Every act of God expressive of kindness or favor is an act of Grace and every act performed upon or in relation to His chosen people is an act of this kind. All the provisions necessary to their eternal salvation were made in Christ, while they were yet in a state of nonentity, yea, from all eternity.

For their sakes the foundations of the earth were laid; light and darkness, life and death, evil and good, angels, men and devils and all things present, past and to come, are so many expressions of God’s Grace to His people. And they are assured, through the apostle Paul that no creature shall be able to separate them from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:39.

Even though they fell in Adam and became dead in trespasses and sins? It was in full view of this state that God loved them with a Perfect Love and made for them all that rich provision of Grace of which we read in the Scriptures. Even though, when born, they go astray from the womb and run into all the excesses of riot and debauchery to which their depraved natures incline them, yet, God’s Grace is commended to them in that, “...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)Even though being dead and unable to know or value His kindness towards them, yet, God’s Grace has purposed they be quickened by the Spirit of Life.

Even though being quickened they are left to feel themselves exposed to wrath under the sentence of God’s violated law and borne down by a weight of guilt sufficient to sink a world to hell, there is in store for them, as the fruit of God’s Grace, a righteousness which shall put away all their shame, a Sacrifice that has paid for all their sins and a Sacrificial Lamb that their Faith shall behold, enduring the entire wrath that was due to them. Even though in their earthly pilgrimage they meet with sore temptations and dire afflictions, yet the LORD says His Grace shall be sufficient for them.When His providence seems to frown and bear strong marks of displeasure, yet, while He chastens, He loves and works all things together for good to them who are the called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28. That Grace therefore which ordained the salvation for God’s elect, shall be their Companion and Comfort through this vale of tears; their support in death and has in store for them in Heaven, an Inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and cannot fade away,1 Peter 1:4.

May we not then joyfully sing, ‘O to Grace how great a debtor!’