of it. Some divines, however, confider the glorious attribute meant, to be his bounty, manifested in beflowing his Son, to free us from hell; his Spirit, to fit us for heaven; his angels, to guard us on earth; ample provifion by the way; and full fatisfaction at the journey's end. What more can be defired? Such was the BOUNTY expreffed to Ifrael; and reprefented, in a familiar manner, by all that he did unto them in the wildernefs * -He revealed himfelf as "the Lord God-AB UNDANT IN TRUTH." Some apprehend, that this term is not expreffive of another attribute, but contains an affertion of the truth and verity of his bounty. But I am rather inclined to understand it of another attribute, even the veracity of the Deity: And the facred puncruation connects abundant with TRUTH and veracity, as well as with BOUNTY. God is great and glorious in the accomplishment of his promifes, as well as the execution of his threatenings: And, as he had glorified that perfection, in a very remarkable manner, in the accomplishment of these promises made to Abraham; fo it was fit to put Ifrael in re

* Dr Arrowfmith's Armilla catechetica, p. 181-191.

The infpired original (Exod. xxxiv. 6.), Goodness and Truth are conjoined together by the punctuation : Not as if God meant to teach us that he is truly good (though this is a truth in itfelf), but that he is as true as good; none ought fo to prefume on his goodness, as to expect an intereft in it at the expence of his Truth.

membrance.

membrance of it. And he had been equally true to his threatening, by punishing idolatry in the matter of the golden calf.————This glorious party is "the Lord God-KEEPING MERCY FOR THOUSANDS." The objects of this mercy are THOUSANDS, even the many thousands of Ifrael; or thousands of generations, in fucceffion; for he commands his word to a thousand generations. The nature of this mercy has been confidered above, under the notion of GOODNESS. The emphalis of the teftimony lies on the word KEEPING: As he is fuperabundant in mercy, fo he RESERVES it unto thousands. The term KEEPING feems to import, that, notwithstanding all his gracious communications, which have been difpenfed heretofore, he has ftill enough, and to fpare, in RESERVE. He has referved abundance for the many thousands of the prefent generation,

Exod. xxxiv. 7. Some critical writers have cbferved, that NUN, in the beginning of 13, is one of the large letters. And Buxtorf makes the following remark pon it," in voce ubi legitur, in Exod. xxxiv. 7. (eft litera majufcula, viz.) SERVANS CLEMENTIAM MILLIEUS. Ad confiderandum magnitudinem gratie Dei, qua fe in millena millia, i, e in infinitum extendit erga eos, qui fœdus ipfius confervant." TIBERIAS, cap. xiv. A late writer alfo remarks, "The Hebrews obferve, that the first letter of the word tranflated KEEPING is much larger than ufual, which fhews, that a particular emphafis is to be laid upon it; as if he should fay, I MOST STRICTLY, AND RICHLY, KEFP MERCY FOR THOUSANDS: THE TREASURE IS IMMENSE, AND CAN NEVER BE BAUSTED." Mr Cibbons.

EX

-for

Or the

--for the generations yet to come. term implies, the defending of his treafure of mercy from being robbed, or plundered, by the devourer, his keeping it as in a garrifon : For the foe cannot exact upon the keeper of it, nor the fon of wickednefs afflict him. -He proclaims himself to be "the Lord God-FORGIVING INIQUITY, TRANSGRESSION, AND

SIN." A variety of expreffions are used to point out the objects of this divine act. INIQUITY importing crooked nefs, or declenfion from the ftraight rule ;-TRANSGRESSION denoting rebellion against the rightful authority of God, the moral governor of the world ;SINS importing either a wandering out of the right way, or a miffing of the fcope at which

* Exod. xxxiv. 7. This term (2) admits of great variety of interpretation. The Septuagint have rendered it by no fewer than eighty different words; and the fenfe is diverfified according to the different objects unto which it is applied. When applied to material things, it is ufually expreífive of carrying, or carrying up; fuch as the carrying of Jofeph's bones from Egypt to Canaan, Gen. xlvii. 30. This appears to be the literal fignification of it. Other fenfes feem metaphorical. When applied to facrifice, it denotes the carrying of fin, instead of the finer, Exod. xxviii. 33. Levit. x. 17. &c. lt is alfo ufed to exprefs the efficacy of the true facrifice, If. liii. 4, and 12. But, when applied to guilty men, it denotes the CARRYING away of fin from them, in full and irreversible remiflion, Micah vii. 18. When it is meant of their act, it has various other fignifications; fuch as in prayer, Pfal. xxv. 1. it denotes faith and reverence: Sometimes fwearing, as in If. iii. 7. But I need not in

Lit.

