prayer shall bring down every blessing which God himself is able to bestow-]

This subject will be found of peculiar USE

1. To humble the proud

[Every natural man conceives that his salvation must arise solely from his own exertions-But here we are taught to trace all our inclination and ability for what is good to God, who, in the prosecution of his eternal purposes, imparts both the one and the other to our soulskLet us learn then to acknowledge him in all that we have received, and to look to him for all that we want-And let the hope, that there may yet be in his heart many undiscovered thoughts of peace towards us, stimulate us to fervent prayer, and diligent exertions-]

2. To awaken the secure

[Some will pervert the truths of God, and say that their exertions are useless, if God have not thoughts of peace towards them; and superfluous, if he have-But God's decrees are no rule of action for us, seeing that they are hidden from us: it is his precepts, which we are to regard; and if we will not seek him according to his command, we can have no hope that we shall ever find him-Will any man then consign himself deliberately to perdition, because he does not absolutely know that God has "ordained him unto life?"-Should we not justly blame a man who made the uncertainty of life a reason for refusing bodily sustenance? yet he would act as rationally as the other-Let this then be known; the man that lives without God, will die without hope; and, when he perishes, he must accuse, not the hidden purposes of God, but his own folly, sloth, and negligence-]

3. To comfort the feeble-minded

[Some, who are diligent in the use of means, are apt to perplex themselves with doubts respecting the divine decrees

But they have within themselves the very best answer to all their doubts: Let them only ask themselves, Whence arose my desires after God? Whence is it that I am enabled to seek him in any measure? the snare will instantly be broken: for, the aid they have already received from God, is a far better ground for concluding that he has designs of peace towards them, than any remaining imperfections can be, of his purpose to reject them-Only then wait upon God in prayer, and rest assured that a praying soul can never perish-Continue to ask, and you shall have; for however secret his purposes may be, his promises are plain and sure: and he says, "Ye shall find me, when ye shall search for me with your whole heart"-]

See also Eph. i. 11. and Phil. ii. 13.

CCCXXXI. THE EFFECTS WHICH NATIONAL MER

CIES SHOULD PRODUCE UPON US.

Ps. cvi. 10-12. He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. Then believed they his words, and sang his praise.

GRATITUDE for mercies received is a duty universally approved

Every one sees the propriety of acknowledging personal obligations—

Nor is it less incumbent on us to be thankful for blessings conferred on us in our national capacity

The words before us record the conduct of the Israelites when a signal deliverance had been vouchsafed to them

May we be as devoutly, and more abidingly impress ed, while we consider

I. The mercy vouchsafed unto them

They had been in a state of extreme danger and dis

tress

[After their departure from Egypt they encamped by the Red Sea

There they were hemmed in by impassable mountains and

morasses

Pharaoh, greatly incensed, followed them with all his hostsNor doubted but that he should speedily destroy them allThey, to all appearance, had no means either of escape or self-defence

And in this situation expected nothing but instant ruin—] But God vouchsafed them a most astonishing delive

rance

[He prevented the nearer approach of Pharaoh by interposing a thick cloud between the Israelites and the EgyptiansHe made a path across the sea, the waters standing as a wall on either side

He led his people through it as on dry land

Giving up Pharaoh to judicial blindness and obduracy, he suffered him, at the head of his army, to follow the hosts of Israel

But when the Israelites were passed over, he let loose the waves upon their pursuers

Thus in an instant were the Egyptian armies overwhelmed— And Israel saw their enemies dead upon the sea shoreHow wonderful was this interposition of the Deity, and how great the obligation conferred by it!-]

Nor were they at the time insensible of the kindness manifested to them

II. The effects produced by it

They had shewed themselves an ungrateful and unbelieving people

But now for a season they were greatly changed

1. They believed God's word

[They had had reason enough before to believe the promises made to them

Moses had confirmed his word by many stupendous miracles

But they no sooner came into difficulty than they renewed their murmurs

Now, however, they were forced to confess the power and faithfulness of God

Nor did they suppose that they should ever yield to unbelief again—]

