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I. THE MERCIES TO BE MENTIONED. A complete summary we cannot give, for who can count the sands of the sea or the stars of the sky?

1. The list commences with special electing love. In the Hebrew the eighth verse runs, "For He said, they only are My people."

2. Pass on to the next sweet token of Divine lovingkindness which is found in the Fatherly confidence which the Lord has manifested towards His people. "Children that will not lie. '

3. His great sympathy with us. "In all their affliction He was affected (ver. 9).

4. His intimate intercourse with us. "The Angel of His presence saved them."

5. The gracious interpositions of God on behalf of His people. "In His love and in His pity He redeemed them."

6. God provided for, led, protected and upheld His people by a wondrous special providence while they were in the wilderness. "He bare them," etc. (ver. 9).

7. The prophet further goes on to mention the Lord's chastening. It is to be sorrowed over that we need chastening, but God is to be praised that He does not withhold it from us (ver. 10).

8. The next thing the prophet sings about is God's faithfulness, for though He did smite His people, yet in a very short time we find that "He remembered the days of old," etc. (vers. 11-13). We will close this catalogue with one more choice mercy, for the prophet tells us of God's giving His people rest after all (ver. 14).

II. CERTAIN POINTS WORTHY OF SPECIAL MENTION.

1. Whatever has been bestowed upon us by God reveals His lovingkindness.

2. The consequent praise which is due to God on account of this.

3. The uniform nature of all God's dealings with us. "According to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us." Let us praise Him according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us, blessing Him for bitters and sweets, for blacks and whites, for storms and calms.

4. The grandeur of the goodness which is shown in every mercy. "The great goodness toward the house of Israel." Ingratitude makes little of much, but gratitude sees much in little.

5. We ought to take peculiar note in our song of the condescending tenderness and pity of God, for such is the force of the next expression, "which He hath bestowed on them according to His mercies," — a clearer rendering would be, "according to His compassion."

6. One other special note demands to be heard, and that is the multitudinous displays of His love. "According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses," of all shapes, and at all times, and in all ways, and from all points of the compass.

III. PRACTICAL REASONS WHY WE SHOULD THUS MENTION THE LOVINGKINDNESSES OF THE LORD.

1. That we may have pleas in prayer. This is the best way of praying: "Lord, Thou hast done this for Thy servant, Thou hast done that for Thy servant, therefore I beseech Thee do more. This is not after the manner of men, for when we once relieve a man's necessities we say to him, "Do not come again;" but every gift which God gives is an invitation to come again, and the best way in which we can show our gratitude is to seek for further gifts.

2. These memories will act as stays to your faith.

3. They will minister to your present comfort.

4. The thought of all this would make us love God more, and obey Him better.

5. To mention the Lord's goodness enables us to cheer others, for we do not know who may be standing by.

6. It will glorify Him, and this should always be your master motive.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

WEB: I will make mention of the loving kindnesses of Yahweh, [and] the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.