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V. "Showing mercy unto thousands.
Another argument against image-worship, is that God is merciful to those who do not provoke him with their images, and will entail mercy upon their posterity. "Showing mercy unto thousands."
The golden sceptre of God's mercy is here displayed, "showing mercy to thousands." The heathen thought they praised Jupiter enough when they called him good and great. Both excellencies of majesty and mercy meet in God. Mercy is an innate propensity in God to do good to distressed sinners. God showing mercy, makes his Godhead appear full of glory. When Moses said to God, "I beseech you, show me your glory;" "I will," said God, "show mercy." Exodus 33:19. His mercy is his glory. Mercy is the name by which he will be known. "The Lord passed by, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious." Exodus 34:6. Mercy proceeds primarily, and originally from God. He is called the "Father of mercies" (2 Cor 1:3), because he begets all the mercies which are in the creature. Our mercies compared with his, are scarcely so much as a drop to the ocean.
What are the properties of God's mercy?
(1) It is free and spontaneous. To set up merit—is to destroy mercy. Nothing can deserve mercy or force it. We cannot deserve it nor force it, because of our enmity. We may force God to punish us—but not to love us. "I will love them freely." Hos 14:4. Every link in the golden chain of salvation, is wrought and interwoven with free grace. Election is free. "He has chosen us in him according to the good pleasure of his will." Eph 1:5. Justification is free. "Being justified freely by his grace." Rom 3:24. Say not I am unworthy; for mercy is free. If God would show mercy only to such as deserve it—He would show mercy to none!
(2) The mercy which God shows is POWERFUL. How powerful is that mercy—which softens a heart of stone! Mercy changed Mary Magdalen's heart, out of whom seven devils were cast: she who was an inflexible adamant was made a weeping penitent! God's mercy works sweetly—yet irresistibly. It allures—yet conquers! The law may terrify—but mercy mollifies. Of what sovereign power and efficacy is that mercy which subdues the pride and enmity of the heart, and beats off those chains of sin in which the soul is held!
(3) The mercy which God shows is SUPERABUNDANT. "Abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands." Exodus 34:6. God visits iniquity "to the third and fourth generation" only—but he shows mercy to a thousand generations. Exodus 20:5, 6. The Lord has treasures of mercy in store, and therefore is said to be "plenteous in mercy" (Psalm 86:5), and "rich in mercy" (Eph 2:4). The vial of God's wrath, only drops—but the fountain of his mercy, runs. The sun is not so full of light, as God is of love.
God has mercy of all dimensions. He has depth of mercy—it reaches as low as sinners; and height of mercy—it reaches above the clouds.
God has mercies for all seasons; mercies for the night, he gives sleep; nay, sometimes he gives a song in the night. Psalm 42:8. He has also mercies for the morning. His compassions "are new every morning." Lam 3:23.
God has mercies for all sorts. Mercies for the poor: "He raises up the poor out of the dust." 1 Sam 2:8. Mercies for the prisoner: he "despises not his prisoners." Psalm 69:33. Mercies for the dejected: "In a little wrath I hid my face from you, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you." Isa 54:8. He has old mercies: "Your mercies have been ever of old." Psalm 25:6. New mercies: "He has put a new song in my mouth." Psalm 40:3. Every time we draw our breath—we suck in mercy! God has mercies under heaven, and those we taste; and mercies in heaven, and those we hope for. Thus his mercies are superabundant.
(4) The mercy of God is abiding. "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting." Psalm 103:17. God's anger to his children lasts but a while (Psalm 103:9)—but his mercy lasts forever. His mercy is not like the widow's oil, which ran awhile, and then ceased (2 Kings 4:6)—but over-flowing and ever-flowing. As his mercy is without bounds, so is it without end. "His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136. God never cuts off the entail of mercy from the elect.
We are all living monuments of God's mercy! In how many ways is God said to show mercy?
(1) He shows mercy to us in daily SUPPLYING us. He supplies us with health. Health is the sauce which makes life sweeter. How would they prize this mercy, who are chained to a sick-bed! God supplies us with provisions. "God who fed me all my life long." Gen 48:15. Mercy spreads our tables, and carves for us every bit of bread we eat! We never drink but in the golden cup of mercy!
