A Just God and a Saviour

Notes

1. God delights in the association of pure, intelligent creatures. This is likewise the greatest delight that the human mind can experience. Our Father knows full well that we can be supremely happy only in His service, and when our minds are filled with His thoughts, and our eyes behold His glory; even as the Saviour, having the highest happiness of His followers at heart, said, "Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me; for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world." From this view-point, God is a jealous God, jealous for the supreme happiness of His people—for the service of any other than the true God can only bring them misery. It is for this reason that He says, "My glory will I not give to another," for if His glory were bestowed upon another, it would make "another" an object of worship, which would result in confusion and sorrow to some of God's creatures. He only glorified His Son with Himself, and not separately. See John 17:5.

2. "Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fulness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled."—Desire of Ages, page 37.

"The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of life's peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan's power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a ⟦bitterer?⟧ conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only-begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our little ones. 'Herein is love.' Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth!"—Id., page 49.

3. "I have seen the tender love that God has for His people, and it is very great. I saw angels over the saints with their wings spread about them. Each saint had an attending angel. If the saints wept through discouragement, or were in danger, the angels that ever attended them would fly quickly upward to carry the tidings, and the angels in the city would cease to sing. Then Jesus would commission another angel to descend to encourage, watch over, and try to keep them from going out of the narrow path; but if they did not take heed to the watchful care of these angels, and would not be comforted by them, but continued to go astray, the angels would look sad and weep. They would bear the tidings upward, and all the angels in the city would weep, and then with a loud voice say, Amen. But if the saints fixed their eyes upon the prize before them, and glorified God by praising Him, then the angels would bear the glad tidings to the city, and the angels in the city would touch their golden harps and sing with a loud voice, Alleluia! and the heavenly arches would ring with their lovely songs."—Early Writings, pages 81, ⟦82?⟧.

4. The greatest possible danger to the children of men is to presume upon, or abuse, God's mercy; for probation for each individual will close all too soon, and when despised mercy no longer lingers, many will be surprised. See Isa. 33:14.