There is no single flower in God’s gospel-garden, they are all double
and treble; there is a wheel within a wheel, a blessing within a
blessing, in all the mercies of God. Manifold; a man cannot receive
one, but he receives many, many folded up, one within another. For
instance,
1. If a man receiveth Christ, who is called God’s tender mercy; why, he
shall find in him all the promises, pardons, justifications,
righteousnesses, and redemptions, that are requisite to make him stand
clear before the justice of the law, in the sight of God, from sin
(Luke 1:76-79; 1 Cor 1:30; Eph 4:32; 2 Cor 1:20).
2. If a man receive the Spirit, he shall have as folded up in that, for
this is the first unfolding itself, many, very many mercies (Ezra 1:4).
He shall have the graces, the teachings, the sanctifications, the
comforts, and the supports of the Spirit: When he saith in one place,
‘He will give the Spirit,’ he calleth that in another place, ‘the good
things’ of God (Luke 11:13; Matt 7:11).
3. If a man receive the mercy of the resurrection of the body, and
God’s people shall assuredly receive that in its time, what a bundle of
mercies will be received, as wrapt up in that? He will receive
perfection, immortality, heaven, and glory; and what is folded up in
these things, who can tell?
I name but these three, for many more might be added, to show you the
plenteousness, as well as the virtuousness of the tender, great, and
rich mercy of God. A multitude! There is converting mercy, there is
preserving mercy, there is glorifying mercy: and how many mercies are
folded up in every one of these mercies, none but God can tell. A
multitude! There are mercies for the faithful followers of Christ, for
those of his that backslide from him, and also for those that suffer
for him; and what mercies will by these be found folded up in their
mercies, they will better know when they come to heaven. A multitude of
preventing mercies in afflictions, in disappointments, in cross
providences, there are with God: and what mercies are folded up in
these afflicting mercies, in these disappointing mercies, and in these
merciful cross providences, must rest in the bosom of him to be
revealed, who only is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. A
multitude of common mercies; of every day’s mercies, of every night’s
mercies, of mercies in relations, of mercies in food and raiment, and
of mercies in what of these things there is; and who can number them?
David said, He daily was loaded with God’s benefits. And I believe, if,
as we are bound, we should at all times return God thanks for all
particular mercies, particularly, it would be a burden intolerable, and
would kill us out of hand! (Psa 68:19). And all this is written, that
Israel might hope in the Lord: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with
the Lord there is mercy.’
Fifth. As the mercies that are with the Lord are tender, great, rich, a
multitude, and manifold; so they are mercies that DIMINISH NOT in the
using, but that rather increase in the exercising of them. Hence it is
said, grace aboundeth, and hath abounded unto many; and that God is
able to make all grace abound towards us (Rom 5:15; 2 Cor 9:8; Eph
1:7,8). The grace of forgiveness I mean, wherein he hath abounded
towards us. Now, to abound, is to flow, to multiply, to increase, to
greaten, to be more and more; and of this nature is the mercy that is
with the Lord; mercy that will abound and increase in the using. Hence
he is said to pardon abundantly, to pardon and multiply to pardon: and,
again, to exercise loving-kindness; to exercise it, that is, to draw it
out to the length; to make the best advantage and improvement of every
grain and quality of it (Isa 55:7; Jer 9;24). ‘The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth’ (Exo 34:6).
Mercy to a man under guilt, and fear of hell-fire, seems as a little,
shrunk-up, or shrivelled thing; there appears no quantity in it. There
is mercy, said Cain, but there is not enough; and he died under that
conceit (Gen 4:13). Nor is it as to judgment and thought many times
much better with the Israel of God. But behold when God sets mercy to
work, it is like the cloud that at first was but like a man’s hand, it
increaseth until it hath covered the face of heaven. Many have found it
thus, yea they have found it thus in their distress (1 Kings 18:41-44).
Paul has this expression, ‘The grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundant,’ that is, increased towards me exceedingly (1 Tim 1:13-15).