One

one aims. Sin is, indeed, a fhooting befide the mark. These terms include every species of tranfgreffion.—The guilt of fin is as a heavy burden upon the confcience; and it is competent unto God only to lift it up. Accordingly, the word rendered forgiving literally fignifies LIFTING UP. As God laid the burden of guilt upon Chrift; fo he is daily lifting it off his people, as the moment fixed for their juftification gradually arrives.He is "the Lord

God-THAT WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR THE GUILTY." This claufe has been variously

rendered.

* Exod. xxxiv. 7. It will readily be acknowledged, that this is the most difficult claufe in the whole chapter. The tranflations are almost as numerous as the tranflators. Munfter renders pp, INNOCENTEM NON CONDEMNANS; the Vulgate, NULLUS APUD TE PER, SE INNOCENS EST; the Septuagint, & natapist tov svoxov; Pagnin, INNOCENTEM JUDICANDO NON INNOCENTEM JUDICABIT; Arias Montanus corrects it thus, PURIFICANDO NON PURIFICABIT; Junius and Tremellius, QUI ULLO FACTO NON ABSOLVIT SONTEM; Pifcator, QUI ULLO PACTO NON HABET PRO INNOCENTE SONTEM, or infontem habendo non habebit infontem; the Tigurine translation, AT IMPUNITA MINIME DIMMITTENS; Calvin, INNOCENTEM NON FACIENS, or, mundando non mundabit; Ainsworth, And that WILL NOT CLEARING CLEAR (the guilty); the Dutch tranflation, by Theodore Haak, WHO IN NO WISE DOTH HOLD (the guilty) GUILTLESS ; Steuchas, ET INNOCENS NON ERIT SINE PIACULO; Cocceius, ET NON EXERCENS IMPUNITATEM. Amidst fuch variety, I would humbly propofe the following translation, as the moft literal, " And will not furely approve of (fin)." The fentence is evidently elliptic, and muft be fupplied out of that immediately preceding. Iniqui

ty,

rendered. I fhall reprefent fome of thefe given fenfes in the words of one of our Weftminster divines, "The most read as we do,

THAT WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR

THE

GUILTY, &c. But amongst these who agree in tranflation, there is fome difference about the meaning of the words. The major part apply them wholly to the juftice of God, in taking vengeance on obftinate finners. Some few, refpecting the fcope of the whole context, which is to fet forth the goodness of God, confider this alfo as relating to that." This, his juftice upon the wicked, is a part of his goodnefs towards his people; as it is faid, The juft fhall rejoice when he fees the vengeance. He fhall wafh his feet in the blood of the wicked. A glofs that may receive confirmation from certain paffages in the hundred and thirty-fixth Pfalm: Where the deftruction of oppofite princes is recorded, as an evidence of God's mercy to his Church, &c.-But the learned critic, Ludovicus de Dieu, confidering,

The

ty, Tranfgreffion, and Sin must be the objects of this judicial act. And the verb, in the form of Pihel, denotes always judicial approbation. This is evident from the univerfal ufage of fcripture, Exod. xx. 7. Numb. xiv. 18. Deut. v. II. I Kings ii. 9. Job. ix. 28. jer. XXX. 11. chap. xlvi. 28. Joel iii. 21. Nah. i. 3. &c. verb is repeated to denote the certainty of the event: That is, the certainty of the condemnation of fin. Now, when God fays, in approving, he will not approve of fin, more is implied than exprefled : 'It is, as if he had faid, Imuft SURELY, and INFALLIBLY, condemn it.

that