good in the highest degree spiritual blessings for a spiritual people absolutely and infallibly sure to those for whom they were designed all of God secured in Christ ours by the indwelling, witness, and seal of the Holy Ghost. Thus we see that the children of God can “come behind in no gift” entrusted to Christ for them, and ensured to them by His Faithful Spirit.

These gifts are innumerable, continuing from the commencement of grace in regeneration to its consummation in glory. The Holy Ghost is the Earnest and Pledge of all the rest. He is the Father’s Covenant Gift to His enquiring and hungering children. How graciously Jesus states this fact to His short-sighted disciples, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” (Luke 11:13) The gift of the Holy Ghost is no transient matter. It is like all the rest of God’s gifts abiding eternal according to the promise of the Master: “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.” (John 14:16) That is a delightful title suggested by the Redeemer’s promise: “THE ABIDING COMFORTER.” According to the purpose of the Father, revealed in the promise of the Son, and by His own power, the Holy Ghost will see to it that in the case of all to whom He is given they shall come behind in no gift.

It Is God that Justifieth by Thomas Bradbury

“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24).

Ah! Cries the Papist and merit-monger, didn’t we tell you that we are justified by works?

Many haters and despisers of God’s sovereignty profess to be fond of James, but their dark minds understand him not. James wrote of the fruits which appeared at God’s command. He contended for a living faith being demonstrated by living works. But what were these works? According to the world’s judgment, one was the act of a madman; the other, the acts of a lying traitress. Yes, and one committed a breach of the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, while the other a breach of the ninth. Abraham killed in intention. Rahab lied in fact. What can human reason do for you in these things? It can lead you into a labyrinth of doubt and despair, ay, into downright infidelity. The Holy Ghost alone can lead and guide into the knowledge and enjoyment of these truths. By them He glorifies Christ in the experience of His people, and produces those good works of which God Himself is the infallible Judge. Let us look at the points where Paul and James appear to disagree.

Paul treats of our justification as pronounced by God on the ground of what Jesus has done; James treats of our justification before men, because of the good works which God ordained that we should walk in.

Paul writes of faith which glories in what God has done; James writes of the works which gives evidence of the possession of living, God-wrought faith.

Paul contends for living upon a living Christ; James contends for the fruits which ever accompany it.

Paul looks at Christ in the heart; James expects to see Him in the walk.

Paul looks well to the root; James guards well the fruit.

Paul sees the fire in the house; James knows there is a fire in the house by the smoke emitted from the chimney.

Mark! God justified Abraham years before Isaac was born. In Abraham taking Isaac to sacrifice him at God’s command, God in this act calls upon all His people to witness the evidence of his justification. Good works there are none apart from union to Jesus, and when these appear they witness to the justifying grace of our God revealed through the Person, blood, obedience, resurrection, and Spirit of Jesus. Yes, as I spoke of the smoke emitted from the chimney, I thought of the fire of God’s love in the heart showing itself in desires and longings for larger communion with the Covenant-Three, and in tears of God’s own giving, which speak more eloquently of the life of God within than all the beautiful and pretty religious sayings which may greet your ears.

Thanks be to God for the glorious revelation of His precious truth:

“It is God that justifieth.” By His grace (Rom. 3:24), by Christ’s blood (Rom. 5:9), by Christ’s obedience (Rom. 5:19), by Christ’s resurrection (Rom. 4:25), by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11), by the faith of Christ (Gal. 2:16), and evidenced by the fruits and works of His own producing (James 2:24).

May He add His blessing for His own Name’s sake. Amen

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Glorious Covenant Provisions

“Every child of God, whatever the qualities or capabilities of such may be, shall be led into all truth. Not that all shall come to the same standard of knowledge or experience, but each child of God shall be led into all truth needful for its spiritual education, necessary for the peculiar spots into which it may and must be brought.

Sometimes led by the Holy Ghost, sometimes driven by Satan, sometimes allured by the charms of this wretched world, and sometimes bowed down beneath the load of sin and death, yet it matters not what I may be, or where I may be, the glorious covenant provisions of JEHOVAH, made mine in the Son of His love, shall be more than a match for all my ignorance and woe. In my ignorance the Holy Ghost will teach me that Christ, God’s Wisdom and mine, is sufficient; and in my short-sightedness He will make that truth experimentally true to me, “A wise man’s eyes are in his head.” Oh, how blessed it is for me to know that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” (2 Chron. 16:9)

A perfect heart! Not the old heart, but the new heart, which knows no perfection out of Him who gave it. Blessed be God, this is a perfection of knowledge which my soul loves. “In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3) But mark! “In me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing, and how to perform that which is good I find not,” (Rom. 7:18) yet in Him dwelleth no bad thing, and how to perform that which is good He knows full well, and will make a way for His love, kindness, and compassion to the bruised, broken, and bleeding hearts of His beloved people; and this is the way in which He will make to Himself a glorious name to all eternity. It is a high privilege to have our eyes directed to Him when we find disappointment and death stamped upon everything around us.

Do cross-providences, as men call them, tease, harass, and annoy? In the midst of them all there will come, by the witness and sealing of the blessed Spirit, a “bubbling up” of that precious truth: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)

Blessed and unspeakable mercy to be found in the hand of a loving JEHOVAH, guided by His eye, guarded by His arm, and nestled in His bosom.”

by Thomas Bradbury

Preached in Grove Chapel, Camberwell, Sunday Morning, June 20th, 1875