God will fill it^." Does he need direction in difficulties? God will cause him to " hear a voice behind him, saying, This is the way; walk thou in ith." Is he in deep affliction? God will afford him such a measure of support and consolation as his necessities shall require'. Does he need peculiar supplies of grace and strength ? God will give him " grace sufficient for himk," and " strength according to his day1."]
3. In a way of gracious recompence —
[Not a sigh or groan shall pass unheeded by Almighty Godm, nor a tear fall without being treasured up in his vials n. And at the last day he will bear testimony to all the efforts which the contrite soul has made0, and will compensate it with an eternal weight of glory ; not indeed as a reward of debt, but as a reward of grace, which he has promised to all who seek him in his Son's namep.]
And now what language will be sufficient to ex- press,
II. The encouragement afforded by it —
To enter fully into this would occupy us too long. I will confine myself therefore to the hints suggested in my text. Surely this view of the Deity may en- courage all of us,
1. To seek him with earnestness —
[Were God regardless of the prayers of the poor desti- tute, we might well sit down in despair. But " he invites to him the weary and heavy-laden ;" and says, " Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt glorify meq." We may well therefore go to him, and " pour out our hearts before him," and plead with him, yea, and " wrestle with him," as Jacob did, determining " not to let him go until he bless us." This, so far from offending him, will rather be most acceptable to his Divine Majesty ; because he bids us " seek him with our whole hearts" and with our whole souls r ]
2. To wait for him with patience —
[God may have many wise and gracious reasons for de- ferring his answers to our prayers : he may wish to embitter sin to us; to humble our souls more deeply ; to make us more sensible of our need of mercy, and of our entire dependence
e Ps. lxxxi. 10. h Isai. xxx. 21. » Isai. li. 3.
k 2 Cor. xii. 9. ' Deut. xxxiii. 25. m Ps. xii. 5.
n Ps. lvi. 8. o isai. ixvi. 2.
i' John vi. 37. Rom. iv. 5. i Ps. 1. 15.
r 1 Chron. xxii. 19. Ps. cxix. 2.