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I. The text declares that THE SINNER HAS BEEN OBSERVED OF THE LORD. Notice,

1. That God's omniscience has observed the sinner. Man while living in rebellion against God is as much under His eye as the bees in a glass hive are under your eye when you stand and watch all their movements. The eye of Jehovah never sleeps it is never taken off from a single creature He has made. He sees man — sees him everywhere — sees him through and through; so that He not only hears his words, but knows his thoughts — does not merely behold his actions, but weighs his motives, and knows what is in the man as well as that which comes out of the man. God has seen your ways at home, your ways abroad, your ways in the shop, your ways in the bed-chamber, your ways within as well as your ways without — the ways of your judgment, the ways of your hope, the ways of your desire, the ways of your evil lustings, the ways of your murmurings, the ways of your pride. He has seen them all, and seen them perfectly and completely; and the wonder is that, after seeing all, He has not cut us down, but instead of it has proclaimed this amazing word of mercy, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him."

2. But God had not only seen their ways in the sense of omniscience, but He had inspected their ways in the sense of judgment. He says, "I was wroth and I hid Myself." Do not think because we preach free grace and dying love to you, and proclaim full pardon through the blood of Jesus, that therefore God winks at sin. No, He is a terrible God, "and will by no means spare the guilty." And yet He whom the angels call "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth" — the, jealous God, the. God who revengeth, and is furious against sin — even He has said, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him."

3. The Lord had tested him. If you. read the chapter through you will see that God says He had attempted to reclaim him by chastisements.

II. THE SINNER IS THE OBJECT OF DIVINE MERCY TO AN EXTRAORDINARY DEGREE.

1. Notice how God speaks. "I will, I will." Now, "I will " and "I shall" are for the King; nay, in the highest sense they are only becoming when used by God Himself. It is not for you and me to say "I will"; we shall speak more wisely if we declare that we will if we can.

2. The disease that we suffer from is a disease He knows all about, because the text says, "I have seen his ways."

3. Then the text goes on to say, "I will lead him also." The poor soul of man, even when healed, does not know which way to go. There is not a more bewildered thing in this world than a poor sinner when first he is awakened. Have you ever gone with a candle into a barn where a number of birds have roosted? Have you disturbed them? Have you not seen how they dart hither and thither, and do not know which way to fly? The light confuses them. So it is when Christ comes to poor sinners. They do not know which way to go; they see a little, but the very light confuses them. Now, the loving Lord comes in, and He says, "I will lead him also."

4. "I will restore comforts to him." God begins by knocking our comforts away. He takes away the comfort we once had in our false peace, and He makes us mourn for sin. But after a while He restores comfort to us. What sort of comfort? The comfort of perfect forgiveness, the comfort of complete acceptance. The Father sets a warm kiss upon the child's cheek, and that is the comfort of adoption. Whereas we were heirs of earth, we become heirs of heaven, and have the comforts of hope. We receive the comfort of daily fellowship, for we are admitted to speak with God, and to draw near to Him; the comfort of perfect security, for we are led to feel that whether we live or die we are safe in the arms of Jesus; the comfort of a blessed prospect beyond the grave in the land of the hereafter, where the flowers shall never wither; the comfort of knowing that all things work together for good; the comfort of having the angels for our servants, and heaven for our home. " I will restore comforts to him;" and all this to the man of whom it is said, "Thou didst debase thyself even unto hell."

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

WEB: I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.