What else can sinners trust but God's mercy? In the parable
portion, and would not for all the world part with it, for it is their life. They live a life of obedience; they "remember his commandments to do them"', else they do not keep His covenant. Those only shall have the benefit of God's promises that make conscience of His precepts. See who they are that have a good memory as well as a good understanding (Ps. cxi. 10). Those who remember God's commandments, not to talk of them, but to do them, and be ruled by them.
(ii) The continuance of the mercy which belongs to such as these. It will last them longer than their lives on earth, and therefore they need not be troubled though their lives be short, since death itself will be no abridgement, no infringement of their bliss. God's mercy is better than life, for it will outlive it. To their souls, which are immortal, to them '"'the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting'. From everlasting in the counsels of it, to everlasting in the consequences of it; in their election before the world was, and their glorification when this world shall be no more; for they are predestinated to the inheritance (Eph. i. 11), and "look for the mercy of the Lord, the Lord Jesus, unto eternal life''. To their seed, which shall be kept up to the end of time (Ps. cii. 28). His righteousness, the truth of His promise, unto children's children, provided they tread in the steps of their predecessors' piety, and keep His covenant as they did, then shall mercy be preserved to them even to a thousand generations.
6. Mercy 1s MAn's ONLY Hope
What else can sinners trust but God's mercy? In the parable of the Pharisee and publican the Lord Jesus contrasts the emptiness of the Pharisee's merit with the fullness of God's mercy as vouchsafed to the penitent publican (Luke xviii. 1-14).
The publican's prayer was short. Fear and shame hindered him from saying much. Sighs and groans swallowed up his words; but what he said was to the purpose, '"'God be merciful to me a sinner!'' And blessed be God that we have this prayer upon record, as an answered prayer, and that we are sure he that prayed it went to his house justified; and so shall we if we pray as he did, through Jesus Christ. "God be merciful to me a sinner."" The God of infinite mercy be merciful to me.
For if He be not, I am for ever undone, for ever miserable. God be merciful to me, for I have been cruel to myself.