The Night Watches: The Grace of God

Psa 63:6; 130:6; 42:8

By John MacDuff

"By the Grace of God I am what I am." This is the believers eternal confession. Grace found him a rebel — it leaves him a son. Grace found him wandering at the gates of hell — it leaves him at the gates of heaven. Grace devised the scheme of Redemption. Justice never would; Reason never could. And it is Grace which carries out that scheme. No sinner would ever have sought his God but "by grace." The thickets of Eden would have proved Adam's grave had not grace called him out. Saul would have lived and died the haughty self-righteous persecutor, had not grace laid him low. The thief on the cross would have continued breathing out his blasphemies, had not grace arrested his tongue and tuned it for glory. "Out of the knottiest timber," says Rutherford, "He can make vessels of mercy for service in the high palace of glory!"

Toplady writes — "I came, I saw, I conquered," may be inscribed by the Savior on every monument of grace. "I came to the sinner; I looked upon him; and with a look of omnipotent love, I conquered."

Believer, you would have been this day a wandering star, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever — Christless, hopeless, portionless; had not grace invited you, and grace constrained you! And it is grace which, at this moment, "keeps" you. You have often been a Peter — forsaking your Lord, but brought back to Him again. Why have you not been a Demas or a Judas? "I have prayed for you that your faith fail not." Is not this your own comment and reflection on life's retrospect? — "Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me!"

Seek to realize your dependence on this grace every moment. "More grace! more grace!" needs to be your continual cry. But the infinite supply is commensurate with the infinite need. The treasury of grace, though always emptying, is always full. The key of prayer which opens it, is always at hand: and the Almighty Bestower of the blessings of grace is always "waiting to be gracious." The recorded promise never can be cancelled or reversed — "My grace is sufficient for you."

Reader! seek to dwell much on this inexhaustible theme. The grace of God is the source of lesser temporal blessings, as well as of higher spiritual blessings. It accounts for the crumb of daily bread as well as for the crown of eternal glory. But even in regard to earthly mercies, never forget the CHANNEL of grace — "through Christ Jesus!" It is sweet thus to connect every (even the smallest and humblest) token of providential bounty with Calvary's cross — to have the common blessings of life stamped with "the print of the nails." It makes them doubly precious to think, "This flows from Jesus!"

When with dear friends sweet talk I hold.
And all the flowers of life unfold —
Let not my heart within me burn.
Except in all I You discern!

Let others be contented with the uncovenanted mercies of God. Be it mine to say, as the child of grace and heir of glory — 'My Father in heaven, give me today my daily bread.' Reposing in the "all sufficiency in all things" promised by "the God of all grace," "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8