Night Watches by John McDuff
The Justice of God Justice and judgment are the habitation of
your throne. Psalm 89 verse 14 The justice
of God is His holiness in exercise. Let us repair to the spot marked
out as the scenes of its most awful manifestation. In the depths
of eternity past, the summons was heard. A Waco sword against
my shepherd and against the man who is my fellow. That mysterious
commission has been fulfilled. The shepherd has been smitten.
Myriads of condemned spirits could not have borne to God's
inexorable rectitude so awful a testimony, as when on the cross
of Calvary, one lone voice sent up the wailing cry, My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me? Believer, rejoice! Justice which before had demanded
the execution of a righteous doom upon millions lost can now
unite with mercy in sheathing the avenging sword and exalting
over myriads redeemed. The law, which brought in a whole
world guilty before God, can exalt with mercy in seeing its
every requirement obeyed, its every demand fulfilled. The lawgiver
himself become the just and yet the justifier, unloosing every
chain of condemnation and pronouncing not guilty. Oh law, says Luther,
I drown my conscience in the wounds, blood, death, resurrection,
and victory of Christ. wondrous thought. Justice, the
very attribute which excluded the sinner, has become the first
to throw open a door of welcome, proclaiming that infinite merit
has cancelled infinite demerit. Infinite holiness has covered
infinite sin. While justice and judgment are
the habitation of God's throne, provision has been made whereby
in perfect consistency with every principle of His moral government,
mercy and truth may go continually before His face. Reader, it is
well for you often and devotedly thus to dwell on the inflexible
justice of your God. It will magnify and enhance to
you the riches of His grace, the glories of redemption, the
preciousness of Jesus. If the sinner is to be saved,
judgment must be laid to the line and righteousness to the
plummet. The sinless one must be condemned,
says Lefebvre, if he that is guilty is to go free. The blessed
one must bear the curse, if the cursed ones are to be brought
into blessing. The life must die, if the dead
are to live. In prayer one evening, says Henry
Martin, I had such near and terrific views of God's judgment upon
sinners in hell that my flesh trembled for fear of them. I
flew trembling to Jesus Christ as if the flames were taking
hold of me. Oh Christ will indeed save me
or else I perish. My soul Take hold of that touchingly
simple assurance to which justice has appended its seal. Whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, not perish. And justice and a
God of justice proclaiming so great salvation, safety from
the terrors of a violated law, rest from the accusations of
a guilty conscience, calmness in the prospect of death, grace
here, glory hereafter. Oh, what more can the sinner
need or the sinner's God bestow? I will lie down and sleep in
peace. For you alone, O Lord, make me
dwell in safety. Psalm 4 verse 8.