The Unchangeable Method of God by Matthew Mead I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5 verse 32 That is, such as see themselves as sinners, and thereby in a lost condition. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19 verse 10 God will have the soul truly sensible of the bitterness of sin before it shall taste the sweetness of mercy. The plow of conviction must go deep and make deep furrows in the heart before God will sow the precious seed of grace there so that it may have depth of earth to grow in. This is the unchangeable method of God in bestowing grace. To begin with conviction of sin. First, to show man his sin, then his Savior. First, his danger, then his Redeemer. First, his wound, then his cure. First, his own vileness, then Christ's righteousness. The sinner must see the worthlessness and vileness of his own righteousness before he can be saved by Christ's righteousness. The Israelites are first stung with the fiery serpents, and then the brazen serpent is set up to heal them. We must see the leprosy of our righteousness and be brought to cry out, Unclean! Unclean! We must mourn for Him whom we have pierced, and then He sets open for us a fountain to cleanse us from all sin and impurity." Zechariah 12 verse 10 and Zechariah 13 verse 1. Be convinced of the evil of sin. the filthy and heinous nature of it. Sin is the greatest evil in the world. It wrongs God. It wounds Christ. It grieves the Holy Spirit. It damns a precious soul. All other evils cannot be compared with this. Though to do sin is the worst work, yet to see sin is the best sight. Sin discovered in its vileness makes Christ to be desired in His fullness. Alas, it is Christ's infinite righteousness which must atone for our sins. For it is an infinite God whom we have sinned against. If ever your sin is pardoned, it is Christ's infinite mercy which must pardon it. If ever you are reconciled to God, it is Christ's infinite merit which must do it. If ever your heart is changed, it is Christ's infinite power which must affect it. If ever your soul escapes hell and is saved at last, it is Christ's infinite grace which must save it. This Puritan devotional has been brought to you by Grace Gems, a treasury of ageless Sovereign Grace writings. Please visit our website at www.gracegems.org, where you can browse and freely download thousands of choice books, sermons, and quotes, along with select audio messages. No donations accepted. Thank you.