On Thy Grace
‘The God of all grace.” — 1 Pet. v. 10.
“By the Grace of God I am what I am!” This is the believer’s eternal confession. Grace found him a rebel — it leaves him a son. Grace found him wandering at the gates of leaves him at the gates of heaven. Grace devised the scheme of Redemption. Justice never would. Reason never could. And it is Grace which carries out that scheme. ISTo sinner would ever have sought his God but “by grace.” The thickets of Eden would have proved Adam’s grave had not grace called him out. Saul would have lived and died the haughty self-righteous persecutor had not grace laid him low. The thief would have continued breathing out his blasphemies had not arrested his tongue and tuned it for glory. “Out of the knottiest timber,” says Rutherford, He can make vessels of mercy for service in the high palace of glory.”
“I came, I saw, I conquered.” says Toplady,” may be inscribed by the Saviour on every monument of grace. I came to the sinner; I looked upon him; and with a look of omnipotent love, I conquered
My soul! thou wouldst have been this day a wandering star, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness — Christless — hopeless — portionless — had not grace invited thee, and grace constrained thee! And it is grace which, at this moment, keeps thee! Thou hast often been a Peter — forsaking thy Lord, but brought back to Him again. “Why not a Demas or a Judas? “7 have jprayed for thee that thy faith fail not Is not this thine own comment and reflection on life’s retrospect? — “Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me!”
r-ON THY GRACE.
Seek to realize thy continual dependence on this grace every moment. “More grace! more grace!” would need to be thy continual cry. But the infinite supply is commensurate with the infinite need. The treasury of grace, though always emptying, is always full: the key of prayer which opens it is always at hand: and the Almighty almoner of the blessings of grace is always *’ waiting to he gracious P^ The recorded promise never can be cancelled or reversed — “My grace is sufficient for thee!”
Header! seek to dwell much on this inexhaustible theme: The grace of God is the source of minor temporal as well as of higher spiritual blessings. It accounts for the crumb of daily bread as well as for the crown of eternal glory. But even in regard to earthly mercies, never forget the channel of grace — “through Christ Jesus!” It is sweet thus to connect every (even the smallest and humblest) token of providential bounty with Calvary’s cross — to have the common blessings of life stamped with “the print of the nails!” It makes them doubly precious to think, “This flows from Jesus!”
“When with dear friends sweet talk I hold, And all the flowers of life unfold; — Let not my heart within me burn, Except in all I Thee discern 1”
Let others be contented with the uncovenanted mercies of God. Be it mine to say, as the child of grace and heir of glory — “Our Father which art in heaven, give us this day our daily bread!” Nay, reposing in the “all-suflficiency in all things” promised by the God of all grace,
“I WILL BOTH LAY ME DOWN IN PEACE AND SLEEP; FOR THOU; LORD, ONLY MAKEST ME DWELL IN SAFETY l”
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