Whatever our trials be, strength shall be given us in proportion to them : and our communications from God shall be,
1. Seasonable — in respect of time —
[Often, if succour were delayed, we should fall a prey to our great adversary. But " God's eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in hehalf of them that fear himc:" and the very instant he sees us ready to sink, he interposes for our help. He has promised that he would do so: " He will judge his people, and repent himself for Iris servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and that there is none shut up or leftd." " In the very mount" of difficulty " he will be seen." The Apostle Paul experienced this on a very trying occasion. When summoned before that bloody tyrant, Nero, "all his friends forsook him; but the Lord stood by him, and strengthened him, that through him the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might heare." Had he not been thus strengthened in the very hour of need, his courage might have failed: but by this seasonable interposition of the Deity, he was enabled to main- tain his ground, and execute the trust committed to him. And David also attests that this was his frequent experience: " In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soulV]
2. Suitable — to the particular occasion —
[Different are the communications that are wanted under different circumstances. Sometimes wisdom is necessary : and that shall be imparted as our necessities may require. This was promised, in a more especial maimer, by our Lord to his disciples: " When they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say ; for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in that same hour what ye ought to sayg." If patience be wanted, that in like manner shall be supplied: for " he will strengthen us with all might by his Spirit in the inner man, unto all patience, and long-suffering with joyful- nessV If faith be that which is more especially necessary for the soul, he will impart that in richer abundance. We have a very striking instance of this in Peter. Our Lord had fore- warned him that he would deny his Master: and if Peter, after the perpetration of this evil, had given way to despondency, he would have perished in his iniquity, just as Judas did. But
c 2 Chron. xvi. 9. d Deut. xxxii. 36. e 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17. f Ps. cxxxviii. 3. s Luke xii. 11,12. h Col. i. 11.