sweet ; '* and whether *' your souls have not been satisfied as with marrow and fatness," when you have been so employed ?]
3. To commit our every concern to his disposal — [Our duty in this respect may not unfitly be illustrated by the confidence which passengers in a ship place in a skilful pilot and an able commander. They trust their persons and their property to the pilot without any anxious cares or painful appre- iiensions. Conscious of their own incapacity to navigate the ship, they presume not to interfere in the management of the vessel, but leave the whole concern to those whose province it is to conduct it. Whatever storms may arise, they look to him who is at the helm to steer the vessel to its destined port. Thus does the Believer commit his way unto the Lord. To God he looks as ordering every thing for his good, yea, as having, if we may so speak, a community of interest with him, and as pledged to bring him in safety to the harbour where he would be. If any anxious thought arise, he checks it ; and " casts all his care on Him, who careth for him." This we should do in reference to every concern whatever. In relation to temporal things, we sliould have no more anxiety than the fowls of the air, which subsist from day to day on the bounty of their Creator*^: and even in reference to the soul, the same entire confidence must be placed in God, who has engaged to carry on and perfect in his people the work he has begun '^. Let us not however be misun- derstood to say, that we are to put away a. jealous fear of our- selves : that we must retain even to the end of our lives : but an unbelieving fear of God, as either unable or unwilling to save us, we must cast it off with abhorrence, and " be strong in faith, giving glory to God."]
The promises annexed to these several injunctions shew, II. What God will do for us —
Truly he will do exceeding abundantly for us above all that we can ask or think —
1 . He will supply our wants — [Great and urgent they may be, even like those with which Israel was oppressed on different occasions in the land of Ca- naan : but God will interpose for us in the hour of need, so that " verily we shall be fed." Under the pressure of their troubles, many Jews deserted their own land, and sought for security or plenty among their heathen neighbours : thus they rather fled from trouble, than looked to God, as they should have done, to relieve them from it. We must not act thus : we must not desert our post because of difficulties which we meet with in it ;
but " Matt. vl. 25—34. ^ Phil .i. 6.