How often we forget this blessed truth about our Lord. We are ready to believe He is just, ready to believe that He will "by no means clear the guilty." But, we are slow to believe that he is "ready to pardon, gracious and merciful." No sooner does sin seize us than we are full of fear, expecting the Lord to visit us with trouble, supposing that mercy and grace are not natural to Him and we have, by our sin, disqualified ourselves for the rare prize of His favor. But notice the words: "Ready to pardon." Does that not presuppose a criminal in need of pardon? "Gracious and merciful." To whom else could these words speak than the worthless and wretched? "Slow to anger." Is this not to be taken as comfort to one whose actions make him fear he has provoked the Lord to wrath? In short, these words mean nothing if they do not apply to those worthy of God's wrath. The Lord is always amazing in His grace. We do not honor Him by our sin; but we do honor him as sinners when we trust His grace to cover our vilest sins and forgive our greatest failures!