be assured you will find that it endureth for ever and ever. If a doubt should arise in your mind-it is true, mercy in God cannot fail; but the exercise of it towards me may fail: I may so walk as to deprive myself of all claim and title to it. The Psalmist has given a direct answer to this ill-grounded suspicion. He says, the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, This is UPON THEM THAT FEAR HIM. their character: they fear their God. Once there was no fear of God before their eyes; but now they know him to be their Father. The Spirit of adoption has given them joy and peace in believing it. Hence a holy filial fear rules in their hearts, and influences their walk. While it operates thus; and as obedient children, they fear to offend their Loving Father, and desire to please him in all things, what ground have they to suspect that his mercy towards them should fail? But may they not cease to fear him, and then he will cease to be merciful to them? No, blessed be God. He has made ample provision in this case. "I will put my fear," says he, "into their hearts, and they SHALL NOT depart from me." This fear is one of the fruits of the Spirit, which he produces in all the children of God. And they have it from him as a covenant blessing, which is full security for its continuance. It is one of the graces provided for them in Jesus, by the Father's immutable love. "I will give them," says he, "one heart and one way that they may fear me FOR EVER!" The Holy Spirit is the guardian of this never-failing fear. It is his office to put it, and then to keep it in their hearts. He has the whole charge of it, and therefore he has promised to abide with them for ever, that they may fear the Lord all the days of their lives. : How exactly suited is this scripture to the case of the tempted christian! What a full provision is there made in it for his safety and peace! God has mercy for him and plenteous redemption-mercy reaching from everlasting to everlasting-always kind to the miserable. Mercy and misery are related as sin and salvation. There is not any thing, which a sinner can want, but mercy has a supply for him-a promised, a covenant, a never-failing supply. It is a Father's mercy, which will never leave his children, and the same mercy will not suffer them to leave him. His mind is fixed upon showing them mercy for ever and ever; and therefore he gives them his Spirit to abide with them, and to dwell in them. He abides with them, and they live he dwells in them, and they walk in the fear of God. And by the supply of the Spirit they go on, till they finish their course with joy. By meditating upon this scripture, the be liever is set at liberty. Though his faith staggered a little, yet the trial of it has done him good. He has learned an useful lesson, and gained much experience by it. His reflections upon what has passed in his mind, are such as these O how foolish was I to forget the atonement and righteousness of my dearest Immanuel, in whom alone I have pardon and acceptance! How base was I, and ungrateful! I was tempted to expect that in myself, which I can have only in him. Vile legal creature that I am! I abhor myself for behaving so ill to my best friend. What good can I have, but what I first receive from him? I agree with the apostle, that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. I am a very sink of sin, and of all uncleanness. I deserve mercy no more than the devil does. And yet I was looking out for some good quality in myself, on account of which God might be merciful to me. Whereas I am now satisfied he has no mercy, but in Jesus. All his mercies are covenant mercies; given from mere grace, and given to miserable sinners -not to make them self-admirers, but to humble them-not to lead them to think that they can bring God in debt to them for his own gifts, or for the right use of them, which is a fresh gift-but he gives all to the praise of the glory of his grace. He delighteth in mercy; and my case required mercy. It was such as his mercy could get all the honour of relieving. Therefore I ought, in the hour of temptation, to have trusted in his mercy, to have hoped in his mercy in time of trouble, and to have loved him for his mercy in time of misery. Here should my faith have directed its eye, and not to any good which I have done, or can do. I should have remembered, how it was with the election of grace, and with the vessels of mercy. God has one way of dealing with them all. Not by works of righteousness which they have done, but according to his mercy, he saveth them-freely, fully, eternally. All is from his own good will, from first to last. Every motive, which inclines him to do good to any sinner, is not excited by what the sinner does or is, but arises from himself. And when he bestows any good, it never is deserved, but is entirely an act of sovereign grace, flowing from the Father's love, out of the Son's fulness, by the influence of the Holy Spirit; and is given and continued to magnify and exalt the mercy of the eternal Three. O how did I dishonour the divine perfections by giving way to legal hopes, and by supposing that the divine will would be governed by my more or less de |
