pesal פסל לך .Heb

workmanship, both the material and the writing; in the present, the writing only. But it is enough if the writing be his; for that is the life of the covenant. The circumstance affords well grounded comfort if we are touched with genuine compunction after having proved unfaithful to our Christian vows. God is willing to renew the covenant, if we devoutly desire the favor at his hands. He is still virtually saying, 'I will write upon those (fleshly) tables (of the heart) the words that were in the first tables (in the state of innocency) which thou brakest (in the fall of

1. And the Lord said unto Moses, Adam).' Hew thee, &c. 2, 3. Come up in the morning unto leka, hew for thyself; whereas the mount Sinai, and present thyself there former tables, both as to matter and to me. Heb. 3 nitz-tzabta form, were the work of God himself. li sham, stand for me there. That is, Ex. 32. 16. The English word 'hew' take your station there and await my denotes a rougher process than is legit- coming down, as appears from v. 5. It imately implied by the original, which would seem therefore that by 'the top signifies to cut with a graving tool, to of the mount' is not meant absolutely chisel, to execute a piece of sculpture. the highest summit, but some elevated The divine benignity here shows itself point in the neighborhood of the sumready to renew the covenant which Is- mit. For as the cloud of the Shekinah rael had broken, but at the same time usually abode on the apex of the mount, gives a command which indicated that and yet in v. 5, is said to have 'descendfavor was restored with some abate-ed,' the inference is inevitable that Moment. God would not allow the facility of pardon to beget a presumptuous levity of spirit or slight apprehension of the evil of sin. Some memento of punishment therefore adheres to the renewed expression of favor. The wound is healed, but a scar remains. The former tables were throughout of divine

ses was to station himself at a point somewhat below the topmost brow of the mountain. Here he was to stand alone, and the flocks and herds were forbidden to approach the base of the mount, in or. der that the law might be a second time received with the solemnity and sanctity which marked its first delivery. The

4 ¶ And he hewed two tables of cious, long-suffering, and abundant stone, like unto the first; and Mo- in s goodness and htruth,

ses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, ask forgiving iniquity and transgresthe LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

Heb. rahum. The import of the
term is that of tenderly kind, pitiful,
compassionate, whence the term
rahamim, bowels of mercies or com-
passions, Gen. 43. 14. This is that per-
fection of Jehovah's nature with which
we, as sinners, have the most immedi-
ate and intimate concern, and therefore
it very properly stands first in this
enumeration. It is this that constitutes
the moving spring in the great machine.
ry of benevolence, which is to be seen
in the scheme of redemption. It is the
disposition which prompts to the pity
and relief of the miserable; which ren-
ders the possessor propense to acts of

fore, comparing this passage with Ex. | that follow require to be considered a 33. 19, 22, say, 'The Shekinah, or Di- little more in detail.- - Merciful vine Majesty, called I, passed by; thus denoting that they regarded the Shekinah as mysteriously one with the Father. But what was the import of the proclamation?- -The Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, &c. The reader who may chance to be familiar with the Hebrew will at once perceive that our mode of interpunction in this passage does not agree with that of the original. The proper reading is the following, 'And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed Jehovah, Jehovah God, merciful and gracious,' &c. The august title 'Jehovah' is reduplicated by way of emphasis, as that pre-eminent designation which was de-kindness and clemency, like those of a signed to come home to the soul with the utmost fulness of awful import. To this the name 'God' (el) is subjoined, of which the leading idea is that of strength, might, potency, and which in this connexion would naturally convey the idea of all-sufficient protection to all his people and of formidableness to all their enemies. 'He is mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?' This proclamation of his name as almighty would serve as a very suitable preface to the announcement of his moral attributes just about to follow; for it becomes us to think and to speak even of his grace and goodness in a spirit of holy awe, as deeply conscious how fearful and terrible is that Being who wields omnipotence. His mercies are not the mercies of a frail feeble creature like ourselves, but of a God of infinite resources; and they are on this account unspeakably endeared to the subjects of them. 'His greatness and goodness illustrate and set off each other. That the terror of his greatness may not make us afraid, we are told how good he is; and that we may not presume upon his goodness, we are told how great he is.' Henry.-The attributes

father to a child, wherever the objects
of them are found. It is an attribute
of the Godhead which is incessantly
celebrated by the inspired writers. The
Psalmist, whose pious songs are so
instinct with the praises of God, says
of him that he is 'plenteous in mercy,'
speaks again and again of the 'mul-
titude of his mercies,' and assures us
that his 'tender mercies are over all
his works.' But it is those who live
under the gospel who see its brightest
displays, nor was it possible for any of
the Old Testament saints to speak in
such eulogy of it as the apostles Peter
and Paul, for example, in the citations
which follow; 1 Pet. 1. 3, 'Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which, according to his abund-
ant mercy, hath begotten us again unto
a lively hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead,' Eph. 2.
4-7, 'But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved
us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ;
(by grace ye are saved;) and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places, in Christ
Jesus: That in the ages to come he
might shew the exceeding riches of

his grace in his kindness towards us, | after our sins, or rewarded us according through Christ Jesus.- -T Gracious. to our iniquities !

