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THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF THE LORD
NOTHING conduces more to the production of true repentance than a view of the mercies of our God. A sight of sin only will often lead to despondency; or, if attended with a determination to seek for mercy, will never melt the soul into deep contrition. It is the contrasted view of God’s goodness, and of our own depravity, that alone begets ingenuous shame, and unfeigned self-abhorrence: it is from thence alone that we derive the complete knowledge of our own vileness, and are enabled to maintain a hope of acceptance with God, notwithstanding all our desert of his wrath and indignation.
In the latter part of this chapter, and the whole of the next, we have a confession, which seems to have been drawn up for the use of the Church, when they should be in captivity in Babylon. But the prayer itself begins with the words of our text; wherein we have an acknowledgment of God’s unbounded goodness to his people; an acknowledgment, which is amplified and illustrated in the following verses by a variety of particulars. In this view it was an excellent preparation for that self-abasement which they were to express in the subsequent confession.
We shall find it a profitable subject for our present contemplation to consider the loving-kindness of our God to us: and that we may confine our thoughts within a proper limit, we shall shew,
I. What there is in the loving-kindness of our God that deserves particular notice—
It is obvious, that the subject, taken in all its latitude, is absolutely inexhaustible. But by confining our attention to some prominent parts of it, we shall be enabled to form a just conception of the whole, without being distracted by too great a variety of particulars. Let us then notice,
1. Its freeness and sovereignty—
[The freeness of God’s mercies is that which constitutes their first and most distinguishing feature: without adverting to that, we can never have any just conception of them at all. If we suppose God to have any respect to human merit, and to confer his favours on account of that, we undermine the principal foundations of our gratitude, and take honour to ourselves in exact proportion as we ought to give glory unto him. But a very little reflection will suffice to shew us, that God is altogether sovereign in the distribution of his favours. Who made the difference between the apostate angels and fallen man? or what was there in us, rather than in them, that induced God to provide a Saviour for us, when no such mercy was vouchsafed to them? Who has made the difference between the benighted Heathens and ourselves? or wherein have we merited that God should send us the light of revelation, when they are left in darkness and the shadow of death, and given up to follow their own delusions? If we prosecute the same inquiry in relation to the distinctions visible amongst ourselves, we shall be constrained to come to the same conclusion; “By the grace of God we are what we are.” It is manifest, that still, as in former ages, “things which are hid from the wise and prudent are revealed unto babes;” and the only reason we can give for it, is that which our Lord himself assigned, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight [Note: Mat_11:25-26. See also Eze_16:3-6.].” Whether therefore we look at our rank in society, our intellects, our bodily constitution, or our attainments in grace, we must confess, that it is “God, and God alone, that has made any of us to differ [Note: 1Co_4:7.].”]
2. Its richness and variety—
[Were we to attempt to enumerate particulars, we should not know where to begin, or where to end. The mercies we enjoy as men, in contradistinction to all the rest of the creation, are unspeakably great — — — Nor should we overlook those which we possess as Britons [Note: Here the particular occasion that is celebrated may be introduced.] — — — but, above all, those which we enjoy as Christians, deserve our most attentive consideration. That we have a Saviour to whom we may flee for refuge, and who is able and willing to save us to the uttermost; that we have the aids of the Holy Spirit promised to us for the renovating of our fallen nature; that the invitations and promises of the Gospel are yet sounding in our cars, when so many millions of our fellow-creatures have received their final doom, and are gone beyond a possibility of redemption; these things, I say, display in its brightest colours the loving-kindness of our God to us; and therefore we should meditate upon them day and night.
We have a striking pattern for our imitation in Nehemiah: he wished to impress the Jews with a sense of God’s goodness to them, and therefore set it forth before them in a variety of most affecting particulars [Note: Neh_9:7-15.]: let us also, for the same end, recall to mind the mercies which we ourselves have experienced at his hands; and we shall and them countless as the sands upon the sea shore.]
3. Its constancy and continuance—
[After all, we scarcely know whether this be not the view in which the loving-kindness of our God appears to greatest advantage. This seemed to Nehemiah to be the crown and summit of God’s mercies vouchsafed to the Jewish nation [Note: Neh_9:16-21; Neh_9:26-31.]: and certainly not even the greatest of his mercies astonishes us more than the continuance of them to us. Let us but reflect, how numerous our provocations have been, and what ungrateful returns we have made to God for all his loving-kindness, and we shall stand amazed at his patience, and long-suffering, and forbearance: we shall be surprised that he has not long since shut up his tender mercies in displeasure, and “sworn, in his wrath, that we should not enter into his rest.” We shall then understand (what else is quite inexplicable) why David, in a psalm of only twenty-six verses, repeats no less than twenty-six times that “God’s mercy endureth for ever [Note: Psalms 136.]:” we shall see that to this, and to this alone, we owe it, that we have not been consumed long ago [Note: Lam_3:22.].]
