We, for our parts, must own:
chide', though we always offend and deserve chiding. Though He signify His displeasure against us for our sins by the rebukes of providence and the reproaches of our own consciences, and thus cause grief, yet He will have compassion and will not always keep us in pain and terror, no, not for our sins, but, after the spirit of bondage, will give the spirit of adoption. How unlike are those to God who always chide, who take every occasion to chide, and never know when to take up! What would become of us if God should deal so with us? "He will not keep his anger for ever" against His own people, but will gather them with everlasting mercies (Isa. liv. 8, lvii. 16).
4. MAn's EXPERIENCE OF MERCY
We, for our parts, must own: (a) That '"'he hath not dealt with us after our sins" (verse 10). The Scripture saith a great deal of the mercy of God, and we may all set to our seal that it is true. We have experienced it. If He had not been a God of patience we had been in hell long ago; but He hath not '"'rewarded us after our iniquities"'. So they will say who know what sin deserves. He has not inflicted the judgments which we have merited, nor deprived us of the comforts which we have forfeited. This should make us think the worse and not the better of sin, for God's patience should lead us to repentance (Rom. il. 4).
(6) He hath pardoned our sins; not only mine iniquity (verse 3) but our transgressions (verse 12). Though it is of our own benefit by the pardoning mercy of God that we are to take the comfort, yet of the benefit others have by it we must give Him the glory. Observe, firstly, the transcendent riches of God's mercy (verse 11): "As the heaven is high above the earth'', so high that the earth is but a point to the vast expanse, so God's mercy is above the merits of those that fear Him most; so much above and beyond them that there is no proportion at all between them. The greatest performances of man's duty cannot demand the least tokens of God's favour as a debt, and therefore all the seed of Jacob will join with him in owning themselves less than the least of all God's mercies (Gen. xxxii. 10). God's mercy is thus "great towards them that fear him'', not towards them that trifle with Him. We must fear the Lord and His goodness.
Secondly, the fullness of His pardons, an evidence of the riches of his mercy (verse 12): "'As far as the east is from the west, so