A SERMON ON MIC AH VII. 18.
Who is a God like unto tJiee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth hj the transgression of the reranant of his heritage? — Micah vii. 18.
The words express an admiration of the Lord's incomparable goodness and pardoning mercy. The question is, how they are brought in here in this place? The prophet had prophesied of great things which God would do for his people, and the fountain of all is his pardoning mercy.
Ohs. That the ground and foundation of all our hope and comfort in our restoration after our distresses is the Lord's pardoning mercy.
The state of God's people now was mean and calamitous. They were fallen by their iniquity ; yet not fallen past recovery, not sunk beneath all hope : ver. 8, ' Kejoice not against me, 0 mine enemy ; when I fall I shall arise.' The church adviseth her adversaries to sobriety and moderation in using those advantages they had against her ; for the Lord hath his times, as of chastening and casting down his people, so also of delivering and raising them up again, and clothing their enemies with shame. Therefore the prophet speaks of buikling up the fallen walls, ver. 11, 12. Desolate churches have their time of restoration, when God will do marvellous things for his people, ver. 15, and so reckon with their adversaries that they should move out of their holes like worms out of the earth, because they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, ver. 16, 17. And then presently, in the text, ' Who is a God like unto thee ? ' &c. This abrupt and passionate admiration of God's pardoning mercy showeth that all these promises had their rise there. There were great difficulties to be overcome before these promises could take place, but the greatest difficulty and obstruction lay in their sins. And the prophet wondereth more at his grace subduing sin, than at his power overcoming dif- ficulties. Instances we have ; Jer. xxxi. 34, God had promised great things to his people, both as to their spiritual and temporal condition ; the reason rendered there is, ' For I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sins no more.' So Jer. xxxiii. 8, ' I will cause the captivity of Judah to return ; for I will cleanse them from their iniquity.' That is the ground of all.
Eeason 1. Sin is the greatest obstacle. Take that out of the way,
A SERMON ON MICAH VII. 18. 43&
and then mercies come freely from God : Isa. lix. 2, ' Your sins have separated between yon and your God, and yonr sins have hid his face from you.' While sin remaineth unpardoned or uurepented of, God withdraweth his precious presence, and will not be seen of his people, to hear, and help, and bless them : Jer. v. 25, ' Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you.' If there be any restraint of God's blessing, it is because of man's sin. So that remission or pardon is gratia removens prohibens ; . it removeth that which stoppeth our mercies. As when the obstruc- tion is removed, the fountain floweth forth freely; so when sin is removed, that which letteth is taken out of the way.
Reason 2. Sin is the cause of all our evils, as well as it stoppeth and hindereth our mercies; it is the great makebate, as well as the great obstacle. Sin being pardoned, the cause of the misery is re- moved ; and the cause being removed, the effect ceaseth : 2 Sam. xii. 13, ' The Lord hath put away thy sin ; thou shalt not die.' The proper wages and recompense of sin is death ; and sin being gone, death is gone. So Isa. xl. 2, ' Her warfare is accomplished.' What is the reason of such a sudden change ? ' Her iniquity is pardoned.' A foul stomach breedeth an aching head. There is no getting rid of an aching head till the stomach be purged. Efifects continue as long as causes work and exert their influence.
Reason 3. Outward mercies, were they never so great and full, would never yield any true satisfaction, unless they be joined with reconcili- ation with God and pardon of sin. Here God promiseth to give them hght after darkness, to make their enemies move out of their holes like worms out of the earth ; but all tliis is nothing unless God pardoneth and passeth by their transgressions. Sin is apprehended by God's people as the greatest evil. Till that be gone, their comforts yield them no solid satisfaction. Quid pi^odest regium alimentum, si ad Gehennam pascidt ? A traitor, till execution, may have allowance according to his quality from his prince ; so may the Lord bestow many common mercies on those who are yet left to everlasting destruc- tion. No solid happiness till pardon: Ps. xxxii, 1, 2, 'Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered: blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.' Till we be received into God's favour, and justified, we have no solid ground of rejoicing —
Use 1. To reprove —
1. Them that look not after pardon of sin in their distresses, but temporal blessings in the first place. These howl rather than pray, Hosea vii. 14. Their suits to God are like the moans of beasts rather than the groans of a sanctified heart.