Let us proceed to consider,
II. In what manner, and for what ends, we should notice it—
And,
1. As to the manner—
[A mere speculative view of this subject is by no means that which becomes us. We should consider it with the profoundest admiration, and the liveliest gratitude.
One might as well expect a person to speak in a light manner of sin, as of the mercies of his God. There is something so vast and incomprehensible in the loving-kindness of God, that the very thought of it should utterly overwhelm us. The exclamation of St. Paul, when contemplating the decrees of Providence respecting the calling of the Gentiles, and the restoration of the Jews, is that which suits us in reference to the subject before us; “O the depth! O the depth! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out [Note: Rom_11:33.]!” Even a Heathen, when restored to the exercise of his understanding, was so amazed at the goodness of Jehovah, that he exclaimed, “How great are his signs, and how mighty are his wonders [Note: Dan_4:2-3.]!” How much more then ought we to be impressed with it, to whom it is revealed in the stupendous work of redemption! Surely the meditation of the prophet should be ever on our mind, and his words upon our lips; “How great is his goodness, how great is his beauty [Note: Zec_9:17.]!”
Yet, as the angels, who veil their faces and their feet before the Deity from a sense of their unworthiness to behold or serve him, do yet exert themselves to the utmost to exalt his name; so we, however incapable of comprehending fully the mercies of our God, should do our utmost to praise and glorify him on account of them. David stirred up “his soul, and all that was within him, to bless the Lord, who had crowned him with mercy and loving-kindness [Note: Psa_103:1-4.].” And we are taught by the prophet the precise terms, as it were, in which it becomes us to express our gratitude to God [Note: Isa_12:4-6.]. The very words of our text may serve to shew us in what manner our admiration and gratitude should be combined: if I may so speak, our admiration should be lively, and our gratitude profound.]
2. As to the ends—
[No other meditation, no subject of discourse, more imperiously demands your notice than this. You should reflect upon, and “mention” the loving-kindness of God, both for the instruction of others, and the encouragement of your own souls.
How are others to become acquainted with God, if you, whose understandings are enlightened, do not endeavour to instruct them? or to what purpose has God imparted to you the knowledge of himself, if you do not impart it to those around you? “Your light is not to be hid under a bushel, but to be put on a candlestick,” that it may be a source of benefit to others. It is the command of God that his mercies should be thus treasured up in the minds of all, and be transmitted by oral testimony from generation to generation [Note: Psa_78:2-7.]. And the more truly any persons have been devoted to God themselves, the more active and exemplary they have been in making him known to others [Note: Psa_145:1-8.].
And what can be such a source of encouragement to yourselves? There is nothing like this to encourage you to pray; “the goodness of God is revealed on purpose to lead you to repentance [Note: Rom_2:4.],” and to animate your petitions at the throne of grace [Note: Psa_51:1; Psa_69:16-17.]. And what can so embolden you to trust in God? Were you to contemplate nothing but his power, you might be filled with dread, rather than with confidence: but when you consider his goodness also, your hopes of mercy are strengthened, and you are led to commit yourselves to his fatherly protection [Note: Psa_36:7.]. Surely also there cannot be found any stronger inducement to serve him. “What shall I render unto the Lord?” is the natural question that must arise in the bosom of every one that feels his obligations to the Lord [Note: Psa_63:3.]: and if we did not “serve the Lord with gladness and joyfulness of heart for the abundance of the mercies” he has vouchsafed unto us, we should be filled with self-reproach, and be constrained to acknowledge ourselves deserving of the heaviest condemnation [Note: Deu_28:45; Deu_28:47.].]
Behold now, what matter here is,
2. For reproof—
[Is it not surprising, that, surrounded as we are with the mercies and loving-kindness of our God, we should be so insensible of all his goodness? — — — Let us blush for our ingratitude: let us strive henceforth so to “think of his loving-kindness,” that we may say with David, “Thy loving-kindness, O God, is ever before mine eyes [Note: Psa_26:3; Psa_48:9.]:” yea, “let us praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works unto the children of men [Note: Psa_107:8; Psa_107:15; Psa_107:21; Psa_107:31.].” If we will but contemplate his acts, we shall soon become acquainted with his love [Note: Psa_107:43.].]
2. For encouragement—
[What do we mean by entertaining hard thoughts of God, or doubting his willingness to accept and bless us? His very nature is love [Note: 1Jn_4:8.]; and all his acts, though often misapprehended by us, are love also. Be it so, our sins have so abounded, that we seem almost beyond the reach of mercy: “but where sin has abounded, his grace shall much more abound [Note: Rom_5:20.].” And if we will only go and “remind him of his loving-kindnesses which have been ever of old,” we shall find that our plea is absolutely irresistible [Note: Psa_25:6-7; Psa_25:11.].]