The Believer's Eternal Confession, by John MacDuff
by the grace of God I am what I am
first Corinthians 15:10 this
is the believers eternal confession
grace found him a rebel against God it leaves him
a son of God grace found him wandering
at the gates of hell its leaves him at the gates of heaven
grace devised the scheme of redemption
justice never would, reason never could
and it is Grace which carries out that scheme
no sinner would ever have sought God but by grace
the thickets of Eden would have proved Adam's grave
had not grace called him out. Saul
would have lived and died the haughty self-righteous
persecutor had not grace laid him low
the thief on the cross would have continued breathing
out his blasphemies had not grace arrested his tongue
and tuned it for glory. Out of the naughtiest timber
says Rutherford, God can make vessels of mercy for service
in the high palace of glory. I came
I saw I conquered may be inscribed by the Savior
on every monument of His grace. I came
to the sinner, I looked upon him and with the look of omnipotent
I conquered him
Believer, you would have been this day a wandering star
to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever
you would have been Christless, hopeless and
portionless had not grace constrained you
and it is grace which at this moment
keeps you. You have often been a Peter
forsaking your Lord but brought back to him again
why have you not bean a Demus or a Judas?
I have prayed for you that your faith fail not
is not this your own comment and reflection on life's retrospect
yet not I but the grace of God
which was with me. Seek
to realize your dependence on this grace every moment
more grace more grace needs to be your continual cry
His infinite supply is commensurate with your
Infinite need. The treasury of grace
though always emptying is always full
the key of prayer which opens it is always at hand
and the almighty bestower of the blessings of grace
is always waiting to be gracious
the recorded promise can never be cancelled or reversed
My grace is sufficient for you
the grace of God is the source of lesser temporal blessings
as well as of higher spiritual blessings
grace accounts for the crumb of daily bread
as well as for the crown of eternal glory
but even in regard to earthly mercies
never forget the channel of grace through Christ Jesus
it is sweet thus to connect every blessing
even the smallest and humblest token a providential bounty
with Calvary's cross to have the common blessings of life
stamped with the print of the nails it makes them
doubly precious to think all this flows from
Jesus by the grace of God I am
what I am. Reader seek to dwell much
on this inexhaustible theme