ON HOSEA XIV. -- VERSES 2, 3 93 and to utter praises unto his holy name, Psa. ciii. 1.4. 20. 22. And as David there begins the psalm, with " Bless the Lord, O my soul," and ends it with Bless the Lord, O my soul :" so the apostle, making mention of the like mercy of God unto him, and of the exceed- ing abundant grace of Christ, in setting forth him who was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious, as a pattern unto all that should believe on him unto eternal life, begins his meditation with praises, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord ;" and ends it with praises, " Unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen," 1 Tim. i. 12. 17. It is impossible that soul should be truly thankful unto God, which hath no ap- prehensions of him, but as an enemy, ready to call in, or at the least to curse all those outward benefits which in that little interim and respite of time between the curse pronounced in the law, and executed in death, he vouchsafeth to bestow. And impenitent sinners can have no true notion of God but such. And there- fore all the vérbal thanks which such men seem to render unto God for blessings, are but like the music of a funeral, or the trumpet before a judge, which gives no comfortable sound to the mourning wife, or to the guilty prisoner. III. As an argument and motive to prevail with God in prayer. For the church here prays for par- don, for grace, for healing, not only with an eye to its own benefit, but unto God's honour. Lord, when thou hast heard and answered us, then shall we glorify thee, Psa. 1. 15. " I shall praise thee," saith David, " for thou hast heard me, and art become my salva- tion," Psa. cxviii. 21. It is true, if God condemn us, he will therein show forth his own glory, 2 Thess. i. 9. as he did upon Pharaoh, Rom. ix. 17. In which
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