And this is the cause of that change of thoughts that is wrought at
last in the hearts of the tempted; at first they doubt, at last they
hope; at first they despair, at last they rejoice; at first they quake,
while they imagine how great their sins are, and how little the grace
of God is; but at last they see such a greatness, such a largeness,
such an abundance of increase, in this multiplying mercy of God, that
with gladness of heart, for their first thoughts, they call themselves
fools, and venture their souls, the next world, and their interest in
it, upon this mercy of God.
I tell you, Sirs, you must not trust your own apprehensions nor
judgments with the mercy of God; you do not know how he can cause it to
abound; that which seems to be short and shrunk up to you, he can draw
out, and cause to abound exceedingly. There is a breadth, and length,
and depth, and height therein, when God will please to open it; that
for the infiniteness can swallow up not only all thy sins, but all thy
thoughts and imaginations, and that can also drown thee at last. ‘Now
unto him that is able,’ ‘as to mercy,’ ‘to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in
us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all
ages, world without end. Amen!’ (Eph 3:20,21). This, therefore, is a
wonderful thing, and shall be wondered at to all eternity; that that
river of mercy, that at first did seem to be but ankle deep, should so
rise, and rise, and rise, that at last it became ‘waters to swim in, a
river that could not be passed over!’ (Eze 47:3-5). Now all this is
written, that Israel might hope. ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with
the Lord there is mercy.’
Sixth. As there are with God mercies, tender, great, rich, a multitude,
and mercy that abounds; so to encourage us to trust in him, there is
mercy to COMPASS US ROUND ABOUT. ‘Many sorrows shall be to the wicked,
but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about’ (Psa
32:10). This is, therefore, the lot of the Israel of God, that they
shall, they trusting in their God, be compassed with mercy round about.
This is mercy to do for us in this world, that we may arrive safely in
that world which is to come. Another text saith, ‘For thou, Lord, wilt
bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a
shield’ (Psa 5:12). As with a shield. This compassing of them,
therefore, is, to the end they may be defended and guarded from them
that seek their hurt. When Elisha was in danger, by reason of the army
of the Syrians, ‘behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of
fire, round about him,’ to deliver him (2 Kings 6:15-17). Round about
on every side; or as David hath it, ‘Thou shalt increase my greatness,
and comfort me on every side’ (Psa 71:21). ‘I will encamp about mine
house,’ saith God, ‘because of the army, because of him that passeth
by, and him that returneth’ (Zech 9:1).
This, therefore, is the reason why, notwithstanding all our weaknesses,
and also the rage of Satan, we are kept and preserved in a wicked
world; we are compassed round about. Hence, when God asked Satan
concerning holy Job, he answered, ‘Hast thou not made a hedge about
him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?’
(Job 1:10). I cannot come at him; thou compassest him, and keepest me
out. By this, then, is that scripture opened, ‘Thou art my
hiding-place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble, thou shalt compass
me about with songs of deliverance’ (Psa 32:7). And, indeed, it would
be comely, if we, instead of doubting and despairing, did sing in the
ways of the Lord: have we not cause thus to do, when the Lord is round
about us with sword and shield, watching for us against the enemy, that
he may deliver us from their hand? (Jer 31:12).
This also is the reason why nothing can come at us, but that it may do
us good. If the mercy of God is round about us, about us on every side;
then no evil thing can by any means come at us, but it must come
through this mercy, and so must be seasoned with it, and must have its
deadly poison, by it, taken away. Hence Paul, understanding this,
saith, ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God’ (Rom 8:28). But how can that be, did they not come to us
through the very sides of mercy? and how could they come to us so,
since Satan pryeth to wound us deadly in every, or in some private
place, if mercy did not compass us round about, round about as with a
shield? He went round about Job, to see by what hog-hole he might get
at him, that he might smite him under the fifth rib.[20] But, behold,
he found he was hedged out round about; wherefore he could not come at
him but through the sides of mercy; and, therefore, what he did to him
must be for good. Even thus also shall it be in conclusion with all the
wrath of our enemies, when they have done what they can; by the mercy
of God, we shall be made to stand. ‘Why boasteth thou thyself in
mischief,’ said David, ‘O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth
continually’ (Psa 52:1). And that will sanctify to me whatever thou
doest against me! This, therefore, is another singular encouragement to
Israel to hope in the Lord; for that there is with him mercy to compass
us round about.
