When we were alien, it came to this: either we must die eternally or the Son of God must spill His blood: either we or God's own Son must suffer God's wrath, one of the two; either miserable worms of the dust that had deserved it or the glorious, amiable, beautiful, and innocent Son of God. The fall of man brought it to this; it must be determined one way or the other and it was determined by the strangely free and boundless grace of God that His own Son should die so that the offending worms might be freed and set at liberty from their punishment, and that justice might make them happy. Here is the grace indeed; well may we shout. "Grace, grace!" at this.And besides, God did not do this for friends, but for enemies and haters of Him. He did not do it for loyal subjects, but for rebels. He did not do it for those who were His children, but for the children of the devil. He did not do it for those who were excellent, but for those who were more hateful than toads or vipers. He did not it for those who could in any way be profitable or advantageous to Him, but for those who were so weak that, instead of profiting God, they were not able in the least to help themselves.
What a vast difference is there between a poor, miserable sinner, full of sin and condemned to hellfire, and a saint shining forth in robes of glory and crown of victory and triumph; but no less difference than this made in the same man by the grace of God in Christ.
Alas, miserable creatures that we are, instead of the gift of God offered in the gospel's not being great enough for us, we are not worthy of anything at all. We are less than the least of all God's mercies. Instead of deserving the dying Son of God, we are not worthy of the least crumb of bread, the least drop of water, or the least ray of light. Instead of Christ's not having done enough for us by dying in such pain and ignominy, we are not worthy that He should so much as look on us instead of shedding His blood. We are not worthy that Christ should once make an offer of the least benefit instead of His so long urging us to be eternally happy.
Let those who have been made partakers of this free and glorious grace of God spend their lives much in praise and hallelujahs to God for the wonders of His mercy in their redemption.
Consider that great part of your happiness in heaven, to all eternity, will consist in praising God for His free and glorious grace in redeeming you. And if you would spend more time about it on earth, you would find this world would be much more of a heaven to you than it is. Therefore, do nothing while you live but speak and think and live God's praises.
