“Christ’s loving kindness to His people never changes” by J.C. Ryle

“Let us never forget this part of our Lord’s character: Christ’s loving kindness to His people never changes, and never fails.

It is a deep well of which no one ever found the bottom. It began from all eternity, before they were born.

It chose, called, and quickened them when they were dead in trespasses and sins. It drew them to God and changed their character, and put a new will in their minds, and a new song in their mouths.

It has borne with them in all their waywardness and shortcomings. It will never allow them to be separated from God.

It will flow ever forward, like a mighty river, through the endless ages of eternity.

Christ’s love and mercy must be a sinner’s plea when he first begins his journey. Christ’s love and mercy will be his only plea when he crosses the dark river and enters home.

Let us seek to know this love by inward experience, and prize it more. Let it constrain us more continually to live, not to ourselves, but to Him who died for us and rose again.”

–J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Luke (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1858/2012), 1: 111. Ryle is commenting on Luke 5:17-26.