Ps. cxlv. 8, 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion ; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all : and his tender mercies are over all his ivorks.
THE great mystery of the Gospel is that which ought chiefly to occupy the Christian's mind. But it is well occasionally to contemplate the Deity in a more enlarged view, as a God of providence and grace. The Psalmist in particular abounded in such " meditations," and found them exceeding " sweet" unto his soul. In the psalm before us his heart was
greatly enlarged ; and I pray that our hearts may be enlarged also, whilst we consider,
I. The character of God, as here portrayed — Let us view it,
1. Generally —
[Look at the state of the world around us. See how all mankind are involved in guilt and misery ! See how incapable they are of restoring their fallen nature in any respect to purity or peace! But God Almighty is "gracious" unto them, for his own great name's sake : and is " full of compassion" towards them, " not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and live." Their rebellion against him is most daring and universal : yet does he " endure them with much long-suffering," being " slow to anger, and of great mercy." Were not this his character, another deluge would come and sweep away every living thing ; or fire from heaven would descend, as on the cities of the plain, to consume us in an instant. But, instead of breaking forth in wrath to destroy us, he is daily loading the whole world with benefits. The most evil and unthankful of the human race are visited by him in mercy, and replenished by him with all things that are need- ful for them. Above all, he has given up his beloved Son, to die in the place and stead of his rebellious creatures, to expiate their guilt, and to make atonement for their sins. He has commanded his Gospel also to be preached to them, even to the very ends of the earth, and a free salvation to be offered to every child of man. In this respect he makes no difference between Jews or Gentiles : " He is good to all without excep- tion ; and his tender mercies are over all his works."]
2. In our own personal experience —
[Where is there one amongst us who is not a living wit- ness for God, in reference to these things ? Who has had any claim upon him? Who has not, on the contrary, greatly offended him, and that times without number? Who cannot look back to some particular period of his life, when God might, if I may so speak, have cut him off with advantage, and made him a signal monument of his fiery indignation ? And who, in the midst of all his rebellion, has not been loaded with benefits? Not only have we received temporal blessings in abundance, but spiritual blessings also ; so far, at least, as we could be prevailed upon to receive them. We all have experienced the strivings of his good Spirit in our hearts and consciences : and if we would have listened to his voice, there is not one amongst us who should not have been guided into all truth, and been made a partaker of the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. He