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GODS

RECOVERING

.MERCY.

637

among the accidents

of

this

life

how,

many

hundreds

come to

their end

by

such

accidents

P

Besides the

wear-

ing out of

this

mortal nature,

by

labours of the

mind

or

body,

or growing years

and advancing

age.

What

muh

titudes have gone down

to

the dust

since

we

have been

born,

and'yet

we

continue upon the earth,

who

have no-

thing

in 'us

that

can promise, or

that

can

secure length

of

life

to

us_

beyond those

who

are

dead. We are

thus

surrounded

with

deaths

within and without, and

yet

we

live,

I.

By

:constant

supplies

of

food and

raiment, and the

necessaries

of

life,

which

we

have

out of

the stores

of

divine bounty.

It

is

God

that

feeds

and

clothes

us

in

this wilderness,

and

gives

us

our

daily

bread,

though

not

in so

wonderful and

visible

a manner

as

he did

to

the

Israelites.

It

is

he

blesseth our

daily food to

make

it

nourishing to

our natures, and

effectual

to

preserve

life.

Deut.

viii.

3.

"

Man

doth

not

live by

bread

only,

but

"

by

every

word

that

proceedeth

out of

the mouth

of

the

"

Lord." We are

sometimes

filled

with

anxieties

;

&c.

but

God

hath

hitherto

provided,

and

we

live,

He

feeds

the

lamp

of

life

with

fresh

oil,

which would otherwise

expire

in

darkness,

II,

By his

kind

providence preserving

us from

outward

dangers,

Psal.

cxxi.

2,

3,

4.

He carried

the Israelites

through the

wilderness

;

their

feet

swelled not,

nor did

the heat

consume

them, or serpents or plagues

utterly

destroy them,

.Psal.

xxxiv.

20.

He

keepeth

all

our

bones,

not one

of

them

is

broken. He

sends

his

angels

for our

guard,

and

gives

them charge over

us to

keep

us

in all

our

ways.

Psal.

xci.

11,

12.

To bear

ús

up in

their

hands,

lest

we

dash

our

feet against the stones,

Psal.

lxviii.

20.

He that

is

our

God,

is

the

God of sal-

vation

;

often

we

have been

on

the

very edge

of

the

grave,

and behold

we

live;

to the .Lord

our God

belong all

our

escapes from

death.

III.

By

merciful recoveries

from sickness,

by

healing

our

diseases which were ready

to

destroy

us.

Psal.

ciii.

3,

4.

Who

forgiveth all

thine iniquities,

who

healeth

all

thy diseases,

who

redeemeth

thy life

from

destruction,

who

crowneth thee

with

loving kindness and

tender

mer-

cies.

Psal

xxx.

2,

3,

0

Lord,

I

cried unto

thee,

and

thou

hast healed

me.

O Lord, thou

hast brought

my

soul

from the

gave,

thou

hast kept

we

alive,

that

I

should

not