Come to the Throne of Grace!

Puritan: John Bunyan

Source: The Saints’ Privilege and Profit

Originally Delivered: 1688, England

The Lord’s Day: July 19, 2026

“Alas! Faith is sometimes in a calm, sometimes up, and sometime down, and sometimes at it with sin, death, and the devil; as we say, in blood up to the ears. Faith now has but little time to speak peace to the conscience; it is now struggling for life, it is now fighting with angels, with infernals; all it can do now, is to cry, groan, sweat, fear, fight, and grasp for life.

But I say, what a brave encouragement it is for one that is come for grace to the throne of grace, to see so great a number already there, on their seats, in their robes, with their palms in their hands, and their crowns upon their heads, singing of salvation to God and to the Lamb!

And I say again, and speak now to the dejected, methinks it would be strange, O you that are so afraid that the greatness of your sins will be a bar unto you, if amongst all this great number of pipers and harpers that are got to glory, you cannot espy one that when here was as vile a sinner as yourself. Look man, they are there for you to view them. Look again, I say, now you are upon your knees, and see if some that are among them have not done worse than you have done. And yet behold, they are set down; and yet behold they have their crowns on their heads, their harps in their hands, and sing aloud of salvation to their God, and to the Lamb. Behold, tempted soul, do you not yet see what a throne of grace is here.

Besides, there is no sight that more takes the heart of God, than to see of the travail of the soul, and the bruisings of the body of His Son for our transgressions.

But again, as that which proceeds out of this throne of grace is called “water of life,” so it is said to be a river, a river of water of life (Rev 7:17, 22:1). And hence it is said again, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them” (Isa. 41:17). But, Lord, how wilt Thou quench their boundless thirst? “I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water” (Isa. 41:17-18).

Behold, here is a pool of water as big as a wilderness, enough one would think to satisfy any thirsty soul. O, but that will not do! Wherefore He will open rivers, fountains, and springs, and all this to quench the drought of one that thirsts for the grace of God, until he has enough. “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house, and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures, for with Thee is the fountain of life” (Psa. 36:8-9).