God had made of this people His own (Deut. vit. 6ff.). There (continued)
Mercy 165 brought you out of Egypt in pursuance of "the oath sworn to your fathers". Nothing in them, or done by them, did or could make God a debtor to them; but He had made Himself a debtor to His own promise, which He would perform, notwithstanding their unworthiness.
The tenor of the covenant into which they were taken was, in short, this: that as they were to God, so God would be to them. They should certainly find Him kind to his friends (verse 9). The Lord thy God is not like the gods of the nations, the creatures of fancy, subjects fit enough for loose poetry, but no proper objects of serious devotion; no, he is God, God indeed, God alone, the faithful God, able and ready not only to fulfil his own promises but to answer all the just expectations of his worshippers; and he will certainly "keep covenant and mercy"'. That is, He will show mercy according to covenant, to "them that love him and keep his commandments"'. And in vain do we pretend to love Him, if we do not make conscience of His commandments; and this (as is here added for the explication of the promise in the second commandment) not only to thousands of persons, but ''to thousands of generations'', so inexhaustible is the fountain, so constant the streams.
3. Gop's Mercy REVEALED The Psalmist (Ps. ciii) later in the history of the Children of Israel recalls God's mercy and how He has always honoured His covenant with them. He reminds his fellow-countrymen that God has never been rigorous and severe with them, but always tender, full of compassion, and ready to forgive.
(a) It is His nature to be so. "The Lord is merciful and gracious." 'This was His way which He made known unto Moses at Mount Horeb, when He thus proclaimed His name (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7) in answer to Moses' request (Exod. xxxill. 13). "I beseech thee show me thy way, that I may know thee." It is My way, says God, to pardon sin.
(b) He is not soon angry. He is slow to anger. He is not extrerme to mark what we do amiss, nor ready to take advantage against us. He bears long with those who are provoking. He defers punishing that He may give space to repent, and does not speedily execute the sentence of His law. He could not be thus slow to anger if He were not plenteous in mercy.
(c) He is not long angry; for (verse 9) 'He will not always