Be Mindful of Past & Present Mercies

Shall a few present troubles be a grave to bury the remem­brance of all my past and present mercies? ‘I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old,’ (Psalm 77:10-11). Christian, when thou art in thy depths of affliction, and Satan tempts thee to asperse God as if he were forgetful of thee, stop his mouth with this, ‘No, Satan, God hath not forgot to do for me, but I have forgot what he hath done for me, or else I could not question his fatherly care at present over me!’ Go, Christian, play over thy old lessons.

Look back, Christian, to thy past experiences, and inquire whether thou canst not find that thy God hath done greater matters for thee than this which thou now hast so many disquieting fears and despairing thoughts about. Praise God for past mercies; and it will not be long before thou hast a new song put into thy mouth for present mercy.

He is the best Christian that keeps the history of God’s gracious dealings with him most carefully, so that he may read in it his past experiences, when at any time his thoughts trouble him and his spiritual rest is broken with distracting fears for the future. This is he that will pass the night of affliction and temptation with comfort and hope.

Richard Sibbes

On Hebrews 12:5 "You have forgot the consolation that speaks unto you..."

We have no more present actual comfort than we have remembrance; help a godly man's memory, and help his comfort.

The Soul's Conflict With Itself

A sound-hearted Christian hath always a God to go to, a promise to go to, former experience to go to, besides some present experiences of God's goodness which he enjoys. For the present he is a child of God, a member of Christ, an heir of heaven. He dwells in the love of God (shown) in the cross.

True praise requires our whole man, the judgment to esteem, the memory to treasure up, the will to resolve, the affections to delight, the tongue to speak of, and the life to express the rich favours of God. What can we think of? What can we call to mind?

Enter into a deep consideration of God's favours, past, present, and future; think of the greatness and suitableness of them to our condition, the seasonableness and necessity of them every way unto us. Consider how miserable our life were without them; our very life were death, our light were darkness without these. In all favours think not of them so much, as God's mercy and love in Christ, which sweetens them. Think of the freeness of this love, and the smallness of thy own deserts. How many blessings doth God bestow upon us, above our deserts, yea, above our desires, nay, above our very thoughts! He had thoughts of love to us when we had no thoughts ourselves. What had we been if God had not been good unto us! How many blessings hath God bestowed upon us, that we never prayed for!

The use of a sanctified memory is to lose nothing that may help in time of need.

God much rejoiceth in sinners converted, as monuments of his mercy, and because the remembrance of their former sins whets them on to be more earnest in his service, especially after they have felt the sense of God's love. They burn with a holy desire of honouring him, whom before they dishonoured.

Stephen Charnock The Existence & Attributes of God

When we come to God for fresh benefits of grace, it is always good to remember his former benefits. Our current needs should stir us up to pay the interest of thanksgiving on past blessings. We are unworthy of new mercies when we do not acknowledge the mercies we have already received.

George Swinnock in Voices From The Past Puritan Devotional Readings

Look at the dangers you have been delivered from, the journeys you have been protected in, the seasonable help he has sent you, the suitable support he has afforded you in distress, the counsel he has given you in doubts, and the comforts he has provided you in sorrow and darkness. Meditate upon your present mercies - your house, family, body, and soul, are all full of blessings! Meditate on how freely they are bestowed, on their fullness and greatness. But O, your soul's mercies - the image of God, the blood of Christ, eternal life, and seasons of grace! Your whole life is a bundle of mercies. These stir us up to bless the Giver. Then meditate on God to whom we pray. Meditate on his mercy and goodness. God delights to be sought and found. He delights to see men joyful in the house of prayer. When you have by meditation put the wood in order upon the altar, you may be prayer set fire to it and offer up a sacrifice of sweet smelling savour.

Nathaniel Homes quoted in Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David on Psalm 106:7 “Our ancestors soon forgot the Lord’s many acts of kindness to them.”

A shallow understanding causeth a short memory.