There is a delightful passage in the Psalms 74:14 the spiritual sense of which is, (I venture to believe) that the meat of the soul, in trying dispensations to Israel in the wilderness, was looking back to the event of this distinguishing mercy. And so it is now. Past experience of God's faithfulness becomes food for faith in what is to come. Reader! if you and I had but grace to call to mind how the Lord hath appeared for us in former trials, this would bring relief and confidence to the soul, under present or future difficulties. Blessed Spirit! be thou the Lord's remembrancer. John 14:26; Micah 6:5
REFLECTIONS
Who would have thought, that after the many humbling lessons, Pharaoh had been taught, that folly should again so far have blinded his eyes, as to have come out against the Lord's people. My soul! Think seriously, in the view of this awful instance, to what a desperate state of wickedness the heart of man is capable of attaining when given up to a reprobate mind.
Who would have thought, that after the Lord had so wonderfully interposed in bringing Israel out of Egypt, and while guiding them by a pillar of cloud, and protecting them by a pillar of fire; that any further trouble should have arisen to harass and afflict them. My soul! remember the straits of Israel, in all the lesser trials of your faith: and do not forget, that as but for those difficulties which the people of God sustained, they never would have known the preciousness of divine interposition, in this miracle of mercy to themselves, and destruction to their enemies: so neither would you know the numberless instances of the Lord's opening ways of deliverance to you, and a thousand proofs of grace helping you on in the path, if there was not an hedge of thorns thrown up against you, and that frequently, thereby divine strength is made perfect in human weakness.
Reader! before we leave this precious chapter, look at it once again. Have you seen Israel in that critical moment, when, according to all human appearance, destruction was inevitable; an enemy behind, mountains on each side, and destruction before, and did God then manifest the lighting down of his glorious arm in the very moment of danger? And is it not so with the sinner, in his perilous state, unawakened by grace, and exposed to everlasting ruin. The enemy hastening on; sin encompassing all around; and every step he takes only leading nearer to the borders of eternity. Lord! open to the Reader (if haply his eyes have never yet seen his danger) a sense of this state! put a cry like Israel's in his heart to the Lord; and when, under divine teaching, he hath learnt, that every door of escape in himself is shut, and that there is no way to escape by human power; then do thou, as to Israel, open that new and living way in Christ's blood; give him to see, that there is salvation in no other; and let the language of one of old, be the language of his heart; I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God, and will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only. My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation, for I know not the number thereof.