What can Christianity offer? In the last few years, an increasing number of younger people, especially young men, are turning to church in a trend some are calling the ‘quiet revival.’ For the age groups labelled Gen Z and Millennials, atheism is not such a cool or edgy option as openness to religion, including Christianity. There is a feeling that life is unsatisfactory, and whereas in the past few decades it would have felt silly to turn to God for help, people here and there are increasingly trying Christianity to see whether God can help with the emptiness and inexplicable miserableness they are experiencing. But can our churches compete with everything else on offer from other religions, alternative forms of spirituality and secularist scams which counterfeit true happiness? In the following updated extract, James Durham acknowledges the spiritual bankruptcy in human experience and the gnawing thirst for something more and better than what we have. Identifying sin as the root problem, Durham presents salvation from sin through Jesus Christ as what will comprehensively meet our need. If the free forgiveness of sins is on offer, will there be any takers?

God the Father and God the Son have made a good and grace-filled bargain, which is wholly mercy, and they bring it to market and put it on sale on exceedingly easy terms, suited to bankrupt sinners. It is set out in Isaiah 55:1–3: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

The offer

May we briefly and in a few words sum up what is in this bargain?

1. All things that contribute to peace with God, and remove the quarrel between God and the sinner.

2. All things that relate to or are needful for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:4).

3. All things that belong to the comfort and consolation of believers (“strong consolation,” it is called in Hebrews 6:18). There is no need so great, but there is a supply for it here, no situation so sad, but there is a comfort for it here, when you flee to Christ for refuge.

4. All that is needful for the joy and complete happiness of those who heartily accept it.

If God and Christ, grace and mercy are in it, is anything missing? May I not very confidently ask you, is it not a good bargain? If the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, grace, heaven and glory are a good bargain, then this is most certainly a wonderfully good, matchless, and unique bargain.

Is not this gospel, which brings all these great things to the market, good news? Take heed then that you do not receive this grace in vain. These wares are worthy of all possible acceptance and welcome — do not leave them there unbought!

The buyers

You would have readily thought that such goods would be restricted to mighty monarchs, great statesmen, learned philosophers, or holy prophets and apostles. Yet the grace of God ordinarily comes in a lower way. The proclamation is to “every one that thirsts, and he that hath no money.”

Is there anyone who lacks what will make them happy, which they would love to have? Is there anyone who needs to make their peace with God? Is anyone unclear or unsure whether Jesus belongs to them? Is anyone wrestling with a body of death, and groaning under it? Does anyone long to have their sin pardoned and subdued? Does anyone want grace, heaven and glory?

And is there anyone who has nothing to give in exchange for all of these, or any of them, and who has spent many years of labour in vain trying to come by them?

It’s to you, even to you, that all these rich wares and rare commodities are in a special manner offered, in this market of free grace that has been announced!

This call and offer comes to you irrespective of what kind of sinner you are. Maybe you are senseless and complacent? To you the gospel says, “How long, ye fools, will ye love simplicity? And how long will ye sleep, O sluggards?” (Proverbs 1:22 and 6:9). This offer is made to those who “have no bread,” and have been “bestowing their labour on that which satisfies not,” gorging themselves with the world, or wrapping themselves up in the groundless conceit of their own righteousness. “How long will ye spend your labour for that which is not bread?”

Or, maybe, you are in some way bothered by your sin, feeling guilty and convicted, with something stinging or fiery in your conscience, and consumed with apprehension about the wrath and terrors of God? To you the offer is, “Ho, every one that thirsts, come!” and we bid you earnestly to come. If you say, “My conviction has no edge to it, it is not deep enough for me to be included in this invitation,” we answer, “Let him that hath no money come.” If you have completely given up all hope of making your peace with God by your own prayers and other performances, and have in that respect utterly renounced your own righteousness, and so “have no money, no price,” then, even though you may not be pricked at the heart under the sense of sin and deserved wrath as you think you ought, yet come, please come!

Or maybe you have accepted the facts about your sin and lostness, and are in some measure, though only faintly (at least to your own perception) stirring towards Christ, and are longing to get to Him? Up you get, for to you the offer most kindly says, “Hear, and your souls shall live! Eat and be satisfied!”

These wares are not brought out and laid before you, only for you to quibble about the price, but mainly so that you would buy them, eat them and feed on them. The gospel does not so much offer to a bargain with you, as it offers you the benefit of a bargain already made, i.e., with Christ.

The terms

The terms on which all these goods are offered for sale turn out to suit the buyer wondrously well. “Come,” says the Lord, “buy without money and without price! Hear and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you.” Speaking with reverence, there is not a wallet opened or a penny paid in this bargain. A very great, very costly and dear price has been paid, but it was paid by Christ. When Christ came to buy these mercies for His people, the market was very high and the prices were up. But when believers come by the covenant of grace, the prices have fallen wonderfully low. What cost Him dear is to be had by them gratis, completely freely — for nothing!

The first term is “Come.” People leave their present standing place and posture, and move towards the marketplace.

The second term is “Buy.” A price is put on the wares, you value it, and you transact to make it yours.

The third term is “Hear, incline your ear,” i.e., to God and His Word. Believe it and receive it, “and your souls shall live.”

The fourth term is, “I will make an everlasting covenant with you.” There is a commitment by covenant to be the Lord’s, after hearing His Word, shaking hands and concluding the bargain.

And it is all without you offering money or price, money or money’s worth, without offering or giving anything, small or large, in compensation.

The advertising

How does the gospel put all this to the market. Where it comes, those who are called must either take the bargain, or be at fault.

First, it proclaims the market to all around. There are these things on offer, at this price — the rarest and richest commodities, and at the cheapest rates you ever heard of.

Second, it not only proclaims, but invites, and doubles the invitation to come.

Third, it not only invites, but drives the invitation home in such a way that people must either pay the price (so to speak — as there is in effect no price!) and buy, or refuse the bargain. If they won’t make the effort to come into the shop, as it were, it brings out the wares and lays them out in the market-place, and (as it were) stands in the street calling, “Come, buy! Come and enter the covenant freely!” It makes a frank offer, by earnest and persuasive inviting, and by the easy conditions it proposes for the bargain. The gospel stands effectively with arms stretched out, ready to receive all comers entirely freely, whatever their poverty, lack, and needs be. It asks nothing more but that we willingly take what He offers to put in our hand. “The righteousness of faith saith not, Who shall ascend to heaven, or who shall descend to the depth?” There is nothing now to be suffered, nor to be purchased by any more suffering, “but the word is near thee, in thy heart and in thy mouth” (Romans 10:6–8) It places the wares on our very doorstep (as it were), so that we have no more to do, but to stoop down and pick it up. We only have to say the word heartily, and it is a bargain.

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