GREATNESS OF FORGIVENESS. 213 ply to pardon, (Hebrew.) He hath forgiveness with him to outdo all the multiplied sins of any that return to him, and seek for it. But this is very hard, very difficult for us to apprehend. This is not the manner of men : we deal not thus with profligate offenders against us. True, saith God, "But your ways are not my ways:" I do not act in this matter like unto you, nor as you are accustomed to do. How then shall we apprehend it l how shall we conceive of it l You can never do it by your reason or imaginations: `.` For as the heavens are above the earth, so are my thoughts," in this matter, "above your thoughts." This is an expression to show the largest and most inconceivable distance. The crea- tion will afford no more significant expression or repre- sentation of it. The heavens are inconceivably distant from the earth, and inconceivably glorious above it. So are the thoughts of God; they are not only distant from ours, but _have a glory in them that we cannot rise up to. For the most part, when we come to deal with God about forgiveness, we hang in every briar of disputing quarrelsome unbelief. This or that circumstance of ag- gravation, this or that unparalleled particular, bereave us of our confidence. Want of a due consideration of Him with whom we have to do, measuring with the line of our own imagination, bringing him down to our thoughts and our ways, is the ,cause of all our disquiet. Because we find it hard to forgive pence, we think he cannot forgive talents. But he hath pro- vided to obviate such thoughts in us, "I will not exe- cute the fierceness of my wrath, I will not return to destroy Ephraim,. for I AM GOD, AND NOT MAN." Our satisfaction in this matter is to be' taken from his-na- ture; were he a man, or as the sons of men, it were impossible that, upon such and so many provocations, he should turn away from the fierceness of his anger.
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