To whom were these words spoken? Three only were present. First the guilty pair. Mark their state: and learn from it that the first step in the way of salvation is taken by God. We have sure evidence before us. He wills to save, when man wills to die. He moves to save, when man moves to perish. our first parents are before Him, a picture of all fallen sinners who should be born of them. As they were, so are we by nature. They were sinners, blind and hardened. So are we. Blind, I say; for their eyes were not opened to the awful condition into which they had passed, or the awful misery, which was now their lot. Hardened, I say; for they did not confess their sin, or humble themselves, or weep tears of sorrow, or utter prayers for mercy. Just such is man’s natural blindness and hardness from that day to this. And still to such God comes in love: to such God speaks of recovery to His favour and His kingdom.
Reader, calmly meditate on this. You will see, that when man is all careless, God is all care; when man can do nothing, God does all; when man deserves nothing, God gives all. Salvation is from first to last of grace. Man rushes to hell. Grace calls to heaven.
Next, another being was present. But there was no hope for him. He was only told that destruction was his doom. We have here a proof, that God makes a difference between offenders. Let us not vainly ask, why mercy yearns over man, and turns from the angels which fell? There can be but one reply, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight”. And can we so reply, and not sing praise, that we, who have so sinned, should be so pitied, and have such rich provision of pardon? O my soul think on these things.