they are left in darkness and the shadow of death, and given up to follow their own delusions? If we prosecute the same inquiry in relation to the distinctions visible amongst ourselves, we shall be constrained to come to the same conclusion ; "By the grace of God we are what we are." It is manifest, that still, as in former ages, " things which are hid from the wise and prudent are revealed unto babes ;" and the only reason we can give for it, is that which our Lord himself assigned, " Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight a." Whether therefore we look at our rank in society, our intellects, our bodily constitution, or our attainments in grace, we must con- fess, that it is " God, and God alone, that has made any of us to differ V]
2. Its richness and variety —
[Were we to attempt to enumerate particulars, we should not know where to begin, or where to end. The mercies we enjoy as men, in contradistinction to all the rest of the creation,
are unspeakably great Nor should we overlook those
which we possess as Britons c but, above all, those
which we enjoy as Christians, deserve our most attentive con- sideration. That we have a Saviour to whom we may flee for refuge, and who is able and willing to save us to the uttermost ; that we have the aids of the Holy Spirit promised to us for the renovating of our fallen nature ; that the invitations and pro- mises of the Gospel are yet sounding in our ears, when so many millions of our fellow-creatures have received their final doom, and are gone beyond a possibility of redemption ; these things, I say, display in its brightest colours the loving-kindness of our God to us; and therefore we should meditate upon them day and night.
We have a striking pattern for our imitation in Nehemiah : he wished to impress the Jews with a sense of God's goodness to them, and therefore set it forth before them in a variety of most affecting particulars11 : let us also, for the same end, recall to mind the mercies which we ourselves have experienced at his hands ; and we shall find them countless as the sands upon the sea shore.]
3. Its constancy and continuance —
[After all, we scarcely know whether this be not the view in which the loving-kindness of our God appears to greatest advantage. This seemed to Nehemiah to be the crown and summit of God's mercies vouchsafed to the Jewish nation e:
a Matt. xi. 25, 26. See also Ezek. xvi. 3— G. * 1 Cor. iv. 7. c Here the particular occasion that is celebrated may be introduced. d Neh. ix. 7—15. e Neh. ix. 16—21, 26—31.