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thing, and fay, "I have been deceived; my father does not love me?" Would you not think fuch a child very ungrateful? What then will you think of yourself? There is a paffage appofite to our purpose, in the prophecy of Malachi. "I have loved you, faith the Lord; yet ye fay, Wherein haft thou loved us ?" They had the boldness to ask, in what instance, in what one particular cafe he had fhewn favour and kindness to them. Surely, this must be displeasing to the Holy One of Ifrael. Yet when Zion faid, "The Lord hath forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me," he condefcends to expoftulate with her on the subject, in the tendereft manner. "Can a woman forget her fucking child, that fhe fhould not have compaffion on the fon of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."

Though the evidences of divine favour be clear and strong, yet we fometimes, through darkness of mind, do not diftinguish them, or elfe, through obftinacy in grief and defpondency, we refuse to be comforted. In either cafe, the error lies in ourfelves. But this is our comfort, the Lord fees our weakness, and pities our helpless fouls. The compaffionate Redeemer was tempted in all points like as we are, that he might know how to fuccour those that are tempted. "If thou be the Son of God,"

God," was the ground of his first temptation in the wilderness. In like manner the enemy comes to us, If thou be a child of God, but what reafon haft thou to believe that thou art? Is it poffible that fo vile, so polluted, fo unworthy a finner, should be bold enough to claim the high privilege?"

After all, the fafeft courfe to be taken for relief in a season of darkness, is not to look within ourselves for encouragement, but to turn our eyes to the divine remedy, and to believe, as we are enabled, the free proclamations of mercy through Jefus Chrift to finners as fuch. Whofoever believeth in him fhall not perish, but have everlasting life.

Fly to the hope the gospel gives,

The man, that trufts the promise, lives.

It highly becomes us to beware of difpleafing the Lord by unthankfulness for the favours he bestows upon us. Ingratitude is the grave in which many mercies are buried and concealed. Mofes compofed a fong to be fung by the Ifraelites, to perpetuate the memory of God's kindness to them,. through all fucceeding generations. This fong is recorded in the thirty-fecond chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, and deserves an attentive perufal by us in New Teftament times. O

No. IX. 1.

To

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To receive many favours, and to be totally unconcerned about making returns, is ungrateful, and very unfuitable to the temper with which every true christian should be inspired. Surely," fays the Pfalmift," the righteous fhall give thanks to thy name." He was fo affected himfelf with God's goodness, that he could not reft on his bed in the hours appointed for repose, but rose at midnight to give thanks to him. The apoftle Paul was not lefs eminent for his grateful, than for his prayerful difpofition. Thanks be to God;-I thank Chrift Jefus our Lord;-with other expreffions of like import, frequently occur in his writings.

Ingratitude is a vice for which the very heathens are condemned in the word of God. It ftands connected with the vileft abominations. It indicates fomething worse than brutish stupidity; for the ox knoweth his owner, and the afs his mafter's crib; but the unthankful acknowledge not the hand that feeds, protects and clothes them. Reader, if this is your prevailing difpofition, be ashamed of it. The God, in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, have you not glorified. To overlook and entirely to forget unnumbered favours, denotes a base, unworthy, difingenuous fpirit. If you are a difciple of Jesus, you furely look upon yourself as under obligation to thank God for your

daily bread, and will you not be thankful for fpiritual food? You have tafted that the Lord is gracious, and received many fpiritual bleffings from him; illumination, conviction, relief and comfort; and do you count these as nothing? Do not these distinguishing mercies demand praise? Is not thankfulness the tribute which you ought to pay for them? Can you do lefs than acknowledge what God has done for your foul? Will you not say,

O, if I had a thousand tongues,
And could be heard from pole to pole,
I would to all the lift'ning world
Declare thy goodness to my foul!

The

*The chriftian hath as large a field for the exercife of his thankfulness, in praifing God, as he hath in the petitionary part of prayer, for his defires.-This duty circumfcribes heaven and earth; it takes both worlds in its circumference. "In every thing give thanks." O what a copious theme. hath God given his people, upon which to enlarge their meditations! "In every thing." The whole courfe and series of divine providence towards the faints, is like a mufic-book, in every leaf of which there is a fong ready set for them to learn, and fing to the praise of their God. To skip over one note in a leffon may fpoil the grace of the music.

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The Pfalmift defired that others might affift him, and join with him in the work of praise. "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I fought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." If you are not thankful, God is robbed of the glory due unto his name, and your own foul is deprived of the comfort his mercies would otherwife afford you. May the Author of all good raise your affections to himfelf, and with all his other gifts beftow on you a thankful heart, to tafte thofe gifts with joy! With

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We are unworthy of the leaft mercy; and therefore God is worthy of praife for the leaft, because it. is more than he owes us. Common mercies are many. "O God," fays David, "how great is the fum of them! If I fhould count them, they are more in number than the fand; when I awake, I am still with thee." As if he had faid, "There is not a point of time wherein thou art not doing me good. As foon as I open mine eyes in the morning, I have a new theme, to employ my praifeful meditations."

The fincerity of the heart is fhewn more in thankfulness for ordinary mercies, than for those which are more extraordinary. As it shews a base difpofition when a man upon every flight temptation is drawn into fin, fo the foul difcovers a high degree of .grace, to take the hint from every common mercy to bless and praise God.' Gurnal.