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times, and under all circumstances, proper for our consideration.

Two things we shall notice from it.

I. The mercy of God

The mercy of God will be found to be altogether of a boundless extent, whether we consider it,

1. As existing in his own bosom

[He is indeed angry both at sin itself and at those who commit it: and his anger he will surely manifest against every impenitent transgressor. "His wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men;" and it will surely "break forth against all the children of disobedience." Nevertheless, the inflicting of his judgments is "a strange act," to which he is utterly aversee. "Mercy" is the attribute in which "he most delights';" and, when he proclaimed his name, it was that by which he most desired to be known: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin." The whole Scriptures represent him in this view, and declare, with one voice, that he is "rich in mercy," and that "his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting unto those who fear him."]

2. As experienced by his people—

[Against the impenitent his anger must, of necessity, continue: but, towards the penitent and believing, it is of the shortest possible duration: "His anger endureth but for a moment. When Nathan pressed home upon the conscience of David the guilt he had contracted in the matter of Uriah, and had brought him to this acknowledgment, “ I have sinned against the Lord," the prophet was instantly directed by God to declare, that his iniquity, notwithstanding the enormity of it, was pardoned: "The Lord hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." Had there been any bounds to his mercy, Manasseh could never have found acceptance with him. The wickedness of that monarch exceeded all that one would have supposed a human being was capable of committing: yet was even he pardoned, as soon as he humbled himself before his God'. And how rapidly the mercy of God flies to the healing of a contrite soul, may be seen, as in numberless other instances, so in the psalm before us: "Hear, O Lord," said David, " and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper:" and then he immediately adds, "Thou hast turned for me my mourning

c Rom. i. 18.

f Mic. vii. 18.

i Ps. ciii. 17.

d Eph. v. 6.

8 Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.
k 2 Sam. xii. 13.

e Isai. xxviii. 21.

h Eph. ii. 4.

66

12 Chron. xxxiii. 12, 13.

into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness m."]

The whole preceding context, whilst it declares God's mercy, sets also before us,

II. Our duty in the contemplation of it—

As having experienced mercy, we are called to sing, and praise our God. But, as we are not all in the holy frame of David, and as the text itself suggests views somewhat different from those of joyous exultation, I shall adhere rather to the words before us, and point out our duty, not so much in the contemplation of mercy enjoyed, as of mercy needed and desired.

Though God so delights in the exercise of mercy, yet he requires that we seek it at his hands". We must seek it,

1. Supremely

["In his favour is life:" and the enjoyment of it must be our one object of pursuit. Not only must all earthly things be as nothing in our estimation, but life itself must be of no value in comparison of it. To have our interest in his favour a matter of doubt, must be as death to our souls: and we must live only to obtain reconciliation with him. What the frame of our minds, in reference to it, should be, we may see in those words of David: "I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Hear me speedily, O Lord! my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit! Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me."]

2. Humbly

["Weeping may endure for a night." We should certainly weep and mourn for our sins, as our blessed Lord has told us in his sermon on the mountP. And who amongst us has not just ground to weep? Who is there that has not reason to smite upon his breast with grief and shame for his past life, and, like David, to say, "I am weary with my groaning: all

m ver. 10, 11. For the further elucidation of this, see Jer. iii. 12, 13, 14, 22. and iv. 1.

n Ezek. xxxvi. 37.

o Ps. cxliii. 6-8.

P Matt. v. 4. with Luke vi. 20, 21.

the night make I my bed to swim: I water my couch with my tears?" This should be the experience of us all: 66 we must sow in tears, if ever we would reap in joy." Shall this be thought suited to the Mosaic dispensation only? It is not a whit less necessary under the Gospel dispensation: "Be afflicted, and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness: humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord; and he shall lift you up."]

3. Confidently

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[We should never doubt God's readiness to accept us, when we return to him. Whether our night of weeping be more or less dark, or of a longer or shorter duration, we should feel assured that "a morning of joy shall come," when "there shall be given to us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness"." In the contemplation of God's mercy as revealed in the Gospel, we should see, that he can be " a just God, and yet a Saviourt;' yea, that because "he is faithful and just, he will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"." To the exercise of his mercy He has assigned no limit: and we should assign none. We should be perfectly assured that "the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse from all sin*;" that "God will cast out none who come to him in his Son's name;" on the contrary, that "though our sins have been red like crimson," we shall, through the Redeemer's blood, "be made white as snow"."]

