We are all living monuments of God's goodness and patience!
(Ralph Venning, "The Plague of Plagues!" 1669)
"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease - for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning! Great is Your faithfulness!" Lamentations 3:22-23
If sin is so exceedingly sinful - so contrary to, and displeasing to God - then surely . . .
His patience is exceedingly great,
His goodness is exceedingly rich, and
His long-suffering is exceedingly marvelous
- even such as to cause astonishment!
We are all living monuments of God's goodness and patience! It is of the Lord's mercies that all of us are not altogether and utterly consumed - and that in eternal Hell!
Such is . . .
the power of His patience,
the infiniteness of His mercy and compassion,
and the riches of His unsearchable grace!
Consider the multitude of sinners in the world. If it were only one or two sinners - then they might be winked at and passed by. But all the world lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19). There is none righteous - no, not one! If there had been only ten righteous ones - then God would have spared Sodom, although ten thousand sinners might be there. Yet there is not a single man to be found who does not sin. All have sinned - and that continually. What grace, then - what patience is this!
Consider the multitude of sins committed by every sinner. Every sinner commits innumerable sins! If all men had sinned only once - it would have mitigated the matter. Sin, however, has grown up with men. Not a single good thought is to be found in their hearts! (Genesis 6:5) Sin grows up faster than men do - they are old in sin, when still young in years. They are adding iniquity to iniquity, and drawing sin on with cords and ropes, committing it with both hands greedily, as if they could not sin enough! They dare God Himself to judge them. They drink down iniquity like water, as if it was their element and nourishment and pleasure also. Yet, behold, how miraculously patient is God!
God sees sin - He is sensible of it and angered about it - for it grieves and vexes Him. God is able to avenge Himself whenever He pleases - yet He forbears with sinners. Be astonished at it!
It is a wonder that men are spared so long - especially if we consider how quickly God cast the angels that sinned down to Hell!
O the wonder of sovereign grace!