but must expect from God all those supplies of grace and strength which we stand in need of. " He that beliiveth, will not make haste :" he will not presently despond, because he sees not how his wants are to be supplied ; but will remember, that, as *' the earth, and the fulness thereof, is the Lord's," so there is all fulness of spiritual blessings also treasured up for him in Christ, and he will look to Christ for daily communications, according as his necessities may require. The Lord did not give to EHjah a store of provision that should suffice for months to come, but sent him bread and meat twice a day by the ministration of ravens, and afterwards a daily supply from the widow's cruse. In the same manner will he impart a sufficiency of temporal and spiritual blessings to all who trust in him ; and " according to their day, so their strength shall be." " The soul that trusts in Him shall want no manner of thing that is good."]
2. He will fulfil our desires —
[If our desires were after the things of time and sense, we might expect to have them withheld from us : but if they be, as the Believer's are, after God himself, we shall never be disap- pointed : on the contrary, the more earnest and enlarged our desire is, the more certain we are that God will fulfil and satisfy it. The more " wide we ogen our mouth," the more assured we are that " he will fill it." *" He will fulfil the desire of tliem that fear him ; he also will hear their cry, and will help them." Do we desire increasing "views of his glory? He will put us into the cleft of the rock, and make all his goodness to pass before our eyes®." Do we desire more intimate and abiding communion with him ? He will " come and dwell in us, and ■walk in us, and be altogether our God*^." Do we desire a more entire conformity \o him ? He will " transform us into his image from glory to glorv," by the sanctifying influence of his Holy Spirit^. There shall not be a thing that we can ask, but he will give it us, if only it will be conducive to our spiritual and eternal welfare •".]
3. He will give a happy issue to all our concerns — [There may be many difficulties in our way, and such as
shall be to all appearance insurmountable ; but He who made a path through the Red Sea, will remove them all in due time. Whatever in his wisdom he sees to be best for us, '' he will bring it to pass." We may labour under many discouragements by reason of calumnies which are circulated respecting us : the world may represent us as enthusiasts that " turn the world upside down," as deceivers that are seeking some base ends of our own, as abettors of sedition, and enemies to civil government ; in a word, they may speak of us as " the filth of the earth and the ofi-
scouring
^ Exod. xxxiii. 18—23. ^ 2 Cor. vi. \5. ° 2 Cor, iii. IS.
'' John XV. 7. & 1 John v. I4j \5. with Ps. xxi. 1,2.
357.]