(2) God shows mercy in lengthening out our GOSPEL-LIBERTIES. 1 Cor 16:9. There are many adversaries; many would stop the waters of the sanctuary, that that they would not run. We enjoy the sweet seasons of grace, we hear joyful sounds, we see the goings of God in his sanctuary, we enjoy Sabbath after Sabbath; the manna of the Word falls about our tents, when in other parts of the land there is no manna. God shows mercy to us in continuing our forfeited privileges.
(3) He shows mercy in PREVENTING many EVILS from invading us. "You, O Lord, are a shield for me." Psalm 3:3. God has restrained the wrath of men, and been a screen between us and danger; when the destroying angel has been abroad, and shed his deadly arrow of pestilence, he has kept off the arrow that it has not come near us.
(4) He shows mercy in DELIVERING us. "And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion" (namely, Nero). 2 Tim 4:17. He has restored us from the grave. May we not write the writing of Hezekiah, "when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness?" Isa 38:9. When we thought the sun of our life was setting God has made it return to its former brightness.
(S) He shows mercy in RESTRAINING us from sin. Lusts within—are worse than lions without! The greatest sign of God's anger, is to give men up to their sins. "So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust." Psalm 81:12. While the ungodly sin themselves to hell, God has laid the bridle of restraining grace upon us. As he said to Abimelech, "I withheld you from sinning against me." Gen 20:6. So he has withheld us from those sins which might have made us a prey to Satan, and a terror to ourselves!
(6) God shows mercy in GUIDING and directing us. Is it not a mercy for one that is out of the way to have a guide?
[1] There is a providential guidance. God guides our affairs for us; chalks out the way he would have us to walk in. He resolves our doubts, unties our knots, and appoints the bounds of our habitation. Acts 17:26.
[2] A spiritual guidance. "You shall guide me with your counsel." Psalm 73:24. As Israel had a pillar of fire to go before them, so God leads us with the oracles of his Word, and the guidance of his Spirit. He guides our heads to keep us from error; and he guides our feet to keep us from scandal. Oh, what mercy is it to have God to be our guide and pilot! "For your name's sake, lead me and guide me." Psalm 31:3.
(7) God shows mercy in CORRECTING us. He is angry in love. He smites—that he may save. His rod is not a rod of iron to break us—but a fatherly rod to humble us. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." Heb 12:10. In each affliction, God will mortify some corruption, or exercise some grace. Is there not mercy in this? Every cross, to a child of God, is like Paul's cross wind, which, though it broke the ship, it brought Paul to shore upon the broken pieces. Acts 27:44.
(8) God shows mercy in PARDONING us. "Who is a God like unto you, who pardons iniquity?" Mic 7:18. It is mercy to feed us—and rich mercy to pardon us! Pardoning mercy is spun out of the bowels of the free grace, and is enough to make a sick man well. "The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Isa 33:24. Pardon of sin is a mercy of the first magnitude. God seals the sinner's pardon with a kiss. This made David put on his best clothes, and anoint himself. His child was newly dead, and God had told him the sword should not depart from his house—yet he anoints himself. The reason was that God had sent him pardon by the prophet Nathan. "The Lord has put away your sin." 2 Sam 12:13. Pardon is the only fit remedy for a troubled conscience. What can give ease to a wounded spirit—but pardoning mercy? Offer him the honours and pleasure of the world. It is as if flowers and music were brought to one who is condemned.
How may I know that my sins are pardoned?
Whenever God removes the guilt of sin, he breaks the power of sin. "He will have compassion; he will subdue our iniquities." Mic 7:19. With pardoning love—God givessubduing grace.
(9) God shows his mercy in SANCTIFYING us. "I am the Lord who sanctifies you." Lev 20:8. This is the partaking of the divine nature. 2 Pet 1:4. God's Spirit is a spirit of consecration; though he sanctifies us but in part—yet it is in every part. 1 Thess 5:23. It is such a mercy, that God cannot give it in anger. If we are sanctified, we are elected. "God has chosen you to salvation through sanctification." 2 Thess 2:13. This prepares for happiness, as the seed prepares for harvest. When the virgins had been anointed and perfumed, they were to stand before the king (Esther 2:12). Just so, when we have had the anointing of God, we shall stand before the King of heaven.
