To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant. Luke i. 72. THIS Scripture is part of Zechariah's prophecy, at the rising of that bright star, John, the harbinger and forerunner of Christ. These are some of the first words he spake after God had loosed his tongue, which for a time was struck dumb for his unbelief. His tongue is now at liberty to proclaim to all the world the unspeakable riches of mercy through Jesus Christ in a song of praise, in which observe the mercy celebrated, redemption by Christ, ver. 68; the description of Christ, ver. 69; the faithfulness of God in our redemption, ver. 70; the benefit of being so redeemed by Christ, ver. 71; and the exact accomplishment of all the promises made to the fathers in sending Christ, the mercy promised, into the world: "to perform the mercy promised to our fathers." In these words, 1. You have a mercy freely promised by God the Father from the beginning of the world, and often repeated in succeeding ages to the fathers, in his covenant transactions. This mercy is Jesus Christ, of whom he speaks in this prophecy; the same which he styles "An horn of salvation in the house of David," ver. 69. The mercy of God in Scripture is put, first, for the free and undeserved favour of God to man; and this favour may respect him either as undeserving, or as ill-deserving. It respected innocent man as undeserving, for Adam could put no obligation upon his benefactor. It respects fallen man as ill-deserving. Innocent man could not merit favour, and fallen man merited wrath: the favour or mercy of God to both is every way free. But, secondly, the word mercy is also taken for the effects of God's favour, which are either principal and primary, or subordinate and secondary. Of secondary and subordinate mercies, there are multitudes, both temporal respecting the body, and spiritual respecting the soul. But the principal and primary mercy is but one, and that is Christ, the first-born of mercy, from whom are all other mercies; and who is, therefore, called by a singular emphasis in our text, The Mercy; that is, the mercy of all mercies; without whom no drop of saving mercy can flow to any of the sons of men; and in whom are all the tender bowels of Divine mercy yearning over poor sinners. The mercy and the mercy promised. The first promise of Christ was made to Adam, Gen. iii. 15, and it was frequently renewed afterwards to Abraham, to David, and, as the text speaks, "unto the fathers," in their respective generations. 2. We find here, also, the promised mercy faithfully performed: "To perform the mercy promised." What mercy soever the love of God engaged him to promise, the faithfulness of God stands engaged for its performance. Christ, the promised mercy, is not only performed truly, but he is also performed according to the promise in all its circumstances exactly. So he was promised to the fathers, and just so performed to us their children. We are thus taught the DocT. That Jesus Christ, the Mercy of mercies, was graciously promised, and faithfully performed by God to his people. Three things are here to be considered: why Christ is styled the Mercy; what kind of mercy Christ is to his people; and how this mercy was performed. I. Christ is THE MERCY, emphatically so called: the peerless and matchless mercy. 1. Because he is the first fruit of the mercy of God to sinners. The mercies of God are infinite; mercy gave to the world and us our being; all our protection, provision, and comforts in this world, are the fruits of mercy, the free gifts of Divine favour: but Christ is the first and chief; all other mercies, compared with him, are but fruits from that root, and streams from that fountain of mercy; the very bowels of Divine mercy are in Christ, as in verse 78, through the tender mercy,' or as in the Greek, the yearning bowels of the mercy of God. 2. Christ is the mercy, because all the mercy of God to sinners is dispensed and conveyed, through Christ, to them. John i. 16; Col. ii. 3; Eph. iv. 7. Christ is the medium of all Divine communications, the channel of grace: through him are both the flow of mercy from God to us, and the returns of praise from us to God. Vain, therefore, are all expectations of mercy out of Christ. No drop of saving mercy runs except in this channel. 3. Christ is the mercy, because all inferior mercies derive their nature, value, sweetness, and duration from Christ, the fountain-mercy of all other mercies. They derive their nature from Christ; for, apart from him, those things which men call mercies are, rather, traps and snares, than mercies to them, Prov. i. 32. The time will come when the rich that are Christless, will wish, "O that we had been poor!" and nobles, not ennobled by the new birth, "O that we had been among the lower rank of men!" All these things that pass for valuable mercies, like cyphers, signify much when such an important figure as Christ stands before them, else they signify nothing to any man's benefit. They derive their value, as well as nature, from Christ. For how little does it signify to any man to be rich, honourable, and successful in all his designs in this world, if, after all, he must lie down in hell! All other mercies derive their sweetness from Christ, and are but insipid without him. There is a twofold sweetness in things; one natural, another spiritual: those that are out of Christ, can relish the first; believers, only, relish both. They have the natural sweetness there is in mercy itself, and a sweetness, supernatural from Christ and the covenant, the way in which they receive them. Hence it is, that some