and, now, defires to confess that it came from no other quarter. We are exceeding ready to fail in this particular; fometimes we look upon the outward means and visible inftruments of our deliverance, and forget the fupreme Difpofer of all events, who em. ploys them, directs them, and bleffes them. Sometimes we embrace the mercy itself with so much complacency, that we forget both our former neceffity, and the author of our deliverance. In oppofition to both these, it is our indispensible duty, to ascribe every mercy we receive, and every deliverance with which we are favoured, to God, as its proper author, and to offer him the tribute of praise, and to blefs his name for ever. James i. 17. Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.' I admire the manner of speaking frequently found in fcripture, where the kindness of men towards us is immediately and expressly attributed to the agency of God, Gen. xxxix. 21. But the Lord was with Jofeph, and 'fhewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the 'fight of the keeper of the prifon.' Acts vii. 9, 10. • And the patriarchs, moved with envy, fold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him, and delivered ⚫ him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour ' and wisdom in the fight of Pharaoh, King of E'gypt; and he made him governor over Egypt, and all his houfe. Dan. i. 9. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the Prince ⚫ of the eunuchs.' How great a duty, and how important a part of religion, praise and thanksgiving to God are, may be seen in every page of the holy fcripture, both in the way of precept and example, Deut. viii. 10. ⚫ When thou haft eaten, and art full, then thou fhalt • blefs the Lord thy God, for the good land which he ⚫ hath given thee. Pfal. cxxxvi. 1, 2, 3. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mer. 'cy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the 'God of gods; for his mercy endureth for ever. "O give thanks to the Lord of Lords; for his mercy endureth for ever. Pfal. ciii. 1, 2, 3. Blefs the Lord, O my foul, and all that is Blefs the Lord, within me, blefs his holy name. O my foul, and forget not all: his benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. Pfal. cxlv. 1, 2. I will extol thee; my God, O king; and I will blefs thy name for e⚫ver and ever. Every day will I blefs thee; and I ⚫ will praise thy name for ever and ever.' And that this duty ought particularly to be discharged by those who have been highly favoured of God in any respect, is very plain. Though the glory of God is the fubject of habitual adoration, and the conftant courfe of his bounty, the fubject of habitual grati tude, yet new and fpecial mercies, give, as it were, a new spring, and add ftrength and vigour to the foul in this exercife. Our praifes ought to be particular, as well as general; and thofe who obferve and record the fpecial inftances of divine mercy toward them, will find a fulness of heart in this duty, to which they are perfect ftrangers, who fatisfy themselves with a general and indifcriminate acknowledgment of the divine bounty. Many of the pfalms of Da vid are monuments of his gratitude, for particular interpofitions of providence in his behalf, and bear particular marks of reference to the time and circumftances of his diftrefs. I only add, upon this subject, that the Pfalmist might well fay, in this fenfe, Return unto thy reft, O my foul; for a tender and affectionate acknowledgment of the mercies of God, not only makes us find our reft in him, but makes his mercies reft with us; it increases the fweetnefs of every comfort;-it purifies its nature;-it prolongs its duration.-It increafes the. fweetness of it: for this I appeal to the experience of every child of God. Do you ever tafte so much real delight in any mercy, as when you pour out your heart to God in gratitude for bestowing it; even in gifts from men we are fometimes fenfible of a higher value in them, on account of the perfon who gave them, than any worth they have in themselves. This holds, in the strongest manner, with regard to God; the more we return our mercies in praise to the giver, the more we poffefs them, and the greater richness we difcover in them.It alfo purifies their nature. Many inftances of divine goodness regard our state and circumstances in the prefent life; they are the objects of fenfible gratification, as well as religious gratitude. Now, when we obferve and celebrate the kindness of him that bestows them, they not only ftrengthen the body, but fanctify the foul. Is it not fomething more than barely outward provifion, when we fay with the Pfalmift, Pfal. xxiii. 5. Thou preparest a ⚫ table before me, in the prefence of mine enemies; ' thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth ́ over?'—Again, it prolongs the duration of our mercies. One of the confequences of the weakness and imperfection of the present ftate, is, that we are ready foon to forget our mercies, and to lose the relifh of them. In how many inftances do we find, that what gave us great and fenfible pleasure at first, becomes, in time, habitual, and, at last, indifferent to us? Now, praising, and confeffing the goodness of God in them, ferves to write them upon our hearts; to continue the sweetness of common mercies; and keep up the memory of signal mercies, or thofe of an extraordinary kind. Health, strength,' provifion, and comfort, when they are not interrupted, are apt to be quite overlooked; but the daily acknowledgment of divine goodness, gives us not only the poffeffion but the use of them. Signal mercies, in time, flip out of the memory, but the more we have acknowledged them, they will be the more eafily recalled to remembrance. I have known inftances of pious perfons, appointing fixed days of thanksgiving for extraordinary deliverances, which ferved to renew their fenfe of them, and gave them fome degree, at least, of the fame joy and gratitude which they felt when the event happened. Some alfo, by keeping a record in writing of the paths of divine providence toward them, are able to read them over at proper times in their order, to compare them together, and thus, as it were, to have a rich feaft upon a whole life of mercies, the remembrance of of which would otherwife have been effaced by time. many 2. This expreffion may imply returning to God, and delighting in him as our reconciled God, and fupreme portion and happiness. This is indeed the reft of the gracious foal, which gives him more joy than all outward poffeffions taken together. His outward poffeffions have no value, but as they flow from it, and lead back to it. He fays with the Pfalmift, Pfal. iv. 6,7,8. There be many that fay, who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou haft put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn ⚫ and their wine increased. I will both lay me down ⚫ in peace and fleep: for thou Lord only makeft me dwell in fafety. Pfal. lxxiii. 23,-25. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou haft holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy 'counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom 'have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee.' Now, my brethren, this reft is frequently disturbed, and meets with interruption in the prefent life. Sin is the chief cause of interruption; it raifes an interpofing cloud, and feparates between God and us. But it is alfo fometimes interrupted by affliction, and diftreffes of various kinds. Thefe two caufes have a mutual relation, and a mutual influence one upon another. Afflictions bring fin to remembrance, and fin fqueezes the bitterest ingredients into the cup of affliction; fo that it sometimes becomes a cup of trembling. The believer is often ready to mistake the rod of fatherly correction for the exterminating ftroke of avenging justice: hence the bitter and heart melting . |