discoursed of those mercies that we have found in the bowels of this
already, wherefore a word of that which is to everlasting also. ‘From
everlasting to everlasting.’ Nothing can go beyond to everlasting;
wherefore this, to everlasting, will see an end of all. The devil will
tempt us, sin will assault us, men will persecute; but can they do it
to everlasting? If not, then there is mercy to come to God’s people at
last; even when all evils have done to us what they can. After the
prophet had spoken of the inconceivable blessedness that God hath
prepared for them that wait for him, he drops to present wrath, and the
sin of God’s people in this life. This done, he mounts up again to the
first, and saith, ‘in those is continuance’; that is, the things laid
up for us are everlasting, and therefore ‘we shall be saved’ (Isa
64:4,5). How many things since the beginning have assaulted the world
to destroy it, as wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, &c., and yet
to this day it abideth. But what is the reason of that? Why, God
liveth, upon whose word, and by whose decree it abideth. ‘He hath
established the earth, and it abideth’; it standeth fast, and ‘cannot
be moved’ (Psa 119:90, 93:1, 96:10). Why, my brethren, mercy liveth,
mercy is everlasting; ‘His mercy endureth for ever!’ (Psa 136). And
therefore the church of God liveth; and when all her enemies have done
their all, this is the song that the church shall sing over them: ‘They
are brought down and fallen, but we are risen, and stand upright!’ (Psa
20:8). Everlasting mercy, with everlasting arms, are underneath (Deut
33:27).
And as this shows the cause of the life of the church, notwithstanding
her ghostly and bodily enemies, so it showeth the cause of her
deliverance from her repeated sins. As God said of leviathan ‘I will
not conceal his parts,’ &c. (Job 41:12). So it is very unbecoming of
God’s people to conceal their sins and miscarriages, for it diminisheth
this mercy of God. Let therefore sin be acknowledged, confessed, and
not be hid nor dissembled; it is to the glory of mercy that we confess
to God and one another what we are; still remembering this, but mercy
is everlasting!
As this shows the reason of our life, and the continuance of that,
notwithstanding our repeated sins, so it shows the cause of the
receiving [or renewing] of our graces, from so many decays and
sickness. For this mercy will live, last, and outlast, all things that
are corruptible and hurtful unto Israel. Wherefore ‘let Israel hope in
the Lord,’ for this reason, ‘for with the Lord there is mercy.’ 1.
Tender mercy for us. 2. Great mercy for us. 3. Rich mercy. 4. Manifold
mercy. 5. Abounding mercy towards us. 6. Compassing mercy wherewith we
are surrounded. 7. Mercy to follow us wherever we go. 8. Mercy that
rejoiceth against judgment. And, 9. Mercy that is from everlasting to
everlasting. All these mercies are with God, to allure, to encourage,
and uphold Israel in hope.
[SECOND. What is to be inferred from this reason.]
I come now to the second thing, which is to show what is to be inferred
from this reason. And,
First. This, to be sure, is to be inferred, That Israel, as the child
of God, is a pitiful thing of himself; one that is full of weaknesses,
infirmities, and defects, should we speak nothing of his
transgressions. He that is to be attended with so many mercies,
absolutely necessary mercies, for there is not in these mercies one
that can be spared, must needs be in himself a poor indigent creature.
Should you see a child attended with so many engines to make him go, as
the child of God is attended with mercies to make him stand, you would
say, What an infirm, decrepit, helpless thing is this![22] Alas! I have
here counted up mercies in number nine. If I had counted up nine
hundred and ninety-nine, all had been the same, for the child of God
would not have one to spare. The text saith, ‘The earth, O Lord, is
full of thy mercy,’ and all little enough to preserve his Israel (Psa
119:64). Indeed, those that I have presented the reader with are the
chief heads of mercies; or the head-mercies from which many others
flow. But, however, were they but single mercies, they show with great
evidence our deficiency; but being double, they show it much more.
