500 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver.4.
ni7pp nan"*^ " -vvill multiply to pardon." He hatli forgiveness with him to outdo all the multiplied sins of any that turn unto him and seek for it. But this is very hard, very difficult for us to appre- hend. This is not the way and manner of men. We deal not thus with profligate offenders against us. " True/' saith God ; " but ' your ways are not my ways.' I do not act in this matter like unto you, nor as you are accustomed to do." How then shall we apprehend it? how shall we conceive of it? " You can never do it by your reason or imaginations ; ' for as the heavens are above the earth, so are my thoughts,' in this matter, ' above your thoughts.' " This is an ex- pression to set out the largest and most inconceivable distance that may be. The creation will afford no more significant expression or representation of it. The heavens are inconceivably distant from the earth, and inconceivably glorious above it. So are the thoughts of God : they are not only distant from ours, but have a glory in them also that we cannot rise up unto. For the most part, when we come to deal with God about forgiveness, we hang in every brier of disputing, quarrelsome unbelief This or that circumstance or aggravation, this or that unparalleled particular, bereaves us of our confidence. Want of a due consideration of him with whom we have to do, measuring him by that liJie of our oivn imaginations, bring- ing him down imto our thotights and our ways, is the cause of all our disquietments. Because we find it hard to forgive our pence, we think he cannot forgive talents. But he hath pro\dded to ob\'iate such thoughts in us : Hos. xi. 9, " I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim : for I AM GoD, AND NOT MAN." Our Satisfaction in this matter is to be taken from his nature. Were he a man, or as the sons of men, it were impossible that, upon such and so many provocations, he should turn away fi'om the fierceness of his anger. But he is God. This gives an infinite- ness and an inconceivable boundlessness to the forgiveness that is with him, and exalts it above all our thoughts and ways. This is to be lamented, — presumption, which turns God into an idol, ascribes unto that idol a gi'eaf er largeness in forgiveness than ftiith is able to rise up unto when it deals with him as a God of infinite excellencies and perfections. The reasons of it, I confess, are obvious. But this is certain, no presumption can falsely imagine that forgiveness to itself from the idol of its heart, as faith may in the way of God find in him and obtain from him ; for, —
2. God engageth his infinite excellencies to demonstrate the greatness and boundlessness of his forgiveness. He proposeth them unto our considcniition to convince us that we shall find pardon with him suitable and answerable unto them. See Isa. xl. 27-31, " Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid
Ver. 4.] moPEETiES OF divine forgiveness. 501
from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary ? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he in- creaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall : but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run, and not be weary ; and they shall walk, and not faint." The matter in question is, whether acceptance with God, which is only by forgiveness, is to be obtained or no. This, sinful Jacob either despairs of, or at least desponds about. But saith God, " My thoughts are not as your thoughts" in this matter. And what course doth he take to convince them of their mistake therein? what argument doth he make use of to free them from their unbe- lief, and to rebuke their fears ? Plainly, he calls them to the consi- deration of himself, both who and what he is with whom they had to do, that they might expect acceptance and forgiveness such as did become him. Minding them of his power, his immensity, his infinite wisdom, his unchangeableness, all the excellencies and pro- perties of his nature, he demands of them whether they have not just ground to expect forgiveness and grace above all their thoughts and apprehensions, because answering the infinite largeness of his heart, from whence it doth proceed.
And Moses manageth this plea for the forgiveness of that people under a high provocation, and a most severe threatening of their destruction thereon. Numb. xiv. 17, 18. He pleads for pardon in such a way and manner as may answer the great and glorious jDro- perties of the nature of God, and which would manifest an infinite- ness of power and all-sufficiency to be in him.