Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth!
(James Smith, "The Love of Christ! The Fullness, Freeness, and Immutability of the Savior's Grace Displayed!")
"I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love!
With unfailing love, I have drawn you to Myself!" Jeremiah 31:3
The love of Christ is unending; it is not a passion of His humanity—but a perfection of His divinity. He has always existed—and He has always loved His people. His people . . .
always had a place in His thoughts,
have ever been before His eye, and have always been loved by Him!
He has loved them ever since He knew them—and He knew them from eternity!
His love ran through the boundless ages of eternity past—and fixed upon poor sinners who were to appear during the existence of time; and having fixed upon them—His love maintains its unfailing hold!
When He created the earth, spread abroad the Heavens, and gave His decree to the sea—His love was fixed upon His people!
Their welfare, in connection with His Father's glory—was the object which He sought in all things.
Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth! That Jesus should have fixed His love upon such poor, depraved, insignificant creatures—and that from eternity past!
When we meditate upon eternity past—we can say in reference to the most distant periods, "My Savior loved me then! He loved me from all eternity!" Glorious truth! He always has loved me—and He always will love me! He loved me . . .
before angels existed,
before devils appeared,
before sin was committed!
He loved me—when the Godhead dwelt all alone! O the depths! Astonishing mystery! It seems too good to be true! But God has said it, and my soul shall rejoice in it and praise Him for it!
His love to me is as eternal as His nature—without beginning of days, or end of years.
From His love, as from a mighty ocean, flows . . .
all the acts of His power,
all the displays of His benevolence,
all the manifestations of His grace, 9and all the provisions of His gospel.
It is sweet to silently meditate upon the thought, of such a vile and insignificant creature as I am—that Jehovah-Jesus not only thought of me—but eternally loved me with all the strength of His Deity!
He so loved me, as to be willing, when it became necessary—to take my nature, and to save me by His humiliation, sufferings, and death!
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