for this his name is humbly and gratefully adored "^ ; and he is declared to be henceforth the only hope of his people'^. In like manner should we acknow- ledge hull in all the mercies which we now cele- brate : for,
1 . They do all in reality proceed from him —
[We are by no means disposed to withhold our tribute of praise from those who have been the instruments of our delive- rance. Those who have been at the helm of our affairs have certainly laid their plans with consummate wisdom ; and our forces both by sea and land have carried them into execution with extraordinary energy. But still, without the Divine bless- ing their united efforts, however great, would have failed. It is God alone who inspired them either with wisdom or courage ; and he alone who gave success to their endeavours. We are assured that even the ploughman and the thresher derive all their skill from him*; how much more then the governors of nations, and the conductors of fleets and armies ! The victories of Cyrus were, as much as any could be, the result of human energy; because God was not known either to him or to his people : but God tells us, that he, even he alone, gave him success^ In like manner it is he, and he alone, who has conducted us in safety through all our troubles, and brought them at last to such a happy issue. That we should see and acknowledge this, is of infinite importance ; because God is "a jealous God, who will .not, give his glory to another," or endure that we should " sacri- .fice to our own drag, and burn incense to our own net." Hear with what earnestness he cautioned the Jevvs against this great impiety^; and let us learn with all possible care to avoid it :• let us bear in mind that it is God alone ''who maketh wars to cease, and breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, and burnetii the chariot in the fire'';" and that, as there is not evil, so neither is there good, in the city, which is not the work of his hands'.]
2. The acknowledging of him in them gives us the truest enjoyment of them —
[Others may indulge in carnal mirth ; but their joy will expire " as the crackling of thorns under a pot;" and no solid benefit will accrue to their souls. But if we view God in our mercies, they will lead our affections heavenwards; they will tend to abase us in the dust for our own unworthiness, and to mag- nify in our estimation the goodness of God, who has done such great things for us. Compare these feelings with those which the ungodly experience on such occasions ; how pure, how ele- vating,
' ver. 6. ^ ver. 8.
•^ Isai. xxviii.26 — 2Q. ' laai. xlv. 1 — 7. *f X)eut. viii. 11 — I?.
" Ps. xlvi. 9, 10.- ' Amos lii. 6.
431.Tto acknowledge god in our mercies. 457
vating, how abiding ! We may see the conduct of the ungodly strikingly exempHfied by the Amalekites after they had invaded and plundered Ziklag : " they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating, and drinking, and dancing, because of the great spoil that they had taken ^." On the otlier hand, we may behold ia Israel the conduct of the godly, singing praises unto God, and glorifying him for all the wonders he had wrought for them at the Red Sea ; " Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods ? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing won- ders^?" Can we doubt which of the two had the richer enjoy- ment of their prosperity ? Let us then imitate the pious Israelites : yea, let us contemplate, like David, every occurrence whereby God has manifested his care over us ; and let us, in reference to every one of them, say, " His mercy endureth for ever ; his mercy endureth for ever"'."]