PERPETUITY OF GOd's MERCY.
Ps. ciii. 15 — IS. As for man, his days are as grass ; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth : for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone ; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting vpon them that fear hinif and his righteousness upon children^
childrenj
348" PSALMS, cm. 15 — 18. [407.
children ; to suck as keep his covenanij and Tememher his com- mandments to do them.
THE consideration of the shortness and uncer- tainty of human life is at all times seasonable, and more especially on such an occasion as this'; when
&(j. If indeed we had no hope beyond the
grave, such a subject would be most gloomy and appalling: but when connected, as in the passage before us, with the unbounded mercy of our God, it is full of consolation to all who are looking forward . to the eternal world. But we must have a good hope that we shall be partakers of God's mercy, or else not even the glorious description which is here given of it will divest death of its sting, or reconcile us to the thought of approaching dissolution. Let us then from these words consider,
\; The character of God's people —
In general terms they are represented as " fearing God." This of itself would be sufficient to distin- guish them from all other people, more especially as it marks " the spirit of their minds." A humble sense of his presence, a dread of doing any thing contrary to his will, and a filial desire to please him, universally distinguish his children: but siill they are more clearly discerned by the characters assigned to them in our text :
1. They " keep God's covenant" —
[This is the covenant which was made with Abraham ^ ; and of which Christ is the Surety : he has undertaken to accomplish every thing for his believing people ; to expiate their sins by his blood, and to renew their souls by his grace " It is or- dered in all things and sure*^" This the Believer sees to
be exactly suited to his necessities, in that it provides every thing for him, and only requires that he receive thankfully what is thus offered to him freely. This therefore he embraces : " He lays hold on it" as all his hope : and he relies upon it with his whole heart ]
2. They ** do his commandments" —
[They are not negligent of good works, though they do not
rely
* The occasion may be stated ns for a Funeral, or on New Year'f fffiy, '' Gal. iii. 16, 17. * 2 Sam. xxiii, 5.
407.] PERPETUITY OF GOd's MERCY. 349
rely upon them for their justification before God : '* they love God's law," which is written in their hearts : and they treasure up in their n)inds his precepts, no less than his promises. To dd the will of God, to do it universally without exception, and con- stantly without intermission, is the one desire of their hearts. They would gladly, if it were possible, " stand perfect and com- plete in all the will of God," being " lioly, as God is holy," and *' perfect, even as their Father which is in heaven is perfect."]
Such are the objects of God's love : but how shall w,'. X press,
II. The extent of his mercy towards them —
The mercy of God is the great subject of this psalm. In the foregoing verses it is set forth in a way of comparison ; (equalling the boundless extent of heaven ;) but in the words before us it is declared in a ivaij of contrast with the transitoriness of man's ex- istence upon earth.
Man's existence here is only as the flower of the field—
[It was " hut yesterday" that we grew up ; and to-morrow " our place will no more be found." If suffered to continue for a while, we are only ripening for the scythe ; but a burning sun, or blasting wind, may cut short our existence in an hour'*. And when once the flower of the grass is withered, all remembraivce ef it is gone : and so it is with us : we look gay and flourish for a little moment ; and then pass away, and give place to other generations.]