Here is, I say, room for hope, and for the exercise thereof; when we
feel ourselves after the worst manner assaulted. ‘Wherefore should I
fear,’ said David, ‘in the day of evil, when the iniquity of my heels
shall compass me about?’ (Psa 49:5). Wherefore? Why now there is all
the reason in the world to fear the day of evil is come upon thee, and
the iniquity of thy heels doth compass thee about. The hand of God is
upon thee, and thy sins, which are the cause, stand round about thee,
to give in evidence against thee; and therefore thou must fear. No,
saith David, that is not a sufficient reason; he that trusteth in the
Lord, Mercy shall compass him about. Here is ground also to pray in
faith, as David, saying, ‘Keep me as the apple of the eye, hid me under
the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my
deadly enemies, who compass me about’ (Psa 17:8,9).
Seventh. As all this tender, great, rich, much abounding mercy,
compasseth us about; so that we may hope in the God of our mercy, it is
said this mercy IS TO FOLLOW US. ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever’ (Psa 23:6). It shall follow me, go with me, and be near
me, in all the way that I go (Psa 32:8). There are these six things to
be gathered out of this text, for the further support of our hope.
1. It shall follow us to guide us in the way. I will guide thee with
mine eye, says God, that is, in the way that thou shalt go. The way of
man to the next world, is like the way from Egypt to Canaan, a way not
to be wound out but by the pillar of a cloud by day, and a flame of
fire by night; that is, with the Word and Spirit. ‘Thou shalt guide me
with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory’ (Psa 73:24). Thou
shalt guide me from the first step to the last that I shall take in
this my pilgrimage: Goodness and mercy shall follow me.
2. As God in mercy will guide, so by the same he will uphold our goings
in his paths. We are weak, wherefore though the path we go in were
never so plain, yet we are apt to stumble and fall. But ‘when I said my
foot slippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up’ (Psa 94:18). Wherefore we
should always turn our hope into prayer, and say, Lord, ‘hold up my
goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not’ (Psa 17:5). Be not
moved; let mercy follow me.
3. As the God of our mercy has mercy to guide us, and uphold us; so by
the same will he instruct us when we are at a loss, at a stand. ‘I led
Israel about,’ says God, ‘I instructed him, and kept him as the apple
of mine eye’ (Deut 32:10). I say we are often at a loss; David said,
after all his brave sayings, in Psalm 119, ‘I have gone astray like a
lost sheep: seek thy servant’ (v 176). Indeed a Christian is not so
often out of the way, as he is at a stand therein, and knows not what
to do. But here also is his mercy as to that. ‘Thine ears shall hear a
word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn
to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left’ (Isa 30:21). Mercy
follows for this.
4. Mercy shall follow to carry thee when thou art faint. We have many
fainting and sinking fits as we go. ‘He shall gather the lambs with his
arm, and carry them in his bosom,’ or upon eagles’ wings (Isa 40:11).
He made Israel to ride on the high places of the earth, and made him to
suck honey out of the rock (Deut 32:13).
5. Mercy shall follow us, to take us up when we are fallen, and to heal
us of those wounds that we have caught by our falls. ‘The Lord
upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all _those that be_ bowed down’
(Psa 145:14). And again: ‘The Lord openeth _the eyes of_ the blind; the
Lord raiseth them that are bowed down; the Lord loveth the righteous’
(Psa 146:8). Or, as we have it in another place, ‘The steps of a good
man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way. Though he
fall he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with
his hand’ (Psa 37:23,24). Here is mercy for a hoping Israelite; and yet
this is not all.
6. Mercy shall follow us to pardon our sins as they are committed. For
though by the act of justification, we are for ever secured from a
state of condemnation; yet as we are children, we need forgiveness
daily, and have need to pray, ‘Our Father, forgive us our trespasses.’
