Mic. vii. 18-20. Who is a God like unto thee, that par doneth iniquity, and paffeth by the tranfgreffion of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, becaufe he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compaffion upon us; he will fubdue our iniquities; and thou wilt caft all their fins into the depths of the fea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou haft fworn unto our fathers from the days of old. EVERY work of God fhould lead our thoughts up to its great author- The prophet had prayed that the Jews might be reftored to their own land 2 God had promifed that he would grant them fuch a deliverance from Babylon as he had before given to their ancestors from Egypt The prophet immediately elevates his thoughts from the deliverance to the author of it, and breaks forth in admiration of his mercy His devout acknowledgments lead us to confider God's mercy I. In its rife God has had at all times a "chofen remnant" in the world [They were very few in the days of Noah, or of Abraham In our Lord's day they were but a "little flock "-- [He "paffes by their tranfgreffions" with much longfuffering Though he feels anger against them, "he retains it not for ever" He "pardons their iniquities," giving them repentance unto life-] c Rom. xi. 5. a Ver. 14. b Ver. 15-17. e Pf. ciii. 1o. f Pf. vii. 11. In In fo doing he is actuated only by his own love and mercy [There is not any thing in his elect that can merit his favour But he "delighteth in mercy," and would gladly exercife it towards all - The iniquities of the wicked are a burthen to him He waits to be gracious unto them 1 He deliberates long before he cafts them off When he rejects them finally, he does it with reluctance'He is often fo troubled for the obitinate, that he refolves for his own fake to reclaim them by a fovereign exercife of almighty powerTM. When he has prevailed on a finner, he exults for joy And thus it is that he faves the remnant of his heritage — What reafon then have they to exclaim, "Who is like unto thee?" The mercy thus freely manifefted is worthy of admi ration alfo II. In its progrefs God continues to act with aftonishing forbearance towards them [They are, alas! too prone to backflide from him— They often provoke him to withdraw himfelf from them — But he leaves them not eternally to take the fruit of their mifconduct He has compaffion on them," remembering they are but duft He "turns to them again" after hiding himfelf for a little feafon r He reftores to them the light of his countenance How interefting and endearing is this defcription of his cha rafter! How muft every faint adopt the church's confeffion!-] He pledges himself not only to pardon, but to "fubdue their iniquities" 21. [He will not fuffer fin to have dominion over them *—— Judgment is called "his i Ifai. xxx. 18. Jer. iii. 19. frange work, his k Hof. vi. 4. n Zeph. ii. 17. See alfo the parables of the shepherd, the woman, the father, Luke xv. Ifai. xliii. 25. P Deut. xxxii. 20. • Lam. iii. 22. 9 Pf. ciii. 14. He hides his face in order to embitter fin to them He turns to them again to encourage their oppofition to it➡ He renews their ftrength when they are fainting"And gradually perfects in them the work he has begunWho can furvey this progrefs of mercy, and not exclaim "Who?" &c.-] But the full extent of God's mercy can only be seen III. In its confummation Sin cleaves to the Lord's people as long as they are in the body- Hence they have daily occafion for renewed forgivenefs But foon their pardon fhall be final and complete [God overthrew the Egyptian hoft in the Red Sea"There was not fo much as one of them left "— So will God" caft his people's fins into the fea "— rife If the Ifraelites fo rejoiced in feeing their enemies dead on the fhore, how will Chriftians in their final victory over fin !-] God will fulfil to them his promifes in their utmost extent [The promises as made to Abraham and his feed were "mercy" The confirmation of them to Jacob and to the church was "truth They have been established with the fanction of an "path" And thefe "promises" will be fulfilled" to all the feed ”Soon will "the head-ftone be brought forth with fhoutings," &c. * How will every glorified foul then admire the divine mercy! What energy will a fight of fins forgiven, of backflidings healed, of glory beftowed, give to the exclamation in the text! May this view of the fubject be realized in our experience!-] APPLICATION [Let the careless confider against whom their fins are committed Will "Ifai. xl. 29-31. * Zech. iv. 7. Will they never paufe, and exclaim, like Jofeph ? Let the penitent reflect on the defcriptions given of God in Scripture Nor let them judge of him by the dictates of fenfe Let the fincere believer apply to himself that congratulation And let him adopt that triumphant boast Col. ii. 6, 7. As ye have therefore received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and fablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. his THE greatcft joy of a faithful minifter is to fee Ins people flourish The apoftles were eminent examples to us in this refpect St. Paul was as folicitous for the welfare of thofe whom he had only heard of by report, as for those who had been converted by his miniftry b Hence he took occafion from what they had attained to urge them on to increafing watchfulness and affiduity I. The Chriftian's character Chrift is the great gift of God to mankind -- When we believe on him we are faid to receive him d The diftinguishing character of Chriftians is, that they have received him Freely [The pride of our hearts makes us backward to accept God's offers We a St. Paul was no lefs comforted with the piety of fome, 2 Cor. vii. 4. than he was grieved with the want of it in others, Rom. ix. 2, Gal. iv. 19. See alfo 3 John 4. b Col. n. 1, 5. * John iv. 10. VOL, 1. MM d John i. 1268, We would gladly earn, if poffible, an intereft in his favour But we muft receive him "without money, and without price" The Chriftian, from a sense of indigence, is willing to do this He accepts this gift as the moft unworthy of mankind — -] Fully [Some would embrace his facrifice, and reject his lawsOthers would obey his commands, and fet afide his atone ment But the true Chriftian receives him alike in all his officesHe relies on him as "Chrift, Jefus, the Lord," i. e. as his prophet to teach, his priest to atone, and his king to govern-] Deliberately [Many clofe with the offers of the gofpel precipitatelyHence in time of temptation they fall away" But the true Chriftian has "counted the coft" He knows what he is to expect in a tempting, perfecuting world He is determined to follow his Lord on the terms prefcribed] In confequence of his character he stands engaged to ferve God in a peculiar manner II. His duty The Christian is often reprefented as a pilgrim 'And Chrift is his " way" to the country to which he is travelling * Agreeably to this idea his duty is to "walk in Christ" In conformity to him [Believers are not at liberty to tread their former paths— The Lord Jefus is to be their pattern and example His zeal for God fhould be the object of their conftant imitation " His love to them should be the measure of their love to others In every difpofition they fhould firive to refemble himTheir obligation to this arifes from their character and profeffion P |