The Tender Mercies of God
by Edward Griffin
This mercy is still further heightened by the patience and condescending tenderness which he exercises towards his people. He calls them his friends, his brethren, his children, his spouse, the members of his body, the apple of his eye. In the character of a near and tender relation, he has become a mild medium through which they may look up into the transcendent splendors of the Godhead without dazzling or paining their sight. Although the awesome God of majesty, he is not ashamed to own and befriend a poor race of unsightly outcasts and to take them into union with himself. With unconquerable patience he bears with all their provocations, and with unfailing faithfulness remains their friend during all their perverseness and ingratitude. Though their returns are such as would weary any other love, he is still engaged in pardoning their sins, subduing their corruptions, and conducting them to glory.
As a tender Shepherd he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in his bosom. And O with what overpowering kindness does he speak to them when he holds communion with them, when he meets them in a happy hour as they are walking out like Isaac to meditate at the evening tide, and drawing aside the veil, shows the sweetest countenance dressed in celestial smiles; or when finding them bowed to the earth and drenched in tears - he gently raises them in his arms, and with more than a mother's tenderness wipes the sorrows from their cheeks and breathes ineffable consolation into their spirits. You who have known his love, can witness the ineffable sweetness with which he manifests himself at such seasons. In his providence he takes care to allow no real evil to befall his people, to withhold from them no real good, and to make them the happier for every event. And when this trying life is past, he will receive them to his own presence, to a near and ever increasing union to himself, where perfect and reciprocal love, shall hold immortal reign.
This wondrous mercy is further expressed in the gift of his written Word. When we perceive the breathings of divine love in those precious Scriptures which were inspired by the Holy Spirit; when the soul lies at some divine promise, drinking in immortal refreshment, and filling itself as from some celestial spring - O how rich and vast does the love of God appear.
Fresh evidences of this love spring up at every review of his past providence towards the Church. "In his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bore them and carried them all the days of old." The preservation of Noah in the ark, the call and protection of Abraham, the deliverance of the Church from Egypt, its support in the wilderness and establishment in Canaan, the numerous deliverances wrought for Israel, their restoration from Babylon, the establishment and astonishing growth of the Christian Church, its protection during the successive persecutions, and the continued efforts of the Spirit to preserve and enlarge it, are all monuments of amazing love and faithfulness. And when we cast our eyes down the slope of ages and behold the glory of Zion filling all the earth, how do we rejoice, and think the bliss too great to be real. And then, when we open the Scriptures and behold a "Thus says the Lord" expressly to confirm our hopes, with what rapturous gratitude do we make our boast of him; "Lo this is our God, we have waited for him and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."
All these are the more affecting, as being marks of distinguishing love. Redeeming grace passed by the fallen angels - to bring salvation to men. The privileges of Gospel light and ordinances were taken from the heathen to be given to us. The blessings of personal holiness and divine communion are conferred on the people of God - while withheld from the rest of the world. Our lives are continued in a world of hope - while millions are called to their last account. While God was preserving the Hebrew Church and nourishing it with a Father's care - Edom, Moab, and Ammon were given to the sword. And while angels sing only of the goodness of the Lord, the redeemed will shout "grace, grace," and with higher notes and ecstasies chant the praises of redeeming love.
The grace of God appears still greater - as being abundant and free for all. The language of divine compassion is, "Ho everyone that thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat; yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."
Having drawn this outline of the mercies of God, I shall now present them as motives to holy feelings and practical godliness.
What admiration should possess our minds - as we contemplate this wonderful love of God. Nothing in the universe is so amazing. Not an angel in heaven but lives in astonishment continually. And yet it is infinitely greater than ever Gabriel imagined. As the sublime intellects of the upper world expand, it will appear more and more amazing to eternity.
And while we wonder, let gratitude fill our hearts. Of what avail is our admiration without our thanks? It would only bring us to the condition of those who "gaze and wonder and perish." What are our hearts made of - if they can lie under the weight of all these obligations and be unthankful still? Let us retain a sense of divine mercies always upon our heart, and not allow them, after a transient impression, to pass off into oblivion. Let not the blessings of former years be forgotten, but let them frequently be brought in review before us, that we may never cease to remember how much we owe to our Lord.
To lasting gratitude - let lasting love be added. What infinite beauty and worth belong to Israel's God. And shall we be thankful for personal favors - and not love the benevolence which embraces the universe? This would be only the contracted gratitude of a heart - which can be engaged by nothing but the loaves and fishes.
Let it be our daily joy that the universe contains such a God - a God whose happiness consists in doing good, and who is executing so vast a plan for the promotion of creature happiness, that he already realizes infinite blessedness in gratified benevolence. Let universal joy catch from heart to heart and circulate through heaven and earth that such a God lives, reigns, and is happy. Let this be our morning and our evening song. Let it break in like the dawn of day upon our gloomy hours; and like the sinking but recovered David, let us be transported with the thought, "But you, O Lord, shall endure forever, and your remembrance unto all generations!"
To such a God our highest praise belongs. He is the object of the incessant and rapturous praise of all the choirs of paradise - and shall men neglect their harps? In the warm transports of David's heavenly muse, let us invoke the sun and all the orbs of light, the earth and all the things thereon, the heavens and all their happy spirits, to praise the Lord - to praise him in the heights and in the depths - to praise him with the voice of song, and with all the varieties of instrumental harmony.
Let such a God be the supreme object of our faith, our hope, our confidence. On him let us place our dependance for everything we need for time and eternity. Renouncing this delusive world and every idol which would rival him in our hearts, let us make him our only point of rest, our only portion. Let him be the object of our daily and cheerful worship. Let hypocrisy be banished from our religion, and let sincerity mark our worship of him whose friendship for man has been so sincere. Disclaiming all self-seeking, after his unselfish love to us, let us live only for him; and in duty to one who so greatly denied himself for us, let us largely practice self-denial. Henceforth let us consecrate ourselves to the service of him who served us in death; and by our obedience to all his commands attest the sincerity of our love and gratitude.
