Therefore those that have not grace and mercy, to heal their corruptions, to dry up that issue in some comfortable measure, they have no pardoning mercy ; and those that desire not their corruptions to be healed, they never desire heartily their corruptions to be pardoned. Those mercies go together.
He is not the ' Father of mercy,' but of all mercies that belong to salva- tion, and he gives them every one, and he that desires the one, desires the other.
Let us consider how the sweet descriptions of God, and how his, pro- mises work upon us. If they work on us to make us presume, it is a fear- ful case. It is as bad a sign as may be, to be ill, because God is good, ' to turn the grace of God into wantonness,' Jude ver. 4.
But as we are thus prone to presume ; so when conscience is awaked we are as prone to despair. Therefore if they work with us this way, ' there is mercy with God, therefore I will come in ;' * therefore I will cast down my weanons at his feet,' ' I wiU cease to resist him,' ' I will come in, and take
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VETl. 3. 85
terms of peace with him,' ' I ^Yill j^ield him ohedience for the time to come ;' • therefore I will fear and love so good a God.' If it work thus, it is a sign of an elect soul, of a gracious disposition. And then if thou come in, never consider what thy sins have heen; if thou come in, God will embrace thee in his mercy. Thy sins are all as a spark of fire that falls into the ocean, that is drowned presently. So are thy sins in the ocean of God's mercy.
There is not more light in the sun, there is not more water in the sea, than there is mercy in the ' Father of mercy,' whose bowels are opened to thee if thou be weaiy of thy sinful courses, and come in, and embrace mercy.
In the tabernacle, we know, there was a mercy-seat. We call it a pro- pitiatory. In the ark, which this mercy-seat covered, was the law. Now in the law there were curses against all sinners.
The mercy-seat was a type of Chi-ist, covering the law, covering the curse. Though thou be guilty of the curse a thousand times, God in Christ is merciful. Christ is the mercy-seat. Come to God in Chi'ist. There is mercy in Israel notwithstanding thy great sins. If we cast away a purpose of living in sin, and cast away om- weapons, and submit ourselves to him, he is the Father of mercies. That is, he is merciful from himself, he is the spring of them, and hath them from his own bowels. They are free mercies, because he is the Father of them.
For he is just by our fault, he is severe from us, he takes occasion from our sins ; but he is merciful from his own bowels. He is good from him- self. We provoke him to be severe and just. Therefore be we never so miserable in regard of sin, and the fruits of sin, yet he is the Father of mercy, of free mercy; mercy from himself. ' Mercy pleaseth him,' Micah vii. 18. He is delighted in it.
Now that which is natural comes easily, as water from the fountain comes without violence, and heat from the fire comes without any violence, because it is natural. A mother pities her child, because it is natural. There is a sweet instinct of nature that moves and pricks forward nature to that affection of love that she bears to her child. So it is with God. It is nature in him to be merciful to his, because they are his. Mercy is his natm-e. We are his. We being his, his nature being merciful, he will be merciful to all that are his, to such as repent of their sins, and lay hold of his mercy by a trae faith.
His word shews likewise his mercy. There is not one attribute set down more in Scrip tm-e than mercy. It is the name whereby he will be known, Exod. xxxiv. 6, where he describes it, and tells us his name. What is the name of God ? His longsuffering, and mercy, &c. There is a long de- scription of God in that place. David, in Ps. iii., besides that which is in every prophet ahnost, hath the same description of God, to comfort God's people in his time. In Ps. Ixxxvi., ciii., cxlv., there is the same descrip- tion of God as there is in Moses. He is merciful and longsuffering, &c. He describes himself to be so, and his promises are promises of mercy. At what time soever a sinner repents, and without limitation of sins, all sins shall be forgiven. ' The blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin,' 1 John i. 7.
If there be no limitation of persons whomsoever, of sins whatsoever, or of time whensoever, here is a ground that we should never despair. ' God is the Father of mercies.'
It is excellent that the prophet hath, to prevent the thoughts of a de-
88 COMMENTARY ON
jectecl soul, ' Let tlio wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, aud return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for ho will ahundantly pardon,' Isa. Iv. 7.