AI-assisted analysis for orientation; read the source transcript or listen to the sermon to evaluate the interpretation.
The sermon strongly emphasizes God’s absolute right to distribute or withhold temporal, saving, honorable, useful, and comforting gifts. Salvation is presented as sovereign election and effective grace, with grace acting upon sinners to create spiritual life rather than merely providing an opportunity they can independently use. This sovereignty should produce humility, gratitude, faithful service, and comfort in affliction. The sermon also gives a direct gospel summons: believe in Christ alone for salvation, while warning that rejecting Him leads to condemnation.
Theological center: God sovereignly governs creation and salvation, graciously distributing every gift and effectively saving His elect through Christ.
Applications: Use God’s gifts faithfully · Serve according to your measure · Come to Christ for mercy · Believe in Christ
Primary texts: Matthew 20:15 · Matthew 11:26 · Ephesians 4:7
“Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?” Matthew 20:15 THE householder says, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?” and even so does the God of heaven and earth ask this question of you this morning, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?” There is no attribute of God more comforting to His children than the doctrine of divine sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe troubles, they believe that Sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children of God ought more earnestly to contend than the dominion of their Master over all creation—the Kingship of God over all the works of His own hands—the throne of God, and His right to sit upon that throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings, no truth of which they have made such a football, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the sovereignty of the infinite JEHOVAH. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne. They will allow Him to be in His workshop to fashion worlds and to make stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonry to dispense his alms and bestow His bounties. They will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean. But when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash their teeth. And when we proclaim an enthroned God and His right to do as He wills with His own, to dispose of His creatures as He thinks well, without consulting them in the matter, then it is that we are hissed and cursed, and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God they love. They love Him anywhere better than they do when He sits with His sceptre in His hand and His crown upon His head. But it is God upon the throne that we love to preach. It is God upon His throne whom we trust. It is God upon His throne of whom we have been singing this morning. And it is God upon His throne of whom we shall speak in this discourse. I shall dwell only, however, upon one portion of God’s sovereignty and that is God’s sovereignty in the distribution of His gifts. In this respect I believe He has a right to do as He wills with His own and that He exercises that right. We must assume, before we commence our discourse, one thing certain, namely, that all blessings are gifts and that we have no claim to them by our own merit. This I think every considerate mind w…