"My soul, stand thou at that sacred fountainhead, and adore and magnify for ever and ever God, even our Father, who hath loved us! In the very beginning, when this great universe lay in the mind of God, like unborn forests in the acorn cup; long ere the echoes awoke the solitudes; before the mountains ere brought forth; and long ere the light flashed through the sky, God loved His chosen creatures. Before there was any created being when the ether was not fanned by an angel's wing, when space itself had not an existence, when there was nothing save God alone even then, in that loneliness of Deity, and in that deep quiet and profundity, His heart moved with love for His chosen. Their names were written on His heart, and then were they dear to His soul. Jesus loved His people before the foundation of the world even from eternity! and when He called me by His grace, He said to me, 'I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.'"
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Jeremiah 31:3
The distinguishing mercy of God in drawing sinners that He has chosen to Himself is often portrayed and caricatured as being heartless and cold. The misunderstanding of some makes God's choice of salvation to be like a magician who reaches into his magical hat and arbitrarily pulls up a handful of names (the elect). And then drags the sinner to Himself kicking and screaming against his will (the sinner's will) because he does not want the gift of righteousness and salvation from the person of Christ. Salvation, election and irresistible grace, is very different from the false impressions above. Election is based upon God's pre-temporal love or foreknowledge (1 Peter 1:2), and God draws the sinner by giving him a will that delights in Christ and the gift of salvation (Psalm 110:3). Read and appreciate the words of Charles Spurgeon from his "Autobiography" as he graphically and picturesquely describes God's distinguishing grace!
"My soul, stand thou at that sacred fountainhead, and adore and magnify for ever and ever God, even our Father, who hath loved us! In the very beginning, when this great universe lay in the mind of God, like unborn forests in the acorn cup; long ere the echoes awoke the solitudes; before the mountains ere brought forth; and long ere the light flashed through the sky, God loved His chosen creatures. Before there was any created being when the ether was not fanned by an angel's wing, when space itself had not an existence, when there was nothing save God alone even then, in that loneliness of Deity, and in that deep quiet and profundity, His heart moved with love for His chosen. Their names were written on His heart, and then were they dear to His soul. Jesus loved His people before the foundation of the world even from eternity! and when He called me by His grace, He said to me, 'I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.'"
"My soul, stand thou at that sacred fountainhead, and adore and magnify for ever and ever God, even our Father, who hath loved us! In the very beginning, when this great universe lay in the mind of God, like unborn forests in the acorn cup; long ere the echoes awoke the solitudes; before the mountains ere brought forth; and long ere the light flashed through the sky, God loved His chosen creatures. Before there was any created being when the ether was not fanned by an angel's wing, when space itself had not an existence, when there was nothing save God alone even then, in that loneliness of Deity, and in that deep quiet and profundity, His heart moved with love for His chosen. Their names were written on His heart, and then were they dear to His soul. Jesus loved His people before the foundation of the world even from eternity! and when He called me by His grace, He said to me, 'I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.'"
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