On Thy Patience

“The God of Patience.” — Rom. xv. 5.

There is no more wondrous subject than this — The Patience of God!” Think of the lapse of ages during which that patience has lasted — 6000 years! Think of the multitudes who have been the subjects of it — Millions on millions, in. successive climes and centuries! Think of the sins which have all that time been trying and wearying that patience — their number, their heinousness — their aggravation! The world’s history is a consecutive history of iniquity, a lengthened provocation of the Almighty’s forbearance! The Church, like a feeble ark, tossed on a n:iighty ocean of unbelief; and yet the world, with its cumberers, still spared! The cry of its sinful millions at this moment enter “the ears of the God of Sabaoth,” and yet, “for all this, His hand of mercy is stretched out still!” And who is this God of patience? It is I

the Almighty Being who could strike these i millions down in a moment! — who could, by a breath, annihilate the world! — nay, who would require no positive or visible forth-putting of His omnipotence to effect this, but simply to withdraw His sustaining arm!

Surely, of all the examples of the Almighty’s power, there is none more wondrous or amazing than “God’s power over Himself.” He is “slow to anger.” “Judgment is His strange work.” He “visits iniquity unto the third and fourth generation.” He “shows mercy unto thousands of generations!’^ God bears for 1500 years, from Moses to Jesus, with Israel’s unbelief; and yet, as a pious writer remarks, “He speaks of it as but a day;” “All day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people.” What is the history of all this tenderness? “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord!”

My soul! How great has been God’s patience towards thee! In thine unconverted state, when a wanderer from His fold, with what unwearied love He went after thee; notwithstanding all thy waywardness, never ceasing the pursuit ‘’^ until He found thee!” Think of thy fainting and weariness since — thine ever-changing frames and feelings; the ebbings and the flowings in the tide of thy love, and yet, instead of surrendering thee to thine own perverse will, His language concerning thee is, ‘* How can I give thee up?” For a lifetime, thy Saviour-God has been standing knocking at thy door; and His attltude is still the same — “Behold, I stand P’’

“But faiuter than the pole-star’s ray Before the noontide blaze of day, Is all of love that man can know — All that in angels’ breasts can glow — 5

Compared, O Lord of hosts! with thine, Unwearied! fathomless! Divine!”

How should the patience of Jesus lead me to be submissive under trial! “When He has so long borne with me, shall not I” bear” with Him? When I think of His patience under a far heavier cross, can / murmur when He murmured not f ]N“ay, I will check every ripening thought, and looking up, in confiding affection, to “the God of all patience,”

“I WILL BOTH LAY ME DOWN IN PEACE AND SLEEP J FOR THOU; LORD, ONLY MAKE8T ME DWELL IN SuVFETY!”