Should it be said there is such a lord has a son, a poor decrepit
thing; he is forced to wear things to strengthen his ancles, things to
strengthen his knees, things to strengthen his loins, things to keep up
his bowels, things to strengthen his shoulders, his neck, his hands,
fingers; yea, he cannot speak but by the help of an engine, nor chew
his food but by the help of an engine. What would you say? What would
you think? Would you not say such a one is not worth the keeping, and
that his father cannot look for any thing from him, but that he should
live upon high charge and expense, as long as he liveth; besides all
the trouble such an one is like to be of to others. Why this is the
case: Israel is such an one, nay, a worse. He cannot live without
tender mercy, without great mercy, without rich mercy, without manifold
mercy and unless mercy abounds towards him. He cannot stand if mercy
doth not compass him round about, nor go unless mercy follows him. Yea,
if mercy that rejoiceth against judgment doth not continually flutter
over him, the very moth will eat him up, and the canker will consume
him (Job 4:19). Wherefore it is necessary to the making of Israel live
and flourish, that everlasting mercy should be over his head, and
everlasting mercy under his feet, with all the afore-mentioned mercies,
and more in the bowels of it. But I say doth not this sufficiently
show, had we but eyes to see it, what a sad and deplorable creature the
child of God of himself is? O! this is not believed nor considered as
it should. Vain man would be wise; sinful man would be holy; and poor,
lame, infirm, helpless man, would be strong, and fain persuade others
that he hath a sufficiency of himself. But I say, if it be so, what
need all this mercy? If thou canst go lustily, what mean thy crutches?
No, no, Israel, God’s Israel, when awake, stands astonished at his
being surrounded with mercies, and cries out, ‘I am not worthy of the
least [I am less than the least] of all thy mercies, and of all the
truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant’ (Gen 32:10).
Second. This also showeth how sorely the enemies of Israel are bent to
seek his destruction. The devil is, by way of eminency, called the
enemy of God’s people: ‘the devil, your adversary’ (1 Peter 5:8). And
this, that there are so many mercies employed about us, and all to
bring us to the place which God hath appointed for us, doth demonstrate
it. Should you see a man that was not to go from door to door, but he
must be clad in a coat of mail, must have a helmet of brass upon his
head, and for his life-guard not so few as a thousand men to wait upon
him; would you not say, Surely this man has store of enemies at hand,
surely this man goes continually in danger of his life? Why, this is
the case, enemies lie in wait for poor Israel in every hole; he can
neither eat, drink, wake, sleep, work, sit still, talk, be silent;
worship his God in public or in private, but he is in danger of being
stabbed, or being destroyed. Hence, as was said before, he is compassed
about with mercy as with a shield (Micah 7:20). And again it is said
concerning these, ‘God’s truth,’ his mercy, ‘shall be thy shield and
buckler’ (Psa 91:4). And again, ‘He is a buckler to all them that trust
in him’ (2 Sam 22:31). Yea, David being a man sensible of his own
weakness, and of the rage and power of his enemies, cries out to his
God to take hold of shield and buckler, and to stand up for his help
(Psa 35:2). But what need these things be asserted, promised, or prayed
for? if Israel had no enemies, or none but such, he could, as we say,
make his party good with all. Alas, their cries, their tears, sighs,
watchings, and outcries, at sundry times, make this, beyond all show of
doubt, a truth.
If Solomon used to have about his bed no less than threescore of the
valiantest of Israel, holding swords, and being expert in war, every
one with his sword upon his thigh, because of fear in the night—and yet
these fears were only concerning men—what guard and safe-guard doth
God’s poor people need, who are continually, both night and day, roared
upon by the unmerciful fallen angels of hell! (Can 3:7,8). I will add,
if it be but duly considered, all this guard and safeguard by mercy
notwithstanding, how hardly this people do escape being destroyed for
ever, yea, how with hearts broken, and loins broken, many of them with
much difficulty get to the gates of heaven! it will be easily
concluded, that her enemies are swifter than eagles, stronger than
lions; and that they often overtake her between the straits.
To say nothing of the many thousands that dare not so much as once
think of true religion, because of the power of the enemy which they
behold, when alas! they see nobody but the very scarecrows which the
devil hath set up for I count the persecutor of God’s people but the
devil’s scarecrow, the old one himself lies quiet—yet, I say, how are
they frighted! how are they amazed! What a many of the enemies of
religion have these folks seen today![23] yea, and they will as soon
venture to run the hazard of hell-fire, as to be engaged by these
enemies in this way. Why, God’s people are fain to go through them all,
and yet no more able than the other to do it of themselves. They
therefore are girded, compassed, and defended by this mercy, which is
the true cause indeed of their godly perseverance.
