Who [is] a God like unto thee
There is no God besides him, none so great, so mighty, as he;
none like him for the perfections of his nature; for the works of
his hands; for the blessings of his goodness, both of providence
and grace; and particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy, as
follows: that pardoneth iniquity:
that "lifts" it up, and "takes" it away, as the word F20
signifies; thus the Lord has taken the sins of his people off of
them, and laid them on Christ, and he has bore them, and carried
them away, as the antitype of the scapegoat, never to be seen and
remembered any more; and whereas the guilt of sin lies sometimes
as a heavy burden upon their consciences, he lifts it up, and
takes it away, by sprinkling the blood of Christ upon them, and
by applying his pardoning grace and mercy to them: pardon of sin
is peculiar to God; none can forgive it but he against whom it is
committed; forgiveness of sin is with him, promised by him in
covenant, proclaimed in Christ, by him obtained and published in
the Gospel: and passeth by the transgression of the remnant
of his heritage?
the people of God are his portion, his lot, and his inheritance;
they are a remnant according to the election of grace, chosen of
God, taken into his covenant, redeemed by Christ, and called by
grace, and brought to repent and believe; these God forgives,
even all their transgressions, sins, and iniquities of every
kind; which is here expressed by another word, "passing [them]
by", or "passing over [them]": sin is a transgression or passing
over the law, and pardon is a passing over sin; God taking no
notice of it, as if he saw it not; not imputing it to his people,
or calling them to an account for it; or condemning and punishing
them according to the desert of it; but hiding his face from it,
and covering it: he retaineth not his anger for
ever;
that which he seemed to have against his people, and appeared in
some of the dispensations of his providence, is not continued and
lengthened out, and especially for ever, but it disappears; he
changes the course of his providence, and his conduct and
behaviour to his people, and, hews them his face and favour, and
manifests his forgiving love; which is a turning himself from his
anger; see ( Psalms 85:2 Psalms 85:3 ) (
Isaiah 12:1 )
; because he delighteth [in] mercy;
which is natural to him, abundant with him, and exercised
according to his sovereign will and pleasure, very delightful to
him; he takes pleasure in showing mercy to miserable creatures,
and in those that hope in it, ( Psalms
147:11 ) ; this is the spring of pardon, which streams
through the blood of Christ.