I. WHAT ARE THEY? They are seen in nature; in providence; and especially in grace. The whole purpose, plan, and accomplishment of man's salvation is full of them.

II. GOD IS EVER DOING GREAT WONDERS. It is not that he once did them and has now ceased, but he is ever doing and will continue to do them. Hence we may expect them in regard to others and to ourselves.

III. No ONE ELSE DOES THEM.

1. In Nature we see this plainly. No one thinks that he can do her works.

2. In providence we see this partly. Men are apt to think that they themselves are the authors of the good that comes to them.

3. In grace men are slow to see this at all. They persist in thinking they must bring something, do something, or else they cannot be saved. They haggle over God's free gift.

IV. AND THEY ARE GREAT WONDERS. Not common and ordinary.

1. It was to be expected that they would be. For they are the works of God.

2. It was necessary they should be. For how else was man to be saved?

3. They have all the conditions of greatness. Rarity; transcendent power; wisdom; grace.

V. THEY DESERVE AND DEMAND OUR PRAISE. Of the heart, the lip, the life. - S.C.

Altering a little the language of Coleridge, I would say, "All true science begins with wonder, and ends with wonder, and the space between is filled up with admiration. If we turn to Providence, the history of the nations, the history of the Church, what centuries of wonders pass before us! It is said that wise men only wonder once, and that is always; fools never wonder, because they are fools. The story of the Church is a constellation of miracles. I cannot venture upon themes so vast as Creation and Providence. Shall we turn to the works of Grace, the wonders of Redemption? If we consider the glory of grace surrounding the Cross, which is the wonder of wonders, we are upon a boundless ocean.

I. GOD IS WORKING WONDERS OF MERCY NOW.

1. In the salvation of the lost.

2. In the preservation of believers.

3. By maintaining His Church and the cause of truth in the midst of the world.

II. THESE WONDERS ARE STILL GREAT. Many apparent wonders can be explained, and, henceforth, the wonder is gone. Certain nations wonder at an eclipse, which to the astronomer is a very simple affair. Now, you cannot explain away redemption, regeneration, and the pardon of sin: these great wonders of almighty love are all the greater the more you know of them. Many wonders, also, are diminished by familiarity. The wonders of grace are such, that the more you see them the more your wonder grows. Those who are most familiar with the Lord think the most of Him and of His grace. The wonders of Divine grace are so great that they can never be eclipsed by any greater marvels.

III. THESE GREAT WONDERS ARE WROUGHT BY GOD ALONE. When the Lord uses means in the salvation of a soul, He takes care that nobody shall praise the means or ascribe the salvation to the agent. He has many ways with His most useful servants of making them keep their places; and you will notice that as soon as ever any one of them begins to grow rather large in his own esteem, he is usually met with weakness and barrenness. We must keep self out of the way. We must put ourselves absolutely into God's hands, that He may use us in the winning of souls, and then we must send the great I down, down, down, till it is buried out of all remembrance.

IV. FOR THESE WONDERS GOD IS TO BE PRAISED. Holy wonder is like sweet incense, but love must set it on a blaze with a burning coal of gratitude. If you will begin to praise the Lord for His great wonders of mercy, I will tell you what will happen to you.

1. First, we shall find His nature revealed to us. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good." We shall begin to see the essential goodness of God, and then we shall the better understand the manifestations of it as seen in ten thousand ways.

2. Next, while praising for His wonders, thou wilt learn to adore His Godhead. "Give thanks unto the God of gods." It is a grand thing to be deeply impressed that God is God.

3. If thou wilt keep on praising Him for His wonders, thou wilt come to know somewhat of His sovereignty. "O give thanks unto the Lord of lords," for He rules over all things, both in heaven and in earth, and in all deep places. We can trust our God with unlimited power; and it is a part of our worship that we should never question whatever He may do. "It is the Lord; let Him do what seemeth Him good."

4. Still, when thou praisest God for the wonders He has wrought for thee, and for others, let the climax of thy praise be this, that "His mercy endureth for ever." Magnify with all thy faculties of mind and heart; with memory, and hope, and fear, and every emotion of which thou art capable, the changeless mercy of God.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)