Third. A third thing that I infer from these words is, What a loving
God has Israel! ‘Truly God is good to Israel. Let the redeemed of the
Lord say so.’ A loving God, that should take this care of him, and
bestow so many mercies upon him. Mercies of all sorts, for all cases,
for all manner of relief and help against all manner of perils. What is
man that God should so unweariedly attend upon him, and visit him every
moment? Is he a second God? Is he God’s fellow? Is he of the highest
order of the angels? or what is he? O! he is a flea, a worm, a dead
dog, sinful dust and ashes; he comes up like a flower and is cut down,
and what a thing is it that God should so much as open his eyes upon
such a one! (1 Sam 26:20; Job 25:6, 45:2,3). But then, what a thing is
it that God should magnify him, and that he should set his heart upon
him! (Job 7:17). Yea, that he should take him into acquaintance with
him, give his angels to be all ministering spirits for him! Yea, engage
his mercy for him, his tender, great, manifold, and everlasting mercy
for him, to compass him round withal, as with a shield, that nothing
might work his ruin for ever and ever!
It may well be said, ‘God is love’! (1 John 4:16). Man may well say so,
‘O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth
for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed
from the hand of the enemy’ (Psa 107:1-3). If it be love for a
fellow-creature to give a bit of bread, a coat, a cup of cold water,
what shall we call this? when God, the great God, the former of all
things, shall not only give an alms, an alms to an enemy, but shall
rise up, take shield and buckler, and be a guard, a protection, a
deliverer from all evil, until we come into his heavenly kingdom? This
love is such as is not found on earth, nor to be paralleled among the
creatures. None hopes this but one that is good. Nor does any believe
as they should, that God doth love as these things declare he does. Our
heart staggereth at the greatness of the thing, and who is it that has
any reason left in him, and knows anything of what a wretched thing sin
hath made him, that can without starting so much as hear of all this
mercy! But,
Fourth. Another thing that I infer from these words is this, What
ground is here to Israel to hope in the Lord! The Lord is not that
broken reed of Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand
and pierce it. God’s word is steadfast for ever, even the word by which
we are here exhorted to hope. Nor shall we have cause to doubt of the
cause of the exhortation to such a soul-quieting duty; for mercy is
with the Lord: ‘Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the
children of Zion be joyful in their king’ (Psa 149:2). For with the
Lord there is mercy, wherewith to beautify the meek with salvation.
What sayest thou, child of God? Has sin wounded, bruised thy soul, and
broken thy bones? Why, with the Lord there is tender mercy. Art thou a
sinner of the first rate, of the biggest size? Why, with the Lord there
is great mercy for thee? Have thy sins corrupted thy wounds, and made
them putrefy and stink? Why, with the Lord there is rich, that is,
virtuous[24] mercy for thee. Art thy sins of diverse sorts? Why, here
is a multitude of manifold mercies for thee. Dost thou see thyself
surrounded with enemies? Why, with the Lord there is mercy to compass
thee about withal. Is the way dangerous in which thou art to go? Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow thee all the days of thy life. Doth
iniquity prevail against thee? The mercy of this Lord aboundeth towards
thee. Doth judgments for thy miscarriages overtake thee; There is with
thy Lord mercy that rejoiceth to deliver thee from those judgments.
What shall I say? There is mercy from everlasting to everlasting upon
thee. What wouldst thou have? There is mercy underneath, mercy above,
and mercy for thee on every side; therefore ‘let Israel hope in the
Lord!’ I will add, it is the greatest unkindness thou canst return to
the Lord to doubt this mercy notwithstanding. Why, what wilt thou make
of God? Is there no truth nor trust to be put in him, notwithstanding
all that he hath said? O the depravedness of man’s nature! Because he
speaketh the truth, therefore we believe him not! (John 8:45). The
odiousness of unbelief is manifest by this, yea, also the
unreasonableness thereof. God is true, his Word is true; and to help us
to hope in him, how many times has he fulfilled it to others, and that
before our eyes? Hope then; it is good that a man should hope. Hope
then; it pleases God that thou shouldest hope. Hope then to the end,
for the grace that is to be brought unto thee will surely come, with
Christ thy Saviour.