T Abundant in

רב חסד ואמת.goodness and truth. Heb | חנן hannun ; from the root חנוך .Heb

hanan, signifying to be kindly or gra- rab hesed ve-emeth, much in goodness, ciously affectioned towards a person. or benignity, and truth. The idea is In Scripture usage this term as applied that of exuberant benevolence. So rich, to God and as denoting his dispositions so bounteous, so multitudinous, are the and dealings towards men, carries with expressions of the divine favor, that we it the leading import of unmerited favor may be said to be almost overflown with or kindness. 'We call that hani- them. And not only so, not only does nah,' says Maimonides, 'which we be- his goodness abound above our deserts stow upon any man to whom we owe and above our powers of acknowledgnothing. In this sense does God be- ment, but being a God of truth, who will stow grace upon the sinning children of not and cannot deceive, we are assured men. He is rich in the donation of that every promise of further and future favors to which they have no claim. good will be strictly fulfilled, and that His abounding benignity triumphs over nothing will prevent the realization of their ill desert, and causes heaven to be those eternal blessings which he has repeopled with those who were justly the served for them that put their trust in heirs of hell.- Long suffering. him! 'Faithful is he who hath called us, Derek appim, long of anger, who also will do it.' He may not indeed or more literally, long of nostrils, from in all cases speedily accomplish his the ideal connexion between the passion word. His ways are often directly conof anger and its effects in inflating the trary to those of reason, and a long time nostrils. This 'long suffering' on the elapses, and many difficulties are overpart of God is the first-fruit of his mercy come, but finally his truth comes withand grace. He bears long with sinners; out fail to a triumphant fulfilment.he delays the execution of justice; he ¶ Keeping mercy for thousands. Heb. waits to be gracious in despite of their notzër hesed. The original iniquities. Nothing is more wonderful than the patience of God when we consider the provocations which he continually receives at the hands of the ungodly. How long did he bear with the antediluvian world! What forbearance did he exercise towards the murmuring and rebellious Israelites during their sojourn in the wilderness, and indeed throughout all their generations! Nay, to bring the matter home to our-ners in all ages and to the end of time. selves, who is not forced to acknowledge that he is himself a monument of the same long-suffering and tender mercy? Have we not provoked him to anger every day of our lives? Yet to the praise of his patience here we still find ourselves, standing on praying ground, and favored with the offers and opportunities of pardon. Ah, how different would be our lot had he dealt with us

term Thesed, mercy, here is precisely the same with that which in the preced. ing clause is rendered 'goodness.' In the former passage, therefore, reference is had to the plenitude of the divine mercy, in the present to its perpetuity. Chal. 'Keeping goodness to a thousand generations.' God keeps or preserves mercy by continually showing it in all its various exercises to thousands of sin

His keeping it implies that it is inexhaustible; that whatever measures of it may yet have been dispensed, an infinite sufficiency still remains behind. He keeps it notwithstanding the crying provocations which might move him to cast it away. He reserves it for his chosen people through all the days of their unregeneracy; he keeps it for his backsliding Davids, and his denying

once in perdition! Yet if believers in Christ these our sins are all forgiven! How many iniquities then is God continually pardoning in every quarter of the globe! What an idea does it give of the divine indulgence to think that his remissions keep pace with our pro

Peters, against the time in which they shall penitently exclaim, 'I have sinned!' Nay, who can tell but he may have 'kept mercy' for him whose eye is now perusing these pages-kept it year after year unto the present hour? And shall he not accept of it? But let us remember that although this mercy | vocations!——¶ That will by no means is inexhaustible for those that shall clear the guilty. Heb. come after us, yet for each of us individually its day has a close. If we embrace it not while the day lasts, the night is not far distant when its door will be shut against us for ever.Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Heb. 27 17 2

3 n nakkeh lo yenakkëh, that clearing will not clear; i. e. acquit, absolve, hold guiltless. This is a clause of exceedingly difficult interpretation, as will be evident from the diversity of ancient renderings, which we give before attempting to settle the genuine sense. Chal. 'Sparing those who are converted to his law, and not justifying those who are not converted.' Gr. Kaι ov kalapiɛi Tov EvoXov, and will not purify the guilty. Arab. Who justifies and is not justified.' Sam. 'With whom the innocent shall not be innocent.' Vulg. 'And no person is innocent by or of himself before thee,' which gives a sound theological sense, viz., that no man can make an atonement for his own sins, or purify his own heart; inasmuch as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But whether this is the idea intended to be conveyed in this passage, is another question. Jerus. Targ. He will not clear sinners in the day of the great judgment.' Most of these versions yield substantially, though not very explicitly, the sense of ours; and yet it is certain that the language of the English text at first blush seems to stand at least in verbal

nosë avon vapesha vehattaah, taking or bearing away (i. e. forgiving) iniquity, trespass, and sin. This is the climax of the present proclamation of the divine perfections. Pardoning mercy is specified, not only because it is in this form that the glory of this attribute pre-eminently shines, but because it is pardoning mercy that opens the way for the exercise of all other mercy. It was all important therefore for the consolation of sinners, that this peculiar aspect of the divine goodness should be distinctly displayed. Hence we find the terms expressive of the sins forgiven so remarkably varied and multiplied, in order to imply that all sorts and degrees of offences come within the scope of its benign operation. In order then that our hearts may be duly affected by this declaration, let us refer both to history and to experience for a confirmation of its truth. See in the sacred records what multi-contrariety to that of the preceding deplied acts and what aggravated forms of iniquity the divine clemency has gra. ciously passed by! What sins before conversion! what sins after conversion! And then if we attempt, each for himself to enumerate his own transgressions, will they not be found more in number than the sands on the sea-shore, and sufficient, if visited according to their desert, to overwhelm the soul at

claration; for how can it be said that God 'forgiveth iniquity, trangression, and sin,' if at the same time he will by no means clear the guilty? If it were possible, therefore, on legitimate grounds, to assign to the words a sense which should more nearly accord with the drift of the foregoing expressions, it would seem to give more unity of import to the whole address. This we