Oh stand and wonder!

(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity")

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us-that we should be called the sons of God!" 1 John 3:1

It is an infinite condescension in God to honor us with the title of sons, and therefore we should never think of it, nor ever speak of it-but with much amazement. O sirs! what matter of admiration is this-that the great and glorious God, who has many millions of glorious angels attending Him-that He should . . .
  look upon all redeemed people as His sons, 
  and love them as His sons,
  and delight in them as His sons,
  and clothe them as His sons,
  and feed them as His sons,
  and protect them as His sons,
  and stand by them as His sons,
  and lay up for them as His sons,
  and lay out Himself for them as His sons;
that those who have not deserved . . .
  a smile from God,
  a good word from God,
  a bit of bread from God, or
  a temporal blessing from God,
should be made the sons of God!

What manner of love is this-that those who have . . .
  so highly provoked God,
  walked so disobediently and contrary to God,
  were so exceeding unlike God,
  preferred every lust, and every toy and vanity before God,
  fought many years under Satan's banner against God,
  refused all the offers of mercy that have been made by God,
that those who have deserved to be . . .
  reprobated by God,
  damned by God, and
  to be thrown to Hell by God-
that these should be made the sons of God!

Oh stand and wonder! Oh stand and admire the freeness of His grace, and at the riches of His grace!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1