4. We must trust him in all future difficulties and dangers —
[This is a very principal end of raising memorials of any kind : it is, not merely to remind us of what God has done, but of what he is ever ready to do, if we call upon him. Here again we are called to admire the conduct of David, who re- garded the deliverances which he had experienced from the paws of the lion, and of the bear, as arguments for trusting in God, and for expecting a similar deliverance from the sword of Goliath*^. St. Paul also made a similar improvement of the mercies vouchsafed to him ; saying, " God hath delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver ; in whom we trust +hat he will yet deliver us^." Trials will succeed each other, as " clouds coming after rain:" we are not to expect a termina- tion of them, till we are called to our rest above. Yet while on this account we can only say, " Hitherto hath the Lord
^ 2 Kings XX. 12 — 18. with 2 Chron. xxxii. 24, 25, 31.
« Tsai. v. 3—6. Heb. vi, 7, 8. <■ 1 Sam. xvii. 37. 8 2 Cor. i. 1 0.
IcO 1 SAMUEL, VII. 12. [290.
helped us," we may safely commit ourselves into his hands, knowing, that " whoso trusteth in the Lord, shall be even as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but standeth fast for ever\"]
^ Ps. cxxv. 1.
ccxc.
THE DUTY OF COMMEMORATING GOD's MERCIES.
1 Sam. vii. 12. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ehen-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord heljped us.
The Jews lived under a Theocracy, and received from God a greater number of visible interpositions in their favour than any other nation under heaven. In remembrance of these, many different memorials were erected, and many rites instituted ; that so the people might be kept in a steadfast adherence to him as their rightful Sovereign, and in a constant dependence on him as their almighty Protector. But they were ever prone to depart from him, and to transfer their allegiance to the gods of the heathen that were no gods, but idols of wood and stone. For these iniquities that were frequently given up into the hands of their enemies, and left to feel the bitter consequences of their impiety. But, when they were made sensible of their guilt, and brought to humble themselves before God, he returned in mercy to them, and effected -for them the deliverance they implored. Such an interposition was obtained for them by the prayers of Samuel; and in remembrance of it was the stone erected, to which my text refers.
But, as God is the Governor of all the earth, and interposes still for his people as really, though not so visibly, as in the days of old, we will not confine our views of this transaction to the particular deli- verance to which it primarily refers, but will extend them generally to the Church at large ; and consider it as,
L A commemorative act —
290. J THE DUTY OF COMMEMORATING GOD's MERCIES. 151
The Jews at this time were grievously oppressed by the Phihstines. Samuel called them to repentance, and promised, that, if they would put away their false gods, and return with penitential sorrow to the Lord their God, they should be delivered out of the hands of their enemies. That their return to Jehovah might be the more solemn and universal, Samuel appointed all the heads of the nation to meet him at Mizpeh. But the Philistines, jealous of so large an assemblage of Israelites on the borders of their country, came forth to attack them : and God, in answer to the prayers of Samuel, rescued his people from their hands, and utterly discomfited the Philistine armies. To commemorate this deli- verance, Samuel " put up the stone, which he called Eben-ezer, saying. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." But, to understand the precise scope of this memorial, we must advert to the means by which the deliverance was obtained. Then we shall see that the stone thus raised, proclaimed, to the whole nation,