Men that have given up themselves to their sins, hope to enjoy some
benefit by them, though the curse of God, and his wrath, is revealed
from heaven against them for it (Rom 1:18). And yet thou that hast
given thyself to God by Christ, art afraid to hope in his mercy! For
shame, hope, and do not thus dishonour thy God, would thine own soul,
and set so bad an example to others. I know thou hast thy objections in
a readiness to cast in my way, and were they made against doctrine,
reason would that some notice should be taken of them; but since they
are made against duty, duty urged from, and grounded upon, a word which
is stedfast for ever, thou deservest to be blamed, and to be told, that
of all sins that ever thou didst commit, thou now art managing the
vilest, while thou art giving way to, and fortifying of, unbelief and
mistrust, against this exhortation to hope, and against the reason for
encouragement to the duty.
[THIRD. THE AMPLIFICATION OF THE REASON ‘TO HOPE IN THE LORD.’]
But I shall pass from this to the third thing found in the text, and
that is the AMPLIFICATION of the reason. I told you that there were in
the text these three things, I. An exhortation to the children of God
to hope in the Lord: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord.’ II. A reason to
enforce that exhortation, ‘For with the Lord there is mercy.’ III. An
amplification of that reason, ‘And with him is plenteous redemption.’ I
have gone through the two first, and shall now come to this last.
In these last words, which I call the Amplification of the reason, we
have two things. FIRST. A more particular account of the nature of the
mercy propounded for an encouragement to Israel to hope. SECOND. An
account of the sufficiency of it. The nature of the mercy propounded,
is expressed by that word ‘redemption.’ The sufficiency of it is
expressed by that word ‘plenteous.’ ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord; for
with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.’
[FIRST. The nature of the mercy propounded.]
Redemption may be diversely taken, as shall be further showed anon; but
forasmuch as the term here is made mention of indefinitely, without
nominating of this or that part of redemption particularly, I shall
speak to it in the general, with respect at least to the main heads
thereof.
To redeem is to fetch back, by sufficient and suitable means, those at
present in an enthralled, captivated, or an imprisoned condition; and
there are two sorts of this redemption. First, Redemption by purchase.
Second, Redemption by power. Redemption by purchase is from the cause
of captivities. Redemption by power is from the effects.
First, If we speak of redemption by purchase, then three things present
themselves to our consideration—I. The person redeeming. II. The nature
of the price paid to redeem withal. III. The thing or state from which
this redeemer with this price redeemeth.
[I. The Person redeeming.] The subject of this redemption, or person
redeemed, is Israel, of him we have spoken before. For the person
redeeming, it is Jesus of Nazareth; Jesus that was born at Bethlehem,
at the time, and as the Scriptures relate (Matt 1; Luke 2). Now, with
reference to his person, we have two things to inquire after. What this
person was. How he addressed himself to this work.
1. What this person was. This Jesus was and is the natural and eternal
Son of God Almighty, without beginning or end, from everlasting; the
Creator and Upholder of the world (Prov 8; John 1; Heb 1).
2. How he addressed himself to the work of redeeming, take as follows.
He became true man: for he was conceived through the power of the Holy
Ghost in the womb of a maid, and in the fulness of time brought forth
of her, true, real, natural man; I say, though not in the worst, yet in
the best sense (Luke 2:31-35). Being thus brought forth without spot or
blemish, he began to address himself to the work. (1.) By works
preparatory, and then, (2.) By the act itself.
(1.) The works preparatory were as follow. He prepares himself a
priestly robe, which was his own obediential righteousness; for without
these holy garments he might not adventure to come into the presence of
God to offer his gift (Rom 5:19; Exo 28:40, 40:13). Before he offered
his gift for the people, he was to be himself sanctified to his office:
and that—by blood—by prayers and tears (1 Peter 1:19). (a.) By blood;
for before Aaron was to offer his sacrifice for the people, he must
himself be sprinkled with blood (Exo 29:19-22). And because Jesus could
not be sprinkled with the blood of beasts, therefore was he sprinkled
with that of his own: not as Aaron was, upon the tip of his ear, and
upon the tip of his toe; but from top to toe, from head to foot, his
sweat was blood (Luke 22:44). So that from his agony in the garden to
the place where he was to lay down the price of our redemption, he went
as consecrated in his own blood. (b.) He offered also his sacrifice of
strong crying and tears, as his drink-offering to God, as a sacrifice
preparatory, not propitiatory, in pursuit of his office; not to purge
his person (Heb 5:5-8). This is the person redeeming, and this was his
preparation to the work.
