A Gracious Alternative Thoughts
of God by John McDuff 1864 How precious are your thoughts
unto me, O God! Or let him take hold of my strength,
that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with
me." Isaiah chapter 27 verse 5. God had just spoken of the
certain destruction that would overtake obstinate and incorrigible
sinners. These he describes under the
similitude of briars and thorns set against me in battle. I will
go through them," says he. I will burn them up together. He guards us by a preliminary
statement against entertaining the supposition that he has any
delight in the exercise of such stern retribution. Fury is not
in me. There is with him whose nature
and whose name is love. No vindictive passion, no capricious
wrath, no wayward impulses of anger, analogous to those in
man. His thoughts in this respect,
too, are not our thoughts. His hatred at sin is a principle. It is the deliberate recoil of
his own infinitely holy nature from iniquity. that iniquity
which his justice and righteousness require him to punish. Let us
beware of a harsh and repulsive theology that would assimilate
God to the avenging deities of the heathen. He is slow to smite. He delights in mercy. Judgment
is His strange work. He visits iniquity to the third
and fourth generation of those who hate Him. He shows mercy
to thousands of those who love Him. At the same time, neither
must we forget that He is glorious in holiness. to that very revelation
which he made to Moses of his name and memorial as, The Lord,
the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness
and in truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin. He appends a solemn averment,
and who will by no means clear the guilty? O most solemn, most
terrible thought to those who are still as thorns and briars
against him in battle! who are still enemies by nature
and wicked works. They cannot escape His wrath.
They cannot elude His righteous retribution. If they continue
in sin, they can only know in their bitter experience what
a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living
God. He will burn them up together. He is to all such a consuming
fire. But Our motto verse contains
a wondrous alternative of mercy. At the very moment when sinners
are rushing with blind madness against the thick bosses of Jehovah's
buckler, he whom they have made their enemy has a thought in
his heart of loving reconciliation. Listen to the gracious proposal.
Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me.
Who is the strength of God? Let Scripture answer. Let your
hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the Son of Man
whom you made strong for yourself. Christ is the power of God, the
arbitrator between us. who has laid his hand upon us
both. He also is our peace. Being justified
by faith, we have peace with God. Peace not as the world gives,
was his parting, special legacy. It is a sure and well-grounded
peace, purchased by his atoning blood, and secured and perpetuated
by his continual intercession. Hence the gracious proposer of
reconciliation adds the assurance, And he shall make peace with
me. It is a glorious certainty. Take hold of that arm and salvation
is sure. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and you shall be saved. A present peace, a sure peace,
a permanent peace, peace now and peace forever. None is able
to pluck you out of his hand. Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord. Give ear, O shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock. Stir up your strength and come
and save us. For I know the plans I have for
you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not
for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. you