An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

The Lord is full of mercy, full of sparing mercy, he spareth his people, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him (Mal. 3.17.) And indeed if God should afflict in plenty, that is, in extremity of justice, what would become of the best, of the holiest of men? Who can withstand the power of the great God? who can stand in judgment before him, if he should mark iniquities? (Psal. 130.3.) Woe to the most innocent man alive, if God should mark iniquities, and not forgive iniquities. And therefore it follows in the next or 4th verse of that Psalm, But with thee is forgiveness. As God is most bountiful in giving, so is he most merciful in forgiving. This holds the head of believing and repenting sinners above water, and keeps them from sinking into the bottomless gulf of despair, that they have a forgiving God to go unto, and that there is none like him in forgiving ⟨p. 635⟩(Mich. 7.18.) None forgiving so freely (Isa. 42.25.) •o abundantly (Isa. 55.7.) none so constantly and continually as he. There is forgiveness with thee; 'tis a continued a perpetual act. Now because God pardons so freely, he doth not, he will not, he cannot because he will not, punish extremely. God dealeth with sinners in measure, because he dealeth with them in a Mediator. Though he be great in power, yet he will not afflict according to the greatness of his power or the plenty of his justice.

The Lord is full of mercy, full of sparing mercy, he spareth his people, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him (Mal. 3.17.) And indeed if God should afflict in plenty, that is, in extremity of justice, what would become of the best, of the holiest of men? Who can withstand the power of the great God? who can stand in judgment before him, if he should mark iniquities? (