PAUL'S EXPERIENCE PERHAPS IS YOURS AS WELL. The apostle is speaking of being separated from his mother's womb, of being called by grace, of Christ being revealed in him, and of his being made a preacher and an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He traces up the whole process to the pleasure of God. It pleased God to convert, consecrate, and crown the Apostle with much eminent success. There was nothing in him to deserve it, nothing to move God to do it. He did it just because He would, because it pleased Him to do it. So is our case. Do we differ from others? From our former selves? Who made us to differ? Have we spiritual gifts and graces? Why were they conferred upon us, and not on others? We can trace it to no cause but the sovereign good pleasure of God. He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and has compassion because He will have compassion. When all have more than they deserve, none have cause to complain. But where some are peculiarly favoured, it becomes them to trace their favours to their proper source, and be grateful. "The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it pleased the Lord to make them His people."

For Meditation:
Our gracious God the work hath wrought,
With awful price we have been bought;
At Calvary's cross it pleased the Lord
To bruise His Son, begotten Word,
There justice met with mercy free,
God's pardon flowed to you and me.