But " the mercy of God towards his people is from everlasting to everlasting" —
[As to its origin^ it existed from all eternity. It is not ex- cited in the bosom of our God by any thing that he sees in man : neither the misery of our fallen state, nor any goodness which we may be supposed to manifest, move him to exercise a disposition that was not antecedently conceived in his own mind. Both Ms determination to exercise mercy, and the objects towards whom it should be exercised, were from all eternity fixed in his own bosom'. His people are chosen by him, not because they are holy, or will he holy, but that they " may he holy, and without blame before him in love^" " He loved them with an everlasting love, and therefore with loving -kindness hath he drawn them^."
In its duration also it is everlasting. " If he have begun a
good
«■ Jam. i. 10, n. * Eph. iii. 11. 2Tim. i.g.
' Eph. i. 4 — 6. * Jer. xxxi. 3.
550 PSALM8, cm. 15 — 18. [407.
good work in them, we may be confident that he will carry it on**." As, on the one hand, he will not depart from them, so, on the other hand, " he will put his fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from him'." If at any time they transgress against him, he will chastise them with the rod, till he has brought them back to himself: but " his loving-kindness will he not ut- terly take from them'' :" for " his gifts and callings are without repentance'." In every age will he prove faithful to his promises, even " to all posterities for evermore."
This doctrine is thought by many to encourage a presumptuous confidence, and a consequent neglect of holiness. But, if we only bear in mind the statement before given of the character of God's people, and our unequivocal declaration, that no person who does not answer to that character can have any Scriptural hope of mercy, we shall see, that there is no occasion for jealousy on that head. The holiness of man is secured by the irreversible decree of Heaven, that the end shall be combined with the means ; and that every one whom God has ordained unto life, shall be '' made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light." We need not be afraid to give unto God all the glory of our salvation, and to ascribe all to the operation of his sovereign grace, since, whatever may be said of God's decrees, it is an infallible truth, that " without holiness no man shall see the Lord."]
Let us learn from hence,
1 . In what light we should view our present state of existence —
[We should learn from nature, and from every thing we see around us. Let all, and the young especially, look, not at the grass merely, but at the flower of the grass, and learn from that
how transient their life is™ And let none, like the fool in
the Gospel, promise themselves years, when, for ought they know, this very night their souls may be required of them.]
2. In what way we should improve it —
[What have we to do, but to attain the character of God's people, and to secure the mercy which he will exercise towards
them? In comparison of this, all earthly pursuits are
vanity; since, transient as our life is, we may yet find the objects of our fondest regard still more transient".]
'' Phil. i. 6. ' Jer. xxxii. 40. '' Ps, Ixxxix. 30—36.
' Rom. xi. 29.
" Isai. xl. 6 — 8. This would be proper to insist on, if it were the funeral of a young person.
" If this were a Funeral Sermon for an eminently pious person, his views and conduct might with propriety be stated here.