The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 132

Ver. 18.-The 1'.ncomparablenesa ef God illustrated in 1,i,sforgiveness of sin: 2. The- 1ource of hisforgivenel!s. "He retaincth not his anger for ever, 'because he delighteth iq mercy." Anger in God is not passion, but principle; not antagonism to existence, but. to the enls that curse existence. His anger is but love excited against evel'ything that tc·nds to disturb tlre harmony, cloud the brightness, and injure the happineee of hi&- cr,:,ation. "Fury is not in me,'' etc. (Isa. xxvii. 4), Here is the source of forgiveness: "He delighteth in mercy." I. FORGIVENESS IS A MEBOIFUL ACT. It is not an act of equity, but of compassion;. not of justice, but of love. It is the preroa-ative of mercy. "'l'he Lord passed by before him, and proclaimc>d, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering. and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity an<l transgression and sin." Again, " The Lord is Iong--suffering and of great mercy~ forgiving iniquity and transgression." It is mercy that cancels .the debt, blots out -the cloud, effects the reconciliation, cleanses the stain, and heals the disease. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done," eto. All the redeemed in heaven acknow- ledge this: "Unto him that loved us, and washed [loosed] us from our sins in his own, blood," etc. (Rev. i. 5). TI. Tms ACT oF IIEBCY IS THE DELIGHT oF GoD. "He delighteth in mercy." Mercy is a modification of benevolence. It always implies misery, for if there were no misery there would be no mercy. Whilst God does not delight in misery, he delights in removing it. What greater delight has a loving parent than in restoriog to health and vigour a diseased and suffering child? To a true soul the delight of moral restora- tion is even greater than this. A noble father has perhaps more delight in the virtues. and fellowship of the son whom he has been the means of raising from moral depravity to spiritual purity and power, than in those of the one who has ,always pursued ,the, virtuous way. It is thus with him from whom all human love proceeds, he delights in:, mercy. Will not the song of the redeemed have more music in hia ear than the lofty, strains of those who have never fallen? He delights to welcome to.his-bosom and. his home his returning prodigals. 1. If he delighta in m.ercy, then hush for ev.er the' pulpits that bl,a,,;phemoUJJly. represent him a., malign. The. God .tha.t you ha:ve in the- Ca.lvinian theology is not the God of the Bible, but the God of ill-natured, morose, and vindictive souls. Hence the masses of England tum away in horror from some modern pulpita. "He delighteth in mercy." Let us declare this l . "Let. the wicked .forsake: his way," etc.; "Come, let us reason together," etc.; "Come unto me; .all. y;e .that are-. weary and heavy laden,n etc. 2. Q he delights in 'IMT'C'!J, then. let no Binner despair on tzCCUIJ,nt ef the enonnity of his •ins. Let all the sins of .the world be embodied. in one man's life; let that one man return. to God, and he will '!abwn.tlantly, pardon•• him. He will do it, not reluctantly, not half-heartedly, but with abounding& of joy, He will rejoice over you. "There is more joy in heaven over. one sinner that repenteth," etc. 3. Q he delights in mercy, may we not h<YpB that one day there will CV1TW1 an end to all, tb,e misery of the .m<mil, universd . '-' He retaineth not his anger for- ever." Who shall say but in some distant future, by some. way. not revealed, evel'y discord in the moral universe shall be hushed, ever:, prison opened, all sufferers delivered, and all hells quenched? What generous heart would not a ~ho1;11!8Ild times rather believe in this, if they could, than in eternal torment or utter extinct1on,?;--,-D. T. Ver. 19.-fie incomparablenas of God illustrated in his/orgiveneaa of sin:.3. Thtt• wmpldenaa of hu f <>t'givmesa. "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon Uij ; he will subdue our iniquit-iea ; and thou wilt cast all th~ir sins .intQ .the. dept~ ·of the- eea." l'he reference ia here, perhaps, to the destruction. ot Pharao~ and hlB host. "'He will destroy their sins as he destroyed them. and blll'llld them m the depths of. the sea." (Exod. xv. 4, 10). I. Tmc El!ITIBE atra.JtJGATIOJJ OF ALL SINII. "Sin/' says Henderson, ".mUBt ever be- regarded u hoi;tile to man. It is not OJ?,IY contra!Y to hie interests, b~t it ,po"!er~ully opposes and .combe.te the moral principles of h;ia nature .and tp~ h1~her prmc1ples implanted by grace; and, but for the counteractmg energy of Divine mftuence,. must. prove victorious. Without the subjugation of ~vil propensities, pardon would• .not be- a blessing. If the idolatro11B and rebellious dispolition ,of the Jews .had. not been ■uWued during their stay in Babylon, thft,f would not have been restored." Sin iii the .(Ill, VU, 1-20,] THE BOOK OF MICAH. 135