2. They sang his praise

[The salvation afforded them was inexpressibly greatAnd the hand of God in it was too visible to be overlookedHowever therefore they might pity the individuals who perished, they could not but rejoice in their own safety

Nor could they refrain from praising him who had wrought their deliverance→→→

The most obdurate could not but feel; the most insensible could not but admire

Happy would it have been for them if they had always continued in this mind

But though, through frailty, they soon relinquished this heavenly temper, the effect, while it lasted, was good and suitable-]

IMPROVEMENT

1. Let us endeavour to get our minds duly impressed with the temporal deliverances vouchsafed to us as a na

tion

[We must be blind indeed if we see not the hand of God in the repeated victories which we have lately gained-

Though they have not been either so miraculous or so complete as that recorded in the text, they demand our most grateful acknowledgments

Had they been as numerous and decisive in favour of our enemies as they have been on our part, we should before this time have seen this land the theatre of war

Let us then praise and adore our God for his interposition on our behalf

Nor let us soon forget the wonders he has wrought for us-Let us rather turn to him in an humble dependence on his

mercy

Let us plead the promises he has made to all penitent and believing people

And let us, in faith and penitence, expect the accomplishment of his word-]

2. Let us take occasion also to bless him for the spiritual deliverance wrought for us as individuals

[Our danger from the broken law was far greater than from human foes

There was no possible method of escape, if God had not interposed for us

But he has opened a way for us through the death of his own Son

And utterly vanquished all the enemies of our salvationLet every heart and every tongue unite in his praiseNor let the remembrance of his mercy be ever effaced from our minds

But let his word, whereby he encourages sinners, be our hope

Then shall every fresh victory be a pledge of future triumphsAnd the final destruction of our enemies be the subject of eternal praise.]

CCCXXXII. THANKSGIVING FOR GREAT DELIVE

RANCE.

Ps. cxxiv. 1-8. If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.*

This Psalm is with peculiar propriety read on the 5th of November.

THE Psalmist, after some great deliverance either from foreign enemies or civil insurrection, records, for the instruction and encouragement of the church in all ages, the goodness of God towards him. The precise occasion on which it was penned, is not known. Instead therefore of dwelling on historical events, which, as applied to the Psalm, must be at best conjectural, we shall take occasion from the Psalm, to set before you, in reference to the solemnities of this day,

I. Matter for devout acknowledgment

[To illustrate this, two things are to be considered;

1. Our danger; which, like that alluded to in the Psalm itself has been imminent -irresistible- -tremen

douss

2. Our deliverance; which, like that which is here celebrated, has been sudden and effectual―――]

--

II. Our duty arising from it

[This is comprised in two things

1. Gratitude The language of all our hearts should be, "Blessed be the Lord"f

2. Affiance-We should in all future difficulties hope and trust in God as our almighty Protectors-]

APPLICATION

[However thankful we may be for our national mercies, we must not forget, that there is yet more abundant cause for joy on account of our deliverance from sin and Satan, death and hell, through the mediation and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ---Let the greatness of our danger, and the perfection of our deliverance, be the subject of our daily contemplations, that we may trust in Jesus with our whole hearts, and praise him with our whole souls—·

-]

a The number of our enemies (like a flood, ver. 4, 5.) their inve⚫ teracy against us, (ver. 3.) and the combination of circumstances at the time of the mutiny, well illustrate this.

b What if God had not been so decidedly for us (mark the repetition, ver. 1, 2.) in some of our naval engagements? If only half of our victories had terminated as much in favour of the enemy, how different would have been our state, especially when all Europe was combined against us!

e Torn in pieces (ver. 6.) and swallowed up (ver. 3—5.)

Review the changes in the North; and our escape is indeed like that of a bird that gets out after having been already caught in the fowler's net, ver. 7.

e Peace is established; and the share itself (the principles which ccasioned the war is broken. Ib. r Ver. 6. € Ver. 8.