AMAZING GRACE! ASTONISHING KINDNESS!

"Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man." —Matthew 26:74 [KJV]

Self-righteous hearts are ready to think, better to have concealed Peter's abominable wicked conduct. No; the Spirit of wisdom hereby stains the glory of all flesh, and exalts the super-abounding riches of Jesus' grace over the aboundings of sin. He shews, in Peter's denying his loving Saviour, what human nature is, and what shocking depths of sin a believer may fall into when left to the workings of carnal nature and the buffetings of Satan. Dreadful to think of! Most earnestly to be prayed against! 

Yet we see the affectionate heart of Jesus is ever towards His wounded, fallen members. Love is within, and by a look of love, how suddenly, how effectually did Jesus raise and restore Peter! Three denials of Jesus, each attended with higher aggravations, though deserving only a look of wrath, and a frown into hell; yet were followed with a look from Jesus which broke Peter's heart into affection, and melted his very soul into love. Amazing grace! Astonishing kindness! 

Let no disciple think, I am not in danger of falling, after the like example of unbelief; for every one is. If any poor lamb of Jesus' flock is fallen, and has been worried and torn by the wolf, let him not say that his loving Shepherd has cast him off for ever, and has no more care for him or love to him. What! will the true Shepherd Who gave His life for the sheep, Who bought every one of them with His own blood, will He suffer the enemy to rob Him of His property, and destroy any one of His purchased ones? No, verily, this can never be while Jesus is mighty to save. 

That can never come to pass till Jesus ceaseth to love, and He can as soon cease to exist; for Jesus is God, and GOD IS LOVE—1 John 4:16. O, how oft are our poor souls hurt and wounded! though not in denying Jesus to a fellow-creature with oaths and curses, yet too oft are we ashamed to confess His dear person, His precious cause, His despised cross. Yea, and when we entertain unloving thoughts of our Saviour, from the working of unbelief in the heart, this naturally tends to deny Jesus in His office and character; leads to depreciate and think too meanly of His salvation, His blood, righteousness, intercession, and faithfulness to His people. 

Hence we encourage guilty fears, our views of His love get clouded, a sense of it in the heart grows cold, and the influence of it on the life is benumbed. Is not this in effect to say, "I know not the man?" Such are the workings of nature and unbelief. O, how little do we consider what Christ hath done, and is doing for us! We have too mean and contracted views of Jesus at best; and such at times as we are ashamed of, when we are enabled clearly to view "Christ in us our hope of glory."—Colossians 1:27.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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