(2.) The act itself. Now the redemption is often ascribed particularly
to his blood; yet in general, the act of his redeeming of us must
either more remotely or more nearly be reckoned from his whole
suffering for us in the flesh; which suffering I take to begin at his
agony, and was finished when he was raised again from the dead. By his
flesh I understand his whole man, as distinguished from his Divine
nature; and so that word doth comprehend his soul as well as his body,
as by the 53rd of Isaiah appears. His soul after that manner which was
proper to it; and his body after that manner which was proper to it.
[II. The nature of the price paid to redeem.] His sufferings began in
his soul, some time before his body was touched, by virtue of which was
his bloody sweat in his body. The sorrows of his soul began at the
apprehension of what was coming from God, for our sakes, upon him; but
the bloody sweat of his body was from that union it had with such a
soul. His sufferings were from the hand of God, not of man; not by
constraint, but of his own will (Lev 1:3; John 10:18); and they differ
from ours in these six things. 1. His sufferings were by the rigour of
the law; ours according to the tenor of the gospel (Gal 3:13; Heb
12:10). 2. His sufferings were from God’s hand immediately; ours by and
through a Mediator (Isa 53:6; Heb 9:22). 3. God delighted himself in
every stroke he gave him; he doth not willingly grieve nor afflict his
people (Isa 53; Psa 103; Lam 3:33). 4. He suffereth as a common or
public person; we for our own private offences (1 Cor 15:3; Lam 3:39).
5. He suffered to make amends to justice for the breach of a holy law;
we to receive some small correction, and to be taught to amend our
lives (Heb 9:26; Rom 10:3,4; Deut 8:5; 2 chron 6:27). 6. He was
delivered from the nature of suffering by the merit of his person and
sufferings; we from ours by the mercy of God through Christ (Acts 2:24;
Eph 4:32, 5:2). Redemption, then, by a price, was this; the blood of
Christ, which he willingly suffered to be spilt on the cross, before
the face of God.
[III. The state from which this price redeemeth.] The cause of this
price was our sins; by which we were justly delivered up to the curse,
the devil, death, and hell; and should everlastingly have so continued,
but that this price of redemption was for us paid. Hence it is said,
Christ died for us. Christ died for our sins. Christ gave himself for
our sins. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins. And that we are bought with this price. Now, in all this Christ
respected the holiness of the law, and the worth of our souls; giving
full satisfaction to the one, for the love that he bare to the other.
And this has redeemed his people from sin and the curse, the cause of
our captivity.
Second, But besides this, there is redemption by power, and that
respecteth that, or those things, unto which we become not legally
indebted by our transgression. There was that unto which we became
legally indebted, and that was the justice and holiness of the law (Gen
2:17). Now from this, because God had said it, for his Word made it so,
there could be no deliverance, but by a reverend and due respect to its
command and demand, and an answer to every whit of what it would
require; for not one tittle, not one jot or tittle of the law could
fail (Matt 5:18). Jesus Christ, therefore, with respect to the law,
that he might redeem us, paid a full and sufficient price of
redemption; but as for these things that hold us captive, not for any
injury we have done to them, but of power, tyranny, or the like; from
them he redeemed us by power (Eph 4). Hence, when he had made
satisfaction or amends for us to the law, he is said to ‘lead captivity
captive, to spoil principalities and powers, and to make a show of them
openly’ (Col 2). But to take captive, and to spoil, must be understood
of what he did, not to the law, but to those others of our enemies from
which we were to be redeemed, not by price but by power. And this
second part of redemption is to be considered under a twofold head. 1.
That these were overcome personally, in and by himself, for us. 2. That
they shall be overcome also, in and by his church, through the power of
his Spirit.