endues them both with skill and courage, and gives the victory to whomsoever he will. Besides, there have been many pecu- liar circumstances which owed their origin to him alone. And, while these mark his providential care, they compel us to acknowledge that " it is he who fighteth for usd."]
Nor are we without a hope, that his mercies to us have been sent in accomplishment of his promise —
[Many have mourned over the troubles of the land, and have made earnest intercession with God on our behalf. And though there is nothing meritorious in their petitions, yet when God sends the mercies for which we have prayed, we have rea- son to hope that he has sent them in answer to our prayers.]
Whatever may be our opinion respecting this, it becomes us to consider,
II. The improvement we should make of them —
Every mercy from God is an additional obligation to love and serve him —
[God has commanded us to love him with all our heart: and he is worthy of our supreme regard on account of the per- fections of his nature, and the dispensations of Ins grace. But he is also to be loved in a peculiar manner for hearing and an- swering our prayers e. The effect produced on the mind of David, should result from every expression of the divine good- ness towards usf.]
But we are very prone to forget all his benefits —
[However earnest we may be in a season of affliction, we become remiss and careless when the affliction is removed. We are like metal, which is melted in the furnace, but returns speedily to its original hardness as soon as it is taken from the fire. Like the Jews we " forget the Rock that bought us." Even good " Hezekiah requited not the Lord according to all that he had done for himg." And too many amongst ourselves forget to pay the vows which we have offered in a time of trouble.]
On this account we should take good heed to re- member them —
[Nothing is more displeasing to God than ingratitude.
d Here the particular circumstances may be mentioned, and be illustrated by Ps. xliv. 3.
e Ps. cxvi. 1. f Ps. xviii. 1. with the title of the Psalm.
e 2 Chron. xxxii. 25.