Now, that we may have daily forgiveness for our daily sins and
trespasses, mercy and goodness must follow us; or as Moses has it, ‘And
he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord! let my Lord, I
pray thee, go amongst us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon
our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance’ (Exo
34:9). Join to this that prayer of his, which you find in Numbers: ‘Now
I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou
hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy,
forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and by no means clearing the
guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of
this people according to the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast
forgiven this people from Egypt even until now,’ or hitherto (Num
14:17-19). How many times, think you, did Israel stand in need of
pardon, from Egypt, until they came to Canaan? Even so many times wilt
thou need pardon from the day of thy conversion to the day of death; to
the which God will follow Israel, that he may dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever.
Eighth. As all this tender, great, rich, abounding, compassing mercy,
shall follow Israel to do him good; so shall it do him EVERY GOOD TURN,
in delivering of him from every judgment that by sin he hath laid
himself obnoxious to, with rejoicing. For ‘mercy rejoiceth against
judgment’ (James 2:13). That is, applying it to the mercy of God
towards his, it rejoiceth in delivering us form the judgments that we
have deserved; yea, it delivereth us from all our woes with rejoicing.
In the margin it is ‘glorieth’; it glorieth in doing this great thing
for us. I have thought, considering how often I have procured judgments
and destructions to myself, that God would be weary of pardoning, or
else that he would pardon with grudging. But the Word said, ‘He
fainteth not nor is weary’ (Isa 40;28). ‘I will rejoice over them to do
them good,—with my whole heart, and with my whole soul’ (Jer 32:41).
This doing of us good with rejoicing, this saving of us from deserved
judgments with rejoicing, this getting the victory over our
destructions for us, with rejoicing; O! it is a marvellous thing! ‘O
sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things: his
right hand, and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory’; the victory
for us (Psa 98:1). And as Paul said, ‘We are more than conquerors
through him’ (Rom 8:37); and this he did with triumph and rejoicing
(Col 2:15). The heart is seen oft-times, more in the manner than in the
act that is acted; more in the manner of doing than in doing of the
thing. The wickedness of the heart of Moab was more seen in the manner
of action than in the words that he spake against Israel. ‘For since
thou spakest [of] against him thou skippedst for joy’ (Jer 48:27). So
Edom rejoiced at the calamity of his brother; he looked on it and
rejoiced: and in his rejoicing appeared the badness of his heart, and
the great spite that he had against his brother Jacob (Oba 10:14).
Now, my brethren, I beseech you consider, that God hath not only showed
you mercy, but hath done it with rejoicing. Mercy doth not only follow
you, but it follows you with rejoicing: yea, it doth not only prevent
your ruin, by our repeated transgressions procured, but it doth it with
rejoicing. Here is the very heart of mercy seen, in that it rejoiceth
against judgment. Like unto this is that in Zephaniah: ‘The Lord thy
God in the midst of thee is mighty: he will save, he will rejoice over
thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with
singing’ (Zeph 3:17,18).
There are many things that show with what an heart mercy is of God
extended, as is afore described, to Israel for his salvation; but this,
that it acteth with rejoicing, that it saveth with rejoicing, and gets
the victory over judgment with rejoicing! is a wonderful one, and one
that should be taken notice of by Israel, for his encouragement to
hope. ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with him there is mercy,’
tender, great, rich, multiplying mercy, mercy that compasseth us about,
that goeth with us all the way, and mercy that rejoiceth to overcome
every judgment that seeketh our destruction, as we go toward our
Father’s house and kingdom!
It is said in the Word, God delighteth in mercy. ‘Who is a God like
unto thee that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of
the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever,
because he delighteth in mercy’ (Micah 7:18). Here then is a reason of
the rejoicing of mercy against judgment. Why, mercy is God’s delight;
or, as another hath it, ‘Mercy pleaseth thee.’ What a man delights in,
that he will set on foot, and that he will seek to manage, that he will
promote, and that he will glory in the success and prosperity of. Why,
the text saith, God delighteth in mercy: nor do I believe, how odious
soever the comparison may seem to be, that ever man delighteth more in
sin, than God hath delighted in showing mercy. Has man given himself
for sin? God has given his Son for us, that he might show us mercy
(John 3:16). Has man lain at wait for opportunities for sin? God has
waited to be gracious, that he might have mercy upon us (Isa 30:10).
