* God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from free grace : (1.) that the worst of sinners may have strong grounds for hope and comfort ; (2.) for the prai.se of his own glory; (3.) that vain man may not boast; (4.) that our mercies and blessings may be sure to us.
» ^f.^igii,a, Tov etfltf, the gracious gift of God. Chariama signifies a gift flowing from the free grace and favour of God, John x. 28.
* The rainbow ia signum gratice et faederit.
378 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
Neh. ix. IG, 17, ' But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, and refused to obey ; neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a cap- tain to return to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and for- sookest them not ' ? ' Thou art a God,' says he, ' ready to pardon,' or rather as it is in the original, ' And thou a God of pardons' [ni'?N nnxi nilT'^D]. There is a very great emphasis in this Hebraism, ' a God of pardons.' It shews us that mercy is essential unto God, and that he is incomparable in forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Here Nehe- miah sets him forth as one made up all of pardoning grace and mercy. As a circle begins everywhere, but ends nowhere, so do the mercies of God, Micah vii. 18.
When Alexander did sit down before a city, he did use to set up a light, to give those within notice that if they came forth to him whilst the light lasted, they might have quarter ; if otherwise, no mercy was to be expected. Oh ! but such is the mercy and patience of God to sinners, that he sets up light after light, and waits year after year upon them. When they have done their worst against him, yet then he comes with his heart full of love, and his hands full of pardons, and makes a proclamation of grace, that if now at last they will accept of mercy, they shall have it, Luke xiii. 7, Jer. iii. 1-15. Why, then, O despairing soul ! dost thou make thy life a hell by having such low and mean thoughts of God's mercy, and by measuring of the mercies and bowels of God by the narrow scantling' of thy weak and dark under- standing ?
Again, tell me, O despairing souls ! have you seriously pondered upon those words in Isa. Iv. 7-9 : ' Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man' (or rather as it is in the original, 'the man of iniquity'*) ' his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon,' or as it is in. the original, * He will multiply to pardon.'^ ' For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts' ? Turn, 0 despairing souls ! to these scriptures : Num. xiv. 19, 20 ; Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7 ; Micah vii. 18, 19 ; Isa. xxx. 18, 19 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 34-4-0 ; ciii. 8-13 ; Jer. iii. 1-12 ; Luke xv. 20-24 ; 1 Tim. i. 13-17 ; and tell me whether you have seriously and frequently pondered upon them !
Oh ! how can you look so much grace and so much love and favour, and such tender bowels of compassion, in the face, as appears in these scriptures, and yet rack and tear your precious souls with despairing thoughts !
Oh ! there is so much grace and goodness, so much love and favour, so much mercy and glory, sparkling and shining through these scrip-
* » Measurement' or portion ; another Sb&kesperian word, ' Scantling of good or bad,' Troilus and Cressida, i. 8. — G.
* ]1K K'N"'"!, veish aven ; the man of iniquity, t. e. one that makes a trade of sin.
^ n2"l*"*3. He will multiply to pardon, or he will increase his pardon, as the sinner increases his sins.
Rom. VIII. 32-34.] heaven on earth. 379
tures, as may allay tte strongest fears, and scatter the thickest dark- ness, and cheer up the saddest spirits, &c.