Augustus Montague Toplady

Augustine to fight Pelagianism.

Luther, Calvin to make the waters limpid, and the six Oxford students, Wesley, Whitfield, to wake the slumbering world, followed by Romaine, Toplady, Newton, Evans, and Berridge.

He views history as cyclical.

Apathy followed by divine intervention, where God raises up specific men.

That is a beautiful way to visualize the sphere of immunity.

And this concept is perfectly captured in the sources by a quote they pull from Augustus Toplady's famous 18th century hymn.

Remind me of the quote.

Toplady wrote, Payment God cannot twice demand.

First at my bleeding surety's hand, and then again at mine.

Payment God cannot twice demand.

That's the experience David had with those types of people too.

It was this type of confidence that inspired the famous hymn writer Augustus Toplady, who might have kind of a funny name, but he wrote some great hymns.

He wrote the hymn Rock of Ages, among other hymns, but he wrote these lyrics.

He wrote, "...a sovereign protector I have, unseen yet forever at hand, unchangeably faithful to save, almighty to rule and command." One of the verses would go on to confidently declare, if thou art my shield and my sun, the night is no darkness to me.

Nothing can stand in the way of the God of sovereign grace as He fulfills His plan and purposes for His people, the people for whom His Son died and whose Spirit transforms into His likeness.

That I think is why we can sing the words of Augustus Montague Toplady's hymn, "A Debtor to Mercy Alone." "My name from the palms of His hands Eternity will not erase.

Inscribed on His heart it remains In marks of indelible grace.

Yes, I to the end shall endure, As sure as the earnest is given.

This is who we are in and of ourselves.

That's what's behind the verse in Augustus Toplady's great hymn, Rock of Ages, when he uses that verse.

I love it.

Nothing in my hand I bring.

Charles Wesley wrote on this idea, "Other refuge have I none.

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee." And Augustus Toplady, the author of some of our great hymns, wrote, "Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee." So I ask the question, have you found a refuge in God? One who is able not merely to help you through life, but save you from your sins and bring you into a state through the work of Jesus Christ by which you're able to stand before Him clothed with a righteousness not your own.

That's what the Christian life is all about, standing in Jesus Christ before God.

Now secondly, David calls God his portion.

You know the song.

I think Augustus Toplady wrote that song, Rock of Ages.

He wrote it in 1775, but it was not published until 1776.

And here...

I am dead to the wrath of God.

I must be able to say with Augustus Toplady.

The terrors of law are.

and of God with me can have nothing to do.

I am dead to the wrath of God.

I must be able to say with Augustus Toplady.

The terrors of law are.

and of God with me can have nothing to do.