Romans 2:4 Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering… I. DIVINE GOODNESS, IN ITS RELATION TO MAN, IS VERY EXTRAORDINARY — 1. In its plentitude. "The riches of His goodness." See this — (1) In his constitution. The extent of God's goodness to a being may be determined by the capacities which He has given for happiness, and the provision He has made to supply them. How great, then, His goodness in the constitution of man! He has a capacity for sensational, intellectual, social, and religious pleasure. Beasts have a capacity for sensational pleasure, but not for intellectual; angels have a capacity for intellectual, but not for sensational; man has a capacity for both. He has powers to draw happiness from all the wells of enjoyment. (2) In His redemption. "God so loved the world," etc. "Herein is love," etc. 2. In its form. It is "long suffering" — forbearance. God's goodness to brutes or angels is not "long suffering." But His goodness to man is goodness holding back the arm of indignant justice. 3. In its design — to lead to "repentance"; to reform our souls. II. MAN'S CONDUCT, IN RELATION TO DIVINE GOODNESS, IS VERY DEPRAVED. This is seen — 1. In his inconsideration. "Not knowing." Men pay no attention to the moral meaning and design of all this goodness. 2. In his insensibility of heart. "Thy hardness and impenitent heart." Pharaoh a type. His heart grew stony under the rich showers of Divine goodness. 3. In his self-destructiveness. "Treasurest up wrath." He is transmuting those very streams of goodness into poison. See the electric cloud on the summer's sky. It was as small as a man's hand half an hour since, but it has grown wondrously. What is it doing? "Treasuring up." Every fresh particle swells and blackens it. It will burst in flame and thunder soon. That cloud is an emblem of the sinner. III. THE DAY OF JUDGMENT WILL BE VERY AWFUL IN RELATION TO SUCH CONDUCT. There will come such a day. There is historic, moral, and Biblical evidence enough to satisfy us of this. 1. This judgment will be a righteous judgment. "The righteous judgment of God." 2. A universal judgment. "Who will render to every man according to his works." How will the abuser of Divine goodness stand in this judgment? He will have "tribulation and anguish." (D. Thomas, D. D.) 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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