Truly, our God is without a parallel! He could dash His enemies to Hell with one word, and drive them to despair. But instead of this, He constantly provides for them and many of them are fed by Him with the richest blessings of His providence. He spreads their tables, supplies their needs, and
pours His favors upon them abundantly, though they blaspheme His name, despise the mention of His grace, and bid Him to depart from them, in disdain!
He preserves them from a variety of dangers, which would otherwise hurry them out of time into eternity. He bears with them from day to day, and does not allow their wickedness to arouse His ire, to their immediate destruction. Who, besides Jehovah, would thus feed, preserve, warn, and bear with such obstinate, careless, provoking wretches? Surely none!
"What base rebellious wretches they; And God as strangely kind! "When, in His own time, any of His enemies are brought to discover their wickedness, feel their danger, desire to escape their deserved doom, and apply to Him He freely pardons them, and forgets all their past unkindness!
When that monster of a man hung by the side of Jesus on the cross, mocking His dying agonies, reviling His dear name, and endeavoring to add to His tremendous sorrows, Jesus was as silent as one who heard not, as patient as one who felt not, and as kind as one who had been treated with all possible respect!
For, no sooner does the bold blasphemer cry, "Lord remember me!" than Jesus answers, "Today shall you be with Me in paradise!" And can you, O my Savior, freely and fully pardon such a wretch as that? Can you take him in Your arms, to paradise? Can you forget his scarlet crimes, the insults he offered, and the daring wickedness manifested by him but a few minutes before? "O Lord, there is none like You!" The vile thief enters Heaven, to the astonishment of angels, the confusion of devils, the wonder of glorified saints, and the honor of the dear, dear Redeemer!
Jesus not only fully pardons the penitent but He cordially accepts him! He receives him as one of the dear objects of His love, and says to each and every one such, "I have blotted out your sins as a cloud, and your iniquities as a thick cloud!" He kindly visits them, as though they had never acted unkindly toward Him; and constantly blesses them with spiritual, holy, and eternal blessings. He clothes them with the garments of His righteousness, beautifies them with the graces of His Spirit, comforts them with the promises of His love, acknowledges them at His throne of grace, defends them against their cruel and malicious foes, tenderly expostulates with them when they wander from Him, mercifully warns them of their dangers and foes, kindly exhorts them to cleave close to Himself, wisely corrects them when they wickedly stray, and will crown them with glory at the end of their race!
And what returns does He frequently get for His kindness and love? Alas! alas! Too often, ingratitude, rebellion, hardness of heart, alienation of affection, forgetfulness of His mercies, and following after other lovers rather than Himself!
[James Smith]
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1 Chronicles 17:20 ... O Lord, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.❤