(10) God shows mercy in hearing our PRAYERS. "Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer." Psalm 4:1. Is it not a favor, when a man puts up a petition to the king, to have it granted? So when we pray for pardon, adoption, and the sense of God's love, it is a signal mercy to have a gracious answer. God may delay an answer, and yet not deny an answer. You do not throw a musician money at first, because you love to hear his music. God loves the music of prayer—but does not always let us hear from him at first; but in due season gives an answer of peace. "Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me." Psalm 66:20. If God does not turn away our prayer, he does not turn away his mercy.
(11) God shows mercy in SAVING us. "According to his mercy he saved us." Titus 3:5. This is the top-stone of mercy, and it is laid in heaven. Here mercy displays itself in all its orient colours. Mercy is mercy indeed, when God perfectly refines us from all the lees and dregs of corruption; when our bodies are made like Christ's glorious body, and our souls like the angels. Saving mercy is crowning mercy. It is not merely to be freed from hell—but enthroned in a kingdom! In this life we desire God, rather than enjoy him; but what rich mercy will it be—to be fully possessed of him, to see his smiling face, and to lay in his bosom forever! This will fill us with "a glorious, inexpressible joy!" 1 Peter 1:8. "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with your likeness." Psalm 17:15.
Use one. Let us not despair. What an encouragement we have here to serve God. He shows mercy to thousands. Who would not be willing to serve a prince who is given to mercy and clemency? God is represented with a rainbow round about him, as an emblem of his mercy. Rev 4:3. Acts of severity are forced from God; judgment is his strange work. Isa 28:21. The disciples, who are not said to wonder at the other miracles of Christ, did wonder when the fig-tree was cursed and withered, because it was not his manner to put forth acts of severity. God is said to delight in mercy. Mic 7:18. Justice is God's left hand: mercy is his right hand. He uses his right hand most; he is more used to mercy than to justice. "God is more inclined to mercy than to punishment." God is said to be slow to anger (Psalm 103:8)—but ready to forgive. Psalm 86:5. This may encourage us to serve him. What argument will prevail, if mercy will not? Were God all justice, it might frighten us from him—but his mercy is a loadstone to draw us to him.
Use two. Hope in God's mercies. "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his mercy." Psalm 147:11. He counts it his glory—to scatter pardons among men.
But I have been a great sinner, and am sure that there is no mercy for me!
Not if you go on in sin, and are so resolved; but, if you will break off your sins, the golden sceptre of mercy shall be held forth to you. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and let him return unto the Lord—and he will have mercy upon him." Isa 55:7. Christ's blood is "a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and defilement." Zech 13:1. Mercy more overflows in God, than sin in us. His mercy can drown great sins, as the sea covers great rocks. Some of the Jews who had their hands imbrued in Christ's blood, were saved by that blood. God loves to magnify His mercy—and display the trophies of free grace! Therefore, hope in his mercy.
Use three. Labour to know that God's mercy is for you. He is "the God of my mercy." Psalm. 59:17. A man who was being drowned, seeing a rainbow, said, "What am I the better, though God will not drown the world, since I am drowning?" So, what are we the better, though God is merciful, if we perish? Let us labour to know God's special mercy is for us.
How shall we know God's mercy belongs to us?
(1) We know that God's mercy belongs to us—if we put a high value and estimate upon it. He will not throw away his mercy on those who slight it. We prize health—but we prize adopting mercy more. This is the diamond in the ring; it outshines all other comforts.
(2) We know that God's mercy belongs to us—if we fear God, if we have a reverend awe upon us, if we tremble at sin, and flee from it, as Moses did from his rod turned into a serpent. "His mercy is on those who fear him." Luke 1:50.
(3) We know that God's mercy belongs to us—if we take sanctuary in God's mercy; if we trust in it as a drowning man catches hold of a cable. God's mercy to us is a cable let down from heaven. By taking fast hold of this by faith, we are saved. "I trust in the mercy of God forever." Psalm 52:8. As a man trusts his life and goods in a garrison, so we trust our souls in God's mercy.
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