September 8

"Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering?" Romans 2:4.

ONE of the ways in which God addresses us in his word is expostulation. To expostulate is to accuse before an open rupture. It is the lingering of friendship, offended indeed, but unwilling to abandon its object without further trial. It is anger blended with kindness; it is chiding accompanied with entreaty. This is a very pleasing view of the Supreme Being, and induces us to exclaim, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him; or the son of man, that thou visitest him? By the transgression of his law we reduced ourselves to ruin. He remembered us in our low estate, and provided for our deliverance. The blessing is placed before us and within our reach. But we disregard it, and contemn the Saviour as well as the Ruler. Thus we deserve that his wrath should come upon us. Yet before he pronounces sentence, he sends for us into his presence, and reasons with us, that, being unable to defend our conduct, we may acknowledge by our silence that we have acted a part that leaves us without excuse and without hope. "Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering?"

The apostle speaks of "the riches of his goodness." These riches appear in numberless displays. But he adds, "and forbearance and long-suffering," to induce us to consider the latter as the proof of the former.

To see, then, the riches of his goodness, let us contemplate his forbearance and long-suffering. Every thing in God enhances his patience.

His greatness enhances it. We are more affected with an affront from an equal than from a superior, and more from an inferior than from an equal. How does the master resent an offence from his slave, or a king from a subject? All comparison fails between God and us. He is the maker of all things, and all nations before him are as nothing.

This is the Being insulted. And who is the offender? A grovelling worm upon a dunghill. And yet he bears with us.

His wisdom enhances it. We cannot be affected with affronts of which we are ignorant. How would some be enraged if they knew only what is said of them by some of their "dear five hundred friends," how they turn them into ridicule before they have well left their house, and what freedoms they take with their character and their conduct in almost every company. None of our offences are secret from God. He hears all, sees all, and knows perfectly every imagination of the thoughts of our heart. And yet he bears with us.

His holiness enhances it. If we do not think and feel a thing to be an affront, there is no virtue, for there is no difficulty in enduring it. The trial is when it touches us to the quick in some most valued interest. Sin is exceedingly sinful. By nothing does God deem himself so dishonored. He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. It is the abominable thing which his soul hates. And yet he bears with us.

His power enhances it. Why do we put up with a thousand wrongs? We know them and feel them, but we reluctantly submit, because we have no way to punish them. Why are not sinners destroyed? Moses, when he had provoked the Egyptians, saved himself by flight. But whither can we go from God's presence, or flee from his Spirit? Some, when they have provoked resentment, have defied it, and successfully too. But who ever hardened himself against God, and prospered? His look is death. And yet he bears with us.

His beauty enhances it. We complain peculiarly of an injury or an insult from one who is much indebted to us. From another we say we could have borne it, but he is viler than the brute; for the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. We are under infinite obligations to the God we provoke. In him we have lived and moved and had our being. His table has fed us, his wardrobe has clothed us, his sun has warmed us. And this is not all. His kindness continues, notwithstanding all our ingratitude. And he not only spares us, but in every way indulges us. He waits to be gracious, and is exalted to have mercy upon us.

Yet are these riches of his goodness "despised"—despised by inconsideration. We treat them as unworthy of our notice. They do not occupy our thoughts or our words. Despised by disobedience. We resist their design, which is to lead us to repentance. God calls, but we will not answer. He knocks, but we refuse to open. Who is the Lord, that we should obey his voice? Despised by perversion. We turn them into instruments of rebellion, and make them the very means of increasing our impenitency. If we thought God would destroy us the next sin we committed, it would not be committed; but since he is too kind to do this, we are induced to offend him. We are evil because he is good.

How unreasonable is this contempt! How vile; how shameful! If an individual was to behave towards a fellow-creature as men are contimally acting towards the blessed God, no one could notice him but with astonishment and contempt. Yet we talk of the dignity of human nature, or contend that it is but slightly injured by the fall.

And how dangerous, how ruinous is this contempt! It is true, God is merciful and gracious. But he will by no means spare the guilty. Nothing equals the penalty of the gospel; it is the savor of death unto death.