“Man, in Eden, was holy. He knew not what it was to sin, nor how such a thing as evil could find its way into a world so fair. He saw it excellent, and how it could lose its excellence, or become less perfect, he could not conceive.
Paradise was for him, and he for paradise; the dweller and the dwelling suited each other completely; the outer and the inner circle of being fitting in to each other in all their parts, and proportions, and motions.
God, too, was with him— the Maker of this wondrous earth and these infinite heavens—conversing with him, instructing him, blessing him with light and love. He had rested from His work, and came down to hold fellowship with man.
The seventh day’s dawn brought with it peace, the very peace of God. The calm of the Sabbath was there, a Sabbath like that which angels keep in heaven, a Sabbath such as earth has never since been gladdened with, but which we know it is yet to taste when the second Adam comes to make all things new.
It was then and thus that God began to tell the story of His goodness upon earth. ‘How great is His goodness!” was the living utterance coming forth from every thing created.
He had been telling that story in heaven from the time that there were any creatures to tell it to; that is, from the time that He peopled heaven with the blessed angels.
In what way He had been telling it there we know not; through how many ages it had been running, no record is given. But He had a purpose to tell it elsewhere, and to other beings besides the angels.
For this end He gave birth to the earth, that He might tell it there; that He might have another circle which it should traverse in a new form, and that thus He might make known more widely how glorious in GOODNESS He was.
For each happy scene on earth spoke aloud of this goodness. Each pure star above, and each rich flower below, told the story of this goodness. It was written over the whole earth in letters that all could see— it was spoken over earth in tones that all could hear.
Each scene distinctly breathed it; the sounds of sweet harmony, that went and came over the face of creation, had each a voice that articulately made known the story of this goodness.
“Day unto day uttered speech, and night unto night shewed knowledge.” (Psa. 19:2) What a story! How full, how vast, how varied!
Each hour, each moment, God was telling it to man, that man might rejoice more abundantly in Himself, and find what a portion for his soul is the favour of that infinite Being, out of whom all this goodness was pouring itself.
And each hour, each moment, man might have been singing:
“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens.” (Psa. 8:1)
“Thou art, worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:11)
“Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty.” (Rev. 15:3)
In all this it was not merely wisdom and power that God was displaying. It was goodness. It was His heart that God was opening up to man, for it was the knowledge of that, that alone, which could make him blessed.
Man might know much of God, but if he knew not this, he could have no enjoyment. Every thing depended upon his knowing that the heart of Him who made him beat lovingly towards him.
This was life, and, without it, life could not be. This was the charm of being, and, without it, existence could not but be a blank, nay, something more terrible— a curse!
It is not the works of God that can gladden us, however perfect, if separated from His heart. It is not the knowledge of His wisdom, or His greatness, or His majesty, that can fill our souls with peace.
If these are disjoined from His paternal feelings, they can only amaze or terrify us. It is God Himself, the Father of our spirits, that is our real portion.
His largest gifts are nought to us without Himself. They are precious in themselves, but apart from Him they cannot satisfy or bless.
It is the love of the Giver, not the beauty of His gift, that meets the cravings of the human spirit.”
–Horatius Bonar, The Story of Grace: An Exhibition of God’s Love (Geanies House, Scotland: Christian Focus, 1848/2025), 21-23.
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