3. It is congruous, proper, and suitable ; for this is God's end in sparing, that he may be reverenced and feared : Ps. cxxx. 4, * Buf- there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.' Hb intended forgiveness as a new foundation of obedience, love, and thankfulness ; that we should love him more, because forgiven ; be the more holy because pardoned ; as ' she loved much because much was forgiven her,' Luke vii. 47. Contempt and commonness of spirit in dealing with God is the worst use we can make of it. Therefore if there be no love to God, nor reverence of him, nor delight in him, if you take the more liberty to sin upon a hope that God will spaie you, and not be so severe to you, though you indulge yourselves in pleasing; the flesh, these abuse his grace, and turn it into wantonness ; some-
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more openly, others more secretly ; as they are leavened with this taint, they draw enconragements from it to sin and folly ; whereas the true temper is, to ' fear the Lord and his goodness,' Hosea iii. 4 ; to have a deeper reverence of God because of his goodness in the new cove- nant; and his pardoning mercy should be the great engagement to gospel obedience.
Use 1. Is caution and warning to the people of God, that they do not entertain jealousies of God, as one that watcheth all opportunities and advantages against us to punish us, as if he seemed to be glad at our halting. No ; this is a blasphemy against his holy and gracious nature, and a flat contradiction to the discoveries and expressions of his love in his covenant. Yet such thoughts are wont to haunt us. Job's words import little less: Job iv. 16, 17, 'For now thou num- berest my steps ; dost thou not watch over my sin ? my transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.' He speaketli as if God severely marked, and would strictly call his people to an account for all their sins. This apprehension of God's severe dealing is very natural to us in our sore affliction ; for Job so speaketh as if God had strictly marked all his sin, and kept the record sealed up in a bag, to make out his process against him.
Object. But wliat other thoughts can we have when troubles come thick and threefold, and God seemeth to be reckoning with us for our transgressions ?
Ans. 1. God's sparing mercy may sometimes be concealed, and not always visibly expressed to the sense of the believer, and faith should see mercy in God's heart when his hand is heavy and smart upon us • Job X. 13, ' These things hast thou hid in thine heart; I know that this is with thee.' What things ? Life, and favour, and gracious supports, and visits of his love, mentioned in the former verse. God's children encourage themselves with his hidden favour, though to appearance God covereth himself with wrath and frowns. His present severity cannot persuade them that all his mercy is lost, and clean gone and forgotten. They can see it in God's heart, though they see it not in his hand, and it be not visible to their own sense. Though they feel him as an enemy, yet they will trust him as a friend. They know he will spare them, even then when he pursueth them with the strokes of his wrath ; for articles of faith are not to be laid aside because of the contradiction of sense.
2. There is some sparing even in his striking ; for if he bring one evil to prevent a greater evil, to save us from eternal misery, that is mercy. He striketh for a while that he may spare for ever : 1 Cor. xi. 32, ' For when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.' A man would be pulled out of the deep waters, though it be by the hair of his head, and his arm broken in the rescue. If he take away any good thing from us to bestow some greater good, we have no cause to complain ; for surely the greater should be preferred before the lesser, and the felicity of the soul in grace and glory should be preferred before the good of the body. God had neither spared nor saved any if he had not blasted their worldly happiness. Surely God doth not envy to us our worldly com- forts, but taketh them from us when they are likely to do us hurt.
346 SERMON UPON MALACHI III. 17.
Use 2. To show us the privilege of them that fear God, or have a sonlike and childlike affection to him. He speaketh not here of tho ■first grace infused into the penitent, but of those that are already admitted into his family. Surely their privilege is exceeding great.
1. They need not be discouraged in their duties though they be im- perfect. God will not call them to a strict account. Christ, when he •feasts with his spouse, * he will eat the honey with the honeycomb,' -Cant. V. 1 ; he accepts all heartily. He that forgave all their sins at first will excuse their infirmities. They shall be tenderly dealt withal, and their failings passed over, as a parent passeth over an escape in an obedient son. Alas ! if God did not spare us for our best works and choicest services, who could stand ? Our duties need a pardon as well as those actions which are downright sins, for they are mixed nvith sin.