Romans 2:4 Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering… I. WHAT ARE THE RICHES OF GOD'S GOODNESS? etc. The greatness, the abundance of His kindness and patience towards sinful men. 1. To understand this you must consider the greatness of the provocation that is given Him. Look around you — look within you! Can you help seeing how unspeakable the outrage that is offered to Him day by day! Think of — (1) The amount of it. There is not a moment in which ten thousand times ten thousand lips are not uttering corrupt communications; not a moment in which as many guilty hearts are not thinking wicked thoughts; not a moment in which as many hands and feet are not hastening to acts of sin. And God's all-seeing eye perceives at every instant, and in every quarter, one widespread scene of sin and vileness. (2) The heinousness of it. It is the Creator, the Preserver, the Redeemer of mankind who is thus sinned against. Nor do men sin through ignorance of His requirements. He hath written His law in the consciences of men; and to a vast multitude He hath revealed it plainly in His Scriptures. Yet they only listen to His precepts that they may tread them under foot. They know that He hath sent His Son into the world to die for them; and yet they do outrage to His very mercies — neglecting such a great salvation. 2. And now behold "the riches of God's goodness," etc. How doth He act? Doth He crush every sinner? No; He sits patiently seeing and hearing all the outrage that is done to Him; yet holding back His judgments, and giving breath to all these sinners, and providing food convenient for them. True, God doth in some cases break forth and vindicate the injured honour of His name by sending instant death on the transgressor. But such instances are comparatively rare. Where is the sinner who hath not cause to say that the Lord is slow to punish. 3. But why is this? (1) Is it because He looks upon sin with indifference and unconcern? Is it excusable — is it a trifle in His eyes? No; sin is an abomination in His holy eyes beyond what we can possibly imagine. (2) Is it, then, a want of ability to punish them? Were God only to pronounce the word, how instantly would death be at our side! Nay, were He only to take from you His preserving hand, where would you now be? (3) Why, then, if sin be so "exceedingly sinful," why does He prolong the life of the transgressor? (2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 33:1). II. WHAT FRAME OF MIND THEY OUGHT TO LEAD US TO. Who can meditate on the goodness of God and not feel that it calls him to repentance? 1. It does so, were it only for this reason, that it gives the sinner time and opportunity to turn to God. 2. While there is a time there is a call. So long as God's forbearance gives you opportunity, His grace gives you invitation. The sinner may be sure that, whilst the long suffering of God waiteth, he is welcome to a Saviour, and cannot seek in vain (Job 33:27, 28). 3. But God's long suffering makes, on another ground, a strong appeal to guilty man. Suppose it were a fellow creature we had wronged, and he should return our injuries with kindness and forbearance, should we not be moved and melted by it? Then how much more ought we to be melted down by the forbearance of our God! As often as you have sinned against Him, so often hath He pitied you and spared you. How different His dealings towards you from your dealings towards Him! Ought not this amazing kindness of the Lord to make you feel the vileness of your sins? III. WHAT IS IT TO DESPISE THEM? In order to reply there is only need to describe the way in which men do avail themselves of God's forbearance. 1. Multitudes draw courage from it to live on in sin (Ecclesiastes 8:11; Psalm 7:21). Let not, then, a man venture after reading the text to bolster himself up in sin by making God's long suffering his pillow. If God prolong a wicked man's life it is not because God hath a liking for that man, or because He views his conduct with indifference; it is to give him time and reason for repentance; but if the man be not led unto repentance by God's goodness to him, that goodness will only aggravate his final ruin (Psalm 92). 2. They also despise it who consider not "that the goodness of God leadeth them to repentance." Alas! how vain for countless multitudes of sinners is the time in which God waits for them! "The three-score years and ten" are all consumed in vanity, and end as they began. (A. Roberts, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? |
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