Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_000.lzh/D_061.TXT

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CnAx~. XIV.                                     OF THE MERCY OF GOD.                                                                 61

belong to good men, and so trot to God; and, indeed, it
does not, in such sense, unless by an anthropopathy, or
speaking after the manner of men; since he is free from
all passion and perturbation of mind. The Latin word
Misericordia signifies, as one {} observes, having another's
misery at h.eart; but not a miserable heart, or one made
so by the misery of another, especially as applied to God;
with whom it is no other than a propensity of his will
to succour persons in distress, whether in a temporal or
spiritual way; and this is as essential to him as is his
goodness; of which it is a branch: and therefore as God
is 'essentially, originally, independently, and underivatively
good, so is he in like manner merciful. This is one of
the perfections which are in some measure imitable by
creatures; Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful,
Luke vi. 36. The Socmians {4} oeny that fnercy is essen-
tial to God, supposing that mercy and justice are oppo-
site, whereas they are not, not even in men; a man may
be jOsS, and yet merciful, merciful and yet just: and not
caring to allow justice to be essential to God, which they
think they must grant, if mercy is; which would establish
the doctrine of Christ's satisfaction, and make that neces-
sary which they do not choose to embrace. ,But though
mercy is natural and essential to God, it is not naturally
and necessarily bore towards, and exercised on every
.object in misery: for then all would sisare in it, that are
m misery, even all wicked men and devils; whereas it is
certain they do not; but it is guided in the exercise of
it by the love of God; and is governed and influenced
by his sovereign will; who hath mercy on whom he will
have mercy, Rom. ix. 15, 18. just as omnipotence is
essential to God, but is not necessarily put forth ,to do
every thing it could; but is directed and guided by the
will of God; who does whatsoever hepleases.
2. Mercy being essential to God, or his nature and
essence, nothing out of himself can be the cause of it;
for then there would be a cause prior to him, the Cause
of himself, and that would be god, an.d not he: the
misery of-a creature is not the cause of mercy in God;
who is not to be moved and wrought upon as creatures
are; being a most simple act, and having no passive
power to work upon; besides, was this the case, all must
partake of mercy, since all are miserable; which they
do not; see Isa. xxvii. 11. nor are the merits of the
creature, or works 9f righteousness, the cause of mercy;
these are opposed to each other in the business of salva-
tion, Tit. iii. 5. nor are those to whom mercy is shewn,
more deserving than those to whom it is not; and often-
times less deserving, or more vile and sinful; see Rom.
iii. 9- Eph. it. 3. 1 Cot. vi. 11. 1 Tim. i. 13. Nor are
even the merits of Christ, or his obedience, sufferings, and
death, the cause of mercy in God; for they are the fruits
and effects of it, and flow from it; it is through the tender
mercy of our God, that the da3t-spring from on high hath
visited us, Luke i. 78. that is, it is owing to mercy, that
Christ, who is meant by the day-spring from on high,
became incarnate, obeyed, suffered, and died, in our
room and stead, and wrought out salvation for us.
The mercy of God arises from the goodness of his
nature, from his special love to his people, and from his

sovereign will and pleasure; who, as lie loves whom he
pleases, and "is graciotts to whom he will be gracious ;"
so "he has mercy on whom he will have mercy,"
Exod. xxxiii. 19.
3. The mercy of God is infinite; as Iris nature is in-
finite, so are each of his attributes. His understanding
is infinite, Psalm cxlvii. 5. and so his knowledge, wisdom,
justice, holiness, and goodness, and likewise his mercy;
it is'so in its nature, and in its effects; and this appears
both 'by bestowing an infinite good on men, which is
Christ, who is the gift of God, and owing to the love,
grace, and mercy of God; and who though, as man, is
finite; yet, in his divine person, infinite; and as such
given, lsa. ix. 6. and by his delivering them from. an in-
finite evil, sits: sin, 'as an act of the creature, is finite;
but objectively, infinite, as it is committed 'against God,
the infinite Being," Psalm li. 4. and therefore is not only
infinite with respect to number, Job xxii. 5. but with re-
spect to its object, and also with respect to punishment
for it; the demerit of it is eternal death; and this ,cannot
be endured at once, or answered for in a short time; it
is carried on ad infinitum, without end; and therefore
spoken of as everlasting and eternal. Now mercy has
provided for the forgiveness of sin, and for the deliverance
of men from the punishment of it, and from being liable
to it, H eb. viii. 12.
4. The mercy-of God is eternal; the eternity of mercy
is expressed in the same language as the eternity of God
himself; and, indeed, since it is his nature, it must be as
eternal as he himself is; see Psalm xc. 2. and ciii. 17.
it is from everlasting, as his love is; which is to be proved
by the instances of it, called his tender mercies, which
have been ever of old, or from everlasting, Psalm xxv. 6.
the council and covenant of peace were in eternity; in
which the scheme of reconciliation to God was formed,
and the method of it settled, which supposed them
enemies, and so considered them as fallen creatures, and
objects of mercy: and, indeed, the covenant of grace,
which was from everlasting, is a superstructure of mercy,
Psalm lxxxix. 1, 2, 3. and since mercy is from everlasting,
not any thing in time can be the cause of it; not the
misery of .the creature, by the fall of Adam, nor works
of righteousness done after conversion; nor the obedience
and sufferings of Christ; things in time: and the mercy
of God is to everlasting, in its fruits and effects; it is
kept with Christ, and for him, the Mediator of the cove-
nant; into whose hands are put all the promises and
blessings of mercy; called, therefore, the sure mercies of
David, Psalm lxxxix. 24, 28. Isa. Iv. 3. even temporal
blessings, which flow from the mercy of God, are new
every morning, and are daily continued; and spiritual
ones always remain; the mercy of God never departs
from his people, notwithstanding their backslidings; and
though he chides them for them, and hides his face from
them, yet still he has mercy on. them, Psalm lxxxix.
30--33. Isa. liv. 6--10. Jer. iii. 19, 14. Hence,
5. The mercy of God is immutable, as he himself is,
and Iris love also; and therefore the objects of it are not
consumed, Mal. iii. 6. it is invariably the same in every
state and condition into which they come; it is, as the

~ Zanchius de Natura Dei, 1. 4. c. 4. p. 372.
4 8ocinus de Servatore, 1. 1. par. 1. c. 1. Pnelectiones, c. 16. Racov. Catechism, c. 8. qu. ~0.