Has man, that he might enjoy his sin, brought himself to a morsel of
bread? Why Christ, Lord of all, that he might make room for mercy, made
himself the poorest man (Luke 9:58; 2 Cor 8:9). Has man, when he has
found his sin, pursued it with all his heart? Why God, when he sets a
showing mercy, shows it with rejoicing, for he delighteth in mercy.
Here also you may see the reason why all God’s paths are mercy and
truth to his (Psa 25:10). I have observed that what a man loveth he
will accustom himself unto, whether it be fishing, hunting, or the
like. These are his ways, his course, the paths wherein he spends his
life, and therefore he is seldom found out of one or another of them.
‘Now,’ saith David, ‘all the paths of the Lord are mercy’ (Psa 25:10).
He is never out of them: for wherever he is, still he is coming towards
his Israel in one or other of these paths, stepping steps of mercy.
Hence again it is that you find that at the end of every judgment there
is mercy; and that God in the midst of this remembers that (Habb 2:3).
Yea, judgment is in mercy; and were it not for that, judgment should
never overtake his people (1 Cor 11:32). Wherefore let Israel hope in
the Lord, seeing with him is all this mercy.
Ninth. Besides all this, the mercy that is with God, and that is an
encouragement to Israel to hope in him, IS EVERLASTING: ‘The mercy of
the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him’
(Psa 103:17). From everlasting to everlasting; that is more, more than
I said. Well,
1. Then from everlasting; that is, from before the world began; so
then, things that are, and are to be hereafter, are to be managed
according to those measures that God in mercy took for his people then.
Hence it is said, that he has blessed us according as he chose us in
Christ, before the world began; that is, according to those measures
and grants that were by mercy allotted to us then (Eph 1:4). According
to that other saying, ‘according to his mercy he saved us,’ that is,
according as mercy had allotted for us before the world began (Titus
3:5). ‘According to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in
Christ before the world began’ (2 Tim 1:9). This is mercy from
everlasting, and is the ground and bottom of all dispensations that
have been, are, or are to come to his people. And now, though it would
be too great a step to a side, to treat of all those mercies that of
necessity will be found to stand upon that which is called mercy from
everlasting, yet it will be to our purpose, and agreeable to our
method, to conclude that mercy to everlasting stands upon that; even as
vocation, justification, preservation, and glorification, standeth upon
our being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Rom
8:29,30). Here then is the mercy that is with God and that should
encourage Israel to hope. The mercy that has concerned itself with
them, is mercy from everlasting. Nor may it be thought that a few
quarrels of some brain-sick fellows will put God upon taking new
measures for his people; what foundation has been laid for his, before
he laid the foundation of the world, shall stand; for that it was laid
in Christ by virtue of mercy: that is, from everlasting (Rom 9:11). The
old laws, which are the Magna Charta, the sole basis of the government
of a kingdom, may not be cast away for the pet that is taken by every
little gentleman against them.[21] We have indeed some professors that
take a great pet against that foundation of salvation, that the mercy
that is from everlasting has laid; but since the kingdom, government,
and glory of Christ is wrapped up in it, and since the calling,
justification, perseverance, and glorification of his elect, which are
called his body and fulness, is wrapt up therein, it may not be laid
aside nor despised, nor quarrelled against by any, without danger of
damnation.
Here then is the mercy with which Israel is concerned, and which is
with God as an encouragement to them that should hope, to hope in him.
It is mercy from everlasting; it is mercy of an ancient date; it is
mercy in the root of the thing. For it is from this mercy in the root
of the thing. For it is from this mercy, this mercy from everlasting,
that all, and all those sorts of mercies, of which we have discoursed
before, do flow. It is from this that Christ the Saviour flows; this is
it, from which that tender mercy, that great mercy, that rich mercy
that aboundeth towards us, doth flow; and so of all the rest. Kind
brings forth its kind; know the tree by his fruit; and God by his mercy
in Christ; yea, and know what God was doing before he made the world,
by what he has been doing ever since. And what has God been doing for
and to his church from the beginning of the world, but extending to,
and exercising loving-kindness and mercy for them? therefore he laid a
foundation for this in mercy from everlasting.