men taste more spiritual sweetness in their daily bread than others do in the Lord's supper; and the same mercy, by this means, becomes a feast to soul and body at once. All mercies have their duration from Christ. All Christless persons hold their mercies upon the greatest contingencies and uncertainty; if they are continued during this life, that is all, there is not one drop of mercy after death. But the mercies of the saint are continued to eternity; the end of their mercies on earth is the beginning of their better mercies in heaven. There is a twofold end of mercies, one perfective, another destructive; the death of the saints perfects and completes their mercies: the death of the wicked destroys and cuts off theirs. For these reasons Christ is called the Mercy. II. Let us inquire WHAT KIND OF MERCY CHRIST IS; and we shall find many transcendent properties to commend him to our souls. 1. He is free and undeserved mercy; called, upon that account, "The gift of God," John iv. 10. And to show how free this gift was, God gave him to us when we were enemies, Rom. v. 8. That mercy must be free which is given not only to the undeserving, but to the ill-deserving; the benevolence of God was the sole cause of this gift, John iii. 16. 2. Christ is a full mercy, replenished with all that answers to the wishes or wants of sinners; in him alone is found whatever the justice of God requires for satisfaction, or the necessities of souls require for their supply. Christ is full of mercy; in him are all kinds of mercies; and in him are the highest and most perfect degrees of mercy; "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell," Col. i. 19. 3. Christ is the seasonable mercy, given by the Father to us in due time, Rom. v. 6; in the fulness of time, Gal. iv. 4: a seasonable mercy in his exhibition to the world in general, and in his application to the soul in particular; the wisdom of God fixed upon the best time for his incarnation, and takes the best for its application. When a poor soul is distressed and ready to perish, then comes Christ. All God's works are done in season, but none more seasonable than this great work of salvation by Christ. 4. Christ is the needful mercy; there is an absolute necessity for Jesus Christ: hence in Scripture he is called the "bread of life," John vi. 35; he is bread to the hungry. He is the "water of life," Rev. xxii. 17, as cold water to the thirsty soul. He is a ransom for captives, Matt. xx. 28; a garment to the naked, Rom. xiii. 14. Bread is not so necessary to the hungry, nor water to the thirsty, nor a ransom to the captive, nor a garment to the naked, as Christ is to the soul of a sinner. The life of our souls is in Jesus Christ. 5. Christ is a fountain-mercy, and all other mercies flow from him. A believer may say of Christ, "All my springs are in thee;" from his merit and his Spirit flow our redemption, justification, sanctification, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, and blessedness in the world to come: “In that day there shall be a fountain opened," Zech. xiii. 1. 6. Christ is a satisfying mercy; he that is full of Christ can feel the want of nothing. "I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified," 1 Cor. ii. 2. Christ bounds and terminates the vast desires of the soul; he is the very Sabbath of the soul. How hungry, empty, and straitened on every side is the soul of man in the abundance and fulness of all outward things, till it come to Christ! The weary motions of a restless soul, like those of a river, cannot be at rest till they pour themselves into Christ, the ocean of blessedness. 7. Christ is a peculiar mercy applied to a remnant among men; some would extend redemption as large as the world, but the gospel limits it to those only that believe; and believers are upon that account called "a peculiar people," 1 Pet. ii. 9. The offers of Christ indeed are large and general, but the application of Christ is to few, Isa. liii. 1. The greater cause have they to whom Christ comes, to lie with their mouths in the dust, astonished and overwhelmed with the sense of so peculiar and distinguished a mercy. 8. Jesus Christ is a suitable mercy, suited in every respect to all our needs and wants, 1 Cor. i. 30, in whom the admirable wisdom of God is illustriously displayed. "Ye are complete in him," Col. ii. 10. Are we enemies? He is reconciliation. Are we sold to sin and Satan? He is redemption. Are we condemned by the law? He is the Lord our righteousness. Hath sin polluted us? He is a "fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness." Are we lost by departing from God? He is the way to the Father. Rest is not so suitable to the weary, nor bread to the hungry, as Christ is to the wants of the sinner. 9. Christ is a wonderful mercy; his name is called Wonderful, Isa. ix. 6; and as his name is, so is he-a wonderful Saviour. His person is a wonder: Great is "the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh," 1 Tim. iii. 16. His abasement is wonderful, Phil. ii. 6-8. His love is a wonderful love; his redemption full of wonders; angels desire to look into it. He is, and will be, admired by angels and saints to all eternity. 10. Jesus Christ is an incomparable and maichless mercy. Draw the comparison how you will between Christ and all other enjoyments, you will find none in heaven or earth to equal him. He is more than all externals, as the light of the sun is more than that of a candle. Nay, even the worst of Christ is better than the best of the world; his reproaches are better than the world's pleasures, Heb. xi. 25. He is more |