OUT Lord Jesus Christ : the unconverted man knows it not : he has not a heart attuned to it. He may feel somewhat of gratitude for temporal mercies ; but for the communication of spiritual blessings he cannot render any cordial thanks, because he never has received them, nor ever felt his need of them. Jeremiah might be sensible of his obligations to Ebed-melech for deliverance from the dungeon, because he had a deep con- sciousness of the peril and misery from which he had been rescued : but without that consciousness all professions of gratitude for such a deliverance would have been absurd. And so, till we are sensible what a horrible pit we have been taken out of, we can never have oiu- mouth filled with praises and thanksgivings to our redeeming God. But this ardent love to God and holy delight in him invariably spring out of a mani- festation of God's mercy to the soul. David would praise his God every day, and all the day long : and it should seem that the greatness and the multitude of the deliverances vouchsafed to him, disposed him, beyond all other of the sons of men, to pour out his soul in acclamations and hosannahs to his God.]
What then is, in. The improvement we should make of his expe- rience—
St. Paul tells us, that the mercy vouchsafed to him was intended by God for the instruction and encouragement of others; for their instruction — that they might know how great was the long-suffering of God ; and for their encouragement — that they, from so glorious an example of mercy, might learn to expect the same. Thus David, speaking of this experience of his, says, " Many shall see it, and fear, and shall put their trust in the Lord." From his experience then we may learn,
L To use the same means — [We are not to say, David found mercy of the Lord, therefore I may expect the same at all events ; but, therefore I may expect the same in a diligent use of the same means. David feared ; and therefore I must " fear :" I must fear the displeasure of my God : I must fear lest I be left in the horrible pit, and sink for ever in the mire of unforgiven sin. My fear also must be operative, stirring me up to earnest prayer, and stimulating me to " flee for refuge to the hope that is set before me." The use we are apt to make of any extraordinary displays of mercy, and which many make of the mercy vouch- safed to the penitent thief upon the cross, is to say within ourselves, God is too merciful to punish men in the eternal