our Lord " prayed for him, that his faith might not fail : " and through the operation of this grace upon his soul, he was kept from destruction, and restored to the favour of Ins God. In a word, the grace which he will bestow in the time of need shall be a tree of life in the soul, " bringing forth its fruit in its season1," yea, " twelve manner of fruits k," according to the occasion that may call for them, and the season to which they may be suited.]
3. Sufficient for our utmost necessities —
[" Our strength shall be fully equal to our day." Let our weakness be ever so great, or our trial ever so heavy, our Lord " will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able; but will, with the temptation, make for us a way to escape, that we maybe able to bear it1." Certainly, the trials of St. Paul were as numerous and heavy as ever were sustained by mortal man : and under them, especially under that which he calls a thorn in his flesh, and the buffetings of Satan, he cried mightily to the Lord for deliverance. The answer given to him by our Lord was, " My grace is sufficient for thee ; and my strength shall be made perfect in weakness." Now, behold, how all his troubles were in an instant turned into occasions of joy ! " Most gladly, therefore," says he, " will I rather glory in my infir- mities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong111." And from that time we find him hurling defiance at all his enemies, how numerous and powerful soever they might be : " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation? or distress? or persecution? or famine? or nakedness? or peril? or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us. And I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord11."]
As the promise made to the tribe of Asher may fitly be applied to believers generally, let us consider,
III. What it speaks more especially to God's pecu- liar people — Truly, it is a most instructive passage of Holy Writ : for it shews, to all God's believing people,
« Ps. i. 3. k Rev. xxii. 2. ' 1 Cor. x. 13.
™ 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. n Rom. viii. 35—39.