SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON) God's kindness to bless us.

God has given us much and all his past gifts are pleas for more gifts. Men do not plead in this way. The beggar in the street cannot say, “Give me a penny today because you gave me one yesterday;” otherwise we might reply, “That is the reason why I should not give you anymore.”

But when dealing with God, this is a good plea. God loves us to make his past mercies arguments for obtaining future blessings; so the apostle says, “God our Father, who has loved us and given us” (2 Thessalonians 2:16).