places as the following: 2 Sam. 19:2, "The king was grieved for his
mind towards him from favour to displeasure; yet that was just the result of his unchangeableness. When a sinner repents, God changes his mind toward him; yet, this is not changeableness; nay, it is the carrying out of his unchangeableness. His "changing," in such cases, is the display of his holiness and wisdom. Were he not to change, it would be mere arbitrariness,—it would not be wisdom, but foolishness. His "repentance" is not only the true and necessary expression of holy feeling, but it is part of his unchangeable purpose.
2. Grieve.—The word used in reference to man, is found in such places as the following: 2 Sam. 19:2, "The king was grieved for his Son;" and, in reference to God, in such as the following: Ps. 78:40, "How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!" and Isa. 63:10, "They rebelled and vexed" (Heb. grieved) "his Holy Spirit." In these passages the word denotes simply and truly what we call "grief;" and then, in the passage before us, as if to deepen the intensity of the expression, and to shew how thoroughly real was the feeling indicated, it is added, "at his heart." The grief spoken of is as true as it is profound. It is not the grief of words. It is not the grief of fancy or sentiment. It is true sorrow of heart. How this can be, in the bosom of the blessed One, it is not easy to shew. How he can remain unruffled and unbroken, in his infinite tranquillity of being, while "grieved at heart" because of his rebellious creatures, is difficult to explain. How his heaven can abide as bright as ever, without a shade over its dwellings, or sackcloth upon its dwellers, while he is mourning over the ruin of a world and the wretchedness of a guilty child, we cannot say. We take the words as we find them,—especially as it is but one out of the many similar utterances of which Scripture is full,—utterances all confirmed and reiterated by the Son of God, when he wept over the doomed and apostate Jerusalem.
Yet, after all, what greater difficulty should we find in understanding this sorrowful commiseration for the lost, than in comprehending the joy with which all heaven is made to resound because of even one sinner saved? Shall heaven ring with gladness when one soul is