In this view of our subject, I would call your attention to the following obvious and salutary reflections— 1. How deeply to be pitied are the blind impenitent world!

[They will not believe that God is angry with them, or that they have any need to dread his displeasure: and, if we attempt to convince them of their danger, they account us no better than gloomy enthusiasts. But, whether they will believe it or not, God's eye is upon them for evil; and if they turn not to him in penitence and faith, they shall ere long feel the weight of his avenging arm. Who that should see a multitude of persons enclosed, like Baal's priests, and unconscious of their impending fate, would not pity them? Yet here are millions of immortal souls soon to be summoned into the presence of their Judge, and setting at defiance the doom that speedily awaits them: should not "rivers of tears run

q Ps. vi. 6.
t Isai. xlv. 21.
y John vi. 37.

Ps. cxxvi. 5. u 1 John i. 9.

z Isai. i. 18.

s Isai. lxi. 3.
x 1 John i. 7.

down our eyes for thema?" Yes, verily: as our Lord wept over Jerusalem in the view of the destruction that awaited it, and as the Apostle Paul had "great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart" on account of his unbelieving brethren, so should we mourn bitterly for those who will not mourn and be in bitterness for themselves.]

2. How richly to be congratulated is the weeping penitent!

[His carnal friends perhaps pity him for his weakness, or deride him for his folly. But the angels around the throne are of a very different mind: they, even in the presence of God himself, have an augmentation of their joy from one single spectacle like this: and God himself is not so intent on the heavenly hosts, but that he spies out such a poor object as this, and looks upon him with complacency and delight. Is there, then, here present one weeping penitent? I congratulate him, from my inmost soul. My Brother! crowns and kingdoms are of no value in comparison of the blessing conferred on thee. Be content to go on weeping, as long as God shall see fit to keep thee in that state of discipline: but know, that "joy is sown for thee;" and that, in due season, it shall spring up to an abundant harvest: for thus saith the Lord: "He that goeth on his way and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."]

3. What praises and thanksgivings are due from the pardoned sinner!

[At present you can have but little conception of the blessings conferred upon you: for you cannot see one thousandth part of your guilt, or conceive one thousandth part of the glory that awaits you: and still less can you comprehend the wonders of love and mercy that have been vouchsafed to you in the gift of God's only dear Son for your redemption. What indeed you do already know, is abundantly sufficient to fill your souls with unutterable joy, and your lips with incessant praise. But what will be your feelings at the instant of the departure of your soul from this earthly tabernacle, and of its admission into the presence of your God? Then you will see somewhat of the depth of misery from which you have been redeemed, and of the height of glory to which you are exalted; and will behold your Redeemer face to face; and join in all the songs of the redeemed and look forward to eternity as the duration of your bliss. Surely these things should be ever on your minds they should make you to be "looking for, and c Luke xv. 10.

a Ps. cxix. 136.

d Isai. lxvi. 2.

b Rom. ix. 2.
e Ps. cxxvi. 6.

hasting unto, the coming of that blessed day." But, suppose that your night of weeping were to continue to the very hour of your dissolution, how short would it appear, when once that morning burst upon your view! Are you not ashamed that you should ever grudge the seed for such a harvest? Will not one hour of that glory be an ample recompence for all the exertions you ever made for the attainment of it? Go on, then, with heaven in your view: and live in the sweet anticipation of the glory that awaits you. Methinks the very prospect of such a morning constitutes its very dawn, and will be to your souls the commencement of heaven upon earth.]

DXLIII.

CAUSE AND CURE OF SPIRITUAL DESERTION.

Ps. xxx. 6-12. In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved: Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong. Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication: What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me! Lord, be thou my helper! Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent: O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

AMONGST all the friends of vital godliness it is supposed that Christian experience is well understood: but it is a lamentable truth, that those in general who think themselves best acquainted with it, are exceedingly mistaken with respect to some of its most important parts. The distinctive offices of faith and unbelief, of confidence and fear, are by no means clearly defined in the minds either of ministers or people; on the contrary, they are often so confounded as to produce very serious evils; for by the misconceptions respecting them many are instructed to shun what God approves, and to cultivate what he abhors. For instance; A persuasion that we are God's elect people, and that we are in no danger of perishing, is recommended by many as the root and summit of Christian faith; whilst a fear lest we should have deceived ourselves, or should

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